for the People

©

the peace and make possibie to a
Jarge degree the realization of
those aspirations of our people,
peace, security and social pro-
£ress, to which the overwhelm-
ing majority subscribe.

Only a small, though infiuential
minority of population, the most
reactionary wing of the capital-
ist class, is opposed to interna-
tional cooperation and coopera-
tion between capital, labor and
‘other classes of Canada’s people
in order that the fruits of victory
may be realized.

S

eee pro-fascist elements can
: be found in all provinces.
They desire above all a removal
of all governmental controls and
a return to the conditions which
produced the economic chaos,
unemployment and mass suffer-
ing of the nineteen-thirties. They
are Gppesed to any and all social
veforms and to national unity.
They are desirous of instituting
the prewar conditions that led
to appeasement, isolationism, the
rise of fascism and the present
blocdy war for survival.

Their weill-fnanced and insidi-
ous propaganda organized by
such people as Major Gladstone
Wlurray is distributed among all
sections of the population and is
apparently having considerable
effect among sections of the mid-
dale and professional classes.

Here in Vancouver, for in-
stance, is an organization which
calls itself the United Democrats
“and in the name of preserving
democracy denounces national
social security measures as fas-
cism. In a bitter denunciation of
the National Health Insurance
program of the King government
entitled “Towards National So-
cialism” and issued by them, the
following paragraph exemplifies
the type of propaganda used to
block social reform:

“It is now generally recognized
that all these compulsory contrib-
utory state insurance schemes
such as this, which form the basis
of the Beveridge and Marsh
plans, emanated from Germany
under Bismarck, the father of
Prussian militarism, modern Na-
zism and the doctrine of the su-
preme state. The British Kmpire
is fighting Germany because of
the menace of the poisonous sys-
tem which its masters are seeking
to impose on the world. Yet we

find that while brave men are-

giving their lives in this titanic
struggle, small minded burocrats
imbued with the same lust for
power that infects the Nazi hier-
archy are attempting to trick us
into totalitarianism by back door
methods.”

There you have it. According
‘to this doctrine, the Beveridge
and Marsh plans for social insur-
ance are really fascism in dis-
guise. It is hard to believe that
Such nonsense could be taken
seriously by anyone and yet
twelve Vancouver physicians pub-
lically commend the statements
just quoted.

The reactionary elements in
B.C. condemn all state social in-
Suranee and all governmental
eontrols of the nation’s economy
as regimentation, burocracy, dic-
tatorship, authoritarianism, and
even fascism in order to mislead
the people, disrupt national unity
and block social reforms. And all
of this is done in the name of
democracy.

C)

OWEHVER, those who speak
for the majority of the capi-
talist class in B.C. and through-

eut Canada recognize the need
for continued national unity, the
retention of governmental con-
trols in the postwar period, the
institution of sweeping social re-
forms, and realize further the
tremendous possibilities for post-
War economic development and
social progress, on the basis of
international cooperation and the
removal of -the barriers to world
trade. > ;

For example, F. H. Marsh, pres-
ident of the Bank of Toronto,
in his annual address stated,
“Certain of the wartime controls
will of necessity be continued
into the recenstruction period.”

In an address to the Wancou-
ver Board of Trade on January
27, ©. P. Browning, manager of
Britannia Mining and Smelting
Company, made the following sig-
nificant statement:

“I think all of us realize there
is a new world in the making,
and the stuff of which it shall
be molded will depend a great
deal upon the willingness of both
Management and labor to work
to gether for its creation. Capital,
through management, must not
hold ‘on rigidly to some of the
former attitudes of the nineteen-
twenties and thirties, while labor,
with its increasing power, should
not be merely belligerent in its
attitude, but must try sincerely
to cooperate and build a lasting
structure. :

“The driving power of the War,
which has forced the individual
to surrender some of his most
cherished mental and physical
possessions, will be over. If-we
are to survive, in its place must
be organized a new erusade—the
ideal of an improved standard of
living for every nation on the
face of the globe. Could we but
inspire the individual Canadian
citizen with such a motive, how
he would change the face of his
world.” =

In referring to Canada’s posi-
tion in the postwar world, Brown-
ing stated: “It may be too much
to hope that vital Canadian in-
terests wolud be pushed into the
background in order to solve

“some other countries’ puzzle. Just a

the same, it may be to the Na-
tional advantage to adopt policies
vhich appear to entail immediate
Sacrifices but, in the future, will
be of benefit to our nation as a
whole. *From the concensus of
opinions expressed by many
leaders among the United WNa-
tions, investment in foreign coun-
tries and free trade, regulated by
the use of equalization funds, will
be essential for the first years
following the war.”

