SOCRED 8UDGET:

‘More. of soak public
to make rich richer

The budget brought down in
Victoria last week was branded
as containing “the same old Soc-
red policy of tax-the-poor to
make the rich richer,” said B.C.
Communist Party leader ‘Nigel
Morgan in his weekly radio
broadcast Sunday at 6:55 p.m. on
CKWX,

“It’s a typical big business
budget — wringing $23 million
more from the people for sales
and gasoline taxes — for a total
of $174.5 million,” said Morgan,
comparing that with the $117 mil-
lion the government recovers
from B.C.’s highly profitable nat-
ural resources,

Morgan said that while the
budget calls for $50 million more
Spending, when allotments for the
various departments are matched
alongside natural growth and ac-
tual need, the result is more of
Same kind of taxation we have
had from the Socred government.
“It’s still too little and too late,”

“Take for example,” said Mor-

gan, “educational spending (up
$15.4 million); health and welfare
(up $14.5 million); highway and
natural resources (up $11 mil-

lion); it all sounds quite
impressive, But how ' does
it measure’ up to our

growing needs, our expanding
€conomy and our rising school
_and municipal tax bills?

“It’s all very well for Prem-
ier Bennett.to swell up and point
- with pride to the $10 million rise
in the Gross Provincial Product,
He can talk about the $51 mil-
lion increase in provincial gov-
ernment revenues — but it all
Sounds very hollow when no tax
cuts are indicated.

“No new money is evident eith-
er for improved hospital serv-
ices, such as the urgently-needed
care and nursing facilities for
the chronically ill, Nothing ap-
parently is going to be done about
the high cost of living or the
high cost of taxes,

“With a $51 million increased
Tevenue the budget projects no-
thing more than a measly
$100,000 increase in per capita
grants to cities and municipali-

1130 K.C.

CK WxX 6:55 P.M.

SUNDAYS
COMMUNIST PARTY’S
WEEKLY RADIO
COMMENTARY

by NIGEL MORGAN

ties, which barely takes care of
the population increase since last
year, One hundred thousand dol-
lars. represent a 1% increase
in municipal grants,

“Where is therea city or major
municipality where population,
let alone costs of -schools. and
service, haven’t risen by a much
bigger percentage? asked Mor-

gan,

Morgan pointed to the example
of Surrey, where the population
has risen 10% and the cost of
service is up 15% and where a
jump of over 9 mills is being
discussed. “How much will 1%
increase in grants help?” he
asked. ;

Morgan urged the public to
add its support to the growing
demand for relief from the mun-
icipal burden and increased
grants to the municipalities,

’ He said the province should get
a bigger return from the extrac-
tive industries to finance our
growing educational needs, a
comprehensive medicare scheme
and relief from consumer taxes,
“Replace the sales tax by a
capital gains tax,” he urged,

Pointing to the cut back in
bus services announced last week
by B.C. Hydro, Morgan said these
cuts amount to 75 hours less
transit service in every area ev-
ery day. “Service cuts, like fare
increases, only mean more traf-
fic congestion, more taxes for

expressways, bridge and parking .

facilities. Service cuts will mean
less bus riders, in turn less
revenue and — to complete the
vicious-circle — further demands
for higher bus fares.”

The Communist Party, said
Morgan, believes that lower
fares, better service and fast
economical rapid transit is the
only answer.

cP demands
Bennett act on
forged letter

Amidst renewed charges of
“influence peddlers at work in
this province,” acavalier attitude
by the Premier and his chief
law enforcement officer, towards
a self-confessed forger—theB,C,
Provincial Executive of the Com-
munist Party dispatched the fol-
lowing telegram to Premier
Bennett:

“IN VIEW WIDESPREAD CON-
CERN REGARDING ADMISSION
TO R,C,M,P, OF ILLEGAL USE
YOUR SIGNATURE AND PRIME
MINISTER’S. LETTERHEAD IN
STONEHILL APPEAL, URGE
IDENTITY OF SELF-ADMITTED
CULPRIT BE REVEALED IM-
MEDIATELY, AND PROSECU-
TION OF INFRACTIONS OF LAW

- BE LAUNCHED-WITHOUT FUR-

THER DELAY,
(Signed) NIGEL MORGAN,
PROVINCIAL LEADER,

NDP and Liberal MLA’s this
week demanded that the provin-
cial government identify and
charge the person who sent the
letter, but Attorney General Rob-
ert Bonner said that no action will
be taken until the Federal govern-
ment acts on it, .

