Island unions will send strong

delegation to Victoria lobby

NANAIMO—Upper Island trade unionists,

disclose to the representatives

lobby the biggest and best yet.
Island MLAs are being showered with

ment “show labor the draft bill.”
fan addition to the barrage of
grams and letters the unions
are speedily completing their
Plans for the lobby. Delegates
have been elected and are stand-
ing by waiting
for the call to
Victoria.

The three big |
locals of the »
TWA - CIO lo-
cated at Dun-
can, Port Alber-
ni and Courten-
ay are sending
large delegations
including sub-
stantial represen-
tation from the

omen’s A u x-
jMaries, Also ‘ considerably swell-
ng the ranks of the lobby will
be delegates from the Nanaimo
nae Cumberland locals of the
_UMWA-CCL, the AFL Carpenters
aie Joiners of Courtenay | and

ort Alberni, the Hotel and Rest-
see Employees, AFL and the
Ne) both of Port Alberni

ad the Island Labor Council,
‘of Nanaimo,
urilcations are that the AFL

Ns on the Island, participat-

tng in the lobby preparations, will

Alf Dewhurst

By ALF DEWHURST

angered by the government’s failure to

of labor the contents of the proposed labor legislation, are
Swinging into high gear to make Vancouver Island’s contribution to this year’s labor

Premier Hart, Minister of Labor George S. Pearson and
lette-s and telegrams demanding that the govern-

reject the reactionary position of
non-participation adopted by the
Vancouver Trades and Labor
Council, AL. On the contrary,
it is becoming more apparent
every day, that the traitorous last
minute attempt on the part of
Alderman R. K. Gervin to tor-
pedo the lobby has had the effect
of considerably strengthening the
healthy, united front sentiments
existing within the Island labor
movement.

President Owen Brown of Iocal
1-80, the largest IWA-CIO local
in British Columbia put it this
way: “Organized labor om Van-
couver Island is determined to do
everything in its power to win.
adequate labor and social legisla-
tion, such as union security, the
forty-hour week and decent old
age pensions. Labor’s program is
in the best irterests of the ma-
jority of the people of this prov-
ince and will get the support of
all progressive peoples and organ-
izations,

Labor and the people will win
despite the pressure Big Business
is exerting on the government
and reactionary circles close to
and within the labor movemnt.
The Hart-Anscomb government
must heed labor’s demands and
the best guarantee that they will

ae

“We call for ending the im-
Perialist policy which seeks to
Tetain Palestine not only as an
Outlet for oil and a point for
Military control of the Suez, but
8s a strategic base protecting
imperialist interests throughout

© Middle East and against the
interests and rights of its peo-
Ples with a consequent threat to
the peace of the world,” the dec-
laration said. :

: The conference extended
prarmest greetings” and pledged
ull support “to all people of

fone liberation and against
fe Military, political and eco-
ea Penetration, and the stra-

Bie plans of American im-
Perialism,”

The declaration, continued: “All
ae love freedom and seek peace
oy Palestine and throughout the
aia should unite to demand

Secure immediate withdraw-

al of British troops from Pales-
©, abrogation of the mandate
"Nd creation of a free and inde-
nee and democratic Pales-
an state, which will guaran-
eats equal rights of citizenship
uh full religious freedom and
thei Spportunities to develop

r culture to all its inhabi-
‘nts, Arab and Jewish.”

Let the United Nations sup-
hon the people of Palestine in
denne eee to secure the in-

: ence of their country now.
es greet the rising forces of
oF Arab national movement

Hani daily is gathering strength

Sughout the Middle East in

© struggle for liberation and

SNA 3 forces among the
ERs masses in Palestiné who
Pla that they have a part to
ith in the common struggle
| te the Arabs to free Palestine
“fom the imperialist hold.

Empire communists call
for free Palestine

By GEORGE TATE

_ LONDON—The conference of British Empire Com-
munist parties, meeting here last week, called for removal
of British troops from Palestine and for the creation of a.
free, independent Palestinian state. .

make Palestine or part of Pales-
tine a Jewish state is an ally of

Palestine who are struggling for.

