Wor

ers’ Co-ops Weapon In

Fight Against Giant Monopolies

By CLAUDE DONALD

Speaking to a workers’ group after his return from a visit to the Soviet Union, J. B.
Priestley said, “There is a whole world of education and inspiration, of laughter, loveliness
and deep emotion, of social criticism and spiritual refreshment into which most people
have had only a glimpse. Here is a great task, and I know no other organization better

able to attempt it than the cooperative societies.”

G@ooperation in the early days in
Canada, meant a barn-raising bee,
puilding a neighbor's house, 2
sehool, or bringing in the harvest.
Then came capitalism with its
doctrine of “every man for him-
self,” bringing booms and ever
deepening crisis or depressions in
its wake. Farmers who are gener-
ally considered conservative, con-
tinued to build cooperatives, buy-
ing their fertilizers and machin-
ery, and selling their produce co-
operatively. The farmers coops
Huilt grain elevators, cold storage
plants, creameries, and oil erack-
ing Plants for their members.

The majority of workers, suf
fering from the effects of the
system, continued to support the
system through the chainstores,
victims of the advertising experts.
But in Nova Scotia, where living
e@onidtions made the rest of de
pressed Canada look like heaven,
pauper fishermen, crushed between

Ss tyle —
Value
Quality

Always at the Home
of UNION MADE
CLOTHING — and
Friendly Service

bi

Established For
Over 46 Years

Phone PAc. 3645
45 i. Hastings — Vancouver
AN —4

(= ~Y

the canneries and business, heard
ef workers in a similar plight in
England.
_ A textile strike had been broken
in England, and wages, already:
low, were cut again. Twenty-seven
men and women decided to
do something to help themselves,
and started a co-op, saving two-
pence a week for a year, to get
capital to start business. They
laid down principles which have
become the basic rules of a vast
system of co-ops in every country
of the world. They are: One mem-
ber one vote, regardless of the
amount of money invested; no
more than current rate of interest
on shares; surplus earnings re-
turned to members as patronage
divided; cash trading; open mem-—
bership; emphasis on education.
These principles have byilt the
giant co-ops in Britain, USSR,
China, South America, Canada, and
elsewhere. They raised the Nova
Scotian fisherman to security and
self-respect, built homes for them,
and gave them a stake in life,
through their own efforts. Co-ops
are the answer to the foolishness
of “private enterprise,” utilizing
and expressing the initiative of
their members without the waste-
ful and phoney “competition” of
the latter. Co-ops build for the
security of the peopie—not for the
aggrandisement of one man, or a
small clique of absentee owners.
During the depression, a small
group of Vancouver workers and
others decided to own their own
store and -supply themselves with
groceries. Following the “Roch-
dale principles,” they operated as
a “buying group,” until they were
successful enough to start a store
in the neighborhood where most of
them lived, the Vancouver Co-op-
erative Society, at 3061 West Broad-
way- The war restricted their sup-
plies and crippled their expansion,
but now that supplies are becom-
ins available, they are expanding,
and will shortly have those deep
freezers and fridges that have been
help up.

As more workers join the Co-op,
branch stores will be opened in

Pacific “Irikune B ALL
JOIN YOUR FRIENDS

ON FRIDAY, MAY 31st
Happyland, In Vancouver

In Victoria Thursday, May 30th
AT KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS HALL

1415 Broad Street

In Prince Rupert Friday, May 31st
ODDFELLOWS HALL

PHOTO DANCE AT ALL
A Beautiful Leonard Refrigerator — Supplied By Forst’s Ltd. 4
and Ten Other Attractive Gifts

Admission, 50 Cents

HALLS

Fora Good. .

Suit Or Overcoat |

come to the
4 OLD ESTABLISHED RELIABLE FIRM

>

> 7

4 = § .

EGENT TAILORS

4 $24 West Hastings Street

>

; EVERY GARMENT STRICTLY UNION MADE 2

PAL LLL.
PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 8

other parts of the city, to accom-
modate them.

The Vancouver Co-op Society is
run by union help, under the cap-
able managership of Gladys Ash-
ton, formerly organizer of the Re-
tail Clerks’ Union. Goods are sold
at market prices, and there is a
delivery to all parts of the city.
Anyone may deal with the store,
but workers are encouraged to be-
come members. It costs five dol-
lars for a share and one dollar for
holder to patronage dividend on
purchases.

Co-ops have a special appeal for
workers in that unions have or-
ganized the workers’ earnings,
while co-ops organize their spend-
ing. What is the use of higher
wages if prices increase in propor-
tion? Through co-ops, and unions,
we achieve a measure of control
over both earning and spending-
Go-ops are the answer to the rash
of small businesses that has broken
out all over Canada. It is time
that workers took their economic
destinies in their own hands, and
here is a way: Visit the Vancouver
Co-op at 3061 West Broadway, or
telephone your order to BAyview

9331. Beome a member later when |.

you get to know them.

