Letters

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CARTOON FROM 1921...CPR given land, federal government subsidies in return

for passenger, freight service.

CPR handouts recalled
as VIA Rail faces cuts

Railways are of special interest to
me — this stems from the fact that my
father and uncle both worked for the Aus-
trian railways, and I spent most of my
childhood days at the rail yards and station.
We lived right across from the station, in a
building that belonged to the railway, and I
watched the loading and unloading of pas-
sengers and merchandise. It’s a clear case of
being in my blood.

Before I retired, I must have made the
return trip from Vancouver to Ottawa at
least 30 times, with stopovers in most larger
cities. It is a most pleasant way to travel.

In recent weeks, there have been at least
two articles in the Tribune dealing with the
proposed cutback in subsidies to Via Rail
(“Save Via Rail campaign set,” Labour
Notes, Tribune April 24, 1989). Now we
know that this in fact has taken place. In my
view, it’s nothing short of a national
tragedy. If I were Pierre Berton, who wrote
in his book, The National Dream, such
glowing words about this great event (the
building of the railway across Canada), I
would be tempted now to write a sequel and
title it “The Canadian Nightmare.”

Let us refresh our memories of the his-
tory of the building of this railway and at
what great human and financial sacrifice
this was done. Competition for this lucra-
tive contract was fierce, and was finally
awarded to financial interests led by Donald

A. Smith and Company. The CPR was.

incorporated on Feb. 15, 1881. The demand

$2 for seniors
called ‘shameful’

Asa long-time reader this is my first letter
to the Trib other than letters enclosing
donations.

lam critical about the very large increase
us old age pensioners received this month. It
is the noble sum of exactly two dollars. I
think the pensions department ought to be
ashamed to offer such a trifle — especially
when they give large amounts to corpora-
tions who already have plenty.

Ed Skeeles,
Cedar

for early completion was utilized by the
CPR to ensure for itself very generous pro-
visions.

Just to mention part of what they
acquired is mind-boggling: $25 million in
cash, plus 25 million acres of precious land
in a belt along the railways, plus $37 million
for surveying the area. They also acquired
the mineral rights along the way. Just the
same, they came back for more millions in
handouts and also received a 20-year
monopoly for transport to and from the
US

There were other concessions as well: the
lands granted to the CPR were to be free
from taxation for 20 years or until sold and
properties used for railways purposes were
to be free from taxation forever. All the
necessary equipment for building the rail-
way was admitted to Canada duty free.
When the CPR decided to extend its line to
the western end of Burrard Inlet, 14 miles
beoynd the original Pacific terminus. Port
Moody, it demanded and got an additional
grant of 6,000 acres from the government of
British Columbia.

By 1916, the CPR estimated that its net
proceeds from land sales at $68.25 million
and the value of its unsold lands at $119.25
million.

This was all done with the proviso that
passenger travel would be provided across
the country in return for the hundreds of
millions dished out to them. I have it from
an authority that the city of Calgary sits on
land that belonged to the CPR!

Railway travel is mostly a way of trans-
portation for the ordinary people — the
corporate boys won’t be hurt by the
government’s decision to stop subsidizing
VIA Rail. They fly by jet for business or any
excuse. And let’s not forget that it’s all tax-
deductible for them.

When the CPR, having become one of
the richest corporations, gave up carrying
passengers in favour of the more lucrative
transport of merchandise, was that not a
breach of contract? Should they not have
been taken to court and forced to return at
least part of the loot they have robbed our
country of?

Karl Zuker,
Vancouver

May Works contest was an
effort to develop labour
material, Fisher responds

I am writing in response to the
letters “Labour Positive culture is
part of a continuous tradition” and
“Contest for Songwriting raises
issue of control” about MayWorks
and its songwriting program and
contest in the May 8 Tribune.

I'm a founder and volunteer
organizer for both MayWorks and
the Slim Evans Society. I put
together the songwriting contest and
program and co-produced May-
Work’s community cabarets.

Pat Gidora, Steve Gidora, Barry
Laffin and Jim Carlon, who wrote
the letters I’m responding to are
members of a group (Steve Gidora
and Friends) who asked to perform
at MayWorks. This year I person-
ally had the unenviable task of say-
ing no.

Perhaps it’s only coincidence that
these letters appeared shortly after
Mayworks turned down this group
for the second year in a row.

I find it flattering the authors took
the time to write. But this was, to the
best of my knowledge, a first-ever
labour songwriting event. It attracted
only eight participants and five
songs were entered in the contest. I
find it remarkable, even as the
organizer of the songwriting contest
who is paying for the prizes out of
his own pocket, that someone would
find this contest significant enough
politically to warrant public debate
— except, perhaps, as an excuse to
grind some other axe.

Steve Gidora, Laffin and Carlon
criticized the songwriting contest as
a “mechanical process” and as a
“symptom of inexperience.” They’re
right on both counts. But then, most
training or skills development exer-
cises are mechanical. That’s how
you learn, eh? I readily acknowledge
that Iam inexperienced and I’ve lots
to learn about all kinds of things,
including labour culture. Perhaps as
“long time widely accepted political
performing artists” they could lend
an expert; experienced hand to my
endeavours. They might, for in-

stance, phone and offer me some
comradely constructive criticism
before trashing an event they’ve only
read about.

Their letter went on to say that
what developing performers and
songwriters need most is a stage and
that “this contest ... suggests con-
trol, both of quality and political,
thus raising the important question:
who is the judge?”

I agree. Developing singer-song-
writers need a stage. The songwrit-
ing program provided one — com-
plete with instructions on how to use
it and a supportive audience. And
yes, there was control, of both qual-
ity and politics. It wasn’t a program
for professional commercial writers
— it was for amateur labour song-
writers. If the authors want a stage
with no quality or political controls
they could just set up a soap-box in
the park. Who were the judges?
Gary Cristall of the Vancouver Folk
Music Festival, Cathy Walker of
CAIMAW and Larry Staufman of
the UFCW — pretty good choices
for a contest on occupational health
and safety songs I’d say.

Pat Gidora writes that “one can-
not actually ‘build’ a culture.”
Apparently we can only “under-
stand (it) ... identify progressive
trends ... and help those artists gain
notoriety and exposure.” This
sounds a lot like saying you can’t
build a steward’s body, or a union,
or a peace movement, or change the
course of history. It’s not Marxist.
It’s idealist. Presumably then, labour
songwriters only grow on trees or
are just born with their craft already
finely honed.

I hope he’s wrong but I don’t
know for sure. All I’m certain of is
that we won’t know if its possible to
“build” a culture if we don’t try.

MayWorks and the Slim Evans
Society are trying and our efforts are
already bearing fruit — including, it
would seem, a few sour grapes.

Julius Fisher,
Vancouver

Camp David story ‘refreshing’

Regarding Adel Safty’s article
“Events Pass Judgment on Camp
David Accord”, Tribune, April 10.

How refreshing to read a well-
researched and well-written article
on the Middle East that offers an
enlightening and much needed his-
torical perspective.

Adel Safty’s analysis of the Egyp-
tian government’s support for Camp
David exposes its growing depend-

ence on American aid and how that
aid has served the interest of a milit-
aristic Israeli state.

Despite the raging Palestinian
uprising, now in its second year, and
the toll it has taken in Palestinian
lives, neither the U.S. nor Israel has
as yet offered a just, comprehensive
and durable settlement.

J.E. Simpson,
Vancouver

Pacific Tribune, May 15, 1989 « 5