“It would be inhuman to sack the men just before
Christmas—let’s bring it forward a month!”

EDITORIAL

Do something, but fast

ast Sunday the CBC-TV film program, ‘‘The Way It

& Is” must have left a lot of people in this country, and

particularly in British Columbia, bordering on a state of shock
and utter helplessness.

This particular CBC-TV program ttieme was the criminal
devastation of strip mining now in progress in the East
Kootenays by the' Kaiser Coal Company of the USA, during
which whole mountains will be riven apart by giant machines
to extract millions of tons of coal — for the steel mills of Japan.

Program commentators repeatedly urged upon this
generation, young and old to “‘do something before it is too
late’, if for no other purpose than to preserve a beautiful and
rich land for its future generations.

'_ Todrive home the point and emphasize the devastating and
irreparable destruction in the wake of the strip mining
juggernaught (it isn’t even “‘mining’’) the program showed the
vast wilderness of its aftermath in East and West Kentucky,
Virginia and the Appalachian ghost country, once the most
beautiful and productive in the USA.

Areas where this terrible and wanton destruction has been
permitted to operate unchallenged and unhampered by any
“reclamation”’ of land provisions at the end of this horrifying.
rape of Nature. The coal monopoly just stripped the land,
resources and people, leaving a mutilated desert, then moved
on — to Canada; to perform a like defacement of Nature and
the people’s heritage.

All this has been made possible by the political ambitions
of a criminal Socred regime (in B.C.), which disposes of the
peoples natural and life-giving resources in much the same
way as the white slaver of an earlier age robbed a community
of its fairest daughters to sell to the highest bidders — for the
fast buck, and to hell with posterity.

Repeatedly throughout this program, from Americans who
had seen with their own eyes the vast unreclaimable
wilderness of Kentucky, Appalachia and other devastated strip-
mining areas, and from Canadians the plea: ‘Do something,
do something, before it is too late.”

Maybe it is ‘“‘too late’ already. With ‘‘title’’ to a mineral
treasure the size of England in their pocket, as well as the
Liberal-Socred Establishment in Ottawa and Victoria, the
Kaiser coal barons of the U.S. can thumb their noses at the
people of Canada.

In his ‘contribution’ to this program the Big Boss of
Kaiser Coal made it very clear his company hadn’t been too
tightly bound by any ‘‘reclamation’”’ provisions, and thus would
spend next to nothing of their fabulous profits on that score.

What the Canadian people will get out of it, if anything, is
the ‘‘privilege’’ of paying higher taxes in order that Ottawa and
Victoria can provide Kaiser with a new “super-port’’ at
Roberts Bank — to speed the peoples’ resources out of the
country — with nothing to show such riches had ever been there
— except the face of Nature irreparably scarred and mutilated
— as it was at Hiroshima and Nagasaki:

Yet the Sunday night message from the CBC came through
loud and clear, regardless of whether that institution’s
promoters understood its full implications or not: “Do
something, before it is too late.”’

nadian Tribun

e

Editor—TOM McEWEN
Published weekly at Ford Bldg., Mezzanine No. 3, 193 E. Hastings St.,
Vancouver 4, B.C. Phone 685-5288.

- Associate Editor—MAURICE RUSH

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Ps a

IN VANCOUVER

Here are 4 reasons why |
you must vote on Dec. 11

exemption on all homes and
reducing the mill rate. The loss
of city revenue from these
measures could be more than
made up by introducing a
graduated business tax of 8 to 20
percent, based upon the size and
nature of the business and
ability to pay.

Small businesses would not be
affected but big industrial and
commercial properties (banks,
loan and insurance companies,
manufacturing firms, etc.)
would pay more. The city of
Winnipeg did this and tripled its
business tax revenue.

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

Will you be coming out to vote
on civic election day, Dec. 11th?

Do you know the program of
the three groups contesting this
election — COPE, TEAM and the
NPA — or who their candidates
are?

In the last civic election only
34.5 percent of the eligible voters
exercised their franchise. Many
stayed away from the polls.
because they found civic politics
uninteresting and unimportant.
Others thought it wouldn’t make
much difference one way or the
other whether they voted or not,
or who got elected.

But civic elections are
important and can make a great
deal of difference to your future.
Just consider these facts for a
moment.

1. City Council could cut taxes
on your home right now by as
much as one third by the simple
process of placing a $4,000 tax

laws to protect tenants against
unjustified rent increases and
the unfair practices of some land-
lords.

