George Mitchell
Submits Open Letter

To President James Fadling,
Vice-President Claude Ballard,
Vice-President William Botkin,
and Secretary-Treasurer E. E.
Benedict.

Dear Sirs and Brothers:

This is an open letter to you
as officers of our International
Union, and to the membership.

First, I would like to deal with
the unprincipalled manner in
which officers of our district are
involving you in connection with
the convention proceedings: I
name Brother Jack Greenall, Dis-
trict Number One; Harold Prit-
chett, President, and Vice-Presi-
dent Hjelmar Bergren. I am sure
that you, as International Offi-
cers, would not countenance your
names being used as a method of
confusing the members.

I would first refer you to
statements made by Brother
Greenall in which he stated that
they were not given time to reply
to Brother Brown’s report at the
convention which is a downright
lie as the record will show they
were challenged by Brother
Brown to take the floor in their
own defence but failed to do so.
Also, that Brother Ballard and
Brother Benedict had carried on
a violent campaign of “red bait-
ing,’ and that it was only after
Bro. Fadling had taken office
some two months ago that a
program of progress had been
put into effect. I am sure that
Knowing Bro. Fadling’s excellent

record and the equally excellent
record of gains made by the

other officers during his absence
in the forces of the United States
Navy, it would not be pleasing to
him to have his name used to be-
little the officers who did a good
job in his absence, particularly
when it is so obvious it is being
done to further the ambitions of
a minority group for their own
political purpose,

Further, I would call your at-
tention to the attached copy of
letter, published over the signa-
tures of President Harold Prit.
chett and Vice-President H. Berg-
ren, on official letterheads of
District Council Number One,
and cireularized to local and
sub locals, together with copies
of the majority and minority re-
ports of the Officers’ Reports
Committee of the Ninth Annual
Convention at Eugene, Oregon.

I would like to state that, as a
member of the District Council
in the capacity of board member
from Local 1-357 and also inter-
national trustee, I was somewhat
amused at the action of the so-~

called champions of democracy,
Pritchett and Bergren, and others

responsible, in printing cam-
paign literature at the district’s
expense without giving all can-
didates an opportunity to state
their positions, I wonder if
‘these unity seekers believe that
the way to achieve unity is to
make a Brother help pay for
campaign literature obviously

designed to defeat him in his
own district as | International
trustee.

I am wondering, too, if I will

be
ed
in

given the same rights afford-
a favored few of putting out
my views to our membership, at
‘the expense of the membership,
a letter form, endorsed by the

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Say What You Please

Further, I would point out
that we have not held a meet-
ing of the District Council
Number One since the 7th of
November (the next meeting
to be held November 28th) so
again I say that these letters
have been issued, not by District
Council Number One as a whole,
but by the district officers; I
would add too, that when a con-
vention takes action as it did on
the officers’ reports, it is poor
grace on the part of those in
the minority to come before a
local union meeting, as did Bro-
ther Greenall, and start to read
a report without stating that it
was the minority report until a
point of order was raised from
the floor. However, this latter
action did not deter Brother
Greenall as he then merely stat-
ed it was the minority report
and continued to read. To get
the majority report read, it was
necessary to have a motion to
that effect from the floor by
Brother Rae Eddie,

It is my belief that we have
a fair-minded membership who,
when the facts are known, will
certainly agree that this district
is run on a political “clique”
basis.

I am asking Brothers Fadling
and Bodkin if they are going to
permit their good name to be
dragged into the gutter on a se-
called unity slate of officers with
people who are carrying out a
policy of rule or ruin.

Fraternally yours,

GEORGE MITCHELL,
The letter and reports refer-

red to above are published in
full on Page 3.—Ed.

Pacific Mills Crew
Supports Ford: Strike

To The Editor:

At our meeting held on Oct.
26, new officers elected were as
follows: Chairman, Nels Mad-
sen; Secretary, Melva Holpain-
en; Vice-Chairman, Al Webster.

Press, library, safety and
grievance committees were all
elected.

The resolution on the Ford

Windsor Strikers was unanim-
ously adopted. It was also unan-
imously adopted - that every
member donate a day’s pay to-
wards this cause.

Acting upon information re-
esived relating to Trade Unions
attempting to infringe on the
IWA field, it was moved and
seconded that the Camp Com-
mittees write to the Provincial
and National Departments of
Labor insisting that the present
bargaining unit of the lumber-
ing industry of B.C. be upheld.

The need of a recreation hall
was emphasized and we have
heen assured by the Company
that this matter will be taken
care of as soon as material can
be secured. “How soon?”

J. W. Brown,
Violet Kirby.

990000 05006600000000000

“Money Ioaned on men’s cloth-
ing, sleeping bags, watches,
diamonds and jewellery,
Clohes are kept in mothproof
storage while in our care.”

San Francisco Tailors
52 West Hastings Street
Vancouver BC.

2OCSOO0009000006000000

THE B.C. LUMBER WORKER

___December 8, 1946

November 28, 24 and 25th,

The conference, attended by
delegates from trade unions, wo-
men’s organizations, business
concerns, churches and many
other groups, representing a
broad section of the people in
province, was highly successful.
The conference was divided into

Conditions Not So
Rosy Overseas
To the Editor:

Thought it was about time to
drop you a few lines from over
here acknowledging receipt of
the B.C. Lumber Worker. Were
it not for the paper, I wouldn't
have the slightest idea of how
the different Locals were com-
ing along, or how the lumber
industry is progressing since
unionism entered the field. The
paper has come a long way since
the days when the organization
was first starting in the woods.
The “Bull Cook column is usually
exceptionally good.

