GUIDE TO GOOD READING

Many men’s

Brown)
its own accomplish-
ment. But it is impossible to dis-
cuss this novel out of context
with the political events in which
its author has been involved.

Albert Maltz is one of the “Un-
friendly Ten,” by which name are
identified men of talent and abil-
ity whose refusal to knuckle un-
der to the fascist inquisition of
the Un-American Committee re-
Sulted in their being blacklisted
from a film industry which owed
its outstanding products to them.
Only last week, 20th Century-Fox,
which had weakened, perhaps
through a momentary resurgence
of a commonsense recognition of
& potentially fine movie, to buy
the rights to Maltz’s noyel, about-
faced and announced that the
film would not be made,

The man who bought the novel
and the one who decreed its bur-
ial might have been characters in
The Journey of Simon McKeever.

Simon McKeever is an old man,
74 on his next birthday. He is an
inhabitant of Thomas Finney’s
mean little “rest home” for the
aged, a place 12 miles out of San-
tabello. California, where’ the
fare is so meager that the pro-
prietor can Squeeze out a surplus
even from the $55 monthly old
age insurance for McKeever,
which is turned over to the home.

Crippled by an arthritic condi-
tion which. barely permits him to
crawl like. a cockroach along the
road, McKeever “runs” away
from the home over the threats
and warnings of Finney when a
stray acquaintance tells him of

- & miraculous cure effected for her
by a doctor in Los Angeles. _

The balance of the novel tells
of the three-day journey of Sim-
on McKeever, of those who help
and those who hinder him along
the road, what befalls him in Los
Angeles and his final decision.

* * *

journey

Maltz has given us a heart-warming novel,

of man, a challenge

which has become the

CSU MEMBER WRITES FROM SINGAPORE

conscious of the political com-
plexities of our social order. He
is a strong union man, he has
contempt for the scab and the
informer, and he knows out of
the fullness of his years as a
workingman that life as it is lived
in the America of today is not
by a long shot the best of all
possible worlds. 4

But he is not a bitter or a sour-
ed man. Not though the death by
burning of his wife and infant
daughter almost a half-century
ago can still evoke a “pain as
fierce as if it were still yesterday.

would like
concerning

to say a few words
the CSU strike.

‘Government has betrayed
ry ° vA
wartime promises to seamen

T. D., Singapore: As a member
of the Canadian Seamen’s Union
(aboard the SS Lake Kamloops,
Singapore, Straits Settlements) I

The average age of the mem-
bers runs from about 18 to 35
years, and we form a cross-sec-
tion of Canadian Society, repre-
.Senting all religions, races and

political beliefs. The officers and
representatives of the union are

Not though a crippled man of 74 Our union is not composed elected annually through conven.
is tossed aside as useless by a Of irresponsible and lawless tion the same as any other simi.
Society which is only interested troublemakers, as the shipowners lar democratic organization or as-

in the speed of this

Season’s new
model.

“He was not important, he was
no great thinker or Philosopher.”
Simon McKeever believes, “yet
he was sure that he had been in-
dispensable, and that his mom.
ents were written down some-

the rest of

would have the public believe. It
is made up of a few thousand
Canadian citizens who ordinarily

would be entitled to all the pro-
tection and privileges enjoyed by

the people of Canada

under Canadian law.

Sociation. This refutes the insin-
uation that we are dominated by
or subordinate to any political
organization, red, pink or other-
wise. Our representatives are
elected for their ability and.their
incorruptable trade union prin-
ciples.

where, and that they would not
die when he passed over.”

LETTERS DIGEST

It is this aged, crippled, but
indomitable man who makes his
journey, which, picayune by
mileage, is still epic as a journey
of the human spirit.

America has many Simon Mc-
Keevers. This modest novel of.
250 pages is Albert Maltz’s full-_
hearted tribute to them, his vote
of confidence in them and, impli-
citly, not only their eventual re-
jection of a system which breeds
an Un-American Committee, but

their turning to a better way. of current

One may regret, as this reader
does, that Maltz was satisfied, in
his poetic and beautifully done
dream sequence, to Shroud this
“better way” in almost mystic
vagueness.

ings.”

But one can hardly doubt that
The Journey of Simon McKeever,
which begins with the Maxim
Gorki apostrophe: “... Man!

BCElect

A.L., Vancouver: A newspaper
report states that “according to
the annual report of the Bank of
Canada only about: one-fifth of
the large private business capital
expenditures of 1948 were financ-
ed by new security issues, the
greater part being financed out

depreciation allow-

ances and retained current earn-

The BCER follows this method.
By investing profits in capitaliza-
tion ‘they are able to show a de-
clining RATE of profit while ac-
tually earning greater TOTAL,
profits. Then they pull a long
face and howl to the high heay-
ens that their Percentage return

' Lhat is == magnificent. There’s

IT MUST be understood that such pride in the word M-A-N!”
Simon McKeever is an ordinary ©
man, if by that one means a man
who has no marked achievement

to his credit, who is not even fully

of which Gorki was one of the
greatest exemplars, — ROBERT
FRIEDMAN.

as in the grand humanist tradition

UNION MEN!

For your own good and welfare,
support Trade Unionism by demand-
ing the Union. Label ‘in Clothes,

on capital investment must be in-
creased, which can only be done
by raising fares, cutting service,
and so on.

