2 At the City Hall Gov't Acticn On Steel Mill Asked By Cynthia Carte 4p possibilities of a steel industry for British Columbia looked very bright this week when it was learned from Ald. Jack Price, chairman “of city council committees considering both steel and plastics industries, that plans had been completed for the sending ~ of a delegation from Vancouver to Victoria to ask the provincial government, first, to give great attention to establishment of a steel industry immediately, and second, to press for establishment of power plants in the Zeballos area to service the proposed steel mill te be erected there. (The proposed mill will be built by Privateer Mines. Plans have been described by Price as being “not adequate, but a step in the right direction-”) This is just about the best news to come out of the city hall since Price’s plastics committee announced early in May its con- viction that a plastics industry could be launched in this province at once. The subject of plastics is complicated and highly technical. It remained for one of the province’s young technical experts to un- Travel some of the knots which “authorities” claimed would tie up the young industry. The young man in question is Dr. J. Allen Harris, of UBC’s chemis- try department, who has been called in by Price to give his reasons for defying the other “experts” who said it just couldn’t be done. The main obstacle before the industry is the difficulty of obtaining the necessary chemicals in B.C. But Dr. Harris is ready to state that British Columbia can supply all the chemicals required single- handed. So, Harris will meet with the committee within the next few days, to explain his theories in detail. Housing Problems Side-stepped qe majority of Vancouver’s Non-Partisan aldermen would rather you didn’t mention the housing crisis. Its a touchy subject, particularly to Ald. George Buscombe, chairman of the city building committee, who shies away from anyone who leoks as if he might represent the 5,000 Homes Now Committee, and to Ald. John Ben- nett, whose penny-pinching might be better appreciated by the taxpayers if his concern were not so obviously for the welfare of the bondholders and the minority interests the Non-Partisan Associ- ation represents. —~This week the Labor-Progressive Party, which has long fought for a sound housing program, called a conference of trade unionists and Civic leaders to discuss the present crisis. The city council was informed that the conference would send a delegation to wait on the council at its regular Monday afternoon meeting. From Mayor J. W. Cornett’s office came a polite note advising the conference that it was not the policy of the council to receive delegations at council meetings. A delegation could be heard, the letter continued, at a committee meeting a week later. The city clerk’s office was approached for further information. : “T?s just a matter of policy,’ was the explanation. “Sometimes special sessions are called” (this as an afterthought) “if the subject is' really important.” Just what is the city council’s definitions of “really important’? A bit of news came our way recently that we feel Mayor Cornett ought to know. In this city there is an airman who could give a lot more atten- tion to his part in the war if he didn’t have to worry about some- thing else, something which to him is “really important.” You see, his family have been given notice to vacate their home. But they can’t find another house. They have kids, and most land- lords seem to hate kids, particularly the landlord they have now. He hates them so much, as a matter of fact, that it’s cost him his liberty. He’s serving a jail term for setting fire to their home. But while he’s behind bars his family, now living in the upstairs of the house, are carrying on the fight. Through the holes left in the ceiling by the fire, the landlord’s family throw all their dish- water. (The airmen’s wife doesn’t think this is so good for the health of her children.) A barbed-wire barricade has been built around the toilet. Even the children’s pets have been tormented. if there were decent houses to be found, this family wouldn’t have to suffer these indignities. But there are no houses. We found that out from the National Housing Registry; which can offer no help for families like this one. ; So it must be that Mayor Cornett and his council just don’t know such things are happening. If they did, surely they would consider them “really important.” So important that after months of delay, even a week would be too long to put off coming to grips with the problem. LPP Urges Return Of Ss e a Civic Govt NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C.—Urging the return of “democratic self government” to the city of North Vancou- ver, the ‘“abor-Progressive Party branch here this week issued a statement calling on _ citizens to vote against continu- ation of the present commis- sionership in the plebiscite to be held June 14. Stating that the outcome of the plebiscite will have a great ef- fect on the future industrial de- velopments of the city the state- ment says that it. will decide “whether the city is to continue under the unimaginative sguid- ance of a commissioner entirely without reference to the needs and desires of the citizens, or whether the citizens of North Vancouver will once again take the responsibility of guiding the destinies of their own com- munity.” The statement also deplores the fact that only 3500 persons out of a population of 14,000 will be eligible to vote in the plebiscite and that of these 2,500, “an ap- preciable number are absentee owners living in Vancouver.” ‘Restore Civic Democracy to North Vancouver” will