All of us boys over here are
sure mad at the way the B.C.|
government are doing us out of
our voting in the provincial elec-
tion. We have been fighting for
that as one of our rights. The
other provinces get their soldier
votes from over here, and we
British Columbians should be en-
titled to a vote, don’t you think
0?

From the letters the boys re-
ceive from over there, the pub-
lic in general seems to think that
everyone of us in the C.A.O.F.
[here are having the time of our
| lives. However, this is not the
case. We have no entertainment
to speak of, no reading material,
no recreational facilities what-
|soever, and are on static ra-
tions. Our cigarettes have even
been cut down from 900 to 600
per month. The repatriation
seheme is definitely not work-
ing, and the boys are getting
very impatient to get home. I
just hope that the loggers who
haven’t been overseas keep their
union together until all of us|
here return. We are going to
need it and badly.

Please tell my Local 1-85 to
answer my letters. I haven’t re-
ceived a reyly to three letters
I have sent to them. The letters
may have gone astray so ask
them to write again as I would
like news about my own local.

Here’s wishing the best to
the union.and continued success
to the paper.

Pte. J. J. Ammann.

Soviet Ambassador Is
Guest At Conference

_ Vancouver was honored this week when His Excellency G. Zar-
oubin, Ambassador to Canada from the Soviet Union, attended

the Conference called by the Canadian-Soviet Friendship Society,

four panels: Education: Culture
and Art: Labor and Soviet Trade ,
Unions and Trade and Industry.
An interesting and educational
lecture was given by Dr. Bailey
of Victoria on Soviet medicine.

On Saturday evening a ban-
quet was held in the Brock Me-
morial Hall, at the University
of British Columbia, with Leon
Ladner, K.C., presiding. There
were 250 guests present, and
among the honored guests were
Mr. E. Smith, former chairman
of the National Labor Relations
Board of United States, and
Rhys Williams, famous writer
and correspondent.

Youth Group
Attack Bill 15

The executive meeting held
November 28th of the B.C. sec-
tion of the National Federation
of Labor Youth issued a state-
ment in support of the civil lib-
erties union’s campaign against
section G of Bill 15. Represent-
ign Canadian working class and
progressive youth, the NFLY
considers government measures
tending to deprive Canadian citi-
zens of their civil liberties by
deportation or revocation of
nationality without trial as a
direct attack on labor and the
Canadian people. Further disap-
proval was voiced’ of the policy
of repratriation of Japanese Ca-
nadians on the basis of a poll
conducted under intimidation.

Beefing Should Be
Done In Meetings

To The Editor:

IWA sub-local 1-71, M. & M.
Logging Co. at Forward Bay
held a meeting with about 90
percent of the membership at-
tending. It seems that those

who beef the most outside or in
the bunkhouse are the ones that
won't attend meetings.

A resolution was passed to the
effect that men who are in camp
for a period of 30 days and do
not join the union, their names
be posted on the bulletin board
and also sent in to the local
office. :

The camp is 95 percent organ-
ized. =

A. T. Powers, Sec’y

Eid “wrens 82

leads Shoes

21 EAST HASTINGS
* Vancouver, B.C.

ight Cruiser Lo

“HEADS” YOU WIN
10” TOPS STANDARD

| s-- also...
WORK AND DRESS

Reid Robinson
To Speak Dec. 9

In Vancouver

Vancouver citizens will have
an opportunity next Sunday,
December 9, to hear a first hand
account of what labor is doing
in the Soviet: Union. Reid Rob-
inson, Vice-President of the C1O
and President of the Interna-
tional Union of Mine, Mill ‘and

Smelter Workers, will be the
speaker. .
Recently returned from the

Soviet Union, after attending a
meeting in Paris of the World
Trade Union Congress, Robin-
inson is well informed on world
labor’s program for post war
advancement. His subject will
be “60 Million Workers United.”

meeting is sponsored by
the BS. District Union of the
TUMMéSW. »

Loggers Injured In

Serious Accidents

Two serious . accidents have
occurred in the logging industry
in the past short while. Joseph
Madey, a logger was crushed
between two trees while at work
for Maloney Logging Camp,
Loughboro Inlet and was taken
to Vancouver by boat. He was
rushed to St. Paul’s Hospital by
ambulance from the boat. He
suffered serious chest injuries
but his condition is reported as
fairly good.

Carl Marklund, while working
at Camp 3, Youbou, was caught
‘between two logs and had to be
sawed out. He suffered spinal
and serious internal injuries and
was taken to Duncan Hospital.
It is reported that he will prob-
ably be in hospital until after
Christmas but that a full re-
covery is expected. He is a well-
known member of IWA Local
1-80.

Crucils Camp Now

100 Per Cent Union
To the Editor:

A special meeting was called
on Friday, November 16 by the
men of Crucils Camp at Sechelt
for a talk on the Ford strike.
Also donations for one day’s pay
were asked for to assist the
strikers while they are off work.

This camp has done very good
work since it was organized last
August. It is one hundred per
cent union and they are now
waiting for, certification.

R. KELLEY.

ae

STYLES:
VALUES
QUALITY

Always at the Home of—
UNION MADE Clothing

— and Friendly Service.

)
— Established —

For Over Forty Years

45 EAST HASTINGS ST.
Vancouver, B.C,