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At the City Halli

Bring the Real
Issues Forward

By Cynthia Carter __

Future Is Not So Black

most persistent viewers-with-alarm are the mayor and four alder-
men who this year finish their term of office—W. D. Greyell,
George Miller, G. H. Worthington, and John Bennett.

Tf you ask them for a press-statement on postwar prospects,
of course, they can give out with the usual platitudes about “the

analysis of hard, cold facts. and you are met with hostility. If
you get any answer at all, it will probably be “the federal govern-
ment must take the responsibility of planning for the future,
before we can do any thinking about the subject.” :

This attitude Was beautifully demonstrated not long ago
when an: enquirer approached the postwar housing committee
of the city council for information, only to be told that the com-
mittee hadn’t met this year, because after all postwar housing
was a nostwar problem, and what could be done about it during
wartime ? .

So too, in discussion of any long range problem. Bennett and
Worthington and Miller, discussing the housing crisis, were of
the opinion that “after the war, when our industries shut down
and people are unemployed again” houses built by public funds
would turn into white elephants on the city’s hands. During
discussion of the B.G. Electric Railway purchase this same gloomy
future was foreseen.

This is not the kind of future we want, and this is not the
kind of thinking we want in the city hall.

A Program for Progress

FORTUNATELY, not all public men in our city believe that de-

pression lies inevitably around the corner. Many labor unions
have formulated postwar plans for their industries, sometimes
with the cooperation of managzement. Aeronautical Lodge 756,
fer example, is planning for the important future it foresees for
Canadian aircraft. International Woodworkers of America is
not envisaging a postwar falling off of the province’s most im-
portant industry. Instead, loggers’ union officials are at the
present time cooperating with logging operators and government
forestry men in the Sloan Commission hearings on conservation
and reforestation. :

In the world of business too, are many men and women who
are not content to assume that the end of the war means the end
of prosperity. During the past few .weeks I’ve talked to Van-
couver businessmen who are very much concerned with the mis-
management of our city in the hands of the Non-Partisan machine.

“I thought it was a good idea to keep polities out of the city
hall,” one manufacturer confided, “and I still do. But all the
Non-Partisans are keeving out of the city hall is good administra-
tion, and I don’t go for that!”

In fact, it begins to appear that what citizens want is unity
between all progressive forces of the community to keep the
Non-Partisan brand of politics out of the city hall.

Unity Will Do the Job

(ps attitude was given voice this week at-the city con-

ference of the Labor-Progressive Party, where LPP members
drew up a four-point program of civic needs, and decided to cam-
paign vigorously for this program when civic elections roll around.
Emphasis was “not placed on party politics, but on the necessity
for unity with all those who are willing to fight for better hous-
ing, maintenance of our industries, tax reform,. and municipal
participation in ownership of the B.C. Electric Railway.

Discussion at the meeting was spirited and full of interest.
Here was no half-hearted “receive and file” method of dealing
with issues, such as is usual at the city hall. On the contrary)!
Mention of each new problem was the signal for an outburst of
discussion studded with cold, hard facts which proved that the
LPPers had done a little research on their subjects and knew
what they were talking about.

Wihen for example, the question of purchase of the B-G. Elec-
trie Railway came up, delegates were scornful of Mayor Cornett’s
weak and apathetic approach to the problem. (The mayor, it
will be remembered, openiy declared that he was “appalled” by
the prospect of what would be involved in purchase of the trans-
portation system.) :
~,. What's more, the LPPers had figures to back up their con-
tention that the city was passing up a good thing by laying the
deal on Hart’s doorstep with a shrug of aldermanic shoulders
and a “if you want it, John, you take it.” ice ;

In Calgary, a delezate announced, municipal ownership of
utilities had proved a good thing. So good, in fact, that this year
the city treasury received a profit of $290,645.58 from operation
of electric light and power systems and $69,737.09 from operation
of the street railway. Why couldn’t the same be done here?

Similarly with the housing problem. The question once
again, was dealt with concretely. _ Facts were faced, solutions
offered, and practical policy was laid down. :

HE} men and women present at the LPP city conference are
not the only people in our city who believe that the future
must be reviewed realistically, and met with well-laid plans. But
the LPP conference served one important purpose. It laid down
a policy that can be embraced by all those—unionists, housewives,
businessmen and professional workers—who want to See our city
ONE ae wards who want progress must get together and pool
our ideas,” said the LPPers. “We must fight for a program which
will allow our city to move forward. We must defeat the tory-
controlled party of reaction, the Non-Partisan Association.

Urges Postwar Plastics Industry

Surveys Future of Vancouver Nort

“Wartime prosperity of North Vancouver federal con-
stituency has been built almost entirely on the growth of
the shipbuilding and pulp and paper industries. To keep
both these industries at a high level of production in the
postwar period is a prime necessity for the continued Pros-
perity of the area,’ William Stewart, president of Boiler-
makers and Iron Shipbuilders Union and Labor-Progressive

Party candidate for the federal mding of North Vancouver,

told The People this week.
“No one can pretend that
shipping will be needed at the.
present rate of production, but
likewise it would be ridiculous
to state, as some have, that all
shipping production will be sus-

pended automatically at the
cessation of hostilities,” said
Stewart.

“Some raise the argument
that after the war it will be
cheaper to build ships in Huro-
pean countries, but this argu-
ment presupposes that the peo-
ples of Europe will be return-
ing to what was semi-starvation
in the prewar years, and dis-
regards all the suffering and

WEA School
Opens In B.C.

