OL’ BILL

SH O R T JABS Belated ‘ er

The Pacific Tribune published

‘HEY all run true to form, these Labor governments we see in

Britain and Australia today—social-democrat to the core; the’ these pictures of a “home” in the
same kind of “socialist” government the COF would wish on us in 500 block Alexander street in its issue
Canada. As surely as the workers let down their guard and elect of February 7%, 1947—more than two
social-democratic governments it is only a matter of time until, like years before Vancouver aldermen :
the proverbial leopard, they show their spots, were “shocked” by their bel = ist
When the workers of Britain fell for the specious promises of covery of slums in our fair, if

“socialism in our time”, just as they had fallen for “peace in our

time” promised them by the traitor Chamberlain, they were hoping smoke- - polluted, vermin-infested and

for the socialism that would get rid of capitalism and non-Partisan dominated, city.
; the suffering and misery it brings on them. They But the city council still has not
i took the Fabian, Attlee, at his own estimate of him- said what it intends to do, for in-
f self and the gang of “me-too” socialists who lead the stance, about such places as a ram-
Labor party. That was quite a few years ago. But shackle frame apartment’ house at
before many days had passed they saw the spec- Marpole where a chimney fell in and
tacle of a self-proclaimed socialist party carrying some tenants can no longer use their
out the foreign policies of the Tories. who had pre- Stoves. The landlord refuses to make "
ceded them. No doubt they had hopes that the repairs because the place is con-
domestic program of the Labor party would hew demned. But he expects his rent to 4
: more to the socialist line. But if they had any such be paid regularly and the ‘city still
hopes they were disillusioned gradually by seeing _ collects taxes,

their socialist government buying out the capitalists : *
at exorbitant prices and saddling the workers with Sa gaeestiog is: Where is the
the burden of paying in increased production, par-| - city's low-rental housing program?
ticularly in the mining industry. : 7

The final blow came last week with the declaration of a “state
of emergency” and the threat of the most infamous Tory law on
a the statute books, the Emergency Powers Act. That act was passed
Pe ae by the Baldwin government during the 1926 general strike. It was
framed by the most reactionary home secretary they ever had in
Britain, W. Joynson Hicks, who occupied that office in the Baldwin
government. It abolished all the power of the trade union move-
ment won in a hundred years of struggle, and made the Tories vir-
tual dictators, enabling them to use the armed forces to impose their
will on the workers.

By declaring a “state of emergency”, the alleged socialist gov-
ernment now not only follows the Tories but actually becomes’ part
of the Tory machine. By its agency the. Attlee government makes
it part of its domestic policy to compel soldiers, sailors and marines
to act as blacklegs and scabs to break the perfectly legal strike of
the London dockers in one of the greatest demonstrations of labor
solidarity in our generation.

e

That this Emergency Powers Act is one of the most atrocious
pieces of legislation ever passed in Britain may be seen from a
couple of items published in the British Gazette, the official sheet
put out by the Baldwin government during the nine-day general

oah y strike when the British printers refused to print any of that “great
3 free press” which has just had a scandalous whitewashing by a
-royal commission appointed by Attlee’s Labor government.

The scab printers who produced the British Gazette had to have
_ Some special consideration, so in the May 6 issue we read:

“Notice to the printing trade. Official. When the present
General Strike is ended his majesty’s government will take effec-
tual measures to prevent the victimization by trade unions of any
man who remains at work or who may return to work; and no
settlement will be agreed to by his majesty’s government which
does not provide for this for a lasting period and for its enforce-

' Inent, if necessary, by penalties. No man who does his duty loyal-
ly te the country in the present crisis will be left unprotected by
the state from subsequent reprisals.”

Again on the Saturday following, May 8 issue, is the following
news item: :

“The following announcement is made by his majesty’s govern. | “ae ee
OR rane Me eee tae rte ee See : te
iSwimaccuseor wat a 2 pe tarteae cot (AX dermen appalled by city slums,

now and afterwards, the full support of his majesty’s government.”

