fs : ; Ei i “dance, ith Administration. n. The NELY is arranging the youth delegation will its brief officially ac- med by government officials. federation spokesmen are ing nothing to chance, and ie with the brief, will pre- Statistical and research erial supporting; its propos- aw lt Began : B:LY in 1945 a slim young *>ldier who had been wound- n the battle for Italy, and now sailing home to receive @ ital care, mulled over an which had been simmer— n his mind for some time. “housands of us in our f ties who are coming home demand that we get the | promised us,” he reasoned. ange people who worked in factories and plants will t to keep on doing so when war is over: thousands will ooking for jobs. Many of have never had decent recre- a. What we need in Canada ome kind of youth organ- on that will say these M@=s and won’t be afraid to ele these problems.’ ‘ll Stewart was not alone in thinking. Scores of social- ied young Canadians felt same way and were discuss- e need for some kind of sendent youth body that d step out into the public ight in this fashion. Scussions alone don’t cre— organizations. Lots of work to be done. Financial re- mMces were limited: -volun- “help was required. But difficulties were overcome in Qctober, 1945, the Na-_ il Federation of Labor h came into being. = .e backbone of the NFLY 0 ss labor members, and it AN@ Promptly endorsed by such eng trade unions as auto, svical, lumber and machin- Mainly composed of young fe unionists, veterans, pro- Jonal workers, national cul- |. representatives, the fed- fion set as its aim the en-_ apes. Of 4 mass youth move- “It > in Canada. % 4 i Feature Section IC TRIBUNE — PAGE 9 By NAT COHEN Following the presentation of their brief, the trek- @s wall divide into pressure groups and buttonhole as ay M.P’s as possible in their private offices. In this y the trekkers will be able to emphasize the problems ndividual localities to members who were elected from ‘No Pleasure Jaunt’ iE line with that objective the federation arranged the delegation that will go to Ot- -tawa when parliament opens. “It’s no pleasure jaunt,’ Bill Stewart, who is now executive secretary of the NFELY, told us. The delegation’s purpose is to press for a comprehensive from parliament on behalf of young people in all provinces and to lobby among the members for the enactment of this program. What young Canadians want is simply a square deal, he ex- program plained. Some of the things they are asking for are not unusual. Like everyone else they want jobs at decent wages; not sweatshop work at low pay. But they have other impor- tant demands, too. They want vocational training so that every young person who wants such guidance can get it; they want the recreational facilities which the government pledged through the National Fitness Act and the improved health measures that same act pro- vides. They believe that Ot- tawa should set up a National Youth Administration which would correlate these matters and legally carry them out. Out For Action UT can ‘such a delegation to Ottawa actually achieve anything?” we asked. I VAC CAT SEE... Franco's Hell Page 10 Manchu Dust Storm Page 12 recommendations on the . ver, .anada’s Youth Will Hold Rally In Ottawa 7) LLAWA has been lobbied many times—not often enough by labor and too often by Tory pressure groups, it is true—but when parliament convenes this March 11 the accent will be on Youth. Close to 100 young people will converge on the ital in a dramatic climax to a nationwide trek sponsored by the National Federation Labor Youth. The trek and the Ottawa lobby will acquaint the Canadian people and Dominion government with youth’s six-star program: jobs, health and eduqation measures, ‘gram, and a request for the formation of a National “Tf it couldn’t, it wouldn’t be done!”. was Stewart’s emphatic answer. The future of Canadian youth is being greatly influ- enced by what the members of parliament do. Constructive pressure could help make them toe the line and enact the kind of laws that would benefit young Canadians. With this in mind, at least 100 delegates — from Vancou- Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal, as well as other im- vocational training and National Fitness portant centers, are making fi- nal preparations, and many or- ganizations are being invited to take part. Summing it up, Bill Stewart said: “Ours is a broad cross= section of active, politically conscious young Canadians. We are going to Ottawa to im- press upon the members that fact. to show them that we are watching what they do and that we have demands to make from them.” What We're After’ @ Employment at decent wages for eyery young persen on the completion of their education. @ Vocational training, guidance and assistance in placement for every youth. Continued government assistance te voca- tional training. @ Non-contributory health insurance with regular medical ex- amination and X-Rays for every youth to the age of 21. @ Education up te and including university must be made pos- sible for every youth desiring such education who can benefit from it. @ Expansion of the present National Health and Physical Fit- ness Act to make possible healthy recreative experience for every youth. ® ‘The federal government immediately set up a National Youth Administration as a first step toward the recognition of the special problems of youth in the economic and seciai life of the country. ST “Jobs for decent wages” is how the newly formed National Federation of Labor Youth sums up its action program. Jobs, homes and security—and ample opportunity for educa- tion, health and recreation— are the elements on which Canada’s civilization is found-— ed and the NFLY is out to en- sure that no young man or Woman in the Dominion is de- Prived of these basic rights. “Young Canadians werent fooled when they blasted Nazi militarism in Hurope, and they’re not fooling now!’ says Bill, stewart. ADDO Youth Fights Racial Edict “It is against the very prin- ciples on which the growth of Canada as a democratic na- tion depends,” stated the Na- tional Federation of labor Youth in a letter sent to Prime Minister Mackenzie King on the recent judgment from Ot- tawa on the question of Jap- anese deportation. “This action on the part of government will cause great unrest amongst, not only minority groups in the country, but also amongst all Canadians who realize that such practices brought into power the forces which plung- ed the world inte World War Al. The N.F.L.Y. fights against all tendencies which may lead us again into such a calamity. The youth delegates of the N.F.L.Y. will demand of their M.P.’s at Ottawa, support for an anti-discrimination act to protect all Canadians The main demand of the young people will be for legislation from the government to ensure full em- ployment in the country, at de- cent wages. They know, how- ever. that such a possibility cannot exist while practices of racial or national prejudice in: employment prevail in any part of the country. FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1946 Se i Sel Se LAI ray