Copyright, 1947
‘The ClO NEWS

Vol. 10, No. 28

WEEKLY PUBLICATION

July 15, a ial Congres-
Se eg Sg gsc WN apis
istrictgapf the City of Baltimore

Victory for ClO

of a regular union publication.

OF

This is a photostat of the front page of
paper challenged the Taft-Hartley ban on political
Md.) for reelection. The U.S. Supreme Court has r

THE CONGRESS OF

By PHILIP MURRAY
«President, Congress of Industrial Org

INDUSTRIAL

ORGANIZATIONS

the CIO News of Juy 14, 1947, the issue in which that
action by endorsing Rep. Eward Garmatz (Dem.-
uled that the act does not. restrict the contents

pressure to compel the King
labor laws:

the government to take over

and strikebreaking agency operated
by the renegade J. A. “Pat” Sulli-
‘van. This could be done by cancel-
ling company charters and operat-
ing the ships through the govern-
ment’s own Canadian National
Steamships.

While both labor congresses and
labor councils from coast to coast
as well as the CCF and LPP

- have lined up behind the CSU,
_the need is seen for intensifica-
tion of this support from hund-
reds of individual locals and
scores of thousands of union
| members and citizens, to press
on the government the need to

De Gasperi valeases
jailed Italian facists

—ROME.

The Italian government of
Premier Alcide de Gasperi, whose
election victory with U.S. aid was
hailed as a triumph for demo-
cracy, is now speeding the re-
lease of top fascists from the jails
in which they have been confined
Last week it released Edmondo

While Canadian Seamen’
hold their lines against operators’ reign of terror, iocal
demand remained that raised by J. W. Buckley, secretary
of the Trades and Labor Congress.

Big story on the Lakes seamen’s strike this week was the
need, as seen in labor circles, for stepping up nation-wide |

government to enforce its own

s Union pickets continued to

Buckley has called on
the ships of the law-defying

companies and operate them until they are prepared to
recognize the union and drop

the professional scab-herding

take over the ships, cease use of
ROMP as strikebreakers, and
compel collective bargaining.

CSU withdrew its court case
charging Canada Steamship Lines,
Misener, Northwest and Transit
with violating federal labor laws
when Labor Minister Humphrey
Mitchell claimed it was hampering
efforts of his department to effect
a settlement, but when the case
was withdrawn Mitchell denied
having made this statement to the
union.

The operators spurned depart-
ment efforts to have them nego-
tiate a settlement through a com-
mittee appointed by the Trades
Congress, and continued to war on
the pickets with clubs, hose, chain,
knives, live steam, shotguns and
4 revolvers. Provincial and federal
police are protecting Sullivan’s
goons and have now arrested close
to 80 seamen.

Possibility of a sympathy general
strike remains as AFL and CCL
unions stand by along the Lakes,
end need for financial support of
the picket line is urgent. Pacific
coast seamen have raised over
$9,000 to set the pace in B.C.

Tom McEwen, editor of the

Nation-wide pressure
can win Lakes strike

Faces jail

Dr. Edward K. Barsky, chair-
man of the Joint Anti Fascist
Refugee Committee, and 10 co-

defendants face jail terms as 4 -
result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s
refusal to review their conviction
for contempt of Congress.

‘NEVER AGAIN’

By MAURICE RUSH

“The people of: this area have
for years voteti Liberal and
Tory, but if the government
doesn't do the right thing by
them many are going to turn to
the CCF.” These were the words
-of the editor of an infiuential
Fraser Valley newspaper in the
heart of the flood-devastated
area of Mission, Matsqui and
Dewdney when I interviewed
him during a recent trip through
the ficod districts.

Notwithstanding Herbert Ans-
comb’s fantasy about the flood
being an “act of God,’ the
people throughout the Valley are
expecting government action to
prevent the recurrence of such
disasters. They know that the
river can be controlled. They
expect the government to do it.

It’s hard to imagine the true
situation in the flooded districts.
You have to see for yourself.
I first caught sight of the
flooded areas as I came Over @
hill into Mission and saw spread
before me a huge lake with
houses and barns just appearing
above the water.

I thought of the years of sac-
tifice and effort that must have
gone into the building of the
homes and the development of
some of British Columbia’s most
productive farm lands. It was
only three weeks before that I
drove through this fertile coun-
tryside and saw the farm folk
nard at work in their fields.

Now all this is gone; washed
away by the flood which could
have been avoided if responsible
governments had carried out
proposals made after earlier
floods, and if the Coalition gov-
arnment had not been criminally
negligent in failing to prepare

for an eventuality which it
must have foreseen.
* * x

The effect on the womenfolk
was explained to me by a Red
Cross nurse in charge of a wom-
en’s evacuation center in Mis-
sion. “I can hardly get any
sleep nights,” she said. “The
women are just beginning to ‘re-
alize the disaster that’s overtak-
en them, and many are suffering
from shock and can’t sleep.”

