THE B.C LUMBER WORKER

Published Every Sead: Monday by INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA (CIO) DISTRICT COUNCIL NO. 1 Editor: JACK GREENALL Advertising: MATT FEE Room 504 Holden Building—Phone PAcifie 4151—Vancouver, B.C.

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The deadline for stories for the coming issue is 4 p.m. Thursday, December 13, 1945

Bill 15

By E. DALSKOG, International Board Member BILL 15—WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?

Bill 15 is an Act to be cited as The National Emergency Powers Act, 1945, now under consideration by the government: which, if it became law, would give the Governor in Council almost unlimited power to rule the country. It would allow the Governor in Council (in other words the Cabinet) abso!ute power to make orders and regulations without proper ratification by parliament. In this reference the proposed Act states: “(4) Every order in council made under this Act shall be laid before parliament as soon as may be after it is made.” In other words, anything pertaining to the fol- lowing matters could be ordered by Order in Council without rati- fication by parliament until it pleased the Cabinet to place the Order before it.

(a) Production, manufacture, trading, exportation and import- ation;

(b) Foreign exchange;

(ec) Transportation by air, road, rail or water;

(d) Supply and distribution of goods and services, including the fixing of prices;

(e) Employment, including salaries and wages;

(f) Appropriation, control, forfeiture and disposition of prop- erty and of the use thereof, including the control of rentals and occupation;

(g) ENTRY INTO CANADA, EXCLUSION AND DEPORTA- TION, AND REVOCATION OF NATIONALITIY;

(h) Imposition and recovery, in connection with any scheme of control contained in or authorized by orders and regulations, of, charges payable to the Receiver General of Canada or into such fund or account as may be ordered.

The fascist countries had no more autocratic powers than this, and when we have just reached the conclusion of the most terrible war in history, fought so that people everywhere could enjoy FREEDOM from oppression in any form; it was not fought so that Canadians should have their democratic rights taken away. WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

(1) Write individual letters to the Prime Minister, Right Hon- ourable W. L, Mackenzie King, protesting and asking for with- drawal of this bill.

(2) Write to the Member of Parliament in your constituency requesting him to go on record against this infamous proposal.

(8) Let us know about the action you are taking, so that we can guage the’ amount of protest raised.

Unemployment.

Canadian unemployment problems facing the people, and with little or no leadership from government is similar to the situation that our good neighbor south of the international border, the U.S., is facing.

President Phillip Murray of the CIO, who is appearing before

the wage and price conference in Washington, D.C., stated: 4 “America must provide jobs for all those willing and able to work. Unemployment is our greatest peacetime enemy. It drains our wealth and corrodes our faith, and belief in the democratic system.

The economic losses fom unemployment are staggering. Every unemployed worker means an average annual loss of $4000.00 in wealth: produced.

Bare. unemployment figures don’t even tell the ahole story. The rising tide of insecurity affects all workers. Among the em- ployed, féar of being laid off finds its outlet in reduced efficiency, inereased accidents, and, in some instances, unauthorized strikes.

The frustration and personal loss for the nnemnloved worker, these too cannot be measured by mere figures. The deterioration of skills, break-down in morale, all represent an irredeemable loss to the community as well as to the worker.

Passage of the Full Employment Bill, now pending in Con- gress, is a step in the right direction. This measure would at ‘least put the nation on record as favouring a policy of providing jobs for all those willing to work. However, this bill is only one link in the chain. It must be supplemented by higher wage rates, fairey taxes, improved unemployment compensation and social security Jaws, and passage of the minimum wage act.”

‘We in Canada can heartily endorse Phillip Murray’s statement, The fight for full employment is not labor's fight alone; but affects

to profit from human misery. Pulling together, labor and veteran, business man and farmer, can and must apply the necessary pres- sure to have action taken that will remove this spectre from our

every citizen with exception of a handful of the overrich who hope |

Continued from Page 1

| constitutional clause which calls!

Convention

which also asked for the with-

' for written chaiges and trial be-| drawal of the May-Johnson bill.

fore any member, officer or local | may be suspended was voted un- animously.

Efforts to change district boundary lines or give the execu- tive board power to redefine boundary lines in case of juris- dictional disputes was voted down with little support for the proposals being voiced.

A motion to postpone ballot- ing on International officers un- til March J, in line with the post- ponement of the convention, was ruled out of order by President Fadling. Fadling refused to permit Karly Larsen, president of the Northern Washington dis- trict council, to speak in support of the measure.

‘A referendum vote for repre- sentatives on the International Negotiating committee was ap- proved with the addition of the two senior International officers to positions with full voice and vote. The negotiation commit- tee was instructed to act upon recommendations made to it by the convention. A subsequent contract negotiations conference to be called in time to form pro- posals for the reopening of con- tracts April 1, was also approved. ONE ROLL CALL

The Officers Report Commit- tee report brought forth the roll call vote of the convention. While accepting most of the recom- mendations made by the officers, the minority report criticized In- ternational Organizer George Brown for an “undiginified” at- tack upon the British Columbia district and its officers. Brown stated in his report that failure of the officers to give him coop- eration had retarded organiza- tion in the district. District President Harold Pritchett and others pointed out that the dis- trict had made the greatest gains of any district in the past two years and that Brown had refused to name any organizer recom- mended by the B.C. District.

