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A Word with Our Readers

Ey Grace Greenwood
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Dear Friends:

{™ SURE you will be pleased to hear that the barometer in The
People’s office this morning is registering “fair and warmer”.
or in other words there is a delightful pink tinge of optimism around
these parts which we hope to maintain throughout the next few
weeks. And it’s all because we’ve got off to a splendid start in our
April Press Drive—receipts for the first week are $427.00, which is
over five percent of our $7,500 objective, and compares most favor-
ably with the $75 received in the first week of our last press drive.

It is evident that many committees were all set and ready to go
even before Mareh 15, and I feel sure that in the great majority of
Cases there will be a sustained effort which will carry the drive to
its objective before the end of April.

Among other encouraging indications this time is the fact that
a good many outside committees have already written accepting
the quotas Proposed to them. Port Alberni was the first outside
committee to report. Mrs. Violet Dewhurst tells us that we might
as well pack up one of those Lenin Libraries and address it to Port
Alberni right away. Kelowna committee is in a “bearish” mood too.

-Its pacers report that they have good hopes of doubling their
quota.

Other outside committees which have accepted their quotas are
Courtenay, Kamloops, Malakwa, Michel, Cumberland, Copper Moun-
tain, Notch Hill, Extension and Hjorth Road—this last committee is
already well under way with 33 percent of its quota raised. So, you
see, the competition is going to be really keen this time, and any
committee with serious intentions will have to dig its toes in and
get ready for a real pull. z

Ameng the city committees, eight have already turned in
Various sums._ It is still too early to talk about position on the
charts we have in the office, but in terms of cash received South
Vancouver is leading with $93 on the books, Mount Pleasant is
next with $65 and Grandview third with $61-

I hear that there is a good deal of fluttering in the Grandview
-devecotes these days. This was the leading committee last October
and the members do not take kindly to the idea things might turn
out differently this time. You can take it that Grandview will be
putting up real opposition to any committee out for first place.

Still another committee off to a good start is North Vancouver.
I note that all but two dollars of the $48 turned in by this committee
is in subs, which is a sign that the North Vancouver sub list, which
has been a bit on the anaemic side for some months past, is due for
a transfusion.

Plans for the big dance which will wind up the drive in the
city on May 5 are well under way. The City Committee is in charge
of this affair and that means that it will be well organized and is
certain to be a great success. A very good prize list is being pre-
pared and dance tickets will be ready- for distribution well before
the first of April. g

And now I must tell you about the trophy which will be
presented by The People to the committee winning the coveted
first place. This trophy is being prepared by Karl Zukor of the
Jewelry Workers Union and will be in the form of a handsome
bronze plague mounted on mahogany, with room around the
margin of the design for four or five silver leaves which will be
engraved with the names of the winning committees in succeeding
press drives. Any press committee in the province accepting a
guota and chalking up the highest percentage over this quota
is eligible for the trophy, so it’s important that you tell us im-
mediately whether your committee is in the running.

So, good luck, everybody. We're not playing any favorites here in
The People’s office! And let's hear soon from your committee!

Your press drive director,
' GRACE GREENWOOD.

ALASKA and
TRE CANADIAN
NORTHWEST

Our New Frontier

HAROLD GRIFFIN

A timely book on a vast neglected area of
our own continent... . It gives a picture
in perspective and in comparison with the
Soviet north of a country with all the po-
tentialities of an empire.

—The Canadian Tribune.

$3.50

at

The People Bookshop

105 Shelly Bldg.

Vancouver, B.C.

Pearson's
Answer |
Rejected |

The Khalsa Diwan Society,
East Indian organization here,
has refused to accept the ex-

“planation proffered to them
by labor Minister George

Pearson in replying to the ~

representations of a delega-
tion which last week called upon
him to apoligize for derogatory
remarks he made against them
in the legislature recently.
(Pearson, in the course of a de-
bate on a bill to enfranchise the
East Indians, described them as

“unreliable, dishonest and de-
ceitful.”)

In an evasive reply, Pearson
Said:

“TI was relating my experience
as minister of labor with the at-
titude of East Indians to our la-
bor laws and regulations which

- are made for the purpose of ad-

vancing the standards of living
of the workers of British Colum-
bia. My argument was that this
attitude tended to destroy the
efforts we were making for the
betterment of the workers of this
province.

“I further argued that no na-
tional group now excluded from
our franchise should be allowed
the franchise until they had
shown by their actions a willing-
ness to accept our standards and
had shown a willingness to abide
by them.”

Pearson made no _ differentia-
tion between East Indian em-
ployers of labor with whom ap-
parently he had had difficulties,
and the large number of East
Indians who are employees.

In reply to Pearson’s leter, Na-
gindar Singh Gili, secretary of
the Khalsa Diwan Society has
written to Pearson asking for a
fuller explanation and apology
for his remarks. The letter states
in part:

‘If the attitude of many em-
ployers of labor, in relation to
their employees, or to existing
labor legislation were held to be
a criterion ot their rights ot
citizenship, then I am sure that
the right of franchise would be
limited to other groups as well
as East Indians.

