Geer FORUM

ciety in turmoil
John Tanche, White Rock, B.C,
rites: Emil Bjarnason, econ-
t of the Trade Union
arch Bureau, Vancouver,
i in Ship and Shop
some interesting
itistics and they correspond to
intelligent people already
. To quote Bjarnason “The
spend $30 billion a year in
ar in Vietnam. The same
unt spent in destruction, if
t for peaceful purposes to
the standard of living of the
aamese would give them a
capita income of $1,000 a
As it is today, the Vietna-
only get an income of $90
pyear.”’
one would want to go a bit
in analysing the pros and
one could safely say that if
USA had only the
lintenance of democracy in
stnam in mind, as it says it
$s, by giving the Vietnamese
it stupendous sum of money in
trial equipment every year,
‘ould have prevented poverty
at country and the rise of
unism. It is everybody's
t that communism thrives
nderdeveloped countries
pre poverty and starvation
rife.
Not only would it have
‘vented the destruction of all
human beings but it would
assured that the USA was a
nanistic nation instead of
fing lost all confidence in the
arts of man.

t would also have stopped the
of discontent in its Negro
ation and in the one-third of
ple who go to bed hungry.
ese rumblings of discontent in
hearts of men cannot be
thed over by journalists
0, through their way of life,
hot represent those who have
iot, but represent the class to
who have, since their pay
ques come from them.

Yor can we philosophize only
what is happening in Vietnam
the USA. We have to be
erned with Canada.

The USA military waste is also
ochetting in Canada in higher

erest rates which are
hibiting the building of
ises, hospitals, schools.

slated further this means
ployment especially for
youth and a rise in social
istance. Administrative
$s also increase, to apprehend
dope addicts to let
selves drift in that channel
lack of constructive
eavor. Crime of all sorts is

OBITUARY

E.A. DAMON

e Communist movement of
ada was saddened this week
News of the sudden passing of
of its charter members,
st Albert Damon.

n engineer by trade, ‘‘Ernie”’
he was affectionately known,
One of the first organizers of
Communist Party in the
iser Valley. He was for many
an active and staunch
ber of Victory Square Club.

1 his 87th year at the time of
Passing, he maintained °
mbership in the party’s
ancouver East Club and
tinued his volunteer work in
ailing department of the
ic Tribune until ‘a few days
his death, even though
hearing prevented him
tending meetings for the

yea

ee

mounting. Psychiatric institutes
are short of everything, partly
due to a society in turmoil.

Could we say that those whom
the Gods want to destroy, they
first make mad? I could be
smug about all this if I did not
see the possible destruction of all
mankind.

Subscriber, Haney, B.C.
writes: I wrote a letter to the
PT which you published April 18,
1969 and I was very disappointed
to find that the letter is stated as
written by a ‘Subscriber from
Surrey.”

My letter was addressed from
Haney, B.C. I do not know who
made the mistake, I know I
didn't. If the people from Surrey
wish to write to the PT I
certainly would like to read their
contributions, but please, make
that correction.

I believe that is one of the
important ways of making our
paper interesting in every
community, viz, to write from
our own district or area. With
best wishes for a successful
drive.

High Stakes
George Collins, Vancouver,
B.C. writes: working for the

Pacific Tribune to achieve its
sustaining fund target is a fight
for high stakes: for peace, the
easing and improvement of
labor’s lot, whatever is worth-
while for Canada’s common
folks.

It is these high stakes that all
support we give pays for, to gain
higher dividends in the wind-up
— human dignity and all that.
Can't really beat that for getting
our eventual money's worth,
even with Canada’s “‘deflating
dollars.”

Finance Types

L.A. Vancouver, writes:
March 7 issue of Time Magazine
there is an article about the
stock manipulator ‘financial
wizard’ types taking over control
of the industries. Three pictures
are shown on the cover, all
around 40-years.

The article appears to have
significance to the workingclass
in two ways; the first being that
capitalism as an economic
system appears to have reached
the ‘‘idiot’’ stage. And the sec-
ond, that even the management
of the big producing concerns
are beginning to feel menaced
themselves.

