Page 4 — Saturday, December 2, 1944 saunqVarecascargnansatsugcyasarieateseutsersar01F0 140 80$ 0000 FEdFIETELILEATEETE = PACIFIC ADVOCATE PASSAVSSULULNVCCUNNEEASRELECES ELT ECUIISAUATAT NCCP EEDAES ERLE CEASSRELALSATeEETE PEOPLE’S VOICE FOR PROGRESS Published every Saturday by The People Publishing Com- pany, Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia and printed at East End Printers, 2303 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. Subscription Rates: One year $2, six months $1. Editor €. A. SAUNDERS Associate Editor. MYER SHARZER Reinforcements A S THE primary wave of Tory inspired hysteria dies down, sober reflection and analysis replace the resultant state of panic, more and more people are recognizing that the pres- ent national crisis over the conscription issue is a deliberate Tory conspiracy to disrupt national unity, divide the country and seize power in the name of the most reactionary and pro- fascist elements within our country. To quote from a report by ER. Armstrong carried in the Toronto Star of November 24, “The public debate-now in progress is not alone whether Canadian infantry, in action is to get reinforcements, a propostion upon which there is com- plete agreement. People who in 1937 tried to organize a so-- called national government with the object of stemming the tide of progressive thought and legislation then. in Prospect, are among the loudest advocates of overseas conscription, a policy for which Mackenzie King has declared his govern- ment.’ : This is the objective, appearing plainly now. The flag- draped Tory anarchists ‘are intent on seizing power to. protect the interests of the most vicious sections of big business, In pursuit of their aim they deliberately provoke a na- tional crisis which has already risen to alarming proportions, where N.R.M.A. men have staged demonstrations with an apparent ease, hard to explain where strict military discipline is supposed to exist, and lending credence to the accusation that high ranking Tory officers are in league with Drew- Du- plessis-Bracken axis. ; The situation is one which calls for the greatest unity of labor with all democratic forces, behind the program of the King Government and McNaughton, to preserve ‘national unity behind our armed forces. Victory is in sight, the long years of suffering and sacrifice are drawing to a close. United Nations unity, the accord of Teheran, concretized at Dumbarton Oaks and Bretton Woods. hold forth the pros- pect of enduring peace, of a better deal for the common man. This is the explanation of the onslaught of Tory reaction at this time. A desperate, calculated, and unscrupulous at- tempt to seize power, to rob the people of the fruits of Victory, and establish the iron hand of the most reactionary section of big business. In the light of unfolding developments, the policy of the Labor-Progressive Party, calling for a democratic coalition to offset the acute danger of a coalition of the right, becomes increasingly clear. In the face of the present crisis it becomes an imperative, to be accomplished without delay. Organized labor is already beginning to act. The Van- couver Labor Council, representing 35,000 workers in the province of British: Columbia, has passed a strong resolution, condemning the Tory. conspiracy and giving whole hearted Support to policies of the King government and General McNaughton. The B.C. District Council of the TWA and the Shipyard General Workers Federation have adopted similar resolutions. Other unions and labor bodies will undoubtedly take im- mediate action to support the government against the vicious attack. Meanwhile the CCF leadership pursue their blind, nar- row, partisan attitude, using the crisis to advance its unreal- istic program and objectively giving aid and comfort to the ._Yories. This was evident in the contribution of Coldwell to “the debate in the Commons, where he once more dragged out the presently absolutely unrealizable shibboleth of conscrip- tion of wealth, a cry as meaningless and as helpful as the squawkings of a parrot at this time. The acute danger of this slogan has been clearly demon- strated in the draftee riots, where it has been shouted and carried by those participating. - Yet in spite of this practical demonstration of the evident danger of actual civil strife, stirred up by the Tories, being carried forward on the basis of CCF inspired slogans, the same cry is recklessly raised again in an attempt to gain narrow political advantage. — At the time of going to press the vote in the House has yet to be taken. Undoubtedly it is urgently necessary that all democratic elements, especially within the ranks of labor; should raise their voices now, to defeat the Tory conspitacy by supporting the program of King and McNaughton. é $ - cultural development, rising living’ standards and social “will remember, author of the This | - Sito . ON December 8 and <9° the second annual con- vention of the B.C. section of the Labor-Pro- “gressive Party will be held in Vancouver. The main task of the delegates will be-to formulate — a program that will best provide jobs, social security, rehabilitation of - those discharged from the armed forces, ereater oppor- tunities for educational and progress in the postwar. 