AR THE PEOPLE Published every Wednesday by The People Publishing Co., Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C. Telephone: MArine 6929. Eprror Har Garrrin MANAGING EDITOR cccceneeecneeenes AL PARKIN Busrmvess MANAGER - _.... MnNERVA COOPER Six Menths—$1.00 One Year—$2.00 Printed at Broadway Printers Limited, 151 East 8th Avenue, Vancourer, B.O. Are Cost Index Changes Coming ? wt has resulted from organized labor’s representations before the National War Labor Board inquiry into labor conditions in Canada? That question was answered in part this week during discussion in the federal house .on the ques- tion of the cost-of-living index and the application of price ceilings on vegetables. ; One of the notable features of labor’s presentation before the War Labor Board was the almost complete unanimity as to the need for a revision of the living cost index, plus en- forcement of price ceilings on certain commodities. Both the Trades and Labor Congress and the Canadian Congress of Labor made special reference to the matters. Their proposals were echoed b¥ every major union and labor group that ap- peared before Mr. Justice McTague’s commission: British Co- lumbia representatives before the inquiry were particularly emphatic in demanding a change in the index that would be in line with actual prices paid by the housewife- That there is a definite basis for labor's grievances in the matter was finally admitted this’: week by Hon. J. L. Isley. He thought it “possible” that the index could be wrong, and this, coupled with previous statements from Ottawa that a change was being considered, can be taken to mean that certain steps-are being made in line with actual needs. The point here is that, properly organized, pressure by the labor movement on the government can get results. Members of BC unions who attended the inquiry stated on return to Vancouver that they expect to see some real developments come out of the hearings. If these predictions are borne out, as they must be, it will be another triumph for that clear- headed group of labor leaders who have consistently main- tained that political action by the trade unions can and must take the place of strike action in wartime. St. Laurent from Missouri qe HON. LOUIS ST. LAURENT seems to be remarkably naive as well as obtuse. He now believes that if you put a fascist like Charles Crate on his honor and ask him to sign a statutory declaration to refrain from further fascist activity, that promise will be upheld. We gather that from his latest statement in the federal house this week when, replying to a question as to whether he believed there was any possibiilty that the Canadian Union of Fascists had been revived, he declared there was “no evidence” that such was the case, giving as one reason Crate’s signature to a declaration made at outbreak of the war. Aside from the obvious absurdity of trusting the “honor” of a fascist, the minister of justice should have thought a mo- ment before denying so airily the possibility that the Canadian Union of Fascists might have been revived by Crate before he was arrested in Edmonton recently. We seem to recall that just a year ago this month Mr. St. Laurent was asked by CCF leader Coldwell what he was going to do about Crate’s activities. As evidence, Mr- Cold- well produced clippings and documents furnished by the labor paper, Canadian Tribune, proving Crate’s continued work on behalf of Nazism. The only reply from the justice minister was to the effect that he “was not tremendously impressed” with the evidence. Yet only a year later the RCMP had arrested Crate for carrying on fascist propaganda on a vital defense project. Can we assume from St. Laurent’s: latest comment that he still refuses to believe the existence of fascist groups operat- ing in Canada? If so, then we must conclude that he is not interested in cleaning out the fifth column rats. A\ Discussion On New Party Structure By SAM CARR ie IS essential that all of us who are deeply interested in the formation of the new party of Communists should devote some of our attention to the pr organizational forms. There will oblems of its constitution and be room in the new party for workers and for farmers, for professionals, middle class people and students. In this new party men and women of all walks of life will join their energies and -— combine their determination for vietory in the war, for a happy post-war, for the ultimate trans- formation of Canada into a land without any exploitation of man by man, a land without monopo- lies and profiteers, a land of socialism. It is clear that the chief task of the constituent convention is the elaboration of a program on the basis of which Canadians from all. parts of the country, men and women of various oc- cupations and eyen attitudes, can unite into one political organiza- tion. However, of major im- portance also is the elaboration of organizational forms which will provide the mould into which the energies around building the new party will be poured. In this contribution, I would like to sug- gest some ideas for the organiza- tional structure of the new party. eo T this moment, as part of the preparations for the constitu- ent convention, men and women throughout the country are com- bining into clubs, branches and initiative committees to discuss the issues before the convention. There will be in the country hun- dreds of such branches, clubs or initiative groups. These will not only provide the delegates to the provincial, and later the national, conventions, but will also consti- tute the very organization kernel of the new party. It is my opinion that we should aim at establishing a club of the new party in every community of the country, including both urban and rural communities even of the smallest size. The local branch of the party should not be limited by any pre- conceived notions of size. How- ever, in communities where more than one branch is a realizable perspective, we would do well to keep its