Dr. Ralph Gundlach, Uni-
versity of Washington pro-
fessor and recently appoint-
ed adviser to the U.S. Gov-
ernment on job placement
aspects of rehabilitation, will
be the opening speaker of the
Workers’ Educational Associ-
ation Summer School at
Ocean Park on Saturday,
September 2. — :

The school is the first ven-
ture of its type by the WEA
in British Columbia. With the
slogan of “A holiday with a
purpose,” a nine-day series of
lectures, discussions and recre-
ation will provide the students
with information about many

aspects of trade unionism and
labor problems.

The success of the project
has been assured by the sup-
port of the trade unions, re-
ports Claude Donald, school di-
rector. The enrolment is ex-
pected to reach close to 100
with delegates from all branch-
es of the trade union move-
ment. In many cases the unions
are paying the costs of their
delegates attendance.

The interest the school -has
aroused is shown by the send-
ing of delegates by the Paper-
makers’ Union of the State of
Washington, USA.

Topics to be discussed at the
school cover a wide range of
labor problems, such as “Ta-
bor and the Church,” “Women
in Industry and the Postwar
World,” “The Check-off and
How to combat Company Union-
ism,” as well as a lively pro-
gram of sports, recreation and
entertainment.

Speakers include Gordon
Adamson, National Film Board;
Nigel Morgan, . International
Board Member, IWA-CIO: Wil-
liam McKinstrey, of National
Selective ~ Service and many
other prominent authorities of
the labor field.

sacrifices these people are mak-
ing to ensure a better world.
But even if it were possible to
build ships cheaper in Hurope
we demand that companies fi-
nanced in Canada and operat-
ing from this port build their
ships here. A subsidy may be
necessary and if, after fair and
complete investigation it is
proven to be so, then it must be
forthcoming from our govern-
ment.” -

Fully equipped plate shops
now on shipbuilding work could
be converted to supply urgently
needed rolling stock for GCana-
dian railroads, Stewart contin-
ued, and for railroads in oc-
eupied and unoccupied Europe
where whole trains are being
blown up hourly.

Repair work on CPR ocean-
going boats, formerly done at
Hong Kong, should also be
transferred to B.G. shipyards in
the postwar years, he said.

The pulp and paper industry,
centering around plants at
Powell River, Port Mellon, Port
Alice and Woodfibre, can form
the basis for a large-scale plas-
tics industry in the province,
Stewart believes.

“Development of a j
industry is not only the «
of the pulp and paper
managements but is the 3
sibility of the province
whole. In laboratories se
pulp mills scientists are
menting with methods (
verting mill waste into
base plastics, and invest
to find inexpensive ways
lizing the cast-off prodi
our forests. Such experi
tion should be encourag:
special attention should=|
to this new section of o
gest industry by our pre
fSovernment,” Stewart st

The transportation jp
in North Vancouver
should be tackled imme
he declared, and a comy
Sive housing plan entere

“The temporary 6;
houses of Wartime #
Ltd. must come down af
war, to be replaced by
nent, well-constructed ho
good and varied architec
a cost to fit the budget
working: population.

“Plans for such homes
be made the subject for
test among architects
plans becoming the prop
the government. The
government could then s
commission for the
construction of sufficien
ing not only for the repla
of the present wartime —
but to fill the requirem:
the constantly increasin:
ber of people working 7.
couver who find North §
ver a more desirable p
live.’ :

DIRECTORY

A charge of 50 cents for each
insertion of five lines or less
with 10 cents for each additional
line is made for notices appear-
ing in this column. No notices
will be accepted later than Wed-
nesday midnight of the week of
publication.

Swing Shift Meeti:

All Vancouver LPP it
are urged to attend swir.
meetings held on the sece
fourth Wednesdays, 1 E
531 Homer Street.

NOTICES

Branch Meetings

East End

LPP Branch meets every second
Wednesday at 8 p.m. and every
fourth Sunday at 1:30 p.m. each
month at 875 East Hastings.

Hastings East

LPP Branch meets every second
and fourth Friday each month,
8 p-m., at Club rooms, 2443 East
Hastings St.

North Vancouver

LPP Branch meets every second
and fourth Wednesday each
month, 8 p.m., at 1320 Lonsdale
Avenue, North Vancouver.

South Hill

LPP Branch meets every second
and fourth Wednesday each
month, 8 p.m., in Horticultural
Hall, 41st Avenue and Fraser.

Seuth Vancouver

LPP Branch meets every second
and fourth Wednesday of each
month at Norquay Hall, Kings-
way at Slocan.

West End

LPP Branch meets every second
and fourth Friday each month
8 p.m. at 1332 Davie Street.

>

Wanted to Rent—
Suite or rooms, furnished
furnished, by Septem]
Phone MA. 6929.

Dancing every Saturday:
9 p.m., throuzhout the se.
Seymour Park (Swedish
north end of Second N~
Bridge. Sponsored by th.

Canadian Aid to Russi!
Auxiliary =No. 1, want
and workers. Send used c
of all kinds te 835 West }
MArine 2744. :

= Oldtime dancing to Al Gz

Orchestra every Monday,
hesday and Saturday
HASTINGS AUDITOR |
828 East Hastings
Phone: HA. 3248 j
Moderate rental rates £
cials, weddings, meetings

Cocktail Dance and Floor
Saturday, September 9th
12 p.m. at 6417 Granville,
auspices West End Brancl |
Admission, 35c.

Friends of the Labor-Pr
sive Party, Hastings

Branch, are invited to :
roast to be held at Wind
Park on Sunday, Septen
at 2:30 p.m. There will be
ming, games, and a sing-