By HAL GRIFFIN

he Pacific Tribune was born in
struggle. Months of cam-
- paigning to raise funds preceded
the appearance of B.C. Workers’
News under its first editor, George
Drayton, on January 18, 1935 —
nickels and. dimes from_ the
unemployed, dollars from loggers,
miners, longshoremen, fishermen,
all who hoped to find in the new
paper an advocate of their
challenge to government policies
which enriched the great cor-:
porations out of their poverty and
privation.

The new paper did not disappoint
them. From the first issue, its
pages pulsated with their
struggles.

It bared the conditions under:

which people were forced to live,
the shameless exploitation even of
the unemployed, the callousness of
government officials, and it rallied
people to organize and fight.

In Victoria that bitterly cold
winter of 1935, a woman living in a
dilapidated house without heat or
water — it was all she could get —
left her husband and daughter
huddled under torn blankets, went
down to the relief office and broke
the windows. Turned away by
every agency, she had even ap-
pealed in vain to the police chief for
help in getting a fuel order, and
this was her final despairing at-
tempt to draw attention to her
family’s plight.

The police acted promptly
enough in charging her with
causing wilful damage and she
faced a jail sentence until the
Canadian Labor Defence League
took up her case.

In Vancouver, 20. patients from
Deroche Hospital Camp, refused
relief and treatment by all
authorities, went into a restaurant
_ and ordered meals for which they
could not pay. Six of them were
arrested and charged, but the
court dismissed the charges. The
city jail already was full.

Five Chinese died after they
were taken to hospital in Van-

couver suffering from malnutri- |

tion. Another was found dead in a
skidroad hotel. A Keefer. Street
mission, which received a:
government relief allowance for
feeding them, had been giving
them only rice and vegetables.
These were not isolated in-
stances reported by the B.C.
Workers’ News but symptoms of a
_ general condition evident alike in
Native Indians starving on their
threadbare reserve at Fountain
and loggers refusing to eat poor
grub in Vancouver Island logging
camps, while crops went to waste
in the Fraser Valley.
At Ottawa, the Conservative
government of Prime Minister R.
B. (Iron Heel) Bennett was
crumbling from the dry rot in-

duced by its own inability to deal
constructively with the crisis.

which, by 1935, had forced 1.2
million Canadians on to relief.

Its one recourse was the use of
Section 98 of the Criminal Code and
other draconian measures to
suppress political dissent, directed
first against Communists but
sweeping in their application, and
the use of police to smash sarees
and demonstrations.

As the year moved into spring,
there were portents of the rising

wind of national discontent which _

was to bring the government down.

At Princeton on March 25, 150°
people waited at the railway
station to greet Tim Buck, Com-
munist Party general secretary, as
his train passed through at two
o’clock in the morning and, the
B.C. Workers’ News reported, they

“sang the ‘Internationale’, which
roused the rest of the town from its

slumbers.”’
April 1, when Buck spoke in

Vancouver, 8,000 people packed the
old Arena to applaud his call for a
united front against war - and
fascism.

That same week, on April 4,
relief camp workers began the
strike for a ‘Work and Wages”
program which culminated in the
On-To-Ottawa Trek and the
Dominion Day riot provoked by the
RCMP in Market Square, Regina.

Before the trekkers left Van-
couver, Mayor G. G: McGeer
contrived his own provocation, ‘not
without weighing the advantage of
national press publicity to his
political aspirations.

The B.C. Workers’ News of April
26 carried a picture of him reading
the Riot Act at the cenotaph after a
peaceful demonstration by relief
camp workers. And it quoted
Dorothy Steeves, then CCF MLA
for North Vancouver, as saying:
“He has come out in the open at
last and shown himself for the
fascist he is.”’

In the mines of the province that
spring, workers were waging their
own struggles.

