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Labor Wants No Return To ‘Hungry Thirties’

Tim Buck Extends New

Nineteen Forty-four is the year-ef victory. On that, all democratic peoples are a in Moscow, Cairo and Teheran were di

to follow that up in swift battle for the a ity of the United Nations

Allied leaders 1944 and

of the second front, which shook the solidar victory, has been settled. The decision is no

the command of the United Nations.

With that decision in mind, the peoples are awaiting the fury of battle which is to come with the invasion of Europe. They know it’ will demand of them greater Sacrifices and effort than - ever before, in the factories and mines, and on the fighting fronts.

The lTabor-Progressive Party calls on all its members, friends and supporters, and upon the whole labor and farm movements, to place the achievement of com- plete and speedy victory above all other considerations: to ensure that the labor and farmers? -Or- ganizations make their fullest contribution in the great struggle for victory in 1944, and to east out all complacency.

We call for strengthened unity Within the labor movement and greater national unity to this end. We eail upon the federal proyvin- cial and municipal governments to *give that war leadership and produce that wartime organiza- tion® which our country ‘sorely needs to carry out its duties in this eritical year.

Labor is that force in the nation which resists all tempta- tino to srow lax in the fight against fascism. It is the force which has constantly advocated those measures of offensive Strategy against the Axis which alone can bring victory. It was and is the champion of United Nations solidarity and the second front which is now the basis of military operations in Europe. .

It is the force which fights for those measures of domestic re-

form which are required to re-

lease the full fighting power of our country. It is the sworn enemy of national hatreds and the advo- fate of the closest unity between French and English Canadians, between the Canadians of all re- ligious and national origins.

tt is the vigilant Suardian of Canada’s democratic institutions. It is that Stroup which sees in the glorious declarations of this peo- ple’s war, the Atlantic Charter, the Washington Agreements, the British-Soviet Pact and the Tehe- ran Declaration, the hope for world peace, and for a better post-war world.

Great Issues

This New Year’s Day witnesses in Canada a Srowing conflict around the great issues of the War and the peace.

©ur country is being torn in Its hour of crisis by the great

Capitalists and __‘ their. agents. Drew of Ontario, Duplessis of Quebec, John Bracken, Arthur

Meighen, Gladstone Murray, the

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Toronto Telegram and Globe and Mail, the Monireal Gazette, are organizing now a great conspiracy to subvert the normal processes of Canadian democracy, in order to preserve Canada and its gov- ernment as the exclusive mon- Dpolies of “free enterprise.”

In all this, these elements have the aim of seizing the govern- ment of Canada at the next fed- eral election. As part of their plan, they are waging a strong campaign in the municipal elec: tions, where their power and money have already brought set- backs to the labor movement.

The program of this reactionary bloe is already plain to us. Be- Cause victory is now assured the United Nations, and precisely. because Canada faces the last and final bloody military battle against the Axis, they are already unleashing an attack upon the people under the banner of “free enterprise.” “Free enterprise,” in their eyes, means the freedom of capital and the enslavement of labor.

tt means a return to the an- archy of the “Hungry Thirties.” It means the resumption of the State of affairs where profits alone determine whether or not Canadians haye employment and the farmers a decenf income. It means the abolition of all war- time controls such as the limita- tion of profits, the excess profits tax, and price control. It means

the refusal, in the interests of ©

“private enterprise,” to engage in great public works such as hous- ing and land rehabilitation.

Phe Tories are determined to get the government, and to make sure that Canadian democracy, tepresented most of all by the CCF, the Labor - Progressive Party, the trade unions and the farm organizations, shall not win the war, but that Capitalist an- arehy shall triumph in Canada.

Reaction’s Plans

The Liberal government step by step gives in to this campaign of reaction, this revival of the regime of R. B. Bennett. Inside the Liberal cabinet are men like Howe and St. Laurent, who speak the same words and have the Same policies fundamentally as Meighen, Drew and Duplessis.

Mackenzie King follows his tra- ditional policy of giving in to the demands of big Capital. He has refused to institute the full mob- ilization of manpower on a selec- tive basis.

By refusing to grant the just demands for national equality on the part of the French Canadians he has permitted the Quebee re- actionaries, the °Bloc Populaire aud Duplessis, to run riot in Que-

ec.

