Page 4 — May 26, 1945

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PEOPLE’S VOICE FOR PROGRESS

Published every Saturday by The People Publishing Com-
pany, Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia and printed at Hast End
Printers, 23803 Hast Hastings Street, Vancouver, British
Columbia. Subscription Rates: @ne year $2; six months $1.

Editor Phone
C. A. SAUNDERS MA rine 5288

A National Leader

When you go to hear the National Leader of a political
Party you expect to hear some exposition of a constructive
program and policy. When that man is introduced—as M. J.
Coldwell was at the Boilermakers’ Hall—as the next Premier
of Canada, you expect to hear something measuring up to the
Status of a national leader.

Unfortunately, Coldwell missed out on both points.
Principally his speech, a masterpiece of demagogic appeal,
was composed of a tirade against all and sundry who did not
belong to the select tiock of the CCF. Hints of dark conspiracy
were mingled with charges against “other working class
parties.”

Coldwell took us through the nineteen thirties, from re-
lief camp strikes and the Regina trek, right up to the outbreak
of war. To those who know the history of these days, who
know full well that every militant strugele, within trade

unions, in the ranks of the unemployed, including the Regina
Trek, were led by those labor people whom M. J. Coldwell
villifies today, it must have been ironical to see the suave CCE
leader calmly try to appropriate the credit for those militant
struggles.

The CCF leader had just returned from the San Francisco
conference. A conference where the future of our world is
being moulded. A conference where decisions of the utmost
importance affecting the future of the Canadian people had
already been made.

He spoke of the San Francisco canference. But not in the
present or future perspectives. He took us right back to the
prewar days again. Apparently he drank a cup of coffee with
a Brazilian delegate, and they got into conversation. About
the prospect of world peace and industrial expansion? No,
not at all—_-they made the astounding discovery that Brazilian
coffee was being burned whilst Canadians could not buy it
and Canadian wheat was being burned while Brazil was short
of that product. This was the highlight of Coldwell’s remarks
on the World Security Confererce. Did he have to go San
Francisco to find that out? It has been used on every labor
platform for the past ten years or more.

The point is not that these days of depression should be
forgotten; they are engraved too deeply in the bitter memories
of the people. The point is that M. J. Coldwell insists that
this is the prospect facing the Canadian people in the postwar
years. :

Even while admitting, more than that, pointing out that
capitalism provided full employment during the war, he in-
sists that they cannot do so in peace.

They can, and they will if they are made to provide for
the peace on the same basis as for war.

Coldwell’s argument is an open invitation to big business .

to embark on a postwar period of unemployment, wage cuts
and attacks on union organization, for he says they cannot
provide full employment. He knows full well that we will not
have socialism following the elections——not even CCF social-

ism ; the CCF have no chance of forming the next government
of Canada. So, he says, we must have unemployment because
capitalism cannot provide full employment.

‘The LPP on the other hand, while pointing out the weak-
nesses and dangers ahead, says most emphatically, “If we can
have full employment in wartime, then it is equally possible
in the peace to follow.’’ To ensure that this is done, to bring
a future in which poverty and want can be eliminated from
the nation, it is necessary that the next government of Canada
should be representative of all the progressive forces in the
Dominion.

With the reconstruction of the devastated countries of
Burope, the development of industry in backward areas of the
world, a period of expanding economy and increased stand-
ards of living is the perspective we must hold in front of our
Canadian people.

It is possible, the Coldwell counsel of despair notwith-
standing. And this is labor's task in the coming elections Roll
out the votes. Defeat the Tories. Elect a strong labor bloc to
the House of Commons, and the future of our country can be
a rosy one. :

___ Listen to the counsel of despair; allow a Tory majority to

gain power, and then indeed Coldwell’s dreary prognostica- .

tions may become reality.

plainly as:

ips present campaign, being carried on by B.
A. Trestrail, posing the main issue in the
forthcoming elections as between “State Social-
ism” and “Private Enterprise’ is the culmination
of a plot hatched in Toronto early in 1944.

Trestrail, who is spreading his confusing and
divisive propaganda over the -air, and with free
distribution of “Social Suicide,” a condensation
of his book “Stand Up and Be Counted,” is being
backed by some of the biggest financiers in the
country.

The avowed objective of this group of Tories
who are intent on returning the country to the
blessings of unemployment and depression is to
create a false issue with which to foist their
sinister designs upon the country.

The plan was first launched at a meeting of
Trestrail, Wilfred C. James :
and a group of businessmen
in Toronto. R. S. Gordon,
Canadian Tribune staff writ-
er, exposed the setup in a
series of articles in ,April
and May of last year.

These articles expose a
confidential memorandum
-which states the objectives
of the organization quite

“Tt is teemendously im-
portant that state socialism
be the major issue in the
next Dominion election, and
that we should make sure
that discussion is foscussed
on this issue and this issue alone.

. Every
one in Canada must be for or against State So-
cialism.” 5

There you have it in plain language.

The
electorate must be confused. They must be
prevented from discussing and voting on the
real issues. The culmination of this plot is) to
be seen in the flood of propaganda that is being
unleashed. The Tories are raising false issues—
conscription—State Socialism—to hide their real
program, a program which spells disaster for
the people and the nation.

