THE PEHEOPLE’S

ADVOCATE

June i6, 1939

THE 7S ADVOCATE

eekly by the Proletarian Publishing , Room 20, 163 West Mastings Street, ancouver, BC. Phone TRinity 2019.

ents oe = 62,00 Three Months ~Vear = $4.00 Single Copy ——.—-.$ -05

4ake Ali Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate

'Waneouver, B.C. - Friday, June 16, 1939

Put Canada on the Comeback Trail!

ISPATCHES from Ottawa, apparently

based on facts, indicate a federal election for the fall and both the Liberals and Con- servatives are grooming for the contest hop- ing that their tarnished records can be suf ficiently shined up to pass temporary scrutiny during an election struggle.

What are the issues facing the Canadian people who have an eye to the future and a memory of the recent parliamentary session?

We believe Communist leader Tim Buck answered that question clearly and concisely in Hamilton last week when he declared there were two ways of meeting the present eritical situation—one, advocated by George McCul- lagh, Beatty and Big Business, for the lower- ing of living standards and the halting of social progress; the other, to make the elections a “+urning point” in the fight for a new deal.

“We find,’ Mr. Buck declared, “that the basic issues largely dividing people into two main camps are on the one hand proposals for national recovery to bring back prosperity, and against this, a program of ‘national gov- ernment to maintain scarcity in Canada.”

There is plenty of evidence for this estimate of the political situation in Canada, and the recent parliamentary session furnishes the best proof of such an estimate.

The facts are that the Liberal government, turning an attentive ear to the howlings of McCullagh and Sir Edward Beatty, gave way on almost every front tc reactionary interests.

On the wheat issue alone, the King gov- ernment stands condemned in the eyes of the common people. Forgotten were the half- promises concerning a public works program to relieve unemployment. Nothing was done for the youth. No steps were taken to promote social security at home and collective security abroad.

Instead, with the exception of the Lapointe labor bill, the concessions were all on the side of Bis Business.

But even these comcessions are not Satis- factory to the Bay and St. James Street crowd. Oh, they’ve accepted them, but they re howl- ing for more. They won't be content until their whole pro-fascist program is realized. And what do they want? A “national” gov- ernment of their own brand, absorption of the CNR by the Beatty gang, less local govern- ment, a restriction on government expendi- tures (read fewer hospitals, less education, widespread relief slashes). And all the time they keep crying about scarcity of money and the need for retrenchment.

They re right on one count, at least. The national income has declined from six billion to around four and a half billion since 1929, but the loss has been shouldered by the peo- ple. The Wrights and McCullaghs, the Beattys and Holts have prospered as never before, so that today the Canadian banks can boast of several billions of dollars put away on the shelf. A comparison of wages, farm prices and profits proves this fact to the hilt.

On the other hand, what of the contention of progressive people—that this retrogression so ardently desired and fostered by reaction can be halted and turned into a broad move- ment for national recovery?

The money is there—the bankers admit that. Canada is one of the richest countries in the world in both natural resources and the people to exploit them. All it needs is that these tremendous forces be put to work.

It’s clear, therefore, that the coming elec- tions can mark the turning point. And the lever that will force the turn can be the elec- tion of truly democratic people’s representa- tives to parliament.

That's the sure way to put comeback trail.

Canada on the

' Harry Oakes and the Miners

TRELAND LAKE, where men burrow

deep underneath the earth to bring up

the gold from which Harry Oakes piles up his

$3,000,000 and more clear profit every year, is

aroused over the baronetcy recently bestowed upon the same Mir. Oakes.

What has particularly roused the gold miners is that the honor was given Oakes presumably for his generous gifts to hospitals —jn London, England!

“We wonder,” says the Timmins Daily Press editorially, “if His Majesty who, in theory, honors Mr. Oakes for his benefactions to hos- pitals in London, England, to the tune of thou- sands of pounds, would deem the honor so richly earned if he had the time to personally investigate Mr. Oakes’ indifference to hos- pital conditions in Kirkland Lake—conditions that closely affected the families of the men who moil and toil to produce the riches with which hospitals thousands of miles away are so lavishly endowed.”

Harry Oakes could not have chosen a more perfect example of his contempt for Canada and the Canadians whose labor gives him his millions than the “philanthropy” for which he was given a title.