He has placated finance cap- ital, and outraged and insulted the working class and farmers, above all in his recent speech on inflation in which he abolished the cost of living bonus, froze present inequalities:e weléduced

the Labor Code “to another promise. His minister of agriculture,

Gardiner, has confused and en- taged the farmers in the matter of hog raising, and has cut the bacon exports to Britain, despite the fact that the world faces a food shortage, already heralded in the horrible famine in India.

The Liberal Party, by this means, has lost the confidence of the Majority of Canadians. The Tories are fighting to become the next government, by the use of de- ceit and bluff and by taking full advantage of the divisions in the labor movement.

%

and 1943,

They are attacking the demand of the Canadian people for a Sweeping post-war program of employment and national growth and for great national reforms to put a floor under Wages and a ceiling upon hours, by raising the ery of “socialist regimentation.”

Bank presidents, publicity agents, chambers of commerce; hewspaper editorial writers, poli- ticians, are all engaged in a well- financed drive to represent the after-war desires of the masses of Canadians as “socialism.” They are claiming that socialism means the destruction of the home, the regimentation of liberties, the dictatorship of the state, the end of the constitution. They put no limit to their lies and misrepre- sentation, because they are anxi_ ous above all to stampede the farmers, middle class people and Sections of the workers ‘izto sup- porting their “free enterprise” program, the real aim of which is to destroy the unions, reduce

Wages, and lay off hundreds of:

thousands of war workers.

Basis for Unity

The Canadian labor movement has the power to stop this reac- tionary drive, which hinders the war effort, delays the victory and threatens violence and catastro- phe for Canada. But to do that, unity of purpose and unity of or- ganization are indispensable. But as yet, the labor movement lacks this unity—to the great benefit of the Tories and the right-wing Liberals.

The Canadian labor movement must unite around two simple but all-embracing points:

1. To carry through the war to victory in 1944 by redoubling the energies of the people in the front line and in war pro- duction; to smash Hitler on the Continent this year, and to pro- ceed quickly to the destruction of the Japanese fascist-militar- ist empire and the liberation of the countries occupied by

Japan. :

2. To put the home front in full battle order, by conducting and strengthening the fight against the Tory plot and Lib- eral misleadership, in order that the ground may be pre- pared for great social and eco- nomic progress in the future, under the leadership of a CCE- labor-farmer government.

These are the realistic paths Canada must follow in the im- mediate future. Around these two great aims labor can unite and rally the majority of Canadians to defeat the recationary attack.

They are tasks demanding the utmost unity in the labor and farm movements. They require that the CCF shall drop its preju- dices against other sections of the labor movement, concentrate on the one great job of marshalling all the strength of the labor and farm movement into a mass labor-farmer party for the elec- tion of a CCF-labor-farmer gov- ernment whenever Mackenzie King chooses to eall a Seneral election. The first step towards this is to drop the present im- pediments to affiliation to the CCF on the part of the trade unions, and to lift the ban upon

the Labor-Progressive Party’s affiliation to the CCF. The main opstacle to the

achievement of this unity is the attitude of the leaders of the CCF. They are persisting in outworn concepts and worn-out opinions. Instead of rising to the oppor- tunity which presents itself today of ousting the old-line parties from office and electing a ma-

jority of CCFlabor-farmer mem- bers to the House of Commons, they continue to divide the work ers_and farmers by setting the CCF against all left-wing forces. We must not muff this great Opportunity. We must Grasp it ~ boldly, and take full advantage of it. To fail to do so is not only to risk the future of the labor movement, but to place our country’s destiny in the hands of those reactionary forces whose misleadership in -the Past has brought this crisis upon’ us.

Given this united movement of Canadian labor and the farmers, and emboldened and lifted up by the possibility of such a govern- ment in Canada, the trade unions would rally around a mass labor- farmer party. The farm organiza- tions, for whose Support the Lib- erals and Tories are now making a supreme bid, would come close to the labor movement. ‘The middle class, now seeking lead- ership, would join its forces with labor, and our country would move ahead to the victory and the peace mobilized. and organized by. the most vigorous defenders of Canadian democracy.

