7

[Inionists Want Films on Industry and Union Problems

LPP Will State

film Board Meets With Labor
itm @anadian trade unionists are vitally interested in their jobs, their unions, their country, and their future, and these

if the topics they want to see portrayed in future films produced by the National Film Board for distribution on that

\Mezanization s trade union circuits.

ale his. opinion was upheld by the more than fifty trade unionists who met with film board executives in the Georgia
aptel this week to discuss a very important topic—the “‘fizzling out’, as one film man put it, of interest in the programs
aew being presented at trade union meetings across Canada.

he film men asked the ques-
ns and the trade unionists
N@jve the answers, in no uncer-
uy (i terms. Not only do they

nt new types of films along .

ith the old, they also want
Mcter distribution of publicity
Weterials and well-organized
#cussion periods. Their sug-
stions were carefully noted
| Gordon Adamson, supervi-
National Film Board In-

7

: pstrial Division, and Ross Mec-
Bi

Lean, assistant film commis-
sioner for Canada.

The meeting took place as
part of the film board’s B.G.
Projectionists Conference, at
which sessions on. industrial
films, use of films in schools
and adult education, and films
for trade unions, were held this
week.

Present were representatives
of the Workers Hiducational As-

sociation, which works in co-
operation with the board on dis-
tribution of films for the trade
union circuit.

Complete new film programs.
are released each month for
trade union use by the film
board, and these are supplied to
unions free of charge. Projec-
tionists, screens, loud speakers,
and reels, are all “there for the
asking,” and all that remains is
for the interested trade union

| National Film Board Projectionists bring the movie to the job. Thousands of war
‘ workers, and hundreds of men, women and children in rural communities miles from
§\ a theatre, are provided with monthly film programs through the film board’s indus-
tial trade union and rural circuits.

WSuicide’ In Oakalla Jail Questioned

| Popoft was supposed to have
“mmitted suicide in jail by
langinge himself with a leather
foelace. Pointing out that a
Seather shoelace can barely sup-

‘opof® family raise several
) ther circumstances which they
laim contradict the suicide
/heory.

' They found that the dead
fan’s skull was deeply and
widely indented in two places
it the back when he was taken
lore in a coffin, say the Pop-
is, yet the inquest had no
mention of this. In addition!
lhe letter continues, “there are
Mlso other indications and evi-
lence; some from actual wit-

ort a sixty pound weight, the_

nesses, revealing that louis
Popoff was beaten and man-
handled here at Nelson jail
into a state of unconsciousness,
and also by the penitentiary
guards.”

The Popoffs point to the dead
man’s background and nature
as a complete refutation of the
suicide theory. “He is of a di-
rect line of several generations
of parents who have gone
through many forms of, suffer-
ing and persecution, including
prisons and bodily privations,
and although there may have
been cases of members dying
as a result of these hardships,
yet there never was 2 single
case of suicide.”

\oukhobor Family Asks Probe

TRAIL—The suggestion that Louis Popoff, imprisoned Doukhobor who was found
ead in Oakalla jail earlier this year, did not come to his death through voluntary sui-
ide has been raised by members of the deceased’s family. This startling development
las come to light in a letter sent to the Department ‘of Justice questioning the con-
ilusions of the coroner’s inquest and demanding a new and

complete investigation.

And again: “He was an ideal-
ist by nature; wholehearted,
loyal and sineere, considering
it the. highest obligation to
serve the ideal of Christ, which
led him into prison.”

The family suggests that
these -circumstances make it
necessary that the Department
of. Justice investigate the case
thoroughly. They want the
name of their dead husband and
father cleared and the truth
established. As the letter
states: “If you stand for Brit-
ish liberty and justice and equal
rights for all, then in that name
we demand these rights for
Louis Popoff, even if he hap-
pens to be a Doukhobor.”

Election Plans
At City Banquet

The lLabor-Progressive
Party's federal election
“plans for British Colum-
bia will be announced at
a banquet and ball to be
/ held at Hotel Vancouver
On! Friday, September 8,
at 7 p.m. The banquet,
marking the first anniver-
sary of the party, will
conclude a full meeting
of the LPP previncial
committee.

. With Nigel Morgan,
LPP previncial chairman,
acting as master of cere-

to instruct its business agent or
other official to contact the
board, request a showing, and
provide the time and space. The
film board does the rest!

dust how the Film Board
works makes a mighty interest-
ing story, and one that Cana-
dians can be proud to relate.

The National Film Board is
a department of the govern-
ment, with a national commis-

sion. It was created in 1939, : ah
when all government film re- canes Egle guests of
sponsibilities were put in its honor will be the ten

Labor-Progressive candi-
dates already nominated
for B.C. seats.

charge. In three years its staff
has grown from 40 people to
more than 500. It produces be-
tween three and four hundred
films a year, training films for
the services, newsreel items,
short subjects, and a large num-
ber of films directed to spe-
cialized audiences, of which the
trade union circuit is one. How-
ever, to date the trade union
audience has been only mildly
responsive to the board’s work.

A musical program and
floor show will be provid-
ed by members of the ILa-
bor Arts Guild under the
direction of John Goss.

‘Tickets are obtainable
at the LPP provincial of-
fice, 209 Shelly Building
119 West Pender, and
the LPP city office, 531

Homer.

DEPENI

f ON OUR PAST
\ WHEN DECIDING
CN gour FUTURE

Some of the reasons for this,
advanced at the trade union
session, were:

The film tend to show things
in too rosy a light. Exception
was taken to a film on layoffs
and unemployment insurance,
which showed “everything work-
ine a lot more smoothly than
it does in real life.”

The films are “too much of a
type.’ Delegates agreed that _
they wanted films about the #
English labor movement, and de-@
seriptive films about the Soviet =—
Union, but in addition to these
would appreciate films dealing
with the problems of Canadian
unions.

“T would like to see a film
about lumbering,” said one
unionist. “Lumbering is import-
ant to Canada, but too many
films on the lumber industry ES
look like travelogues, with A ~
beautiful scenery and men ()
working, but no human back=7 =
ground. I’d like to see the men
discussing their problems as {fe RB
they do in their union meet- = [za eS
ings.” : AV pets

When you buy
the diamond
here & comes
from a jeweller
whose success
and reputation
has been ear-
ed by quality
and friendly at-
tention tp cus:

Another delegate suggested
production of a film about the
work of the big fishing unions,
stressing inter-racial contribu-
tion to their common struggle. qa -
Other delegates felt that a OS
series on trade union history
and present day activity would
be welcomed by unionists.

At the close of the discus-
sion period delegates were
given a preview of the feature
pee on ue September program, & S
“Our orthern Neighbor,” af ; :
documentary history of them pea
USSR which traces the develop-@= erect 4
ment of the Soviets from the oe
time of the revolution, through D i A Mi 0 Rl iB R l Hd G S Fila
the five-year plans and the Government Purchase Tax Extra
Moscow trials to the present W.PT.B. TERMS
day, and closes with a quotation are

from the Teheran declaration.
The film stresses the import- S BI O R E- Ss
ance of continuing friendship

built up between our two coun-
tries during the war into the JEWELLERS
days of the peace. 409 West Hastings

Sit