Poevpatpamane a abe | HOF HEIN BATTALION SPAL BRITISH COLUMBIA?’S PROGRESSIVE HOME NEWSPAPER FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY FULL No. 212. VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1939 << © 5 Cents ‘TLC AUT GOV'T AGREES ON ACTION TO SAVE TIMBER Stamp Falls Park Faces Destruction; Crews at Work VICTORIA, Feb., 2—Coopera- tion of the provincial govern- ment to purchase or otherwise preserve the timber in the srea near Stamp Falls was assured a delegation of Port Alberni and Alberni citizens by Hon. A. Wells Gray, Biinister of Lands. The delegation representing the Board of Trade, civic and business interests demanded 3 hait to the logging eperations which are devastating the area and destroying the natural beauty of the park. PORT ALBERNI, BC, Feb. 2—While devastation of tim- ber surroundins Stamp Falls proceeds under falling crews employed by the O’Brien Log- ging Company, Port Alberni this week received its first of ficial reply to numerous pro- tests when Hon. A. Wells Gray, Minister of lands, informed citizens by wire that any decision will have to await the cabinet’s re- view of the whoie matter. Meanwhile timber on one of the most beautiful park sites on Van- couver island is rapidly being cut down and unless the government takes some action to halt the work immediately, there will be no need for the cabinet to do anything but hold a post mortem. What puzzles the residents of this district and keeps feeling at a high pitch is the government's professed ignorance and inaction. Last week one of the Victoria dailies carried a news story, ap- parently released by a Depart- ment of Lands official stating that the only forestry project work being done in the arez was construction of a trail 100 feet long, whereas nearly 300 yards of trails and cut-in steps to the Lookout have been built at an ap- proximate cost of $3000. Then again the Victoria story States that land and timber is owned in the United Kingdom, al- thougktE it is actually owned by three Wisconsin timbermen and should be registered with the de— partment, The area being logged off does not actually come into the park site, but lecal residents and the Board of Trade feel that since there are literally no trees in the park the timbered section should be incorporated. The @’Brien Logging Company has expressed willingness to forego stumpage rights for $3000 and this information has been forwarded to the government, but there the mat-— ter has apparently reached a dead end. JAPAN PROVOKES BORDER CLASH MOSCOW, USSR—Official pro- test coupled with a warning of grave consequences to follow if Japanese troops continued their border forays was lodged with the Japanese government by the Soviet Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. This action of Soviet authorities followed the woundings of a border Suard during a clash with 18 Japan- ese and Manchukuoan soldiers who attempted to seize a Soviet island in the Argun River on the USSR- Manchukuo border. The raiders were driven off with seven of their wounded by patrol. the Soviet border This is the first raid since Soviet | troops administered a smashing de- feat to Japan at the disputed Chungkufeng Hill by wiping out two Japanese regiments. The latest clash occurred close to Manechuli, where the Trans-Siberian railway reaches Manchulkio. CRANBROOK, BG, Feb. 2.—Ten- ders =from 19 construction com- panies were received by city coun- cil for a civic-owned electric power plant estimated to cost $200,000. mumber killed or |. 0 Strikers Term Note As ‘Hoax’ i4@ More Join Woman’s Bakery Picket Lines Failure of 10 girl employees of the Woman’s Bakery te show up at their place of work Tuesday because of an allesed “threaten- ing note” was explained when the girls appeared at headquar-— ters of the Bakery and Confec- Gonery Workers’ Union and joined strikers in their demand for implementing the arbitration award handed down on October 20 in favor of the union. - Three truck drivers out of also joined the strike. One fore- man came out last weekend. The “threatening mote” ansije was believed by employees te be @2 hoax They emphatically dis- claimed any Knowledge of notes of an intimidatory character as being responsible for their non- appearance at work. Union business Humphreys told the Advocate that the premises where the note is reported to have been received is a branch store at Third and Commercial and