lites ( } i 2 ¢ Around the - Slipways By Charles Saunders pee first new-type Victory ship went into the water in | +ecord time. I don’t know how far from completion she was at the time of launching, but there are rumors that other yards are figuring on hiring divers to lay the keels right in the water as the only method of competing. 2 Tt is said that the company launching the first ship gets a priority on supplies of materials, and this may be the reason for the rush to get a boat into the water. There may be other reasons too, but as I have said before, launching records mean very little. It is the time taken to complete the job that counts, It would be very unfortunate if a yard, ineapable of setting the fastest pace, should slow production for the whole area by getting a priority on supplies by means of premature launching. Answer? Iron out the bottlenecks in the supply of materials so that all yards can produce to the’utmost of capacity, and we will no longer have the spectacle of ships sitting around from three weeks to a month waiting for boilers. NE result of the settlement of the affairs of the Boiler- makers Union is to be seen in the West Coast Shipyard where organization has gone ahead tremendously in the last month. The negotiations at present going on between that union and the management of the West Coast should receive the wholehearted support of all organized labor, for this rep- resents the first serious attempt to get closed shop agree- ments, and will open the way for other unions. _ We know that one of the weaknesses of organization in the shipyards is the number of unions involved. This has been overcome to some extent by the Shipyard Conferences and the Joint Shop Stewards Committees. However, now that there is a chance to get this yard under contract, juris- dictional disputes should not be allowed to remain an obstacle. The established setup in the three other shipyards should form the basis for settlement of all difficulties. With this yard under union contracts the shipbuilding in- dustry on the Pacific Coast will be completely organized. This is the most important point and should guide the actions of all concerned. Ww WILL have meat rationing with us next week, and the workers will have an opportunity to explore all the various possibilities for sandwich filling, for obviously, the ration allowed is going to fall far short of filling the needs, especially where two or three in a family have to take lunches to work. Some extra allowance has been made for the loggers, but so far no action has been taken regarding shipyard workers and others in heavy industry. Measures are taken to ensure an ample supply of foodstuffs for the armed forces, and if we admit that this should be number one priority, then surely the workers in heavy war industries should be second on the list. This was not taken into consideration when the question of butter rationing was mooted and apparently the same thing applies to meat. There is nothing that will cause more discontent than in- sufficient food, and every effort should be made to see that the available supplies go where they are most needed. It will not work such a hardship on office workers, etc., to do with- out meat. But for shipyard workers (despite the dietitians) meat is a necessity. A little planning and foresight might save a lot of trouble later. LTHOUGH amendments to the Compensation Act passed in 1943 brought hernia cases within its scope, it is still practically impossible to establish a case. It is peculiar that an injury such as this, which in most cases completely dis- ables a man and prevents him from doing heavy manual labor, should not be completely covered. The wording of the present amendments leaves room for liberal interpretation which the present board does not seem to takke advantage of, but rather places every obstacle in the way. We have had three of these cases turned down lately and it is evident that some action will have to be taken to get these men fair treatment. SUDBURY, Ont. — Police at a great open air meeting in Speaking of recent amendments of the ICA Act in BC, Powers said working conditions in the United States were improved by legislation brought about by pres- sure on the government. “We had recognized rights of labor since 1776,” he added, “but we had to have the Wagner Act to enforce those rights.” Women receive equal pay with men in the U-S., Power said. Dealing with the role of unions in the war he said 850,000 dues- paying members of the CIO are in the U.S. Army. “In a matter of days, not more than 60,’ he stressed, “you will the street here Sunday to make room for the crowd gathered Chase Powers, international board