HAT DO YO

———————————————— OO

THINK ?

===

after. The fact that the people
of British Columbia will profit
by increased electric Service,
and that increased kilowatt
turnover migkt reduce present

mission

ike ee exorbitant rates is also rather
ents to be un- pleasant to consider.
BRCElectric

The real so'ution to the prob-
lem of the BCElectric is the eli-
- Mination of that company and
the assumption of all responsi-
bilities for supplying of power
by a publicly owned and operat-
ed power commission. In the
final analysis this is the only
solution, and it is also the only
means by which the people of
this province will profit from
development of the boundless
resources of this province.

JAMES PARTRIDGE.

idge River. We
read in the an-
t our local elec-
contemplates
s of business
itish Columbia,
ted the slogan
ving to (8.C.”

ary heartening.

Accommodation

> of the. tale Editor, Pacific Advocate:

1e- barn after Last week I observed with
en. disgust the spectacle of return-
anyone but a ed veterans Picketing outside
se ¢apitalist of that huge pile which has
is to move to been consigned to the ashean
setter to -have by the whim of our two rail-
and available ways—the CPR and the CNR.

<pect to do it Tt is heartrending and ‘dis-

Yr bonanzas as
= project. Which

| * songs of any other nation to gain popularity

_.ada and United States js the famous Aus-

| Waltzing Matilda,” whose words and refrain
! on our own radio programs.

_ strange that it should have become popular

= ly because of its stirring music and unusual

- certain that the famous song would be heard

appreciation, especially in labor circles, were

| Waltzing Matilda” was originally written out

es of striking workers and expresses the same

_ class as characterized the famed IWW songs
he United States.

' ason for the distorted “popularization” of the
ian usually be traced to the manner in which
- by singers. On a recent Sunday it was pre-
-aiger, whose nasal voice gave this fighting
- of the flavor of a crooner singing “God Bless

4 Matilda” was written in 1895. This was just
/of great strikes and lockouts in the Australia
-ien the Australian workirig-class had their
-ed battles with capitalism.

/nan” of Composer “Banjo” Paterson was a
/2r, a shearer, a man who tramped the bush
-.e sheep-shearing sheds of Queensland and
= =n on to the fruit picking and other seasonal

+n Was one of the useful and productive mem-
“king-class, and one of the most militant, as
the history. of the great shearing strikes of
'ver, he had found most of the rich pastoral
land already taken up by wealthy squatters.
mted to take up land had no chance. That

heep). to the workers of those days was not
Zz ee criminal sense, but merely taking
d have been rightfully theirs.

‘an: in the song the squatter, “mounted
febecds is Becompaiicd by three police
year before Paterson wrote his song the
uth the help of the police and law courts,
earers’ strike, almost broken the workers
‘posed misery and want, and forced them to
of the economic crisis which then was af-
a.

dl this peculiarly Australian song is inter-
3’ who know and appreciate the background
Was written, it will remain as some pleasant
€ with a catchy tune. Actually it is not only
and best-loved song of the Australian but a
yY of protest from a great and progressive

ADVOCATE — PAGE 5

- nothing

]
illusioning to see such things
after so much blood has been
shed to build a just world.

The least eur returning vet-
erans are entitled to is a roof
over their heads and the utter
callousness of the decision to
destroy this building which
could supply temporary accom-
modation: is alarming.

Apparently the announced de-
cision of the big moguls has
paralyzed our city fathers who
have decided to capitulate and
do nothing.

We certainly have a lot of
fighting to do while such things
can happen and let us hope we
can all get together in the com-
ing year to do it,

JOHN DUNCAN.

Social Democracy
Editor, Pacific Advocate:

It is amusing to watch the
cavortings of the devotees of
Social democracy these days.
These people who were so mili-
tant a short while ago when
militaney meant words instead
of action have now become as
timid as rabbits. The attitude of
Prominent CCF trade unionists
during the recent Ford strike
revealed the absolute lack of
working class understanding
which so thoroughly character-
izes the actions of these “lead-
ers.’

If anything else were needed
to reveal the bankruptcy of this

‘leadership the fight of the In-

donesian people has surely done
the job.

CCF leader Coldwell becomes
the apologist for his brethren
of the Bevin-Attlee ilk in the
British labor government. He

repeats the imperialist excuses ;

of the Tories and vainly tries
to justify the crushing of Co-
lonial peoples as necessary “to
preserve order.”

Wasn’t that the excuse used
for shipping police to Windsor?

