\PACIFIC ADVOCATE PEOPLE'S VOICE FOR PROGRESS KVOL. 1, NO. 2 SS 5 Cents _VANCOUVER, B.C., SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1944 LPP Leader TAs Federal FERGUS McKEAN LPP Provincial Leader Will Query ‘Hart onBCE 4 Rel ictance of B.C. munici- ‘pal leaders to take over “3CER transportation systems ‘within their municipality boun- jaries: was apparent this week when 2 meeting of a committee representing the 31 municipali- ities involved decided to inter- view Premier Hart as to “why e thas changed his mind” re- arding “public . -ownership of the CER by the province. This approach to the problem, reflects again the evident feel- ing among various municipal re- 'presentatives that they do not 'Wish to undertake the responsi- > bility. involved. Despite the ee —‘Gontinued on Page 7 Withdraws Candidate in Vancouver Centre | “The taking over of the BCElectric Railway Company | wy the government and municipalities of B.C. is vital to the evelopment of industries, agriculture and the provision of jobs and security to the people of this province in the postwar,” McKean, pro- of the Labor- Progressive Party, at a meeting declared Fergus vineial leader in the Boilermakers’ Hall, Thurs- day evening of this week. WITHDRAWAL McKean announced his with- drawal as LPP federal candidate for Vancouver Genter at the meeting. He gave as reason for his withdrawal his decision to devote his full time to provin- cial politics, which he stated he could not do and give his at- tention to the federal election campaign as a candidate. “The degree of public owner- ship of electrie utilities is lower in B.C. than in any other prov- ince in Canada,” he stated. “The amount of developed hydro-elec- tric energy, in proportion to the total resources available in the province, is also the lowest | of any province in Canada.” HART’S PLAN Premier Hart’s plan for the development of hydro-electric energy to provide power for the development of secondary indus- tries and - rural electrification could not be successful without the inclusion of the BCEHlectric in such a system of government ownership, he said. McKean stated the LPP fa- vyored the proposals of the gov- ernment for the municipalities to take over the transit systems, and retailing of gas and elec- tricity within municipal bouwnda- ries. He warned that reaction- —_Continued on Page 8 ‘er THREATENS LI While Union Disruption Continues Unabated In Vancouver Island Locals P.A. has received a letter from Wallis W. Hee barrister and CCF MLA, on behalf of J. H. Irving, threatening suit for libel unless a statement contained in the November 4 issue, relating to activities of the said Hamil- ton Irving, is retracted ‘and an apology made. When snipers opened up on Yank troops just outside Aachen, Germany, a roundup of suspects brought in this quartet, ranging in age from 8 to 14, who were being groomed as Hitlers future supermen. Roosevelt The outstanding victory for ‘the forces of democratic pro- gress in the USA sent many de- featist reactionaries into politi- eal retirement. On the other hand progressive, pro-Roosevelt stalwarts received large majori- ties in most cases and reversed the Republican trend which had lmade great gains in the 1942 congressional elections. , Hamilton Fish; and notorious isolationist Gerald P. Nye were torate together with a motley gang of disrupters of national packed Richard Lyons in fMlinois, “Pro-fascists like Nazi-tainted’ firmly turned down by the elec- unity, such as Chicago Tribune |- Victory [s Triumph For Progress - American voters gave President Roosevelt the light’ for his home and foreign policies on Tuesday when they backed up his re-election by installing a sympathetic and progressive majority in both Houses of Congress. “green John A. Danaher in Connecticut and Thomas Curran in New York. The election of an increased Democratic majority in both Houses brought back such well known Wagner in New York, Scott Lu- cas in Tllinois and Elbert D. Thomas in Utah. These men, who represent the most progres- sive elements in Congress will now have the support of suffi- cient Congressmen and Senators to defeat the obstructionists and earry through the measures which are necessary for victory — Continued on Page 7 . progressives as Robert: EL SUIT » The statement in question was contained in a Hon? t page news story of a statement of the B.C. Provincial Executive of the Labor-Progressive Party ~ relative to CCF disruptive | tactics 4n the trade unions. The LPP statement charged that the CCF leadership was deliberately working to gain control of B-C. trade unions by wholesale expulsions of union members; that this leadership is planning to use the political action commit-_ tees of the CCL to force the GCL unions in B.C. to be= come a vote-catching appar- atus of the CCF; that the CCF has entered into agreement with the Socialist Labor Party of the USA, 19 of whose members are charged with treason in that country, to cooperate to either ‘gain control of the TWA in B.C. or destroy that union; and with | deliberately planned disruption of B.@. trade union local meet- ings in order to pave the way for CCF control. STATEMENT The statement cited examples of the outlined activities, and one example—that relating to Hamilton Irving—is the one quoted by lLefeaux. The state- ment in question says: “More recently ten members and sup-- porters of the CCF in the Van- couver Lodge of the Internation- al Association of Machinists, af- ter the membership of the local had refused to act, petitioned the Grand Lodge to expel from the union the president, Shelly Rogers, and the recording secre- tary, Omar Paquette. The cam- paign for the expulsion of these two leaders of the union was headed by Hamilton Irving, CCF aldermanic candidate in the last Wancouver civie election and secretary - treasurer. of the union.” : 3 FACTUAL According, to information in the possession of P.A. this state- ment corresponds substantially to the facts, and is a true state-— ment of what occurred. No re- traction is therefore necessary. The events deseribed in the statement arose from a move to expel these two men which was — Osatened on Page 8