The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-05-31
Local Paper Gives That as
Real Issueiof the Great
! Strike There
J n -. y " $50 ~ 81 n
LABOR DICTATORS
i CONTROL THE CITY
All Papers Stopped Except Labor Or
gan-An Independent Paper Started
and Declares that Revolution Is In

| ssa-
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, May 81
f'Hurrah, hurrah the press is killed.
This announcemtnt, voiced by the Rev.
William Ivens, editor of the Western La
Dor News, on Friday morning, May l6,
was the signal for jubilation among the
Socialists gathered there. 1t was regard
ed by the strike committee as the crown
| ing glory of their successful efforts TO
have the public press put out of commits
| sion Mr.. lvens made the statement af-
ter the stereotypers and pressmen had
deeidedto go on strike in sympathy with
| the metal trades council and building
trades, joining the 25,0OO-odd men who
were already out at that time in the gen
era strike.
| Ernest Robinson, secretary of the trades
and labor council, announced that the
Western Labor News would continue to
publish during the strike as a daily in
stead of a weekly. 1t would give the
public .'labor's side OF the dispute. In
reply to a question as to how the Labor
| News would be gotten out when the
pressmen and stereotypers had been called
out, without employing non-union labor
Mr. Robinson replied. that a special dis
pensation had been granted to the work
ers ON the Western Labor News by tht
general strike committee
However, the boast OF Ivens, who re
, garded himself, during the first few day,
of triumph so far as depriving the eiti
zens Of Winnipeg of water, bread. milk
telephone, and Geographic service, as die
tator of Winnipeg, was futile one TwC
enterplising young journalists who fel
for the l50,00o participating citizens
who are unable to follow their usua
, lawful avoeations, decided to issue a daily
:. | 1t made its first appearance on Monday
May 49, under the caption OF The Citizen
! In the.npper left hand corner was box
! containing these words Permitted with
out the order of the Strike Committee
The editorial article in the first issu
uf the Citizen gave an unbiased surve
of the general strike situation.
1T IL to the general public of Winn
peg that we ~ spea n stating withou
:, Qualification That this is not a strike a
all in the ordinary sense of that term
it is a revolution was the first state
! ment in the leading article
1T is a serious attempt to overtur
:, | British institutions in the western cour
: try and to s,lplJlant them with the Rus
:, | sian Rolshevist system of soviet rul,
Winnipeg as a plain fact is governed b
the central strike committee of the trade
and labor council
'This does not mean that the trade
union movement as such IS 4 Bolshevis
$ movement, nor all the present striker
are Bolsheviki. Hundreds, nay Thousand
lof men and women now on strike homes
II II believe that the strike is a demonstri
S ton of sympathy for the metal trade
o workers and the principle of collectiy
bargaining. Incidentally, collective ba
= gaining never was the issue; the only i
sue was the method of applying the pril
eiple. whether through trades unions {
through shop committees.
Bolshevism and the rule of the sovit
or British Institutions and democratic col
stitutiona1 government? THAT is the que
ton for every true citizen of Winnipt
to ask, and answer, for this is the partir
Of ways"
THE only way to defeat Bolshevism
for the peope, the injured. the sufferer
those who are put to hardship throue
this strike, who stand in the position
the proverhially innocent bystander.
organize, They must consolidate and star
soIidly behind those public-spirited eli
zens who arc protecting the city fro
fire, who are helping the constituted a
:. thorities in every possible manner, al
- they must be prepared to answer the c;
| at any time when necessary to defend al
| uphold the free institutions under WIFI
| we live
The infant Citizen was the only dai
| paper that the people of Winnipeg h
for four days, with the exception of t
strike committees Labor News
The one big issue in Winnipeg at t
l nresent time is NOT tho idea of colleefi