The idiocy referred to is that
whilst the worker actually
makes the product, and the
constructive investor at least
initiates added production by his
investment, these financial
highjackers merely buy and sell
stocks so as to gain control and
steer the industry so that all the
profit that can be squeezed out of
it goes mainly to them.

Revealing also is that this
article seems to indicate that
even those profit cannibals
whose aim in life is to give as
little. as possible to them they

employ, while getting as much -

themselves as they can. Some
few may be becoming aware that
a system of ‘‘take all you can get
and give as little as you-can’’ is
begtbaing tosunk..,,

RANKIN URGES:

‘Back Calif.
grape strike’

With the spring grape crop
from California due to reach the
Canadian market about May 15,
Ald. Harry Rankin last week
devoted a special column of
support to the striking California
grape workers now in its fourth
year.

“These amazing and cour-
ageous people haven't lost heart,
they're still quite confident of
victory,” says Rankin after
tracing the history of the strike
and the terrible conditions under
which they were forced to work.

In his column he introduces the
new representative of the
striking grape workers in Van-
couver, the Rev. Fred Dresser, a
minister who has devoted his full
time to the cause of America’s
poor. He is the accredited
representative of the United
Farm Workers Organizing Com-
mittee, affiliated with AFL-CIO.

“We are appealing to all
Canadians not to buy California
grapes until the strike is settled.
I hope the people of Vancouver,
who have supported us_ so
generously, will let the big stores
know that they don’t want to see
any California grapes on their
shelves. Rev. Dresser told
Rankin.

“An effective boycott is now
decisive in winning the strike. I
am anxious to speak to any and
all interested groups in the
province to tell them our story,”
he said.

Rev. Dresser can be reached
through the offices of the B.C,
Federation of Labor, Room 210,
517 E. Broadway, phone 879-3568.

DUNDAS
B-A
(WALL & DUNDAS ST.)

Complete Auto Repair and Service
: for All Makes
Government Certified Mechanic and

SERVICE

Vv. W. SPECIALIST
Ph. 255-6828

$6,721 IN

By ERNIE CRIST,
Campaign Manager

Two successful socials were
held over the weekend to raise
funds for the PT Sustaining
Fund: one by the Haney Press
Club and the other by Vancouver
East.

The two affairs, the first a film
showing and the other a banquet
will take both Press Clubs a big
step forward towards their
respective goals.

The banquet was held by
Vancouver East to celebrate the
50th Anniversary of the
Winnipeg General Strike, the
50th Wedding Anniversary of
veteran Bob Towle and his wife
Ada,, and to honor numerous
oldtimers who had come to the

banquet.

There is also considerable
activity by many other Press
Clubs. Bill Bennett, North

Burnaby and the White Rock
Delta Press Clubs are planning
socials for the coming weekend;
their functions are advertised in
the classified section of this
issue.

Some clubs have already done
an outstanding job. We tip our
hat to the Point Grey Press Club
for going over their quota. We
congratulate the White Rock
Delta, Langley, Haney, Mission,
Vernon, Kamloops, Alberni,
Cowichan, Sointula, Corres-
pondence, Broadway, Frank
Rogers, Niilo Makela, Olgin,
Victory Square, Edmonds,
andNorth Shore Press Clubs for
their successful efforts to raise
50% of their quota by May Ist,
and we point to the fine examples
of Rita and John Tanche, Nigel
Morgan, Lil Stoneman, Tom
McEwen, Bob Towle and Dunc
McLean, all of whom have turned
in $100 or more to help the PT.

We are happy to announce the
formation of a new Press Club—
the Industrial Brotherhood. This

Old-timers fete
boosts PT drive

club has already raised $180 for
the PT Press Drive.
*~**

However, there are also some
negative features and weak areas
which must be overcome if we
are to reach our target.

Some Press Clubs have failed
to reach their 50% target by May
Ist, and, as a result, in our over-
all timetable, we are now behind
schedule.

With the Drive now over the
halfway mark, we should have a
minimum of $8,500 towards our
goal; instead, only $6,721 has
been turned in so far,

At the beginning of the Drive,
we pointed out that the actual
amount pledged by the Press
Clubs was only $16,000, thus
leaving an unpledged amount of
$1,000 towards our goal.

