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PACIFIC ADVOCATE

SEEARPUDSSEESECSIAUGCOSESSOREESCRERERUISCISESSRRUGRELOLESESLORESESSERORAEERICEREE

| i PEOPLE’S VOICE FOR PROGRESS

Published every Saturday by The People Publishing Com- pany, Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia and printed at East End Printers, 2303 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. Subscription Rates: One year $2; six months $1.

Editor Phone Cc. A. SAUNDERS MA rine 5288

Franchise

“T HERE is every possibility that thousands of voters will be

disenfranchised in the coming provincial elections, unless the authorities take heed of last minute appeals. The closing date for registration has been set for September 17 and it is obvious that the time is hopelessly inadequate to cope with the re-registrations and new registrations pending.

There has been a tremendous reshuffling of workers since the last provincial elections. Thousands have changed their residence from the constituency they were in at that time. Thousands will wish to vote in this election who refrained from voting last time- The thousands of voters who have moved into the province in the last four years will be deprived of the right of a voice in selecting their representatives for the next legis-

lature.

The situation is critical. It leaves the Tory-Liberal coal- ition open to the accusation of deliberately depriving a sizable portion of the population of their right of franchise.

They have the remedy and the authority to implement it. The executive of the LPP provincially, has wired Premier Hart urging that the time for registration be extended to Sep-

tember 30.

If necessary the date of the election can be postponed for a week. Nobody must be deprived of the vote because the pro- vincial authorities failed to make adequate provision for reg- istration.

Protests and appeals should pour into Victoria, urging extension of the date of registration period even if it should mean postponement of the election date.

WFTU

HEN the World Trade Union Conference meets in

Paris on September 25, Canada will be_ represented through Pat Conroy, secretary of the Canadian Congress of Labor.

There was an attempt to keep the CCL out of the confer- ence, but the storm of protest from local unions and CIO affiliates changed the attitude of the executive and the decision to send delegates was voted through at the recent meeting of the National Council of the CCL.

Unfortunately, the Trades and Labor Congress of Can- ada, meeting about the same time, followed the example of the AFL across the line and took a backward step by the de- cision not to attend the conference.

One of the reasons put forward had a certain amount of justi- fication—but not as an excuse for refusing to attend the con- ference. The same reasons were advanced by the CCL execu- tive and defeated by the Council.

The main reason advanced was that Canada was not given a place on the executive of WFETU. This is a legitimate com- plaint. It can be settled at the conference. The cause of world trade union unity is too vital at this time to allow such a reason to be advanced as an excuse for breaking it.

Canada was not ignored at the initial meeting held in‘ London; Pat Sullivan, secretary-treasurer of the Trades and Labor Congress was elected to the continuations committee. Canada’s standing in the world as a nation, the strength and size of her trade union movement, and the strategic position she occupies, all entitle her representatives to a place on the executive. This will be taken into account no doubt at the Paris Conference, and steps taken to remedy the situation.

_ The maintenance and strengthening of the WFTU is a vital question. It will be a determining factor in shaping the postwar world, any move to sabotage this powerful weapon for progress must be condemned.

‘Dhe Vancouver and New Westminster TLC has strongly urged reconsideration of the Congress’ decision. The voices of every local and labor council should be added, urging full representation for Canadian labor at the Paris conference.

PAGE 4 — PACIFIC ADVOCATE

~ the Union of B.C. Munici-

In Passing By C. A. Saunders

n the.

, Most interest these days is centered i - vitally important provincial elections. How- ever, we have civic elections on the horizon, and these elections, in the municipalities and cities

-of our province will also have a distinct bearing

in determining the future ef the. people of British Columbia. Labor should be weighing the situation care- fully these days, for the at- titude and response of ald- ermen, reeves and mayors to the present crisis are dis- tinct signs of the direction in which these individuals wish to take the people in the coming years.

At the recent meeting of

palities a six-point recon- version program was pre- sented on behalf of the La- bor-Veteran Reconversion committee by J. Turner, Secretary-Treasurer of the Vancouver Labor Council. At once there was turmoil as delegates vainly tried to duck the issue by finding constitutional difficulties or any other excuse to avoid voting on the question.

Imagine, a group of elected representatives of the towns and cities of this province trying to avoid discussion on the basic question in the lives of the people. R. A. B. Wootten of Oak Bay, according to press reports, reproved R. K. Gervin, secretary of the Vancouver Trades and Labor Council for “telling us it is our duty to pass this resolution.” Possibly it would have been better had no one had to tell him his duty. Pos- sibly the electorate will demonstrate in a prac- tical manner what they believe his duty and responsibilities are.

Eventually a compromise was reached and the resolution was endorsed “in principle,” on motion of O. L. Jones. of Kelowna.

All candidates for civic office in the coming elections who were delegates to this convention should be called upon to explain the stand they took on this question.

