-NION ORGANIZATIONAL DRIVE MAKES HEADWAY

OOT, SHOE WORKERS IN CITY ORGAI

The Peoples Advocate

bs = Western Canada’s Leading Progressive Newspaper = VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1938

“1d, New Blend In Chungking

‘apw Capital Of China,

> Bip

yh HUNGEKING, China, April u—Three hundred steps lead ..{m the banks of the river to 4: first street of Chungking,

#: new capital of the Chinese publie.

tegp OT'Merly the capital of Szechwan

7 the centre of the Chinese govy- ment’s stand against the Japa- fe in China’s war for liberty.

wituated on the steep mountain dks of the Yangste river where

walled off and separate, ingking is one of the most im- tant commercial centres in the th-west.

‘ar from the front and ringed as FS with mountains, China’s new fital is inaccessible to the air- nes of the Japanese.

on this city the old and the new Sc without clashing. : Banners Gn Ancient Streets omehow the row upon row of handicraft workshops with the “St old-fashioned means of pro- §:tion seem incongruous with the en-storied buildings of some of § big banks, in the offices of ich many employees attentively tech the course of the world’s ck exchanges.

3ut suddenly one comes across @ logan inscribed on bunting and SSsetching across the street; the uquity of the city is forgotten,

@i the present is alive and cali- |

as hundreds pass and read the il to arms emblazoned on the iy iner.

* hough divided physically by the Ber, no city could be more united } itself. Since Chungking has be- yne the national capital, its popu- ion has increased by more than 500. Already 150,000 volunteers | ve left the province for the front, ® which a good proportion came m the old-city. If the war con- ues, Szechwan alone will be able supply six million soldiers with- t any difficulty.

Development Speeded

This is a rich province, and the ir has given a tremendous im- tus to the development of in- stry. It has speeded-up the ful- tment of the plan for Southwest ina, worked out three years ago, which this province had a prom- gent place.

‘The 800-mile long Chungking- Miangsha road, opened last June, i@ being used to its full capacity. At be present time construction work in progress on the first railway 1e in Szechwan province; the line ll be 340 miles long and will con- ‘ect up with Chungking and 1engetu.

1e experimental borings reveal at there are oil reseryers there

great industrial importance. nee these are opened up and ex- oited, China will be able to pro- ice its own oil for the first time history. Great hopes are also being aced on the exploitation of the Piinerals of the province, coal, iron, uit and copper.

Economic Base

With a big increase of the areas nder cotton and rice, the Chi- ese government considers that it ill be able to transform Szech- ‘an into a Satisfactory economic ase for the long war against apanese aggression. Wanking University is now at thungking. Its removal] to a spot ust outside this city overlooking deep ravine, and sprinkled with awns and terraces, symbolizes thina’s resistance and its deter- ination to forge ahead with its dueational and cultural projects Ss an important weapon against he Japanese.

A fleet of junks just newly ar- ived is lined up at the river ank. Machine parts, machines and mgines are being unloaded. Al- eady thousands of toms of ma- hines, imported into Chungking luring the last month, have passed through the river customs. Several ‘arge plants are being transferred Inere, Some Shanghai factories are ilso being transferred to Chung- “cing. . The temporary capital of China js becoming an important indus- ria] and economic centre, the base f the national liberation ‘war against Japanese aggression.

Hearst Hit

; NEW YORK, April 7—(FP)— [The Hearst financial empire moved @ step nearer dissolution, when it *¥a&s announced that the publisher's uxurious Park avenue hotel—Ritz ‘Tower—will be turned over to the

‘bondholders.

Guarantees Collective Bargaining

Labor Bill Before NB House

FREDERICTON, NB, April 7.— Most important government meas- ure to be brought down at the present session of the New Brun- swick legislature is the “act re- spectins labor and industrial rela- tions,” introduced by Hon. J. B. MeNair, attorney-zeneral and act- ing minister of health and labor.