7

“We warr all jewish people
that Zionism, which seeks. to

the imperialist forces,and their
hase in the Middle East diverts
the Jewish people from the real
solution of the problem of anti-
Semitism, which is along the
lines of democratic development
and full equality of rights with-
in countries where they live.

“We have to warn the Arab
people against those reactionary
elements who are ready to be-
tray the movement for national
liberation upon securing support
of imperialism for their sec-
tional interests against the int-
erests of the masses.” |

The resolution addeq that the
wider problems facing the Jew-
ish people all over the world are
not the problems of Palestine.

“The weapon of anti-Semitism
carried to barbaric extremes by
fascism is the weapon used by
the ruling classes to split and
divert the masses of people away
from the truggle for their real ~
interests.

“No man or woman today can
think of the plight of Jewry
without burning memories of
Maidanek and Belsen, without
feeling of profound horror at
the crimes committed by the
Fascists against European Jewry
and without expressing their
deep sympathy with those who
have survived this horror.

“¥¢ is the duty of all free

to succor these victims of
Psersaie We believe that a free,
independent Palestine in associ-
ation with other free countries
in the world would be as ready
to offer succor and security to
victims of fascism as would any
other free country.” —

do so is to organize a large and
effective lobby. Labor’s’ voice
must be hearg in our legislative
halls and the pepole must shower
the government and MLAs with
letters and telegrams supporting
labor's demands. :

the large, fish companies and
United Fishermen and Allied
Workers’ Union (TLC).

This week the UFAWU called
upon the federal government to
set up the Fisheries Prices Sup-
port Board, which could include
representatives of union and com-
pany, to administer a 25 million

subsidy for the fishing industry.

Eviction order halted
but threat remains —

As a result of the efforts of the Tenants and Home-
owners League and pickets from the IWA and Civic Em-
ployees Union, the proposed eviction of three families con-
taining 12 children from 3750 Commercial Drive, Vancouver,

has been prevented for the time
being.

Scheduled to take place last
Tuesday, the eviction was post-
poned after strong public resent-
ment was shown. The court de-
cision authorizing. the eviction,
was made under the premise that
the building has been condemned.
City Building Inspector Andrew

EFFIE JONES

‘A home that needs repairs is no
excuse for eviction.’

Haggert, however, informed Effie
Jones, president of the Tenants
and Homeowners League, that the
building had not. been condemned
but was in need of immediate re-
pairs, which would not require
the tenants to vacate. When pre-
sented with these facts, the local
judge ignored them, and author-
ized the eviction. None of the
families involved have any pros-
pect of other living quarters.

In a letter to the Vancouver
Labor Council (CCL), Effie Jones
appealed to the council to select
a committee to investigate the
discriminatory court orders, which
were made without regard to evi-
dence presented. The Council
pledged full support to this re-
quest and promised to aid the
fight to prevent the eviction of
the families. Mrs. Jones also
wired Attorney-General Gordon
Wismer in Victoria, . informing
him of the questionable nature of
the court order. The telegram
asked Wismer “to hold eviction
up pending an inquiry into the
case by your department.”

Families involved in the evic-
tion proceedings are Mr. and Mrs
C. Miller and their three children;
Mr. and Mrs. J. Anderson and
their five children; and Mr. and
Mrs. J. E. McClurg with four
children.

The case is being appealed, and
John Stanton is acting as legal

counsel for the three families.

UFAWU continues fight

for fair fish prices

By JIM BULLER

Tieup of British Columbia’s cod fishermen and trawl
fleet. went into its third week with no sign of a settlement
in sight. The fishermen are asking for suitable prices from

a signed agreement with the

This amount has been voted by
parliament to assure fishermen,
in @ manner
: similar to farm-
ers, of equitable
prices in the
transition from
war to peace.
However none
of the above
amount has
been granted
the fishermen in

: : price subsidies
Jim Buller yet. “What are
we waiting for,” asked the
UFAWU, “the next war and the
next peace?”

