S INCE the outbreak of

War, a substantial short-
age of adequate Housing has
existed in British Colum-
bia cities and municipalities.
Thousands of- workers who
crowded to the province’s cities
and towns to meet the man-
power requirements of mush-
rooming B.C. war industries
found a deplorable lack of fa-
cilities to meet the growing
population. Workers were
crowded into slums. into the
blighted areas, lived in gar-
#ges and cellars. This was to
be expected, during the early
years of the war, for British
Columbia, in its new role as a
primary industrial area, with
its giant shipyard amd air-
eraft industries, and new con-
centration of workers in allied
industry, was ill suited to meet
the sudden influx of popula-
tion.

But with thousands of ser-
vicemen returning home, Brit-
ish Columbia faces a housing
problem which stands as an in-
dictment of the governments,
both municipal and provincial.
Every day new hundreds of
servicemen and repatriates
are streaming into the cities
of this province. Headlines in-
form us that “2500 Seaforths
Arrive in Vancouver,” “2,000
Returned Men Arrive on Sun-

day,” and although we are
happy to see ‘that the men
who fought so courageously

against the fascist enemy over-

Housing - B. C.’s

One Problem

government has not done about
any number of provincial ques-
tions.

The people of British Colum-
bia, however, have been insist-
ent in their demands for hous-
ing. The trade union move-
ment, realising that the Coali-
tion government would not act
to meet its responsibilities un-
less subjected to ‘pressure, took
the lead in pressing for hous-
ing plans. The B.C. Conference
on Postwar Rehabilitation and
Reconstruction, held: in Van-
couver on March 11 and 12,
1944, supported by 144 organ-

izations representing 150,00
citizens, urged action on the
provincial government. The

“5,000 Homes Now” committee
in Vancouver, under the lead-
ership of prominent trade
unionists, urged action on the
government. Hundreds of ap-
peals from many organiza-
tions, representing a complete
cross section of the province’s
poulation urged action on the
provincial government.

The Labor-Progressive Party,
heeding growing indications
of a critical Situation, con-

stantly urged action upon the
provincial government and all
demands have been

met by

Seas are now back home, a

gnawinge fear remains, promp-
ted by the question “Where
will they live?”

NOWLEDGE of the housing
shortage is not newly ac-

quired. In January, 1948, the
Housing Comittee of the Pro-
vineial Postwar Rehabilitation
Council handed down a report
which stated.

“The evidence placed be-
fore the Council in all the
principal centers of British
Columbia reyealed a serious
shortage of suitable housing,
apart from abnormal cendi-
tiens .of congestion due to
war activities.”

This report pointed out, in
handing down -recommenda-
tions, that the | initiative in
finding a solution to the grave
housing problem -rested with
the provincial government.

As is usual with government |
reports that pose -embarras- *
ing solutions to questions as
pressing as housing, this report
entitled the “Summary -of
Recommendations contained in
the Interim Report (1943) .and
Supplementary Report (1944)
of the Postwar Rehabilitation

Council,” was handsomely
bound ‘by the King’s Printer in
Victoria, and stored in stock-
rooms. in Victoria, to be avail-
able upon demand by -any citi-
zen wishing to know what the

PACIFIC ADVOCATE—PAGE 12

BEER B

umber

complete silence. As the situ-
ation grew into proportions of
a crisis, LPP = spokesmen,
through press and platform,
ealled upon the Coalition to
meet Its responsibilities to the
citizens of British Columbia
and take the initiative in
launching a housing scheme in
order to cope with the expect-
ed influx of population upon
the completion of hostilies.

HE Hart-Maitland Coalition,

shirking its responsibilities,
offered no constructive lead.
Housing is a question about
which the Coalition was ais
valuable as the Great Stone
Face.

No number of
about stable government, sound
planning, substantial reserves
nor any number of flamboy-
ant election promises can wipe
out the record of callous in-
sensibility to the people’s needs
that has been the practice of
the Coalition Government. The
unalterable fact remains that
British Columbia has a woeful
lack of housing to -meet the
still increasing needs of its citi-
zens. Our servicemen return-

FOR YOUR EMPTY

statements ~

by Fred Wilmot

ing from overseas are con-
fronted with the probem of
having no place to live, and no
promise of a_ place to live.
Thousands of British Columbia
citizens are living in rabbit-
Warren tenements, in slums,
and in condemned ~ housing,
largely because the provincial
government has offered no
strong lead to meet the hous-
ing demands of the province.
The record states that in spite
of a clear knowledge of the
housing requirements of this
province, a kmowledge that
dates back to exhaustive re-
search work done by the pro-
vincial government through
committees three and four years
ago, the Coalition’s record in
housing remains blank.
Municipal governments have
not been slow to take advant-
age of the Coalition inaction as
a means of excusing their own
inactivity in meeting housing
demands. Vancouver’s civic
government gives a clear ex-
ample of the local results of
provincial irresponsibility.
While it has long been recog-
nized that Vancouver faced a
shortage of 25,000 housing
units to meet its requirements,
and that the city was faced with

OTTLES

. THEY ARE URGENTLY NEEDED!

The quantity of bottled beer which can be made
available to the public is directly affected by the
number of empty beer bottles which are returned

to the consumer.
beer bottles now exists.

this condition and ensu
bottled beer by return

A definite shortage of empty
You-can help to alleviate
re the future supply of
ing empty beer bottles

promptly to any of the addresses listed below:

YOU WILL RECEIVE 25< PER DOZEN IF YOU
DELIVER THEM TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING

ADDRESSES:

1445 Powell St.
1040 Hamilton St.
2700 Yew St.

115 E. Second Ave.
6 E. Second Ave.
608 Main St.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER

the return of 25
men, the civie ar
been satisfiel ‘to
meet the demand
Much. of the blay
Vancouver’s ‘hous:
has been laid at
the civic authorit
must also be LeCg,
in failing to offer ;
ive lead by taking —
the burden of ho.
the provincial goye |
contributed to the j,
of the city’s housir -

Postwar Re:
Council to the pror
ernment left no q@.
where the. respon: a)
housing provisions 7)
report pointed out.
perience has demon;,;
public measures in ea
housing have inya
proved public healt |
ale. . . . A housin |
must now be. tted 7
larger setting and ~
garded as an exped
lieve unemployment,

community, on the
available facts 4 :
judgment it is ne

comunity developm j
the provincial  ¢
may give leadership j

There have been |
of real difficulties {|
fered hindrance to |
of the housing prob |
a housing need of |
than 20,000 new &
fronts. British Colw’!
cation of building A
would not permit #'°
of more than a thi
number. Other —
which previously =
the government in |

for housing: manpe |
ber, building tile, a {
their way to solutig

The mass displa *|
workers from -war. ;
which they were : :
government decree §[
available a new ©

eg
priority demands o
dustries which ate ;
available stocks of f_,
other building mat §
likewise declined. 7:
of building materials ;;
power’ have in the -¥
two major obstacles - {
ing of any large-sca.
program, these two)
not represent the ir
able barriers that th’
the past. Other = 4
financing, allocation 4
ty, tax adjustments §
dwellings, and -civie
can be met by bold ai {
action ‘by ‘the provi
ernment, in coopers fj
civic authorities,

e i

IHE people of Briti F
bia. are demane
action today. Ever

rural and urban, reg |
income, is .entitled 4c
home. This fact must |
nized by any gf
which purports to hee is
demands of the peo’ a
fact has ben ignore
Coalition _governmel as
solace in inaction, th?
while the .Coalition b

Continued - on Pa :
See HOUSIN |