Owing to public interest in the Wew Brunswick bill, it was laid over for a week before being con- sidered in committee, to give ample opportunity for discussion and hearing of representations.

The bill, similar to Nova Scotia’s trade union act in scope, declares the right of labor to organize for collective bargaining to be “posi- tive law.’ It does not, however, provide for “check-off” or “closed shops.”

Introducing the bill, General McNair said:

Attorney-

“In asking leave to introduce the bill now before the house, I do not for a moment profess that it will prove the final word of this legislature in such matters.

“In my opinion, however, it rep- resents a distinct advance. It con-

tains the best features of existing legislation in other jurisdictions. It is, I believe, founded upon sound principles. -

“Tt will, I feel confident, tend strongly to stabilize industrial con- ditions in this province and give to employers and employes alike that sense of security which is essential if this province is to become the strong factor in the development of our dominion that we would hope.”

Mie xico

Part of the crowd of | 20,000 trade union- ists who paraded | past the presidential palace in a demon- stration against im- perialism and in ap- proval of President Cardenas’ expropri- ation of holdings of foreign oil compa- nies who refused to

obey the law.

Nazis Plan Canditates

German -American

Bund In NY Elections

NEW YORK, April 7.—(FP)— The Nazi German-American Bund will enter national and city elec-

; §Oil has been found in Szechwan. |

tions this fall as an independent political party in association with “other American patriotic organ- izations including a prominent American veterans’ group,’ the | Hollywood anti-fascist newspaper, Wow, reveals in a published inter- view with James Wheeler-Hill, na- tional secretary of the Bund.

Reached here, Hill verified the story. The “prominent veterans’ organization, he» admitted, was either the Veterans of Foreign Wars or the American Legion—the Jewish War Veterans being auto- matically eliminated from possible Wazi alliances.

The Bund, which now publishes four pro-Nazi, anti-Semitic news- papers in the US, will soon publish four more in different sections of the country, Hill announced.

Sitting in the Bund office be- neath two pictures-of Hitler and a big swastika, Hill boasted that his organization has 180,000 mem- bers and $135,000 in dues monthly.

Quite ready to talk, he took the opportunity to issue a blast against both the CIO and AFL as “rac- keteering organizations.” ‘The CiO is just a little worse,’ he said.

WNew York State Commander Jeremiah Cross of the American Legion denied that his organiza- tion or any group within it would enter into an “unholy alliance” with the Nazi organization. The Veterans of Foreign Wars could not be reached for comment.

Japanese Barred From Organizing

Japanese tailors employed by Cla- man’s, city clothing firm, are not allowed to organize in the Tailors’ Union, The Trades and Labor Coun- cil was told last Tuesday. The union delegate stated that the busi- ness agent for the union could not get anywhere near the workers to organize them, and that the man- ager declared he wanted to pay what he liked and hire whom he liked without interference from the union.

The council turned the matter over to the grievance committee for investigation with power to place Glaman’s on the unfair list if re- ports were found correct.

Tailor’s Union delegate reported that Tip Top, Foster and Charlton- Morgan were now union shops.

Boycott Japanese Goods.

CLU Compiles Records

Police Have Conducted 71 Padlock Raids In Montreal

MONTREAL, Que, April 7—Up to March 15, there were 71 raids and seizures conducted in this city under the Quebec padlock law, according to records of the Civil Liberties Union

here.

In addition to these, other raids elsewhere in the province are reported to have been carried out, but of these the Civil Liber- ties Union here has records of two only—both in Quebec City. Wo details of them have appeared in the press.

Among men prominent in public life whose meetings have been can- celled because building owners fear- ed application of the padlock law are J. K. Marler, counsel for the Civil Liberties Union, and Rev. R. B. Y. Scott of the United Church Theological College.