size to about 50 or 75 members. This type of a branch provides a sufficiently large num- ber of members to make the meetings interesting; at the same time it is not too large, making possible close friendship between all members and the activization of everyone able and willing to do club work. Each branch or club should elect a chairman and secretary and at least three more of its members, who together should constitute the club executive. It seems to me that clubs or- ganized on the basis of covering definite territories should be the principal form of local organiza- tion of the party. These clubs or branches can and should become active participants in all functions of the community they are or- ganized in. They can and should become a centre of leadership in the community, contributing in a modest but energetic fashion to the improvement of their com- munity and to the fulfilment of the obligations of their commun- ity to the nation as a whole. @ Howey: in addition to clubs organized in a territory and to which members will belong by by virtue of residence in the given territory, there will be a neces- sity for what one may call “In- dustrial clubs.” In many cases, people employed in one industry, whose attention is largely absorb- ed by the battle to increase pro- ‘duction and build labor-manage- ment co-operation in the given industry, will prefer to combine together regardless of residence. These Communist-minded work- ers their endeavor to contribute their finest work on the indus- trial front, and in building trade unions may find an industrial club of great assistance since it will be possible in that way, to obtain cohesive work on the part of all similarly-minded Canadians in the given industry. = e ie general, it is my opinion that we should not rule out any form of organization which will advance the growth of the new party and its contribution to Canadian life. We Communists are not slaves to any one form of organization and we should in the most open-minded fashion ap- proach any form, understanding that only after some time will life itself demonstrate to us which are in fact the best forms of organiza- tion. In cities with more than one club, I would suggest the formation of a city-wide conven- tion of the clubs. Such a council could do valuable work on the arena of city-wide politics and city improvement and be an ac- tive force in mobilizing the local clubs for city-wide actions in sup— port of the needs of the entire community. ~ @ ie preparation for the conven- tion in August provincial in- itiative committees already have been set up. In my estimaton, the provincial conventions, which are to take place on the eve of the national convention, should establish. wel! functioning provin- cial councils or committees. These councils should lead the branches in the entire province on to the arena of provincial political and economic life. They will co-ordi- nate club or branch activity, sup- ply the local groups with leader- ship not only on political ques- tions, but also in matters of or- ganization, education and financ- ing. At the national constituent convention, the delegates from the local organizations will elect the leadership of the new party. It is my hope that at the con- vention we will rally around one person who should become the national leader of this new po- litical party. . So ae organization which we are building must provide each member with the fullest oppor- tunity for the widest democratic participation in all discussions and decisions. However, once the convention completes its work, and, I hope, unanimously comes to an agreement on a program and platform, we will have laid the basis for cementing the indi- vidual members of the party into a cohesive and truly united poli- tical force in the country. I am an advocate of a disciplined party. This means. one thing, and that is that all of us, once we agree on the principles of a program, should be prepared to subordi- See NEW PARTY—Page 8 “Hducation” Again O* another page ther ter from Ole Martin. have been interested in tl ermen’s union you will kno: for he was one of the figures in building” the 1 the place where it is Well, Ole doesn’t like the way I wrote about “educati a nasty slap : the point. 4 What I had to say wast duce more efficient wealtt ducers for exploitation by & ers of capitalist society. 1 & J made that plain. : Ole is quite proud of his ing and he has every Tif be. The knowledge acquir square-riggers or fore-3” rigs or fish boats or in col hard rock mines or in th ging woods and sawmills | essentially from the learn parted in the universities. — The difference is tha knowledge gathered on 4 s~ rigger, particularly if the s or the mate is no slouch | handspike, teaches one to what class warfare is, wit university brand—no matte - well-meaning the professor be—is calculated to disgu eover it up. 4 A History Professor OR instance, one profes: had at the UBC collar in writing a history of the © to be used in the public #- Of the France of 1871, tory states that France wat to have her affairs in the of “a clear-headed old © eighty-two.” This was Thie of the murderers of the Commune, of whom Marx “Thiers, that monstrous © . . . Before he became a man, he had already pro} lying powers as a historiz chronicle of his public life record of the misfortui France.” Ole is wrong, too, when” The People is not new ent a newspaper. The news — People is the first news the ers of BC get, as they sho it, not distorted and wat suit the class that owns t chinery of production. It is not written “ob as the capitalist ne write, which means ¢ suit the boss class, but labor interpretation on 1 is right up to the minut not only timely but the : writing it is the only lee one for the people for ¥ is intended, people wh ing has come to them @ most unlikely soure ‘ behind the jitterbug woogie news houn column is a comm news dispatch and may be writing ab which happened se —the beginning of t on civilization in Sp will be up-to-date OY Bil.