In advertisements which ap-
peareq in the Vancouver Sun and
News-Herald last Tuesday, the
UFAWU presented its case to the
general public, regarding the fish-
ermen’s fight for an equitable re-
turn for their catch. “The dealer
can make the same, or a bigger
profit no matter how low the
price he pays to the fishermen,”
the UFAWU declared “but the
fisherman must pay for his boat
and his gear, and feed his fam-
ily, from the price he receives. If
Some private dealers are un’
irg to co-operate with the fisher-
men in working out a program
that will provide some protection
to the fishermen, we will have to
seek other marketing means to
provide the public with food,” the

union warned. : :

As the Tribune went to press, 2
committee representing all fisher-
men’s Gulf locals was meeting to
work out a strategy to intensify
efforts to bring about a favorable
settlement. Last week, one Vic-
toria dealer, Ches Torreville Ltd.,
signed a minimum price agree
ment with the UFAWU, and two
boats have been designated to fish
for the firm. Meanwhile the 600
cod fishermen and the 200 trawl-
ers that have ceased fishing oper-
ations, are holding firm, awaiting
a reasonable offer from the larg-
er companies.

Last Monday, UFAWU secretary
Bill Rigby wired Federal Fisheries
Minister H. F. G. Bridges urging
immediate establishment of the
Fisheries Prices Support-Board to —
provide an adequate subsidy for
fish prices and thus guarantee a
fair financial return for B.C, fish-
ermen. -

Resistance papers are
endangered by strike

By MARCEL DUBOIS

PARIS—This city is still without newspapers, except
for two English-language dailies, as a result of the ‘printers’
strike for higher wages which started February 13.

The effect of the strike, not
sanctioned by the General Con-
fed ration of Labor (CGT), has
been to strangle the resistance
press which never had big finan-
cial backing.

The resistance papers, several
of which have already been forc-
ed to fold up, are putting out an
average of one million francs per
day for overhead and other com-
mitments, and no advertising or
circulation money is coming in.

The fact that the printers chose
this time to reject CGT policy of
using labor’s increasing influence
in the government to gain de
mands without hampering France’s
recovery from the war is signifi-
cant because on March 1 the gov-
ernment released all controls over
the press, leaving prospective pub-
lishers free to start papers with-
out the authorization required un-
til now.

Feipay, MARCH 14, 1947.

This leaves the door open for
a return of the powerful business

and financial groups which had @
complete grip over the press be-
fore the war. Some prewar dailies
financed by French and foreign
business interests are already
known to be planning an early
comeback and are said to have
offered the printers higher wages
and improved conditions in order
to keep the strike going and kill
off as many resistance papers as
possible.

The cooperative organization
which resistance papers set up as
a distributing agency is also in
danger of collapse. A sum of over
70 million francs’ is owed the
agency by.the French treasury in
payment for periodicals and books
sold abroad. Unless this debt is

go into bankruptcy, clearing the
filela for the return of the mon-
opoly which before the war had

absolute control over distribution.

quickly settled the agency may |

Bob Law, veteran

labor pioneer dead

Old time workers in the
labor movement will learn
with regret of the death of
Bob Law, one of the charter
members of the Workers’
Party in Vancouver. Bob was
an active and _ energetic
worker in the labor move-
ment until an urfortunate
accident cost him the almost
total loss of his eyesight

He was a member of the
United Brotherhood of Car
penters and Joiners until his
age prevented him from fol-
lowing the trade, During
the OBU period ‘he did
everything he could to make
the success of the OBU a
possibility. In 1921 he was
One of the small bard who
launched the Communist
Party, then the Workers’
Party. At his death, at the
age of 77, he was an enihus-
iastic member of the Fed-
eration of the Blind. .

His only relatives are &
son in the U.S. and a daugh-

ter in Scotland.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 3