’

.

_ by the BCE.

Says Pearson
_ should resign

MONTREAL

Hon. Lester B. Pearson should hand. in his resignation as
minister of external affairs, in the opinion of Andre Lauren-

deau, editor of the French-Canadian daily Le Devoir.

Com-

menting on Pearson’s recent “automatic commitment to war”
speech in Toronto, Laurendeau wrote in the March 14 issue:

“

. Thus, according to Mr.
Pearson, the commitments which
we have not made engage us up
to and including death: 3

“If this is so, then why does
not Mr. Pearson hand to Mr.
St: Laurent his resignation as
minister. of external . affairs?
Why have a minister of foreign
affairs when we admit publicly’
that on major questions we have
no foreign policy? Why not be
frank and state that our real
minister of foreign affairs is
Mr. Dulles . . .?

“There has not been in 18 years

+... @ graver declaration, a more

imbecile unleashing of colonialism
and imbecility.”

The editorial asks: “What then,
according to Mr. Pearson, is this
Canadian policy? ... In the final
analysis, it is automatic war .
War in Ottawa, because there is
war in Washington, a contagion,
an atomic contamination, a rotting
by osmosis, a morbid taste for
running to suicide . . . Only one
decision, that of being necessarily

on the side which makes war. We,

will wage the wars which Wash-
nigton will have decided .. .

“Ts that the policysof the gov-
ernment which calls itself Can-
dian?”

In a second editorial, printed on
March 17, Laurendeau wrote:

“. .. This minister, Mr. Lester
_B. Pearson, declared at Toronto
on Monday: if ‘the United States
is at war, Canada is at war; ‘the
idea of neutrality is unthinkable.

“Tf American actions at Formosa
were to start a major war, we
would enter it atitomatically. Mes-
srs. Eisenhower and Dulles, whom
we do not elect, will decide that
foruss.

i

}

a

LESTER B. PEARSON

“Is there another free country
that is so committed? F

“The war we are talking about
is an atomic war. Are you in such
a hurry, Mr. Pearson, to bring
upon our heads the next descent
of hydrogen bombs?”

Laurendeau concludes: “What is
unthinkable in the context of ther-
monuclear weapons, is automatic
commitment to war ... It is to sur-
render in advance your right to
life or death...

“We have the right to. know
whether those we have elected
believe in a policy of delivering
us into the hands of dangerous
friends. We have the right to
know whether we have .at Ot-

tawa a Canadian government, or
gauleiters from Washington.”

allel el denen

Mortgage handicap removed

Municipal qualifications widened |

VICTORIA, B.C. $5,000 on a $10,000 home and still are $500 for reeve and $250 for

Amendments to the Municipal
Act passed by the session of the
legislature just concluded have’
eased property qualifications for;
candidates in municipal elections’
throughout the province, with the!
exception of Vancouver which has’
its own gity charter.

Formerly intending candidates
had to have an equity in property
over and above the amount of any'
mortgage. This meant that an
aspirant for office could have paid,

not be qualified to run.

The changes in the act provide
that anyone who is the register-
ed owner. of property with the
minimum vassessed value can be
a candidate, even if there is a
mortgage.

In the case of cities the mini-
mum required is to be registered
owner of a property with the
assessed value of $1,000 for
mayor and $500 for alderman. In
district municipalities the figures

councillor. :

The changes are expected 10-
broaden the number of citizens
available for civic office.

They will also prevent cases
such as that in Victoria a few
years ago where a successful aldef
manic candidate was barred from
taking his seat, even though be
had paid thousands of dollars 02
his house, simply because
amount of the mortgage was
greater than his equity.

Pritchett observer at —
Berlin union conference |

“Sellout of Canada’s natural resources to the United States, including great stands of |
timber which are exported to 'the U.S. in their raw state and manufactured there, intensifies
the unemployment situation in our country today,” Harold Pritchett, Vancouver, told thé
second international conference of building, wood and building materials workers which

met in Berlin, Germany this month.

Pritchett, former international
president of the International
Woodworkers of America, attended
the conference as an observer.

The 236 delegates from more
than 30 countries of Europe,
Asia, America and Africa en-
dorsed a call for the convening
of a conference of European
workers “to fight against the re-
establishment of German mili-
tarism, against the preparation
for war, for the defense of living
standards and the democratic
rights of workers, for collective —
security, for disarmament. and
for peace.”

Greeting the calling of such a
parley, first projected by repre-

sentatives of the French, German, |

Italian, Polish and Czechoslovakian
workers, the delegates at Berlin
unanimously endorsed a resolution
which stated: 2

‘“The workers of Europe know
from their own experience the
meaning of German militarism’s
rule. Nothing in the’ world can
make them endure it again.

“The conference greets. the

brave struggle of the German

$480,000 collected by the company

’

_ City capitulates to B.C. Electric,
_ drops fight to recover fares

- Vancouver's NPA-dominated city council, in a complete capitulation to the B.C.
Electric, this week reneged on its previous stand to make the BCE return to citizens the
during the six-month fare increase period which was

recently ended by a Court of Appeal decision.

Here is what happened:
‘Appearing before council’s fin-
ance committee on Tuesday, BCE
president Dal Grauer read a letter,
gist of which was that the com-
‘pany should be allowed to -keep
the $480,000.

