Page 4 — Saturday: March 10, 1945 -

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pany, Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street,
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Editor

Associate Editor
C. A. SAUNDERS

MYER SHARZER

; Testing Time

T HE outstanding success of the Labor Lobby organized by

the BCFederation of Labor coinciding with parrallel ac-
tion by labor right across the Dominion marks an upsurge of
militant action, demanding redress for just gtievances and en-
actment of amendments to labor legislation long overdue. Ac-
tually the situation is a critical one and demands of labor leader-
ship the utmost in trade union statesmanship.

Nothing could be more harmful to the best interests of
labor and the Canadian people in general than a wave of strikes
and industrial unrest, at this time, with its consequent sharpen-
ing of class conflict and the inevitable alienation c< the armed

forces and the sympathy of thousands of people to the cause
of labor. -

In the present circumstances labor should welcome every
step which offers a peaceful solution to labor problems, and
when as in the case of the B.C. unionists this includes partici-
pation of its own representatives in a government committee,
with the provincial government pledged to lend its support
to the recommendations of that committee before the Federal
government, then it should be plain to every member of or-
ganized labor that a tremendous step forward has been achieved.

In these circumstances it is remarkable to hear CCF MLA
Herbert Gargraves, who was present during the Labor Lobby
and was well aware of the response of the delegates, make the
statement on the floor of the legislature tothe effect that
the government was stalling on labor’s demands and generally
pursue the familiar oppositionist tactics.

Unfortunately this attitude is being carried into some of
the. unions through the medium of the CCF members. It re-
flects an utterly unrealistic attitude towards the problems of
the unions and is based entirely on a refusal to recognize, or
perhaps it might be more properly said, fear to admit, that
organized labor has the strength to influence government ac-
tion as an independent force.

If Gargraves had the best interest of organized labor at
heart and was not obsessed with the CCF shiboleth that noth-
ing good can come out of the present incumbents, he would
have congratulated the government on its decision and urged
the setting up of the committee as soon as possible.

But his stand is completely in line with the reckless policy,
propounded in the trade union movement by the CCF, it is an
accumulative argument that says, you can get nothing from
government boards or any way your situation is hopeless be-
cause there is nothing for you under the present system. In
other words, elect a CCF government or strike.

This disastrous line plays directly into the hands of pro-
vocative employers, who hope for nothing better than a wave
of strikes and unrest in order that they may smash the trade
union movement and disarm the people on the eve of victory
over fascism.

Organized labor has amply demonstrated that it is a
powerful force, a force worthy and capable of a decisive voice
in the affairs of the nation. Precisely because of its added
strength and influence the trade union movement must act
wisely in the months ahead. As an indepéndent political force,
entirely free from the apron strings of any political party its
imfluence can be decisive on governments.

The way has, been shown, and there is evidence that more
and more unions are repudiating the path of partisan political
action advocated by the CCF, in favor of bringing pressure
on governments for specific demands and realizable changes
in labor legislation now. : :

The proposed government committee with labor repres-
entation for B.C. must not be sabotaged. Delegates to the Trades
and Labor Council must insist that their council participate and
appoint their representatives to such a committee. The B.C.
Federation of Labor must continue to take the lead in imple-
menting the results of their splendid lobby.

Labor can attain great results if it fully grasps the op-

portunity offered now. The alternative is one of strikes, weak-

ening of the trade union movement and a postwar period of
unemployment, With its attendant miseries of poverty, starva-
tion and civil strife, or a cooperative march forward, allied
with all forward looking and progressive peoples to a future of
full employment and rising ste=dards of living.

In Passing By C. A. Saunders

EFECTIONS from the ranks of the CGF

should be causing the leadership to do some
serious thinking. The attempt to explain the
actions of those who ean no longer.go along with
the disastrous isolationist ~ ~
policies of the CCE leader-
ship as “a communist plot”
or as “the Labor-Progres-
sive Party speaking” will
command secant ~ considera-
tion in the light of state-~
ments issued by those whose
sharp differences with pres-
ent CCF policy have impel- -
led them to either withdraw
from that party or to open-
ly express ‘their disagree-
ment as in the case of the
Manitoba MLA’s.

Within a period of a few
months prominent members” i :
of the CCE from places as far apart as Ontario
and Alberta, have announced their complete dis-
agreement with the present tactics of their
leadership. Fast fall Ontario CCF MPP’s Leslie
Hancock and Nelson Alles announced their with-
drawal from the party and are at present sitting
in the Ontario legislature as independent labor
representatives.

In Alberta CCF federal candidate Dr. Mac-
kenzie withdrew on the same grounds namely
that he could no longer lend support to the offi-
cial partisan position of the CCF leadership.
Latest to announce similar views are the Mani-
toba MLA’s Dr. D. L. Johnson and B. R. Rich-
ards, who are now threatened with expulsion for
daring to voice their opposition in the publicity
of the Manitoba legislature. Implicit in every
case is the fact that these people have despaired
that any opportunity would be afforded them
to help form CCF policy in the face of the pres-
ent burocratie control of the Lewis-Coldwell-
Millard heirarchy, and their concern that sharp
measures were necessary if the CGF was to
serve the best interests of the Canadian people.

