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.”