copper mine.

Bottom left, Cassiar asbestos surface mine.
demonstrate why strong controls over
Rew legislation begins its hearings this Friday.

AMA? NO, IT’S B.C. These photos taken from the provincial government repori for 1705,
eg istry of B.C."’ shows the devastation which has been

+

“mem wh kay i
TNE Wiener e.

going on for years. Top is the Craigmont open pit
Right, Phoenix copper mine.
surface mining are essential. The Legislative committee probing the

These photos

Tribune

all

VOL. 30, NO. 10

10c

End excessive rents,
abuse by landlords

Premier Bennett

should be bombarded with

demands for action right now while the Legislature is in
session to demand a complete overhaul of the Landlords
and Tenants Act to protect tenants from excessive rents
and abuses by landlords, said Ald. Harry Rankin this
week. He urged legislation for B.C. similar to that being

proposed in Ontario.

In a statement issued this
week, Vancouver's fighting
alderman said:

The Ontario legislature is
undertaking reforms of its
legislation on this subject, based
on an exhaustive study by the
Ontario Law Reforms Com-
mission. Most of its recom-
mendations are in line with what
I have urged in City Council.
eee eee
e Abolition of the right of a
landlord to enter the premises of
a tenant and seize his belongings
for back rent.

~ Need stronger Human Rights Bill

| “Establishment by
“equal rights for women’, and

law of

- Particularly ‘equal pay for the
' Same, or substantially the same
Work’ represents a significant
“advance, even though B.C.’s new
Human Rights Bill falls far short
| Of what is needed,” Nigel
Morgan, Provincial leader of the
Communist Party told the PT
this Week.

__ “In fact the Bill now before the
gislature is more noteable for
What it omits than what it
Contains,’ he charged. “‘It is
00d that it outlaws discrimina-
Mm on grounds of race,
nality, place of origin, and

ancestry etc., but what about the
linguistic rights of citizens of this
Province who want to speak
French? The Bill as it stands
does nothing to clarify or protect
their rights.”

“Similarly, while it legislates
against discrimination on
grounds of color, sex or religion,
it fails to mention political
beliefs or affiliations— one of the
more widely practiced forms of
discrimination remaining in a
number of union constitutions —
is a serious omission,’ Morgan
said.

“The Bill confers sweeping
powers to a government-

appointed commission to
examine books and records, etc.
(including trade union member-
ship records and applications)
and like Bill 33, provides that no
order ‘‘shall be made or process
entered into that questions the
appointment of the commission
or reviews, prohibits or restrains
its proceedings.”

‘On the other hand it makes’

no provisions for a number of
very basic and fundamental
human rights — the right of a
citizen to a job; to equal educa-
tional opportunity; to. decent
housing; adequate hospital and
health care; and protection

against the pollution of air and
water and the ravages of
profiteering landlords and the
suppliers of essential utilities,
foods and services,’’ Morgan
said.

“No time should be lost in
letting the government and our
MLAs know that we want B.C.’s
new Human Rights Bill extended
to cover such points. The Bill has
already had first reading and if
the needed amendments are to
be won a quick expression of
public opinion through letters,
resolution from labor, com-
munity and other people’s organi-
zations, is required’. . .

.

e Outlawing the security
deposit against damage
demanded by many landlords.

e Obliging landlords to
maintain the premises in a good
state of repair fit for human
habitation. If he fails to do so, a
tenant by court order may have
the repairs done and deduct the
costs from his rent.

e New rules governing
termination of tenancies,

@ Prosecution of landlords who
lock out tenants by changing
locks on the leased premises.

e Authorizing municipalities to
establish Leasehold Advisory
Bureaux to advise both tenants
and landlords on their rights. It
would have a staff to settle
disputes.

RENTAL BOARD

e Empowering municipalities
also to set up Rent Review
Boards which would investigate
rent disputes and recommend
settlements. Where a landlord
refuses to abide by the recom-
mendation, the Board would
report directly to City Council.
City Council could publish the
report and take other action it
considers necessary.

If these measures are still not
acequate to control improper
increases in rent, the Ontario
Law Reform Commission
recommends that the provincial
government consider ‘‘a more
stringent and compulsory
system of control’.

e Protection of tenants against
retaliatory eviction — no tenant
should be. evicted because he
resorts to his legal rights to
protect his interests.

The Commission made no
recommendation on_ landlord
restrictions against children,
expressing the view that this
cannot be dealt with by legis-
lation. If landlords continue to
bar tenants with children, the
obvious solution is public housing
— publicly built apartments
where children will be
recognized as human _ beings
entitled to shelter.

There is no need for the provin-

See TENANTS, pg. 12