African workers have been called “the least privileged of all mankind,” and with good reason. their African brothers and the few facts presented here, I hope, will serve to add to a greater unders and ourselves. Both the plight and the anger of African workers was vividly dramatized last Aug and legal prohibitions, walked off the fields around Johannesburg, Union of South Africa, EA, LG ALE action to repair the awful ra- vages of war's destruction, and to make life fuller and happier for the young and old. This great call must be heeded! In Canada, and the world ov- er, the battle sharpens. There -is only one way for hon- est men and women — with the l:a*b'o r movement. La- bor and the people on the # front of pro- 3 gress are fight- ing for peace, brotherhood Tim Buck © 2 24 planned reconstruction. Big business and _ fascists, scheming for the starvation and oppression of mankind, are head- ing fast for capitalist economic erisis and chaos. Soaring prices and profits contrast with the ruthless slashing of people’s liv- ing standards. They throw up a smoke-screen of Hitler-like redbaiting to confuse and. di- vide labor and the people. Their aim is to shackle and break the unions and to deprive the people of their hard-won civil rights. This is the road to crisis and reaction. _ The shadow of war hovers over Canada’s worthland, Inde- pendence and security for Can- LPP leader calls for “fraternal teamwork’ By TIM BUCK National Leader, Labor-Progressive Party Peace, people’s amity and betterment are the heart- felt hopes of Canadians this May Day. The world is calling for fraternal teamwork by all the peoples to battle against poverty, ignorance and greed. The people demand ada imperatively demand that there be no United States mili- tary bases and atomic bomb launching sites on Canadiar soil! Our country must never be a war base for Wall Street, big business plots against the Socialist Soviet Union and de- mocracy! Once labor, the farmers, the veterans of Canada take their stand together—and this is the compelling need of the hour— peace and security for Canada will be assured. Unity will mean that Canada and her partners of the United Nations will over- come the evil imperialist plans for war and the oppression of nations. On May Day, the Labor-Pro- gressive Party calls upon the working people of Canada to band their forces to- gether, to fight for peace, for homes and security, for the bet- terment of the people’s living standards. May Day will show that the peoples of all lands and contin- ents are resolutely marching for- ward, inspired by the grand |ideals of the international work- ing class movement — Peace among the Peoples! Peace and Security! Independence and De- mocracy for all the Nations! The common people are going to wim! : Consumer body brands — ‘Free Press’ story false Reports which appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press last week, claiming that the newly formed national House- wives Consumer Association ‘ tion” were completely refuted chairman of the Woman's Price ), Control Committee here branded the Free Press statement as “ab- -solutely false.” | “This association,” said Mrs. Croy, “was founded in an effort to bring down the cost of living, and at no time have politics entered into the discussions by our, group, and that stands for the whole of Canada.” Mrs. Anne Aarland, past president of the - Toronto Housewives League, also issued a statement denying the ‘is under Communist‘ domina- this week. Mrs. Marge Croy, Meanwhile it was learned here, that a conference this Tuesday will formally establish a provin- cial section of the national group. It will be known as the B.C. Housewives Consumer Association. May Day Greetings “ottomc. _ Mrs, Lammede Winnipeg newspaper’s claim. - May Day Greetings . : from * z BUILDING | ‘TRADES LPP CLUB e May Day Greetings from : Commercial Drive LPP Club Pe By PAUL ROBESON The yearly per capita income of non-white South Africans is $48. A widespread labor recruiting system keeps the .mines supplied with continuous cheap labor. Driven by the additional need of cash wages to pay. exhorbitant taxes, the Africans sign contracts to work for a year or 18 months in the mines, during which time they are completely separated from their families and homes. At the mines, the Africans live 20 to 80 men in a room, in prison- like compounds’ with concrete cement banks for-beds. The food served at these compounds—and deducted from wages—is so bad that hunger strikes are common. When the miners struck last August, the government ruthlessly broke the strike. Union head- quarters were raided ,its leaders arrested. Some 30 miners, it has been said, were killed, while thou- sands more were seriously wound- ed. The others were forced, at rifle point, back to work. The system of enslavement is extremely