One Toronto paper raves about Oakes be- ing “Sir” to some people but still “Harry” to the miners. ... That “Harry” is prefaced and postseripted with choice miners’ adjec- tives—and they are not “Sir” either.

The Real Milk Monopoly

iii

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From a radio speech delivered by Fergus McKean,

BC secretary of the Communist Party, over Sta-

tion CKMO on Friday, June 9. - . - A clear outline on the present milk controversy.

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ip=aibeaibeaihe abe e b=eib=aib=aib=4lbaeb=4)b=4'b-G bd b=G/b=gibxd baa Hpraipeaipeaipzdipsaibrelbeaibeaibadibetes ed)

Good Evening, Friends:

Ty osises I wish to speak on a question which has been per- plexing many Vancouver householders for the last month. I refer to the government-sponsored Single Agency established for the purpose of regulating the production and distribution

of milk in the Lower Mainland.

During these last few weeks many statements have been issued regarding the merits and demerits of the proposals of the Single Agency and much confusion and misrepresentation

has entered into the question.

The independent dairies have succeeded finally in having an injunction issued which has pre- vented the Single Agency bepgin- ning operations. Since the in- junction was issued, the cam- paign of the independent dairies has become even more virulent, culminating in the issuance of thousands of leaflets entitled: “Are we to feed Fascism on Milk?” The leaflet asks: “Do you want to click your heels to these would-be -‘fuehrers’ of the milk trade?” and concludes with a2 request that householders sign an attached protest to Premier Pattullo. The leaflet so misrepre- sents the issue that many house- holders signed it believing they were in this way voicing a pro- test against monopoly control.

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Foe downright distortion and

misrepresentation of facts this leaflet is hard to beat. It is an attempt on the part of those jnterests opposed to the principle ef government supervision of marketing in order to guarantee decent prices to primary produc- ers, to capitalize on the anti- fascist sentiments of the people of Vancouver and to present su- pervision of marketing as mono- poly control; as a “fascist” meas- ure.

Wothing could be further from the truth. Not only is some meas- ure of portection required for the dairy farmer but in these days of trustified control of practically all basic commodities, some form of intervention and supervision is necessary in other fields as well

The so-called independent dairies cry to high heaven that they are being robbed of the right of free competition. So do certain big financial interests. As a matter of fact, free competition in the economic life of our coun- try was replaced by monopoly control long ago. Qver 80 percent of our national economy is now controlled by corporations and ¢rusts which in turn control prices.

Tt is not the principle of free competition which is at stake in this instance.

The issue is whether or not the so-called independent dairies are to be permitted to monopolize the fluid milk market of Vancouver, ruin over 2000 dairy farmers of the Fraser Valley in the process and force them on the already over- burdened relief rolls. This is the issue. And yet these people who wish to monopolize the fluid milk market of Vancouver in their search for profits have the auda- city to villify a Milk Marketing: Board democratically elected by 2300 Fraser Walley farmers and denounce it as a monopoly, as “fascism.”

Ss ET us consider for a moment the basic issues involved which Jed to the establishment of a Mar-

keting Board to supervise the pro- duction and distribution of milk, and the Milk Producers Clearing House Gooperative Association known as the Single Agency, de- signed to regulate distribution on the fluid milk market.

There are approxixmately 2300 registered milk producers in the Fraser Valley. Of the total milk produced only 40 percent can be absorbed in the fluid market. The other 60 percent must be disposed of at a much lower price to be manufactured into butter, cheese, ice cream, canned milk and other products.

The price paid for milk for man- ufacturing purposes is so low it is almost impossible for a dairy farmer to earn a livelihood unless @ certain proportion of his milk is sold on the fluid market at the higher rates. Obviously, if one small group of producers obtained a monopoly of the fluid market the other dairy farmers would not be able to earn a liveilhood sell- ing their milk at the much lower rates paid for manufacturing pur— poses.

This is precisely what is hap-

pening. It is to protect the dairy farmers from such a de-

velopment that the Single Agency was established. Se HE so - called independent

dairies and producer-vendors pose before the public as the small men trying to eke out an existence and infer the Fraser Valley Milk Producers Associa- tion is a monopoly trying to dom- inate the fluid market Actually the exact opposite is the case. The Fraser Valley Milk Produc- ers Association was formed as a4 cooperative to obtain an equit- able division of milk sales to the fluid market for all dairy far- mers.