Another member of this
party, apparently lacking com-
munication with his ‘chief?
writes an article condemning
British interference in Indo-
nesia,

This is, of course, on a par
with the happenings inside of
the British Labor party, where
the more honest members are
condemning the government’s
action and calling for a return
to policies in line -with the
ideals of labor.

The strains of the modern
postwar developments are cre-
ating huge rifts in the ranks
of Social democracy, threaten-
ing to isolate the reactionary
leadership from its following.
A few more incidents like the
Ford strike nationally and In-
donesia and India, internation-
ally, should finally convirice all
progressives that they have
in common with the
Supporters and apologists for
such policies.

ALF TYLER.

Shor t Jabs by Ol Bill

ea . POUeRGAurarcaacezieesesaereusDvversseectessrscess:

The Same-——But Different !

HE political wiseacres who foretold that the immediate postwar con-

ditions here wou'd be the same as. they were immediately following
the last war, will have to recast their opinions in at least one respect.

Four years after armistice day, 1918, the workers of Western

Canada dissipated their energies in the effort to establish a One Big
Union—a revolutionary union—which is a contradiction in terms.

A trade or industrial union has as its function the improvement of
the living conditions of its members; maintaining or raising their
wages, securing shorter hours and bettering their working conditions.
That must be for all of its members, who may be revoluti
actionary or just plain disinterested—politically, economically, or even
in the welfare of the union itself,

If only revolutionaries were banded

necessity, be unable to function for all the workers embraced within
its jurisdiction, since the Majority of such workers have no revolution-
ary outlook. That, however, does not prevent the unions from being

Ss and the masses

But we did not place any such limitations on our One Big Union.
That was to be a union whose objective was the Bolshevization of
Canada. We were swept off our feet by the impact of the Russian
October revolution. We had a long perspective fore-shortened. The
ultimate objective of the revolutionary working class was to be achieved
in the immediate future.

We passed resolutions of congratulation and solidarity with the
Bolsheviks in Russia and the Spartacists in G

the problem of unemployment which became acute with the demobiliza-
von of Canada’s half-a-million army and the closing down of war in-
ustries. =

In the municipality of South Vancouver, which was bankrupt and

was being administered for the creditors by the most sympathetic

way of road work, for wages amounting to what afterwards became
known as “the dole.” ;

Elsewhere nothing was done until the OBU myth was exploded.
The first move to organize the unemployed was not made until 1922
and the first postwar demonstration against unemployment took place

in January or February of that year, when about 5,000 unemployed
workers paraded across the city from the West End to a barn-like
structure set up by. some itinerant missionary on the flats near the
C.N. depot.

It must be added here, too, that organization only began with the
launching of the Communist Party, then known as the Workers’ Party.

Today it is different! The influence of Communist leadership is
already felt in the manner of dealing with the postwar issues. Only
four months after V-J day, when the last of the anti-Commintern axis
bit the dust, Vancouver has already witnessed its first postwar parade
and demonstration against unemployment,

Organized by trade unionists who have their feet on the ground, —

whose heads’ are not in the clouds, who are not inspired by Utopian
dreams of Socialism in a hurry, but are guided by the realities of
material conditions, this first step is ‘a warning to the rulers of today
that the people of this country, veterans and workers alike, are going
to fight for the security of life that they fought for six years against
Fascism to secure.

No, things are not the same new as they were immediately after
the First World War! «

Happy New Year !

fX the last issue of the P.A., the chart of the Press Drive results

shows that our column had more than achieved its objective. Our .

quota of $100 cash donations and 50 subs was oversubscribed, not by
much maybe, but plenty if a like result had been accomplished across
the board.

I am taking this opportunity to thank all who helped to make that
quota—but we might have done more. We still need some more of
the crusading spirit. We must become like those enthusiastic men and
women and boys and girls who stand on all busy intersections and
streetcar transfer points, making no move, Saying not a word, standing
like cigar store Indians, offering some religious publication for sale.

So we will make our paper a bigger and better paper. We will
spread its influence by that spirit. Its message must be carried to the
masses, not for pie in the sky, but for pie and other things, right here.

In wishing Ol’ Bill’s drive committee a Happy New Year, not as
a matter of routine, but earnestly in the spirit of comradeship, I must
widen it out to embrace everybody, staff and readers alike—EVEN THE
EDITOR WHO LOST LAST WEEK’S MANUSCRIPT—which explains
the reason why there was no Short Jabs last week.

So—HAPPY NEW YEAR!
FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 1946