In reply a letter was read from

- G..Norris, counsel for City of
Vancouver at the Court of Appeal
hearing, in which he accused the
BCE 6f hypnotizing itself into be-
lieving that everything it does is
right. Norris pointed out that the
company has no claim to the
age which belongs to the pub-
ie, ‘

Inference to be drawn from
Norris’ letter was that city coun-
cil is in a good position to
launch action to recover the
money for the victimized strap-
hangers. —

Effie Jones of Civic Reform As-
sociation and Maurice Rush of the
Fare Protest Committee spoke,
advocating a 10-eent fare for a
period of six months as a means
of enabling transit ‘riders to re-
cover the money taken from them

Up popped BCE vice-president
W. C.. Mainwaring, complaining |
bitterly that if the company had
to return the $480,000 it would
result in “a loss of confidence” on

»

the part of investors. He attack-
ed Mrs. Jones and Maurice Rush,
LPP city secretary, for “always
demanding” that the BCE be made
to pay “for this and that.”

At this point Mayor Fred Hume
moved a motion to thank Norris
for his services. Period. In ef-
fect, Hume was proposing that the
city drop its fight to recover the
$480,000 from the BCE.

Ald. D. E. McTaggart took excep-
tion to the mayor’s motion. He
felt that council should carry on
the fight to recover the $480,000,
and put up a strong argument,
finally moving an amendment that
the city’s legal department con-
sult with Norris to get an opinion
regarding steps the city could take
to recover the cash.

Ald. E. G. Adams attacked the
amendment. Taking a _ position
contrary to all legal opinion, he
said he believed the BCE was en-
titled to the money up to the time
that the Court of Appeal rendered
its verdict, because the PUC had
okKayed the increase.

Ald. McTaggart demolished this
argument, and quoted from Norris’
letter to prove his point. Corpora-
tion counsel R. Baker confirmed
the correctness of McTaggart’s

Position.

é ’

But when a vote was called
on the amendment, only two

aldermen — McTaggart and
Miller — registered themselves
in favor. \

On a show* of hands on Mayor
Hume’s motion, Aldermen Orr,
Adams and the mayor voted for,
Miller didn’t vote, and, McTaggart
cast his vote against.

The motion carried, so to all
intents and purposes the city won’t
take further action to recover the
$480,000 unless forced to by pub-
lic pressure.

“Believe me, the fight is not
over,” said Effie Jones after the
meeting had adjourned. “Public
‘pressure will be forthcoming.
We have just witnessed a glar-
ing example of how this Non-
Partisan dominated council acts

as a rubber stamp for the B.C.-
Electric. ’
“The people won the last round,
and fares were reduced from 15
cents to four for 50 cents. .We’ll
win the next round, too, and force
transit fares down to a dime until
the people get their money back.
Citizens should raise cries of pro-
test to city council and the prov-
incial cabinet, demanding that the
BCE be compelled to disgorge its

err

HAROLD PRITCHETT

workers against the rebirth of
German militarism, for the defense
of their trade union rights and
their liberties.”

Pritchett, in his remarks, gave
a brief outline of conditions in
Canada today, and urged the de-
velopment of trade between all
countries as one method of com-
batting growing , unemployment
and as a step in the direction of
peace. “Trade means friendship
and friendship’ means peace,” he
said. :

_ Canadian woodworkers are be-
ginning to realize, said Pritchett,
that Ottawa’s tieup with Washing-’

>

“

THE INVESTIGATOR.

12” Long Play Recording

/A Political Satire Against
_ McCarthyism

$6.50 PLUS SALES TAX

PEOPLE’S CO-OP

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337 West Pender Street
Vancouver 3, B.C.

ton “can lead us into economic

collapse and a war more devastat
ing than any mankind has eve —
seen.”

natural resources, he added, iss
the struggle “to re-establish OUF

former markets for wood pro |

ducts in the United Kingdom
Australia, New Zealand, Afric? —
and India. We also need f?
establish normal trade relations —
with the Soviet Union, the New
Democracies,’ China and Japan.” ;
Referring to the TLC-COL meh —
ger moves, Pritchett expressed the _
hope that in the not too distant
future the whole Canadian labo?

.| movement will be united in OBE —

central body, and that relatioBS —

will be established with the World

Federation of Trade Unions.

ATTENTION |
PORT
ALBERNI

You'll cry, sure—but you'll laugh more—
when the women take over the picket line}
and the men take over the clothes!ine.,

ARE PUR RARER

CAPITOL THEATRE
PORT ALBERNI

April 4-5-6

Watch For First Downtown
Vancouver Showing

ww

(SER are Rea ETT SES
Attention Vancouver Island L

—_—

ALF DEWHURST

nearly half-million dollars booty.”

\

,
*

A SERIES OF PUBLIC MEETINGS |

NANAIMO *
April 3, 8 p.m. Chase River Hall

DUNCAN
April 4, 8 p.m. Oddfellows Hall

LADYSMITH

CHEMAINUS

AUSPICES: LABOR-PROGRESSIVE PARTY

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — APRIL 1, 1955 — PAGE

April 5, 8 p.m. Finnish Hall

April 6, 8 p.m. Small Hall

seem

—

Linked with the fight against |
the Yankee grab of Canada’S