Ship Union Supports) Unity Call The Boilermakers and Iron ‘Shipbuilders ~ ‘Union, Local No. 1, this week went on record as supporting the ‘stand. of. the Labor-Progressive Party regarding electoral unity in the coming provincial elections, and urged that a similar’stand be taken by the CCF. Pointing out that labor re- ‘quested the provincial -govern- ment as: early -as March, 1944, to prepare for the reconversion of War industries to the productions of=peacetime needs as well as -to further industrial expansion ‘in the province, the statement com: ments that so far, very little has been done to develop and plan an economy in this province that will ; Provide useful employment for ‘all able to work. - The statement draws attention to the concern of the British Columbia Federation of “Labor with the government’s inactivity * at the time of the last Federa- |: tion. convention: . % “The CCF and the LPP purport ' to represent labor and the | » union movement realizes that ‘la~ | bor will-not be successful in. the_| election. unless electoral unity isd established-at the polls betwéen- the: two..contending: labor par- | ties.” “the. . statement continues. “The British Columbia. Federa- tion of Labor went on record re- questing that electoral unity be established between the GCF and LPP: on the basis of a minimum program to meet the immediate needs of the workers of this prov- ince.” The union states that a regu- lar meeting went on record as fully supporting the stand of the-B.C. Federation of Labor on electoral- unity. “A statement was submitted from the LPP approving the proposals of the BC Federation of Labor for electoral’ unity,” the statement concludes, “We hope that the CCF will take a similar posi- tion in this matter.” Carr Conducts Labor School Regarded as one of: the: finest labor schools*in the: history of. the -province, sixty students are attending “classes “under the masterful instruction “of Sam* Carr, the national organizer of the Labor-Progressive . Party.. Hurriedly ~ organized -to- follow the. provincia] convention, the classes are devoted-to a’ discus- sion of the national commitz tee’s resolution: and ‘sections of Lenin’s writings which are’ par- ticularly applicable to the prob- lems facing the Canadian people in this ‘period... - : A cross section of the school shows. the. remarkable diversity of people who make up the LPP. Among: the sixty students are registered one or more miners, loggers, truck drivers. teachers, editors, chambermaids, sales- men, officeworkers, as well as others together with a strong representation of housewives. Minerva Cooper, newly. elected as Educational Director of the LPP, declared that this was the first of a series of schools which the party would organize in all parts of the province as part of the crusade for.the mastery of Marxist-Leninist ‘theory by -its trade | ere Ayre as = Members of Seamen’s "tenance-of wartime wage standards. Union picket government: offices in Montreal. Demand main- Program Drafted. umbia in. the movement for the coming The basic question facing B.C., in the words of the -party’s new provincial .program which was unanimously adopted, lies in the cefeat of the Hart-Maitland coal- ition government—“the mouth- piece of the vested interests”? — and the election of a government ef progress which would provide jobs and opportunity. for service- men..and.former -war workers. Achievement of such a progres- sive victory is only possible through ‘fa coalition of progres- sives which would include the CCF, the LPP, the trade unions, the Herridge CCF followers, and ‘all other progressives in city and countryside; Any endeavor by the CCF. te: go it alone-can only result in idefeat for all progres- sives.” ' KEY RESOLUTION With these facts in mind, the ccnvention went on to draft and apprové’.a key resolution -on the provincial élections which set as the primary task of the LPP the conducting of “a vigorous cam- paign in every area of the prov- ince with the view of developing a united-campaign in which all progressive sections of the elec- torate are welded together for the defeat® of the coalition.” “In the event the leadership of the CCF’ continues to reject the establishment of such unity,” the resolution declared, “that party will be following a calculated ad- venturist policy without regard to the interests. of labor as whole.” The resolution pledged the LPP. to fight the election on the following basis: @ To nominate candidates in every constituency where membership and sympathizérs. PAGE 2 — PACIFIC ADVOCATE A‘ long-range program for unitin provincial elections, of the Labor-Progressive Party’ dren P Con eet People’s Needs vention — g all labor and democratic groups in British Col-- jobs