Yellowknife past. Barney McGuire Yellow- : knife resident, stated in an in- terview with P.A. that in his - Opinion, “the Yellowknife coun- cil has. spawned the seeds of home-grown fascism in our north country.” He pointed out that al- though three members are elect- ed to the seven-man Yellow knife Council, their activities in the interests of Yellowknife citizens are hampered by the four appointees, who generally carry out the policies of the mine bosses. “The Jack of elected repres- tntatives makes it almost im- possible for the will of the people of Yellowknife to.be ex- pressed in the: policies. of the council. Labor is faced with the battle to establish full elected representation on the Yellowknife council in the in- terests of the citizens,” Mc- Guire stated. McGuire scored ‘the lack of firefighting ~- equipment and underscored the : proper _the city, an jority mine-boss appointees to : - “sebotage moves to secure such equipment represents a danger “to the whole community. He was $ “particularly sharp in his. criti- cisms of Magistrate -Frazer, WWTL Commissioner’s assistant for the city of Yellowknife, whom he charged with lack of cooperation-in the establishment” of better facilities for the citi- zens. “The magistrate has no busi- ness on the Council, either as an electee or appointee,’ McGuire stated. “The Council of Yellow- knife should be completely elect- ed, so that it can properly carry out the will of the people and not merely represent the interests of the mining company.’ “The policy of appointing re- presentatives to administer a community by. an absentee com- ‘missioner is completely out- dated,” McGuire asserted. “Yel- lowknife has grown into a thriv- 2- ing,~-modern community, ' and “- modern methods of electing its ad- * iinistrative council must be in- ° troduced te meet the.new-condi- tions. Labor is now. a force in the community and merits expression .on--the-council in a manner that ~ -will transform the council from - a stronghold: of. the vested inter- ests to-a legislative body whose function is -to earry out the will ofthe people.’ ‘ The election of latbor-endossed “¢andidates in the city of Yellow-. “~Iknife clearly bears out McGuire’s | cbservations. The sweeping vic- .... tory indicates that organized la- “SF “bor is’ a growing “force in the ; community, and is prepared to .. take over-an important. “part of the“job of: administering “Yellow- knife in the interests of its peo- ple. The growth of the trade un- ion. movement in the Northwest Territories into a major . econ- omic and political foreé for pro- gress is a shining tribute to the workers in~ the hardrock. mines of the. north country. By getting solidly behind candidates who are pledged -to labor’s progressive = platform, another blow has been administered to the tight hold of -the .mine bosses and vested interests of the north, and labor “has stepped out to.4¥ansform the north along progressive lines. . fact that the-ability of the ma-. Foreign Commissar V. M. Molotov addresses Supreme Soviet at Moscow: during ceremonies which marked 28th an- niversary of USSR. He appealed for continued Allied co- operation for world peace. | ernor in Council “with” authority:} ass Rally Boilermakers’ Hall,.339 .West vember 27, at 8 p.m. A. call. by the Civil Liberties.Union u test meeting will be held, points cut that “Bill 15” vests*the'gov- |- to issue orders with the force of the law dealing with every phase of private and public life in Can- ada, and that duration of the powers placed in the hands of the Governor in Council. may be de- termined not by Parliament but by the Council itself. A. number of prominent speak- ers will address the meeting, in- eluding: Elmore Philpott, promi- nent columnist and lecturer; Har- old Pritchett, President District Council No. 1, International Woodworkers of America; Gar- B.C. Detegates Report Successful | WA Convention---Score Press - ..Members of the big British Columbia delegation to the annual convention of the CIO. International Woodworkers of America, held in Eugene, Oregon, were back in the: province this week confident of an early end to the internal dissension and factionalism which has hindered IWA growth across the line for many years, but sharply critical of | press reports which distorted the] B.C. delegation’s position on a number of issues. Factional strife, which devel- oped to dangerous proportions within the IWA after 1941, fol- lowing the deportation from the United States of former interna- tional president Harold Pritchett and the subsequent control of the executive board by a right-wing bloc, was reportedly less pro- nounced at this year’s convention than at any time since the union was founded in -:1987. This. esti- mation. by returning ~delegates was general and) emphatic. The convention program -as adopted “was the best -years, and on most issues there was .complete una- nimity,”. according to a round- up of opinion by P.A. But members of the delegation interviewed by P.A.—men like Harold Pritchett, «district secre- tary: Sack .Greenall, internation- al ‘boardi:member. Ernie Dalskog —twere justras.emphatic in their eritieism.iof distorted reports in the B.C. press of convention | sesSiGnSe 22 = Specifically mentioned as being misrepresented was B.C’s position -on the “no strike issue: Vancouver dailies gave the impression that the “B.C: ‘delegation: had opposed thee lifting of the) wartime “no strike’-pledge. Asa matter-of record, the resolutien ealling for. revoking. of the pledge “now that the needs of war have, Passed”? was introduced on. the convention floor by the ‘B.C. delegation and adopted ; unanimously. What the press termed -a dis- pute on the question was actual- ly an attempt by right-wing ele- ments in the administration to embarrass the IWA B.C. District Council by demanding the im- mediate deletion from existing union contracts in the B.C. Ium- ber industry of “the ‘clause bar- ring “strikes or lockouts during the life of the agreement.” On PAGE 2 — PACIFIC ADVOCATE the assurance of delegation lead- er Harold Pritchett that this clause would. be suitably amend- ed when B.C. agreements come up for renewal in March, 1946, the resolution on the matter passed passed the convention unanimously. PHENOMENAL GROWTH Much credit for the improved situation within the internation- al union must go to the B.C. District Council, whose phenom- HAROLD PRITCHETT Leader of B.C. Delegation enal growth over the past three years has made it the biggest district within the IWA, and whose progressive policies are increasingly acting as a steady- ing influence. The B.C. delega- tion at Eugene was the largest in the convention, with 52 pres- ent and 48 with both voice and vote. In contrast, the Columbia River Council delegation, center of the right-wing forces and formerly the largest in conven- ions, had dropped to second place. This change in the balance of forces created a number of inter- esting situations. The internation- ai officers made their first con- ciliatory move by seating in. the convention two Northern “Wash: + ington locals previously susperid=" ed for refusing to expel Ralph Nelson and William Wallace for being Communists. They also by the B.C. District, Northern Washington District and Ply- woods District.Councils calling for a balanced slate of officers, proper interpretation of the con- stitution so as to provide a fair- trial to,any memer charged with Continued on Page 6. A ToP Passage Of Bill Public indignation at the grave dang - “Bill 15,” now under consideration by thr. Canada, willbe expressed at.a mass meeting — field King; ‘land; agreed to a program put forward} Pender Stree to the mass nder whoss Ss al, Soe Mrs. Dorothy Hugh > Cooper of St. J: other represen}: ized labor and} tions. The chaiz| ing will be W.1! president of t} | Union. | A Bill 15, or th gency Powers 4- under fire fror | gressive organi: ‘introduced into | | sweeping powei. 4 present a gravi - adian demoerac to the Governo and arbitrary p ‘Entry into sion and depo vocation of position and re ‘| tion with any; authorized by charges payabl , General. of Car fund