could not have had anything to do with the employees’ action, since the walkout occurreaG at the main plant. With the latest walkout at the Plant, total number of strikers is now 29, not including bakery drivers. The strike started November ii when the Woman’s Bakery management failed to abide by the decision of the arbitration board which rengered its deci- sion in favor of Local 468, Bak ery and Confectionery Worlcers’ Union. Ail stores have been picketed during the twelve weeks and on two occasions mass picket lines were thrown around the plant to impress non-striking employess and drivers to side in with strik- ers for upholding the award handed down by Judge Macin- tosh, chairman, Dorothy Steeves, MLA, and T Ainsworth, mana- ger of the Rollin’ Pin Bakery, who constituted the board of ar- bitration. z The bakery is now running Shorthanded. It is reported by the girls that the few who have remained at work are working extra time in order to try and fill the vacancies left by the walkout. CCF VOTES TO RETAIN TELFORD With an approximate two to one vote of the membership in the nine elubs in support, the CGF Vancou- ver East District Council decided Tuesday night that Mayor Lyle Telford would remain a member of the movement and continue to re- present Vancouver Fiast in the leg- islature as a CCE member. A resolution was endorsed by the District Council that the matter of Mayor Telford’s status be dealt with at the next CCE provincial eonvention, and a recommenda- tion was approved that the conven- tion be held in May in order to elear up any dissension before the federal elections. While Duesday’s vote in the Dis- trict Council saw only five clubs supporting Telford as against four opposed, the vote was far from equal since the five clubs repre— sented have at least 190 members as against 80 for dissenting clubs. Clubs supporting the Mayor were Tecumseh, Cedar Cottage, Carleton, Hastings East and Joyce Road. Opposed were Renfrew, South Hill, Epic and Unity. Detter of the provincial execu- tive asking the District Council to take the necessary steps to oust Telford was filed. Burrard District Council] at its meetings a week ago also decided in favor of Mayor Telford. With these decisions recorded it is expected that a big issue may be made of his future status in the movement. His popularity is wide— spread and members are likely to } decide in his favor. agent John four, one foreman and two boys =~ lI. SPONSORS VETERANS’ AID Ernest Hemingway, famous Am- erican novelist, whose steries from the war front in Spain have won Canadian acclaim, is ene of the sponsers of the fund to re—- habilitate volunteers of the Im- ternational Brigades. FUNDS RUSHED AS VETS LAND Among the 270 Canadian volun- Battalion under command of Major E.. Cecil Smith of TLorente to dis- embark from the Duchess of Rich- mond at Halifax today (Friday) “will be 53 BC volunteers. A committee from the National office of the Friends of the Mac- Kenzie Papineau Battalion will welcome the men back home after two years of front line action. Shirts, underwear, sox and shoes will be given the men as it is understood that during the four months since their withdrawal from the Spanish republican army their clothes had not been replaced and they were rushed through France to the ship without an op- portunity to be refitted. The Vancouver Committee is still seeking people to adopt one or more of the volunteers for a week or two until the men are gradu- ally absorbed back into civil life. The drive for $2000 emergency funds has reached nearly $700 but Miss Jean Cameron, secretary of thee ommittee, states this amount is far short of meeting require- ments. “These volunteers offered every-— thing they had—even their life if need be, and now it our turn to see that the men are looked after,” Stated Miss Cameron to the Advyo- cate. Preparations are going ahead for the tour of Lieut. William Kardash, (Continued on page 6) See VETERANS teers of the Mackenzie-Papineau - NOMY PRC New Setup Would Change Policies Of Canadian Labor granting charters. gees through, the local Trades Council may return its Hederation charter, which would indicate that the American section of organized labor would no longer issue chart— ers to Central labor councils in Canada. While the new development was at too early a stage for any definite estimation ef its results, it is believed that complete au- tenomy for the