be the subject discussed at a public meeting to be held at Horticul- tural Hall, 22nd and Lonsdale, here on June 9 at 8.00 p.m. Mrs. Sheila Thompson, John Nuttall, president of Heywood Community Council, and Charles Saunders, president of the Dock and Shipyard Workers Union, will be the speakers. Labor Protest Protest to the provincial min- ister of health on lack of ade- quate hospital facilities in North Waneouver has been sent by the Vancouver Labor Council. The protest follows the min- ister’s recent refusal to finance building of a new wing, as re- quested by North Vancouver hospital authcrities. The hos- pital is unable to cope with the growing population in North Vancouver and has had to give preference to patients who are oldtime residents. Charles Saunders, president of the Dock and Shipyard Workers Union, who is himself a resident of North Vancouver, this week pointed out that the population of North Vancouver had grown by 5000 since 1939 making the need for a new hospital wing urgent. “They even have to put beds in the corridors,” he stated. Saunders said that while the government was taking the stand that it was only-a wartime prob- lem, organized labor ‘is looking upon it as a problem to be solv- ed now because we are deter- mined to maintain industry on the North Shore after the war.” Citing the lack of hospital facilities as characteristic of the neglect of citizens’ interests under the commissionership, Saunders declared, “An elected city council could bring forward the demands of the community and get things done.” INT Harvey Murphy To Visit Local At Dawson City invitati Daw- At the invitation of the son Miners’? Union; Local 564 of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, Har- vey Murphy, international repre- sentative, will fly to Whitehorse and Dawson City towards the end of June, it was announced this week. Ce This will be the first visit to the Yukon local made by an international representative of the union since John McPeake, former union organizer, helped to establish the union in 1941. At Whitehorse, Harvey Murphy will meet with workers’ repre= sentatives who have already asked the GCL regional office here for organizational assistance with a view to setting up a general workers’ union there. HUTT Make Tour Of Skeena PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. — Fol- lowing his return here from Whitehorse, Y.T., this weekend, Tom McEwen, provincial organ- izer for the Labor-Progressive Party, and Bruce, Mickleburgh, LPP federal candidate for Skeena, will leave for a two- week tour of northern Interior points. Itinerary for the tour is: Terrace: Monday, June 5. ‘ Hazelton: Horticultural Hall, Tuesday, June 6. Smithers: Community Hall, Wednesday, June 7. Telkwa: Thursday, June 8. Topley: Friday, June 9. Decker Lake: Saturday, June 10. Burns Lake: Sunday, June 11- Grassy Plains: Monday, June 12. IWA Dro Veterans | @ e “ e nitration A proposal from E£ Columbia locals that tion fees be waived ic servicemen obtained unanimous endorsatio an IWA international meeting at Portland week, according to Nigel an, international board nm for B.C. ‘ While awaiting suitable ; ments to the FWA const joeal unions may be give cial dispensation to waive tion fees to returned m Said. By another decision {% same meeting the eighth” international convention y held in Vancouver on - 23, the first ever held here This, Morgan state deserved recognition 06 growing prestige of the B trict, now the largest | international, and containi two largest locals. _ The IWA this week appl an arbitration board in a | with Sitka Spruce sawm Vancouver, over the activi a company union minority activities interfering wii IWA’s bargaining rights been condoned, if not < aided, by the management The union is contesting peal of the Hammond Cet Ltd., against a decision Regional War Labor which established a —wagi based on equal pay for work. CLASSIFIED A charge of 50 cents for each insertion of five lines or less with 10 cents for each additional line is made for notices appear- ing in this column. No notices will be accepted later than Wed- nesday midnight of the week of publication. NOTICES Regular meetings of the South Vancouver LPP Branch are held on the second and fourth Wed- nesday of each month at Norquay Hall, Kingsway at Slocan. : Regular meetings of the Hast- ings East LPP Branch are held at 8 p.m. on the first and third Friday of each month at club headquarters, 2443 East Hastings. Regular meetings of the South Hill LPP Branch are held every second and fourth Wednesday in Horticultural Hall, 41st Ave. and Fraser, at 8 p.m. Regular meetings of the North Vancouver LPP Branch are held at 8 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 1320 Lonsdale Ave., North Van- couver. All Vancouver City members of the LPP working swing shifts are urged to attend swing shift meetings held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 1 p.m., at 531 Homer. Victory Square LPP © ~ will meet Friday, June 9, at its new branch heada 531 Homer, to discuss tt _city conference report. Dancing every Saturdar 9 p.m., throughout the se Seymour Park - (Swedish: north end of Second } Bridge. Sponsored by th’ Canadian Aid to Russi Auxiliary No. 1, wants and workers. Send used — of all kinds to 835 West MArine 2744. 2 SCANDINAVIAN ANNUAL MIDSUMN FESTIVAL — Sunday, June 25 SEYMOUR PARK (North end of Second Bridge) Oldtime dancing to £ son’s Orchestra every ' day and Saturday : HASTINGS AUDITOR 828 East Hastings Phone: HA. 3248 Moderate rental rates for weddings, meetings, etc. VACATION RESOR Spend a PLEASANT VACAT! s —at— SELMA LOD Selma Park, B.C. G. NEAL formerly of Shelly Coffe Phone BAy. 6430-3 For Informaticn —