She thought it would be at
least two months before the first
victims could return to their
homes. “The water will have to
be pumped out of the flooded
lands, then homes will have to
be made habitable again, and
there’ll be the danger of disease

People must compel
gov't flood control

for some time,” she said.

Later that afternoon I decided
to go to Hatzic to see for my-
self what happens when the
waters start to recede. As I ap-
proached the spot where the
road ends and the water begins,
a horrible stench filled my nost-
rils. The smell was already be-
coming unbearable, although
the water had gone down only
some two feet. It is hard to im-

agine what it will be’ like pres-
ently. \

* * *

On my way to Mission I stop-
ped at Hatzic railway station
and talked to two tiooded-out
tarmers who wére trying to find
some way of getting back to
their farms in Dewdney to see
the damage. They were hopeful
that the government would be
compelled by public opinion to
give them a square deal.

It was obvious that both farm-
ers were influenced by promises
made by Coalition government
agents as to what would be done
for them. There is a _ feel-
ing among the people that all
they have to do is wait and the
government will come across
with what they require. This il-
lusion is being deliberately fos-
tered by representatives of the
Coalition to prevent the flood
victims from organizing to get
a square deal.

It will not be an easy matter
for the economy of the Fraser
Valley to be restored. Repairing
the ravages of the flood is in it-
self a stupendous task but in
addition the flood has taken
place at a time when the Fraser
Valley is faced with a growing
market crisis. The present for-
eign trade policies of the federal
government have robbed produ-
zers of many of their pre-war
and war-time markets.

As a result of this economic

situation the producers will
find it harder to re-establish
themselves unless the federal
zovernment can be made to
shange its trade policies and
make available to the Fraser
Valley the great markets of
Europe, Britain and Asia.

I came away from the Fraser
Valley more than ever convinced
that the people of British Col-
umbia must to all in their power
to compel the provincial govern-
ment in the special flood session
of the legislature to take thor-
ough-going measures to prevent
future floods, and to fully rehab-
ilitate the flood victims of all
flood-ravished communities.

By ‘W. CAMPBELL

British Columbia labor will doff

ried a union card. When you taik
‘to him you find that his life is in-

Labor picnic seeking trade unionist with
membership record for award ,

province.

penses paid from anywhere in the

separably linked with the trade
union struggles of the past. You
will note a touch of pride in his
voice as he relates his union expe-
riences in Europe, the United States,

or perhaps in Canada’s earliest un-
ions.

Pacific Tribune, addressed the
seamen’s picket line in Toronto,
pledging the support of readers
to their fight for Canadian labor.

So speak out, you old-time trad
unionists. If you are a member of
a trade union, and belong to thé
‘Jongest membership” category:
send your name, with the neces
sary information, to United Labor
Picnic Committee, 104 Shelly Build-
ing, Vancouver, B.C., before Jul¥
20.

its hat to its senior trade union
member at the United Labor Picnic
in Confederation Park August 1.
“The contest for the trade union
member with the longest trade un-
ion membership record is a special
feature on a picnic program pack-
ed with entertainment,” according
to Caroline McFarlan, picnic con-
vener.

Rossini, who bossed the Italian
labor front organization under
Mussolini, and Luigi Federzone,
ex-president of Mussolini’s fas-
cist senate. Both men were sud-
.  @enly ammestied from life sen-
tences passed upon them after
the Allied victory.

Forgiveness was also extended
to Giuseppe Bottai, another top
fascist who was never imprisoned
because he managed to get out of
the country. Bottai contrived to
enlist in the French Foreign Le-
gion, in which he fought against
colonial independence movements
in Africa and Indo-China.

UN

CRA garden party -

Vancouverites will have an op-
portunity to spend a pleasant after-
noon and simultaneously to help
elect Effie Jones to the mavoralty
next December when Civic Reform
Association holds its garden party
July 7, 2-5 p.m., at the home of
Mrs. J. Cook, 5907 Victoria Road
(48rd and Victoria). CRA an-
nounces there will be a musical
program, teacup reading, games
and refreshments.

But here’s the interesting Part.
The old-timer may be you, or the
man working next to you on the
job. The United Labor Picnic Com-
mittee has sent out its call, and
names are expected to pour in.
Winner will be the honored guest
of the labor picnic, with all ex-

If you can’t qualify yourself put
you know somebody who can yet
is too modest to Speak up for bit
self, then see that your man—%
woman—gets his chance by nomil

ating yourself as his unofficia
sponsor.

Who and where is this man?
Here is a clue.

He is a respected fellow-worker.
As long as you can remember he
has worn a: union button and car-

TPMT THATCH WHEE LUA Le

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 2, 1948—PAGE &