Canadian move— ment would transform it from a mere legislative appendage of the AFL into a unified, closely knit trade union centre equipped with the power to decide its own des- tiny. Many Canadian unionists have considered the position of the A basic change in Canada’s trade union setup which may lead to a strengthening of the nation’s organized labor move- ment was seen this weekend as reports reached here that the AFL executive council meeting in Miami, Florida, had decided to srant complete autonomy to the Trades and Labor Congress. Announced by AFI. president William Green, the move was confirmed in Vancouver Thursday by P. R. Bengough, secretary of the Trades and Labor Council, who explained that AFL leaders were now considering a revision in the procedure of if the autonomy move definitely , Trades and Labor Congress as a mere legislative mouthpiece as con- stituting a serious wealsness which has prevented the organization irom carrying on its worl. Now it is believed that the Trades Congress can become a2 virile, well equipped trade union centre capable, for exampie, of opening a powerful Campaign to erganize Canadian industry. The move to grant autonomy is an outgrowth of the attempt by » William Green to expel CGanadian CIO unions from the Trades Con- gzress. The matter was discussed last (Continued on page 6) See AUTONOMY 0 i 1 "NO SURRENDER’ SPAIN PREMIER TELLS CORTES | | | | : Catalonia Succeeds | | In Reorganizing Lines of Defense ; GERONA, Spain. — While i Loyalist troops “fought like — devils” behind new lines in Gerona province, delegates to the Spanish Cortes met sec- || retly in an ancient abbey near Figueras Thursday and heard Premier Juan Nesrin renew his government’s pledge to con- tinue the fisht against fascism. © Republican Spain could only con- | Sider 4 peaceful solution to the war on three pointS—a guarantee of Spain’s independence and sover- eignty, freedom from all foreign im- fluences, no persecution and no re- prisals, he Said, indicating there was no prospect that any such con- ditions could be obtained either from Franco or Mussolini. I As the cortes discussed new plans to continue the war, the Ministry of Defense, in a special communigue, declared that defense lines had “once more become re-established, life behind the lines is rapidly be- ing normalized and the will to re— Sist is strong.”’ Lying fascist communigues Charging the presence of foreigners Council To Decide Monday Victoria May Establish Municipal-Owned Utility couneil borrow $450,000 to construct the plant and also a steam plant in Victoria to serve schools, civic buildings and 700 customers alone the feeder lines. Considerable agitation has been worked up for this project by the Public Ownership League and was a hot issue in the last civic election. R. W. Beck, public utilities ad- viser, urged such action to the com- mittee and on Monday night the council] members will consider the proposal of the franchise commit- tee’s recommendation. Should the council endorse their own proposal the BC Electric, which supplies the power and light at present, will lose this business. The loan will be borrowed from the federal government at two per- cent interest under the Municipal Assistance Act or may be raised on the market at a correspondingly low rate of interest. This money will also be used to build a trans- mission line from the Goldstream plant to serve the 10,000 kilowatt plant in the city: Possible Settlement in Blubber Bay Strike dent, left Vancouver Thursday night for the strike scene where he will address a meeting of strik— ers and place the terms of the set- tlement before them for ratifica- tion. The tentative agreement already reached is said to include the re- hiring of all strikers and strike leaders with no discrimination to be shown. Wegotiations were held last week attended by Harcld J. Pritchett for the IWA, Judge J. C. McIntosh, R. WN. Bird, company solicitor, and J. NM. Bryan, Liberal MLA for Mac kenzie district. Barring further hitches, parties to the agreement are understood to be optimistic concernins a final settlement to one of the lengethiest strikes in BC’s labor history. Possible settiement of the eight-months-old Blubber Bay strike loomed this week following new negotiations between of- ficials of the International Woodworkers of America and repre- sentatives of the Pacific Lime Company. Harold J. Pritchett, TWA presi-S HAROLD F. PRITCHETT = VICTORIA, BC, Feb. 2.