OL’ BILL

SHORT JABS

[Mes going to take a chance in doing something I never did in my

life before. I read once where Lenin couldn’t dictate a letter
but had to write every letter with a little stub of a pencil and
then have it converted into some new form by a_ stenographer.
He never learned to dictate a letter.. I want tc improve on Lenin.
Up until today I never dictated a letter either, but today I am
going to dictate a letter. I don’t say this will make’ me a better
man than Lenin in any other way. One of the ‘reasons I Bscnice
to dictate a letter is that I can’t write lying on ‘
my back in the hospital. It would be useless
for me to try.

I received a letter a few days ago from some
little shavers up in our territory which I think
I should pass on in the interest of the Pacific
Tribune. I. know that their efforts should be an
example to all kinds of other people who are
not so young and who get a little more money. The
letter I am speaking of came from a little boy
and girl and this is how it reads: |

“Dear Ol’ Bill: We hope you will be better
soon. We hope the nurses are nice to you. Bobby §; eo)
and I think you're swell. . . .” Anyway, they go on to’ say, “We
get an allowance every week and we decided to send you this week’s
allowance for the Tribune.” That was the message in the letter.
The other contents consisted of 50 cents in nickels and dimes. The
letter was signed “Bobby and Kenny.”

Who they are, doesn’t need to make much difference to “any-
body, The fact that. they have real personalities is, all that we
need to think about. Their total contribution came to 50 cents and
I will put 50 cents to it to make it a dollar. If other people will
keep adding more to it, maybe Bobby and Kenny will become
press builders. :

e

I received a list of the contributors to the Ol Bill column and
I find the total is a long way behind ‘the $1,500. As I look through
the list, I find that quite a few old-timers I expected would turn
in a few donations apparently have not made their ante.

Among those whose names I miss is Max Hitter. Max used
to depend on meeting me on a Powell street car, but I won't be
on any Powell street car in this ‘drive, so if this catches his eye
tell him he can drop his dohation in the mail or take a walk up
to 650 Howe Street and it will be just the same. Another is my
friend Theuss who promised me that if the government returned
the money it took during the war in compulsory savings, he would
drop around with a donation. I don’t see his name on the list.

There are all kinds of old timers floating around in the bush
as well. Their names haven’t shown up on the list so far and if
they want to get back in-my good graces they had better do
something about it by the 15th of this month. I know ~some have
contributed in. other places, Nels Godblad and others, but that
shouldn't stop them from contributing here, too.

Quite a few people have expressed their concern on hearing that
I was in hospital, and I appreciate it. They may have expected that
I could keep on doing this kind of work from hospital, but it is
impossible. I thought it might be possible too. If I were able to
get out I could nail them on the streets, but since I can’t -come
after them I hope they will come after me. . ee
eS ;
I always did have lots of good little pals. In fact, they not only
dig up money for the paper, but when there is a picket line around
they get out on it. I was very pleased to hear about an incident at
Oyster Bay the other apy. Morey and Terry Anderson were on
the picket line when the IWA scab-herders tried to break through,
but they looked after their end of the business by beating up on
some of the kids who were actively rooting for the scabs on the
inside. One of them, Morey, beat up the chief scout in that
part of the country because he was out rooting for the scabs. That
is the kind of pals I like. Maybe ‘they’re small, but they are coming
up to take my place when I can’t do any more.

By the next issue I hope that the $500 will be increased to $1500
and that we will have made our quota. If any reader’s name has
been on this list-before, it doesn’t stop him from digging down in his
sock again, particularly if he got some compulsory savings back.
It certainly won’t be wasted if it is sent here. Good luck to
everybody from Ol’ Bill in hospital. ,

We Always Sell for” Less

Army and Navy will never know-
ingly be undersold. We will meet
any compéetitor’s price at any time,
not only ceiling price but floor price,
and we will gladly refund any differ-
ence. Army and Navy prices are
guaranteed to be the lowest in Van-
couver at all times.

ARMY & NAVY

_BEPARTMENT STORES
Vancouver and New Westminster

ilar amount.

‘ed.

Firm union stand defeats
BCElectric speedup drive

Victories in the fight against speed-up’ have been recorded by Division 101 Street Railwaymen’s 7

Union in Vancouver—victories that will. encourage other unions in

employers’ drive to sweat greater profits out of the workers.

new running sheet which sets out schedules to take effect April 16.

changes won by the mass action of
Division 101 members:

—Grandview run has been in-
creased 9 minutes on the round
trip and Hastings East,by a sim-

—There are. also increases on
Davie and Robson lines and an
additional bus in the rush hours.

