4

P. A, racic aovocate

PEOPLE’S VGiCE FOR PROGRESS

Published every Saturday by The People Publishing Com-
pany, Reom 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia and printed at East End
Printers, 2303 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British
Columbia. Subscription Rates: One year $2; six months $1.

Editor Phone
C. A. SAUNDERS MA rine 5288

dp, a
Big 3° Meet
ies meeting of the big three in Berlin will prove
_the first testing of the effectiveness of the San
Francisco World Security Charter. Many problems

face the leaders of the three key nations, and upon

their ability to overcome them in the spirit of Tehe-
ran and Crimea depends the possibility of continued

cooperation. to preserve peace.

Many disturbing trends have followed the last
meeting of the Big Three at Yalta in the Crimea, in-
cluding the display of power politics which marred
the peace conference.

The question of the Polish government has been
settled and Polish unity is now an accomplished fact,
the formation of the National Unity government
followed closely on the conviction of the 16 Poles,
agents of the Polish government-in-exile, whose
anti-Soviet intrigues endangered the peace of the
world.

However, the fact that the British Tory govern-
ment is continuing to lend financial aid to the Polish
government-in-exile, together with reports that they
will continue to finance the army of the London
Poles with the idea of creating a British foreign le-
gion shows that British Imperialism is still hopeful
of installing a “friendly regime” in Poland.

The results of British intervention in Greece are
rapidly becoming evident with the exposure of the
activities of the Greek fascists against the Macedo-
nians. The British sponsored Greek government has
done nothing to prevent these happenings, on the
contrary they have continued their persecution of all
opposition and handed over control of the country
to the pro-fascists. EAM leader Demetrius Partsila-
des states “they have handed over the country to
Quislings and pro-fascists.’’

The victory over Germany has removed the most
compelling force for United Nations’ unity. The
same need holds good but the stresses are greater.
A firm basis for continued cooperation can only rest
on the basis of the declaration of Teheran. The right
of peoples to determine their own form of govern-
ment must be adhered to.

This will be the first meeting of the Big Three
without Roosevelt.

Let us hope the same spirit prevails as at the
previous conferences.

Evictions

M°*55 public protest meetings are drawing sup-

port from all quarters as Vancouver citizens
tire of the intolerable housing situation which can be
traced directly to the persistent refusal of Vancou-
ver’s Civic government to meet the housing situation
squarely. It is time that the procrastinating ‘’tired
old men’ at the City Hall read the handwriting on
the wall. Public pressure demands prompt and ade-
quate action, and the city council have no alter-
native but to immediately act.

PAGE 4 — PACIFIC ADVOCATE

in P assing By C. A. Saundori

] think it is appropriate this week to sing a song

of praise to our cartoonist. His contributions
to our paper have demonstrated a keen insight in-
to the current political problems, and a great
ability to portray them in
simple and yet telling draw-
ings.

His cartoons on the hous-
ing question were superb; but
this week, in a few simple
lines he demonstrates the
major stumbling block in the
road to political progress.
The main story of the fed-
eral elections is evident -in
this cartoon plainly showing
how labor disunity tipped the
seales in favor of reaction.

The total progressive vote
in the country far outweigh-
ed the reactionary vote, and
there is no doubt that unity
in the progressive camp would have brought thou-
sands of people to the polls who refrained from

casting their ballots.

In an article from Holland in this week’s is-
sue, Sgt. Jack Phillips points out that one of the
main reasons for the small service vote was
the confusion caused by the lack of unity among
the progressive forces. —

The question is an immediate one as iar as
B.C. is concerned, for the caucus presently “being
held by the Liberal-Tory coalition may bring an

election within the next few months. It seems
evident that the coalition will continue and the
isues in the election can be clear and free from
confusion provided a basis for unifying the pro-
gressive vote can be arrived at.

THe onus rests directly on the CCF. So far

they have rebuffed the idea of discussing unity
and electoral agreements to enstre a progressive
government.

Surely they must realize that they have the
responsibility of ensuring that B.C. does not fol-
low the path of Ontario. The tactics of “CCF or
nothing,” of splendid isolationism, handed over

Ar ound Town By Cynthia catia)

EVERYBODY agrees that the housing situation
is bad. Ask most people “how bad,” how-
ever, and your answer will be, “Oh—pretty bad.”

