IUMMS executive term Millard | statements ‘malicious nonsense’ C. H. Millard, national director of the United Steelworkers (CCL) was characterized last week as “supporting one of labor’s principal enemies,” by his endorsement of a state- ment made earlier by U.S. Senator Robert A. Taft that American union leaders are ‘infil- trating’ into Canada to escape prosecution under the Taft-Hartley Law as communists. This same type of statement, de- clared the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers Union (CIO-CCL), which scored the Millard statement, had previously been made by gold mine operators of Northern Ontario and Quebec in an attempt to halt the current widespread organizing and wage-increase campaign of the Mine-Mill union. Terming Millard’s remark as “malicious nonsense,” the Mine- Mill top officers meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, declared that “there could be no sane motive for a sane labor leader—commun- ist or otherwise—to leave the US. for Canada because of the T-H Act.” Mine-Mill leaders are not in violation of this law, they said, “but even if they were they could hardly expect to escape the con- Sequences by crossing the Cana- dian border.” i Full text of the statement by the Executive Board of the Inter- national Union of Mine- Mill and Smelter Workers (CIO-CCL) of the “charges” of Millard follows: It was hardly surprising — in fact, almost funny—when Senator Taft repeated in a political cam- paign speech a silly story of the Canadian gold mine owners to the effect that union organizere from America in the Canadian gold fields were refugees from the Taft- Hartley Law. However, this act lost its com- edy aspects when it was repeated by an officer of a Canadian labor union, We refer to a statement by C. H. Millard, national direc- tor of the United Steelworkers in Canada, supporting one of labor’s principal enemies with these words: ‘““Senator Taft is hitting Pretty close to the mark in naming @ union . .. certain well-known communists have decided to come to Canada rather than sign such a declaration.” Reference was to the. “non-communist” affidavits of the T-H Act. This charge of “communists es- caping to Canada” first appearea in statements by gold mine oper ators .quoted in newspapers of Northern Ontario mining commun- ities where IUMM&SW is carry- ing on an organizing drive. The A Taftian knight charges were quickly dropped when they became the laughing stock of the mining communities, There could be no motive for a sane labor leader, communist or otherwise, to leave the U.S. for Canada, because of the T-H Act. Millard’s stupid remarks are a disservice to the most prominent victim of the T-H prosecution to date—Philip Murray, president of Millard’s own United Steel- workers and of the CIO. Presi- dent Murray is now under in- dictment by the U.S. govern- ment for his statement of last August supporting the candidacy of a man who is now a member CSREES SER Se TER EAT RR, CLASSIFIED A eharge of 50 cents for each insertion of five lines or less with 10 cents for each additional line fs made for notices appearing in this column. No notices will be accepted later than Monday noon of the week of publication. f NOTICES Oldtime Dancing To Alf Carlson’s Orchestra Every Wednesday and Saturday Hastings Auditorium — 828 East Hastings Phone HAstings 1248 Moderate Rental Rates For socials, weddings, meetings ASH BROS. CARTAGE 516 West Seventh Ave. General Cartage FA. 0242 FA, 0469 Dance, Clinton Hall— 2605 East Pender. Dance every Saturday night. Modern and Old-Time. Viking’s Orchestra Hall is available for rent. HAstings 3277. e Croatian Hall : Available for Dances, Socials Weddings, Banquets, Meetings Reasonable rates, 600 Camp bell Avenue. HAstings 0087. Announcing— The Film. and Forum, every Sunday, 8 p.m., West End Hall 1332 Davie St. Everybody. wel- come. Silver Collection. Dance— Everybody welcome to the big dance held every Saturday at the Ukranian Labor Temple, 805 East Pender St. Moderate Born— T oMr. and Mrs. J. Havenor, Powell River, a daughter, 6 Ibs., 7% oz. Feb. 17 at Powell River Hospital. Meetings— Swedish-Finnish .