Ar ound Town By Cynthia Carter

EVERY. once in a while the desk of a person

who writes a newspaper column reaches the * point where the addition of one sheet of onion- skin wculd send the whole works groaning to floor. Since this is the state of my desk at the moment, I will run quickly through what I tlaughingly call my filing system, and ans- wer a few queries from readers, and add a few notes of addendum to previous columns.

I have before me a pen- cilled note from a friend to the effect that recently this column has “neglected the housing problem.” Well, that criticism is justified, I suppose, because the hous- ing problem is far from solved. On the other hand, there is nothing particularly new to say about housing. We need houses, we haven’t got ’em, and nobody is doing much about it; the housing story in a nutshell. One remark might be added; that is, somebody ought to expose the big contractors who, while maintaining that they want nothing more than to build low-rental homes for workers and _ex-servicemen, are blandly going ahead on high~price, luxury con- struction jobs for the Shaughnessey Heights

trade. This week, for instance, the Pacific Northwest

SS

‘Development Company announced that it had

seen the light and was going to build “low- rental homes for servicemen.” It is proposed that two of ten proposed buildings will be situ- ated near the university, to accommodate ser- vicemen who are students there. Rent for an apartment, the announcement continued, would probably run at a mere forty-five dollars a month. Ask any serviceman living on his gratuities if he can pay forty-five dollars monthly rent. Then duck before he throws a book at you.

The second note is from a girl who wants to know why, in this machine age, it takes us so iong to do things. Building homes, she says, is one example. Day nurseries is another. throughout the war, mothers were kept out of war industry .because of lack of child care centers, those who did go to work sometimes left “door-key kids’ behind them, and others farmed the family out to inefficient neighbor girls. Day Wicehes, all this time, were “Just around the corner.” Now the war is over, and still very few nurseries have been established.

e

N Vancouver City the same +

good, and it is not surprisi obstacles in the path of progre | Bennett and Buscombe (the busy :

be designated), teamed up in <. struct action on the demands 9]: council for support for the prog eran-Labor committee. A report — last Monday betwen the comr. council states, “Aldermen Jok George Buscombe succeeded j Couricil to cut any consideratio, — labor’s original resolution deman! week with no wage cut.” =

This attitude is perfectly cons. records of these two aldermen _ sistently placed obstacles in the 3 the problems of our city. They 1 bered for their attitude last yea. tion of housing, when Buscombe by Bennett placed every obstacle the 5,000 Homes Now Committee, © deavoring to get action on a prq now a crisis. Buscombe continues his role }. housing crisis and bears a great . responsibility for the apathetic aj - Councii on this vital problem. te Here again resolutions ‘wey, adopting them “in principle” whid anything or nothing. et Mayor Cornett says that he Wil gation to Ottawa provided it is a. | group. By this he means that it. such organizations as the GMA 2 of Trade.’ It certainly is desira]- organizations should be represente4 : go along and it is to be hoped # Cornett is the eleeted leading ci - couver. His consent to lead such A shows he realizes the vital impo issues—and the justice of the 1]. proposals. Bs A little boldness and initiatives. comed by the citizens of Vancouve:~ sadly lacking for a number of ye. The citizens of Vancouver wil. these things over seriously. They 4 that labor has consistently taken | on every question of civic importan demand labor representation 9) Council. i

Yes, it is pretty discouraging. 44 keep trying, of course..The other ad item about a place where things am | and fast! 5

In the Soviet Union, for é single one of the Ukraine’s 1, medical consultation centers survim | pat:on. Nurseries were pillaged, ai y all 500 child inmates died of 5s Fi when the Red Army liberated the ¢ tors and nurses donned overalls a4 wrecked buildings, residents conta. | and dishes and now the whole ch dren’s institutions has been broughi | to pre-war standards. Not only that: { war years, Soviet child health cente’ to actually reduce incidence of ‘01 Seases, scarlet fever by 60 percent, 4 80 percent. And children’s health 2 now. being established in Estonia Moldavia, for the first time in th 2

XT is a note from a Negro frien |j

= recent column I wrote on th 4 comic strips. She encloses clippings || from a democratic Negro newspapt cago Defender. The first strip rela venture of a white man who finds I, mythical, “Land of the Green men” | Men, of course, have no use for the ; because he is a different color to | and the whole stupid system of colo, | ation is ridiculed in a very clever 1

A second comic strip relates thi a colored G.I. who is fighting influ cists who try to push Negros into against whites. The Negro hero, maintains that the way to progress cooperation of working people — whatever color their skins. Ample T contention; that comic strips can bi structively, as well as for destructio

Finally, here is a suggestion fra

1s more, if less water is used, more canned in its own juice in the sami jars. And that contribution, dear from a masculine reader—probkabl one! ee

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15