Lögberg - 09.06.1932, Blaðsíða 7

LÖGBERG, FIMTUDAGINN 9. JÚNÍ 1932.
7
Kjósið þann 1 6. júní þessi sex
INDEPENDENT LABOR PARTY
þingmannaefni:
V. B. ANiDEiRSON
BEATiRICE BRIGDEN
S. J. FARMER
An Open Letter
to MR. P. K. BJARNASON,
ARBORG, MAN.
My dear friend:—
After the Arborg meeting on the
21st of May, one of my friends
met me on the street in Arborg
and asked me why I had not used
the five minutes that I was offer-
ed to speak. I told him some of
the main points which I intended
to brin!g out, and he seemed to be
interested in the subject. When
we parted I promised him, if I
had the opportunity, to state my
views in one of the papers and as
you were the 'Chairman of the
Meeting, I decided to address
myself to you.
In politics, we want outspoken,
courageous leadership. The bulk
of us are sick of the ordinary
political pussy-footing; we are
sick of the selfishness and cow-
ardice of our politicians; we are
losing faith in our institutions
which are forgetting matters of
state and diving into the waters
f°r personal gain. We do not
want any' more glitterinlg bunk
from, political bunk-shooters. We
are sick of political speeches
wjiieh are devoid of real sub-
stance and real issue. Under
Party system we desire ío be able
to distinguish between party plat-
forms. As I look at the platforms
of the two old political parties,
there is not an iota of difference
between them. As for the third
party, the Progressives, their re-
cent actions show plainly that the
, leaders of the party do not regard
themselves materially advanced
from the old parties, otherwise
they would not have proposed an
amalgamation of all three. Had
the Progressives regarded them-
selves far advanced, it would have
been illogical to introduce a con-
servative element into the Pro-
gressive program. It would have
been a step backwards. So here
we have it in a nutshell: the pres-
ent government tells us by its
actions that it is not and has not
been a progressive government.
It has done exactly the same thing
as a Conservative or Liberal gov-
ernment would have done. They
all do something; if they did not
MARCUS HYMAN
WM. IVENS
JO'HN QUEEN
they would not expect to be re-
elected. But most assuredly, they
do as little as possible for the
common people, but always with
the point in view that it is the
vote of the common people that
counts. On the other hand, they
have to be on the right side of
the moneyed man, because the
moneyed man has always some
ways and means of gettting the
governments heavily indebted so
that they will have to borrow
money from them.
You will say that a Provincial
Government is unable to make any
great changes; that may be so,
but we want to see a government
that is carrying the Progressive
standard progressive in thought.
We want to see a Progressive Gov-
ernment make some progressive
resolutions, and we want to see
our Progressive members put their
shoulders to the wheel of pro-
gressive ideans. We fail to get
our eyes on any progressive
thoughts or actions from our gov-
ernments, and we fail to get our
eyes on any prolgressive thought
or action from any of the Pro-
gressive ideas. We fail to get
as closely caught in the political
net as any member of the old
political parties. There is not an
iota of difference between them.
But, there is a progressive element
in the country, and in the Province
of Manitoba, as you know. You
were present and attended the
annual Convention of the U.F.M.
las’t winter. You told me about
some of the proceedings. You told
me about the marked left element,
of which you spoke with pride and
enthusiasm; and I believe you
were sincere in your radical views.
I remember you saying that our
views on most of the major issues
of the day were so elosely related
that, indeed, there was no differ-
ence between them. You have for
the past few years been fairly
closely connected with the U.F.M.,
so it is reasonable to think that
the major resolutions and actions
of that body do not go past you
unnoticed. I, therefore, take it
for granted that you must be
aware of the Farmer-ÍLabor Co-
perative movement in this Pro-
vince; that over 200 meetings
were held during last winter and
local committees appointed; that
/poc
Býður sig fram á ný í St. George kjördœmi
Skúli Sigfússon
Við kosningarnar, sem fram fara þann 16. júní
1932, býður hr. Skúli Sigfússon sig fram að nýju.
Hann hefir átt sæti á þinginu um lanlgt skeið,
og reynst kjördæmi sínu dyggur fulltrúi. —
Verið samtaka um að kjósa hann að nýju.
Merkið seðilinn þannig:
the two groups met in Winnipeg
on April 9th, and spent two days
in discussing a co-operative act-
ion, which resulted in the follow-
ing resolutions:—
“That this Conference go on
record as being in favor of runn-
ing candidates in every constitu-
ency in Manitoba, where it is
possible, who adhere to the prin-
cipíe of establishing the Co-
Operative Commonwealth to be
known as the Independent Farmer
Party, and the Independent Labor
party.”
The following platform was
adopted:—
“Realizing that the present econ-
omic crises are due to the inherent
unsoundness of the capitalistic
system, which is based on private
ownership of resources and capi-
talist control of production and
distribution bhat involves the pay-
ment of rents, interest and profit,
we, farmers and industrial work-
ers, in joint convention assembled,
recognize that social ownership
of industry and natural resources,
with co-operative production for
use instead of for profit, is the
only sound economic system.