Co-ops have demonstrated that
they are a valuable asset to work-
ers and farmers, and the attacks
upon them through expensive ads
in the press should show whose
Side they are on. They have done
wonders for the poverty-stricken
and oppressed, but must we wait
until that extremity before we do
something? The majority of work-
ers have a measure of security in
their jobs now. Why not assure

an extension of that security
NOW, when they have some
money?

3% TRANSFER
Courteous, Fast, Efficient
Cal ——

HAst. 6034-L

IWA Strike

bership meeting representa-—
tive of all city clubs, offered
strikers use of four LPP halls,
three in Vancouver, one in
New Westminster. The LPP
reported that Ginger Goodwin
Club was organizing a mobile
canteen to tour struck plants
in the Vancouver area and
that other LPP clubs were or-
ganizing canteens, providing:
entertainment for pickets,
through a special committee,
and canvassing city localities
in support of the Strike.

A statement issued by the
GCE provincial executive ad-
vocating that the federal gov-
ernment take over and operate
all plants failing immediate
settlement through employer-
employee bargaining agents.
Prior to such action, the state-
ment proposed the government
should amend its labor regu-
lations to grant union secur-
ity, the checkoff and the 40-
hour week. The CCE asked
that wage rates be set after
a complete examination of
price structures had been made
with labor represented in the
examination.

Decision by United Packing-
house Workers’ District Coun-
cil to recommend to its mem-—
bers that they each contribute
one dollar a week towards the
IWA. strike fund.

Rats

legal- to demand that defend-
ants, who might be innocent,
should appear at a risk of their
lives. And, since it was notori-
ous that his clients were in
danger from - numerous cats;
they should not be expected to
appear.

You can summon a rat to
court, but he doesn’t neces-
sarily have to come. And so it
is with Eranco Spain, and the
defenders of the fascist rats in
the Security Council.

Chassenee and Stettinius and
appeasement won out But Gro
myko is at least trying to ex-
pose the fraud to the peoples of
the world. This is difficult, be—
cause the newspapers refuse to

print precisely what he says,
and, instead, give their own
version of his remarks, distort-

ing the truth. And suppress the
most important things he has
to say.

LPP Prepares
Annual Picnic

Popular girls chosen by at
least nuime industrial groups
in the province will this year
vie for top honors at Labors
Jubilee picnic, set for Aus-—
ust 4 at Confederation Park
under sponsorship of the
Labor-Progressive Party.

The picnic, an annual event,
will feature a variety of attrac
tions, many of which are still
in the process of being arranged
and will be announced in detail
later. :

LPP celubs associated with yva-
rious industries will have nom-
inated candidates for the “popu-
lar girl contest.” It is expected
that ‘the following industries will
be supporting a candidate in the

contest: building trades; fishing
industry; lumber workers (their
candidate last year, Mona Mor

gan, won first prize); shipyard
workers; seamen and longshore-
men; sawmill workers; foundry
and mine workers; civic, trans-
portation- and telephone workers;
and service. (restaurant, hotel
ete). Out. of town groups may
also nominate candidates. :

in ali cases popular girls wilt
have elected to represent them
campaign managers who will be
responsible for conducting their
campaign: E

JOHN STANTON

Barcster = Solicitor
Notary Publie

502 Holden Bldg. — MAr. 5746
Night: Alma 2177-M

HIGHEST PRICES PAID for
DIAMONDS, OLD GOLD

Other Valuable Jewellery
STAR LOAN CO. Ltd.
Est. 1905

719 Robson St. — MAr. 2622

WAND STUDIO
. “Anything With a Camera” .
8 E. Hastings St. — PAc. 7644

Vancouver, B.C.

1944 Selling Price B.C.
Lumber Output

1038 Selling Price, Same
Output

STOLEN FROM THE
PUBLIC

FROM THE PUBLIC _

$116,220,000
66,500,000
49,720,000

ARR

STOLEN!

FROM. THE WORKERS

THE RIGHT TO A DECENT STANDARD

STRIKE BULLETINS

DAILY

Radio Station

~—CKWX

MON. to SAT., Inc.

6:25 to 6:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

; 6:00 to 6:05 p.m.

MUU TTT TTT NTT A TTR T=

50 Per Cent of all Woodworkers received less
Than 73c Per Hour in 1945
Note: 52c in 1939 Equals 72¢ in 1945

DURING THIS PERIOD WAGES WERE FROZEN!
WHERE DID THESE PROFITS GO?
1945 NET PROFITS (AFTER TAXES PAID)
H. R. MacMILLAN EXPORT CO. § 3.588.572

ee $ 5,131,644
CAN. WESTERN LUMBER CO. _§ 1,683,689

POWELL RIVER CO. -

© These Are Only Three of Over 1800 Woodworking Operations
in British Columbia

THE INTERNATIONAL
WOODWORKERS OF
: AMERICA ARE STRIKING
FOR HIGHER WAGES
WITHOUT HIGHER PRICES!

* During this period excess profits paid amounted to

TERT TUT ETT CT TET =

—
=
=

OF LIVING

~ Total $10,403,905

ATT

This IWA Ad was refused by all three Vancouver dailies.

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1946 |

erent