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PACIFIC ADVOCATE

SENAESESTECUUESETSSSSCG ET ase ET aTaE CEDEOOUISSSUPROPTEREL ESE CESGETONSEDESSIND EERE

P.A.

PEOPLE’S VOICE FOR PROGRESS

Published every Saturday by The People Publishing Com-
pany, Room 104, Shelly Building,-119 West Pender Street,
Vancouver, British Celumbia and printed at Hast End
Printers, 2303 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British
Columbia. Subscription Rates: One year $2: six months $i.

Phone
MA rine 5288

Editor
Cc. A. SAUNDERS

Labor Victory

HE overwhelming victory of the British Labor

party is undoubtedly a victory for progressive
forces that will have a profound effect on the future
development of world politics. :

It will bring hope to the hearts of the strug:
gling peoples of Greece. It will offer a space.in
which the democratic forces in the liberated coun-
tries will be able to conduct their affairs free from
the pressure of British Imperialist interests support-
ed by government policy. It will have a profound
effect on the elections to be conducted in these
countries.

With this election there is nota major country
left in Europe where the forces of reaction hold the
reigns of government completely in their own hands.

The Fascist, regime in Spain came nearer to
undoubtedly result in the removal of those diplo-
mats who have rendered covert support to the
Franco regime.

Undoubtedly, the decisions at the Big Three
conference will be affected by the change in British
representation and much more positive results can
be expected. The influence of the Tory Churchill
policies will be removed and a much firmer attitude
on interference in the liberated countries should
result in a return to the policies outlined at Teheran
and Yalta. °

The present British Labor government differs
from the Ramsay MacDonald government in many
respects. In the first place it has a stable majority
such as the first Labor government never had.

Secondly it takes power following a victory
which only came after the British people have ex-
perienced first hand many of the horrors of war
which brought them to the brink of invasion.

It takes power at a time when the British
people are acutely aware of the disastrous results of
the pre-war Tory policies. It is significant to note
that most of the names connected with the Munich
policies are not among those elected.

It also takes power at a time when the bulk of
the governments of Europe are progressive, and the
power of the Soviet Union has been substantially
increased.

The program of the Labor party for the nation-
alization of the banks and the key industries will be
a step in the direction of socialism and will bring
that prospect within the grasp of the British people.

The whole continent of Europe moves in the
direction of progress and leaves America as the
stronghold of monopoly capital.

PAGE 4 — PACIFIC ADVOCATE

: Fighting \ Cire By = Wilmot

INCE time immemorial the cry “Fire” has been
feared, and great fires have taken their place
in history side by side with great wars and
strides in human development. The London Fire,
which folicwed on the heels of the Black Plague;
the Chicago Fire, that barbecued Mrs. O’Leary’s
cow and won it a place in
history; The San F'rancisco
earthquake and fire’ that
levelled the city when it was
a legend of sin and romance
and the fire in the days of
early Vancouver that swept
the city and left nothing but
blackened stumps; all are
historic because they caused
widespread damage or loss
of life. They are historic: al-
so because they stand as
classic examples of the dan-
ger of fire when there is inadequate fire equip-
ment. - :

In a city of the nature of Vancouver, where
a great percentage of the buildings are of wood-
en construction, the threat of a widespread fire
is a constant spectre that hangs over the city.
At the time of the Greenhill Park blast. and near
disaster, a great fear was of fire breaking out
in the crowded dock area, and it was revealed
at that time that the fireboat and firefighting
facilities of our harbor are hopelessly inadequate.
The men who fought the fire showed the great-
est courage, but it was plain that courage is no
substitute for adequate firefighting facilities.

The outbreak of a considerable number of
fires throughout the city has focused attention
on the need for increased firefighting equipment
in this city. An inquiry into facilities indicates
that there are glaring shortcomings. In fact,
we were informed that were two major fires to

‘take place simultaneously, the fire department

would not be able to handle them.

There are a number of reasons for this. One
is that the water mains are out of date, having
neither the water pressure nor volume to handle
medern high-pressure firefighting equipment. A
sezond is that the department is undermanned,
lacking a sufficient number of experienced fire-
fighters to meet the demands of a city of Van-,
couver’s size. A third reason is a lack of equip-
ment. Although Vancouver has a number of

Around Town »y crtiia carer

VERYBODY, even the staunchest masculine
diehard, has finally admitted that women
have proven their equality. Women, they have
eonceded, can think, work, and plan as well as
men. But when a mere girl
of twenty-one takes on a
more than. man-size job,
handles it with ease, and
wins the plaudits of both
male and female fellow
workers—well, sister, that’s
more like news.

