Squatters take homes in lieu of promises By JOHN BRANDON LONDON—Bombed-out workers’ families, fed up with getting promises instead of homes to live in, took the situa- tion in their own hands this week and moved into expensive London homes that have been The action was a climax to 2 “squatters” movement that has been going on for months. Here- tofore, squatters have confined their invasions to unused army camps and barracks, but they extended their area of operation after the government failed to act on repeated demands that un- used homes be made available to the homeless. Some of the luxurious homes involved are in the hands of the Ministry of Works. Instead of making them available to work- ers, the sqatters charge, the gov- ernment is preparing to sell them at high prices to private owners, who may then rent them at rates far above the reach of a work er’s family. -The Labor government, which Made sweeping promises on housing in its election plat- form, is aware that most of the people are in sympathy with the squatters and is having 2 hard time enforcing its de- cision that they must be evic- ted. Im an effort to discredit the movement, the government has said it is “instigated” by Communists. The Communists reply that they “take pride” that their members are among the leaders of the movement. Actually, many of the people involved are not Commun- ists, but all are equally determin- ed to stay put till the govern- ment offers an alternative. Reflecting the attitude of most of those involved, squatters at a swank London residence wrote to the King, saying: “We regret hav- ing, to resort to Such drastic measures to receive a hearing, but we have repeatedly received nothing but bad news from the government who, we believe, can do more for us than they are doing.” Five leading Communists have been arrested by the Labor gov- ernment, and charged with ‘con- Quality and Purity As HOMEMADE HASTINGS BAKERY standing empty. spiracy in leading the squatters into swank London homes. A demonstration of London workers, estimated at 100,000 marched to Trafalgar Square, de- manding the release of the ar- rested communists, and the im- mediate resignation of the Labor Minister of Health Anuerian Be van, who has ordered all light, water and gas cut off from the squatters and their families. This action has created wide- spread indignation among many sections of the British people. Strong police cordons have also been thrown around the occupied buildings to stop feod being brought into the squatters. Re gardless of ‘orders’ many of the police lines have permitted the passage. of food into the squatter ‘families. The squatter movement is spreading to other parts of Bri- tain, and bids fair to precipitate the Labor government into a ma- jor domestic cerisis. The official ery of “communist’ is not haying the deterring effect its social democratic proponents hoped for. Bombed-out workers want homes, and promises will no longer suf- fice. LONDON, Sept. 18 — Squatters decided today that their demon- Stration in taking over the Duch- ess. of Bedford House and the Ivanhoe Hotel had achieved its purpose, and decided to “march out together.” It is believed that the powerful trade _union and mass public support of the squat- ters will compel the government, hot only to find emergency hous- ing, but to begin the immediate implementation of its national housing program. Helps textile strike Last pay-day, members of Di- vision 101, Street Railwaymen’s Union at Vancouver collected $175.00 in aid of the textile work ers’ strike at Valleyfield, Quebec. President Miller of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ union to striking workers, $75.00 Many donations made by his union to striking workers, $..... had been forwarded to the textile 716 E. Hastings HA. 3244 strikers. OQOOOOO HH ©OOOOOO® CLAS EOOOQO OOOOH OHO OO OOOCOO® QOS OOOOOOOOHOHOOCOOSHHOOOE "" A charge of 5) cents for each insertion of five lines or less with 10 cents for each additional line is made for notices appearing in this column. No notices will be accepted later than Monday noon of the week of publication, NOTICES Oldtime Dancing to ALF. CARLSON'S ORCHESTRA Every Wednesday cnd Saturday Hastings Auditorium 828 ‘East Hastings Phone HAst. 3248 MODERATE RENTAL RATES weddings, meetings. etc. foe socials, Dance, Clinton Hall— 2605 East Pender. Dance every Saturday night. Modern and Old-Time. Viking’s Orchestra. Hall is available for rent. HAstings 3277. Croatian Hall— Available for Dances, Socials, Weddings, Banquets, Meetings, Reasonable rates. 600 Camp- bell Avenue. HAstings 0087. Meetings— Swedish Finnish Workers” Friday every month, 7:30 Hall: Ciub meets last D.m., Clinton PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 6 OK Hair Restored— Weak constitution may be the cause of weak hair, but weak hair may also be the cause of “weak constitution. air Re- Stored from weakest fuzz or roots. Results from the first free trial. No orders by mail. Case must be diagnosed before treatment, 671 Smythe St, Van- couver. Wanted— Private party will pay top cash price for good used car, late model preferred. MA_.3654. For Sale— Beach- Co-Ed Wood and Coal stove with water jacket. Ex- cellent condition; FA: 7693R. ASH BROS. CARTAGE Moving — Transfer Dump Trucks 2239 Cambie Phone FAir. 0469 WHAT'S DOING Open Air Dancing— Every Saturday evening, 9 p.m., in Swedish Park, located half- mile north of Second Narrows Bridge toll booth. Old-time and modern dancing: Metal strike ends in union victory CALGARY. — Calgary Metal Workers Union this week ended its three-month strike at the plants of Do- minion Bridge and its subsid- lary companies, Riverside Sales, by signing an agree- ment for a wage increase of 12% cents, the 40-hour week and a five-cent offshift wage differential. The 12% cent wage settlement covers all except foundry “~work- ers, who will receive 11 cents. With wage boosts of seven cents an hour already won, the 11 cent award brings the overall increase obtained by foundry workers dur- ing the past year to 18 