There we have a guarantee that murder will be no murder if it : a :
is committed by someone on the government side. If a soldier or § a ave no ; oOusi ni r re) r am
strikebreaker with a gun in his hand shoots a striker or eee sym- .
thizer or even an innocent onlooker, intentionally, it will not be : x or ‘ ; pen
era but an act in aid of the civil’ authorities. From these two ai Ald. oe aces chairman of the city housing authority committee, Jed a party on a tour of .
items you can see that loyalty, in their eyes, is another name for e tenement istrict this week and was “shocked” to find that Vancouver actually had slums. Proc a
" scabbing and strikebreaking and when we find a government that tor's “discovery” made news in the daily press. The front page, second section, of the Sun_ splas
claims to be socialist using the weapons of class oppression forged by| pictures of rat-infested homes above a story headed “Rats, Filth Jolt SI Inspectors.” Members of
Tory reactionaries in the past, and for the same purpose, to protect the committee were quoted as pe ae led’? b k 5 um Inspectors.
the property interests of the class that has lived by robbing the Beenie seroctonoar fs ppa y what they h
Wealth producers since capitalism was first born, bringing to the recommendations for action. The | Shackle, vermin-ridden HACKER in the Postwar wohaniltetien Couns
workers blood, sweat and tears. : tour is successful, the slums re- Vancouver which have been con- cil, the City of Vancouver a
The Attlee Labor government (and the Australian Labor gov- | main. : demned time and, again by health eked that 2,500 homes were need
ernment too) have but added another proof to the thousands already Turn over to the front heed authorities as “unfit for human sayin any nous-
furnished by history, that social democracy is not a political concept third section of the Sun, |2®>itation.” Yet families continue |ed immediately. While bee up-
} that will help the oppressed classes of the countries presently under| now, and enjoy the social |‘° live in these miserable dwell-| ing developments have he homes
; the heel of capitalism. The next ‘time Angus MacInnis or Major! jews: look twice at the picture ings because they have nowhere | dertaken since then, ai those
Coldwell denounces the strike of the CSU as a Communist plot and of happy children of well-to-do else to go. And over the years q| built have mainly been rey ats
speaks of the socialist Labor government in Britain, remember what parents playing in the p do-nothing city council has made|in the higher income in dow?
this Emergency Powers Act is, who its authors were and who is swimming pool at Mr. ae no real attempt to abolish the|@nd the slum conditions

!

jp sernesisss

ad seen.

—

using it today to break the strikes of your fellow-workers. Clarence Wallace’s luxurious city’s wicked slums. — town areas have remained 45 q
: ° idence in swank South Gran. acum breed crime. Dr. G, M.|@S ever. she? time rent oe
SORE ML A as a aa ville district, Read the soci isty rawford, psychiatrist at Kingston In: a few months “si yifted: |

Ladies’ and Gents’

Custom Tailors

SMILE

| Penitentiar t d to
editor’ 2 Y, reported last year| controls are due

maids Br Ses pele Rie eae that the “average ‘ criminal” is “a | With the current boa Bb
destruction on mythical rocks |Y°U"S Man between the ages of| age, it is easy to DP will oat
in mythical seas had nothing on | 18 224 27 . . . whose family is| Will happen. Rents round

. 1 4
DRY CLEANING SERVICE members of this splash party then Sioeae a ee to it and iat bailiffs wise whee ict ten +4
594 Richards St. PA, 4418 when it comes to charm.” area? CKs’ in a slum Sens as ing Sa ne. be able to i

Let’s* leave the charming rich
a lolling on their patios and paddl-

If for no other reason than to} pay the increases. Instead is.

k change this depressing pj fighting rats Yi
ing in their private i a one n : whe
: EAST END Coal poet and give eee psi 3 Slums creating criminals, citizens | zens living in these districh® HY :
| Pools, ax Baye fee pee ek with the well-being of Vancouver| have to unite to beat © a
> La x. I Wood .| Which Ald. Proctor and his co- ee es et rae ai ca en a i nee ior
’ $ “ » 3 i | ah
‘ UNION DRIVERS ae le Spear) investigated” in homes for all that will ag waitin dia dae ‘The slums yee} os
HA 4. Sawdust (Proctor, of eitce: knew all the financial reach of the lower} Low-rental housing projects 1 Hes
7 oe shod? aie Mite Uitte ae one dua brackets. . Particularly | be speeded up. Pressure pine thé
Full 24-Hour his Cook’s tour. He’s a r ceded are homes which will rent|put on city council to ¥
: a real estate | from $15 to $25 per t i hehe é
Insured Service FUELS agent and has a special interest This need has Ieee oe ai seat tance i wert es
: ; i 5 s :
613 East Hastings, Vancouver FA. 7663 he ee ee of nized. Seven years ite sinter tne chao oe decent, low? e
. t : ram- ing (a. housing questionairre for | homes. de :
AGE Sd

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 22; 1949-P