OPEN FORUM — He remembers when... J. C. COE, Courtenay, B.C.: I enjoy your sports page. I sure like the story of the Jeffries-Johnson fight back in 1910, for I went 200 miles to see that fight. In those days I was a hard rock miner, a member of the Western Federation of Miners. The first time I ever saw old John L. Sullivan was about 1882, when I was a kid in Philadelphia. He was sure a fine looking man, with a big, black moustache. I was ped- dling papers and all us news kids were tagging after him. The next time was at the Jef- fries-Johnson fight in Reno and John L. was fat, with a big tummy. After the fight he said: : “Jack Johnson is the slickest and best fighter who ever crawled between the _ ropes. Peter Jackson never had -any- thing on him.” I saw Bob Fitzsimmons, Sam Langford, Jim Corbett, Abe Attell and Battling Nelson, and wrestlers like Frank Gotch and Farmer Burns. Here is one thing you didn’t print in your story of the Jef- fries-Johnson fight.’ After the fight we cut up the ring ropes —64 feet of two-inch rope; two strands made it 128 feet. We got our knives out and I grab- bed a fistfull. In a few seconds the rope was all cut up, and all I got was. five inches of it. - Canadians in USSR ALEX KUCHER, Palace Hotel, Prague: I was one of seven lucky Canadians who were in- vited to visit the Soviet Union following the Fifth World Youth Festival in Warsaw this summer. : We were guests of the anti- fascist committee in Moscow, and in the two weeks of our- tour our request to see various aspects of life in the USSR has been fulfilled. We visited factories, farms, schools, museums and met peo- ple from various walks of life. The city of Moscow is a beauti- ful sight to see, with its wide streets, lined with trees along the sidewalks. Many buildings may be seen in various stages of construction. By the end of the year 250,000 more Musco- vites will be moving into new apartments (Penny Wise, take note) and by 1957 new hotels will be completed, awaiting the arrival of thousands of youth from many countries, who will participate in the Sixth World Youth Festival in Moscow. A stadium with a capacity of 120,000 is now under construc- tion. It is being built near the Lomonosov University and will be ‘used during the festival. Those young Canadians who would like to learn more about the USSR, free from the distor- tions one reads in the daily papers, should start saving their money now to make the festival trip. It will be a great experience. The people of the Soviet Union are warm and friendly, eager to help you in any way. Thanks for donations J.B., New Westminster, $2; E. E.,, New Westminster, $2; J-H., United States, $1; Friend, Kim- berley, $1; E.H., Vancouver, $1; H.J., Wildwood Heights, $2; P.M., Vancouver, $2; J.B., Burnaby, $1; W.G.B., Langford, $2; 0.A., Kaslo, $}; C.A., Vancouver, $1; J.Z., Vancouver, 40c; S.A., Van- couver, $5; 'B.C.T., New West minster, $5; B.M., Yukon, $5; J.H.H., Port Alberni, 30c; F.G., Abbotsford, $2; E.H.S., Cedar, $2; W.K.F., Courtenay, $2; C.M., Campbell River, 40c; D.R., Zebal- los, $2; G.H., Kamloops, $1; G.K., Mount Sheer, $3; J.C., Vancou- ver,.. $2; .A.K., .Wancouver,.. $5; M.J.E., Prince Rupert, $47; P.O., New.. Westminster,.. 40c;.. A Vancouver, $10; M.L., Vancouver, $1; L.O., Fernie, $1; P.T.S., Van- couver’, $1.74. -H., By ALF DEWHURST B.C. labor votes to throw out cold war policies of disunity po the outcome of the just concluded B.C. Trade Union Congress (AFL-TLC) represent the fruits of “intrigue and manouevring by self-styled ‘progressives’ and mishandling convention business by right- wingers” as claimed by Dan Illingworth writing in the Van- couver Province on October 3. Or must:the serious student of trade union ‘affairs look a little deeper for an explanation of the causes which brought about unseating of former secretary R. K. Gervin and election of a _progressive slate of officers and executive members. Working class patriotism and democracy formed the solid foundation upon which rested the victory of the progressive forces in the election of offi- cers and the policies adopted by the congress. These two great attributes, characteristic of British Columbia’s. working class, were reflected in the many resolutions from the 110 affiliated local unions, ~-in the report on. natural resources presented by John Haywood, subsequently elected congress, secretary, and in the majority of speeches made by delegates. The