Page Siz

THE PEOPLE’S aDdDVOCATE

February 24, 19

Soe

‘Build Parks,

;

|

THREATENED WITH FRANCO’S JAILS |

Victoria Meets On Embargo

Council Plans Protest Parade

Spanish refugees may yet be delivered to Franco if Foreign | Minister Georges Bonnets plan is successful.

French Reaction Plans To Betray Refugees To Franco

' For Saturday

VICTORIA, Feb. 23. — Sched- uled to take place here this week-— end is a two-day conference of the Victoria Embargo Council in

the Chamber of Commerce which will be preceded by an embargo parade commencing at 2 pm on Saturday.

Heading the Vancouver dele gation of five who will attend the sessions is Mrs. James Grey, pres- ident of the Vancouver Embargo Council. Other members of the delegation are Miss Ruth Mecwil- liam, BC delegate to the World Youth Congress in New York, Prof W. G. Black, John Stanton, labor attorney, and Mrs. J. Stuart Jamieson, International League for Peace and Freedom.

A public meeting will be held in the Empire Theatre on Satur- day evening with such outstand- ing people as Howard CGostigan, ef the Washington Common- wealth Federation of Seattle, Joseph Hope, and Mrs. Stuart Jamieson as the speakers, while another will be held on Sunday evening at the Chamber ef Commerce with Professor Black, Alan Chambers, and Rev. HT. Allen of Nanaimo billed as speakers.

Registration of delegates at a fee of 25 cents will precede the election of committees on Satur-— day afternoon. GConveners of com- mittees mamed are: resolutions, Mrs. H. P. Hodges; embargo, Alan Chambers; boycott, Frank Seli- ers: and presiding, John Stan- ton. Mrs. James Gray is expected to head the embargo committee when it meets on Sunday.

More than 15,000 signatures to the embargo petition are reported by John Stanton, many from places like Quesnel, Cascade and Skidgate where almost the entire population signed.

SSD

DONOVAN Typewriters

Eee CASH REGISTERS, All Makes ADDING MACHINES

Terms if Desired 608 W. PENDER ST. SEY. 9395

A proposal te this effect wit, is understood, be made by Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet before the French cabinet According to right-wing circles here, he will urge that they be sent to Franco, under compulsion, within i4 days.

Twenty-one members oft the Chamber of Deputies, who have conducted an investigation, this

week published a statement declar- ing the refugees were being treat- ed like animals, and that leading

officers, including Tister and Medesto, are insulted by Franco officers.

Interviews I had this week

with Communist and Socialist deputies who have returned from the Pyrenees concentration camps make it clear, above all, that the-French authorities have no other object than terrorizing and intimidating the Spanish soldiers into going back into Eranco Spain. Raymond Guyot, one of the deputees for the Seine region, who has sent a letter of protest to all the members of the French cham- ber—told me of conditions in St. Cyprian. He said, “Twice I saw refugees whipped by the Senegalese troops. Q@nce when the refugees were being transferred, those in the rear were whipped, and on an- ether occasion starved men were whipped for not working fast enough.

“Food is absolutely inadequate. One loaf of bread per day is divid- ed up among 25 persons, with 2 spoonful of rice or beans. The rations for those going back to Franco Spain are better.

“On the night of February 16, two Senegalese penetrated into the camp where the women and young. girls are quartered. Four women confirmed this and said that only their shrieks prevented worse hap- penings,

“This whole situation is nothing but veritable intervention by France in favor of Franco.”

Men of the International Brigade are said to be particular objects of hatred and provocation. Every- thing is taken from them, and per- sonal books, souvenirs and photo- graphs are destroyed before their eyes.

Already it is reported that as a result of French pressure and provocation, more than 25,000 Re- publicans have accepted Franco’s offer for a return to Catalonia since they prefer Franco jails with a chance of escape and fighting to French concentrations camps with no chance.

mS

CANADIAN BAK

For This Weekend “Something Different Every W eek”

Chocolate Layer Cake Raisin “«<Double’’ Cake Be Luxe Pies Two lovely layer 7 eakes, packed in qi’s the last word in Good substantial carton. This week chocolate cakes _.. : they are one Pine- rich smooth de- Disease ee ee apple flavor, LES eile 2 petizing. Each— Cocoanut; both with Detous: Chocolate marshmallow filling icing on top. 5 BOTH SEN cWet ek ee ee 29¢ 2 € Woy luc sears Sato 20¢€

AT YOUR GROCER’S or delivered. For delivery service phone FAIRMONT 44

CAKE and PIE

PECIALS

ERIES LIMITED

By HAROLD JEFFERSON PARIS, France.—A terrible new threat hangs over the heads of the heroic Spanish fighters who are now refugees in France. Already their shocking conditions have given rise to protests by groups of Socialist and Communist deputies, and now the

fascists are attempting to send them all to Franco Spain. ite

UNION LABEL DRIVE STARTED

TORONTO, Ont.—A nation-wide campaign to promote the sale of unicn-made goods got under way this week under the direction of the union label department of the Trades and Labor Congress:

As a part of the campaign a page of union label news will be carried in the Congress Journal, official publication of the Congress, according to Mrs. Alma Smith, sec- retary of the union label commit- tee.