When it was formed in 1917 nearly 100 percent of the dairy farmers belonged to it The Fra- ser Valley cooperative distri- buted part of its milk to the con- sumers with its own wagons and sold a certain amount to the in- dependent dairies.

As time passed, however, cer- tain independent dairies per- suaded several of the bigger far- mers to break away from the co- operative and sell to them with the lure of higher prices possible through selling their entire out- put on the fluid market.

This strikebreakinge action served to defeat the very purpose for which the cooperative was formed. In 1930 an attempt was again made to have the bulk of the dairy farmers share in the fluid market and reduce distri- bution costs by merging the ex- isting dairies and forming one distributing company called the Associated Dairies with the Fra- ser Valley Cooperative owning 53 percent of the stock. A ten- year agreement was entered into with the 12 dairies which merged,

but later-four of them violated the agreement by esevering their connections with it. Again the eutthroat competition for Van- eouver’s fluid milk market was resumed.

A constantly increasing share of the fluid market was captured by the independent dairies and independent producer-vendors to the detriment of the 2300 dairy farmers who shipped through the Cooperative, the majority of them small farmers.

In 1935 another attempt was made to obtain an equitable share of the fluid milk market for the farmers possessing Grade A barns by the establishment of a Government Milk Marketing Board. The Board was then sus- pended by an injunction from operating. When the board again attempted to function, the inde- pendents refused to cooperate and were taken to court. The court gave a decision favorable to the board; an appeal was made before the Privy Council in July, 1938, and a decision was handed down favorable to the principle of marketing control.

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N NOVEMBER 1938 the BC

Marketing Board held a pleb- iscite among milk producers of the Fraser Valley on the question of establishing the Lower Main- land Dairy Products Board. Eighty-five percent of the dairy farmers voted in favor. A second plebiscite was then held on the question of establishing a Single Agency to control distribution of milk on the fluid market. On this occasion 83 percent of all registered milk producers, or 1892, voted in favor and only 325 voted against.

The members of both the Board and the Single Agency, with the exception of the Board chairman, Mr. Williams, who was appointed by the government, were demo- eratically elected by the dairy farmers themselves, the indepen- dent producers, including pro- ducer-vendors, received a much larger representation in propor- tion to their members than the farmers who ship through the cooperative.

@

S Digeoe independent dairies have

now succeeded, by means of a court injunction, in preventing the single agency from even com- mencing operations. A high pressure propaganda campaign which misrepresents the facts in connection with the Single Agency is being conducted to make the consuming public be- lieve that control of marketing is fascism. Statements are made to the effect that all milk will be placed in a common pool. This is entirely untrue. There is no intention of pooling milk. The independent dairies and producer

vendors would still handle all their own milk.

The Single Agency is not in- tended to handle any milk, but

merely to serve as a center for control and tabulating purchases and returns in its bookkeeping system. It is true it would set prices to both producer and con- sumer and oblige all dairies to file statements on purchases and sales but this is not placing all milk in a common pool. e@ ONSIDER for a moment the situation that exists in milk marketing in Vancouver at pre- sent. There are 48 licensed pro- ducer-vendors distributing milk in the city and 18 pasteurizing plants. Tt is estimated 120,000

(Gontinued on Page 5) See MONOPOLY

Canadian Youth’s Fourth Crusade

By MAURICE RUSH

Heigh ho! Heigh ho!

To the Congress we must £0,

To let the world know flaming youth

Has pep, and push and go.

Heigh ho! Heigh hot!

Crusading youth strides forth.

EMEMBER the merry tune of the dwarfs in Walt Dis- ney’s famous “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?” The above parody was conceived by one of the BC church youth delegates as the train sped eastward last May, taking its cargo to the Third Youth Congress at Toronto. AS the train rolled on through the prairies the youth coach was swelled by young people from every important center of popu-

lation. By the time it reached Toronto, more than 125 young men and women were lustily

singing the song. @ ES that was exactly one year ago. The spirit captured by that song gave expression to the desire of young people to swing into the crusade for youth rights with a heigh ho.

