ey as i PUINALASUIRSIEREEOETYLSLUDSERESIESEL PACIFIC ADVOCATE : | y \ | “Seanevavarsunsesuaecauesuteraceveisyesogsussoszesaauszssraugenseaserastraacagye PEOPLE’S VOICE FOR PROGRESS Editor Ph C. A. SAUNDERS ar MA rine 5288 The Road Abed CANA's Federal Election is over. The Tory bid ' for power in alliance with the pro-fascist Quebec Nationalists has been defeated. The Mac- kenzie King Government has been returned to power with a slim majority dependent upon the support of right-wing Quebec Independent Liberals and Independents. Commenting on thé re-election of the King forces, Tim Buck, in a post election’ statement, pointed out that “In fact with his precarious major- ity in the new House of Commons resting on the Quebec Independent Liberals, with a strengthened Conservative opposition in the House and with the absence of a powerful labor Bloc, there is every indication that King will move to the right. That is precisely the danger. The vacillating character of the King administration has been amply demonstrated on several occasions. The counting of the soldier vote may still further weaken the shaky majority which King now holds. While the outcome of the election gives some ground for satisfaction, the lack of a strong bloc of labor representation preferably with representation within the government itself, is a serious weakness. In this respect Canada is one of the most backward of the industrialized countries of the world. Practi- cally all of the liberated countries of Europe have provisional governments which include strong labor representation with from one to six Communist cabinet ministers. Australia and New Zealand both have labor governments; Britain for the past five years has had a coalition government of Labor and Conservatives. In the American Presidential Elections twenty- three trade union leaders were elected to the House of Representatives and the Senate and many others were elected with official trade union endorsation. And although American labor is not directly rep- resented in the Cabinet, it certainly played a decis- ive role in the election of the administration and consequently is in a position to influence govern- ment policies. - But what is the position in Canada? Although Canada is one of the world’s most highly industrial- ized countries with labor by far the largest single group in-the population, this predominance is not reflected in the governing bodies either federally or Provincially. All provincial elections and the federal election just concluded have resulted in failures for labor to secure the representation it should. Candi- dates of the LPP, CCF, independent labor men have had very little success. (Continued on Page 6) PAGE 4 — PACIFIC ADVOCATE ELMORE Philpott draws some conclusions in his column this week which make it even harder to understand the logic of his preelection slate. Ol’ Bill commented on this in Short dabs and drew attention to the ex- tremely catholic nature of his choice. It was a real mul- ligan including everything from Tories to Labor-Pro- gressives. This week, Philpott cor- rectly points to the definite leftward swing in the British Columbia vote and draws the conclusion, vigorously ad- vanced by the LPP prior to the elections, that unity and electoral agreements would have ensured labor at least nine seats in this province. This is typical, however, of the average -daily press : columnist, even when, as in Philpott’s case they happen to fall into the liberal progressive camp. Their own intellectual obscurity is bad enough, but when they build up a following among the workers it becomes even worse, for their in- fluence only confuses. THE daily press has. a tremendous influence and played a large role in beclouding the real issues in this election. Reaching hundreds of thousands of people across the country it was able to build the “Socialism vs. Free Enterprise” bogey into really frightening proportions to the In P assing By C. A. Saunders average reader. how absolutely false the issue was. Around Town By Cynthia Carter HE polling booth for our block was right across from the corner store and after the neighborhood women voted they gathered there to compare notes. There was little discussion of candidates. We talked about “our guy” (Jimmy Thomp- son, LPP candidate) and “the others.” Then when the results came in, we stood around the soft drink box, and talked things over. We were feeling a little bit bad because Ian Mackenzie would be “repres- enting” us in Ottawa, but we knew, at least, that Ian hadn’t been elected from our working-class district. We were pretty darned glad, too, that the new government wouldn’t give the Tories a majority. “It could have been better, but it could have been a lot worse,” somebody said, remembering Ontario. “Well, it’s all over but the shouting,” said somebody else. And that, of course, threw the floor open for discussion. Because if there is one thing we’re certain of, it’s that it definitely is not all over. It’s just beginning. “Tan made a lot of promises,” said one wo- man. “Well, he better keep them. He talked about family allowances and the government’s fine policy for reestablishment of ex-servicemen. That’s just dandy. But its just a start. We want a lot more social legislation passed—and quick.” ‘Tm going to write him a letter,” said a smal] Ukrainian woman with a determined look in her eye. “I’m going to tell him that I think it’s time something was done to clear up the slums in this town.” “And I’d like to know what plans he’s made for reconversion of wartime industries,” said another. “My Mike is in the yards now, but we don’t know from day to day...” Everybody thought about this for awhile. And I thought about the voter’s list we'd got in the mail. Looking down the list of occupations was like reading a war industry’s payroll sheet. The result of the elections show However, in spite of vicicus Opposy, Labor-Progressive Party has establishc, as a definite political force in Canada) up over one hundred thousand votes. In British Columbia the 30,000 of gained by the LPP in their first serious’ into the federal field is an accomplishme proud of. It represents a lot of hard vi is a splendid showing and a credit to oui) Columbia party. It is also a base fo-# work and this is: the point I am getting az We have proven in this election ci that if we can reach people with our prog} policies we can win them in the thousan: Labor pressure on the federal goverr: going to be even more important from | to offset the influence of the Tory gove:: of Quebec and Ontario and the right-wing | M.P.’s from Quebec. | The political tasks facing our paif tremendous and we in this province will Be election to face within the next twelve } Our own press must reach thousands 3 people. There are hundreds of potential ; among the thirty thousand odd voters wit ported cur party in this election. We 1} maintain contact with these supporters, thousands into the party and increase the and influence of our program and policies F is no better medium of maintaining conta, : cur own paper. Let us make our slogan t voter a subscriber” and build a powerful ©; to offset the distortion and confusion Sp: | the daily press. Shipyard worker, laborer, rivetter, war + { war worker... “Know what I think?” said the little © ian. “TI think we should keep on pestering until we get some of the things done. tha doing. Send them letters, tell them wh want, and tell them when we like som they’ve done, too.’ “And why stop with the government tawa?” demanded somebody else. “The civie election coming up in December. I: } too soon to start thinking.” : “Yeah — how about that vacant sp: Prior? It’s made for a park and playe | Maybe a community center, too. Now th play there, catching pollywogs in the strea: with a little bit of improvement . . 2? k ~ sometimes think that too many women’s } est in the government stops the day ¥ election. We can be terrifically partisan cf the few weeks preceding elections, but aft. returns come in we limit ourselves to critici what “they” do, if we discuss things at all # is not enough. In the United States, CIO u f ists, through their PAC’s, carry on year- |p lobbying. CIO workers make a point of 1¢ ing what’s going on in Washington, and re - entatives are made aware of labor’s opinion 1 time a bill affecting labor goes before the H # Here in Canada, we still have a long w: & go in this regard. It’s up to those of us wh if particularly interested in the political life o: q country to arouse others to the importam } standing at their representatives side, meta) ically speaking, when he is making up his how to vote, Here in Canada we are inclined to know . ) about people like Clare Boothe Luce and Sei § Vandenburg than we do about Solon Lowe o: berta and George Black of the Yukon. Whi one would deny that U.S. politics are mighty um portant to the whole continent, sometimes ties, like charity, begin at home. To redu: to the simplest phase of politics, it’s time to; f) thinking about Vancouver, although the | ac) election is six months away. Time to start fi & ing what’s needed in our city, and whe are ie best men and women to Carry necessary. through. SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1945.