cents, Highest offer made by the com- pany before the strike was seven cents, with three and four cents an hour for foundry workers. The company and the wnion will now make joint application to the regional war labor board for approval of the new agree- ment which was facilitated through the efforts of Justice O’Connor, commissioner appoint- ed by the provincial government. a ClO seamen strike for equal pay with AFL NEW YORK. — Although an early settlement appeared likely, the shipping strike en- tered a new phase today when the CIO National Maritime Union ordered its own strike to bring wages of its members to the level granted AFL sea- men, Although the NMU members have not been working since the AFL strike began last week, they were not officially on strike un- til today. Befcere that, they were simply respecting picket lines set up by AFL seamen. The CIO strike was called as the government reversed the de- cision of,the Wage Stabilization Board, which had ruled that AFL seamen could not get higher wage increases than those grant- ed to the CiO, although ship-— owners had agreed to pay higher wages to the former. Now that the AFI seamen have been granted more pay, the CIO is demanding that itS members be raised. The AFI unions, which are expected to ratify the settlement ever the weekend, have announc- ed that they will respect CIO picket lines. ~ OPEN MEETING CROATIAN HALL 600 Campbell Avenue Sunday, Sept. 27 Joseph Gershman Chairman: National Jewish Committee, LPP > Pender Auditorium 5 (BOILERMAKERS) 3 MODERN DANCING P Every Saturday 3 Bowling Alleys Large and Small Halls > : for Rentals PHONE: PAc. 9481 4 Join the Tribune Army in ‘operation canvass’ By IVAN BIRCHARD How many times have you really burned up with the ravings of such people as Bob Morrison, who is on the air ~ almost nightly telling you what a lot of Christian philan- thropists the B.C. mine operators are, and what a lot of ‘reds’ union men are? The awful hate-inspired outbursts of this paid Charley McCarthy of the bosses insults the intelli- gence of amy audience. the working class could be brush- ed off without comment were he an isolated case. Today, however, it is impossible to pick up 2 daily paper or listen to a news commentator, without being as- sailed by the same poisonous type of propaganda. Those who hire Morrison and his kind have unlimited finances at their disposal. Their job is to spread falsehood and con- fusion, and they don’t worry about the cost.. That goes down to their ‘personnel relations’ ac- count. Qur Tribune and its nightly radio newscast with Al Parkin’s ‘Behind the Headlines,” have only the dimes and dollars contributed by our supporters. We can only reach those who read our paper and listen to our broadcast. We appeal to you to guarantee that we shall be able to fight these labor-haters even more ef- fectively. Your donation to our figthing fund will help. Perhaps you can order a bundle of Tri- bunes, or better still get your workmates and neighbors to sub- scribe. Let us answer the Mor- rison drivel with Five Thousand New Readers! Join the army that helped make this week’s total of $80.00 in do- Of course Morrison’s tirades against Si A nations and four new readers. DONATIONS: English Bay LPP ......... $10.50 Capitol Hilj— Mrs. Robinson ........... 1.00 East End No. 1 LPP Club 1.00 Kitsilano LPP Club ...... 10.65 TOTS OPE VIS fais eyes eee 10:00 Courtenay .--......--.-.---. 16.45 Vernon Youth Club ........ 3.00 Nick Coley ......-......-... 2.00 Seament eee er re ee 1.00 Building Trades ....:...... 2.95 Atlin-Dave Mattson ........ 3.00 ee teallerts 2s ee 2.00: MUiSSION y= ose ee ee 9.00 Norquay LPP Club .......- 2.00 AUOEM S555 550555550055 $79.55 SUBSCRIPTIONS: Building Trades .............. 2 @Qak Bay-Harry Asson ........ 3 OV. Bill! 2c ee ee aes —1 Victorian fis 2 tao ee ee 1 Watale en eer ee eee zk Mast. nd INOy te al Merrace. Hj. sss AS ie ae eee 4 Dibble 255 2 ee eee i Pouce = Coupe 2-=. ss a at Miscellaneous ................. 3 HMnelishe Bay =e di Glearwater. sso io es Dee aL Es &\c LS ae ean cars sao ocr a Muni Mrlich =e ee 1 Commercial Drive ............ 1 Ginger Goodwin .............. 1 Norquay eee ern ee 2k Alberni]. ois eee eee 2 Athi 2262s ode: Ss eae Se eae 1 Rort--Albernis 35-4 Gee ee eee 2 Ao 0 eee ae aes Sri Kean aan 5 ne Mission, “=. -.-k. ee ze Salmon Arm—Coleman ....... Ea Kamloops-Halverson .......... 1 Michel sre eo oe sk oe ee 1 Total gee ir eee ee 41 School children strike for needed bus service By VIVA FLOOD CRESCENT BEACH, B.C.—A_ school strike affecting 20 to 25 children began here on Sept. 12. There is no local school; the children go by bus to the school at Halls Prairie, some ten miles distant. few days of this term, they at- tended the White Rock School, which is closer, but it was found that the latter school could not ac- commodate them. e The cause of discontent is that the school bus does not come right down into Crescent Beach to pick up the pupils. Instead they are forced to trudge up a mile-long hill to the highway. For the first few days the bus driver, on his WAND STUDIO . “Anything With a Gamera” > & EK. Hastings St. — PAc. 7644 Vancouver, B.C. In previous years and for the first own initiative, agreed to come down the hill for the children, “if they would behave themselves.”?” Appar- ently this was stopped by the school board. The parents held a meeting and decided on strike action. Climbing the long hill every day of the winter, carrying books and lunches, is an unnecessary hardship, they feel, especially for the kiddies of only six years. The school bus never has come down the hill for the children, but in former years only a handful were affected, and so they had to suffer in- silence. Now the year-round population of Crescent Beach is over 300. There are two busloads of pupils, and such a number merits adequate service. Bei Gad REGENT Suit or Overcoat come to the OLD ESTABLISHED RELIABLE FIRM 324 West Hastings Street_ . TAILORS EVERY GARMENT STRICTLY UNION MADE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1946