These statements are symptom-
atic of the outlook of the major
sections of Canadian capital on
national and international unity
and cooperation for economic
and social progress in the post-
war.

Speaking on this question a few
weeks ago the American ambas-
Sador to Canada expressed this
view: “The volume of trade be-
tween Canada and the United
States is greater than between
any other two nations in the
world—trade restrictions between
our two countries could be elim-
inated progressively with a mini-
mum of dislocation on either side
of the border.”

The people of B.C. will wel-
come the perspective held out

by the U.S. ambassador. The re-

moval of tariff barriers between
tais province and our great neigh-

~ bor to the south would avoid the

necessity of procuring most of
our manutactured products from

the other side of the continent
with the consequently long and
uneconomical rail haul and
should result in lower prices for
many consumer goods and result-
ant higher living standards.

However, realization of the per-
spectives of economic and social
advance in the postwar period
are dependent on unity of the
progressive majority of our peo-
ple who are desirous of demo-
cratic progress,

pee forces of reaction in B.C.
will do all in their power to
Givide the progressive forces and
prevent reform. The chief tactic
they employ to block unity and
cooperation of the progressive
Majority of our citizens is that
of raising the false issue of “so-

Sialism” versus “freedom of pri-

vate enterprise.”

If they are permitted to suc-
ceed in their efforts to divide
our citizens on this artificially
created issue, we face the pros-
pect of democratic disunity and
the grave possibility of the elec-
tion of governments of reaction,
provincially and nationally, with
disastrous results to B.C. and to
Canada.

The Labor-Progressive Party,
B.C. Section, declares that to
make this question an issue at
this time can only tend to weaken
the democratic unity so necessary
to achievement of the victory still
to be won, divide the democratic
forces of the people, strengthen
the forces of reaction, and retard
realization of social reforms.

Unfortunately, it is not only
the forces of reaction that are
raising the issue of “Socialism
versus private enterprise.’ The
CCF leadership in B.C. has fur-
ther added to this artificial con-
troversy by counterposing its
program of public ownership with
its terms -“socialism” to demo-
eratic unity for social reform.

Whether this program is pre-
sented as “fundamental economic
change” or “socialism” as it has
been by Harold Winch, or as
“state capitalism” which is the
term now applied by W. W. Le-
feaux, it still does not tend to
unify the democratic forces of

the people of B.C. but to divide -

and weaken them. Further, an-
nounced policy of the CCF lead-
ership of opposing all other can-
didates.

For instance, the recent nom-
ination of a candidate against
Nigel Morgan who was endorsed
by 13 trade unions and other or-
ganizations, can only serve to
defeat the progressive forces in
the constituency.

While we welcome the political
awakening of the people of our
province expressed in the rise of
the farmers’ organizations, coop-
eratives, trade unions and the
mass following acquired by the
CCF we cannot regard this devel-
opment as a mandate for the in-
troduction of socialism but rather
as an expression of the determin-
ation of our citizens to obtain
economic security and democratic
social reform.

Ape Majority of the people of
B.C. are not yet convinced
of the need of a “fundamental
change” in our social system.
However, they are convinced of
the need and the proven possi-
bilities of economic advance, of
maintaining and increasing pur-
chasing power, of practical re-
form measures to provide a floor

under wages and fair prices, to
secure a considerable degree of

’ social security and on the basis
of the further development. of our ~

ral resources to participate
ae new world markets which
will be provided by the recon-
struction and rehabilitation of
Europe and other areas, thus
making possible expanding pro-
duction and a considerable period
of prosperity. =

These elements who preach de-
featism and make dire prophecies
of mass unemployment and eco-
nomic chaos in the postwar will
only succeed in achieving their
own isolation from the masses of
the people. E

The overwhelming majority of
workers, farmers, Small business
people, yes, and of capitalists,
can cooperate to secure victory in
the war and social progress in
the peace and in doing so defeat
the reactionary aims of the pro-
fascists, who would drag B.C.
backward and defeat progress.

Progressive views are not a
monopoly of any one political
party, but on the contrary, people
holding such views will be found
within the ranks of all political
parties. During the coming period
political spokesmen will! be
judged not by their political ban-
ner but by the policies which
they advocate, their attitude to-
wards economic development and
social security in B.C.

It is upon this basis also which
the Hart Coalition government
must be judged. This govern-
ment has been sensitive to the
democratic reform measures de-
manded by the people of B.C.
for economic development, post-
war rehabilitation of the BC.
boys and girls who will be de-
mobilized from the armed forces
and for legislation which ‘will
provide greater security to the
workers, farmers and middle
class people of our province.
Much of the legislation already
passed or proposed will receive
the full support of the great ma-
jority of B-C. citizens.

