ft Turn

Jack Phillips

Sumn for War Veterans)

Iirgest veterans’ organiza-
| nationally and provin-
is the Canadian Legion.

|an 20,000 members in
mches, and new members
fg enrolled so fast the
#1 office can hardly keep
up to date. Here, in
there are approxim-
-branches. The largest of
=) S. Vancouver, with near-
f members. New Westmin-
Pleasant and University
rowding the 1000 mark.
anches, composed main-
w veterans, reflect the
approximately 90 per-
the entire membership
composed of veterans
ar... young men be-
ages of 20 and 40.

_lk of these young men
} ng women) are people
to work for a living,
thave had little or no
i with the organized
On movement or any
lass political organiza-
sy have joined the Ca-
'~gion because they be-
= this is the organiza-
re. other organizations,
at for them while they
she service, and which
them a square ‘deal on
et.

1 organization, which,
ae trade union move-
the largest democratic
in the province, can
_‘emendous role in pro-
os, homes and security
uns. I say “play a role”
1e Legion cannot go it
'.. because’ the Legion
© itself with Labor. Jack
= , provincial president
' zion demonstrated how
is of this fact when he
he recent District con-
f International Wood-
£ America. Said Jack,
-. AFL pusiness agent:
_t rehabilitate one sec-
nada at the expense of
_. We not only want
do work for veterans—
= homes and work for

g at this same con-
was Maj. Gen. F. F.
con, CB, MC and MM,
7 anada’s most distin-
% oldiers. Said the gen-
sown as “Bogie Time
* when he commanded
*-th Armored Division:
= d labor has played an
part in the fight for
How refreshing after
fer! Speaking of Hoff-
- wonder what he thinks
thting program worked
e loggers, woodworkers
‘ill workers in the con-
already referred ‘to?
¥, of course, he is the
of the Canadian White
operating sev-
ills and belonging to
“Aillan interests?
ievement of these ob-
il] mean jobs at good
thousands of unem-
x -servicemen, ¢x-war-
nd others needing em-
This is a fighting pro-
it deserves the support
ans’ organizations and
tans. Here is no cap in
a roach t- government, no
of individual employers
In one or more veterans
ritable basis.

ity is Strength!

B.C., the Legion has’

gathers

‘housands of people are threatened with starv
around a bread distribution center.

SSS

ation in Europe. Pictured above a crowd

e

LPP Delegation Forces Action

Corey

izer:

A three-man delegation of the Labor-Progressive Pa rty, including
Minerva Cooper, provincial educational director; Austin Delany, city organ-
and Sid Zlotnik, student-veteran, secured what might prove to be
important action from the city council.on Tuesday this week, as members
of the council authorized the sending of Alderman H. L. Corey to the East,
to confer with federal and CPR officials regarding the opening of the old

y To

Ottawa

Hotel Vancouver as a hostel for returning servicemen.

Alderman R. K. Gervin,

At a morning meeting with
Mayor Cornett, at which Labor-
Progressive Party proposals
were placed, the mayor intimat-
ed that the City Council has ex-
pressed its willingness in the
past to take over the hotel but
stated that Finance Minister
Iisley, in returning the hotel to
the CPR, had tied the-hands of
the Council and prevented them
from taking further action. This

aber the Legion watch-|

statement followed the informa-
tion by Austin Delany, that fif-

|} teen thousand veterans. will re-

turn to Vancouver between De-
cember, 1945, and the end of
March this year. Delany also
stated that the Labor-Progres-
sive Party was seeking the an-
swer as to why the hotel is not
open, and emphasized that the
CPR and other business firms
are placing their previous com-
mitments, with regard to the de-
struction of the hotel, over the
interests of returning veterans.
Minerva Cooper stated that
the only government body to
take action was the City Coun-
cil, and urged that it was essen-
tial the council take the initia-
tive in bringing pressure to com-
mandeer the hotel or make ar-
rangements to take it over.

The mayor pleaded lack of
personnel to operate the hotel as
a hostel and stated that appeals
to the Salvation Army and
Knights of Columbus had been
answered by a refusal by these
bodies to take over the responsi-
bility of running the hostel.

He pointed out that Air Raid

Precaution equipment, cots,
blankets, and other supplies,
as well as surplus army ma-

> ADVOCATE — PAGE 3

The decision to send Alderman Core

y, which was supported by newly-elected Labor
4 : _ was qualified, however, by the proviso that he “‘use his judgment”’
in travelling east, following consultations with CPR officials in Vancouver.

terial was available in suffi-
cient quantities to make the
operation as a hostel possible.
He also contradicted rumors
being circulated that: the T.
Eaton Company of Toronto is to
take the site. over for the con-
struction of a department store,
stating that such rumors -were
unfounded alhough he had also
heard them. ;

EMERGENCY SITUATION

Meeting with the City Council
on Tuesday afternoon, the dele-
gation again pointed out that the
housing crisis has been looked
upon by -both,-the Council and
the people of Vancouver as a
chronic situation but warned that
with veterans it was not just
another problem, but was, in ef-
fect, an emergency situation.