-Workers Club meets last Friday of every month at 7.30 p.m. in Clinton Hall. O.K. Hair Restorer— O.K.’d by Medical Science. U. Antonuck method of hair restor- ing based on the scientific prin- ciple of feeding the scalp with food that can actually nourish the hair roots. A free consul- tation on your particular prob- lem without obligation. 671 Smythe St., Vancouver. WANTED Clothing for Rummage Sale. April 5th, auspices Fairview Club. Proceeds Pacific Tribune. Bring Contributions to 855 W. 8th Ave., or phone FAir, 3459-R or FAir. 8650-L. ALL FORMS OF INSTITRANCE (Anywhere in B.C,) LAURIE NOWRY MA. 7756 706-16 E .Hastings St. MA. 9407 (After 5) COMING EVENTS Public Meeting— Sunday, February 29, 8 p.m. Hastings Auditorium. Subject: LPP... CCF Unity. Speaker: Harvey Murphy, Auspices East Fnd Council LPP “Big Business Exposed”— . Harold Pritchett. Sunday, March 7, 8 p.m. Horticultural Hall, 43rd admission, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1948 and Fraser. §. Van. Counci] LPP. of Congress. Perhaps in tomor- row’s newspaper we may read that the bungling Millard has either condemned Murray as a communist or has offered him underground haver beyond the border. Cleve Kidd, research di- rector of Millard’s own union, reacted to Senator Taft’s speech as follows: “Senator Taft is giv- ing aid to the proponents of a Canadian Taft-Hartley Law.” Logically Kidd could not react otherwise to Millard’s echoing of Taft. We hope that Millard who, like Taft is a candidate for public of- fice, will continue to follow Taft's Like the United Steelworkers, United Mine Workers, United Electrica} Radio & Machine Workers and the International Typographical Union, our Inter- national Union has chosen stand and fight for the rights of labor, for the repeal of the Taft- Hartley Act. It is our duty as representatives of organized labor who see Taft-Hartley as a page from Hitler’s blueprint for Naz- ism. Any so-called labor leaders who use the NAM-manufactured formula of Taft-Hartley are work- ing toward the destruction of free labor in the United States and Canada. A six-point detailed letter on the role of the IUMM&S in Canada to Prime Minister Mackenzie King has also been forwarded by the executive board of the IUMM&S. This letter emphasizes the legitimate reasons as to why most union men in North Amer ica cross the US-Canadian line in the daily execution of union busi- ness, and advising against pre- ventative “bars” of the type sug- gested in the Millard-Taft state- ments, lead in his campaign statements. | to |- Hidden balance sheet Gathered about the blanket-shrouded body of one of their buddies killed in a mine explosion at Greenwood, Ark, grim- faced relatives and friends seek to identify the charred victims. The blast ripped through the gas-filled main shaft of the Sunshine mine, killing eight members of the UMWA. Tragedies like these are also too common in Canada’s coal and metal mines, and the IUMMS is campaigning for new provisions in the Mines Act to aid in their elimination. Govt’, mine bosses, scrap safety clauses in act The British Columbia District Miners’ Union of the IUMMS is conducting an intensive campaign for additional safety regulations to be incorporated in the Metalliferous Mines Act. A’ union delegation consisting of John Moffet, Cc. A. Bennett, Wm. Cutts, Wm. Johnson and Regional Director Harvey Murphy met with the Mines Department on February 17. The government was represented by Minister of Mines, the Hon. R. Labor resentment rises at Duplessis repression Events in the province of Quebec during the last ten jand Azelus Beaucage, days constitute a grave threat to Canadian civil liberties and strike. The courts of premier and at- torney-general Maurice Duplessis have sentenced. Madeleine Parent officers of the Textile Workers’ Union (AFL) to two years in prison for leading the strike of textile workers at Lachute, Que., for wage increases and improved working conditions. The vicious sentence handed out to these two French-Canadian trade union leaders was immed- iately protested by organized labor and by the left-wing paper Le Comhat. On February 17 Duplessis ordered the offices of Le Combat raided and ransacked, and had them ‘padlocked’ under his infaim- ous Padlock Law. Similar opera- tions were