merger of the Trades and Labor Congress and Canadian Congress of Labor and _ the future development . of this province dominated, convention discussions. It is significant to note that practically all dele- gates, including TLC president Claude Jodoin, expressed warm support for the natural resources brief and congratulated its authors. The outstanding op- ponent of the public ownership proposals of power contained in the brief was Eb. King of the BCER Office Employees Union. The brief adopted by the convention calls for ownership and control of provincial nat- “ ural gas and hydro power to be vested in public hands through the B.C. Power Com- mission for the purposes of serv- - ing Canada first and against U.S. domination. xt x $e It was during discussion and voting on resolutions pertain- ing to the merger that the ex- ponents of U.S. control and domination were ,forced to tip their hands. On one hand was the great desire of the rank-and-file trade unionists for all-inclusive democratic unity expressed through resolutions from the locals and the majority of del- egates. On the other stood the right-wing officials and their following (in some cases hand- picked) championing U.S.- dictated merger proposals which would continue division in the trade union movement on the basis of .thought-control purges, undermine democratic procedures and tighten top bur- eaucratic control. The right-wing leadership was determined to defeat the desire of the majority of del- egates to place rank-and-file demands for all-inclusive unity on the agenda of the founding convention of Canada’s new trade union centre. According -to Dan Illingworth, the right- wingers blamed their defeat on mistimed unity resolutions. Ulingworth quotes Gervin as stating: “One was brought in as a first item. The feeling of the convention should have been tested first, then the resolution brought in at a better time.” He then goes on to say that the right wing was saved by a technicality with the first resolution. But on the second one he quotes William Black, resolutions committee chair- man, as saying, “I left it to last thinking it would be ruled out of order like the other one. Then we found it was worded differently and was tutionally correct.” Did someone ‘say something about intrigue and manouever- ing ? be bo a : The fact is the right wing introduction of the . consti-: used every trick its leadership knew in a vain attempt to con- fuse the delegates and prevent passage of the resolutions for all-inclusive unity. Votes were miscounted and only corrected by, 2 challenge from the floor. The seco? resolution was held back B order to defeat it in the pti minutes of the convention. a this manoeuvre failed bene the majority sentiment was n to be denied. : The right wing leaders? was unseated because it, re sented a bankrupt policy as stood for continuing cold f policies when the hearisaa working people every’ fhe have been warmed byes Geneva. Conference. The progressive coaliti™ which emerged from the Baris vention won because. it ey, world. sented what is new in the «ive The emergence of 2 progres’ af coalition represents @ ee aif recognition that hones Tite pe ferences of opinion © ided satisfactorily resolved pro ists the will to resolve them © ites € Rank-and-file unionists hey demanding that the Wr"). class stand united fresh . ‘attacks organizations, conditions and ; ople standards. The working peney are going to insist that 5 ob benefit from new met production; that our ©” a1. develop as a first class 3 de- trial nation in the Wey 3 ugh termined by Canadians thr the democratic process. and Trade union leadet® ho rank-and-file | members triotiC base themselves of will and democratic policies the serve the best interes patio? working class and the 4 pro” It is the road to unity 20° els gress. It is the road to © victory. ee ber when ae ago, _..the main street of Ladysmith looked like this and and buggies rattled over its rutted surface. That when Ladysmith was a stronghold of the United Mine and the old Socialist Party of Canada, Socialists to the legislature. Those were the years 0} | a culminated in the historic Vancouver Island coal strike, | tion whit working people of Ladysmith were establishing a labo u ; es remains their pride to this day. enti was workers to elect consistently helping tpati wae ¢ strug!’ “the r trad PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCTOBER 7, poe 1955 —