4 F UTA TTT Vigil Dee Lk ALAA O pinions contained in these columns are strictly those of the writers. We welcome correspondence, but ask that letters be held © to 300 words. RAE ET Columnist Mrs. 8. Arnold, Vancouver, writes: What has become of Charles Saunders column? To my way of thinking and others who have spoken of it you are leaving out the one column the most of us Jook for first. As I see it, Al Parkin and OF Bil. while being good, are about the same thing. I am not a sub- seriber but the paper comes into the home where I live and we are all for Charles Saunders’ column of shipyard union news. @ Beginning with our next issue, Charles Saunders’ column, “As Labor Sees 1t,” will appear every other week in the magazine sec- tion. ULFTA Property M. McKay, North Vancouver, writes: It is interesting to note that the Canadian-Ukrainians are once more opening a campaign for the return of their property. seized by the RCMP under the Defense of Canada Regulations some time ago. I suppose there was a time, early in the war, when a few deluded individuals—who had no knowledge of the excellent record ef ihe Ukrainians in Canada ex- cept what they heard from Pro- fessor Watson Kirkconneli—might have actually believed that the Ukrainian Labor-rarmer Temple Association constituted a threat to Canada. In the light of recent events on the Eastern war front, and after consideration of the fact, pointed out proudly by Ukrainians, that among national groups in Canada they can boast fhe largest percentage of enlist- ments. it should be obpyious to fhe most obtuse that progressive Canadian-Ulrainians are playing a real part in the common strug- gle of all Canadians to destroy Hitlerism. The ULFTA. as I recall, was a cultural organization, pledged to the task of keeping alive Ukrain- jan culture, building young Ukrainians into good Canadian citizens. and helping Ukrainians to bridge the gap of language and custom to promote better under- slanding between them and their fellow Canadians. Because of this, their libraries were burned, their organization declared illegal and their halls — built by their own yolunteer labor—confiscated. There should be no question about it. The sooner the proper- ties of the ULFTA are returned ~ ihe sooner an injustice will be rectified. THE PEOPLE Published every Friday by The People Publishing Co., Rm. 104, Shelly Bldg., 119 West Pender St., Vancouver, B.C. Tele. MAr. 6929. Mditor. ee al Griffin Associate Editor _.____ Al Parkin Business Mgr. __. G. Greenwood Six Months: $1.00 One Year: $2.00 Printed at Broadway Printers, Ltd., 151 Bast 8th Ave., Vancouver, B.C. CCT Russian Aid Miss R. Gill, Russian War Re- lief, writes: At the semi-annual meeting of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Aid to Russia Fund, Chairman P. A. Woodward re- ported that during the five months since the ending of the official financial drive, an addi- tional $10,038.46 and 34 tons of clothing, valued for shipping pur- poses at $71,831.00 has been don- ated by the British Columbia pub- lic. The committee was particularly gratified at the continuing evi- dence of the sympathy of our peo- ple for the unfortunate civilians in war-torn Russia. This interest has also been shown by the con- tinuous support, beth in money and help, of the Federation of Russian Canadians, the Ukrainian Canadian Association, the Croa- tian Educational Home, the Peo- ple’s Relief Committee, the Cana- dian Aid to Russia Fund Auxili- ary No. 1 and many other or- ganizations. Among the membership of the above-mentioned societies are many who donated weeks of time in cleaning, mending and packing used clothing, and in unloading and reloading of shipments for Russia. Such generous help re- sulted in an almost negligible cost of operation. It was also noted that 34 tons of new blankets valued at $05,280 and 20 tons of medical and other merchandise purehased by nation- al headquarters and valued at $77,000.00 had also been shipped through the local organization. There will be a continuous flow of shipments for some time to come, as the orders to wholesalers are fulfilled and delivered. Churches Miss writes: A. Christie, Vancouver, I wonder if any of your read- ers read Rev. Elbert Paul's letter in the Provinee the other night deploring the increase in juvenile crime and the absence of children from Sunday schools. When reading his letter I thought: Yes, it is a far ery from the days of the Band of Hope, and the Magic Lantern which we as children enjoyed and attend- ed so eagerly. No doubt the young people have changed, but so have the churches, In those days the churches took an interest in their congregations, rich or poor, but today it is the good subscribers who are catered to and the poor are left to a social agency or some worker's group. This was proven during the depression years. What did the churches general- ly do for our unemployed single boys during those years? Did they open their warm base- ments to them, or hand out cof- fee and sandwiches when they were sitting