—Erection of a hydro-electric plant at Goldstream as a municipally-owned utility appeared a prob- ability when the franchise committee of City Couneil, compris- ing the entire council and Mayor MeGavin, recommended that Vancouver Unionist Tours For Advocate John Brown, well known WVan- couver unionist, left for Vancou- ver Island this week as a repre- sentative of the People’s Advo-_ cate. He has been assigned to the work of soliciting subscriptions and advertising, and the manage— ment of the Advocate asks all supporters of the paper to assist him during his stay in their community. Be will work in the Nanaimo district during the first few weeks. BOOKS BANNED BY DUPLESSIS MONTREAL, Quebec — Premier Duplessis was reported early this week as planning a new attempt to evict Muni Taub from his home at 4124 Laval street on the srounds that his resistance is beings used as a “center far the dissemination 'ef Commiunistic propaganda.” The charge was based on the fact that provineial police had “discovered” a’ number of “Com- munist’ books during a previous raid on his home. Taub told the press that his apartment was en- tirely too small to be used as a “center for communistic activi- ties.”’ “All articles seized by the police and listed in the communication I have received from them ‘were in my private library,” he stated. Included amone the confiscated boks and material were I Visit the Soviets by Marearet Gould; Reporter in Spain by Frank Pit- cairn: No Pasaran by Upton Sin- clair; a copy of the Communist Party Brief to the Rowell Com- mission on Dominion-Proyincial Relations; The Birth of Canadian Democracy by Stanley Ryerson; clippings from the Montreal Daily Star concerning the provincial les islature; a private diary—unused for many months: a reprinted speech of Manuel Azana, president ef the Spanish Republic: two pri- vate letters Taub is carrying on his work as organizer for the St. Touis-Laurier section of the Quebec Communist Party entirely outside his place of residence. | sR Stipe ee Fight To Last Man MADRID, Spain. “The Madrid territory under my control will fight to the last man,’ General Jose Miaija, commander of the gevernment forces in central Spam announced Wednesday. “®eli that to Franco, to iWiusso- lini and to the world,” said the Savior of Madrid. “Even if the whole of Catalonia falls, my ter- ritory remains. IT and the men under me will fight on until - victory is assured.” : EE aIE=sis=4 Ibs P=sibz gb =e Fagib abd badd p= b= in the Republican army were sharply denied by army Officials. On the other hand, the statement declared, the Republicans are fight- ing soldiers, aviators, technicians and equipment of the Italian and German invaders. Life in Republican Gatalonia has returned to normal with the news- papers Ejercito Popular, Frente Rojo and solidaridad O@brera ap- pearing in Gerona, with loudspeak— ers carrying the news in al] towns. “Civilian evacuation was carried out in orderly fashion,” the com- munigque continued. “The military is now supplying civilians and troops with bread. “At La Junguera, near the frontier, a steady stream of women and children en route to France passed another stream of Repub- lican soldiers en route back to the front to join their units. “The latter had been confused,” the communique said, “by false in- formation about the ‘collapse’ of the Republican army and the ‘land- ing’ of fascist troops on the North- €rn Catalonian coast. “These lies were spread by Provocateurs who propagandized for a flight to France. Realizing what has occurred, soldiers are now returning enthusiastically for the ——~ fight on the new front,” the state- ment concluded. UNIONS MEET Tightening of the boycott of Japanese, German and Italian com- modities and strengthening the co- operation between boycott commit tees will be the theme of a confer ence Saturday at 8 pm. in the Daily Province auditorium. E. A. Jamieson and PR. Ben— gough, president and Secretary of the Trades and Labor Council, are scheduled to address the delegates when they open the meetings, which is sponsored by the Council’s boy- cott committee and endorsed by the Council. Invitations were extended to the Elks, Eagles, Moose, Masons, Catholics, Jewish and Oddfellows lodges to send delersates and num- erous other organizations engaced in the promotion of peace or actively participating in the boycott move. ONBOYCOTT =