Which column do you read?

These two reports, one sent from London by Reuters, the other

from Washington by Associated Press,

appeared on the front page

of a Canadian daily paper in adjoining columns of the same edition.

WELL, ISN’T IT TRUE?

Soviet encyclopedia: 16 pages onCanada

«REUTERS story from Moscow

reprinted in our dailies, sneers at the 16-page section on Canada in the Great Soviet En- cyclopedia, implying that there are inaccuracies in it,” writes the Canadian Ukrainian. «“We would be the first to defend our country against misrepresentation, but the list furnished by Reuters doesn’t make out any such case.” Deal- ing with the point in the Encyclo- pedia cited by Reuters, the Uk- rainian Canadian adds it own comment:

@ That the rights of Cana- gians are “grossly broken by police repression mainly against workers and progressives.”

Haven't they heard of the Pad- lock Law in Quebec? Of police and judicial attacks on striking seamen, textile workers in Val- leyfield, electrical workers in Hamilton? Of the internment of workers’ leaders during the war and seizure of the Ukrainian Labor Temples?

@ “Included in the British Empire, Canada is in fact in con- siderably greater dependence on the monopolists of the United State.”

Well? Isn’t it true? Aren’t Can- adians in all walk of life saying exactly that? ;

@ “The system of government>

reproduces the most reactionary features of the state order of the United States and England.”

Why, we haven't even got 2 Canadian Bill of Rights! And as for Bill 7....-

@ “The Canadian Senate is a most reactionary institution con- sisting of representatives of big capital.”

People’s Voice, Auckland, N.Z. “There I wuz! Prizner of war! Fed within an inch of my life! Torchered with book readin’! Surrounded by convoited G.L.’s!”

“Nurse, we’re going t to fill this guy’s Seeth ance the nose. He’s one of those writ-

ers who’s afraid t mouth.” a

Isn‘t it?) Not only the labor movement, but the CCF and Lib- erals have long demanded that it be reformed or disbanded.

@ “Election rights are based on racial, religious and property discrimination.”

Do Canadian Indians have the vote? Or Doukhobors? Aren't only property owners and, not everywhere, apartment renters, permitted to vote in municipal elections?

@ “Very often most import- ant state decisions are taken by the Canadian prime minister and cabinet without prior consulta- tion with the House of Commons, which lates gives them formal sanction.”

Didn't they ever hear of gov- ernment by order-in-council, not only in wartime, but right now? More than that, wasn’t there a scandal at the last session of par- liament when the government re- ported that it had passed an order-in-council which it refused to divulge even to the House of Commons—it still stands, a law which is secret from everyone, even from parliament!

@ Reuters objects to two of the ten pictures included in the write-up: one showing a slum in Quebec City, and the other a breadline at Scott Mission in To- ronto.

Heck, you can see bigger slums than that in Montreal, Toronto and many another Canadian city. And as to the breadline picture it appeared in a Toronto daily newspaper, and you can get a hundred like it any day in the week all over Canada.

So we have no choice but to

conclude: sad, but true.

BY WILLIAM KASHTAN

Bill 7 designed to smash labor

defense of jobs, living

ILL 93, as it was previously

known and now Bill 7 will be debated by the present session of the House of Commons. In fact, it has already been given first reading. But the Speech from the ‘Throne made no mention of increasing layoffs in a number of industries al- though one would think layoffs are a matter of national concern, requiring national action, Neither is there any mention of the need for a Bill of Rights, although the overwhelming majority of Cana- dian public opinion favors it.

These omissions are not acci- dental.

With growing layoffs and at- tacks on living standards on one hand and the inevitable opposi- tion of the working class, the trade union movement and the people on the other, the govern- ment needs legislation on the statute books to effectively smash this opposition.

This is one of the ways reac- tionary big business and govern- ment plan to meet the depres- sion—if they can get away with it!

It is up to organized labor to prevent it.

Strong opposition of all sec- tions of the labor movement last year prevented the government’s plans from going through. It delayed the government’s time

table but didn’t put it out of com- mission.

There may now be a feeling that having expressed opposition to the anti-labor sections of the pill, there is very little else that can be done. Such a viewpoint, if widespread, would be very dan- gerous indeed. It certainly would suit the purpose of reaction and government and enable them to rush the bill through the House of Commons without any difficul- ty.

To prevent this will require a much stronger effort by labor than took place last year. And now is the time to start.

There is no reason why, on this vital issue in which the right to strike, picket and to speak free- ly is at stake, the TLC, CCL, Rail- way Brotherhoods and Catholic Syndicates should not jointly ap- pear before the government and re-emphasize the united opposi- tion of organized labor to any re- strictions on democratic rights.

