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‘e Letters From Our Readers

¥ =

.orrespondents

ailable local manpower.

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+ ities.

i@ xcar and the breadline of the between-war eras —in
=) iich the present heroes and saviors of civilization were
* ‘ssed as “derelicts and wasters” against whom the pub-
_» must be protected by police and gas bombs—shall never

) turn.

Jnity of All Labor Groups
ssential During War Period

Beryl M. Wheeldon, Penticton, BC, writes:

As one who was not a member of the Communist Party,
would like nevertheless to say how much I welcome the
'ggestion of Tim Buck relative to the new labor move-
"sent political party which could embrace all those anti-
“scists now rendered inactive by government bans.

That such numbers should have been prevented from
aking their full contribution to the war effort these last
ee years is a situation parallel to that in which Hong-
) ng, Singapore, Burma, etc., fell to the invader largely
cause the authorities were unwilling to make use of

| Those faced with so utter an eclipse in possible defeat
the Communists in this anti-fascist war would constitute

immense new ally in every field of the war effort.
:is marvellous the contribution they are making at the
)2sent time, but men and women fettered and muzzled
-> handicapped in every effort they make). Those with
» great a stake in peace would provide, too, a nucleus of
» Uanformed students in post-war planning and Possi-

» From a political angle, a labor front of all groups is the
=) st essential need of this era. I would urge all who can
| obtain Picture Post for May 22, with its trenchant re-
' nders of the fate of veterans of the last world war, even
? thin a few years of the peace(?) of 1918.
| Only by a cooperative association of anti-capitalist
_) 5ups Can we offer any guarantee to the returning veter-
-) 5 of this war that a similar fate shall not await them.
: To the present generation, these war years have
“} ought the only material security it has ever known.
It is up to all socialists te pledge themselves that re-
rrent wars shall not be the price of security; that the

=<

ou. Ballett, Burnaby, writes
= formation of the new Com-
Oe ist party as follows:
mmit me to take advantage
sour invitation to write to
>) a reader's opinion on the
'* important question you
2d in your editorial on the
Fiation of a new party. This
72 atory move by Mr. Tim Buck
© his colleagues is, I am sure,
‘welcome news to many peo-
who consider themselves in
ame political category as my-

ith the ban that is imposed

ds are unable to clearly
all the things the Com-
lists adyocate as a party. I
ve that there is room in Can-

he ban is imposed the people
do not care to see the Com-
usts active in a legal and pub-
Way are able to circulate all
of rumors about the Com-
fist aims and the Gommunists
hampered in a defense of
mselvés,
‘owever, the new party that is
osed should not be a Com-
hist party in the sense that

Teed Broad Prosram

the old one was, although do not
misunderstand me, I am not say-
ing that the Communist Party of
Canada has not done good things
for the working class. I think
they have. >

But what I think is that this
new party should be very broad
organizationally and take in
everybody that is dissatisfied with
the old parties because we do
need a new party that at least
will make it clear about the war
and what we should epect when
We win it as we will

Today many thousands of work
ers haye many doubts and fears
about the old line parties and
even CCE which seems to be
more concerned with winning
seats than winning the war. Win-
ning seats is part of our job but
the main task today is to win the
War and ensure a better world
than we have ever had. If work-
ers saw a new party being
formed which had a program that
embodies the desires for im-
proved economic security they
would certainly flock to such a
party.

Hoping you will print my let-
ter and I will write again about
what I think the program should
be.

Discuss

Party

«~ & so Ss
Unionists View
Charles Saunders,

Dock and Shipyard
Union, writes:

I note with interest the visit
of Tim Buck to Vancouver dur-
ing the middle of July, during
whieh public meetings will be
held to explain the purposes of
the new party of Communists to
be launched at a national con-
vention in Toronto on August 21.

The trade union movement has
been in the forefront of those
demanding the lifting of the ban
on the Communist Party. We have
felt that the maintenance of this
ban, in the face of nation-wide
protest, is not in accordance with
the aims of a freedom-loving na-
tion engaged in a life and death
struggle demanding the greatest
united effort of all its peoples.

I believe the proposed new
party will meet with the approval
of all progressives within the
trade union movement and other
organizations. The left-wing labor
movement needs such a party if
it is to play its full part in the
winning of the war and the build-
ing of Canada.

president,
Workers

s s

Unifying Foree

J.E.P., Grandview district, Van-
couver, writes:

What strikes me about the pro-
posal for a new party is the pos-
sibilities it offers for furthering
labor unity. No one will deny
that the Communists in Great
Britain have been a great unify-
ing force both in the trade unions
and the Labor Party. In Canada
left-wing labor has been hindered
in its historic task of promoting
unity by the ban on the Com-

munist Party. Once let the Com-
munists come out fully and open-
ly behind their program and
we'll see great new developments
in this field.

Cireulation

John Boyd, Vancouver, writes:

The urgent need for building
a powerful workers’ press is
stressed through a report in a
local paper that 85 percent of
Canadian workers are not organ-
ized. History proves that labor
can only attain a higher stand-
ard of living according to-the de-
gree it is organized and the abil-

ity and honesty of its leaders.

Because a few thousand dollars
were raised in the recent People’s
press drive there is a tendency
to be satisfied with the showing
and to wait for the next drive
before making a temporary spurt.