carried out against the commercial printshop where Le Combat is printed, (As a backdrop to his Htlerite blitz on the civil. liberties of French-Canadian workers, Duples- sis discovered a new “communist plot’—“Italian Communist Party lottery tickets being sold in Que- bec by the LPP”... to help the Italian communists “seize power” in the forthcoming Italian tions.) Kent Rowley, Canadian director of the Textile Workers’ Union (AFL) is also facing a prison term, under Duplessis’ charges of “conspiracy,” — seeking to raise the starvation level of Quebec tex- tile workers’ wages and win im- proved working conditions. Organized labor throughout Can- ada must vehemently protest this elec- unleashing of~- fascist reaction in and the rights of labor to organize, bargain collectively, Quebec against trade union leaa- ers, and the shameful suppression of workingclass papers. Protests should be forwarded from every union in the Dominion to .Duples- sis, demanding the quashing of all convictions against leaders of the Textile union. The Vancouver Labor Council (CCL) has already forwarded tele- grams of protest to Dunlessis and to Minister of Justice Isley, pro- testing the vicious sentences hand- ed out to Parent and Beaucage, and demanding their immediate release. A letter was also forwarded by the VLC to the CCL executive, urging that the matter be taken up with the ‘Trades Congress (AFL) executive, with a view to joint protest. The VLC has also requested CCF leader M. J. Coldwell to make representations before the justice department on behalf of the two French-Canadian leaders, and if/ need be, raise the matter before UN council. ; Pritchett to speak A direct reply to the slander- ous attack on leaders of the labor movement through the daily papers, will be given by Harold Pritchett on Sunday, March 7, 8 p.m. in the Horti- cultural Hall, 48rd and Fraser, Pritchett who is. the secretary of the B.C. Federation of Labor and prominent IWA leader will talk on the subject “Big Business Exposed” and will outline the facts behind the current red- baiting campaign. C. McDonald, the Deputy: Minister, Dr. Walker, Chief Mines Inspector J. Strang and Senior Mines In- spector Hughes. While some minor changes in the Act were agreed upon, the main question, that of the certifi- eation of shifters, mine manage- ment and all underground super- visory personpel, which was ten- tatively promised’ the unien two years ago by the «Mines Depart- ment, was sidetracked. Mine oper- ators are actively lobbying the Coalition—not for the. broadening ef the Act, but for limiting its al- ready too limited provisions. gov- erning safety regulations, Their submission to the Mines Department recommends the dele- tion of Sections 19-23 of the Act covering safety regulations, leav- ing it to the operators to say who foremen and shift bosses will be, regardless of competency qualifica-” tions. Vhe miners have emphasized that as a result of this kind of policy being pressed by the mine operators, the number of men killed in 1947 is double that of previous years, In their brief to the Mines De- partment the operators say: “No province in Canada requires certi- fication of competency. for fore- men and shift bosses in - meta] mines, and we think British Col- ite umbia should not step out alone:. and have such a regulation . ::.” Apropos of ‘this reactionary : posi- tion the operators also. sought to have children of 15-years and un- . der employed in and ing premises, . around min- The union delegates objected strenuously to such a ‘provision * being included in the pointing out that children should: be enabled to attend school until 18 Seni ek oat ee ‘ The district. union commities.. has circularized all locals of ‘the TUMMS, recommending that ‘the Metalliferous Mines Act as ow. drafted, be rejected, as the:most,; important safety amendments): viz. 4g -- sa certication of supervisory ‘pérson-*"** nel, as contained in séctions’ 19-23 have been deleted. The union ¢om+ mittee demands ‘that these: ‘be? re-: incorporated in the Act, and that’ their deletion be forwarded Minister of Mines... \ «- PACIFIO TRIBUNE—PAGE 3 to. the. ee 1 Whitty fect map. fa4:2 tae letters and wires of protest against. we)