3. The housing shortage could
be eased if City Council would
undertake a large scale
program of public, low rental
housing for all lower income
groups.

4. A low fare rapid transit
system would solve our down-
town traffic congestion while
the freeways that some want
would only aggravate parking
and traffic problems.

These are some of the things
Council could do. But will it?
That depends upon which group
and which candidates you elect.

It is in your own interests to
carefully examine the policies of

Find out which group and which
candidates have the kind of
program that will benefit the
people and Vancouver. Then use
your ballot on Dec. 11.

This is your city and City
Council should serve the people,
not special business groups
seeking favors and concessions.

BRUCE YORKE, a new face in Van-
couver’s aldermanic race this
year, is the founder of the tenants
movement which has received
national attention. !

City needs more park,
recreation facilities

for his activities in youth sports
programs; and Edward Leong,
25-year-old former executive
member of the Burnaby-Rich-
mond NDP and father of two
young children.

Point one in their program is
the demand that reserve park
and open space be set aside now
for future expansion, based on
10 acres for every 1,000 people.

They have advanced proposals
for development of parks in all
parts of the city, with particular
emphasis on the largely
neglected east end of the city.

Also urged by the four COPE
and labor-backed candidates is
that community centres be
established in all urban renewal
areas and immediately at
Raymur, Skeena, Orchard Park
and Strathcona areas. Increased
provincial grants to community
centres is called for.

The parks board candidates
are also urging speedy action to
end pollution of Vancouver
beaches and for extension of
beaches to serve growing popu-
lation needs, including beaches
in adjacent municipalities to be
developed by the provincial
government.

A program of expanded park
and recreational facilities to
serve the needs of Vancouver’s
growing population is being
fought for by the four COPE
candidates: 21-year-old secre-
tary, Carol-Anne Powers; a lead-
ing community worker, Donald
Greenwell; Lew Crippen, known

DONALD GREENWELL,

: past
president of the Hastings Com-
munity Association and Metro-

politan Communities Com-
mittee, has been one of the most
vigorous champions of expanded
park and recreational facilities.
He is running for Parks Board in
Vancouver.

: 2. City Council could act to |
keep down rents by passing by- ~

the NPA, COPE and TEAM. |

Labor-backed
candidates

Civic. election candidates
endorsed by the Vancouver
Labor Council and COPE are |
as follows: j

ALDERMAN: Ald. Harry
Rankin, Dr. Harry Winrob, Alice |
MacKenzie, Bruce York, Ron |
Gomex and Dr. Joseph Blumes- |

SCHOOL BOARD: School
Trustee James MacFarlan,
Irene Foulks, John Stanton and
Mrs. Margaret Ennenberg.

PARKS BOARD: Donald
Greenwell, Lew Crippen,
Edward Leong, Miss Carol-Ann
Powers. Py

*
Election
| rallies

In reply to requests from
Vancouver readers where they
can hear candidates being
backed by labor speak on the
issues of the Dec. 1.1, election,
the PT has prepared the fol-
lowing partial. list... Other
rallies are being added daily,
so readers are asked to. watch
for press; radio and TV an-
nouncements:

DEC. 2: Templeton School,
8 p.m. :

DEC. 3: Grandview Com-
munity Centre, 8 p.m. Spon-
sored by Cedar Cottage Rate-
payers.

DEC. 5: Clinton Hall, 2605
E. Pender St., 8 p.m.

DEC. 6: Vancouver City
College, 12:30 p.m. |
DEC. 8: Giant Vancouver

Labor Council rally for COPE

candidates at Marine Workers
Hall, 339 W. Pender St., 8 p.m.

COPE aldermanic-candidates
will also be heard on the Jack
Webster program, CKNW be-
tween 10 a.m. and noon of
the following days: Fridays
Nov. 29; Monday, Dec. 2;
and Wednesday, Dec. 4.

—_—.

MUNICIPALITIES
VOTE DEC. 7

The first round of ci¥!
election battles in B.C. comes ¢
Saturday, Dec. 7 when voters
135. municipalities covered !
the Municipal Act go to the po!
to elect mayors, reeves a
aldermanic candidates.

In many municipalities sha!
fights are expected, with lab
and progressive candidat
contesting in some areas.’ (5
page 11). Many voters will ha’
to cast a ballot on issues such
fluoridation, school and_ oth
money by-laws.

Vancouver does not coD
under the provincial Municip
Act, but is covered by the spec!
city charter. Vancouver vot
on Dec. 11.

ta