Today youth from every Cor ner of our vast Dominion are again singing: “To the Congress we must go.’ The Fourth Can- adian Youth Congress, opening in Winnipeg on June 30, is part of this great crusade of young Canadians for the right to live more useful and better lives, free from the twin pestilence of fas- cism and war.

This year the Congress is being purposely held in the West. More western youth are wanted to take an active part in the movement. In addition, it is hoped that all

Ganadian young people will get a better idea of the problem of western youth and will rally sup- port for their needs. Z S Ur the Congress is not only going to concern itself with this question. It must and will also consider on its agenda among many other things the matter of jobs and vocational training for youth. The duties of youth citizenship and organi- gation of leisure time will un- doubtedly also be featured.

On the occasion of its Fourth Congress, the movement will have 2 great achievement to re- cord—that is, the vote by our Federal Government setting aside $4,500,000 for youth rehabilita- tion to cover a three-year per- iod. This money is to be added to by the provinces on the basis of dollar for dollar.

British, Columbia’s portion will help many young persons. The youth of this westernmost proyv— ince have shown that they make the most of their opportunities. Through their organization and activities they have thus far been successful in having the Provin- cial Government make the great- est use of the Federal Govern- ment offer. Proof of this is seen in the fact that the $155,000 re- eeived in July-August, 1938, was all used up by March 31—about seven months. This shows that the quotas are not large enough. But then, that’s why young folk are crusading.

NOTHER thing: the exten- sion of the Provincial HRecre- ational Movement in BC was made possible because of this victory of youth. And those who

want to see the movement srow even further and be rounded out to include many other leisure- time activities should know that fhe surest way is to take an ac- tive part in such movements as the Youth Congress. This is the best answer to those in high circles who would see the youth rehabilitation grant reduced or completely eliminated.

While the youth grant is a big step forward, it by no means solves the big problems young people are facing. The Federal Government must now be com- pelled to extend its service by supplying opportunity for jobs. Youth meeds work more than anything else.

t=)

RE is yet another ques— tion that will be given consid-— erable attention at the Congress. The clouds of war hang threat- eningly. The appeasement pol- icy of Chamberlain has brought the world to the precipice. Grow- ing world public opinion is de- manding the immediate conclu- sion of an effective “Stop Hitler” bloc. Youth is becoming disgust ed with Chamberlain’s hedging on an agreement with the Soviet Union, which is so important to stopping Hitler. The Congress will undoubtedly consider Can- ada’s role in this present situa-

tion.

Yes, BCG youth are preparing to take part in this important Congress. Again they shall have the opportunity of discussing the problems of all Ganada’s youth im common with those from every part of the Dominion. The youth of this country are striding forth to let the world know they have pep, push and go. Watch their smoke! u

SHORT JABS _A W eekly Commentary

on,

By Ol’ Bill

Sir Basil Thomson was for a time head of Eng- land’s praetorian body of man-catchers, the Scotland Yard Criminal Investigation Department He was

A Great written of by the smart journal D £ ‘é ists as ‘the Sphin= of Room 408.” erective That room was the sweatbox

where their victims were third- degreed by the great defectives whose fame at running down criminals is surpassed only by that

of the Canadian yellow-legs who “always get their man.”

Thomson was the son of an English clergyman, the Archbishop of York. He started out in life as one of the minor pro-consuls of Empire, operating the skin-game on the Fiji Islanders as a ciyal serv— ant, a category which was well described by a clever

Frenchman as “a system of out-relief for the younger oa

sons of the English aristocracy.”

Being gifted with a plentiful méasure of low cunning he drifted into the job of governor of Dart moor, the worst and most soul-destroying penal in- stitution in England and from that to head of the CID at New Scotland Yard. ;

He wrote a book, an autobiography, but died a few weeks before it was published, about a month ago. Naturally Sir Basil is the hero. The people who passed through his fingers in Room 40B are painted in such line and color as to leave no doubt about the immorality and degeneracy in which they_ were conceived and nurtured and the base and scoundrelly characters which they were possessed of. Particularly so with those of them who were accused of spying or treason during the World War

And a Great Slander highly moral man-catcher, is Sir

Roger Casement. Casement was an Irishman, activly playing a heroic part in the struggle for Irish freedom. Like Jim Connolly and many other brave Irishmen, he was a traitor in the eyes of man-catcher Thomson. He was hanged in London for treason, not treason to Ireland, but to the Basil Thomsons and the British government Even the half-measure of settlement of Ireland’s claims, made by the British government since the hanging of Gasement, should exonerate him of the guilt of treason. But not in the eyes of the great moralist detective, Thomson.

