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Political action of the strong trade-
union movement is the new point

of departure and

must remain the

foundation of the fight for peace
and security in the province.

Program of the Quebec Labor-Progressive Party

I

N the province of Quebec the people cannot stem the
effensive of the trusts against starvation wages, inse-

curity and misery, unless there is a profound change in
the relations of political forces. There can be only one

adequate answer to the offensive of the trusts.

That is

the consolidation of a popular movement which can make

a breach in the political monopoly which the two old capi- —

talist parties have exercised

Such a movement can signif-
icantly alter the relation of
forces in favor “f£ the people
which must inspire all those
Whe are sincerely concerned
with the future of this province.

What is the task of the Labor-
Proeressive Party? GQur task is
to determine how we can con-
tribute the best to the birth
ef this popular Quebec move
ment.

The new factor in postwar
Quebee is a strong trade-union
movement which is conscious
that it can play a major role
in politics: This political action
ci the unions is the point of
departure and must remain the
foundation of the popular move—
ment in Quebec.

Trade-Union Movement
f= is urgent to strengthen ‘the

trade-union movement in
Quebee So that it can begin
to rapidiy play a role in poli-

tics. It is urgent to re-estab-
lish unity among the AFL
unions in Quebec. Tt is impor-
tant to strengthen the CCL. It
is necessary that the two trade-
union centers -begin public ac-
tion around a legislative pro-
fram and that they begin to
coordinate their efforts to this
end:

An effective battle must be
waged against the traitors in
the labor movement, the Mar-
guetes and the Fourniers. Suc-
cess in the organizing cam-
Paigns already undertaken in
the province will aid in the de
velopment of political action. In
auto, in electrical, in aluminum,
in textiles, boot and shoe, res-
taurant workers, it is possible
to organize tens of thousands of
workers,

The organizing campaigns in
the postwar will necessarily take

on 2 more militant, anti-trust
character than the previous
campaigns. It is the battle for

the interests of the workers that
the union movement can

all along.

strenghen itself and can begin
to become the heart of a peo-
Bple’s movement in Quebec.

But as yet the workers’ unions
exist only in the cities and in-
Gustrial towns. And it has at-
tained a degree of maturity suf-
ficient for first-class political
ectivity. Consequently the inia-
tors of popular action in Quebec
must from the outset seek a
Erogram which will not merely
make possible the inclusion of
democratic forces who are out-
side the ranks of the working
class, but beyond that which
will stimulate in bringing into
action against the trusts the
Freneh-Ganadian masses of the
countryside, the villages and the
towns.

GUE CARON

Provincial leader, Quebec LPP

Built on the unity of French
and English workers in the pro-
vince of Quebec, the people’s
movement must necessarily as-
sume 2 profoundly FBrench-Can-
adian character.

ESET TT TAA eT

@ Feature Section

SEE... :

@ SOVIET

POLICY

Page 2222s 1]
@ RAILROAD

RACKETEERS

When Premier Maurice Duplessis of Quebec torpedoed the
recent Dominion-Provincial conference with the active aid
of tory Drew of Ontario, he was doing a job for the big

shots of monopoly capital.

Slum conditions,

low wages,

the absence of health laws and other social legislation for
the people of French Canada, explains why the monopolists
of James Street can record fabulous profits. The growth of
trade unionism is bringing a new consciousness to Quebec

workers.

National Sentiment
QNE must not confuse nation-
al feelings with nationalism.
French - Canadian national
sentiment which at bottom is the
desire to continue to live and
develop as French-speaking Can-
adians, this can in no way be
eriticized. What is true, however,
is that this sentiment can be
and has been exploited for re-
actionary purposes.
this sentiment remains an ob-
jective reality. More, the nation-
al sentiment of the Hrench-Can-
adians is a positive factor which
ean. greatly contribute to pro-
gress in Canada. But this on
ene condition, that the working
class and the democratic forces
Shall make clear to all that
they are the only ones that can
lead on the French-Canadian na-
tional aspirations to their full-
est realization.