Adrien Arcand, leader of the fasc- ist Wational Social Christian party, was allowed to address McGill Uni- versity Social Problems Club, but the club cancelled a scheduled ad- dress by Tim Buck, Communist leader, because of the law, at the same time voting unanimously for its repeal or disallowance.

Open Fight For Demands

Cannery Workers In Seattle File Charges

SEATTLE, Wash., April 7.—A mass meeting of 3500 and the filing of charges before the National La- bor Relations Board, last week opened the battle of organized workers for the right to labor in canneries this year.

‘Applause swept the audience as a resolution was adopted, unani- mously, asking that the US Bu- reau of Fisheries demand that packers “operate the trap conces- sions or give them up to those who will.”

James Engstrom, president of the Maritime Federation, declared:

“The packers are deliberately at- tempting to create a shortage of fish this season so they can import salmon from foreign countries that have an abundant supply produced under cheap labor conditions.

“The same interests that finance the fishing operations here also fi- nance fishing operations in the other countries. Their purpose in ereating a shortage of fish is to dispose of their catch at high prices and import a supply produced un- der the cheap conditions that exist

in Japan.”

BRIGHOUSE, BC, April 7. Richmond school board’s request for a special grant of $1500 for al- terations and additions to the new junior high school has been refused by the municipal council,

Anti-Labor Measure Hit

Wash. Labor Fights

Union Incorporation

SEATTLE, Wash., April 7—(Spe- cial.) —Danger to all retail busi- nesses and farmers in a proposed State law forcing all labor unions to incorporate was pointed out this week by Howard Costigan, execu- tive secretary of the Washington Commonwealth Federation, as the WCF renewed its campaign against the projected measure.

The WCF spiked an attempt to put over the Jaw during the last session of the legislature.

The. Sunday News, official organ of the CCF, declared in an article this week that it had learned that forms are being prepared for an initiative petition to put the meas- ure on the ballot for the fall elec- tion.

“A recent poll of public opinion shows that if the law were put on

the ballot at this time, 65 per cent |

of the voters of Washington would approve it,’’ Costigan said. “This is due purely to public ignorance of what such a law would mean to the public at large. A compulsory incorporation law would leave unions entirely powerless and give the state political administration the power of life and death over them. The first act of fascist coun- tries has always been forced incor- poration of unions.

“With labor unions wiped out, purchasing power as well as wages and working conditions would ap- proach the vanishing point, and all business and community life would stagnate. Labor and all sections of the public must join to fight this measure.”

Costigan disclosed that the WCPF’,

| the sea.

working with Labor's Non-Partisan League, AFL and CIO unions and community groups has launched an extensive educational campaign against the incorporation move, with establishment of a speakers’ bureau and publication in the near

future of a pamphlet explaining the law by Mark Litchman, known attorney.

well- |

Loyalists Offer Stiff

Resistance

Fascist Capture of Coast Would Render France Second Class World

Power.

CUT SEA ROUTES

By ROBERT MINOR

BARCELONA, Spain, April 7.—Under a cloud of Italian- German war planes and led by

a -locust-like swarm of tanks a

large section of the Italian reg- | [

ular army, supported by Moors and an insignificant number of Spanish fascist levies, with 10,000 German military tech- nicians, continues to beat its way through the mountains to

The Republican Army is offering a steady, unfrightened resistance which day by day increases in Strength and the confidence that it can do again what it has done in the past—halt the offensive.

Even though Mussolini's and Hit- ler’s army succeeded in the pres- ent objective of reaching the coast, eutting Barcelona off from Madrid, Republican Spain can and will continue to hold out indefinitely.

Come what may, Spain will still be fighting and going strong a year from now, even if deserted and left alone to defend Hurope from fascist conquest. Spain is growing not weaker but stronger and finding new strength in unity, military experience and its own War industries.

