HISTORIC PHOTO. In February, 1943 a delegation of members of the Khalsa Dhwan Society, with the support of the Regional District of the International Woodworkers of America (IWA), went to Victoria to askthe John Hart government to grant East Indians in B.C. the right to vote. The delegation included East Indian

members of the armed forces. In the back row (inlig

ht tweed coat) is Harold Pritchett, then president of the

WA, and Darshan Singh, (in striped suit) who also represented the IWA. Darshan Singh has since returned to India and is now an elected official. Following the delegation the Hart government passed an order-in-

council which gave the right to vote to British subjects of East Indian origin.

LABOR FED SAYS:

NDP gov’t wrong to abandon support for grape boycott

The B.C. Federation of Labor ex- ecutive council said in a statement adopted at its meeting Friday,

Nov. 30 that the decision by the.

provincial government to abandon their support for striking members of the United Farm Workers Union in the California grape fields is “unfortunate.”

“The government has apparently misinterpreted the dispute as a jurisdictional battle between two unions — such is not the case,” says the statement which outlines in detail the federation’s stand.

The BCFL statement makes these points:

“The grape boycott was called by the UFWU and endorsed by the British Columbia Federation of Labor because the grape growers, aided by the Teamsters Union, have launched an all-out campaign to smash the UF WU.

“There is no question that the agreements signed between the Teamsters and the growers are sweetheart deals aimed at depriv- ing the farm workers of the freedom to choose their own un- ion. Similar agreements between Teamsters and growers in the let- tuce industry were declared unfair by the California Supreme Court in

a decision made December 29th, 1972. The Court ruled, in effect, that the Teamsters Union worked in collusion with a group of growers to block the UFWU.

“We are confident that the re- cent agreements between the Teamsters and the grape growers will also be ruled collusive, but, in the meantime, the campaign to de- fend the rights of the farm workers must be carried forward vigorous- ly. “The British Columbia Federa-

McEwen home from hospital

Tom McEwen was taken to Van- couver General Hospital last Wednesday suffering from a rup- tured blood vessel in the nose which caused excessive bleeding. He is now fully recovered, and returned home on Monday.

When visited by PT editor Maurice Rush, Sunday, Tom was in high spirits and sent his greetings to PT readers. Unfortunately, he was not able to produce his column for this week’s edition. The column will be resumed next week.

tion of Labor reiterates the declaration that all non-UFWU California and Arizona grapes are “‘hot’’, and endorses the call by the UFWU for secret ballot elections to end once and for all the myth that the struggle between the farm workers and grape growers is in any way a jurisdictional dispute.

‘In making the decision to stay out of the struggle for justice for farm workers, the provincial government has ignored resolutions unanimously adopted at recent national and provincial New Democratic Party conven- tions. Surely, government members who attended those con- ventions heard the debate and ex- planations around the issue. Sure- ly, they will not turn a deaf ear to the unanimous call: by NDP members from across the country for suport for Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union.

“Tn addition to receiving the sup- port of the Canadian Labor Congress, representing some two million Canadian workers and every provincial Federation of Labor in the country, the farm workers’ struggle has been en-

See GRAPE BOYCOTT, pg. 11

New Year’s Eve

WITH CONGENIAL COMPANY, GOOD MUSIC “‘OLSON’S BAND”’, TURKEY SUPPER, REFRESHMENTS, AND FAVOURS FOR ALL AT THE MOST REASONABLE PRICE IN TOWN.

FISHERMENS HALL |

MON., DEC. 31 —9P.M.TO? AUSPICES: FRANK ROGERS FISHERMEN’S CLUB

CELEBRATE

* PACIFIC TRIBUNE — FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1973—PAGE 2

Wasserman’s attack —

on citizens

group

branded ‘dirty trick’

‘By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

Jack Wasserman, the gossip columnist and the expert on sleazy articles about characters, now appears to be turning more and more to attacks on citizen groups striving for civic improvement. In typical Wassermania fashion, he is copying the dirty tricks methods used so effectively, and so long by his friend, Tricky Dicky, across the line.

For a person in his position to use his column in an effort to em- barrass an employee of the federal government just because that employee exercises his democratic rights in efforts to protect his own community from developers, is despicable to say the least. I'm referring to Jacque Khouri, one of the spokesmen for the West Broadway Citizens Committee.

This committee is protesting Developer attempts to open up the Kitsilano area, rightly fearing that it will lead to higher rents and drive out citizens who have lived

~there for many years. Khouri was a

candidate for COPE in the last civic elections, and this in the eyes

Downtown residents hit Sun columnist —

The Downtown Eastside Resident’s Association charged last Sunday that Sun Columnist Jack Wasserman did a major disservice to the downtown eastside com- munity when he criticized efforts to bring about improvement in the operation of skid road beer parlors, cafes and dance halls.

Released by Bruce Eriksen, organizer for the association, a press statement said it was his group which drew attention of city hall to the deplorable management of some of the operations.

The release also said ‘‘Wasser- man’s comments on discontinua- tion of the ‘meals and lodgings’ program were ‘inaccurate.’ It said present arrangements for the Welfare Department’s ‘ad- ministered cases’, though not perfect, are superior to those previously in force.”’

of Wasserman, is a crime. Khoutl must be silenced and driven out of public life, and the West Broadway Citizens Groups must be portrayed as a group of well meaning but mis led old fuddy duddies, that don't know what it’s all about. ;

That’s what you call using Watergate methods on behalf of the Establishment to try and dis credit protest movements bY citizens. :

Wasserman, uses the same ditly tricks and propaganda methods 1 attacking City Council and me ™ particular for action to clean up some of the worst of our skid road beer parlors, cafes and dance halls, claiming that, it won't solve the problems of “starving drunks, whom he labels, ‘‘skid rowgues, and if they can’t go to these skid road beer halls, he says, they will go out on the street and will com mit murder.

Of course closing down the worst of these beer parlors will not solve the problem of skid road. Ski Road is a product of the private enterprise society that Wasserman — is always ready to come to heel for. What is involved here is an effort t0 improve these shabby, dirty, joints. At present they are fire traps at their accommodation is unfit for human habitation. i

These things can and should be ~ cleaned up and taking away the licenses of some of these slum landlords is one way of doing it. If they can't or won't clean up thelf places, they shouldn't be ™ business.

Naturally there are other steps that should be taken too, such @& the establishment of de toxification centres, which I have fought for, for years, but which Wasserman does not advocate. His concern is for the slum landlords, not the victims. Even the NDP government, which has tried to d0 something for the victims, comes in for his attacks, because of il “people first policies.”

Wasserman’s attacks will 10 doubt endear him to the charactels with whom he is on such g0 terms, but they also expose him fo! what he is, an apologist for slul landlords, the developers and sul dry reactionary forces in our cily.

Oh! you mean that terrible ol’ FUEL shortage!’

A 7 . ‘Shortage? WHAT short-t-t-t... F2y