ORKERS in the States

of Oregon and Washington
are fully aware of the importance
of publicly owned hydro-electic
projects in community life. Under
overnment ownership the great
Boulder, Coulie and Bonniville
Dams were developed with the re-
sultant rural electrification, cheap
power for industrialization, cheap

light for the people as well as
multiple advantages, of flood con-
trol and interstate navigation.

It is a well-known fact that
the province of B.C, is outstanding
in advanced social legislation,
with Quebec considered the most
backward, but in spite of this fact
Quebec leads our province with
the highest development in hydro-
electric, publicly owned in Can-
ada.

It is almost two years since the
Provincial” government proposed
that the property of the private
corporation, the B.C. Electric
Power and Light Company, be ta-
ken over by the people and ad-
ministered jointly by the provin-
cial and munfcipal governments
utilizing the light and transporta-
tion of the various cities and com-
munities, including gas service at
a tremendous saving to the peo-
ple. The fact is that powerful in-
terests in the province, who are
pursuing a policy of diehard pri-
vate enterprise, has definitely
bucked. this excellent proposal.
The facts are that, under the pres-
ent corporation, there is a short-
age of light and power to the
extent that power has to be im-
ported into B.C. from the Bonni-
ville Dam in the United States and
the . Electric has notified the
cities ‘of Nanaimo, Ladysmith and
Duncan that at the conclusion’ of
their contracts of this year they
will no Ionger be responsible for
power supply next year.

The B.C. Electric Transportation
system in Vancouver and Victoria
is disgusting to say the least with
the road beds in terrible shape and
the running equipment inadequate
and decrepit. Ask the workers who
ride on them.

But the shortage of light and
power in the home and in the
factories in the province of B.
and the run down transportation |
system are only two of the griev-
ances that exist. The rate charged
for electric light and power tend
to discourage the use of electrical
appliances by householders and
discourage the development of new
industries.

B.C, Electric rates under pri-
vate ownership in comparison to
the City of Winnipeg Hydro-Elec-
trie System, under public owner-
ship, are almost unbelievable. Ac-
cording to the annual report of
the Winnipeg Hydro Electric the
average rate for all domestic serv-
jee was 4/5 of a cent per kilo-
watt hour. Householders serviced
by private corporation in B.C. pay
three times as much for electric-
ity as do the citizens of Winni-
peg or three cents per hour in
‘Vancouver against 4/5 in Winni-

peg.

Another example of efficiency
in operation and saving to the
ral public can be seen in the

ito publicly owned transpor-
tation system under the Transpor-
tation Commission. This public
owned company is twenty-two
years old. -

Tt operates the most modern and
efficient» transportation system in

with 1,000 modern street

and 400 motor buses, over 267

of street railways and 786
of highway.

the twenty-two years of

this publicly owned

LUMBER WORKER

Page Three

The above picture shows a group of workers in an Eastern gun
plant viewing a National Film Board Picture. The NFB is anxious
to show films to workers in all B.C. industries. All IWA locals and
sub-locals are urged to take advantage of this service. The films
can be shown under almost any conditions as the picture shows.
Information can be obtained direct by communicating with the
National Film Board, 315 Province Bldg., Vancouver.

Moving Pictures Promote
Discussion In Meetings

By ALEX DAWSON
Does routine business absorb all of the usual 150 minutes or so of
the monthly meeting of your local? Is this routine business dragged on
through endless argument, oratory, and sometimes acrimonious discus-
sion, simply because no other issues on which members can demon-
strate their forensic ability are presented to them? If such is the case,
the remedy is at hand — give the boys and girls a film to argue about,

on Frau Krupp's homestead.

The National Film Board, in
conjunction with the Workers’ Ed-
ucational Association, supplies the
film, projection equipment and a
man to run it, and literature to
guide discussion. The film forum
that results can be made not only
interesting and instructive, but
also a powerful instrument in
building and unifying your local
through increasing attendance and
interest at meetings,

_ Most people who come to meet-
ings have something to say if giv-
en the opportunity, and a sur-
prisingly large percentage of them
are capable of saying something
Worth the hearing “ of others.
Properly guided. and conducted
forums, held to the point by a
competent chairman, can stimu-
late active interest, promote floor
confidence in diffident members,
and result in a general broaden-
ing of the rank and file concep-
tion of trade unionism.

For unions, while primarily con-
cerned with wages, job security,
and working conditions, today
cannot afford to stop at these.
‘These things are subject to con-
sumption of goods produced, and
in a world contracted in 1944 to
the time and space dimension of
the Canada of 1904, consumption
must be international, and wages
and security depend in conse-
quence, either directly or indi-
rectly, on export trade, on Can-
ada’s cooperation with other na-
tions and participation in solution
of their problems, and on lucid
understanding of the facts and
conditions involved.

In NFB films, combined with
WEA exposition and leadership,
labor today is given a unique
opportunity of viewing the world
and its needs, the contribution
Canada is making and will con-
tinue to make, and the part labor
must play to ensure that produc-
tion for war continues as well as
Production for human needs.

the current film on the NFB
“Tyneside

trade union circuit,

and business will go over with the erashing dispatch of a blockbuster

Story,” following a graphic and
artistic presentation of the re-
vival of the Elgin Shipyards from
weeds to warships, a hard-boiled
foreman who had been pulled
from a job to re-enter the yards
he had left in disgust and poverty
ten years before, interrupts the
narrator.

