C3 pe

‘Send me a sub book
I'm through with CCF’

Cc. H. LAKE, Stewart, B.C.: I
wish you would send me a Pa-
cific Tribune subscription book. I
have ditched the CCF “warmong-
ers” and I don’t intend to support
them any more in any form, That
Vancouver national CCF conven-
tion was the most disgusting ex-
hibition of capitalist subjection to
a warmongering policy that has
been pulled in 50 years of labor
history in B.C.

I wrote the CCF head office and
told them what I thought of their
wallowing in capitalist filth and
lies about the Korean crisis. Of
course, they had an idea that we
ought to swallow Coldwell’s “crap”
about democracy — a term they
don’t know the meaning of under
the capitalist system.

I also told them that after an-
other election the CCF would be
“nil’ and past supporters would
have a gunpowder taste left for
Past work and labor.

Winch answered my letter. He
did. not like. my calling down. I
had said that the whole outfit on
top were smeared with parliamen-
tary varnish and had forgotten
what they were elected for.

So send me a Pacific Tribune
Sub book right away, for I know
there are quite a few potential
readers around here.

(Editor‘s note: The opinions ex-
pressed by C. H. Lake are similar
to views held by many CCF mem-
bers who are discovering that
Coldwell and others are throwing
Overboard even their former lip-
service to the principles of the
Regina Manifesto. A few quota-
tions from “letters to the editor”
Printed in the CCF News under-
lines the trend of thinking among
the membership.)

G. J. B. LA FRANCE of New
Westminster wrote: “I feel that
the Regina Manifesto, as the cor-
Nerstone of the CCF, cannot be
altered «without changing the
Whole structure of the CCF... .
The question before us is: Has
the socialist program failed? Mr.
Coldwell evidently thinks so, and
consequently wants to change it.

You. Deparfinent

But if Mr. Coldwell had a hand
in building the socialist program
of the Regina Manifesto and now,
when in the middle of the stream,
wants to change it, or feels it was
a mistake and wants to change
boats—is he again making a mis-
take? If so, will the jump prove
too much for Mr. Coldwell, and
drown him along with his new
streamlined manifesto?”

Another CCF News correspon-
dent, J. ALEX HYDE of Comox,
expressed his disgust in these
words: “The recent CCF national
convention in formulating nation-
al CCF policy gives one the im-
pression that the CCF is fast be-
coming just another Liberal party.
The CCF is supposed to be a
democratic socialist party. Under
present national policy it is neith-
Ore SG

“The CCF is fast reaching the
stage where a bona fide socialist
will be ashamed to admit his mem-
bership. It is time something was
done to teach socialism to those
who support a policy of non-
socialism within the CCF.”

Many CCF delegates to the con-
vention wrote to CCF News ex-
pressing alarm at the warmonger-
ing policy of their national lead-
ers in connection with the Korean
war. Said ALISTAIR MacLEOD
of Nanaimo: “Unqualified support
for the United Nations to stop
aggression is not sufficient rea-
son for military commitments.
What is more important is to de-
cide ‘Who are the aggressors? And
what in essence does the UN
really stand for?’

“Let us not overlook the fact
that on previous occasions we
have levelled charges of aggres-
sion at nations when the reverse
seems to have been the case. The
Russo-Finnish war is a_ typical
example. On that occasion people
nl] over the world parroted the
term ‘Russian aggression,’ with-
out any knowledge of the under-
lying causes which led up to the
act of intervention; and yet in

World War II we found ‘Demo- -

cratic Little Finland’ fighting with
the fascist hordes, and Russia
aligned with the democracies.
“The situation in Korea toda
merits a more careful analysis
of the facts. Our problem as So-

So s Wate What You Please.

cialists is to determine who the
aggressors are, why war, and who
profits by it. . . . War is profitable

business for the U.S.,.and abso- ©

lutely essential for the survival of
the capitalist system.”

L. DE VEY of Vancouver also
writes to CCF News on the situa-
tion in Korea: “The policy for
Canada is to remain clear of wars
which are excited by capitalism
to maintain its prestige. More
study of the Korean situation than
it apparently received would have
produced a better solution than
armed intervention.

“The . failure of Canada _ to
achieve independence of the U.S.,
an eminently reactionary nation,
must be removed from our politi-
cal horizon, before any construc-
tive action can be taken.”

