‘o maintain full employment after var living standards in Canada must ised to the levels now made possible Nth century technique and organiza- aiedas 0verniment must ensure every Canadian obtains adequate clothing and shelter. médical care, ‘tunities for education, a caréer in | and unworried comfort in old age. .944 Family Allowances Act, which ) the standard of life of all families > low income group, is an important jn that direction. The Labor-Pro- we Party pledges its candidates io for the enactment of legislation in ‘ext Parliament to provide the fol- g: ‘mendment of the Dominion Labor in accord with the proposals of the “union movement and legislation to lish a permanent Dominion \|abor n agreement with the provinces. A vekly earnings. Legislation to guar- “two weeks annual vacations with for all workers and employees, and ‘or statutory and civic holidays. _ national minimum hourly wage "guaranteed minimum annual income very worker and employee. Every -and salary worker must be assured annual income equal to the basic standards established by the Do- in authorities. Our national aim be directed to the target set by the =e Convention of the Trades and La- al 40-hour week without reduction Federal Election Platform 6. Raise Canadian-Living Standards bor Congress of Canada—-a guaranteed minimum income of $1,500 for every gainfully employed adult. ®@® To incréase the efficiency of Canada’s social services, reduce their cost te the people and simplify the collection of social seciirity contributions, Labor-Progressive Pafty members in the House of Commons will urge a unified social security plan; the setting up of a National Social Secur- ity Administration, to bring together all social security measures under one con- solidated administration, with all levies for social security purposes, from individ- uals or firms, covered by a single inclusive periodic contribution. Social security legislation must provide: (a) Dominion Old-Alge Pensions of $40 per month to start at the age of 60 for women and 65 for men. (b) National Health Insurance to pro- vide medical services, doctors’ and nurses’ care, hospitalization, and sick pay. Vast extension of hospital and all medical fa- cilities in co-operation with all the prov- inces and municipalities. (c) Extension of the National Unem- ployment Insurance to cover all workers and employees with wages or salaries of less-than $2,500 per year, with increased insurance benefits. : (d) A National standard for mothers’ allowances with a basic minimum of $60 per month for mother and one child and adequate allowances for each additional. child. RECTION ir article of the 10, ‘with recent departures bers from the CCE The position of The Gazette is that it has now become a CCF organ, with a labor tinge. The CCF has turned a paper with immense potentialities as spokesman for organized labor into a tinny echo of David Lewis and CGlarie Gillis. NATHAN COHEN. du describe the Glace ette as a weekly pub- ‘which the GCF has sed to become a dailv on. afraid that you have sled. When District 26 nited Mine Workers of bought The Gazette it was a daily news- nd has operated as a er since. Never a very ily, unfortunately, and sre times when the edi- att was limited to my- -nonetheless a daily. It 35 itselt as the “only wspaper in @anada own- bor.” sal cause for the trouble Gazette, prior to the 1en I could no- longer the €CF, was that I to the principle that Y Was primarily a labor I alsp held that The had the right to dis- with the CCE, and to it, whenever that actions clashed with the rests of the union. On the Berlinstrasse Saturday, March 24, 1945 — Page 5 CRUUEDECUSCSSUCESECUEECERUSUSEUERUEELUEAESHLALISTSUSUTATEVETNED ENE EC RET ERENETSTICUONSAPUNELULENTTLULYNNIULETY Short Jabs by Ol Bill SUUDCUNECCEUERECHUEETURECESUSSUERUEUCOVVERVISV C20 000 eV EVLCATTTSEPESRETLESCLUTPULUTEUCUSECCTEPBOBRRSERSLET TET ES Press Drive Y THE time this appears in print the April drive for the P.A. will be in spate. As usual I am asked to call upen the readers of this eolumn to do their share in making the drive as successful as, or more guceessful than, cther campaigns of the past in which we have taken part. The period immediately ahead of us is one which may bring the beginning of a new world through progressive policies maintained and carried out by those who have the most to gain in the world today: On the other hand it may become a period of chaos and disaster with 2=reaction solidly seated in the sadd e. The place of the newspaper then, at the present time, is a most important one. It may inspire paralysing fear in the minds of its readers that will make them an easy prey to reaction, by croaking like Cassandra, of approaching blue ruin, of disasters