member for District 7, taking in Trail and Kimberley, recently organized miners and smelter workers of B.C. Giant Sudbury Meeting Hears Of B.C. Victories were forced to move cars off *~ front of the union hall where brought greetings from the deal with the corporations here on the basis of your part in ‘this war effort.” : S. G. Blaylock of Consolidated is also a director of Inco and Stan- ley of Inco is a director of Con- solidated, he said. Bob Carlin, international board member, District 8, recently re- turned from CIO and international executive board meetings in the US, urged workers to build their organization to win labor rights and a national labor policy. Other speakers were Eri Dal- rymple and William Mahoney, president and secretary of Algoma Steel Workers Union. Negotiations -between the and Lake Logging Company — revision of their agreement commence next Friday, it has announced by George Gra pusiness agent of TWA Local & Representatives of eight oF tions of the Lake Logging Com & jn the Cowichan district are & quested to attend the opening sion. a8 Department of Labor off have established the fact now the International Woodwoi § represent the majority of the | ployees at Industrial Timber Ltd., Victoria Manufacturing Wellburn Timber Co. and Shawnigan Lake Lumber Go: |_etters From Our Readers Aid to Russia Wy. Nixon, Brilliant, BC, writes: At a recent dance held at the Playmor Hail at South Slocan to raise funds for the Canadian Aid to Russia Fund there was a total of $539.50, taken from sale of tickets and the expenses were $113.40 with a balance of $426.10 which was sent to the Canadian Aid to’ Russia Fund at Vancouver. There an attendance of about 800 and all had a very good time. Frank Frisby gave a short talk on the heroic part being play- ed by the Soviet Union in the struggle to democracy from the fascist hordes, and com- pared the sacrifice and suffering of the Soviet people to Our com- parative security here, so far from the battle fronts, and asked for the support of everyone behind our heroic Soviet Allies. There was enthusiastic applause. There was a vote of thanks to Alex Powell and Mr. Hucalac, the owners of the Playmor, for their donation of the hall and also to all those who contributed to the suecess of the evening. Perhaps by giving this some publicity it may give some encour- agement to those who may wish to raise funds for the Soviet people. You see I believe we did very well at this dance. PAY CHEQUES Cashed If you cannot get to your bank, bring your Pay Cheques to the Army & Navy. We shall gladly cash them for you. There is no obligation to buy. ARMY & NAVY DEPT STORES was preserve Vancouver and Westminster Se The Comintern Bert Huffman, Newton Stat- tion, BC, writes : If the dissolution of the Com- munist International will advance world unity; if this act will reduce the false impression of Soviet Russia held in many of the United Nations and will level to the earth the mole-hill of Communist-bred fear in several of the leading na- tions now engaged in destroying fascism, it will prove to have been the greatest single act of good faith and honesty emanating from the chaos of the war to date. To a lot of older Communists it will be a devastating blow. But, upon second thought, even these veterans must say it is for the Besta. However, the mere dissolution of the Comintern will not lessen nor abate the splendid results already achieved in the Soviet Union under Communism. That 200,000,000 peo- ple in the Soviet Union have been FOR SALE New Hampshire Pullets and Baby Chicks JOHN BOWLES | Phone 5I1-M _—_—dCloverdale, B.C. 3 SHIPYARD WORKERS! Eat at the Sugar Bowl Cafe} NORTH VAN upbfted, enlightened, made perous and happy by this Com: jst country, Stands as the grt national record for humanil human history. (Russia will go forward wi the Comintern, which, atte was simply a symbol, a badg! insignia of a people’s unalt faith. That symbol is no¥ planted in the very soul of t Russia and cannot be oblite nor dimmed. — 5 Wow, let us hope that we ce on with this struggle agains murderous forces.of fascism free hands, united hearts and™ made glorious by the flamir ample of our great ally, | Russia. = 100% Union House Meet Me at KING’S CAF) for = Square Meal! THE BEST OF FOOR Your Host .. GEORGE DR 212 Carrall Street PAw Soviet Women in- War Against Hitler 14 Stories, including one ai Pavlichenko; 76 Pages — WE CARRY ON — 172 Pages — 75c 4} THE HEROIC DEFENCE SEVASTOPOL 128 Pages — 65c¢ UNIVERSAL NEW 188 East Hastings THE PRINTING PRESSMEN AN ASSISTANTS UNION Local 69 Se CONGRATULATES THE PEOPLE on the successful conclusion of its recent sustaining fund drive. CBP EET PHF EOE P PIG FE FFE FOOT CFO OOM