“A+ this time the popularity of the boycott against German, Ita- lian and Japanese goods gives us a splendid opportunity in a positive direction,’ Mrs. Smith told the press. “We are going to make con- sumers label-conscious. The union label is the best possible guaran- tee that products are made m Can- ada and United States under fair conditions.”

The union label department was organized last September during the Niagara Falls convention of the Trades Congress.

Not Golf Lin

>

Jobless Spokesman Urges Program of Civic Development

>

diate beginning” on a program of¢ civic improvements, based on the Dominion government proposal to pay 50 percent of the costs, the scheme to be entirely divorced from relief.

“Work on such a scheme,” Lea- less stated, “would give a minimum wage of $48 per month for a fam- ily of three, an extra day’s work for each dependent and $40 for a man and wife, all work to be done at prevailing trade union rates of wages.”

He suggested the nature of the work should be along the lines al- ready proposed by Labor Minister Worman Rogers—development of parks, playgrounds, youth recrea- tional centers, improvement of beaches and the clearance of city lots for the use of vegetable gar- dens for those in need.

The secretary of the Federa- tion expressed himself in favor of Ald. Crone’s program for ex- penditure of $850,000 on parks and playgrounds, but opposed that part of the program calling for constraction of tivo more golf courses.

“There are plenty of golf links in the city now,” he said, “and such projects will not benefit the great majority of people in the city who need recreational facilities.”

The matter was referred to a special committee comprising Ald. Crone, Relief Administrator Bone and City Engineer Brackenridge. In connection with the proposal for imcreased shelter allowance, Ald. Corey assured TLealess that his committee was already work- ing on the matter.

Lealess proposed an intensified campaign by the City Council and the public to have the increase ac- eepted by the senior governments, placing the civic radio forum at the disposal of Ald. Corey and representatives of civic organiza- tions interested in the matter.

Woon-hour meals for students at- tending Dominion-Provincial Yo- eational Training Centers were turned down by Ald. Gorey, despite arguments advanced by the Feder-— ation spokesmen that youths of unemployed parents, for whom the projects were planned, were un- able to attend due to lack of car- fare and lunch money.

As a final proposal, Lealess urged that “in the interests of better co- operation and efficiency between the relief department and recipi- ents, all rules applicable to relief recipients be posted in a conspicu- ous place.”

A report on this matter was Pro- mised within two weeks.

Woman's Bakery Admits $4000 Loss Of Profits

Loss of some $4000 profits through the strike of bakery em-

Proposals for civic development schemes to absorb unem- ployed in gainful work, increased shelter allowances for relief recipients and noon-hour meals for students in vocational train- ing centers were advanced before the Social Services Commit- tee of the Vancouver City Council Monday by R. H. Lealess, secretary of the BC Federation on Unemployment, who also scored proposed construction of two more golf courses.

Addressing Ald. H. L. Corey, Lealess suggested “an imme-

Active Union Man Dies Here

Eric Graff Was Widely Known in Lumber Industry

ployees is admitted by the Woman’s Bakery in its writ seeking

damages and a permanent injunction against John Humphreys and six other members of Local 468, Bakery and Confectionery

Workers Union.

The trial will be heard in supreme court next month since the Vyorm- an’s Bakery was unable to file elaims in time for the trial which was slated to be heard Monday.

For nearly four months bakery strikers have picketed the plant and stores of this bakery which, like nearly all other bakeries, is backed by some large milling com- pany, Im this instance the Ellison Milling Company is said to be in- volved to the extent of $50,000.

Recently the Woman's Bakery, through its counsel, T. P. Elder, sought an ex=parte and an interim injunction but the moves were blocked in both cases.

The bakery in its endeavor to stop picketing of their premises and consequent loss of business ap- pealed to Chief Justice Morrison to grant the injunction, giving as grounds that customers were be- ing “molested.” This, apparently, did not prove a good enough reason when he told them to lay those complaints with the police.

Meanwhile other local unions desirous of seeing the arbitration award upheld are contributing funds to carry on the strike. Three local unions, Garment Workers, Photo Engravers and HBlectrical Workers contributed five, ten and twenty-five dollars respectively through the Trades Council while other locals are assisting the bakers directly.

=

YCL Club Stages Boycott Parade

Members and sympathizers of the William Lyon Mackenzie YCUL branch paraded in the Grandview business district last Saturday with placards urging the shoppers to boyeott the goods of Japan, Ger- many and Italy.