NFORTUNATELY the CCF have assisted in
raising these issues. By their insistence on
“Socialism Now,” by their isolationist, anti-unity

Around Town

RTHUR COWLEY, local director of the Citi-

zens Rehabilitation Committee, believes that
three things are essential for the rehabilitation
of a returned serviceman; a place to work, a
place to live, and a place in the community.

“Just giving: a returned man a cash sum and
a selective service card is not enough. He needs
an assured income, sufficient to support him-
self and his family decently. He needs a home

he can be proud of. And he is not re established
in civilian life until he is taking an active part
in the life of his community, in his church, in a
neighborhood, or in a trade union.”

Mr. Cowley, a gray haired man with a slight
British accent, was speaking to me in the Reha-
Street

bilitation Committee’s offices on Pender
in Vancouver, where work of
this volunteer organization
is carried on. Rooms are
tastefully decorated in soft
colors, and in’ a series of
small s«ffices sympathetic
civilians who are volunteer-
ing time and experience to
this important task, help
work out answers to such
problems as where an air-
man can find a home for his
wife and baby, how an ex-ar-
‘my man can make use of his
talent for salesmanship, and
how a Seottish war bride
will learn to cook her Canadian sailor’s favorite
dishes.

For the committee, organized on request of
Ottawa some time ago, no task involving released
servicemen is too tough to handle. A group
of established businessmen have volunteered to
talk things over with servicemen wanting to
establish themselves in business or professions.
An ex-private wanting to set up a little wood-
working shop, for example, is introduced to a
man already in the business, who tells him what
his chanees are of success; a medical student who
interrupted his career to enlist is sent to talk
over his career with a successful surgeon, who
sizes up his possibilities.-

@

QNE of the greatest problems the committee
is faced with, of course, is finding a place for
a service man and his family to live.
“We are starting a campaign for 5,000 new

By Cynthia Carter. |

In Passing By C. A. Saunders.

attitude they help to obscure the issues

4
¥

coming election and provide ammunition
false campaign of the Lories.

The issue in the coming campaign ~
Socialism. The majority of the Canadia; |
are not in fayor of Socialism; there is x |
ger” of Socialism in the immediate 7
period. The issues in the coming elec# |
democratic reforms, full employment, —
standards of living, advanced social les
versus a return to the unbridled explloitaj
employment, and misery of the prewar
Progress or reaction—as simple as tha
the united forees for progress can admi.
resounding defeat to the Tories throne -
tion. : a

The CCF must stop playing the Tor™
This is what their “Socialism Now” pro }
amounts to. They must stop their red 4
there is too much similarity between suc }
ments as “The question of Russian (4
fighting spirit, ete., is not disputed—q
contrary. No sane person will dispui j
courage and heroism, It is purely a que }
whether a country—or rather its peo
spond more effectively and efficiently ui)
Russian system of compulsory regiment
under democracy’s system of individua
tive” from Trestrail’s “Sccial Suicide,” 7 |
@. 2. =

And the following: “Let me say at Go
we have always expressed our profound
tion for the efforts and sacrifices of our
ally” Coldwell broadcast, March 21, 1¢
lowed by, “Therefore be it resolved {
CCF contfnue to distinguish between the
from nationalized property in the USSR -
method employed by the Soviet Bure:
from a resolution: passed at the CCF FE.
vincial convention.

A. B. Trestrail is carrying on a vicic
paign, backed by Tory imterests. He is},
oring to confuse and panic the people of

The CCE are betraying their folloy
the hands of reaction by their blind, “’
Now” isolationism. :

Labor must get out and vote. Vote j
candidates pledged to unity, if the plan ©
Trestrails are to be defeated.

in Greater Wancouver for 19)
And even that is ric:

homes
Cowley told me.
insufficient.”
When a veteran has a home and a —
ley believes, the next step’ is! that he st
ing as a veteran. Any type of artificia
among people, such as the division bety
and non-vets, is a bad thing. Therefore
joins a union, he should consider union
as a union man first and as @ vet secon (§
said Mr. Cowley, “is an example of = |
rehabilitation.”

The Citizens Rehabilitation Comm) i\¥
made up of businessmen and represen}
labor, professional men and housewiy ~
when I told Mr. Cowley I was partic {
terested in knowing what labor could a ‘#
he was glad to give me some advice =}
along. i

“First, let me say that unions F if
very helpful. Aeronautical Lodge an ~
others have decided to give returned mn #
seniority for time spent in uniform, 3
is a splendid idea, which I hope other wu |
take up. One of the best things the 7 |
do is to make their members more awe
problems returning men are faced w-
union which asks the Rehabilitation © @
to send a speaker alone to its next me |
find a ready response” :

And Mr. Cowley would like to see m |
officials volunteer as advisors to men c
starting work in the particular trades ¢ |
their organization. j

| fPRANG CURIE CUSED emphasis on the p |;
eal problems of returning men has |
well meaning but slightly stupid peopl #
their serviceman as a sort of psychopz am
This is definitely the wrong approach
waited for my appointment at the Reb
Committee rooms I talked to an arm @
who summed it up this way: “The t @
isn’t living as a civilian, it’s making a1] }
civilian.” : 5
In other words, it isn’t so hard for =
man to feel and act like a civilian if
job and a home, and the feeling that ~
of normal life again. To help him ai
things is a tremendous responsibility, ¢
bility the committee has shouldered. ©
serve the support of al! of us. s)

By)
if