The girl in this case is
Ruth Ross, wellknown in
the provincial youth move-
ment, who came out of a
shipyard electrical shop to
take on the, job of full time
secretary-organizer of the
North Burrard Entertain-
ment Club.

It all started last December, when a group
of talented shipyard workers in North Van put
on an amateur variety show to raise money
for the financially floundering St. Christopher’s
School for Boys. Response to their efforts was
so enthusiastic that the impromptu entertain-
ment became the first of a series of morale
builders, and results have been so encouraging
that Burrard management has provided an office
per Ruth, time off for rehearsals, and financial

elp.

“We present shows twice weekly, during the
half-hour lunch period,’ explains Ruth. ‘And
we’re having a lot of fun doing it. We hold regu-
lar auditions, and believe me, talent turns up
in the most unexpected places.” -

There was, for instance, the broad-shoul-
dered rivetter who turned out to be a former
operatic tenor, the plater’s helper who wows the
noontime audience with his mystifying magie act.
Then there was the color-smeared painter who
presented himself at, Ruth’s office, asked for a
chance to show his stuff, and turned out to be
—of all things—a fire-eater! .

At first the Burrard Entertainment Club
was a strictly after-hours hobby. But when the
job of organizing performances became so vast
that a fulltime director was needed, Ruth was
the obvious person to take charge. A talented
musician herself (she plays bass fiddle with
the Vancouver symphony and subs on bass, piano,

. life and property of the citizens 0:

new and modern firetrucks, the nomy
short of requirements. ate :

The union of the firemen has po:
the authorities that this represents ; |
ation. They have pointed out that.aj
situation persists it constitutes a ij;

They demand that new men must be |
be trained in modern firefighting x-
that sufficient equipment be suppl
the need. Steps must also be tak :
water pressure up and increase thei ~
mains. :

The heads of the firefighting de;
alarmed. A fireman sees nothing *
exciting about a spectacular blaze. 5)
as a dangerous monster that con?

property and money. He sees in the i

danger can be avoided if steps are t
the danger before it arises. i

Fire losses are going up. Fire 1].
sent financial loss for taxpayers of })
the loss of: property. The only on,
from an increase in the number of
insurance underwriter. 7 .

Steps must immediately be take
this situation. Vancouver’s wooden —
constitutes a constant threat, and |
is increased if equipment is not at]
‘wih a sizeable outbreak of fire: Vant—
bor, at present busy with wartime ; |
with the prospect of being one of the ,
on the Pacific seaboard in the poi h
modern and adequate firefighting e& |

The responsibility for. ensuring 2)
protection for the citizens of Van :
with the City Council. A survey of? |
should be made immediately, and th=
equipment needed estimated and |;
must be done without further delay!

There is nothing quite as excitin ;
the whining of a fire siren and to +4
used to call ‘“‘fire-reels” roaring dow, }
with firemen miraculously hanging |
sides. But there is nothing quite aj
in a wooden- city as the thought ti:
major fire break out, there is enoug =
and firemen to deal with it. :

mandolin and violin in‘the shipyard —
she jumped into the job with a will..
slightly zooty navy slacks and bla?
alls, Ruth began to roam the yards

prospective dancers, singers, mi ~
emsees. She found an ex-music :
lends a hand with orchestrations, a”
of Vancouver’s Theater Under the %
now leads the mewly-formed glee t

The North Burrard Entertainme: ©
boasts a nine-piece swing band, a §&
thirty-five voices, a variety song 3
group, and latest project is organizi. =
classical string ensemble. Shipyard. |
has granted each performer one Ii)
pany time per week for rehearsal 4

The undertaking has proved ov 1
successful. Noon hour shows may: §
level with a Hollywood march of ste,

a shipyard “chorus line” and shou
fellas, that’s George!” "

Ruth Ross, nicknamed - the SI a
Rose, is doing a swell job! >

GPeAkIng: of young people: heai
teresting argument the other
tween a young LPPer and a youthf &
the CCF. I don’t know how the dis
ed, but when I arrived it was alm
LPP kid was getting a little bit tired
weird and wonderful argument of
According to the follower of Coldwe
for instance, it was all wrong for |
munists to support. an all-out wi &
quite all right for the British La
form a Labor-Tory coalition. +§
CCFer maintained that when a m
LPP resigned. (Maleolm Bruce was:
used) it was because he “saw the
on the other hand, a CCF member |
his party in disgust, it was because §
led by those dirty Communists.” ~

“After all, those CCF MLA’s —
were really Communists,” said the.
The LPP member gave up I
“Know what kind of guy you
manded. ‘ You’re the kind of ¢
brother went “wrong, you’d say;
father was the iceman’!”’ .

SATURDAY, AU