illing To Aid Building —

-Alaska Highway Link —

Construction Would Open Up North —
Help Solve Postwar Problems

New hope for speedy action in building a British Columbia link with the Alaska
Highway was aroused this week when Senator Warren G. Magnuson announced in Se-
attle that President Truman is in favor of such a highway and anxious for an interna-

tional commission to start work on a cost-sharing program.
iN
¥ :
make it plain that this project is| to the vicinity of Whitehorse,
an essential step towards build-|#nd another from Hazelton to

Two bills have been introduced
in the U.S. Congress calling for

Sarrying picket signs in a drive to organize employ
a W SWoolworth ‘Co. store in Kenosha, Wisc., are Pres.
wartwick C. Dahl, Kenosha Trades 6 Labor Council (AFL)
und Pres. Jack. Milward, Kenosha County CIO’ Council.

ees of the

setting aside $15,000,000 towards
construction of +the route, while
Canadian government engineers
are backing proposals that Ot-
tawa spend $25,000,000 annually
on a postwar highway develop-
ment program.

The question will undoubtedly
be discussed when Mackenzie
King meets President Truman at
San Francisco. Much can be done
towards ensuring the speedy
building of the road if progres-
sive circles in British Columbia

oroposal of the Maritime Marine-
workers’ Federation that all
shipyard and marine workers in
Canada be invited to join in one
national union.

Disclosing that a national fed-
aration “has been the goal of the
“Shipyard unions for over three
‘ears,’ Culhane pointed out that
“considerable discussion has tak-
on place on this question, and
there is every possibility that a
4 conference of ship unions will be
called this year which it is hoped
will result in the final consum-
4#mation of the proposal.”

“The Shipyard General Work-

ers’ Federation was formed as a
I basis for such an organization,”
Culhane continued, ‘“‘and it is our
opinion that the ultimate objec-
tive of a national federation can
and will be achieved.”

Culhane informed P.A. that
the proposal has met with un-
qualified _support among _ the
Marine workers of the Atlantic
seaboard, and of the newly form-
ed federations of French Cana-
dian marine workers in Quebec.

MAPPED AT CONVENTION

The plans for the national un-
ion were originally mapped eut
at the Quebec convention of the
Canadian Congress of Labor in
October, 1944. At this time a
meeting was called to discuss
proposals as to the future course
of the shipyard unions chartered
by or affiliated to the CCL. It
was suggested then that discus-
sion of the proposal should center
around three points:—

|

E

q ing Workers (CIO).
, 2 Formation .of a National
Union within the Congress.

| @ Formation of Regional
Federations.

a3

pe Affiliation of the Industrial |.
_ Union of Marine and Shipbuild- i

National Federation Objective |

Of Shipyard Workers’ Unions

“Pye move-toward a-national. federated body of ‘untons: in- the~shipbuilding -industry-
progressed toward final realization this week, :
Shipyard General Workers’ Federation announced that the Federation is supporting the

when Gatry Culhane, secretary of the

After considerable discussion
at that time, a committee of the
Congress was struck off to draw
up a memoranda based on dis-
cussion.

The memorandum was then
presented to the delegates, and
upon acceptance was presented
to the officers of, the Congress. In
the memorandum it was pointed
out that the Congress had decid-
ed on a number of points as a
basis for proposals to the Organ-
izing Committee of the Congress.
It was felt at the time that im-
mediate steps should be taken to-
wards realizing a National Union
of Canadian shipyard workers at
the earliest possible moment.
The National Union should in-
clude the Shipyard General
Workers’ Federation of B.C., and
all local chartered unions of the
Congress engaged in this indus-
try desirous of affiliation.

As a preliminary step the ap-
pointment of an.®organizer in
each of the two eastern areas
was proposed. The organizer
would give immediate assistance
to the local ship unions in the
areas and would aid in the re-

organization and expansion of
the unions. All shipyard unions
in each area were to be summon-
ed to a conférence at’ which the
necessary steps would be taken
to set up regional federations on
the pattern of the Shipyard Gen-
eral Workers’ Federation of B.C.
It was further proposed that
the constitution of the Shipyard
General Workers’ Federation be
used as a pattern for the set-up
in each area, and that as soon as
the regional federations were
set up the secretary of the Con-
gress, in consultation with Mal-
colm McLeod, president of
SGWF eall a delegate con-
ference of representatives of
each of the regional federations
for the purpose of finally estab-
lishing the National Union.