At Corbin, 250 coal miners
striking for reinstatement of fellow
workers fired for membership in
the Mine Workers Union of Canada
were attacked by police — ‘“‘Pat-

tullo’s uniformed thugs,” the B.C. '

Workers’ News dubbed them in its
April 18 issue — who smashed the
picket line, ‘‘knocking down men,
women and children’”’ and injuring
25 miners, seven of whom were
taken to hospital. ‘

At Bridge River, 1,000 gold
miners struck in May for a dollar a
day wage increase. ‘‘The Pattullo
government is playing its usual
role of strikebreaking,’’ the paper
commented. -

And in Vancouver on June 18,
city police attacked striking
longshoremen in a confrontation
which has gone down in labor
history as the ‘‘Battle of Ballan-
tyne Pier.”

The Shipping Federation was
determined to smash the militant
longshoremen’s union and the
virulent red-baiting, anti-labor
press and radio campaign was the
prelude to the barrage of teargas
loosed by police when Police Chief
Col. W. W. Foster faced
longshoremen led by Mickey
O’Rourke, V.C.

Sergeant Scanlon headed the city
mounted police squad and the
savagery of its members that day
piled new hatred on the record that
had earned them the epithet of
“Scanlon’s Cossacks”’.

I saw mounted police pursue ©

men right up to the ricketty
verandahs of the old houses which
then fronted Powell Street.
Children playing on the street — in

that neighborhood they had-

nowhere else to play — suddenly
were caught up in a struggling
throng and mothers frantically

trying to snatch them to safety -

were struck by clubs wielded in-

discriminately against men,
women and children. —
Months later, Harold Winch,

serving his first term as CCF MLA
for Vancouver East, quoted figures
in the legislature showing that in

1935 the ‘Liberal government of’

Premier T. D. Pattullo had spent

$23,000 on special police and $5,000

on stool pigeons.

This was the reality in no way
corresponding with NDP Premier
Dave Barrett’s description, 40
years later, of the Pattullo regime
as ‘“‘an innovative and dynamic
Liberal government.’’ Even
Liberals themselves were critical,

PACIFIC TRIBUNE SUPPLEMENT—FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1975—Page 2

~ Association

‘for in August, 1938, the Prince

Rupert District Liberal

denounced the
government’s policy as being
“diametrically opposed to the
fundamental principles of
Liberalism.” =

Between the Liberal government
at Victoria and the Conservative
government at Ottawa there was
no difference in the use of every
repressive power to deny social
justice to the working people.

The difference was that Bennett
went down to resounding defeat at
the hands of the Liberals, for the
humiliation of which not even
bestowal of a British title could
console him. Pattullo successfully
withstood the challenge of the CCF,
not least because its leadership
consistently repudiated and un-
dermined all forms of cooperation
and united action with the Com-
munist Party.

As I wrote in the June 4 issue of
the People’s Advocate, to which
the paper’s name was changed on
April 2, 1937, commenting on the
outcome of the 1937 provincial
elections:

“It is noteworthy that the CCF’s
only two gains from parties other
than the B.C. Constructives (the
right wing breakaway group from
the CCF which was effectively
demolished at the polls) were in
Cowichan-Newcastle and Comox
where the campaign was con-
ducted on a unity basis.

“Elsewhere, those leaders of the
CCF most vociferous in their op-
position to unity of all progressive
groups went down to defeat...

“A. M. Stephen, storm centre of
a controversy within the CCF on
the all-important question of unity,
missed victory by a narrow margin
in Alberni-Nanaimo.

“Credit for his defeat must be

taken by the Constructive, J. H.
Giles, who split the vote, and
former CCF executive member
Mrs. M. E. James, whose con-
tribution to the cause of progress
was several columns of red-baiting

- letters in the reactionary Nanaimo

Daily Herald.”

Although he was the unanimous
choice of CCF clubs in Nanaimo,
Stephen was repudiated by the
CCF provincial executive, which
was openly accused by the
Nanaimo clubs of sabotaging his
campaign.