Some 2000 leaflets were readily taken by the shoppers, who dis- played considerable interest in the boycott movement.

The Young Communist League has on several oceasions taken sim- ilar boycott action in other com- munity shopping districts and state they intend keeping the activity going.

On Saturday the league members have singled out Robson Street as the next place to bring home to shoppers the need for refusing to buy goods made in these countries. >)

Crm

= H 124 Service “°" Imperial Oil Products HASTINGS & DUNLEVY

Trin. 1940 Leo Mogensen

A large number of unionists - and old-time loggers in BC learned with regret this weer of the death of Eric Graff, aged 54, who passed away Thursday at Alleo provincial hospital of a heart ailment after several months’ illness.

Born in Ostersund, Sweden, and a resident of BC for the past 29 years, Graff was known to hun- dreds of loggers in the trade un- ion movement for his constant work on behalf of organized labor in the lumber industry for the past 25 years. Ee

Active in the days of the CBU and one of those responsible for reestablishing the Lumber Work- ers’ Industrial Union in 1928, Graff had been engaged until a few months prior to his death as an active unionist. He had been secretary of Local 85, Interna- tional Woodworkers of America at Port Alberni from the date of its inception until last September when ili health forced him into hospital. He was also circulation manager of the BC Lumber Worker from June, 1935, to Feb- ruary, 1936.

He is survived by his mother, Mrs. M. Graff, in Sweden.

Funeral arrangements are be- ing completed by officials of the BC Coast District Council, TWA. Tentative date for the funeral has been set for Wednesday, March i, but final details will be announced by the IWA later.

‘Canada To Blame For Chinese Bombing’

SALMON ARM, BC, Feb. 23— “Canada is as much to blame for the bombings of Chinese civilians as Japan,” declared Arnold Rob- erton of Calgary to a capacity aud- ience in the Gym. Hall here last week.

Mr. Roberton, who is touring the large interior centers with four films in support of Chinese medical aid, deplored the fact that Canada was shipping the sinews of war to Japan, while at the same time in- creasing her own defenses on the

STORE PLANNED

Delegates Oppose Placing Store On TLC “Unfair List’’

Trades and Labor Council will further investigate the dispute between Woodward's srocery department and the MRetai Clerks’ Union and take any necessary action. This decisior

was reached at Tuesday’s meet ing when delegates voted 79 to 2 against a motion to place the stor on the Council’s “we do not fai ronize” list.

There was considerable discus sion on the advisability of th move, some delegates stating thac if the store was placed on the un— fair list then all union employees | should be prepared to come out of the building since that’s what the move would imply. <3)

Don. Maxwell of the Retail Clerks’ Union, in quoting from the Stevens report on price spreads and mass buying, stated that Woodward’s store had piled up a net profit, including reserves of $2,- 580,794 and had written up its cap- ital from one and a quarter million to five million in the four years Prior to 1934 when the report was made.

This had been done through Marking up prices and cutting wages of the employees 10 per- cent T

The meat department had net- ted the Woodward family a profit ef $41,778 for the 48 employees or nearly $1000 per man, through 2 price mark up of 40.57 per cent, and the low average wage of $18.80.

Im the grocery department the profits had been even greater. The 24 men and 73 women had earned for the private company a net profit of $151,833 or Si577 per em- ployee, the average wage for women being $12.75 and for men $16.90.

Over ployees ward family a net profit of $6-

bonuses. Im other words, every time the employees received a dol lar in wages they earned for the company nearly 75 cents.

P. R. Bengougk reported meeting with Mr. Cox and- Mr Hawkins, department heads of the store, and after some discussion gained the impression that employ- ees had been intimidated at a “modest meal’ banquet. They ad- mitted that had the meeting been held away from the store the vote, which was close, might have been different.

Maxvyell said it may be necessary to go to court te determine the meaning of the Labor and Concil- jiation Act regarding departments,

Woodward stated no departments

exist in the store in the true mean- ing of the act.

Help the Mac-Pap Fund!

JCHN STANTON

Barrister, Solicitor, Notary

5038 Holden Buildine 16 EB. Hastings St. Trin. 4464

Pacific.

‘COMMUNISM AND DEMOCRACY’ |

A Lecture by

NORMAN FREED

Dominion Executive Secretary of the Communist Party

at the

Victory Hall

535 Homer Street

Friday, March 3, i939

at 8:00 P.M.

fo)

TICKETS 25°xew ace soox store

50-a East Hastings Street

ow

AUSPICES: CITY COMMITTEE, COMMUNIST PARTY

Ss ——,

ih ae

FURTHER PROBE | OF WOODWARF . |

tit Satan

The executive board of the ;

a ten-year period the em- | had earned for the Wood-

238,000 exclusive of salaries and

on

since the Minister cf Labor and. ~

€

By