The minority report was re- jected by a vote of 23,256 to 26,718. The majority report which confined itself to approval of all recommendations of the of- ficers was carried on a voice vote.

Following arrival of B.C. dele- gates, Ernest Dalskog and John McCuish, who were delayed two days by immigration authorities, the convention went unanimous- ly on record to work for the right of all B.C. IWA members to enter the U.S. on union busi- ness,

SOLDIERS ATTEND

Calling for public regulation of all logging by federal legisla- tion, the woodworkers enacted a comprehensive wood utilization and forest conservation program which included improved safety inspection and forest fire pro- tection,

President Truman was called upon to veto any bill giving con- trol of the U.S. Employment Services to the states, Immedi- ate action was demanded for passage of the $25 for 26 Un- employment Compensation bill.

In the field of foreign rela- tions, negotiations with Britain and Russia, leading to interna- tional control and pooling of all information on atomic energy was called for in a resolution

Distribution of UNNRA funds under the control of the people |of the nations needing relief | carried unanimously. RAP IMPERIALISM Britain’s policy in Indonesia was rapped and the withdrawal of her troops was demanded in a resolution ordered sent to the state department. Condemnation of armed intervention by the U.S. was voted with the dele- gates approving the statement that the war was fought for the right of all people for self-de- termination.

Breaking of relations with Franco Spain with aid for the Republican people of Spain car- ried unanimously,

Congress was called upon to increase mustering out pay for veterans, provide a more realis- tic veterans’ pension, increase Unemployment Compensation for jobless veterans, educational op- portunities, quicker demobiliza- tion, higher allotments and other improvements in the G.I. Bill of Rights. The World Federation of Trade Unions was endorsed and labor representation on the Social and Economic Council of the United Nations organization requested.

Price and rent control was supported, with control of ma- terials essential to civilian pro- duction and the re-establishment of rationing wherever shortages develop called for.

The Rankin-Woods Un-Ameri- can activities committee was roundly censored and its aboli- tion demanded.

High Time To Wake Up

Mr. Dewar Fergusson, Acting President of the Canadian Sea- mens Union, spoke to the Can- adian Radio Officers’ Association last Friday and appealed for United Labor to oppose the most ferocious shipping operators combine this country has ever seen,

This Big Business which in reality is an international ship- ping cartel, is trying to ruin Canadian shipping to the point where our vessels must be placed under foreign registry so that owners do not have to support decent living and wage stand- ards in the process of being forged by our great national and international labor unions.

The Canadian Radio Officers’ Association heartily endorses the Canadian Seamens’ Union policy of helping labor to force our government’s support of our national industries; too long now have we allowed people like the Ford Motor Combine to use us aS a source of cheap labor, ‘We, representing the fourth arm of our fighting services through this great war against Fascism, now demand that the designers of Hitlerism abroad be brought to terms at home or otherwise everything we have fought for must be completely Jost. The people of Canada must

Hello Boys:

Danged if it wasn’t just like meeting- one. of these troop trains bringing the boys back from the battle fronts, to run into a bunch of the delegates on their return from! the IWA con-

vention at Eugene, Oregon, Like the returning vets, they looked a bit tired, but pleased, happy and determined. Reckon that means that the final outcome of the convention lays in the un- finished business of the conven- tion, the referendum vote; which gives your old Bull Cook his democratic right. And boys, I sure intend to cast it! The unani- mous choice of the B.C. delega- tion is the best guide for an old rank and filer like myself. In this referendum your only quali- fication is a paid up card in the 1WA, not over three months in rarrears, This is sure different from getting on the voters’ list in Vancouver city; when a party called up the City Hall to find out if her neighbors were on the list, the question was asked, “do they have a private bawth?” The lady said, “Oh, hell!” and hung up.

It sure did my old heart good to bid goodbye to Pritchett, Dalskog and McCuish when they left for the convention, These youngsters have sure put up a real battle in leading the IWA and it didn’t seem hardly right that they shouldn't be there. It isn’t any use to have a ship put to sea without the Captain aboard. However, the captain, mates and crew were aboard on this trip to Eugene; and it is reported that one of the crew reminded everyone that Canada was and still is one of the Unit- ed Nations by having the Can- adian flag put on the convention rostrum. It also seems that he had to have the help of the Ladies’ Auxiliary to do his shop- ping. ©

Now it seems to me that if the long fight for legal entry for trade union leaders into U.S.A. could bring such results, the Ford strike in Windsor can be won also, The financial sup- port given to the Ford strike by the workers in B.C. with their own welfare now at stake in the issue, makes me believe labor will win with Windsor, and I don’t mean Eddie. * F

The delegates, as I overhear them, are presenting the true Picture of this convention. you have to do is look at Picture as it is and get it in tl Proper focus. Don’t be like panes boy who, when

Picture of the prize baby the baby show, said, “Man 3 don’t see anything so hot that baby. Why, he ain't hair on his head”. . . His {

HED aah fer nied ‘orkng