What better contribution can
the workers’ movement in Que-
bec make to Canada than to
link itself more and more
etrongly to the popular masses
ef Quebec? This is possible and
necessary. But we must empha-
size and spread the idea that
the working class and its al-
lies alone are capable of at-
taining those conditions which
can eliminate the obstacles to

progress in FErench-Canada.
Qn this basis it is possible
to develop popular programs

which can rally a large major-
ity of the Quebec people. It will

be possible ‘to establish solid
links with the farmers, It will
be possible to win important

sections of the middle class in
the cities; the small storekeep-
ers, the professionals, the stu-
dents. It will be possible to win
thousands of people who sup-
port the Liberal Party, because
they think it is a party of re-
forms. It will also be possible
to win thousands of people who
support the Union Nationale and
the Bloc Populaire because they
think these are parties which

Wevertheless |

defend the rights of the French-
Canadian people. A peoples’
movement which takes into ac-
count what the Hrench-speak-
ing people think can rally the
majority of that nation in the
battle for a Canadian policy of
peace.

Anti-Trust Battle

GNE of the forms of the anti-
trust battle will be a cam-

paign for the nationalization pro-

vinecially of certain of the es-—

sential industries. In this regard

_ we could think of the national-

ization of the electricity trust in
the whole province, the nation-
alization of mines and of large
cempanies which exploit the na-
tural resources of the province.

The program we envisage will
be a program of social welfare.
It is a program which will de-
mand of the provincial govern-
ment legislation facilitating
trade union organization and
obliging the employers to bar-
8ain with the unions chosen by
the workers. A decent provincial

minimum wage is necessary. We:
need laws limiting the hours of

work and guaranteeing to ‘all
wage earners two weeks’
tion with pay. We want better
health laws. And we want the
application of the laws on pub-
lic health which exist already.

The educational system must
be modernized. it is necessary
te establish a complete and de-
tailed program covering the
rights of women, aid te youth,
a democratic administration for
Montreal, increase in old-age
pensions and allowances for
needy mothers.

Of necessity the people’s move-
ment in Quebec must have a
clearly anti-fascist character. It
must carry on an energetic
fight against the defenders of
fascist Argentina and against
the apologists of Hiroito, Goer-
ing and Kurt Meyer. :The pre-
fascist leaders in Quebec will
always be the disguised: agents

vVaca- :

“meed of a great
gram. Without it, the land will

onopoly Rule In Quebec
Can Be Licked!’

=

PREVER MAURICE
DUPLESSSIS
“... the Charley MicCarthy of
James St.”

ct the trusts. They are and will —
remain the shock troops of the
trusts against the working class
end its democratic allies.

Farmer-Labor Unity

EVERYONE of us must agree

that a true people’s move-
ment in Quebec must link the
people of the city with the pec
ple of the countryside. The basis
for Such unity is the battle for —
the imterestS of the farmers
against the oppressive trusts.
The farmers need fertilizers and
agricultural implements at reas-
cnable prices. They need a guar-
anteed floor on prices which will
in all circumstances give them a
decent standard of life. They .
need modern schools and a
much better standard of teach-
ing. In the country, in the vil-
lages, in the small towms, there
must be recreational centres, _
which will give the rural peo- |
ple a chance to spend their -
leisure time in a pleasant way.
The Quebec countryside is in
irrigation pre—

continue to become less and less -

_ fertile as the years go by. With-

out such an irrigation plan it
will be impossible to -raise our
agriculture to the level of other
provinces of other countries. We
want a reforestation program
which will repair the terrible
damages caused by the greedy
jumber trusts.
«A people’s movement in Que-
bee will rise up against the al-
ienation of our natural resources
to the trusts. These resources
Should be utilized by the gov-
ernment and people of the pro- -
vince in the interest of the pec -
ple of this province. :
The weight of Hrench-Canada
must be thrown in favor of a
foreign policy of supporting the

-(Contimued on Page 12)
_ See QUEBEC