and security, keyed to a fight for progressive victory in was the underlying theme of the discussions and decisions s third provincial convention in Vancouver last weekend. party strength provides a basis. These candidates will not be withdrawn except to make way for unity or people’s candi- dates where the essential de- velopment of popular unity can be brought about. @ To reject any policy of fnarrew, one-sided electoral agreements which in effect constitute capitulation to the CCF claim to the leadership of the working people of B.C. © To support the election of -the most progressive can- didate in those constituencies where there is no LPP candi- date in the field, but where there is a choice between can- didates, and- especially sup- porting the election of candi- dates put forward or. endorsed by local bodies of organized la- bor. * @ To place the entire weight of the LPP membership behind the election of the party can- didates in Vanceuver Center, which is to become the concen- tration point for the LPP in the election. With its election. campaign Policy formulated,-the LPP con- vention turned to intensive study and preparation of a “Program for British Columbia.” Under nine main headings, imcluding industrial development, agricul-‘ ture, housing, labor legislation; social welfare and health, the 125 delegates in attendance -worked for two full days in preparing a program that will provide for the people of B.C., “that measure of economic security and ad- vancement commensurate with the great resources of our prov- { ince and the sacrifices our peo- ple have made for victory.” LPP proposals aimed at this objec- tive included: @ Continued operation of all state war plants for peace- time productien; construction of new primary and secondary industries based on immediate establishment of a heavy steel industry; the further develop- ment of the vast. hydro-elec- tric resources of B.C. and the full public ownership of those resources under supervision of an elected B.C. Power Com- mission. { ® Maintenance of B.C.’s shipbuilding industry with the perspective of a 300-ship Ca- nadian merchant marine, man- ned by Canadian crews, built and conditioned. in Canadian . shipyards; completion of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway without further delay and un- der government control; con- struction of a vast new net- work of B.C. highways coordi- nated with U.S. highways in — Alaska; and implementation © of.,the practical proposals of the Sloan report on provincial forests as a medium of initial forest conservation and source of permanent employ- ment. ; Under the heading of. agricul- ture, the LPP. ..convention - pro- posed “protective -farm legisla- tion to guarantee thes primary producer an equitable and just return,” including a floor under prices, government controls and Continued on Page 8 See CONVENTION $ SATURDAY SEPTEM ‘that ‘the .Duplessis | | a> | prevents the Govern ; acting. The pressing “employment at MONTREAL — vincial Committee bor-Progressive BP called upon Prem. sis to convene im special. session. of, lature. ‘“‘Tens of: of Quebec workers employment, thongs; turning yeterans .are the search for jol government must-aci unserupulous employ, offering jobs at Wi subsistence level,” sz statement..: “The y have contributed: so: victory, and “our ‘son fcught so valiantly o | fields, must not be m tims of the Governm to plan in advance f sion.” et “The Quebec Gove the .authority to en mum wage of 55 cenj the statement_ goes act at onee, to put the .shameful. wage and 85 cents per h- some cases even less prevail in some ing. The statement ai higher wages which | some war industrie union. organization - | the provincial goverm Place the existing which ‘are unsatisfact trade ‘union organiza’ provincial” labor’ code guarantee full eof : gaining rights and t- ity. fz “Less than a moa statement charges, plessis’ weekly org has prepared a vast} postwar public work: | cur people over the | ment period during © tion from a_wartime | time economy.” fe “The transition f unemployment’ have: | the statement adds, 1 | are the promised pub 4 “A special session ¢ lature is needed t& machinery to set ink once the building oi. needed homes for thi Quebec. “Thousands - turning Heroes and t ies -are’ victims of sé | crowding—families a — and broken up: becaus whatever are to be fi “Premier Duplessis ken of setting up a- youth. Let him’ be - opening’ the youth courses which have ¢ since the war’s end, | are essential to Que | and to Quebec’s indu — “All of these me ; tens of thousands «— and:-the: interests of class, professionals_ keepers, demand acti dece™ Premier Duplessis great dea] about prt tonomy. Let him ej autonomy now: by to meet the crisis.”