—————

—————_—————

, dressmakers, has de-
“ajor, energies to at-
, USSR, and was the
ranizer of the Alter-
jorial Meeting in New
preceeded the Polish-
“The ILGWU editorial
#5 presence would re-
th the CLO, as his in-
be exerted “to keep
istic element in the
)the periphery of the
ovement.”’

sreat extent on the
to see through the
se spewing out of
stered his ego.

Bit campaign has been
); this few, comprising
redit Board which is
Pf government funds in
mila, to confuse and di-
iiple from their honest
‘bring about a better
ctical proposals were
while the exponent of
thasin= power’ proved
{a hand at dispensing
lief rations as those

jd Aberhart went on
© eding when the social
Shes throughout the
ssed for practical re-
i@ases that would provide
Hrecurity for the farm-
mz unity of purpose.
Pdeath raises many a
eto the future of the
= movement and the
§ Lack of leadership in
E:riod at the beginning
jeakened the organiza-
usioned the social
Jers. Aberhart’s anti-
= . his diffusion of pre-
f atred, his isolationist
#- a united, total war
# further destroyed the

ms never had a Con-
“=| «tnment. The people
fie Liberal Party in

A efferts to coax them
m ce fold have so far
se7 snited Farmers of Al-
=i to government on
aciples, was rejected
&d to be “just another

)i be a people’s gov-
ill be a people’s gov-

i Overmment elected by
 iarmers to bring co-
tdarity to Alberta poli-
piture depends not on

= t on one organization
Os arty, but on the uni-
® €r people, moving for—

‘Humphrey Mitchell
mgs with organized
un this week. The
£ organized labor. But
21) characteristically
Wn method—and one
arther incense trade
Sending a letter with
en through Captain
‘ster of the National
sociation, unsavorably
flors of a dozen na-
imp, racketeer, scab-
‘ompany union organ-

S one of the end pro-

“Rada’s existing anti-

jfore. Criticism missed:

eOnditions and hos-~™

labor trade union “policy.” Years
ago he was operating manager of
Ganada Steamship Gines but was
let go When accused of mulcting

the officers and crews of the —

steamship line with a wildcat stock
scheme. Around 1930 he became
business agent of the WNational
Association of Marine Engineers
but was forced off this job when
he refused to give an accounting
of the association’s books. In 1936
he was expelled by the Navigators’
#ederation after collecting money
for insuring their tickets with the
Merehant Guild in England but
neglecting to turn over the money.

Meantime he had organized the
National Seamen’s Association,
with himself as president for life,
his daughter as secretary-treasurer,
and his son—a chemist in Toronto
—as general organizer. By 1935 the
seamen on the Great Lakes had
had enough of this fink setup and
had gone over to the AFI Cana-
dian Seamén’s Union. Between
times he turned his hand to run-
ning a soup kitchen in Montreal,
and attempting a job of Strike-
breaking for the steamship com-
panies in 1938.

Lately he has established him-
self in the shady business of
shanghaing seamen out of the
port of Montreal. Karly in the year
he shipped 31 seamen to New York
—after having them sign an agree-
ment printed in the Norwegian
language—on the promise of jobs
as deckhands on Scandinavian
ships. When the men arrived in
Wew York they wer placed as
messboys at much lower wage
rates, and 10 seamen who protest-
ed were interned at Ellis Island
and later deported back to Can-
ada.

The facts of this case were
raised in the Ottawa House of
Commons on March 15 and a state-
ment made by the Department of
Transport and the Department of
Labor which confirmed the charges
made by the victimized seamen.

McMaster’s reputation has be-
come sO unsavory that correspon-
dence concerning him has passed
between the National Seamen’s
Union of Great Britain and the
Norwegian Seamen’s Union.

Declared George Thompson, rep-
resentative in North America of
the British seamen’s union:

“McMaster enjoys a very un-
Savory reputation in British cir-
cles and no one is allowed to
engage through him. In fact, I un-
derstand that a gentlemen’s agree-
ment exists whereby no allied au-
thority would use him. There is
evidence to support the fact that
he has tried to suborn British sea-
men in our pool in Canada and
then sell them back to us.”