“The Union drivers collectively
broke down the old man-killing
schedules by the simple expedient
of putting into practice all gov-
ment safety, regulations for public
vehicles. , ‘

Company speed-up hitherto. left
no time for such “trifles” as safety
and the Public Utilities Commis-
sion closed its eyes to the law-
breaking. ‘

Complete solidarity marked the
union action. Union -~ “inspectors”
were ‘stationed at strategic points
throughout the city—sometimes
alongside the BCE speedup ‘super-
visors—to deal with any members
who might nave weakened the
move either by buckling in face of
company intimidation, or by taking
advantage of ‘the union stand to
loaf, but they had little; to do. '

* * *

Extent of recent speed-up is
shown by comparing old schedules
with those now due for revision.
Before traffic lights were installed
(and at q time of lighter traffic)
there was more running time on all

lines than there is now.

For example, 9 minutes was the
old time allowed from Broadway
and Main to Main and Hastings.
The time now is. 7 minutes and
there are 5 traffic lights on this
stretch.

Twenty minutes was the old run-
ning time from Joyce Road and
54th to Broadway and Main. It is
now. 14 minutes.

Whenever there is light traffic
the new cars are-mechanically ca-
pable of meeting the speed-up,
schedules, but®the old cars are not.

Many operators’ nerves and
health have been seriously affect-

Dangerous traffic hazards have
been cr eated.

The very week the nin moved
to break the speedup a woman
had been killed by a trolley bus
on Seymour Street. This was one
of a long series of accidents
which many citizens believe
could have been reduced by safe
schedules.

Vancouver’s Police Chief Walter
Mulligan, responsible for safety «f |
the streets, announced he woul?
back the men in their aetion.

Insufficient eyuinment has not
only subjected the travelling public
to dangerously cvercrowded condi-
tions, it has slse aggravated the
speedup.

As fast as new busses and trol-
ley coaches have arrived, old ve-
hicles have been taken off the
road. The public wanted new
equipment, but even before that
they wanted sufficient equipment.

Result from the point of view.
.of the men at the wheel’ has been
to increase the number of fares.
taken, the number of stops made,
and the difficulty of driving.

* Labor costs: for running the
old two man, cars was $2.08 per
hour. Cost after conversion to
one-man buses and coaches is
$1.08 per hour. Obviously the
BCE, with its slashed labor costs
and higher fares, is well able to
afford safe running times and
more equipment.

* 1 SER TA,

The Pacific Tribune bared the

The BCElectric company has. drawn up a

their counter-attack against the

Following are examples of the

Something the BCER missed

If you want to take your dog for a trolley ride in San Francisco,
you'd better make sure he has a dime with kim. Here a woman
learns about the new ruling from a conductor while her cocker

3 spaniel looks unhappy about the whole thing. In Vancouver, he'd
look still more unhappy for, under BCElectric rules, he wouldn't
be allowed on at all and he’d have to walk—something all of us ~

will be doing pretty soon if the
boost,

supine PUC allows another fare

4

speedup conditions to the public
January 28 in. quoting from a bul-
letin issued to BCE employees by
the Gas and Transit LPP Club.

The bulletin showed that sched-
ules had been pushed to the point
where “it is no longer possible for
the operators to run on schedule
time.”

The LPP club exposed a “sinis-
ter” reason for the latter “suicide”
policy:

“Today the travelling public is
receiving the worst transporta-
tion in the city’s history and are
‘paying for it at an all-time high.
Who are (they) going to blame
for the situation? They listen to
the company’s high-priced blah
day after day . .. but we are
the men who are so far as they
can see, responsible for making
them late for work and late aor
aupper,

“So if the wrath of the people
is levelled against the operators
instead of the company, the com-
pany’s position is strengthened by
the loss on our part of very neces-
sary public support.’

The -mass action taken — two
months later was indicated when

the bulletin voiced the feeling of |

many workers who wanted to “col-
lectively refuse to try to keep im-
possible schedules but instead con-

; : PACIFIC 9588

centrate on giving best possible
service.”

BCEH’s “sinister” purpose has
since been confirmed by its refuse!
of Division 101’s demand for a 25-
cents pay boost, 40-hour week, and
important changes in working con-
ditions.

But the purpose has been largelY
thwarted by the union action. Cel
tainly the union has been strength-
ed.

Now the case is before a concili-
ation board and the BCHlectric i
taking its traditional “gouge th®
public” attitude. Already there ar@
BCE proposals for a 50 percent
fare boost if the men get their de
mands. And already there are at
tempts by the company and its puP-
pets in editorial and public office®
to institute compulsory arbitratio?
and outlaw utility strikes.

The LPP bulletin’. voiced tbh
workers’ feelings:

Members of Division 101 in th®
1947 strike proved that they 2!
second to none and are prepare
to fight in 1949 for those thiné®
they believe to be right.”

nil

Brother's Bakery

Specializing in

Sweet & Sour Rye Breads

842 E. HASTINGS ST.
PA. 8419 be

Ls

119. EAST

k

FERRY MEAT MARKET

_ Vancouver, B.C.
FREE ‘DELIVERY
Supplying Fishing Boats Our Speci

Jack Cooney, Mer. a

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — APRIL 8, 1949 — PAGE *

a o

HASTINGS

en '
Nite Calls GL. 1740L

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