1944 Tasks

These are the tasks for 1944:

Victory and a just peace.

Victory against fascism, and the liberation of the nations pinned under the jackboot of the en- Slavers!

-Victory against Tory reaction and Liberal ‘cowardice and peace and prosperity for the common people!

We must unite and make pos- sible the coming together of all democratic peoples in a great labor-farmer Party., This means we must stop allowing narrow Partisan aims to utilize prejudice to split our ranks to the joy of reactionary campaigners who are desirous of splitting the labor movement as a prelude to de- stroying it!

We must be Worthy of the Teheran Declaration, which is one of the historic documents of all mankind’s history, and not get bogged down in academic debate and abstract quarreling within the labor movement by which only the reactionaries profit.

The CCF leaders must epen the doors of their Party to the sreat mass of the working people on the basis of a great crusade for victory and prosperity and de- mocracy in the peace, or will they persist in giving arguments to the “anti-socialist” campaigners by keeping up their “red-baitins” against the Communists?

These are the great tasks of 1944 for Canadian labor.

Soon the battle orders will be given. Soon Canada will feel the full force of war after four and a half years of relative quiet.

Soon the casualty lists will mount | as the Canadian Army Overseas || will follow our glorious RCAF:

and RCN into full action, me Soon Hitlerism will be smashed = the trumpets of victory will sound |

to take shape. : :

Canadians! Prepare for | the 4 last great battles against fas < cism! Spare nothing for the Wal effort. Increase your output i | the factories and mines! a

Smash the - Tory conspiracy | against our homes, jobs and | democratics rights! = §

Join- ranks together in the)

trade unions! el

labor-management: committees, a labor code and the raising of wages! oe

Let French and English Can- adians unite for national reform) and justice for Quebec!

Fight harder than ever for™

‘Unite for independent work |

ing-class political action!

Urge the CCF leaders to re- ‘f

spond to the mighty and srow-

ing demand for unity to win the |

federal government in the com- ing general elections! Prepare now, in the midst of

war, to win the peace by your .

organized strength and united leadership, ; :

Layoffs Protested

Frank Carlisle, business agent for Plumbers and Steamfitters Union, expressed concern this

- week over the announcement that

the first major layoff in Van- couver plants doing subcontract

- production ‘|

Sub - standarg | j

pera uieasas

i

work for steel shipyards Will take |

place within the next two weeks. }

The announcement was made by C. W. Leek of Leek and Co., Ltd), who stated that about 130 of his" employee are to be laid off. His firm is handling pipefitting worlk

for North Van Ship Repairs and. ;

other yards in British Columbia. “There are prospects that only. a few of these men will be ab-

sorbed into other jobs,” said Gar.

lisle.

“There are difficulties arising because there is no cooperation between Selective Service, War- time Shipping, and the employ- ers. Selective Service apparently did not know anything about this until the day before.

“No one seems to know any- thing about these layoffs except that layoffs have to take place.

‘No plans are made to absorb the a men into other work. Then when i the announcement does come we ©

have to rush around and see what can be done about it.’

The tayoffs are seen as a direct result of the slowing in freighter Jaunchings to 100 days, and it is expected further layoffs will be

necessary. in subsidiary indus-

tries.

CLASS

IFIED

A charge of 50 cents for each in- Sertion of five lines or less with 10 cents for each additional line is made for notices appearing in this column. d

Regular meetings of the Hast

ings East LPP Branch are held at 8 p.m. on the first and third Friday of each month, at 2443 East Hastings. E

NOTICES

West End LPP Branch needs a piano. Will buy or hire but preferably borrow. Any offers? Phone John Goss at MArine 5143.

If you have a spare copy of Builders of British Columbia by. Bill Bennett, published at Van- couver In 1937, The People can use it in its library. Send it to The People office.

Canadian Aid to Russia Fund, Auxiliary No. 1, wants sewers and workers. Send used clothing of all kinds to 835 West Pender. MArine 2744.

Regular meetings of the South

Vancouver LPP Branch are held | i at 8 p.m. on the second and fourth

Monday of each month, at Nor- quay Hall, Kingsway and Slocan.

gos BD) om ee Cr ey ei pe ier