unlawfui interview, delegation Following the members of the that he viewed this as a la- bor dispute, not a criminal case, and would be guided accordingly. Wismer, Vol. t. No. 35. Made in his behalf Action taken by the delegation Five Cents _ Vanccuver, British Columbia, Friday, October HW, 1946 Formerly PACIFIC ANVOCATE ing that the charges be dropped Sent to the attorney-general by: the recent B.C. Federation of La- King housing ‘policy’ _ tested in Ottawa case By ROBERT M. LAXER OTTAWA — On the files of the Veterans’ League here there are the names of some 350 Tepresenting some 1,500 people who must face the bitter garages and shacks unless the government takes energetic steps to provide them with winter months in cellars, housing. Arrest and formal committal for trial of Franklyn EF. (Ted) Han- ratty, the former RCAF observ- er whose leadership of the Veter- ans’ Housing League has brought him into national prominence, and George Bleakney, the Ottawa law- yer who became the league’s legal counsel, has served only to sharp- en this issue. The plight of Ot tawa’s homeless veterans epitu mize the housing difficulties of thousands of people in cities aeross the country. if the federal government, by its decision to arrest Hanratty and Bleakney, hoped to head orf the protest against its failure to live up to its promises and under- take a practical low-rent hous- ing program, it now knows that once again it has underestimat- €d the mood of the people. Pro- tests against its action demands that the charges against Hanrat- ty be-dropped and contributions to the league’s defense fund are being, received from trade unions, Canadian Tegion branches and ' Vets want homes --- less red tape A meeting of the Civic Re- form Committee this week ‘heard Elgin Ruddell, candi- election, blast the city coun- cil’s refusal to accept the role of a tenant of the Dorninion gov- ernment in the operation of the d q Hotel Dunsmuir as a hotel for Servicemen. “This is a first-class example of buck-passing,” Ruddell told the committee. “True to form, the ‘holy-of-holies has been invoked, with the city charter cited to justify evasion of responsibility (to homeless veterans. This will have a hollow ring to citizens who have been treated to the spectacle | OfFis Worship the Mayor openly defying the city charter provi- ' sions requiring the holding of a byelection to fill the present / Council’ vacancy.” “fhe council should not be afraid of responsibility for help- ing to house veterans, but. glad to’ do anything possible. Veter- aus want homes, not red tape, and inaction is an open invita- ton to squatters to take over.” Loicunt fed ea eA iui nhs date in the aldermanic bye-- bor convention. Actions of nine of twelve trade unionists arrested during a mass Picket line demonstration outside the strikebound Vancouver Daily Province last July 23 and subse quently charged with unlawful as- sembly were_in effect vindicated this week when an assize court jury ordered two defendants released for lack of evidence, acquitted : seven more and found only three Housing guilty as charged. .- families, Those released for lack of evi- dence on Saturday were Leslie Borden and George (Jock) Tay ler, patrolman for the Canadian Seamen’s Union (AFL). Those ‘acquitted on Monday were: Gerald Culhane, secre- tary of the Shipyard General Workers Federation (CCL); Les- lie McRae, Ralph Hamilton, Frank Izzard, Jeremiah amb, Matthew Furness and Thomas Seibert. Those convicted and remanded to the end of the assizes for sen- (Continued on Page 8) See. TRIALS other organizations the country. The preliminary hearing before Magistrate Glenn Strike last Fri- day was a victory for the two defendants. A courtroom packed with sympathizers. heard RCMP Police relate their story of what took place when veterans seized (Continued on Page 8) See HOUSING across On the 84th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclama- tion, Paul Robeson and Dean Joseph Johnson stand at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, just before the huge protest meeting sponsored by the American Cru- sade to End Lynching. quoted Wismer to the effect they said, had been informed that one of the three men, Robert Daniels, was the sole support of his mother and sub- ject to recurrent Sickness, and had taken note of the special appeal was in line with a resolution urg- JURY FREES NINE CH IN DAILY PROVINCE VICTORIA.—Intimation that his departm__ ing severe penalties for three pickets co assembly was given by Attorney-General Federation of Labor delegation which interviewed him leniency for the three men. } nvicted in = N 2 String of onl S ow ighway aw) =e uble = 2a ek, Gordon Wismer= ) here this week to as Trade Board anti-union slanders rapped by TLC Delegates to Vancouver Vancouver Board of Trade t of labor’s affairs, Pritchett, IWA district presid well advised to investigate its The council’s criticism “of the boards activities was precipitated by a resolution sent by. FE. R: Rose, board secretary to the council with @ request that it be given favorable consideration. The resolution’, adopted by the board last month as part of the current big business campaign to have the government usurp the right of unions to direct their own affairs, claimed that “mi_ norities” in unions were promoting illegal strikes and advocated changes in labor laws, including: government supervision of secret strike ballots. : Harvey Murphy, western” region- al director of the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers Union, wanted to know when members of the board became judges of what constituted good Canadianism. “The Canadianism of any union official would stand much closer serutiny: than that of these gen- tlemen of the Board of Trade,” he declared. = “They talis about good Cana- dianism. We'll remind them of the days they shipped copper to Japan.” Reminding the board that its members had shown no concern for labor’s rights “when discrim_ ination was rampant in the coun- try,” Murphy challenged it to show one instance where a union had struck without first taking a ref erendum vote. “I wonder whether this resolu- tion was adopted by a referendum ‘vote of board members, and just how many attended the meeting,” he asked. Delegates gave unanimous ap- proval to an executive recommen- dation that the board be informed Labor Council this week told o@ keep its collective mose out with a pointed suggestion from Harold ent, that “the board would be own subversive elements.” “that labor is quite capable of con- ducting its own affairs without in- terference from the Board of Trade-’ 2 EF. EK. BHANRATTY Organizer of the Veterans Hous- ing League, who led the Ottawa veterans in their seizure of two government houses. “The vets must be housed” says this ex- RCAF observer whose record shows 57 operational flights over enemy territory. : Public pressure compels city to act on milk issue Possibilities of securing British Columbia Milk Board an injunction to restrain the from proceeding with its de- cision, already in effect, to increase the price of milk are be- ing explored by groups opposing abolition of the milk sub- Sidy, it was reported this week. The suggested action would parallel that taken this week by Mrs. Elizabeth Morton, LPP can- didate in the Toronto-Parkdale byelection, who made application for an injunction against the On- tario Milk Board. Vancouver’s Won-Partisan city council, mindful of the approach- ing election, agreed on Monday this week to ask the provincial government to re-examine its de- cision .not to assume the subsidy with a view to obtaining “some adjustment.” & special committee of the council—Ald. R. K. Gervin, chair- man, Ald. W. D. Greyell and Ald. G. €. Miller—was named to pre pare a resolution for the coun- eil’s formal approval In a discussion with a repre— Sentative delegation of labor, vet- erans, pensioners and consumers groups, headed by Mrs. Doris Hartley, Ald. G. CG. Miller echoed the provincial government’s con- tention that if the subsidy on milk were continued other pro- Gucers might demand similar con- Sideration. Ald. Charles Jones, however, argued, “Milk is a staple. It is most definitely required for chil- dren.” Sloan Report VICTORIA — it is understood here that Chief Justice Gordon Sloan, acting as commissioner empowered to inquire into the strike of 2500 gold and copper miners which, since last July, has tied up all producing mines in the province, is now ready to present his recommendations for settlement of the dispute in the two copper mining operations involved, Britannia ana Copper Mountain.