Toontralo nt

~ Canadians M

A. A. McLEOD, VLA

There have been thousands of speeches
delivered in the Ontario legislature since
1867. Most of those speeches along with
the members who delivered them, have
been forgotten, never to be recalled
again. Certainly, future historians who
pore over the millions of words in the
official Hansards, will reject the bulk of

the verbiage as unworthy of recollec-
tion.

But last week, Tuesday, March 12,
a man rose to his feet, turned to the
members of the 22nd legislature, and
delivered a speech that, along with a
few others, will be looked upon in the
future as an important historical docu-
ment in the fight of the people for pro-
gress:

The speech, simply presented, deliy-
ered without dramatics, was made by a
man who long ago won the respect of
every member of the legislative assem-
bly—A. A. Macleod, House Leader of
the Labor-Propressive Party.

For more than a week the assembly
had resounded with speeches from the
government side which devoted them-
selves to attacking labor, evading issues
and weakly defending broken pledges.
The time had come for a member to
arise and challenge all this — and to
teil Premier Drew that his Sovernment
“cannot escape its responsibilities.”

it was necessary to tell the govern-
ment that Premier Drew’s “policy of
hysteria” would be rejected by Ontario;
to tell him that his attack on labor
was being challenged by the trade
unions; to tell him that the citizens
of this province demand, not moth-eaten
red bogies, but the implementation of
pledges.

Mr. Macleod rose before well filled
galleries and held attentive spectators
in their seats for an hour and 20 minutes.
The member for Bellwoods rose before
a house, the majority of whose members
were hostile as a result of Premier
Drew's hysterical anti-labor speech of
March 7, but when he sat down he had
won the warm applause of CCE mem-_
bers, of Liberal members—and of two-
thirds of the members of the govern-
ment !

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 12

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The LPP leader completely exposed
Mr. Drew as a man who attempted to
hide his ideologies behind attacks on
labor. Mr. Macleod read the record be-
fore the government, and the premier,
and Mr. Drew could not deny that he
had written articles, and made state-
ments, which pleaded that the democ-
racies should make friends with Nazi
Germany!

But is the premier of this province
a penitent? Does he regret the pleas he
made for cooperation with the Nazis?
The answer is contained in Mr. Drew’s
“Hear! Hear!”—uttered while Mr. Mac-
Lieod read what the premier had said
in October 1939—while Canada was at
war). Mr. Drew suggested then that
the Germans should ally themselves
with the democracies for an attack on’
the ‘Soviet Union. In the legislature he
reiterated these sentiments with “Heart
Fiear!”—sentiments which shocked the
ears of the spectators, but which aptly
demonstrated Mr. Maclieod’s reminder
that the premier’s March 7 speech had
“a very familiar ring.”

“There was nothing new about it
Anyone who listened to the Trans-At-
lantic radio from 1938 onward heard
that theme (Mr. Drew’s) -from the
Sportsplatz in Berlin, and from Nurem-
berg where Hitler, Goebbels and Goer-
ing were calling on the world to de-
fend itself against Bolshevism?

The attack made on labor, and Mr.
Drew’s speech before the Credit Grant-
ers Association (in which he called for
preparation for war against Russia) was
termed “hysterical and provocative talk”
by Mr. Macleod. “The youth of this
country,” he stated, “cannot be sacri-
ficed” to satisfy the anti-Soviet preju-
dice of “obscurantists.”

Mr. Macleod pleaded for the govern-
ment of Ontario to play its part in
maintaining the unity of the United Na-
tions. “I don’t think,” he stated, “any-
one should be concerned because the
Big Three are speaking sharply to each
other. That has been done before. There
were differences of opinion~in the midst
of war, but despite those differences
it was possible for the great coalition
to hole, together and win the war. I

Sei

This scene is typical of slum neighborhoods in every Canadian city. Left—A. A. McLeod, MLA.

A. A. MacLeod, MPP, in an address to the Ontario Legislature last week, told
members they must play a great role in solving Canada’s terrible housing crisis.
“We have a common problem to meet,’ he said.

By MEL COLBY

believe it is possible for the coalition to
win the peace as well.”

And what contribution could the gov-
ernment of Ontario make toward win-
ning the peace? it could, first, of all,
implement its pledge to create an On-
tario Housing Commission ~ - to plan
a great housing program .. .2 This
clear and concise pledge was counter-
posed by Mr. Macleod with Mr. Drew’s
latest statement that “it was never the
intention of this government to go into
the housing business.”

Mr. Macleod pointed out that instead
of an Ontario Housing Commission, Mr.
Drew was now offering old army “hut-
ments.” And this in the face of the
humiliating conditions facing thousands
of returning veterans!

A soldier and his family being moved
into a chicken coop.

An officer who would trade his George
Medal for a room for his wife and
baby!

A baby born at Ottawa in a recon-
verted coal bin!

More than 1,400 applications within
48 hours for a four-room flat!

Mr. MacLeod appealed that Premier
Drew and his colleagues “should use
their influence at the next Dominion-
Provincial conference to convince the
federal government of its responsibility
to tackle this problem. “et Ontario,”

Common Goo

SOV tr iin mii cniATCTTTATTTCON |

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he said “express a willingness
tablish a Housing Commission
will act as a connecting link be
the Dominion and the provinces,

7

The member for Bellwoods, pc ip
to the thousands of unemployed #&
ans, appealed that the sovernm¢ }
tablish a Minister of Veterans A [
Such a post, he reminded Premier LE
had been promised, but instea(
only government policy so far ¢« -
ated had come from Minister of
Charles Daley. Mr. Daley had at
“Let them go to the push; Iet
ge to the woods; let them go; let
not be so fussy.”

i

7

“I suggest,” said Mr. Macleod, | sf
there is a place in the governm
Ontario for a Minister of Vetera: i
fairs which could work in coope
with the towns and cities and 1
Ppalities in making a j
providing every man that returns
overseas with a job at good wa’
can be done.” ie

Mr. Macleod appealed for the ©
of all members of the legislatua’ f
gardless of political beliefs. “We al 4
a common problem to meet. I thi 4
Can face the future with confide 4
labor, Management and gover y
work together for the common ;f
and if we maintain sanity and #
to be drawn into a wave of hysi f
and, instead, make our contributl
a better world.” |

CKWX

980 On Your Dial

The “Pacific Tribune” Presents AL PARKIN,
well-known Labor commentator, in

“Labor Looks Behind
The Headlines”

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AT 6 P.M.
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FRIDAY, MARCH 2