Evening star., 1937-05-16
HEPBURN DEF|ES
''LAWLESS" C.L. 0.
Ontario Premier Says Lewis
Influence Will Not Be
Tolerated.
BY L. M. McKECHNIE.
.cial Dispatch to Tho Star.

special Dispatch to The star
TORONTO, Ontario, May Is
(N.AN.A) John L. Lewis or any
OF his organizers who comes into On
tario to advocate lawless methods
faces prompt arrest, Premier Mitchell
Hepburn warned here today.
The impetuous young prime minis
ter Of Canadas major industrial prov
ince has disregarded the possible po-
Nucal consequences Of appearing to
oppose organized labor. And he has
become the one outstanding chief
executive on the continent to offer
vigorous and effective opposition to the
advance Of Lewis powerful Commit
tee for Industrial Organization
It seemed startling at first for a
prime minister who was elected by
the common folk" OF the cities and
~the man on the back concessions" to
assume what had all the appearances
Of reactionary position. But he
maintains he has not abandoned the
liberalism he has espoused since his
adolescent years.
Acts Unlawful in Canada.
MOT for q second" he told the in
terviewer, do deny the right Of men
and women to organize. Nor do
deny their right to bargain collec-
lively, even to strike, although re-
gard the strike as labor's weapon Of
last resort. Furthermore, am not
opposed to labor's international affll-
iations"
Then why does Premier Hepburn
fght the advance Of the c. I. o. In
Ontario?
Because" he snapped promptly,
"the activities Of the c. l. o. in the
United States have been unlawful,
or at least their acts would have been
unlawful had they been perpetrated
In Canada. find it impossible to re-
gard the c. I. o. as a legitimate labor
movement. The sit-down strike is
not only contrary to British law, but
it violates British traditions. 1t is
my purpose to save this province and
its industry from the disruption and
chaos which followed the introduction
Of Lewis methods in the United
States"
But" 1t was interposed, &C, I. o.
activities in Ontario have not been
marked by any such occurrences as
IN the United States"
Certainly not" said Mr. Hepburn,
simply because we took a firm posi-
ton from the beginning. We made
It perfectly plain that we would not
tolerate violence or overt acts of any
description. And those agitators who
came here were wise enough to real
10e that We regard our laws as in
functions which are to be enforced
and our traditions as something to
be respected.
1T has been said" the premier
continued, that we should have wait
ed until there was some infraction OF
the law before we opposed the c. I.
o. Does man welcome to his home
another man who has the reputation
Of being a robber?
THE G. I. o. was branded by the
methods it sponsored in the United
States. We were justified In expect
ing that they would attempt to adopt
the same methods in this country.
Therefore, we took the necessary steps
to assure the maintenance of law
and order"
Premier Hepburn leaned back in
the old leather chair behind an old
fashioned deck in an Office which
has been altered little in the last
so years. It was to this Office that
he refused to admit Hugh Thomp-
son, c. I. o. organizer, who came
to Ontario to direct the strike OF
General Motors workers. And 1t