It is not sporadic efforts that
will build the circulation of The
People but only constant, every-
day progress in obtaining new
subscribers. In this regard I have
great respect for Bert Pine, who,
despite his age, is consistently
on the alert and is successful in
obtaining new readers. In my
opinion our objective should be
the’ doubling of the present cir-
culation of The People within a
definite time and when this is
achieved continue the procedure.

I have just read a letter by a
worker who picked up his first
New York Daily Worker on a
ferry during the Hoover Bonus
March. Sinte then he has always
left his copy when finished read-
ing it in a convenient place for
Someone to find and become in-
terested.

It was through finding a Mos-
cow News about ten years ago
that I first became deeply in-
terested in the labor movement.
This has convinced me it would
be a simple and effective way to
obtain new subscribers by leav-
ing our copies of The People in
cafes, on park benches and street-
cars.

But to speed the organization
of the 85 percent unorganized we

PINIONS contained in
these columns are
strictly those of the writers.
We welcome correspond-
ence, but ask that letters
be held to 300 words. a

must never relax our effort to
build the workers press by can-
vassing and by other methods.

Edueation

Ole Martin, secretary-treasurer
of the Steveston local, United
Fishermen’s Federal Union,
writes:

I haye a complaint to make that
I would like published.

I disagree most emphatically
with Ol’ Bill’s column printed in
your June 19 issue in which he
takes a nasty slap at education.
I am one of those Who hold that
education can solve all our prob-
lems. Hence, I subscribed to The
People before it was even pub-
lished first. I am well past 60
years old and haye trid to acquire
a smattering of what most people
call education for over over 50
years old and have tried to ac-
quire a smattering of what most
people call education for over 50
find a particularly wet spot in
the Fraser River and jump into
it,

I have not had a college edu-
cation. But I have spent several
years on square-rigged ships of
various nations, and I spent a
couple of days at the University
of BC. I felt it all helpful.

Now if and when The People
ceases to be educational, please
stop sending it to me. As a news-
paper the news is not enough,
and that goes for Bill’s column
too. I like the paper as it is now,
but let me assure Ol’ Bill that
some people can acquire educa-
tion from the most unlikely
sources, even through a police-
man’s baton. I have gained some
of my knowledge that way. How-
ever, I admit my knowledge is
very limited, though I am Willing
to learn.

Editor’s Note: The attention of
Mr. Martin and readers is drawn

to Ol’ Bill’s column on Page 6 of
this issue.

W omen Must Strengthen Unions

WVirs. J. B., North Burrard work-
er, writes:

A recent clipping in the Bulle-
tin Board in the women’s build-
ing in our yard brought forward
a question about which many of
us feel very strongly. It dealt with
the present attitude of employers
in industrial plants towards the
women workers. It is safe to say
the majority of the women resent
it and I hope the question merits
discussion in your columns.

Due to the manpower shortage,
women are Tapidly taking over
and doing many jobs formerly
done by men. Employment of
Women in the shipyards is a new
and revolutionary idea and the
company sees fit to hire a special
personnel manager for the girls—
a social seryice worker in effect
—putting up a special building
and segregating the women from
their male co-workers as much as
possible.

Safety rules are of course neces-
sary for everyone and should, in
my opinion, be rightly enforced.
With such rules we have no quar-
rel. But certain other rules and
method of enforcing them are an
insult to men as well as women
workers. They are in existence
supposedly because of the “n-
usual” occurrence of men and
women working together. But for
at least a generation now it has

been not at all unusual for large
numbers of men and women to
work together without the bene-
fit of social service workers, arm-
ed with a formidable array of
rules and regulations, in such
places as department stores, can-
neries, mail order houses, etc.
Are the shipyard workers of a
lower moral calibre?

Who is the average shipyard
worker that we poor women need
a special supervisor to protect
our morals? They are a very rep-
resentative group of working class
people, miners, lumbermen, office
workers, fishermen, clerks, music
teachers and many others, with
a great portion of them farmers.

Has the shipyard changed these
men to such an extent that women
need fear to eat beside them or
work with them? Far from it.
These men are far more willing
to accept us as fellow workers
and assist us in our jobs than the
regulations would imply. I think
the men appreciate us intruding
our femininity as little as possible.
Having the sex angle continually
discussed and brought to the fore
by supervisors and by segregating
the women, continually stirs up
the subject and gives it an im-
portance far out of proportion.

Another angle is this question
of the union. We have been taken
into our jobs as members of our

various unions. As such, why do
the unions put up with a special
grievance agency for women mem-
bers? Because of their inexperi-
ence women are deliberately led
to believe that makeup, dress,
ete., can result in being fired by
the personnel manager, and are
encouraged to carry tales. The
men would call it “being a stool
pigeon.”

Women should realize the role
the unions play and learn to uti-
lize their facilities. It was the
unions who gave us equal pay
with men, and equal chance of
promotion, providing, of course,
we are efficient workers. Wheth-
er or not we are union members
will decide whether we work in
the yard, not whether our appear-
ance pleases our supervisor. We
appreciate our clean lockers and
economic lunch room but as one
girl puts it, “Why not one for the
men first—they were here first.”

Why don’t we really get in there
and make the unions stronger for
having us, not weaker because of
us, is what I say to the women
who, like myself, are recent mem-
bers. By so doing we will prove
the ponderous stricture of social
seryice workers and rules and
regulations built around us the
superfluous thing it is, and it will
then, I hope, die a natural death
from neglect.

e