As a result, Liberal labor
minister George Pearson, the
“strikebreaker extraordinary”’
who epitomized the Pattullo
government’s repressive labor
policies, retained his seat.

For the Bennett government in
1935, as the struggles of spring and
summer fused with the federal
election campaign of fall, there
had been no such reprieve.

Bennett came to Vancouver ‘in
September and citizens packed the
Arena — but not to hear him.
Except for the Tory true blue and
faithful around the platform, they
had heard enough over the years.

Defence minister Grote Stirling
spoke for half an hour and his
speech was lost in the gale of
protest. Finally he gave up and
Bennett, red-faced and defiant,
took his place. He had an ad-
vantage. Some of us already were
hoarse.

He too, was unable to make
himself heard until police moved in
and began ejecting hecklers.

_It made no difference. On Oc-
tober 14 voters reduced the Con-
servatives to an ineffectual op-
position of 39 and restored the
Liberals under Mackenzie King to
power with 171 seats.

Section 98 was repealed. The

THE VANCOUVER CLARION

AN CRGAN OF

UNITE POR PUL

IN FIGFIT TO DEF

ee

PAL riPPlLer|SM

EFEAT THREAT OY NAZI
ENSLAVEXENT, URGES
SEMMOF EST STATEMENT

People's Action Will Encure
Defeat oF Reactionary,
Pro-Pascist Conspirators
2 - Undor the heading,
feat the Throat of Nazi Enslevomont,' a
statomont igcued hero by the political
buro of tae Comzunist Party of Canada
Galiz upon “all anti-fascist pouple to
Join hands in e united popular mvemont
for_nll possible aid to the Soviet poo-
plein thoix just war, to give unstinted
support to proscoution of the war against
Gormsn Nazism ond its allios, ani to do~
feat any attempt to give aid oz comfort
to tho Nasi rogime or its frionds and all.
ies in Canada."
Fall toxt of the statement follcws:
"Hitler's perfidious rad-dog attaci: up-
-on the USSR is a throat not only to tho
country of socidliem and its people, but
agairzt the liberty and netional frecdom
of @1i pocple throughout the world. Vict-
ory fcr Eitler in lig attempt to crash the
USSR would evable hin, fox the first tims,
to concentreie all his huge military power
in uny field or operation he my choose.
"Tas cause of the people of tho US33 is
the cxuse of all those wuo fight cpainss
the threat of fescist enslavement. Sitler's
attacc upon tho USSR mut ba mt by a
mighty mmited effort to enmuro its defoat.
“Hitler's unprovokoc, all-out onslaught
on thu USSR is the soquel to a11 the se--
cret noves end intrigue -~ of which tho
visit of Hess to England was but an ous-
standing example. Tho Nazi rogimo, support
od by ites friends and allies in Britain,
Canad: end tho United States, is ctriving

'To-

to bring avons © socrot agroomont by whicl

Britain ond the Uniced tates wiil with-

hold coonorstioa and aid frem the USSR.
"Suds an egreengut, waich yould man

é men fu3scion in pee drive to-
werds the onslavonent of 012 poopie,

would be contrery to the vital intorests .
oz tho ae »le of our comtry end all coum-
tries, oy woll as of the Soviet people.
only way to enstro that ail

uch reac tlonatye pro-fascist plans aro
dovcateé is by enexgetic popular action :
iz. support of full cooperation with the
JSM vor the defest of the Gorman Nazi
TOgimos

rise o2 dobislncat eas tts

“Tho Communist Perty of Sanade ‘calls
upon a2 auti-fascist reople to join
bands in 4 uniter popular ovement for
ail possible aid to tho Soviet people
in thoir just war, to givo unstinted
cupport to proascution of the war &-
gainst Goxmon Nazism and ite allies, and
to dcZoat any attompt to give aid or
comfort to the Wasi rogimo or ite
friends and uliios in Canada.

