5 Cents

Vancouver, B.C., Friday, March 1, 1946
: Formerly PACIFIC ADVOCATE

| In This Issue:

}Labor Lobby Unity -
“Plot Backfired’’ - - Page 6

Page 3

Modernise

TS

Construct’n

'- Speed Up Housing

Ridiculing the fantastic inventions of some ‘experi-
ental’scientists in the face of the tasks confronting science
the field of building construction alone, Dyson Carter,
ternationally famous scientist and author, put forward in-

sputable facts, demonstrating the practicability of the LPP.

Busing campaign for 250,000 low-rental homes for Ca-
Iidians, before two well attended meetings in Vancouver

qst Thursday.

“We are still using the con-
ruction methods of the middle
-es,” said Dyson Carter. “If we
sre to use the same method to
ald cars we would have no au-
mobile industry today and an
dinary car would cost around
¢housand dollars.”

The buildmg construction in-
istry reveals very clearly the
‘sie contradiction In our eco-
mic system, according to Mr.
irter. “What so few people un-
srstand,” he pointed out, “is
e absolute control of essential
Miilding materials in the hands
monopolists. Because of this,
= mntractors are forced to use an-
Sguated materials at fabulous
bices.
“The manufacture of plaster
© instance,” Carter stated, “is
mtrolled by one big monopoly,
| has been used since the days
 Gleopatra, an antiquated ma-
rial that is solely used in house
mstruction today.

=“New materials, developed by
“ience are deliberately sup~
f-essed, plastics, mew woods,
Bructural glass walls construct—
i from farm waste and so on,
scause the source of supply and
1e patents are bought up and
mtrolled by the monopolies.”

illustrating the methods used

Yr maintaining high prices, Car—
sx pointed out that a thousand
gifferent types of water taps are
Ba the market where only one is
seded; “hundreds of such mate-
als are produced in thousands
: different varieties, serving no
her purpose than to put money
ito the pockets of the manu-
ieturers.” :

In contrast, Dyson Carter res
ferred to the manner in which
the problem of homes for the
people is being tackled in the
Soviet Union. Stressing the com-

Continued on Page Hight
SPEED UP HOUSING

i lobby

CHALLENGE

VICTORIA, B.C.—A_ chal-
lenge to E. EH. Winch CCF
MiLA for Burnaby to “prove
or retract his claim that the
steering committee of the
Labor lobby acted on political
considerations in accepting
Premier John Hart's assur-
ances of action on labor’s leg-
islative program, was laid
down at the lobby final mass
rally in Victoria Wednesday
night by Harvey Murphy,
steering committee member.

Winch’s allegations were
made from the floor of the
House and came as a shock to
the lobby members who had
endorsed the steering commit-
tees action by unanimous vote
on Tuesday.

Murphy was joined in his
eriticism of the CCE member’s
speech by R. K. Gervin chair-_
man of the steering com-
mittee.

While not naming Winch,
Gervin declared “Organized
labor is not going to be told
by some politician hew we
should act’.

“We eannot permit these
people to create a split in the
splendid unity that labor. is
now enjoying”, Gervin de-
clared.

BY-A LESSON IN UNITY
Lobbyists Stress Need
For Continued Pressure

o Ensure Gov’t. Action

VICTORIA, B.C.—tlLabor's 1946* Legislative Lobby, backed by the organized vet-
erans, officially ended here Wednesday night after gaining two objectives—first, an as-
surance by Premier John Hart of full government consideration to the proposals, and sec-
ond, the achieving of the widest publicity for B-C. Labor’s legislative program.

Premier Hart’s position, out-
lined to members of the Labor
Lobby Steering Committee in an
hour long interview on Tuesday,
constitutes a change in the pre-
vious attitude of the government
toward the twenty-two legisla-
tive proposals contained in the
AFL-CCE brief presented ear-
lier to the cabinet. The speech
from the Throne, delivered last
Thursday, contains no direct
reference to labor legislation or
amendments, and there was no
indication, up until this Tuesday,
that any recognition would be
given to the Labor program.
The change in policy is seen as
the direct result of pressure
from the ‘labor movement.

But the 300 members of the
did not disperse before
empowering their steering: com-
mittee to call for a mass return
te Victoria ‘fon short notice” if
such action became mecessary.
They coupled this with a com-
mendatiorn to all unions to “to
continue to press for enactment
of the program, using every
means possible to secure public
support”. ;

By this action, the lobbyists
indicated they were under no
illusions that the campaign was
over. The government's promised
consideration, and the content
of Premier Hart’s forthcoming
statement on labor legislation
before the House, will depend
on the further extent of the cam-
paign and on the independent
strength of the trade unions.

This attitude was expressed

by Harold Pritchett, secretary of
the steering committee, who told
the Pacific Tribune that ‘‘while
we have registered some very
definite achievements with this
lobby, we’ve only made a begin-
ning. The entire labor movement
with the veterans will have to
continue the fight for the just
demands of the working people’.

Several factors contributed to
the labor lobby’s success. The
backing of the provincial ‘com-

mands of the Canadian Legion
and Army and Navy veterans had
tremendous influence. So did the
stream of letters ,postecards and
telegrams which poured into
Premier Hart’s office from local
unions all over the province. So
many of these messages came in
that the premier’s secretary ad-
mitted he ‘had difficulty in
handling them.

Continued on Page Hight
See LOBBYISTS

C.S.U. Enters Wage Fight

MONTREAI—The Mackenzie King Government “has
abdicated to Big Business and is thereby aiding a callous
assault on the living standards of the people of Canada,”
J. A. (Pat) Sullivan, declared during his address at the

openine: of the convention of the
union in Montreal this week
(February 25, 1946).

The Seamen’s Union head, who
is also seeretary-treasurer of the
Trades and labor Congress,
urged wide public support for
the Trade Union movement in its
present struggle to maintain the
purchasing power of the coun-
try.

About 100 delegates represent-
ing more than 10,000 seamen
and fishermen are attending the
meet. The unionists have come
in from all major ports from the
Maritimes to the Pacific Coast.
Many represent crews of ships
which are now in various parts
of the world.

Mr. Sullivan warned that the

purchasing power of working
people is now being dangerously
undermined.

“Tf this trend continues,” he
said, “it will not only be the
workers who will suffer the con-
sequences. It will also be the
farmers, whose food they buy;
the merchants whose goods they
need; and the professional
people whose services they re-
quire.

“The trade unions in fighting
to win decent wages for Cana-
dian workers are at this moment
fighting to win a decent living
for all (Canadians, whether farm-
ers, merchants or professionals,”
declared the Seamen’s Union
leader.

Rendezvous For Labor During Lobby

eS aS OO SS TE eee