This is the individual, then,
through whom lLabor Minister
Mitchell chose to tell the world of
a proposed change in labor policy
respecting seamen. Both the AFL
Canadian Seamen’s Union and the
CIO Deepsea and Inland Boatmen’s
Union were ignored, though both
were vitally concerned. Nothing is
conveyed officially te either the
Trades and Labor Congress or the
Canadian Congress of Labor.

The incident has given labor men
further cause to be critical of a
federal labor policy—or lack of it
—that permits the responsible la-
bor department head to deal with
proven racketeers and  strike-
breakers while continuing to with-
hold his confidence from bona fide
unionists.

Lumbering

EWA. on the Threshold

The International Woodworkers of America in BC stands
this week on the threshold of important advances in organiza-

tion that will in turn have big
production for war.

Pending at present are negotia-
tions between the union and man-
agements of many of the principal
logging and sawmill operations on
the Lower Mainland and Vancouy-
er Island. TWA members in a rum-
ber of sawmillsonthe Fraser River
and in Vancouver Island, are pre-
paring for certification by the pro-
wincial department under the ICA
Act. Certification of the union as
bargaining agent in 19 big opera-
tions on Vancouver has already
been ok’d by the labor depart-
ment. This week the arbitration
board which has been sitting on
the Queen Charlotte Island loggers’
demand for recognition of the LWA
reached a decision and forwarded
its findings to Ottawa where the
award will probably be announced
by Labor Minister Humphrey Mit-
chell.

An award in favor of the IWA
would open up tremendous possi-
bilities for further organization of
BC's basie industry. If recognition
is granted to TWA members work-
ing in the three Q@CI camps com-
ing under the arbitration—Kelley
Log, J. R. Morgan Log and Pacific
Mills Camp A-35—it will pave the
way for negotiations with the other
big operations on the Islands
known as _the Aero Timber Pro-
ducts Limited. Since this is a
crown company, coming under
PE€. 10082, collective bargaining in
this case could not be evaded by
the management.

Success in the QCI arbitration
award would also start the ball
rolling in a whole number of other
operations in the southern area,

effect on the whole question of
Negotiations under way with the
Lake Logging Company in the
Cowichan Lake district have been

“suspended pending the QCI deci-

sion, and an award favoring the
union would place the operator in
this case in a difficult position in
event of failure to establish bar-
Gaining relations with the TWA.
The other big operations on Van-
couver Island face a similar situa-
tion, as do the operators of the
big sawmills in the Vancouver dis-
trict which have been fully organ-
ized for months.

There is no belief among IWA
officials that the powerful BC
Loggers’ Association and the BG
Lumber and Shingle Manufactur-
ers’ Association will concede union
recognition without a struggle. It
is possible they might even refuse
to accept any arbitration award.
But whatever the position taken
by the employers, the 10,000 mem-
bers of the union look forward
with confidence to big gains in the
coming months.

They are sure of one thing—that
collective bargaining in the BC
lumber industry will go far in
overcoming its biggest problems—
manpower and production.

Declares IWA President Harold
J. Pritchett in this connection:

“Improved labor relations will
solve many of the problems plagu-
ing the industry. There will be
less absenteeism, more loggers wil-
ling to go to work in isolated
camps. With improved morale will
make for a better apreciation of the
need for increased production, a
true war consciousness that will
surprise everyone, the operators in
particular.”

Reward to the Victor

= es

Photo shows an attractive French woman enthusiastic-
ally welcoming a British soldier with a kiss shortly after
Axis troops had been driven from the city of Tunis.

NMU Hero Saved 17 Shipmates

x S55 eee

Photo shows the only merchant seaman decorated by

the US Army, Robert Reese Clay of the National Maritime .

Union, standing by while CIO President Philip Murray
tells of Clay’s heroism in saving the lives of 17 shipmates,
although himself wounded when their vessel was torpedoed
off the New Guinea coast.

Dead Nazi Is a Good Nazi

=

5

e scenes from the British Highth Army’s film
“Desert Victory,’ showing a Nazi tankman shot as he at-
tempted to escape from his disabled vehicle. This is only
one of the scores of film views taken during the heat of
battle. British cameramen, accompanying advancing Highth
Army troops, combined to produce one of the finest moving
pictures of its kind, ranking with such famous Soviet films
as the “Siege of Leningrad” and “One Day of War.”
“Desert Victory” is now showing in Vancouver to packed
houses.

3
b