°

This province is and has been
expanding rapidly; Vancouver is
the fastest growing city in Can-
ada. So the opportunity to re.
invest profits is very good. It is
a pleasant circle for the BCER;
the more profits the more invest-
ment; the more investment the
more profits they can claim, since
the rates are set on a reasonable
return on capitalization.

Highest Prices Paid for

DIAMONDS, OLD GOLD
Other Valuable Jewellry

324 W. Hastings St.

created by Vancouver Union Crafts-
men... at—

THE OLD ESTABLISHED

CUSTOM-MADE CLOTHES

EVERY GARMENT STRICTLY UNION MADE

STAR LOAN CO.

719 Robson St, — MAr. 2622

Ltd.
‘

Est. 1905

*

Sweet
342 «2K,

RELIABLE FIRM
of

Brother's Bakery
Specializing in’
and Sour Rye Breads

HASTINGS ST...
PA. 8419

TAILORS

j Beauty Salon—1763 3B. Hastings,
HA. 0334 HAstings 0094, Pons
secede ene need
Vane ouver, B.C. ae ees § SALLY BowKs—
ae pe Rage ervice “vetieuas 7D nasy PROBLEMS,
as , Vancouver oom , one tings:
ce ‘ ~~ MA. 9965. HER:

EAST END.

eA Xd

UNION DRIVERS

ric profits

There appears to be no restric-
tion on this company to see that
the service which we pay for is
Satisfactory. The result is that
the service is terrible. Yet the
BCER continues to howl for
higher fares and greater profits.

* * *

MRS TILLIE BELANGER,
Trail: I would be pleased if you
could print the following an-
nouncement: The holder of tick-
et 507, Mrs. N. Bourgett, 1497
West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, is
the winner of the lace cloth given
as door prize at the Easter Baz-
aar and tea held in Rossland on
May 7.

The members of the CSU are
the same men who manned the
ships with the Park Steamships
fleet during the war, which the
government eassured the people
would end such injustice as the
government is now visiting upon
us. CSU men sailed these ships
on the Caribbean and North At-—
lantic convoys and to all other
Parts of the world where the pro-
ducts of Canada’s industrial war
effort were needed.

During that period our services
were praised by many govern-
ment officials, and we strove for
decent living conditions aboard
the ships in preparation for the
expected post-war Canadian Mer-
chant Marine.

Upon. the cessation of hostili- :
ties these ships, which were built
and paid for by the Canadian pe0-
ple, were sold to private shipping
companies, some for as little as
a quarter of their original cost.
The shipping companies, after ac-
quiring these ships, started on
one of the most vicious and pre-
datory campaigns in Jabor. his-
tory, against the CSU. Backed
by the biased and and antiquated
Canada Shipping Act and with
the use of renegade “labor” lead-
ers, they are making an all-out
attempt to smash the CSU.

We need the support of all
Canadian citizens who believe in
freedom, justice and economic s@-
curity. The CSU must be pre-
served, for if we are smashed

no union will be safe.

—
—

/ Z ‘
x : ; e
"30 CLASSIFIED eee
A charge of 50 cents for each MEETINGS— +h
insertion of five lines or less witb | Swedish-Finnish Workers’ re
10 cents for each additional line| meets last Friday every mon

is made for notices appearing in
this column. No notices will be
accepted later than Monday noon
of the week of publication,

Oldtime Dancing
To Alf Carlson’s Orchestra
Every Wednesday and Saturday
Hastings Auditorium
Phone HAstings: 1248
Moderate Rental Rates
For socials, weddings, meetings

Russian People’s Home—

available for meetings, weddings
and banquets at reasonable rates,
600 Campbell Ave, HA, 0087,

.

Dance, Clinton Haj)—
2605 East Pender. Dance every
Saturday night. Modern > and
Old-Time, Viking’s Orchestra.
Hall is available for rent,
HAstings 3277,

WHEN BUYING OR SELLING
home, acreage or business, CON-
SULT CARLTON REALTY,
Auto and Fire Insurance, 1749

WEEKEND SPECIAL—

i ll.
at 7.30 p.m., in Clinton amuse

DR. R. L. DOUGLAS HAS. OPEN-
ed a new office at 9 EAST HAS ‘4
INGS STREET, cor. Carrall a
Phone TA. 5552, All old mo if
cordially invited to drop in f0

a visit. <
SIMONSON’sS WATCH eae.
At 711 E. Hastings. Come mae
see for yourself how we clé
your watch.

WHAT’S DOING?

OPEN AIR DANCING AT sn
dish Park every Saturday 1 eae
Dancing from 9-12. Arne JO
son’s Orchestra.

eee

Would you like a weekend hoy
day at beautiful Grantham
Landing? Easy to get to, D he
fares reasonable. Can poco. :
date 8 people, $2.50 per pers Ags
for weekend. Available for ne
as well. Call F, Ashton, Ma
5288,

eh ere

Kingsway, Phone FA; 4610, or
Eve., DE. 3412-L,. J. F, Woloshyn,

CRYSTAL STEAM BATHS—
Open every day. New Modern

SOCTAL— eA

REFRESHMENT SOCIAL ae
held at 4274 Sophia St. su 2B
urday, June 4 — 8 p.m. Pro

election fund. Auspices, ‘
Pleasant Fairview Club.) 8

10
PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JUNE 3, 1919 — PAGE 1!

PICNIC—

pice
Lithuanian Literary Society be
nic, Sunday, June 5 —
Lulu Island, No. 2 Road,
Frances and Maple. Eve
welcome.

etween
peybody