Left out of the picture

Eraniz

Wacker

~ PACIFIC TRIBUNE

Protests condemn U.S.

aggression in Vietnam

Cont'd. from pg. 1
ter Pearson demanding:

—That these raids be stopped
now and foreign troops removed
from Vietnam; ~

—That the 1954 Geneva con-
ference be. reconvened to. bring
about a speedy settlement,

On Monday the Soviet govern-
ment warned it would be forced,

with its allies and friends, to

take further measures to safe-
guard the security and strengthen
the defence capabilities of North
Vietnam, The warning came with-
in hours after the second bombing
attack by U,S, planes,

The Soviet statement detailed
the attacks on North Vietnam car-
ried out by U,S, planes and re-
ferred to American claims that

these attacks followed South Viet- ~

nam liberation forces’ blows on
U.S, military installations, It
asked:

“But who gave the U,S, the right
to retaliate against the actions of
guerillas in South Vietnam, the
defeats that the occupationists
and their henchmen are suffer-
ing there, by bombing the terri-
tory of a third country — the
Democratic Republic of Viet-
nam?”

The statement said that “it is
clear to every thinking person
that there is not a single grain
of truth in these explanations,
This is nothing else but a dodge
-with the aim. of camouflaging
the predatory policy ofthe United
States in the area of Indo-China,”

The U,S, explanation for its ac-
tion last weekend has fallen flat
and even many American news-
papers have pointed to the big
holes in-the attempts’ of US,
officials to justify the action,

It has been known for a long
time that the U.S, was seeking
an excuse to expand the war in
South East Asia, particularly
against North Vietnam, The pres-
ence of McGeorge Bundy, the
President’s top adviser on South
East Asia during the bombings

was an ominous sign, Bundy is
known as one of the most violent
advocates of extension of the
war,

The leading Communist spokes-
man in the United States, Gus
Hall, said in a statement that
“the U.S, air attack against North
Vietnam at the order of Presi-
dent Johnson is an act of brutal
aggression which horrifies the
world,

“Its recklessness is under-
scored by the fact that this at-
tack took place while the Soviet
head of state was visiting in
Hanoi, It constitutes the gravest
threat to world peace since the
Cuban crisis,”

Gus Hall added that, “A policy
to escalate the war can only lead
to disaster, It will intimidate
no one, It will bring an even more
humiliating defeat or a world
nuclear war, The danger is great,
The American people must speak
out loud and clear,”

“Stop the policy of brinkman-
ship! Cease all attacks upon North
Vietnam! Withdraw American
troops from South Vietnam! Put
an end to this undeclared war be-
ing waged in violation of our con-
stitution,” declared Hall,

The Women’s Strike for Peace
movement in the U,S, announced

‘that a delegation of several hun-

dred women would be in Wash-
ington this Wednesday to démand
a settlement of the war in South
Vietnam,

China also this week issued
a stern warning to the U,S, It
warned the U.S, to stop spread-
ing the war in South East Asia
and that China and “the whole
socialist camp” would consider
an invastion of North Vietnam
an invasion of China itself,

In Britain, as elsewhere in the
world, prominent citizens such
as Earl Russell have condemned
the war, Mass demonstrations
are taking place in London and
elsewhere condemning U,S, ag-
gression and calling for apeace-
ful settlement of the crisis in
South East Asia,

The Marine Workers and Boil-
ermakers Union, Local 1, wired
Prime Minister Pearson Monday
expressing concern over the U.S,
bombing and urged that Canada
raise this matter in the United
Nations with the purpose of“hav-
ing that body instruct the U,S,
cease and desist its warlike ac-
tions,” The wire was signed by
secretary -treasurer William
Stewart,

Shipyard union urges
job emergency action

On the Pearson government’s action in freezing all sub-
sidies in the shipbuilding industry, the Marine Workers and
Boilermakers Union Local No, 1 has forwarded the following
press release to all press and radio agencies:

: “We are very much in favor of a government inquiry into
ship-building subsidies, and are prepared to co-operate in any
such inquiry to the fullest extent,

“However, the ship-building worker cannot afford to wait
the outcome of any lengthy sitting, He needs employment now,
We urgently request the government to cancel the order freezing
subsidies and adopt emergency measures to ensure full em-
ployment, pending the outcome of the investigation,

“If the government inquiry takes an active interest in the
promotion and assistance for a Canadian Merchant Marine,
our union will applaud such a move with complete approval,”

February 12, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 3

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