B.C, Federation of Labor has already called upon Premier Bennett to “declare a state of emergency” and call a pub- sentatives from all municipal- ities will be invited, and on Friday this week staff mem- bers of unions affiliated to the BCFL are meeting to com- plete plans for a large repre- sentative lobby to present labor’s case at Victoria for the 93,939 registered workers Hee S tia) it Vol. 17 No. 5 *8 Authorised as second }) FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1958 VANCOUVER, B.C. class mail by meccw rite Post Office Department, Ottawa bt seeking jobs in this province. No date has yet been set for the lobby, but union spokes- man concerned with growing unemployment in their locals Continued on page 6 See LABOR longs Plovment is no ae a matter for debate, — neither the Con- ee eo nnehins ot be wa nor the Social edit government at Vic- aoe any inclina- about if more than talk - Unemployment tions 5 Sis the propor- threatenins national crisis, both is g§ the security of ployed and unem- Dloyed A typical scene in a National Act now on unemployment What can you do about it? The B.C, Federation of Labor has asked Premier Bennett to “declare a state of emergency” and call a public conference on unem- ployment. You can press this demand on your MLA and support it’ in your union. Prime Minister Diefen- baker has said in the House of Commons that his gov- ernment is considering Employment launching public works to relieve unemployment. You can support the demand that the government act by attending the big Labor Forum to be held this Sun- day, February 2, 2 p.m, in Pender Auditorium, at which speakers wil be Ced- ric Cox, CCF MLA, Nigel Morgan, LPP provincial leader, and Orville Braaten, business agent of the Con- verters’ local, Pulp and Sulphite Workers. lic conference to which repre-_ EEDEL A “crash” program of provincial public works financed by the $41 million surplus reported by Premier W. A. C. Bennett to the legislature last week — this is the demand being raised in many quarters as unemployment continues to increase throughout the province. CRASH’ PROGRAM OF PUPLIC WORKS Miners at Elk River Colliery worked their last shift this week and unless provincial and federal governments take emergency measures to keep the mine open Fernie will be- come virtually a ghost town. Half the workers in the town, some 300 men, are di- rectly dependent on the mine. Some 75 of them will be trans- ferred to nearby Michel. But the majority, an _ estimated 225 of them, will lose their jobs. Stores and other busi- ness establishments will cut their staffs and Fernie will follow Granby and other coal centres of bygone years inte the limbo of ghost towns. Fernie is a symptom of an ailing coal industry, aggra- Save Fernie--keep colliery operating’ vated by the failure of gov- ernments to apply remedial measures, despite the warn- ings given by short time, lay- offs and mine closures. Now the impending closure at Fernie is bringing the de- mand for federal and provin- cial action to keep the mine open. In the Crows Nest Pass, joint executive meetings are being held between United Mine Workers’ district and local officials to press the government for emergency action. The legislature's labor com- mittee is expected to begin sittings this coming week Continued on page 7 See MINE CLOSURE World Peace Council plans July congress The World Council of Peace has decided to hold a congress for disarmament and interna- tional cooperation from July 16--to 22: A statement issued last week by the executive of the World Council of Peace said that this congress should pro- vide the forces of peace throughout the world with fresh impetus. “It will help to bring to- gether different points of view to work out what they have in common. “Tt will examine the condi- tions for securing the greatest international cooperation with full respect for national inde- pendence, in the highest in- terests of peace and prosperity for all peoples. “The time has come when vigilant public opinion can reverse the drive to nuclear war.” * “I think there will be a summit meeting and one of the factors that will bring it about will be the weight of public opinion,” Dr. James En- dicott (above), chairman of the Canadian Peace Congress, said on his return last week- end from the recent Afro- Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Conference at Cairo which he attended as an observer.