As long ago as October, 1944, honest mem-
bers of the CCF were becoming alarmed at the
trend of some of the leadership, this was evi-
denced in British Golumbia by the résignation
of Alan GC. Clapp of Grand Forks. In a letter
to the Grand Fork Gazette, Clapp makes it plain
that his resignation was occasioned by the anti-
unity isolationist attitude adopted.

to

Around Town »

HINGS are sometimes so dull in city council

meetings that reporters on the city political
beat doze slightly while Non-Partisans slap
each other on the back. Reporters know, how-
ever, that they wont miss ;
anything important. When
any matter requiring discus-
Sion of finances comes on
the agenda, they are awak-
ened by a series of dull
thuds—the sound of alder-
men falling from their
chairs in a dead faint. The
reporters look up, count the
bodies, and calculate the
amount asked for. Five
bodies indicate requests for
day nurseries. Playgrounds
chalk up a total of seven.
But what really hits the
jackpot is the request for money to build a new
library. This brings a total of eight thuds and
one dull explosion, from the vicinity of the city
finance chairman.

Last December, when money bylaws were
considered, the city council completely ignored
a petition for money for a new library site.
Vancouver city council has never voted money
to the library fund, although the present library,
built 40 years ago, is too cramped for the supply
of books now on hand, allows no room for ex-
pansion, and was originally intended to serve
only 25,000 people. Y

Chief Librarian EH. S. Rabinson figures it
this way. Here in the city we need a new main
library building, a children’s annex, and ten
branch libraries. Not long ago Mr. Robinson
and his overworked staff decided they’d waited
around long enough for the city council to act,
so they saw to it that questionaires on the sub-
ject were sent to 261 local women’s organiza-
tions, labor unions and service clubs. More than
200 replies were received, which is proof in it-
self that the people are definitely interested.
The result was the setting up of a group to be
known as the Friends of the Library, a commit-
tee representative of every section of the city
and every walk of life, now at work on a pro-
gram for improvement of library services.

Nez only is the CCF policy causing

and disintregration within their 9,
however, but it is causing incalculable —
the trade union movement.

Hividence of the monopolistic attitng

CCF is provided in their latest action

gard to the Glace Bay Gazette. Orig;
organ of the miners’ union it has beep
the local affiliated to the GCF, nothing

Not content with taking over {hi
(supported by the dues of the min

way) they have now gone a step furth-

ous to have a weapon for propaganda ~
during the coming election campaign, fl

less than a @CF propaganda sheet.” :

succeeded in forcing a daily publicatig;

of the pockets of the miners. :
So apparent has the results of this

pursuance of ‘votes at, any cost? beco

the editor of the paper, Nathan Cohen

former weekly. This too will be paid

signed feeling that he could no longer | _

under such circumstances. In his State.

sued on his resignation he points out:

tor of the Glace Bay Gazette I was i)

confronted with this problem: if f cont
support an unrealist policy I would he
ering the interests of the people who
Gazette, the membership of District 9

Mineworkers, and of the Ganadian tray”

movement.”

Further Nathan Cohen points out tha
the CCF dominates a trade union thay
smothered by an atmosphere of inag
basic issues and specific needs: “wher
sought to capture control of trade union ,

away internal strength.” ;

(GOERS words will strike a responsi -

in the trade unionists of B.C., for

well aware that a union in trouble is 3}

variably a union in which the CGF is sh
to gain control with an utterly reckless

rule or ruin,

This is the explanation of resignat

deflections from the G@F, we ean ex

more will follow unless the present
changed, for as the testing time dray
more and more of the honest elemen|
that party are beginning to realize that
result of the present policy means a be
the Canadian people to at least five
Tory dominated reaction. And this in

diate postwar years, the most decisix

history of our country.

Cynthia Carter | |

So far plans are not complete by ai ~
but now is the time for the labor mo

pitch in and help with the job. Trade °
can stimulate interest in library affair

union locals, and can submit recomm

as to the type of reading material th
women’s ~ org .

needed. Progressive _
should be seriously discussing the qu
literature for little folk. :

N old advertising slant has been gis |

twist during the past few month:

results are pretty awrtul. Radio ad wr
rediscovered the value of repetition. ~

on your radio, and a shrill voice declaz
cigarette’s are TWICE as good. Do

ette’s are TWICE as good.” Or a soit
voice croons, “Sudsies work THREE Ww

Sies work THREE ways. Sudsies worl
ways.” We hate to think what might
the idea is taken up by makers of
soap which is, they insist, “ninety
forty-four one hundredths percent pure

But joking aside, there are some th

can well bear repeating, and the fme |
we have heard for some time is one
hearing more during the next few we |
Red Cross Needs Your Help.? And the [
The people of Cai |
the help that only the Red Cross give: }

The Red Cross campaign for funds
on its wonderful and necessary work E §
week and it remains for us, the people |
this campaign the most succesful in > f

of course, is true.

history of this worthwhile organiza

need to give the reasons in this column. §
heard the story from our boys in uniti®

families of prisoners of war, from the
fugee children who came to Canada
the blitz.
a historical

also-ran an important

Red Cross work will just be beginni if
eertain that those unselfish men and w

And when fascism officially

make up such organizations as our —

Cross and the Soviet Red Crescent Wi:
important part .in the rebuilding of 4
world. Sirens