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Vok:7;No.8l3

Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, March

27, 1948 Five Cents

f.pril

‘signature day’

“Go '‘’e people, says CCF

VICTORIA, B.C.— Charging the gov-
ernment with making “staggering © and
wasteful” expenditures, the CCF this week

challenged the Coalition “to go to the peo-

ple now on this budget and the imposition
of a sales tax.”

The challenge was hurled by Herbert
Gargrave (CCF-Mackenzie), in the course
of a trenchant criticism of the budget in-
troduced into the legislature last week by
Finance Minister Herbert Anscomb.

In order to balance the budget ig
out imposing a sales tax “which hits the

‘pensioners and the poor” Gargrave propos-

ed that the government impose a capital
gains or unearned increment tax and a
graduated forest and minerals tax.

~~

Commenting on Gargrave’s challenge,
Maurice Rush, LPP provincial organizer,
stated that the LPP fully supported the
CCF’s stand.

“Premier Johnson was placed in of-
fice by big business. He has no mandate
from the people to impose the sales tax.
In view of the protest’ the sales tax has
aroused from labor, farmers, veterans, pen-

sionérs and other organizations he should
either be prepared to submit the issue to an
immediate provincial election or withdraw
it,” Rush declared. “And if the government
dares not put the issue to an election, the

‘people, through their organizations, can

force it to withdraw the sales tax by back-
ing the CCF’s stand.”

Wall Street's mailed fist--see page 5

30000 SIGN PETITION
FOR PRICE CONTROLS

Widespread public anger against high prices and un-
_festrained profiteering is reflected in the announcement that
35,000 people in B.C. have already signed the petitior

calling on the King government to restore price controls
at 1946 levels,

This is the total of signatures received by the B.C.
Housewives’ Consumer Association and new signatures are
pouring in at the rate of hundreds a day.) Thousands of
the signatures were obtained in mass canvasses conducted

by trade unions, imany of which have backed the campaign
with substantial donations,

The continuations committee elected from a prices
conference held here last month has designated Saturday,
April 3, as “Signature Day” when all participating organiza-
tions. will make a special drive to complete the petition.

The campaign here will conclude with a provincial
prices conference to be held in Pender Auditorium, Satur-
day, April 10, five days before the national petition is pre-
sented at Ottawa. More than a thousand calls have been
sent out for this conference,

This week the B.C. Housewives’ Consumer Associa-
tion elected its president, Mrs, Freda Adams, and its secre-
tary, Mrs. Marion Parkin, as delegates to the Housewives’
national convention at Ottawa next month. Alternate dele-
gates elected were Mrs. Doris Hartley, Mrs. M. Dawson
and Mrs. M. Hutton.

Vancouver Trades and Labor Council (TLC) has:
“named Birt Showler, president, and Ald. R. K. Gervin,.
secretary, to the delegation which will present the price
controls petition to the government.

Hint rent controls going

Is the King government preparing to remove present
controls from houses and apartments and so strip thousands
of tenants in every city across the country of the only .
protection they have against profiteering landlords?

Unless R. F. Gallagher, president of the Vancouver
Property Owners’ “Association, was unduly impressed by
the reception he received in Ottawa from Finance Minister
Douglas Abbott, there are indications that the King gov-
ernment.is ready to make this final capitulation to big busi-
ness,

For months the government has been under heavy
pressure from rgal estate interests, speculators and others
to remove controls on rents and last week a delegation
presented Abbott with a brief contending that continuation
of rent controls was contributing to inflation.

Reporting on this interview upon his return to Van-
couver, Gallagher stated: “Abbott has a clear insight into
the problem and realizes something must be done on be-
half of landlords.”

Acting on behalf’ of Vancouver tenants who know
how removal of rent controls will contribute to profiteer-
ing and boost their living costs, Vancouver Civic Reform
Association this week despatched a protest wire to Abbott
to impress him with the fact that something must be done
for tenants in view of the continuing housing shortage,

Continued on page 4 — See PRICES CAMPAIGN