“I have been instructed by my

people to bring this matter again
to your attention with the re-
quest that you make clear in a
-publie statement just what you
desired to impress upon the
House and also to forward a
fuller explanation and apology to
the East Indian people of the
Khalsa Diwan Society, than is
contained in your letter of March
16.”

Evans Memorial
Oversubscribed

Books of the Arthur Evans Me-
morial Fund are being closed
this week with more than $2,000
already received by the commit-
tee. All collectors with lists out-
standing are asked to send them
to William Bennett, committee
chairman.

“The objective of $1200 set to
pay off the mortgage on the
Evans home has been oversub-
scribed in less than a month.
The response to our appeal has
been most inspiring,” Bennett
Said.

BALKAN CAFE

779 E. Hastings
Tasty Meals for War Workers

TTT

Aid To Russia
Drive Backed —
By Doukhobors

SHOREACRES, B.C.—Sponsor-
ed by the Doukhabor members
of the Labor Progressive Party
in this locality, a successful drive
for Aid to Russia just concluded
met with a fine response among

the Doukhabor people.

The list of those who contribu-
ted towards the drive is as fol-
lows: Tania Verishagina, Agafia
Kalmakova, Even Fofonov, _Evan
Kalamakov, Anoota Pasmikova,
Loosha Chernenkova, Simon Pos-
nikov, Masha Kalamakova, Var-
oosha Kalamakova, Masha V.
Kalamakova, George Fotonov,
Dasha Fofonov, Malasha_ Lebe-
deva, Pallia Lebedeva, _Doonia
Planidena, Dimitri Zeebin, Pal-
lia Markina, Masha Markina,
Arena Markina, Matroosha Mar-
kina, Malasha Cheveldieva, Nas-
ta Loff and Arena Abrossimova.

STU ETETTUTTTTTT

Issue Blood
Donor Call

The Joint Trade Union Biood
Donor Committee has issued an
appeal to everyone to sign a
blood donor pledge card and
assist the campaign to supply
18,000 pints of blood.

The appeal signed by John
Turner, secretary, reads:

“The extraordinary value of
blood plasma in the treating of
wounds and burns is now widely
appreciated by the publie and is
attested by the increasing num-
ber of new donors attending the
various clinies in Canada.

“It has been stated by the best
medical authorities that the use
of blood plasma has resulted in
the saving of 80 percent of the
War casualties, so it can readily
be seen why it is so necessary to
assure a constant supply of the
life giving plasma to the fighting
fronts.

“Organized JIabor has pledged
itself to supply 18,000 pints of
blood and the campaign is now
underway to guarantee this
amount. If you have not already
signed a pledge card, do it now.
It may be the means of saying
Someone dear to you.”

Discuss Pact

Stenographers, Bookkeepers and
Office Employees Union (AFI)
has called a special meeting of
members in North Burrard Ship-
yard for March 30 to consider the
type of agreement to be present-
ed to the management.

(John E. Mecredy

_GENERAL INSURANCE
Fire © Automobile e Accident
556 Howe St. Vancouver, B.C.

Phones:
PAc. 5235 Res.: PAc. 4335

Y

~couver.

Phillips |
Heads |
Council |

The Indusirial Rx ‘

tion and Social De;
Council is the nam :

for the organizatio; |f

by the provincial :
Rehabilitation @’
which recently. conven:

Mrs. Julia Christens

tive secretary of the {)
General Workers Fede: |}
the name, y !)
adopted by the organi |}

gested

ecutive at its first
week.

The continuations
of fifty chosen from
panels of the conferen

mi}

i

q

eer

as its executive: Lesii
lips, president of the nj
ed B.C. Cooperative Ui

man; Jack Henderson, #@
president, Canadian & |

in Vancouver, vice

and Garry Culhane, se j#
the B.C. Shipyard Geni |&
secre 'f

ers Federation,
urer.

Harvey Murpliy, in |=
board member, in:
Union of Mine, Mill az

Workers; Fergus Mck
vineial leader, Labor 1
Party; Grant MacNeil,
for Vancouver-Burrar
Herridge, CCF MILA,
Trail; J. C. Cosgroy
makers and Iron S$}
Union, Victoria, and 3
erland,
tion.

The new executive

seek cooperation with
bilitation committee o;—
couver Coordinating © |)

cause of the similarity
the two groups.

The Industrial Rec

and Social Developme i}

proposes to print th:

and reports of the ree ;
ence and to appoint , }

director. ~
“Our next step will

tact British Columbia}

ists to seek their cooj

a program to mainta -
ment and a fair stand %4
ing in the postwar ree 7

Period,’ Garry Culhe

* this week.

La

John Stan ‘|
Barrister, Solicitor, 4)

502 Holden Blk 4p.
16 E. Hastings St. Fy

GREETINGS
THE PEOPLE

from

ABBABBEBATD

4
19, and former Liberal J

Executive members , |
cillor Walter Dingle,

B.C. Teacher: !

BWABUBBBBeBVeeaweeE - I

‘DR. W.J. CL

y

BWeBBBVBeBBBeesuezuaewses F

)

DANCING 9:00 - 1:00

ADMISSION $1.00

Fishermen’s

Annual Ball

MONDAY, MARCH 27, 9P/

Botlermakers?’ Auditoriun |
339 WEST PENDER

e FLOOR SHOW |

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