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PEOPLE

Phone MAr. 6929

McGeer As a Substitute?

SE HE impatience and disgust of the Vancouver
citizens with the “Non Partisan’’ administra-
tion under the uninspiring leadership of Mayor
Cornett, has convinced some sections of big busi-
ness than an injection of new blood will be
necessary to keep a progressive administration
from taking ever when the civic elections are held
in December of this year.

So they are ““grooming another old hack”
for the race, replete with specious denials—a la
Dewey—by the “unwelcome” recipient of their
importunity, of his intention to run.

The News-Herald is carrying the ball, in the
Shape of a series of articles authored by G. G.
McGeer and editorials extolling this unsuccessful
peddler of monetary reform as the only man for
the job, that is, the mayoralty of Vancouver.

McGeer is doing his level best to live up to
the News-Herald estimation of his vigor, vim
and vision. His articles, so far, outline a super-
plan for the future development of Vancouver
as a tourist center.

The plan in itself might bear some examina-
tion, if Vancouver citizens did not recall the
utter lack of vision and initiative displayed by
the city council under his leadership during the
“bungry “thirties.”

If McGeer had proposed and fought for these
proposals as a means of providing unemployed
with constructive work then, instead of resorting
to relief projects, bread lines and police clubs,
they might have been more timely.

In the meantime it is perhaps significant that
he leads off with this kind of a proposal at a time
when maintenance and extension of productive
peacetime industries are the major problems.

It is also significant to recall that on the eve
of the invasion, when the armed forces overseas

‘were girding themselves for the attack, at a time

when the whole country was preparing for its
major test, G. G. McGeer was regaling parlia-
ment with windy speeches on monetary reform.

Most people will agree with the idea of taking
advantage of the natural beauty of the city’s en-
virons: but the large majority will be of the
opinion that a slum clearance and housing scheme,
combined With park and playground develop-
ment, comes first on the list in any beautifying
scheme. : :

Published every Saturday by The
pany, Room 104, Shelley Building, 119 West Pender Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia and printed at East End e
Printers, 2303 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British
Columbia. Subscription Rates: One year $2, six months $1.

i ae

SF Ss <
People Publishing Com- Editor
€. A. SAUNDERS

Associate Editor
MYER SHARZER

Too little and too late, and tbo much at the
wrong time, are apparently Gerry’s strong points.

By rallying all democratic forces, Vancouver
has a chance of replacing the “Non Partisan” ad-
ministration with progressive civic government,
representative of the people. With the strong
support of organized labor, such an administra-
tion could carry out the tasks of reconstruction
and rehabilitation. Such an administration, with

‘vision backed by practical realization of the needs

and aspirations of the people, can build a Van-
couver worthy of the scenic beauty of its sur-
roundings.

The present city council has put big business
on the spot. Its absolute inability to cope with
the present problems makes the defeat of ‘““Non
Partisan’ candidates in the coming election a
certainty: :

This attempt to foist the “‘reluctant’’ Mc-
Geer on the people of Vancouver is evidence
of desperation.

The present build-up of Gerry McGeer as the
man to lead Vancouver through the difficult years
of the postwar period, is an example of the
length to which reactionary big business will go
to retain their present throttling grip on civic
affairs.

Tories Will Like This

“Correspondence indicates that a recent radio’
speech by Percy C. Black, Tory MP for Cumber-
land, was heard with some amusement. “The
member certainly pictured a black outlook for

Canada unless we return to the two-party
system.

He will be glad to know that the -
CCF also favors the two-party system
—Tory (Liberals plus Conservatives,
already in coalition in three provinces)

and CCF.”

We reprint above an extract from the
Maritime Commonwealth of August 16. Pub-
lished in the interest of the CCF in Halifax, this
issue appeared, ironically enough, as an especial
appeal to the New Brunswick voters just prior
to the provincial elections in which the CCF were
unable to return One member to the provincial
house. Apparently the disastrous results of nar-

row partisan “CCF socialism now’ policies in ~

the Quebec elections have meant nothing. This
open invitation to reaction to form a coalition
of the right, while the CCF leadership follows a
policy of non-cooperation with other labor and _
progressive groups, means splitting the demo-
cratic forces on the eve of a federal election and
opening the way for a government of Drew-
Duplessis-Bracken reaction.

