CCL right-wing uses machine to gag critics when redbaiting fails to sway convention issues

OTTAWA

Robbed of the presence of sterling leaders of the labor movement through suspension and expul- sion actions against the United Electrical Workers and Mine Mill and Smelter Workers, and gagged

by a mechanical machine “majority,” progressive delegates to the recent

CL convention here nonethe-

less fought’ resolutely for sound union policies against th right wing administration of A. R. Mosher and

Pat Conroy.

So strong was the pressure of |

delegates from U.E., Fur and Leather and United Auto Work- ers that time and again all the right-wing leaders were forced to defend their position on key ques- tions.

Previous conventions, through a barrage of red-baiting, were able to drown out those who fought for progressive policies. This one found it more difficult, and re sqrted openly to arbitrary rulings to end debate on critical ques- tions like foreign policy, a Co- ordinated wage drive, trade union security, representation, and de- valuation.

On one the

occasion during

convention a stunned platform of |

right-wingers felt the full fury of rank-and-file criticism. This was when the subject of increasing representation at conventions to large unions like the UAW was under discussion. Loud booing greeted Pat Conroy’s charge that ‘leftist? elements alone sought greater representation and a fair- er system of representation at conventions. While on most is- Sues there had been a consistent seven-to-one vote in favor of the right-wing, the representation by size of union membership issue saw this large majority cut to two-to-one. On the final roll-call vote, 495 voted with the adminis- tration and 238 with the progres- Sive policy.

A surprising bolt from the tight-wing took place in the form of considerable Steel and Rubber delegates who voted with UE, Fur and Leather and UAW. The UAW, which had formerly been split, voted solidly. Mine delegates | cast 14 votes against the administra- tion, Steel 17, and Rubber 13;

The stinging personal rebuff given Pat Conroy ‘for ‘hig red- baiting expressed the resentment against .the right wing built up during the convention. Even Mosher was forced to admonish Conroy from the chair with, “I’m asking the speaker not to cast aspersions on any delegates.

Right-wing UAW and Rubber delegates demanded that Con- roy cease his red-baiting and charged the administration with “spending too much time” on it.

Conroy’s entire performance was’

Seen as an object lesson on the uses to which red-baiting is put: concealment of the serious under- Mining of trade union democracy ‘through denial of adequate rep- resentation to unions like the UAW. ;

A second demonstration of rank- and-file delegate unrest with the Bagging of debate on vital is- "sues, was seen .on the morning of the final convention day, when

the Mine-Mill issue came to the

floor. After a few minutes discussion, Mosher closed the debate. A

storm proke around the micro- Phones as delegates fought to con- tinue debate against the expul- sion of the vital Mine-Mill union and to score the administration’s ‘Taiding policies in Timmins and Port Colborne. ; One young woman delegate, . Pat Rooney of UE, Hamilton, Tefused to leave the mike, “Lis- ten, Mr. Chairman, it’s mo use you sitting up there banging the hammer, I’m going to speak whether you like it or not,” she

Shouted above the uproar.

In a dramatic 15 minutes Miss Rooney strode up to the platform, took “Mosher’s hand-mike and Started to address the delegates. Mosher struggled with the girl delegate, wresting the equipment

‘

\

from her grip.’ Later the mike was cut dead. . A delegate from Quebec de-

scribed the event as reminiscent of the worst feature of life in Quebec province where the right of free speech is denied labor. In a release, Robert H. Car- lin, Eastern Canadian director of Mine-Mill, declared: “Dele- gates to the ninth convention have had ample proof of the dictatorial and autocratic ac- tions of the executive officers of the Congress and have seen the results of the machine vot- ing in practise.” He declared that his union would be ready to rejoin the Congress if “raid- ing and political domination” of affiliated unions ceased.

In its closing hours, the con- vention discussed a watered down economic resolution on the ef- fects of devaluation and the need for a coordinated wage drive. :

Although the resolution gave lip- service to the need for resistance with ‘the recommendation. that “adequate preparation for effec- tive protective action” be under- taken,» the fact that it came on the floor when 50 percent of the delegates had left the session, and almost at the close of proceed- ings, was eloquent proof of the fact that the CCL leadership does not intend a serious contest of the wage cuts effected as a re- sult of devaluation.

“At no time,” said I. Burman, UE Montreal] delegate, “has the basic cause of devaluation and what to do about it come before this convention.” He castigated Mosher for his Stratford speech, in which he declared there would be no fourth round of wage in- creases in 1949. What was needed, he said, was a coordinated wage drive to fight impending cuts as a result of devaluation.

Following were results of vot- ing for CCL officers:

For president: A. R. Mosher,

503; R. H. Haddow, 147.

ENDICOTT.

redouble a-bomb pro-

U.S. would duction, Endicott asked:

“Where will this lead us? Others can also redouble. After mankind has been destroyed in an atomic war, will there be any America to stand up and cry, /‘Hurray, we won the war, we have 500 bombs left over’?”

The only possible answer , he said, was for the big powers to agree to ban the bomb, to apply atomic energy to. peaceful produc- tion and to work for trade between all countries. ‘

Endicott’s disclosures, which are hardly news in Canadian govern- ment circles, are nevertheless like- ly to disconcert the war-obsessed, St. Laurent cabinet with a popu- lar demand to know what Canada’s Chalk Rivér atomic plant is doing to apply atomic energy to peaceful construction and development.