"Tho Gommuaist Party of Canada calls
upon 311 damociwutic anti-fascist people
to Gonend om ond to the veiled anti-
Hoviet eluncoru which still character-
ize the greater part 2f capitulist com-
mertoricgs upon Aitler‘'sa ettack.

"Tho So. Yorty of Genada urges
full inglomentation of tha spirit of
the worus of mo Miristor Kings

"Evorybody who ongages our enemy
aids our cause." fn

"The tommmiat Perty of Canada urges
2ull implomontation of tho words of
Prine Ulnister Courchil2:

“Any man cr stete who mrches with
Witlor io our foo. Thig applios not on-
ly to orgauized states, but to all re-
prosontatives o7 that vile raso of
Gaislings wac make thensoives tho tools

_ relief camps were closed down 0)

Even banning by the authorities could not silence the Communist press.
On June 14, 1940, RCMP and city police raided The Advocate’s office
and seized all its records and files. The paper was banned, but it did not
cease publication. In July it reappeared as the Vancouver Clarion, a
monthly mimeographed publication. Above is an issue of the
underground paper dated July, 1941. :

July 1, 1936. But for most of
unemployed work and wag
remained an empty electi
promise.
* * co
In its 40-year history, the Pace
Tribune has put-out three extra
two of them in the thirties. The fil$
was. published by the B:
Workers’ News on April 30, 193?
when longshoremen shut down ¥
Vancouver waterfront for an hi
in a demonstration of solidarl
with striking relief camp worker
The second was published by ¢
People’s Advocate on June 20, 1%
the day after the Bloody Sunda,
attack by the RCMP on sin
unemployed occupying the Va
couver Post Office. .
For me Bloody Sunday began
six o’clock in the morning to
sound of breaking glass in the
street below as police drove
unemployed eastward on Hastin
Street, clubbing them, driving
them against store windows.
After 37 years my impressions
are still vivid . . . the injured beiN®
tended in the Ukrainian Hall 00 |
East Pender Street... the vasil
sense of outrage as word spread
and thousands of citizens col
verged on Powell Street Grounds
for the protest meeting that af
ternoon .. . the roar that went uP
from the throng of 30,000 or more

. filling the streets around Pier D

that night to see a delegation off t0
Victoria when RCMP in the
Federal Building at the foot of
Granville Street were spotted
peering out of the windows.

Demanding that Pattullo

“provide work and wages, oF
resign,” the People’s Advocate
declared:

“The blood of innocent men has
been shed and the fair name of
Vancouver disgraced.

“Young Canada, denied the right
to work, harassed and bullied by
Victoria and Ottawa, has beet
gassed, bludgeoned, arrested and
treated with ignominy.

“Premier Pattullo, who has
spoken so glibly and interminably
of work and wages, has resorted to
force when called upon to fulfil his
promises.

“He is responsible for Bloody
Sunday...”

While the Liberal governments
at Ottawa and Victoria were
preparing the Bloody Sunday at-
tack, Prime Minister Mackenzie
King was at Niagara Falls on June
18 unveiling a memorial to William
Lyon Mackenzie, Louis Joseph
Papineau and “‘the pioneers of |
political freedom and a system of
responsible government”’ who took
part in. the 1837 uprising in the
Canadas.

“The irony of it all,” CCF

- national leader J. S. Woodsworth

said in the House of Commons on
June 22, ‘is that while the prime
minister was at Niagara Falls
lauding his grandfather’s
rebellion, he was taking up arms
against those in Vancouver who
had not taken up arms.”’

‘That report was sinptitariag
appropriate in the People’s Ad-
vocate, for the paper, which
became simply The Advocate on
September 1, 1939, and was.
published as the Pacific Advocate
from November 4, 1944, to
February 15, 1946, when it became
the Pacific Tribune, was named for
William Lyon Mackenzie’s
Colonial Advocate. :

From the outset its pages
proclaimed the over-riding need
for unity of all those opposed to
fascism, the threat of which grew
with every betrayal of the people’s —
interests. Fearlessly it exposed the —