A’ wire read to the council
from Finance’ Minister Ilsley
stated that the federal authori-
ties were prepared to give as-
sistance financially to the civic
government in taking the hotel
over, and pledged assistance in
approaching CPR officials to
draw up arrangements. This
telegram substantiated the LPP
charge that action in taking the
hotel over can only be instituted
if the City Council is prepared
to accept its responsibilities and
take the initiative.

The motion to send Alderman
Corey to Ottawa, to confer with
Federal authorities regarding ar-
rangements, was placed by Mayor
Cornett who proposed that Corey
investigate the possibilities of
making a deal with CPR offi-
cials in Vancouver, and ‘“‘to use
his own judgment, after meeting
officials here, about going east.”

The motion, even with this loop-
hole, was opposed by Aldermen
Miller and Jones, two die-hard
and constant enemies of any move
to relieve the housing muddle in
Vancouver. 2 ‘

Commenting on. the meeting
with the. mayor and council, Aus-
tin Delany stated: “The delega-
tion feels the Council assumed a
larger -degree of responsibility
for operating the hotel, but still
indicates a tendency to leave
loopholes and sidestep the ques-
tion. The delegation alse feels
that steps preposed re sending
Corey to Ottawa are necessary
and should be carried out im-
mediately.”

“The Labor - Progressive
Party,” he said, ‘is pledged to
assist in the operation of the
hotel as a veterans’ hostel and
we feel certain that if the coun-
cil issues the call to all civic
organizations to pitch in and
help, the problem can be solved.

“We call on all civic organiza-
tions, and on labor generally, to
urge the council to open the Old
Hotel Vancouver. This is particu-
larly urgent in view of the de-
cision to demolish the structure
by railroad monopolies.”

Delany also stated that pres-
sure to open the hotel should be
maintained to assure that Alder-
man Corey, in using his judg-
ment, does confer with officials
in Ottawa to iron out final de-
tails which will lead to an early
reversal of the decision to de-
molish the building.

A picket line of returned vet-
erans will be thrown around the
Hotel again on Saturday, Jan-
uary 12.

Condemned

By VLC

Delegates to the Vancouver La-
bor Council (CCL) this week
flayed a series of broadcasts con-
ducted over the air by. Myron
Kuzych, whose libels against the
organized labor movement were
ordered investigated at a De
cember meeting of the Council.
Delegate Charles Caron, Marine
Workers and Boilermakers In-
dustrial Union, nailed the broad-
easts as an attempt to mould
public opinion against the closed
shop and union security. Caron
charged that “he has formed a
phony organization to avoid pay-
ment of over three hundred dol-
lars judgment awarded against
him and which he owes the
Boilermakers Union”. Caron
Pointed out that the broadcast is
conditioning the public mind
against all forms of labor or-
ganization by lumping all labor -
groups together.

The © slanderous broadcast
series was raised when a letter
from the Vancouver radio station
which carries the series, replying
to a communication protesting
the granting of radio time to
Kuzych, was read to the meeting.
In support of the station’s stand,
the manager stated that it was
the essence of democracy to
grant radio time to all groups
regardless of their opinions. z

Caron urged strong protest. by
the Council at the stand taken
by the radio station, and refer-
ring to the letter, pointed out
that the Council did not “have to
take this from the radio station:

A United Steelworkers dele.

gate, charged that arguments ad:

vaneed by Kuzych included -“‘all
of the arguments made by. ecor-
poration lawyers and leaders of
big business”. ;

Chinese Workers
Win Award —

After three years of litigation.
the Chinese Workers’ Protective
Association were awarded two
thousand dollars damages
against Yue Shan, local” land-
lord, reversing’ a decision evict-
ing the association from
premises at 37 East Pender Street
by Judge Boyd in 1942.

The case developed when land-
lord Yue Shan, charged with anti-
worker sentiments by members
of the association, won an award
evicting the association from ‘its
premises for allegedly creating
disturbance and obnoxious tenure.
This award was granted in spite
of the fact that the Association
had occupied the premises for
seven years and had been prompt
in payment of all rents owing to
the landlord. On August 11, 1942.
however, the Association was
evicted from the building on
orders of Judge Bruce Boyd.
local rental court magistrate.

Boyd‘s decision was appealed
by the Association, and after
three years of tedious legal ac-
tion Judge Cody awarded the

Chinese Workers Association.

1 $2,000 damages.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1946