down in the post office? No, they failed to use their great influence to fight for better social conditions. Our young men begged for a dime for something to eat and were thrown in jail and given the stigma of a prison record. Yet the churches did not take up the issue as they might have done. The failure of the churches to work with the masses of the peo- ple, Mr. Paul, is one of the biggest reasons for empty pews and Sun- day schools. INK ? EAN CTT TTT # LETTERS from OUR READERS re 1 aM Res eR IRS SH nS Ne Hel Solos : Books : ane shen : by Kay Gregory HE bloody battle of Little Steel is a vivid chapter in the history of American trade union struggles, etched on the memories of unionists across the continent. The employers’ view of this vicious episode has now been published in Boot Straps, the autobiography of Tom Mercer Girdler, $176,000-a-year chairman of the board of Republic Steel and chairman of the board of Consolidated Vultee Air- craft. Girdler’s view of the Little Steel riot in 1937 is, even in Time’s opinion, “certain to give laborites fits?’ One third of the book is devoted to the event, from the signing of a collective bargaining agreement between U.S. Steel and the CIO, then headed by John L. Lewis, to its climax in the death of ten per- sons and injuries to between 90 and 100, when Chicago police fired on and beat up strikers and sympathizers parading past the gates of Republic Steel’s plant. Concerning U.S. Steel's agree- ment, Girdler states that he was “hitter about this . . . Why did we not all sign? Simply because we were convinced that a sur- render to the CIO was a bad thing for our companies, for our employees and for the United States of America.” Yet “from that moment (Mem- orial Day 1937) until now I have been unable to see how we could have prevented the clash. It hap- pened only because the Com- munist leaders wanted it to hap- pen. We had literally no part init, : Se A® THE voice of big business, Girdler expresses some very interesting opinions, particularly as to American economy after > this war. “When we reach the end of this war this country will confront a problem almost as big as prepar- ing for war. If there were the same desire in government as there is out of it to enable cap- italism to meet this test there could be more intelligent plan- ning for the emergency ahead.” How capitalism would ‘meet the test? is hinted at by Girdler to be along the lines of ‘free’ enter- prise “to achieve a still higher living standard’ expressed in terms of higher profits. “It should ~be kept in mind that generous, even fabulous, rewards for those at the top are as a magnet that all along has been exerting an upward pull .. . After all what you find in a pay envelope is profit.” The idea that all employers are “the natural enemy of all those employed” is, according to Gird- ler, “a monstrous fallacy.” But then Girdler feels that “the in- terest of the employer and... the employees in the final analy- sis is the same.” He believes “the right of people to join unions should be protect- ed by law but. . . just as strong- ly that there should be a law to protect the right to work of anybody who wants to keep out of a union” He probably believes in protecting the civil rights of fascists too. Like Marie Antoimette (Let "Em Eat. Cake) of France, Gird- ler’s philosophy is “with free water and cheap soap, who really is obliged to live in filth?”. a body that"m ness to gather and which will help to accident rate in the of accidents, indus and domestic. a Figures publishe eouncil definitely women drivers of al are involved in a lesser accidents in proportio numbers than male dri women are more caref than men. This is a cold, calculated statist may not be laughed smart male motorist he knows all the 2 when he is tanked to This is why smatta legedly humorous st contemporary a few da not get any laughter ou In the article Tre! street cars in the women were alleged the tracks and chast trians along the climbed telephone Pp generally to have left destruction behind the jhan the demolition” Hitler's brigand army Eyen in the guise fun” this kind of p for it is propaganda atmosphere of antago women playing their full the battle against fascism, they are sustaining in all tries with credit to their profit to civilization. should try as easy for them as operating a Street car nerve-straining job, hardened men, parti the BC Collectric. Qbjection to women for that reason might men who go into the fir and is just as worthy ¢ Street cars on that s leave the tracks eyen at the helm: It it due operators however, .decrepitude of their jeeps and the dilapida roadbed and tracks. I give you the foll for what it is worth. It rumor but is probably © truck river and a swampers were sent oyer the routes of th 4,10 and 11 cars, with to pick up all the pieces: ervilles, rear-ends, trolley and bolts, that had dro of the cars operating ice” on these routes. returned to the barns enough parts to built street car. The BC Collectric 1s arsument for a progr council.