But ask a member of the Kitsilano Labor-
Progressive Party branch,
and chances are you'll be
handed a list of facts and
figures, for the energetic
group of LPPers in Kitsi-
lano have got down to work
to assemble a bunch of sta-
tistics and case histories that
give a pretty good idea of
just “how bad” things are
in the area which makes up
all of Burrard constituency
east of Granville Street:

I was talking to Don Mac-
Intosh, one of the LPP mem-
bers who is at present can-
vassing the district with a questionnaire designed

to collect housing data.

“There are three of us in charge of one dis-
trict each,” he said. ‘Fel Ashton, Art Makepeace
and myself. And believe me, some of the cases
we’ve come across are pretty desperate. In one
tenement, for instance, we found people paying
twenty-two doliars a month for an unheated three-
room flat with no water. We found a family of
five livino in a garage. There was no water or
heat supplied, and no plumbing.”

Questions residents are asked include: how
mary families in dwelling? What sanitary facili-
ties are there in dwelling? Have you kitchen sink,
laundry facilities?

Then there are other questions such as: how
far away is the nearest playground If there
is no playground in the vicinity; where do your
children play—in backyard, or street?

When the facts are gathered and in order,
the Kitsilano branch is planning a real blitz-
Kreig- campaign for better housing. Canvassers
report that at no ‘home have they been turned
away, which proves, they reason, that all resi-
dents in the district are ready to join in the drive.

QNE nice thing about being a columnist: if you

try hard enough and long enough you’re bound
to convince somebody of something ... even if
it’s only your own: husband.

*necine strife and set the basis for :

I spent an interesting half-hour th 4

power to the Tories in Ontario, <)
weakened labor’s influence on a Ni
The CCF set themselves against all’
including the powerful trade union

There is a powerful trade union
this province, which can be decisive |
elections provided they ‘can be rall)
ganized way, behind a slate of pro.
didates, but the present CCF tactic :;
to itself the sole right to represent—

political field, merely sows confusio:

antagonisms. i

The problems of the postwar »
now. Projects for the conversion oi#
dustry, the creation of new industry
mediate attention. The housing +
province is reaching alarming proj
attacks of open shop employers agai:
labor are growing. Public owners!
creation of a steel industry, discrimir;
rates, are all problems right on i
British Columbia needs progressive
now as never before. Labor must ‘hi!
voice in shaping the policies of the ©

There is one decisive way to ei
must tilt the scales to progress with ~
labor unity. It can be done. The.
sure it by casting aside the isolatic
coming forward on the basis of rez}
unity program.

Te election of a progressive ge
B.C. on the basis of labor unity
the whole picture in Canada. Beside |
weight of progress against the pre!
Tory governments of Quebec anc
would help to unify the whole of
labor movement. Such a move prio
ing labor conventions could alter the
and clear the way for the elimina; |

litical action campaign.

This is vitally necesary in the Ci. }
present shanghaiing of Congress un #
port of the CCF is antagonisine th
affiliates and preventing this power
ter from wielding the force it show }
activities.

Some of you may remember tha’ }
I wrote a column maintaining the |
should have holidays away from al.;
ties like anybody else. Well, gal
This week the man of the house di
he’d thought of it himself) “Why ¢ {
a holiday ?”’ ;

However, since a “do-nothing” §
exactly up my alley, I decided to tak }
four-day rest—picking raspberries
Valley. This type of holiday will
way purpose. First, P’ll be doing suf
ful, providing I master the gentle P
picking quickly enough. Second, ¢ :
berry-picking is awfully good exe’ |
Tl be taking notes on how the 5, F
women who are employed on provini: &
working, eating and living, so that {
to you on their activities next -
column.

Then, of course, there’s another
a berry-picking holiday for the moi'*
months old Little Carl. Tll be kee &
I won’t have time to worry about |
Daddy, who is quite adept with a.[
a rivet gun to a typewriter, will p/P
the task of Little Carl’s personal:
don’t mind doing the damp ones, |,
not those!”) On the whole, it willl
fun. q

Stewart Dickson, a very busy yo |]
came from the army to take overt i
Area Supervisor for the Fraser Valk ©
Provincial Emergency Farm Labor #
explained to me the inner workings ")

whose task it is to route availabl'
farms where help is needed. I tall
girls who take care of the details |
They confided to me that when the’
at night, it isn’t Frank Sinatra they | 7
They just dream about weather - |
weather that won’t upset carefully |
transport a hundred girls from @
another. =

So, until next week, I’m off i
Maybe I'll even get a suntan! TS

SATURDAY, JULY /