Neither is there any reason why such representations should not insist that, before the Crim- inal Code is debated, parliament should first of all enact a Bill of Rights to guarantee the rights of the Canadian people.

If, alongside these measures, every trade union local were

standards

again to reiterate its oppositio® to Bill 93 and let every MP know it, either by letter, telegram or delegation, there is no doubt that reaction’s attempt at shackling labor can be defeated. ;

The League for Democrati¢ Rights is to be congratulated #2 having brought the dangerous — implications of the bill to. aan attention of labor ahd demoerati opinion.

It is now preparing another pamphlet entitled It’s still @ Crime, As the title of the, pamPi let suggests, only minor amet ments have been made to th original bill, despite widespreé! opposition. But the labor more ment and democratic opinio® © strong enough to change the sitt ation, provided everyone 1S the alert.

Active trade unionists cals will find this pamp tremely useful in their he defend the hard-won rien labor and the democratic of the people.

Trade union locals throug? sed the country would be well adv} t from now on to have the of the anti-labor and antl cratic sections of the bil 438: the first points on their agen ‘b It is part of the fight to cope ‘he the threat of depression a4 jo8

hlet

defense of their jobs a” standards.

Poor Tahsis service

READER, Tahsis, B.C.: The mail service in this community is disgusting and much dissatis- faction exists as a result.

For example, on October. 26 mail, from the Princess of Al- berni arrived at the post office at 1:30 p.m. People started to line up at 3:30; at 6:30 p.m. the wicket still was not open and did not open till the following day.

Mail arrives twice weekly, Monday on the boat and Tuesday by plane. Surely we deserve a better deal. Three planes a week arrive from Vancouver but only one carries mail. It seems the postal authorities are more in- terested in saving dolllars than in the needs and wishes of the population here.

Younger generation

J.L., Pitt Meadows, B.C.: I ask- ed a group of young fellows a few days ago what they thought of the world situation. They replied, “We don’t understand it, no one can understand it, no one can explain it.”

I have thought ‘over this state- ment many times. I am an old man, 67, and tend to become “old- fashioned,” and I wonder if there is any truth in the statement.

If the time for theorizing is past and people are now guided by emotion, it is still relatively easy for me and others to with- stand what is happening in the world today, because of our study of dialectical materialism,

But for these young people, is there no simple explanation we could give them? Now that hu- man exploitation has been end- ed by 200 million people in the USSR, it is only necessary for people to realize this, and act on their impulses and emotions.

On Doukhobors

MARJORIE THIBODEAU, Dun- can, B.C.:; Your paper is getting better every issue. I was so very pleased with your coverage of the Doukhobor question, as the facts you gave upheld the opinions I had held all along. Tom McEwen’s column was a masterpiece.

Thoughts on the

READER, Vancouver, B.C.:

Light up streets

MOTORIST, Vancouver: mest Chief Mulligan and is men are having lots ° ing around in ghost cars resting drivers who are fr 32 miles an hour, bee are as frequent aS ©" (on about some decent jightin8’

B. C. Electric

ag Ws I have tried, in the followine aft

di

to put into verse what everyone is saying in less polishe' pect

It’s very difficult to wax poetic while travelling and if the lines don’t scan neither do Dal Grauer’s “explan

I’m just one of the throng and | daily wend my To place of toil in distant part of our large and Bu: Gad! the unfair toll for transvortation Seems to me, and all I’m sure, a sad and shameful

on the “tions

way spread

1 must pay pity:

ing oitY!

Now from my home to the location of my employment,

By devious ways must | of necessity pursue,

To transfer twice, then walk three blocks, mean

enjoyment,

And waiting by the stops, does me and many more “i

thoughts imbue,

Ai night it seems, that when the rain is pelting wet

m minim itn ait?

and ool

It’s then | usually stand, in misery and mounting 4” Until that bus’or trolley crawls along, only to be told, ind rae “Full up, mind the door,” then wait and nurse 4 grow

and hunger.

Uj At last a bus arrives on which | nudge, then sorely presi,

I squeeze, and tread on toes, in space that’s of Then soon again, must | alight and sprint like one To seize a place in block-long'line that waits for

East.”

When finally to my home, | somehow manage fo Appetite gone, nerves on edge, from these goings * I’m so keyed up that all in the house are upset by

state,

Ere long I’m sure our home will be wrecked bec ne]

B.C. Electric.

Now for many days I’ve mulled it over,, thi

question,

Have talked with scores from all walks of

dancer,

answer.

And they all agree, most heartily, with hardly To pay less fare for service more, public owners

very ‘ the bee soy oY

negotlt ic $0 co

ie £

ause of

. very Oe

to life, stevedor?

exception,

hip’s

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 27, 1053 —