If some of Spain’s weaker friends abroad are impelled toward panic, let their panic be not for Spain but for France and England and all the Americas. If the German- italian forces now in Spain succeed in consolidating their position on the coast, on that day the great France which for a quarter of a century was the strongest and ~proudest military power on earth, will be- come overnight a second class power, while England will be an island in the Atlantic whose states- men will face again the problem of Columbus, of reaching India by Sailing West.

Aimed at France

One can understand why un- precedented quantities of German and Italian war materials were poured into this drive toward the sea, and why Italian submarines With new Spanish names are ap- pearing in Spanish waters, only by understanding that this is the other half of the policy expressed in the occupation of Austria. It is a move to realize Hitler’s well- known objective to cut France’s communication with its great French-African reserves.

Italian occupation of Majorca, if consolidated, will practically de- stroy the all-sea route from Africa to France for troop transports. There remains one slender connec- tion by railway from the French border to Alicante and Almeria, with a short sea jump to French Morrocco. The German-Italian drive toward the Spanish Mediter- ranean coast is intended to cut this last line for France.

Hitler's Next Objective After sueceeding in this Hitler hopes to talk to France as Poland talks to Lithuania, and Switzer- Jland, Czechoslovakia and Belgium would be expected to shuffle off the Schuschnige way.

Perhaps some well-meaning per- sons are telegraphing false reports to the effect that Spain is now re- ceiving substantial shipments of war materials. It is time to quit lying about this; to quit flattering the cowardice that in violation of treaties and international] law leaves this heroic people to resist almost barehanded an invasion by two powerful nations, that is only preliminary to war against all dem- ocratic nations of the world.

Spain is receiving no substantial war materials from abroad. But the Italian-German fascist invaders are murdering thousands of wom- en and children with materials now being bought freely in Eng- land, probably in France and cer- tainly in America, where fascist shrewdness plays upon the timidity and confusion of the so-called lib- erals, to make that country the accomplice in a brutal totalitarian war of aggression.

Backs Peace Bill

SEATTLE, Wash., April 7—(¥P) —Rep. John M. Coffee (Dem., Wash.) has written to Howard Costigan, executive secretary of the Washington Commonwealth Fed- eration, pledging aggressive sup- port to the O’Connell peace bill to embargo aggressor nations and al- low shipment of supplies to victim

Ivan Papinin

one of the Soviet scientists who drifted on an ice floe from the North Pole to the shores of Greenland, where rescue was ef- fected by WRussian icebreakers, rides in triumph through the streets of MLeningrad, accom-

panied by his wife.

fee

Guildsmen

Get Awards

Harvard Fellowships Go To News Guildsmen

NEW YORK, April 7.— (FP) — Five out of the nine American newspapermen who were awarded Wieman fellowships for a year’s study at Harvard are members of the American Newspaper Guild, the Guild Reporter announces.

The guildsmen are Irving Dil- liard, St. Louis Post-Despatch; Louis M. Lyons, Boston Globe; Wesley Fuller, Boston Herald; Ed- win A. Lahey, Chicago Daily News, and Frank S. Hopkins, Baltimore Sun. 8

Competing for the fellowships were 312 newspapermen represent- ing 195 papers in forty-four states. The fellowships were established under the terms of the Lucius W. Nieman and Agnes Wahl Nieman fund of approximately $1,000,000, given to Harvard “to promote and elevate the standards of journalism in the US and educate persons deemed specially qualified for jour- nalism.”

IZING Will Fight or Higher Wage Scale

Three W holes alers

Have Stranglehold Over All But Six Firms.

CONDITIONS BAD

Workers in the boot and shoe industry in Vancouver, an in- dustry where miserably poor wages and working conditions obtain and where three large wholesale firms maintain a stranglehold over small em- ployers, are now being or- ganized, the Advocate learned this week.

Of some 400 shoe repair shops in

”)

of the big firms and therefore in a position to deal with employees without interference. Skilled work ers are paid’ from as low as $10 a week tp to $18, boys learning the trade $5. 5

The method used by wholesalers to control small shops is that of Giving large credits and stock for a time until business falls off. A dictatorial policy is then laid down with monopoly prices charged for leather, rubber and other material used in shoe repairing.