3 i In comparison with the prewar period the basic sec- tions of B. Gs population, the workers and farmers, are far better organized and politically conscious of their interests than ever before. The recently concluded con- vention of the B.G. Federation of Agriculture showed the degree to which organized farmers are cognizant of the economic, social and politi- cal problems affecting them and the very con- siderable degree of organization which pre- vails. ()RGANIZATIONALLY B.C. labor, however, is in an eyen stronger position. The growth of trade union organization in this province since the outbreak of war, thanks largely to the organ- izing of the basic industries in industrial unions, is little short of phenomenal. During that period trade union organization inereased from 40,000 to approximately 140,000. The new. feature in the political life of this province henceforth will be the political strength and influence of labor. Labor in B.C. is rapidly becoming a political power of decisive import- ance. With only 15 percent of the population . engaged in agFiculture B.G. has by for the larg est proportion of industrial workers of any Cana- dian province. Under correct leadership B.C. labor can be the most important force for demo- cratic progress in the province. Vv. eek by howe I e ‘Jobs and Security A Primary Postwar P T will be the major responsibility | convention to assist in providing suc ship] os : The question of jobs—full empl all desirous of work—is the prima: confronting B-C) in the postwar. | present level of wealth production (oy tained and increased in the postwar “absolutely impossible to provide Soci. cultral advance and high living stand This means that secondary indu: be developed to supplement the in ready engaged in the extraction and. of raw material and war industries G the production of goods for civilian yy: B.C's coalition government has ~ headway in planning for the postwar little. The two great monopolies largely dominated the economic life of ince for decades, the CPR (includin _ Sidiaries, the Gonsolidated Mining gn Company and the West Kootenay Power) and the BCElectric Compan: too great an influence in a governy up of Liberals and Torits. Such a , does not and cannot represent the i the workers and farmers of the Proy i the problems of postwar B-C. are ft then certainly the’ workers and far have their own representatives in g The present Liberal-Tory coalition mu: mun: progress is to be achieved, be x a coalition that is. representative o: agriculture and labor. Only such a £ will represent the decisive economic ¢ ‘the population and be capable, throu; - measures, Of solvinge the economic Dp the postwar. The realization of such a rep government; to the exclusion of the ; Tory representatives of monoply inti be one of the major aims of the sec convention of the Labor-Progvressive BG City f : ffairs o Elgin ere [A8 controversy over what policy is to be pur- sued in ‘regard to public housing was high- lighted last Sunday in a national- broadeast over CBC_by Nathan Strauss. He is one ‘of the out- standing exponents of public housing in America, with a wealth of experience ‘ gained in administering no less than-800 millions of dol- lars worth of public housing in the States. He is, if you book, “The Seven Myths of Housing,” which was re- viewed not so long ago in this paper. 2 Speaking from Toronto, where -he has been a guest of the Citizens’ Housing As- sociation, he not only made an excellent case for public housing but proved to the hilt that this type of hous- ing was the only means of meeting the needs of that large section of the people with low incomes. He forcefully refuted the view that this was a war-born problem, and proved that it has been with us for a lone time. 2 He proposed that the Canadian authorities model their prosram on the successful projects of Great Britain and the USA, which he said were based fundamentally on the: same principles. And of primary importance he placed the use of local initiative, authority and\: administration, with the senior governments providing the fi- nancial and technieal help. “Vancouver aldermen please note. : LSO topical for local city fathers was his warning that purchase of homes on the in stallment plan by families with small incomes was unwise—especially during the reconversion NS Author of Seven ‘Explodes Housing — period. How bitterly humorous “it been for Vancouver listeners, who rer grandiose visions of the local contrac ciation representatives when they tal turning vets having the wherewithall in new homes, when the speaker sa i | must see that our veterans and the are not forced into becoming the pre real estate salesmen.” Gould it be | are some not-so-distant cousins of | tribe in the “Land of the Free” to tt well? GPACE does not permit me to deal v pects of the talk in this issue. He can plainly see that the approach of Ic and individuals who have been honest | for a Vancouver housing program is the highest authority. They have been the BuScombes have been wrong. Someone was to take all the argumen out by the opponents of city action o you would not only have seven myths i but about 600 myths, and I use that considerable charity... : THAT. report, among other things, that in 1941 average family incor couver for the lower third income | $574 and that this group should pay $9.57 a month rent. The report add Was unwise for families earning unde year to buy a home. The group mentu were :at that time paying $18 a mionth about double what was advised.. Av families that rent their homes, reg: income group, 88.5 per cent are payimi rent, Nice reading, isn’t it, I’m sure that with John McPeak| council these facts will receive the lig and, with the backing of the people, — able to -start the city council moving: