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Civic ownership

Defense lawyers sentenced

These five lawyers, whose brilliant defense of the II American Communist leaders fell on ears of a jury deafened by three years ef press and radio anti-communist propaganda, were also victims of Judge Harold R. Medina, who handed them sentences ranging

from 30 days to 6 months for “contempt.”

The sentences, which

will begin on November 15, have drawn the bitter comment that “even the Nazis didn’t imprison defense lawyers” in the Reichstag trial—later exposed as a gigantic frameup. They are (left to

right): Abraham J.

Isserman, George Crockett Jr.,

Richard

Gladstein, Harold Sacher and Louis F. McCabe.

150 gold strike at

for higher wages

Hedley

HEDLEY, (3.G.

Following futile negotiations over a period of five months, 150 miners went on strike at- Hedley Nickel Plate Mine this week for higher wages, statutory holidays with pay, and the union shop. The

men are members of International Workers, Local 656.

The contract expired July 1, but negotiations have been proceeding since May. A recent strike vote was 109 to 43 in favor of a walk- out. The company met the local committee and proposed 34 cents a day increase in wages, which was rejected.

Union demands aie for wage boosts of 22 percent, all statutory holidays with pay, union shop, and reduction of the work week to 40 hours without any loss in take-home pay.

Negotiations between Mine-Mill and Hedley Nickel Plate were the first since devaluation of the Can- adian dollar, which gave an im- mediate 10 percent hoist in in- come to all gold mines, :

LPP city conference

~A Vancouver city conference of the Labor-Progiessive party. will be held Sunday, October 30, in the lower hall at Pender Auditorium, starting at 12 noon. Admission will be by membership card only.

The conference will discuss plans for fall and winter work and prepare for the civic elections in December.

Free Greeks aided

—TORONTO

The Women's Committee for’

Peace Action announced last week that a total of $960.26 had been collected in response to its ap- peal for aid for the Greek pat- riots. British Columbia ‘contri- buted $250 of this amount.

Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter

Likens U.S. to

Canadian trial “

—TORONTO

Trial and conviction of the 11 U.S. Communist leaders shows striking similarities to the trial of Canadian Communist leaders in the Hungry Thirties, Tim Buck, national LPP leader, said _ this

week.

“The brazen and _ repressive characted of our conviction was

soon recognized by hundreds of thousands of Canadians and led

‘to the greatest upsurge of mass

popular protest against the govern- ment that had ever been witnessed in Canada up to that time,” said Buck. “Public opinion finally compelled our release from prison and the repeal of the law under which we had been convicted.

“I am confident that, even if big business and the Truman ad- ministration succeed in putting the 11 leaders of the Communist Party of the United States in prison, the effect upon democratic opinion in the U.S, and through-

-out the world will very soon

compel the government to reverse its position.” 7

of BCER befor

public in ‘vote

“for or against” the BCElectric —

While West Vancouver citizens are voting this Saturday 3 . : taking over their publicly-owned bus system, thousands of Vancouver people will be casting ballots 1

a ‘‘straw vote’ on the question, ““Are you in favor of city ov “Polling booths” will be set up on 40 main strzet corners an mittee for Public Ownership, which is sponsoring the straw vote.

_ . After the straw vote ballots are counted, the CPO will 138 East Cordova, on Sunday, November 6, at 8 p.m., steps in the campaign for public ownership of the BCER. Alderman Laura Jamieson, the secretaries of both CCL and TLC trades councils,

and present their views.

be invited to attend the meeting

In a letter sent this week to the Citizens Protest Committee of West Vancouver, which has led the anti-BCER fight in that community, ~ president Orville Braaten of the Commitfee for Public Ownership offered support and said:

“*T wish to take this opportunity to commend your committee on the splendid work you are doing for the citizens of West Van- couver. Your campaign for re- taining your bus system under the ownership of the public is a very timely one and -is deserving of the support of all public-minded citizens.

“Your committee of West Vancouver and our committee of Vancouver have one thing in

‘common, namely, the public own-.

ership of. our community trans- portation systems.. This common bond could well result in the joint cooperation of our committees in cattaining their objectives.”’

The CPO executive also. se- cured and mailed to 100 prom- inent Vancouver citizens copies of an article from the Toronto Star Weekly on the Toronto street railway system, one of the outstanding transportation —sys- tems on this continent. The TTC is publicly owned.

CPO representatives are hop- ing to arrange a meeting with the

utilities committee of city council

to urge the holding of a plebiscite on public ownership during the civic elections in December. Van- couver can take over the BCER An 1951, according to the com- pany’s charter, providing a year’s notice is given in advance.

Often-heard arguments to the effect that “the job is too big for the city to handle’ and “we should let the province ‘take over BCElectric’”” were knocked on the head by’ Jack Phillips, CPO secretary. é ;

“The government has no in- ‘tention of taking over the BCE; on the other hand, it has offered assistance to the City of Vancou- ver should it decide in favor of public ownership of BCER,” said Phillips. ~ 5

He referred to a speech made on May 15, 1945, by the then- premier of B.C., the Hon. John Hart, who said: “The govern- ment is not prepared to take over and operate the transportation system in Victoria or Greater Vancouver, neither is it prepared to undertake the distribution of electricity in those areas. The

hold a public rally at Fishermen’s to announce the results and discuss f

and other citizens active in- public affa

vnership of the street railway system? d manned by supporters of the Com- oe

Hall,

urther

Effie Jones,

irs will

Ne ma Y

40 POLLING STATIONS rt

29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “yes”

and Boundary; at Forsts

and Main

and Carral Hastings at Woodwards Hastings at Eaton’s Broadway and Commercial Broadway and Main

‘Broadway and Cambie Broadway and Granville Commercial and First Kingsway and Knight Road Kingsway and Joyce Road

Hastings Hastings Hastings Hastings

Where to cast your vote

Here’s the list of polling stations for, the straw plebiscite 6n public ownership of the BCElectric to be held on October Citizens will be asked to vote or “no” on the question, ownership of our street railway system?”

“Are you in favor of public

Victoria and 41st ? Fraser and 41st

- Fraser and 49th Main and 25th Granville and Davie Granville and Robson Granville and Georgia Granville and Dunsmuir Granville and Pender Denman and Davie Denman and Robson Robson and Burrard

Robson and Seymour 4 pa ae

same applies to Victoria and Greater Vancouver.

“However, should these two centers desire to own their trans- it systems and the right to dis- tribute electricity within _ their boundaries, the government will give consideration to any proposal they have to make . . . the gov- ernment promises every assistance ... the matter of financing would not be a difficult one.”

Phillips said that the CPO will step up its campaign for civic ownership, and urged “every Pa- cific Tribune reader who is ‘a trade unionist or a member of a progressive organization to have resolutions passed at your next meeting and sent to city council,

‘asking that citizens of Vancouver

be allowed to express their opin-

ion ‘on public. ownership’ via a |

plebiscite in December.’” Tim Buck urges new constitution

—MONTREAL

LPP national leader Tim Buck last week urged calling of a

“genuine National Constituent

Convention” to draft a Canadian People’s Constitution. He said that such a constitution should recognize that Canada is a two- nation state and should guaran- tee to. French Canada the right

to determine her own destiny up |

_to and including the right of self-

determination, He said French Canada had

“been discriminated against partly

because of the present constitu-

‘tion, and when Duplessis refuses

to discuss changing it, he is de- fending these evils which are visited upon the French-Canadian people. ;

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCTOBER 28, 149 —

* this week blamed

Big hearing won by LPP

Labor-Progressive party Ca didates trailed in three byelection this week, but did succee ‘s winning a wide hearing for. ther party’s program of peace, Jor and trade with all the world— isles which, as. the econome crisis deepens, will become cleare! to Canadians everywhere in vie of the Liberal party’s consistent betrayal -of its election promuses-

In the three of: the eight by election contests where LPR didates ran, results were? —

NEW WESTMINSTER |g W. M. Mott, Lib. 8 E. Philpott, Ind. .....--:°°7 R. Irvine, CCF _ 5,808 J. Christmas, PC M: Rush; LPP. ...0.+-o-pc

MONTREAL-LAURIER 204

J. B, LeFrancois, Lib. -. 1° its Pierre Gelinas, LPP TORONTO-GREENWOO? 14

J. M. Macdonald, PC .---:"", Po

oy Seer

9,498, Pi Ryan, Mib-aveyeon ee crt H. Hotrum, CCF ..-°:.:>°"’ Oa

L. Watson, LPP

Higher coffee price devaluation ‘benefit |

Workers will pay for the Kent fits the St. Laurent 80V!

has conferred on big busi devaluation of the jar in higher prices for ¢ nouncing an increase

the advance. The ass , eases

ported that “further x tee

are likely.” ‘ pace

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