It is already being pointedly ob- served that Canada’s rich unrani- um resources, which could be ap- plied to develop the northwest in which they are mined, are being exploited by the U.S. for the pure- ly destructive purpose of a-bomb production. As a result, Canada is being deprived of the nesources which could be applied to keep her in the forefront of atomic indus- trial progress.

The growing campaign for ban- ning the ‘bomb will be given an impetus in Vancouver on Friday, October 21, when Dr. Endicott speaks at Pender Auditorium here under auspicés of Vancouver Peace

Council. |

For vice-presidents: C. H. Mil- lard, 528; A. McAuslane, 641; S. Spivak, 512; Steve Anco, 172; J. K. Bell, 177.

For executive council: George Burt, 654; Sam Baron, 521; Joe Mackenzie, 528; Don MacDonald, 532; Wm, Stewart, 156; H. A.~ Chappell, 523; Fred Dowling, 5386; Jean Fare, 143; Wm. Rob- itaille, 638; J. E. McGuire, 514; J. Bellingham, 134; J. Brown, 147; S. Barrett, 520; Bob Stew- art, 126; J. K. Bell, 150; R. H. Haddow, 156.

Good idea for Vancouver, too

; Charlotte Chance (left) ard

to their protest.

Marilyn Wax step smartly into

the Chamber of Commerce building in Los Angeles to register their complain against smog—and their gas masks gave point

Evidence given at probe indicates Noronic was a ‘floating coffin’

TORONTO

Evidence piling up at the government hearings on the disastrous Noronic dockside fire which claimed 139 lives last month proves one of survivors’ charg2s beyond a doubt: the pleasure ship was a floating coffin which should never have been allowed to ope atc.

As the sordid tale of gross inefficiency, lack of fire precautions, slipshod federal inspection methods and Canada Steamship Lines’ greed unfolds at the inquiry, public opinion draws its own conclusions: the

holocaust which took such a heavy toll of life was a plain case of

mass murder.

“Had Hitler tied one of his crematoriums to the dock, it couldn't -have done a more ef-

ficient job,” said one listener, bit- terly.

Evidence given at the hearing disclosed that:

@ Captain William Taylor had, by his own count, “one drink of Scotch” before the fire broke out. (A Cleveland passenger Who escaped from the blazing ship charged that Taylor was drunk.)

The 36-year-old Noronic lacked fireproof bulkheads prescribed by law.

@ The government itself was to blame for this criminal neglect; it exempted its good friend

Canada Steamship Lines from

those Canada Shipping Act reg- |

which made fire - re- bulkheads compulsory.

ulations sistant

e@ Inspector William P. Craig of

the Department of Transport, who signed the Noronic’s_ in- spection papers last April, didn’t know his job. (Craig testified: “The Noronic had more fire buckets than the law required.” “How many does the law require?” asked a board member. AT don't know,” confessed Craig.)

@ Fire hoses on board the Nor- onic didn’t work; fire klaxons were apparently out of order, too. :

Ship’s. officers had not in- structed the scab Seafarers In- ternational Union crew in fire drill; neither officers nor men knew their fire stations.

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credible carelessness, neglect and disregard of safety precautions aboard the Noronic, public opin- ion is demanding that the federal heads of the Department of Transport and the heads of Can- ada Steamship Lines face crim- inal charges following the hear- ing.

Daniels charges discrimination —

_-

Cut off social allowance benefits

that he was “partially employable,” Bob Daniels, secretary of the B.C.

Union of Handicapped and Disabled Persons, is preparing to picket so- cial service offices until he wins his case.

“My own doctor has testified ‘that I am unable to work,” said | Daniels. “This is a clear example of discrimination arising out of my actions on behalf of the disabled persons in this province.”

Recently, Daniels picketed social services demanding carfare for re- lief recipients, and was successful in having carfare granted.

Admission

MH 1

As the inquiry continues to un- | cover shocking evidences of in-|

three weeks ago on the pretext |

SPEAKER: — DR. JAMES G. ENDICOTT

SUBJECT:

“World Peace and the Atom Bomb” FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 at 8 p.m.

At

PENDER AUDITORIUM

(339 West Pender) Under auspices of the Vancouver Peace Council

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCTOBER 14, 1949 — PAGE

Council ducks BCER issue

Civic utilities committee mem- bers squirmed in their seats this week as a delegation led by Nigel Morgan, LPP provincial leade1, put them “on the spot” by demand- ing the city hold a plebiscite in December on public ownership of the BCER. ;

Carrying a petition signed by thousands of citizens urging a plebiscite, Morgan told aldermen it was their duty to see that a pleb- |iscite “is held at.the time of the next elections.

Finally Alderman Alex Fisher, chairman of the committee, man- aged to duck the issue by declar- ing that the subject matter did not appear on the agenda, and Mor- gan’s remarks were out of. order,

Mcrgan announced that the peti- tion lists would-be forwarded to the chairman of the Public Utili- ties Commission in Victoria.

Fisher declared that the issue of public ownership was “a dead — dog.” But he didn’t look as though he believed his own words.

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