Defe

By Fergus McKean

QgUR ANNIVERSARY falls at a time when
aspirations of millions of people during

years are being rapidly realized.

Most of ¥

ready been liberated from fascist slavery and
of the remainder, and the final defeat of Naz
self appears to be only a matter of weeks.

victories of the British, American and Cana
Western Europe paralleled by the successe
Armies in the East have been made possil

policy of coalition warfare:

The coordinated military and
political offensive directed
against Hitlerite Germany and
her satellites .which has had
such astounding success in the
space of a few short weeks, is
the direct result of the accord
reached at Teheran last De-
cember between Churchill,
Roosevelt and Stalin.

The Teheran agreement is, -

however, not confined only to
cooperation in the war. This .
historic document states: “We
express our determination
that our nations shall work
tegether in the war and in
the peace that will follow.”
And further, “And as to the
peace, we are sure that our
coneord will make it an ‘en-
during peace.”

The great promise of the Te-
heran concord for an enduring
peace based on international
friendship and cooperation has
been further strengthened by
the international conferences at
Bretton Woods and Dumbarton
Oaks. But while international
cooperation for the creation of
a postwar world of peace,
friendship and social progress

is being strengthened abroad, —

Ganada is confronted at home
with the threat of being robbed
of the fruits of victory.

THE minority governments of

Premier Duplessis of Quebec
and of Premier Drew of On-
tario, are today fanning the
flames of racial hatred between
English and French Canada,
disrupting national unity at the
decisive period of the war and
attempting to block all of the
measures of the Federal Goy-
ernment such as family allow-
ances, health insurance and the
national labor code, which con-
stitute a major beginning on
the road to postwar national
unity, prosperity and social se=-
curity.

Premiers Drew and Duples-
sis are not alone in their ef
forts to block national social
security and disrupt national
unity. Leading figures in the
Progressive Conservative Party
follow similar policies.

The Labor - Progressive
carey declares the disruptive,
reactionary policies of the
Drew, Duplessis, Bracken
forces are all part of a clever-
ly designed plot of die-hard
Tory reactionaries in Canada
te disrupt national unity and

seize control of government ~

at the coming federal elec-
tion.

Months ago the Labor-Pro-
gressive Party warned
Canadian people of the need of
labor unity, together with unity.
of all democratic forces, in or-
der to defeat the plans of Tory
reaction and elect governments
that would be a guarantee that
the promise of postwar pros-
perity, security and § social
progress could be realized.

The fact that democratic
unity has not as yet been a-
chieved is due mainly to the ir-
responsible, anti-unity policy of
the CCF. The election of the

immediately b
‘of a democratic
on labor and pr

the

Drew governm
was mainly du
unity policy of {
posed all lal
Similarly. in Qi
criminate runni
didates under ti
feat the Godbo

ernment” was

sible for the
pro-tascist WU;
government of

Subsequent ¢€
Canadian provii
the CCF lead
Both in Alberta
wick asin Qu
paigned, not =
actionary inde
tories, but aga
Progressive, So
Liberal candida

However, one
vineial electior
Quebee and Ney
do was explode
the CCE would >
next Federal e
berta they elec
dates out of 57.
elected only oné
legislature, and
wick, none at al

it is unforti
that the CCF
tutes the mai
unity within
labor. By thei
objectively aid
by keeping t
forces divided
to smashing

The path tak
leadership of ¢
sition to labor t
government, of
tility to the Sc
of unabashed ¢
achievements ©&
historic Teherai
path of subve:
Nations unity =
to the reacti
Tory enemies ¢
and progress:

This cannot
labor. This ¢
the opinions an
CGF supporters

The people c
with the drive |
to achieve fede

and together wi
ing Liberals, jor

election of a m:

dates pledged t
interests of the
ple. >, Rees
-In order, to d@
of Toryism, the
that the democr

achieved waithou

electoral agree
the Liberal, C!

~ Progressive La

The LPP re-
tention to play,
active and infil
Canadian politi
eandidates in -m
cial-and the com
tions, by adva

posals to the tr
CCF followers,
erals, and by fis