The wealth of material collect-
ed and summarized by the Post
War Rehabilitation Council set
up by the legislature should be of
inestimable value in compiling a
comprehensive program for post-
war rehabilitation and economic
development of this province.
The allocation of free land to
B.C. war veterans, surveys of
economic resources and the pro-
jected $210,000,000 seven-year
highway development program
are constructive measures which
will meet with the approval of
all sections of the B.C. people.

The minister of iabor and the
government are to be congratu-
lated on the policies adopted in
dealing with labor relations. In
this respect B-C€. had led all of
Canada, both in the type of labor
legislation enacted and the meth-
ods employed by the iabor de-
partment in dealing with labor
disputes. There is littie doubt
the relatively good relations be-
tween labor and management,
avoidance of serious work stop-
pages and the peaceful extension
of trade union organization in
B.C. are to a considerable degree
due to the progressive policies
followed by the Hon. George
Pearson, minister of labor.

The Labor-Progressive Party,
B.C. Section, fully agrees with
the decisions of the cabinet to
suspend the provincial ICA Act
and apply to have the federal
Labor Code operative through-
cut all B.C. industry. This deci-
sion will simplify the handling of
labor relations in B.C. industry,
and will tend towards achieving
a national labor policy operative
in all provinees of the Dominion.

However, while much construc-
tive legislation has been enacted
and proposed by the Hart govern-
ment, these measures are still
inadequate to cope with the prob-
lems of transition from a Wartime
to a peacetime economy in Brit-

ish Columbia or to prepare B.C.
for the part it must play in the
coming Pacific offensive against
Japan.

_ government

A 2 ote many reforms
an economic and social et
acter require federal legislaj
enactments, the provincial ¢
ernment must initiate its ¢
independent measures to 5
realization of necessary social

forms.

The provincial governm
must give serious considera
to the question of Domini
Provincial relations and ay
any repetition of the narrow j
vincialism expressed by ex}
mier Patullo. The interests of
people of this province’ regi
that the Dominion governm
be authorized to enact necess
federal social legislation with:
recourse to the British pay
ment. Canada’s constitution
be brought up to-date to
the new demands which will
in the postwar period. If
question of Dominien-Provi
relations is approached in a di
ocratic “and constructive fash
solutions can be found that }
meet the needs of the people

One of the main responsibuii
of our provincial governmi
however, has not as yet been 7
quately dealt with and that
the problem of planning for j{
vincial economic developm
and conversion of war industi

It is regrettable that the FE
has not brop
down any proposals regarg
government plans for assistg
in the establishment of a 5s
industry in B-C. during the }
sent session. It should be
vious that the economic deve
nent of our province, the reé
tion of the shipbuilding and o|
War industries, cannot be £f
achieved without a local steel
Gustry. The transportation cos
securing steel from Eastern ¢
ada, 2,000 miles distant, will
prohibitive, in postwar com
tive industry.

The future welfare of
B.C. demands that the Hart:
ernment take action to secut
basic steel industry on the F
fic Coast as a prerequisite to
economic development of
province. The development
secondary manufacturing in
tries is indispensable to.con
ment the primary industries _
create a more balanced econ:

it is a paradoxical ~ situ.
that the province which prod
over 50 percent of Canada’s —
ber should be suffering fror
acute shortage of houses. If
situation is permitted to cont
it will not only result in ser
hardship for the people but
gravely interfere with pre;
tions in the main ports of
for the coming offensive ag
Japan.

It is the responsibility of
provincial government in
junction with the municipal
affected to werk out a joint f
ing program to be put into &€
immediately and to be conti.
into the postwar period:

The promise of internat >
cooperation for quick -victor
the war and continued coo} :
tion in the peace for recons
tion and social progress I
possible by the Teheran aj”
ment places new responsibi
on all classes in B.C. This is

3
;

_ ticularly true of the two | |

and most economically pow
clasess in our province, ca
and labor. : i
The Labor-Progressive Par
confident the good relations |
tablished between organizec
bor and management in Bi
the interests of the nation di |
the period of the war. Gai
carried over to achieve econ
and social progress in the p-
Labor in B.C. is today ai
8anized, constructive force i
life of the province, and
proven its capacity and si
Mmanship in dealing with the -
lems of war production. If
agement on iis part will deal
the obstructionists and defe
Within its own ranks, labor
certainly do its part in wi
the war and cooperating ir
interests of the province ani
nation after the war is won.