mounting upon each other, of impending doom from which there is no visible means of escape. ® Such dire prognostications of hopelessness and despair as the official GCE newspaper “Commonwealth” made in the headline of an artic e in a recent issue, “Get Ready To Starve,” are of the type that spell doom for us and victory for reaction. They are a form of dope: they have the same effect on their victims as the opium used by the Japanese war lords to take the fight out of the people in the territories occupied by their armies. Then there is another type of press, the dyed-in-the-wool Tory reactionary as distinguished from the alleged socialist press. The death was reported a few weeks ago of one of the exponents of that par- ticular section of the press, Col. G. C. Porter of Winnipeg. The reports were the usual adulation and fulsome fattery that is dug up out of the newspaper morgues for such occasions. But I remember another story. : “Nil nisi bonum,” the Romans used to say. The English write it “Of the dead speak no evil.” But the truth is never evil, so we are on safe greund in what we have to say about one who perverted the truth. This Colonel Porter—he Became a colonel, by-the-way, through shak- ing hands with the governor of one of the Southern states—was work— ing on a Winnipeg paper when the genera’ strike breke out in 1919. Highteen months before that, the revolution in Russia had been suc- cessful and the Soviet Government was inspiring fear in the minds of the reactionaries throughout the world. They were, in a sense, quaking in their shoes. So to diseredit the demands of the poorly paid workers of the Dominion Bridge Company for a little more hay and oats, along the press wires of the world went a message from Colonel Porter that said: “A Soviet has been set up in a cabin on the banks of the Red River.” Short, definite and to the point. but the most shameless piece of brazen lying that ever appeared in print in this country. for there was not an atom of truth in it. Its purpose was to get mass support for the reactionary and starvation policies of thé Dominion Bridge Company and their political: mouthpiece, the Tory Meighen Government To solve sucessfully the questions facing our present day world, these reactionaries, avowed Tory and alleged socialist, must be count- ered. A press which will explain and fight for the policies which are the outcome of the deliberations of the leaders of the United Nations, at Moscow, Teheran and Yata is as necessary as the bread and butter we must have to live. This is one of the functions of the P.A. That is the reason why we must maintain it in spite of all obstacles. Particularly now in view of the coming Federal elections is it necessary, when reaction must be aeieated. OF Bill’s Committee Throughout the Province, press committees will organize the sub— seription and maintenance campaign. particulars of which you may read in another part of this issue. But there will be many readers, convinced a ready without any arguments frem me, of the need for this vital work, who will not be connected with any committee. Here is the place for them—with this column. If this fits you, get in touch with me right away and I will send you the necessary equipment, subscription books and collection cards—and you do the rest. In every drive, I have organized an Ql’ Bill press committee. By the time the drive is over the members of that committee are pounced upon by some club and their services are lost to this column. So a new OV Bil committee has to be created (that is the best word) with each drive. Already I have three members lined un. How many more? So if you are not on any committee, get on the band wagon with us The same inducements that apply to other committee members, that is, the book prizes for results, will be available to those who work for this column. Read what Margaret has to say. in her column-about the prizes. “What ean I do?” you ask. You can do plenty. Try to secure a sub, from everybody you know. If they don’t know anything about the P.A., so much the better It’s the new readers who count most. That does not mean that you should not try to get renewa's, too. Hvery- thing goes here. Again, if you are no good selling subs. perhaps you can secure a few dollars in donations. Many people move around. They are sym- pathetic but excuse themselves on the grounds that they have no per- manent address. These people are god for some financial assistance. You might invite some friends to-a card party, or raffle something for which you have no further use—and send the proceeds to me at 420 West Pender, or the office of the paper. With this article Iam launching the drive for us with the first two subs. and ten dol ars in donations.