In order to obtain the above
objective, we advocate:—
1. Public ownership of trans-
portation, telegraphs, telephones,
mines, forests, and fisheries, water
power sites, abbatoirs, cold stor-
age plants, creameries, milk distri-
bution systems, grain elevators,
and all essential public utilities.
2. The socialization and control
of currency and credit.
3. A planned economy of pro-
duction, distribution and ex-
change of all essential commodi-
ties including exports and imports
4. Nationalization of land, se-
curity of tenure to be obtained by
the issuance of permanent “use
lease.”
5. To meet the immediate debt
situation a Debt Adjustment Board
bc empowered to review all debts
and to make such adjustments and
reductions as are necessary to
enable farmers to stay on their
farms that no evictions or fore-
closures be carried out without
consent of the Board; that the
Chairman be constituted a trustee
in bankruptcy and that provisi-
ons be made for the compounding
of all debts and of arriving at a
final settlement of the same which
would first provide for the living
of the debtor before the payment
of debts.
6. Proportional representation
with group constituencies.
7. Free and equal educational
opportunity from the kindergarten
to the University.
8. Assistance to bona-fide co-
operatives by:
Provincial legal safeguards.
Enacting enablinlg legislation
for the creation of commodity
marketing, distributing and
consumers’ co-operative organ-
izations.”
You must also be aware of the
fact that the farmers brought to
this conference a declaration of
organized purpose adopted as a
basis of membership by the U.F.M.
at this last annual convention.
Now, considering all this, it would
be reasonable to think that, since
you are taking an active part in
the election campaign now pend-
ing, you would be an enthusiastic
supporter of this new Farmers’
Labor Party, and use your ability
to get a man in the field and sup-
port him under the new standard.
But, instead, you are takin’g an
active part in the old political
bunk, supporting the glittering
bunk party, a party that is not
worth its name and certainly not
worth the support of a radical.
I am sorry that I have been mis-
led as to our relations on political
issues and, undoubtedly, on other
issues as well. I am sorry that
you, as chairman of the Arborg
Meeting, did not see fit to allow
me more than five minutes to ex-
press my thoughts, with a defin-
ite understanding that I would
not be “outrageous” in my speech.
You know that I am not such a flu-
ent speaker as to be able to ex-
issue but speak as glainly as I am
now writing. I am sorry that you
term my political views “outrage-
ous” now, while only a few weeks
ago you regarded the two of us as
being of the same school. I have
not chanlged my mind. I am sorry
you have so completely turned
around in so short, a time. You
have made the statement to me
on more than one occasion that
you regard me as beirig one of the
most level heads in this commun-
ity. I accepted this as a friendly
compliment but not as an actual
fact. I am sorry for you, as chair-
man of the Arborg meeting, re-
fused to listen to your friend, who
a few weeks ago had the same
political views as you had. and
who had such a good head, as you
had previously stated. If the bright
minds are unable to contribute
anything towards an idea, what
is to be expected from the plain
minds and the simple ones?
This communication gives you
a fairly close idea of what I
would have said at the meeting
had you been fair enou'gh to give
me fifteen or twenty minutes in
which to speak. It would not have
been in this form, of course, and
I would not have addressed my-
self to you personally as I do now.
But, since this is a personal letter
to a friend, I might extend it a
little and have a chat with you
on Iess important matters. You
acted as the leader at the Arborg
meeting, so I take it for granted
that you were also the leading
man at the Gimli Convention.
Now why did you not raise your
voice in protest at what you called
an unfair game at the Gimli Con-
vention? You announced at the
Arborg meeting that you and your
men would stand for justice and
justice only. Why did you and
your men not stand for justice at
Gimli? Your pretext that it was
from regard and respect for Mrs.
Bracken, who was present, seems
to me to be a very poor and illog-
ical excuse indeed. Why not ad-
mit that this was fabricated after
the convention as some kind of a
camouflage to hide your inalert-
ness? How cou'ld it be from re-
gard for Mrs. Bracken that you
did not stand for justice at the
Gimli Convention? Does not Mrs.
Bracken want justice done? Does
she not belong to a political party
that stands for justice? was it
not rather out of regard for your
opponents that you did not want
to throw your flashlight on them
and show their nakedness to Mrs.
Bracken? Wlould it not have been
more respectful and shown high-
er regard for Mrs. Bracken by
showing her that the leading Pro-
gressives in this constituency
were alert, courageous, and out-
spoken men? Or, what about Mr.
Bracken hirnself? Do you not
think Mrs. Bracken will hear about
the Arborg meeting? Will it not
be just as shocking to her to know
that you stood for justice in Ar-
borg as that you had stood for
injustice in Gimli? How are you
going to break the news to her?
The fact of the matter is that
there was no more injustice done
at the Gimli Convention than is
common at any similar meeting;
one candidate was the winner and
the others the losers. The Con-
vention accepted Mr. Jonasson’s
nomination. The defeated nominee
accepted it and pled'ged his sup-
port to him. Mr. Bracken also ac-
cepted it and welcomed Mr. Jonas-
son to his political bosom. The
fact of the matter is also that you
Progressive delegates went to the
convention with the idea that it
was yours and no one else’s; and
you did not have enough sport-
manship to take your defeat.