UN Charter promised
‘freedom from fear’

S. SMITH, Victoria, B.C.: Do
we believe in the Atlantic Char-
ter, and practise what we believe?
I refer particularly to “freedom
from fear.” Have we become in-
oculated with the propaganda that
Russian communism is the sole
cause of the unrest and upheav-
als in the world today? Apparent-
ly so, for there is no longer “free-
dom from fear” and even no long-
er “freedom from thought.”

To express an opinion contrary
to any dished out to us by the
capitalist press, means to be look-
ed upon with suspicion by our
neighbors and friends, and even
by other members of the family,
and the trust and confidence that
formerly existed is gone.

What in heck is this thing call-
ed communism? Any dictionary
will define it, but the late lament-
ed F. D. Roosevelt gave the most
comprehensive definition in one
of his wartime speeches to the
world: “Communism is the purest
form of democracy.”

Let us open our eyes and look
at the thing rationally and with-
out fear, first disabusing our minds
of all propaganda that has blind-
ed our reason, and led us by the
nose whichever way it wanted us
to go.

Suite 515

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Women are playing a greater part in labor's struggles.

WOMEN _ IN

INDUSTRY

Canado’s women workers

strong force

WOMEN IN industry in Can-
ada are occupying a more and
more important position. In years
gone by, women were looked upon
as inferior labor. They did not
possess the necessary confidence
in themselves. Not so long ago,
it was not the fashion for married
women to work, with the result
that girls used to say, “Well, I
am only working until I get mar-
ried.” That false idea kept such
workers from taking an active
part in fighting for conditions
and even from joining trade
unions.

But little is left of that illusion
now. Most of the girls in indus-
try know that even if they do get
married, they will probably still
have to continue working in order
to keep up a home and be able
to buy the necesities of life.

The figures of women in
industry as of July, 1947, show
that there were 237,255 women in
manufacturing, or 22.5 percent of
all workers employed in manu-
facturing industries. There were
94,743 women employed in trade,
or 40.1 percent, and 34,954 women
in services, or 53.5 percent.

Here is a table showing the per-
centage of women employed in a
number of industries in the prov-
ince of Quebec:

Tobacco
Boot and shoe
Leather Goods
Fur industry
Electrical goods.
Men’s clothing
Women’s clothing
Knitted goods
Printing & binding
Drugs

There is no doubt that figures

for other provinces would show
the same picture. é

R

SRSSARARaS

* * *

WOMEN HAVE travelled a
jong way in recognizing the im-
portance of trade union organ-
ization to the working people.
They have proven their ability to
make important contributions,
not only in industry but in the
country as a whole.

Hundreds of women in the dif-
ferent unions are now active
members, joint board members
and shop stewards. A number of

‘tions and many local

for peace

women have become organizers in
such unions es the United Elec-
trical Workers, United Textile
Workers, Store Employees, Rest-
urant Workers, Fur and Leather.
There may be women organizers
in other unions, but one thing is
certain—there are too few women
organizers.

In the war years, women work-
ers made a tremendous contri-
bution. The figures show that in
April, 1945, 201,000 women worked >
in war industries in Canada, and
732,000 in other industries, mak-
ing a total of 933,000 women work-
ers. In addition 800,000 women
worked on farms. Still another
40,000 ‘women served in the
women’s auxiliary forces in the
army, navy and air force.

These are impressive figures
and the contribution women made
to the defeat of fascism was no
less impressive in terms of war
production and vital services
maintained.

Despite this splendid record,
there are still many prejudices
against women in .industry and
even within the trade union
movement itself. :

It is still a fact that although

resolutions demanding equal pay _

for equal work have been passed
by Canadian Congress of Labor
and Trades and Labor conven-—
unions,
women wage earners in manufac-
turing industries get only 63 per-
cent of the hourly wage rates
paid to men.

There is still a tendency to look

down at women workers, a resist-

ance to promoting them to posi-

' tions of greater responsibility.

The discrimination against mar-
ried women, the constant at-
tempts to deny them their right
to jobs must be defeated, and first
of all, by the women workers
themselves putting up a stiffer —
fight for their rights to work and —
wesponsibilities . commensurate
with their abilities. :

Canada’s women workers are a
great and important force for
peace, whose full influence can
only be felt by organizing them,
fighting all forms of discrimina-

tion against them and encourag-

ing them to play a greater part
in the struggles of organized labor.

—PEARL WEDRO_

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 1, 1950—PAGE 11