Prices of leather and rubber heels have doubled in the last six months in British Columbia under this monopoly, only the few independ- ents being in a position to buy from eastern Canada. Sole dominion” rights for certain repair material may be obtained by a national firm, which, in turn, gives sole rights to a firm in BG; then the whole- salers get a profit, until the retailer is left barely enough to pay the rent of his shop. The individual © operator who works in his own little shop is in an even worse posi- tion.

Three weeks ago workers at the bench formed a union affiliated to the AFIL. They are demanding a minimum of $24 a week against $22.50 offered by some department stores. Shops paying the union de- mands will display the union card, and a general appeal will be issued by the union for patronage of those shops cooperating with labor:

Nazis Snubbed

DUBLIN, IFS, April 7. — The Irish pilgrimage to the Interna- tional Eucharistic Congress in Hungary this year has decided to refuse to travel via Germany as a protest against the persecution by the Nazi government of the Catho- lic Church. This is the first protest that has been gaade by the Catholic clergy in TIreland against treat- ment of the church by fascist

Germany.

Trades Council Storm

Trades and Labor Council last

a motion that a speaker be sent, when it is in order to move that a speaker be not sent?” a delegate at the back of the hall asked.

“Because the Trades and Labor Congress does not recognize May 1 as labor day,’’ President Jamieson lamely replied.

On behalf of the council’s execu- tive Secretary Bengough recom- mended filing of a request from the May Day committee that a speaker be appointed by the council.

“What about the appointment of a speaker at last year’s celebra- tions?” Delegate W. Stewart ex- elaimed.

“Can't help that, I was not in the ehair at that time,’ Jamieson stated.

“May Day originated in 1886, and the 8-hour day is celebrated,” Sam Shearer shouted, declaring that to refuse support would be to play in- to the hands of reaction. *‘This will be the only trades council in the dominion to refuse participation,”’ he said.

“Question,” someone shouted, and a count of votes showed 54-58 against the executive’s recom- mendation.

Said Bill Stewart of Local 28, Hotel and Restaurant Workers:

“T move that this council appoint a speaker for the May Day meet- ing.”

Jamieson countered by ruling the

motion out of order. Cries of “Mussolini” greeted this, and Shearer challenged the chair but

was ruled out.

countries.

Boycott Japanese Goods.

“Why is it out of order to make i

May Day Motion Vetoed Despite Majority Vote

A belated but pertinent question put to the chair at the

Tuesday exposed the executive

committee’s boycott of the proposed May Day celebration in spite of a 54-58 vote in favor of sending’ an official speaker ta the planned meeting at Stanley

Park on that day.

Red-Baiting Bill Vetoed

NY Governor Hits Anti-Labor Group

ALBANY, NY, April 7—(FP)— Governor H. Lehman of New York dealt a staggering blow to red-bait- ing when he vetoed the McNaboe bill to bar radicals from civil serv- ice and teaching positions, declar- ing that the safeguarding of de- mocracy makes it necessary to avoid repressive legislation which would encourage measures directed “seainst religious, racial, labor and other minority groups.’

Calling the bill “vicious,” the governor said that any curb on free public discussion “undermines the very foundation of constitutional government.” He said he is Op- posed to Communism, but that the greatest danger to democracy “comes through gradual invasion of constitutional rights with the acquiescence of an inert people through failure to discern that con- stitutional government cannot sur= vive where the rights guaranteed by the constitution are not safe- suarded even to those citizens with whose political and social views the majority may not agree-

The measure was railroaded through the legislature followed 2 campaign of Tory and Fascis groups against Simon W. Gerson, former reporter on the Communist Daily Worker, who was appointed confidential examiner by the Man- hattan borough president.

the city only six are independent *

§