The preliminary steps toward
the formation of the National
Federation, as outlined in the
memoranda, have been taken.
The final step has been instituted
by the Marine Workers’ Federa-
tion of the Atlantic seaboard.
The proposed conference, it is
expected, will be called some
time this year.

Anti-Fascist Drama

“You Can’t Forget the Enemy,” an anti-fascist radio
drama, written by Fred Wilmot, P.A. staff member, was
carried over the Western Network of the CBC on Satur-
day, June 23, from nine to nine-thirty in the evening.

The play, which was an appeal against the influence of
those who might ask a soft peace for the fascists, took the
form of a narrative recounted by a soldier who had been
part of the liberating armies. Larry McCance, prominent
radio character actor, took the leading role and the play
was produced and directed by Roy Dunlop.

ing postwar prosperity in the en-
tire Pacific northwest.

COMMERCIAL TIES

Alaska and- the Yukon have
strongest commercial ties
with such cities as Seatfle and
Vancouver, which have no over-
connection with the
northwest other
roundabout route through Ed-
monton, a reute excellently suit-
ed for connection with the heart
of the continent, but of practical-
ly no use to Pacific coast centers.

than the long,

building of a road to
Alaska and the Yukon through
Columbia ‘would likely
cost about $18,000,000.
umcunt woulc have to be shared
by Canada and the United States
on a basis to be’ determined by
an international commission.

Such: a commission is neces-
sary, not only to survey the va-
rious routes proposed and deter-
mine the cost, but to direct the
maintenance,
operation of the road on a per-
This would avoid
a repetition of the Haynes Road
A ten million dollar road
running from Tidewater at Hay-
nes, Alaska, to the Alaska High-
way near Whitehorse is at present
going rapidly to the dogs due to
the fact there is no international
agreement for
On the Canadian side of the line
is allowed to
rampage and wash out whole

construction,

manent basis.

maintenance.

while bulldozers stand idle a few
hundred yards away.

POSTWAR VISTA

Whitehorse.
ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.

The Prince George route is
currently holding the- spotlight
at Ottawa and Washington. It:
cuts diagonally across northern
B.C. through rich territory that
is almost completely undevelop-
ed. . It affords direct connection
with the Cariboo Highway and
CNR, while the PGE railway ter-
minates close by. at Quesnel and
must be extended in the near fu-
ture. This is possibly the most
| direct route. : : a

Nevertheless there is also
strong support, particularly in
northern B.C., for the Hazelton
route. This route would follow
the broad sheltered valley on the
lee side of the coast range, from
Hazelton, most northerly point
on the CNR northern line and on
the new Skeena Highway, to Tes-
lin or Whitehorse. Like the
Pringe George route, it ties in
with already existing rail and
road networks, and undoubtedly
passes through territory where
road-building offers no insuper-
able difficulties. The grades are
easy and the coast range offers
shelter from the weather. Near-
by are the gigantic untouched
Groundhog coalfields, a moun-
tain of iron ore near Hazelton,
and other rich natural resources.

NEED SURVEY

Until authorative surveys of
the different routes are carried
through it would be premature
to make hard-and-fast decisions
as & which is best. The Prince
Rupert Labor-Progressive Club
has been proposing for two years
that. such surveys be carried

=

PAGE § — PACIFIC ADVOCATE

A B.C. road to Alaska has been
discussed for a generation, but
up till now there has been no
steps taken by Canadian autho-
rities toward realizing this goal.
In prewar depression days, the |
labor movement on the coast de-
manded- the building of the high-
way as a job-finding measure.
Japanese interests and Japan’s
friends in‘ this country strongly
opposed the move at that time.
So did eastern financial group-
ings who have always done their
best to thwart the development
of the Pacific northwest. Now,
however, new postwar vistas
opening up, make the building of
the road more imperative than)
ever.

Sessions of the B.C. Legisla-
ture for some years have heard
many routes proposed by North-
ern legislators. The two routes
most often discussed have been

one running from Prince George

through by the Provincial Gov-
ernment.

British Columbia has a live
interest in seeing that the de-
velopment of the northern half
of the provinee is a factor in de-
termining the selection of the
route.
the broader question of the best
route for the development of the
Pacific northwest as a whole.

This should be geared to

International attention is be-
ing focussed on the Pacifie north-
west as a region whose develop-
ment will help solve the postwar
problems of Canada and the Uni-
ted States. The construction of
the $18,000,000 ‘highway will it-
; self directly employ thousands
of men.
will, spur
communities in the north and in
this way contribute to the find-

The completed highway
the rise of thriving

(Continued on page 10)
See ALASKA HIGHWAY

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1945