t could, and should be a thrilling story, but vide

reduced it to little more than a standardized dis-

sertation on “communism” and Communists, it becomes a form of mental pollution, nothing more.

Just recently I had the opportunity of reading ‘‘a thesis’’ on the history of the labor movement of the ‘Pacific North West’’, or to be more exact an alleged “‘history’’ of the IWA, the Longshoremen, the Brotherhood of Carpenters, etc., prior to and during the early C10 days. The thesis in question is by a university student as ‘‘part’’ of his objective for a Master’s degree.

This thesis underlines ‘‘inter alia’’ but quite unintentionally, that basic question confronting university students on every campus on this hemisphere and beyond— the aim and purpose of auniversity education; to serve an established “‘Holy Trinity” of Big Business — or serve the common people?

Here one doesn’t even mention the burning question of ‘‘a job”’ upon graduation, although that is also of prime concern to graduate and common man alike.

Obviously that dwindling minority of university students who picture themselves as future salesmen, technicians, scientists or what have you for Big Business, find it to their liking and advantage, and future “‘prospects’’ to do a thesis on “labor history’? well spiced with ‘“‘communist’’ intrigues, conspiracies, scheming and the like, all calculated to sit well on the jaded political stomachs of Big Bizz. In short, to fawn at the feet of astatus quo Establishment. __

It may also be noted,-en passant, that the identity of “references” given in this student’s thesis (as in many other we have perused), are almost 99-percent of the same vintage relative to their anti-communist content. One often wonders what these “brainy” sprouts would do with their socalled ‘labor histories’’ if there were no Sect SD or Communists to scribble about. -

Some of these lads almost surpass FBI’s a Fagan Hoover | or the late Senator Joe McCarthy, or better still some of the dumbest of our own RCMP political sleuths, in determining who is, or who isn’t a OS ee ES plus all Se we “shades” in between!’

This particular’ thesis’ ‘pitching for a Masters: Stace? literally uses up hundreds of pages on the question of whether - Harold Pritchett, then International President of the IWA and other leading bodies in the camps and mills of DeEoe, Washington and B.C. was a ‘“‘communist”’ or not. Now he “ now he ‘“‘isn’t’’, but~all his speeches, writings, policies, activities, ‘“sound”’ like one.

..Our thesis writer is ina bit of a quandary, but that doesn’t phase him none. The ‘‘communists”’ are all good guys, good union men, the fighting core of the great ‘“‘Pacific Northwest’. Too bad. The Muirs and Hutcheons, the Greens and all the goons used by the AFL to defeat the CIO thought otherwise, to say nothing about the big timber barons, who thought it was great to see working men, mill workers and loggers in Portland, Seattle and elsewhere, battering hell out of each other — instead of out of them. For the latter at least, anti- communism then — and now, is their most potent weapon, so get on with your thesis boy, you have done a fine job, as have all your specie of “‘historians’’, and if we don’t ‘‘reward”’ you owing to periodic recessions’’ on the earth, you will have your reward in an open-shop ‘“‘heaven’’.

And then, as though a-last and final nostalgic touch, much like a last twinge of conscience in revolt at all the pages of garbage compiled on ‘“‘communism”’ and Communists — a frank admission that Harold Pritchett, British Columbian and ex-International President of the great IWA, ‘“‘did more than any other one man to build and establish the International Woodworkers of America in the Pacific Northwest’’. Not precisely because he was a Communist, although that is vitally important for and to every workingman in this century,but because he was (and is), first, last and all the time a good union man. . . only one of the prime conditions to being a good Communist.

Our advice to budding MA’s BA’s or what ever. If you must write on ‘“‘labor history’’, stick to facts, and leave the ‘““communist”’ fiction to the fiction writers.

SPL re

BETHUNE

MARXIST. CLASSROOM

WOMEN IN TODAY’S WORLD Mona Morgan

WESTMINSTER — Royal Towers Hotel

(Fraser Room) ; SUNDAY —APRIL 18 — 8 P.M. -

NOTE — Class one week later due to Ea ster Holiday

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_ City-wide opposition to NPA giveaway deals

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN ;

The people of Vancouver have’ won another round in’ their: continuing battle with City- Council over how Vancouver should be developed. The victory occurred on March 23 when Council was battered for four hours with 30 briefs backed up by strong citizen délegations demanding that Council shelve its plans for a disguised freeway through the Jericho Park area.

Faced with such an array of angry citizens, the NPA -dominated Council had. to eat crow. It voted to freeze the freeway scheme and to open negotiations. with Ottawa for the acquisition. of 38 acres more of Jericho land that Ottawa plans to sell to private promoters. It also agreed that Locarno Park will be préserved.