Qne of the victims of this hiehly moral indictment by the

This autobiozsraphy of Thomson blackens the character of Sir Roger Casement, even more than if he had been guilty of treason. Thomson alleges that half way through the trial, Casements diary fell into the hands of Scotland-Yard. He says it contained sidelights on Sir Roger’s private life too unsavory for a decent reader’s consumption.

“TJ realized,’”’ writes Thomson, “that it could never be printed in any language ... On his moral side, Casement was definitely abnormal’ We further tells us that the diary was burned.

Thomson is probably a liar in this case as we know him to have been a liar in the statements he made about the Bolsheviks and about English and Scottish members of the Communist Party. There probably never was any diary, certainly no diary which would sustain the slanders inferred above. That is likely the reason for the alibi that the diary was burned. Scotland Yard does not destroy such evidence, nor does the British Home Office. It is noticeable, too, that the publication of these slanders coincides with renewed energy on the part of the Irish Republican forces.

What we do know to be true, however, about which no diary has to be burned, and no lies have to be invented by ruthless opponents, is that the highly-moral man-catcher son of the Archbishop of York, Sir Basil Thomson, writer of this autobi- ography and slanderer of patriotic Irishmen, was driven out of public life for sexual immorality. He was arrested in Hyde Park, London, under such public circumstances that it was impossible for his anti-Bolshevik friends to cover up his misdeeds,

“On his moral side, Thomson was definitely ab- normal.” He tried to fasten the characteristics of his own filthy mind on to Casement and like every other coward he waited until his victim could not speak back.

Casement’s exposure of the atrocities practiced en the exploited African natives by the rubber barons is sufficient answer to these trumped-up charges. Mamlock est box-office attractions today.

Wot only do they draw the sym- pathetic crowds to view them but they draw the fire of the reactionary groups who make fascist

demands a common rallying ground for attacking democracy.

One of these films, “Professor Mamlock,” will open for a week's showing at the Beacon, next Fri- day, June 23. This picture has already made history in Ganada. While it has been praised by liberal- minded people of all shades of opinion, preachers, professionals, literary people, workers—strenuous efforts have been made by the German Wazi agents in Canada to have it banned by the censors. Their argument is that it is not a true picture of life in Wazi Germany.

Anti-fascist films are the great-

When we read daily about the miserable fate of the 900 Jewish people on that shuitle of death, the German Nazi liner, St. Louis, many of them com- mitting suicide in an effort to escape from the Nazi terror; when we read that Jews who apply for gas installations in Berlin, are charged the very high premium of 30 reichsmarks before their gas stoves are connected up to ensure that if they commit suicide by the gas route, the premium will cover the cost of the gas they use, we know that the treat- ment handed out to the Jews as depicted in “Pro- fessor Mamlock,” is true.

Professor Mamlock is different from the general run of Soviet films. It is more lke the films as we know them. The atmosphere is different, due, un= doubtedly, to the influence of the author of the seript, Friederich Wolff, author of “Sailors of Cat tarro,” himself a victim of the Nazi savages.

Hollywood is beginning to turn out good films | now—“Blockade,” “Confessions of a Nazi Spy” and “Juarez,” for instance—but they still fall short of Professor Mamlock.

This Is Jf all trade unions took T&Le ee decisions to heart with the same The Spirit spirit as the Relief Project |

Workers’ Union, strikes would be easier won and seldom lost. This union decided that the unfair list of the T&LC IS an unfair list The boys in the camps are putting into practice / the decisions made to refuse to purchase or handle = the products of P. Burns and Leckie’s shoes. A Tre-q port from Elk Falls informs us that 24 pairs of Leckie’s shoes were returned from there because ¢he union members refused to buy them. This is 2 real sacrifice because the shoes they did buy cost more than Leckie’s. That is the test of union spirit.

Don’t miss it! Y