“Wa-i-it a minute!” he says, and
all wait while the audience lis-
tens, “Tyneside’s busy eneuch the
day, but what was it like five
years ago? Empty, derelict, its
trained workers scattered and
forgotten. Will it be the same five
years from now? That's what -we
on Tyneside want to know!”

That, in some phase or other, is
what all war-workers everywhere
want to know. Some of the an-
Swers are given in a discussion
trailer following the film, con-
ducted by WEA and shot by NFB.
This érajler gives a lead for fur-
ther discussion, and any IWA
meeting could ‘contribute plenty
to the argument therein unfolded.

The National Film Board sery-
ice is free, and unions of all affili-
ations now take advantage of it.
Some have the film at the open-
ing of the meeting and discuss it
Jater. Some set aside a period on
the agenda for showing and dis-
cussion, while still others hold
Special educational meetings.

Trade union films usually run
about 20 minutes, but special
meetings may avail themselves of
two or evén more, documentary,
education, on sports, the war ef-
fort at home or the valor of Can-
ada’s sons overseas, but dis cus-
sion should always be centred on
the film appointed for that pur-
Pose. 3

‘Every IWA local, camp, or sub-
local can receive the service, with
the present exception of those in
the Queen Charlottes and simi-
larly remote points. To these, if
they have projection facilities,
films can be regularly sent on

dustrial Art Builds — -
Better Understanding

By JOHNNY OTTEWELL
A GROUP of our more talented citizens, convinced that an art ex-
Pression divorced from reality is strictly phoney and holding .the
opinion that the role of the working people in the industrialization
of the Northwest is worth recording in more ways than merely in
our memories, have agreed to display paintings and other art work at

a competitive art exhibition, under the title “British Columbia at

Work,” to be held at the Vancouver Art Gallery from November 21
to December 10, iS

Administered by the Labor Arts Guild, under the auspices of the
Allied Arts War Service Council, the competitive art exhibition will
be the first working man’s exhibit held in Vancouver.

Prizes for the hest work to the tune of $500 cold cash will be
awarded. First prize, $250; second prize, $150, and third prize, $100.

Since all entries to the exhibit must depict some phase of British
Columbia industrial activity — logging, mining, fishing, shipbuilding,
air craft construction, farming, mining, and so on — the Labor Arts
Guild, rather than issue an appeal to Big Business and wealthy art
Patrons for the prize fund, as is usual in such cases, has contacted the
various unions for donations.

Some of the larger unions have not only agreed to contribute to
the general fund, but are setting aside a separate award for the best
work depicting the industry represented by the union,

© e ae
Ones the development of social art in Canada is at a very
low ebb. But with the strengthening of labor organizations in the
last few years and the turn of the war into a real people’s war, there
has been a great surge towards social art in every nation.

It was due to the realization of the need for such a movement here
that the Labor Arts Guild was formed last summer.

Under the directorship of John Goss, the Guild divides its various
phases of activities into sections: Art, music, drama, writing, dancing,
variety, and so on. This type of organization has been proven success-
ful by a Labor College.in San Francisco, a similar project, which
starting from a very modest beginning, and backed by unions and
other labor organizations, has developed into a potent cultural influ-
ence, requiring a five story building to house its activities.

° ) °

IS close relationship between art and industry is most certainly

not unknow to history, but for British Columbia it is a revo-
lutionary step, and one of the hopeful signs for our future social and
cultural development,

For art, in all its forms, far from being a luxury is the most
powerful method of expression at the service of humanity and is
used as such. a

Said Walter Abell, director of the National Art Gallery of Canada
in Toronto, in his article, “Art and the Industrial Worker,’ published
in the Labor Day issue of the Gazette:

Consider the way government uses art when it wishes to put a
victory loan over the top.

“It gets artists to paint posters and design other forms of publicity
material.

“It gets actors to make movies showing the future advantages of
buying bonds now. e

“Tt gets song writers to compose a song—‘Get on, get on, get on the
road to victory’—and gets Bing Crosby to sing that song into the hearts
of millions of people.

“By such means it reaches the emotions of the public, stirring them
in a way which no amount of reasoning could -ever accomplish.

“The result is that the drive goes over in a big way. Had there been
no posters, no films, no songs and no singers, this result would have
been difficult if not impossible to accomplish.”

And not always is the art medium used for good causes. It ean be
used for antilabor propaganda and distortion of true facts and con-
ditions. bs vided

Labor must be able to present its social aims and democratic ideals
in a manner that will impress the public and win its sympathy and
eae ago a play, “Waiting for Lefty,” produced by the
Vancouver Progressive Arts group, did more to gain public interest
and concern over a bad social condition than a thousand speeches could

have possibly accomplished.

The British Columbian

DAILY and WEEKLY

Est, 1860

“We Dominate Our Field

NEW WESTMINSTER = BRITISH COLUMBIA
J. G. MACFARLANE, Publisher

request,