Two weeks ago, we reported
that we had been informed by the
Post Office that, in addition to
the previously announced
increases in the cost of mailing,
we face yet another increase in
the coming year.

The PT did not budget for these
additional expenses and we,
therefore, appeal to all Press
Clubs to make a special effort not
only to help us catch up and reach
our goal of $17,000 by June Ist,
but go over it.

We need your help to reach our
goal:

This is how you can help;

e All clubs — especially those
that have been slow — speed up
the Drive.

e Make a pledge to become a
Press Builder, Premium Press
Builder, or Honor Press Builder
by June Ist and inform us of your
pledge now.

e Visit your friends and all sup-

porters of this paper and ask for
a donation.

elf you are a reader of this
paper, help us reach our goal:
Send your donation to the PT
sustaining fund now.

Classified Advertising

BUSINESS PERSONALS

WEST END RADIO—Special-
izing in TV Repairs. Latest
precision equipment used.
(Formerly OK Radio Service).
Now at 1721 Robson Street.
MU 3-2618.

DRY CLEANING
& LAUNDRY
Also Coin-op
LAUNDRETTE
2633 Commercial Dr.
879-9956

REGENT TAILORS LTD.
Custom Tailors and Ready-
to-Wear, 324 W. Hastings St.
MU 1-8456 or 4441 E. Hastings

CY 8-2030. See Henry

Rankin for personal service.

REMEMBER — YOUR HAIR-
CUT DOLLAR$ go to the
PRESS DRIVE at. 6ll
SMITHE ST. (near Seymour)
- ORPHEUM BARBERS.

HALLS FOR RENT

UKRAINIAN CANADIAN
CULTURAL |. CENTRE
805 East Pender St., Vancou-
ver 4. Available for Banquets,
Weddings,,. Meetings. Phone:
254-3436.or 876-9693... vee

HALL,

CLINTON 2605 =o.
Pender. Available for ban-
quets, meetings, weddings,

etc. Phone 253-7414.

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME—
Available for meetings, ban-
quets and weddings at rea-
sonable rates. 600 Campbell
Ave. 254-3430.

COMING EVENTS

MAY 3 - Latest SLIDES on
CUBA & SOCIAL EVEN-
ING. SATURDAY - MAY 3rd
at 4504 River Rd. West in
LADNER. Proceeds to
Pacific Tribune. AUSP:
Delta-White Rock Press Club.

MAY 3 — COME & Celebrate
HAROLD’S BIRTHDAY on
SAT., MAY 3rd from 8:30 p.m.

on, 5245 Empire Dr., North
Burnaby. Film Showing,
Dancing, Eats & Refresh-

ments. Everyone welcome.

MAY 11 - ANNUAL MEETING
of the MacKENZIE PAPIN-
EAU BATTALION will be
held on SUNDAY. MAY lith
at 1 P.M: in’ the MARINE
“*WORKBRS. HALL BOARD*

ROOM 339 West Pender Sti».

skh ipety ae Mee BRS ny PPRAE AA Sm rendare,

This meeting coincides with
the publication of a NEW
BOOK on the MACPAPS.

MAY 3 - Celebrate MAY DAY
at a SMORGASBORD DIN-
NER & DANCE to be held on
on SAT. MAY 3rd, in the
AUUC HALL - 805 EAST
PENDER ST. SUPPER serv-
ed from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
GUEST SPEAKER— MAUR-
ICE RUSH, Associate Editor
- Pacific Tribune. DANCING
- 9 P.M. Proceeds to Press
Drive. AUSP: Bill Bennett
Club. Everyone Welcome.

NOTICES

DURING THE PACIFIC
TRIBUNE FINANCIAL
CAMPAIGN THE OFFICE
WILL BE OPEN ON SAT-
URDAY FROM 10 A.M. to 1
P.M.

r =

PENDER
Auditorium

(Marine Workers)

339 West Pender
Phone MU 1-9481

Lorae and Small Halls -
“for cnt :