Hence this makeup of injustice
followed by an organized effort
to bully through a new nominat-
ing convention. Then, what do we
meet with at the Arborg conven-
tion? Do we meet with fair play
KAUPIÐ ÁVALT
LUMBER
THE EMPIRE
hjá
SASH &
DOOR CO. LTD.
HENRY AVE. EAST. - - WINNIPEG, MAN.
Yard Office: 6th Floor, Bank of Hamilton Chamhers.
you attempt to give any under-
standing to us on political issues?
No, indeed, NO. You announced
that thih was your meeting and
vour meeting only. You did not per-
mit free discussion. You stated
that you stood for justice and
justice only. But what about a
free speech? Is suppression of
speech justice? You announced
that you were not opposed to the
Bracken Government, but, still
you are putting a man in the field
to oppose an a'lready nominated
candidate whom Mr. Bracken him-
self has accepted and welcomed
to the ranks. You stated that you
were not opposed to the Liberal
Progressive amalgamation outside
of this constituency. But why op-
pose it in this constituency? If
it is right and just in one part of
the Province, why is it unjust and
wrong in any other part? Al)
your actions so far in this nomin-
ating campaign are as unjust as
they are illogical, and from any
angle looked at have nothing to
do with real issues. They are all
based on personal gain and they
are all based on this idea eman-
ating from both sides, that “if I
get my man in I stand a better
chance of getting a few dollars in
the road leading into my yard.”
But, my dear friend, this is not
politic and there is no hope of
political advancement while this
selfishness is prevailing; and.
when the campailgn heat has evap-
orated out of your system, you
will regret this unsound and illog
ical game you are playing.
Then, a last few words about
my vote. What is a vote anyway?
I regarded it as an expression of
opinion on some issues; but not
now. When there is no issue at
stake I do not utilize my vote. I
am sorry that circumstances
should so arrange matters that I
am uable to express my opinion
by my vote in this coming elec-
tion.
Yours very truly,
Valdi Jóhannesson.
SPURNING: Við hvern ó
eg að ráðfæra mig viðvíkj-
andi augunum?
SVAR: Pér skuluð leita ráða
hjá reglulegum augnlækni. Strax
þegar þér finnið eitthvað að aug-
unum, og þér settuð einnig að láta
augnlæknir skoða augu yðar
reglulega, með hæfilegu miliibili,
hvort sem þér finnið að nokkuð
gangi að þeim eða ekki.
Gætið þess, að veikindi I aug-
unum er ekkert hégðmamál, því
jafnvel smáveiklun, ef hún er
vanrækt, getur orðið þrálát og
hættuleg. Augnlæknirinn er fær
um að finna það, sem að er og
fara með það eins og við á. Hann,
sem getur sagt hvaða meðul skal
nota, ef þeirra þarf við, er líka
áreiðanlega færastur um að velja
yður gleraugu, sem skýra sjðn-
ina og gera áreynsluna mirtni.
Sem gleraugnasalar er fara eft-
ir forskriftum lækna, förum vér
nákvæmlega eftir fyrirsögn lækn-
is yðar og efnið og verkið er hið
bezta og verðið mjög sanngjarnt.
Ritið “Your Eyes and Your
Health” gefið hverjum sem æskir.
Robert S. Ramsay
Prescription Optician
333 DONALD STREET
WINNIPEG
SMÆLKI.
Lítil stúlka, sem í fyrsta sinn
kom til kirkju, sá alla falla á kné.
“Hvað ætla þeir að gera?” hvísl-
aði hún að mömmu sinni.
“Vertu skykkanleg, elskan mín,”
sagði móðir hennar. “Þeir eru að
biðjast fyrir.”
“Hvað, í öllum fötunum!”
Gift kona: “Því sagðir þú mér
ekki fyrri um líferni þitt?”
Maðurinn: “Eg vildi geyma það
þar til við værum gift, svo við gæt-
um stytt okkur stundir með því að
tala um það í hjónabandinu.”
.....—~i
oo<—~r>o<--->oc
oo<zn>ocrz>oc
Til
íslenzkra kjósenda
í Winnipeg
Hon.W. J. Major
dómsmálaráðgj afi
Við kosningar þær til fylkisþingsins í Manitoba, sem fram
fara þann 16. júní 1932, verð eg í endurkjöri olg. vænti þess,
að íslendingar, nú, eins og að undanförnu, veiti mér fylgi sitt.
Kjósið einnig
D. CAMERON W. J. FULTON
R. MAYBANK HON. J. W. McDIARMID
HON. DR. E. W. MONTGOMERY
| Sigfusson, Skuli No. 1 j press what I now write to you in five minutes. You know my pol- itical views, and you also know and justice? Do we meet with any new progressive element worth the name to be called “Indepen- i MAJOK, W. J. No. 1
o <ZZZ>OCZIZ>0<==Z>OCZZZ>0<ZZZ>Oc£) that I would not side-track the dent-Progressive Element”? Did (V ——>f)<" >r><" 1 ■'\ru 11 vrw %rw- snt ~ >»< >o<~—>or
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