The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-21
NHE Canadian movement has
been and still is dominated by
.r,.sz. .a.... 80.

helped to check the movement for in
dependent political action among the
organized workers of Canada; other
influences stimulated the interest of
the workers in public affairs and led
to a greater zeal in extending politi-
cal organization Of labor.
Among the first, we find the A. F.
Of L. with which the majority of the
Canadian organizations are affiliated,
and under the influences of which
their policies have been largely de-
termined.
More recently there is evident the
great influence of the British Labor
movement from which so many work
ers of Canada have come and with
which they keep more or less in touch.
Then we have the influence of the
Workers Party of Canada and the T.
U. e. L., which work for the establish
ment of a United Labor Party of Ca
NADIA; and lastly we have the world
wide dynamic of the Russian Revolu-
ton; the vast experiment in Prole-
tartan rule which has captured the
imagination Of the workers the world
over.
Until very recently, organized labor
in Canada took comparatively little
interest in politics. The policy of the
A. T. of L. did not encourage independ-
ent political action. Under the in
fluence of the American headquarters
the actions and decisions of the
United States Court were probably
more discussed in Canadian unions
than were those Of the Canadian pro-
vinces
Gradually, however, the workers of
Canada began to lose faith in this
policy. Resentment against the pre-
bordering influence of the American
officials began to spread. 1t manifest
ed itself in a movement toward a
more efficient form of organization
than that of craft-unionism as well as
in a movement for independent poll
teal action. The workers of Canada
began to realize that they have too
long given fair trials to the various
political parties. Under the stimulus
Of immigrant English and Scotch
workers, the local trades and labor
councils began to appoint labor re-
presentation committees. These en-
dorsed and nominated candidates for
municipal and sometimes parliament
airy Office.
The activities of the local trades
and labor council had a tremendous
influence upon the Trades and
Labor Congress of Canada, the
dominant labor organization. In spite
of the fact that the connections of the
congress with the A. F. of L. have been
close, it began to show an increasingly
marked tendency to break away from
the traditions of the A. F. of L.
AS early as 1900, the Trades and
Labor Congress of Canada went on re-
cord as in favor of independent politi-
cal action on the part of labor. At
other annual meetings a group of
radical delegates demanded that the
Congress should become the head of
a Labor Party. The 1906 Congress
went on record as in favor of a policy
of provincial autonomy in the forma-
ton of provincial autonomy in the
formation of workingclass political or
ganization.
This action of the convention was
merely a move to satisfy the local
organizations in their demand for in
dependent political action. True the
Trades Congress had promulgated an
nually political program which in
cluded demand for legal working |
day of six hours, for a minimum liv-
ing wage based on local conditions,
for public ownership of all public |
utilities, etc.; but it confined its activ-
tiles in furtherance of this program
to the attempt to influence legislation
by conference with and recommends
tons to the leaders of legislative
bodies.
The year 1917 witnessed a de-
parture from that policy. Resolutions
we're adopted in favor of the forma-
ton of a Dominion-wide Labor-Party; |