But the battle of Jericho is by- no means over. Mayor Campbell is already talking of re-locating the freeway, this time running it alongside the beach. This would

be even more objectionable than | *

the proposal already turned down. Citizens will have to keep an eye on Council to see that it doesn’t try to sneak in the freeway by another method, perhaps at secret meetings where our mayor likes to do so much Council business. _

The upsurge of citizen protest

_ over the Jericho freeway. again, ..

proves that even the. stiff- necked, hide-bound, conserva- tive minded NPA majority on Council can be persuaded to bow to public demand. It doesn’t happen often enough, but it does happen. It should ‘happen again, especially when the Four Seasons project comes up for public hearing.

When Council first passed this project the vote was 10 to 1. TEAM aldermen voted with the’ NPA; I was the only alderman opposed. Since then TEAM aldermen appear to have had a_ change of heart, due to the widespread ‘opposition that has developed to the project. This desecration of the entrance to Stanley Park can _ still be defeated. :

' Two steps should be urged on Council. The first is that Council _

Mann elected as BCA head

Mauritz Mann was elected president of the. Burnaby Citizens Association by acclamation at last week’s annual meeting. He is a former member of the Burnaby School Board: Gordon Smith was de- feating trade unionist Tom Constable by eleven votes.

More than a hundred members turned out for the annual event and heard Mayor Prittie -and

_ Councillor Jim Daillie outline

--some of the problems pending for .the fast-growing muni- -cipality.

The following were elected to the Board of Directors: Claire

_-O’ Neil, E- Buckingham, D. “Evans, G. Houlden, O. Johnson, H.. McKay, G.- Snell vA;

éTomlinson}) “F! ! Wilson andiD::

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should demand that Ottawa refuse to sign any agreement sub- leasing National Harbour Board water lots to: Four Seasons.

‘Without these, the scheme would

fold up.

Secondly, Council should reverse its decision and cancel the. whole deal. If the Four Seasons promoters take us to

OT TOW 90"

a gala

court, the cost would be We worth the preservation of” area. It should be publi developed as part of Stal Park; not turned over to pr! ar promoters to make a fast buck# ¥ the expense of the people ® Vancouver.

(For more on Four Seasons 8% |

story on page 12) SS

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THE. RICH! ]

my ‘WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THOUSAND

OF PEOPLE WORKED HARD For : MILLIONS t"

COPE urges campaign for rapid transit now |

The annual meeting of the Com- mittee of Progressive Electors (COPE) held in the Labor

. Temple March 24, instructed the ‘incoming executive to hold

discussions with alderman Harry Rankin, the Vancouver

“sand 'Distriet: Labor Council, and

the Central Council of Rate-

‘payers for the purpose of

“Yssuing a joint call to a conference of all interested groups before the end of April to establish a committee pledged

‘to mount a major public

campaign around the slogan “Rapid Transit Now — Free- ways Never!”’

The resolution calling for the conference charged that “attempts are continuing to smuggle a freeway system into Vancouver bit by bit’’ and cited the connectors at both ends of

the-Georgia Viaduct and the new ~~

projected crossing of First Narrows as examples. It termed rapid transit as ‘‘the number one priority for the majority of working citizens of Vancouver.”’

Alderman Harry Rankin told the meeting that ‘‘the tempo of city hall politics has really moved forward in the last three months.’’ He charged that ‘Council and the mayor have projected a ‘‘hard line’’ against young people who are moving

_ across the country because of

unemployment and who must be looked after.

The fight over the use of the Jericho property; he said, is just

: the tip of the iceberg in the real _ issue which-is whether Van-

couver will have freeways or a rapid transit system.

“‘We can have one or the other” , Said alderman Rankin,

“we can’t have both. The fight for rapid transit is the single biggest. ssue in civic politics in Wahtouyer at the -present times:

Beane.

J The outcome will laréel D

determine the direction a city’s development.” He ¥ COPE members. to, ac! ais! participate in a public camP* in favor of rapid transit. » “a

The annual elections Ronald Gomez chosen 4% P dent for the coming Bi 5 addition, Bruce Yorke idet at elected as vice-pres! tal Margaret Chunn, sect Frank Kennedy, reasuret Swankey, publicity dir@ nell Dennis Rankin, Jean m4 Terry Clarke, Ruth smit Alex Watson as members ° executive.

The meeting decided t? se? ll brief and delegauay Be: “ff | council on March 3 aru . ‘council to cancel thé

Seasons agreement. | Opposes freewa) |

Among the 30 briefs pest | to- city council on the give" | “freeway” plan was on 0 by Wm. Turner, on behal B.C. Communist Party- js 0]

Turner said ‘‘Our party all | the opinion that what is ia moh involved is not the build ewe! the extension of a ire system through the Jer ae Locarno beach area, but ing ihe volume of traffic servicl 5 University-Point Grey 4 complement the over? or lg for rapid transit as fee ; towards existing wall aA and the proposed J Arbutus connector. fi

The Communist party | ie opposed the construction rel roadway through the be@ and urged that the i. th roadway be augmented ? isiot earliest possible prov wea rapid transit in conjunc y the, oxexall: regional pagan!

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