profitable, with divi- dends on investments often ranging from 20 percent to 80 - percent. In Transvaal alone, more than $8 billion worth of fine gold has been produced. It represents 90 percent of the. country’s annual output and 75 percent of its normal exports. Generally speaking, $250 million worth of minerals and many mil- lions more of other commodities are produced annually and export- ed from the British African col- onies. In South Africa, one-half of the annual wartime national The miners, committed by t than the wages of 40 years ago. Cash wa is reached by the Cape diamond miners, African workers ‘least privileged’ in world 2 American workers at present know too little about tanding and a fraternal solidarity between thew ; ust when 100,000 gold miners, braving intimidatio? in the greatest strike ever held on the continent. . he South African government’s color bar to a permanent — unskilled status, labor as long as 14 hours. daily for 46 cents a day, just a few pennies higher ges generally are much lower, while the high who earn the munificent sum of 64 cents a day: pone) income of $2 billion went to one- fiftieth (European, or white) of the country’s 10 million “people, “We appropriate the natural resources, develop them in our Own ways and for our own pur- poses,” said British econ- omist Leonard Barnes, “and of the wealth $0, produced Carry out of the country $44 for every $4 we leave behind.” Despite the } curbs on un- ions, except in Paul Robeson’ British West ; African colonies, the African la- bor movement has made tremen- dous strides, There are unions in virtually every African country. More .than 120 unions with a membership of 200,000 exist in South Africa alone. Nigeria boasts a union membership of 400,000. A general strike lasting six weeks tied up Nigeria’s communi- eations and transportation two summers ago. Last year the Af- rican railway workers of South- ern Rhodesia conducted gq well- organized strike. In January 1945 several thousand dock Waborers, hotel, bank and office employes and even domestic servants and taxi-drivers went out on a gen- eral strike in the east African port city of Mombassa, Kenya. This militancy has often result- creases” before the operators this week, as contract negotiations be- gan. : The decision to seek the above improvements in wages and con- ditions was made by 19 delegates to the UPWA policy conference held here last weekend, it was disclosed by UPWA representative Alex McWhinnie. Delegates to this conference ex- pressed outspoken resentment of the tactics of the Federated Ship- pers, which represents the oper- Packing workers ask wage increase, 44 hrs PENTICTON, B.C.—The United Packinghouse Workers Union (CIO), representing 600 fruit and vegetable cannery and packing house workers in the Okanagan Valley placed {its demands for a 44-hour week and “substantial wage in- ators, and the rival AFL union which has recently conducted a policy of raiding locals of the UPWA in the Okanagan. May Day Greetings from — * Marko Stanich ed in the calling out of troOPS In 1940, 14 striking Northern — Rhodesia copper miners Wee killed and 20 injured. During the war, South Africa’s government ordered the mass arrest of ee workers in a coal’ strike, 794 7 a bakers’ strike ‘and 128 in ? timber strike. Several deaths have been, ¥ecorded in the last tw? ‘|years in strikes in Uganda, the Belgian Congo and French West Africa, tay The World Federation of Trade Unions, which has had appeals for action against im perialist exploitation of !aboT — from West African and South African unionists, has called the first Pan-African labor congtes?- in history. This conference is now meeting in Dakar, French — Africa, and soon will report ae findings. prt GREETINGS to Pacific Tribune axes ATOR fi cta DR. W. J. CURRY }— MAY DAY, GREETINGS from the - TRADE UNION RESEARCH BUREAU | to All Canadian Workers SS CO May Day Greetings from Grandview LPP Club OC) . May Day Greetings from * Nanaimo LPP Club * May Day Greetings | es from e West Campbell LPP Club Electric Shaver ...... Gentlemen’s Toilet Case Vanity Case ...... 4 ‘Admission 50c Celebrate May 1 | PACIFIC TRIBUNE DANCE | Happyland — Hastings Park, Vancouver and : _ Crystal Gardens, Victoria also in be NEW WESTMINSTER and CRANBROOK PRIZES — ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR ‘Supplied by William Worral Limited ...... Compliments of Edwards . Compliments of Bogardus Wickens Limited . Compliments of Standard Electric Compliments of Shores Jewellers .. Compliments of .. Compliments of Le Roy J ....., Compliments of Ziegler’s Famous Chocolates : Come and Bring Your Friends r ‘ Limited .. Compliments of Kent’s Shoes Charlton & Morgana ‘ewellers ./Compliments of Brown Bros. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1947 t “ ‘PACIFIC: TRIBUNE—PAGE 7