THE. MONKEY EDITORIAL A day to remember ight years ago, on April 12, 1961, the amazing news flashed around the world that a man was circling the Earth in a space ship. That man, the son of a humble Russian peasant, was Yuri Gagarin, his spaceship the Vos- stock 1. For a brief moment in history the turgid slime of anti- Soviet cold was forgotten in the amazement and immensity of this pioneering feat. A man was blazing the first pioneer trail into the unknown of an uncharted void, taking the first daring step towards the discovery of new worlds beyond the stars. Many brave men, Russian and American have since followed the Gagarin trail, but the collective science and its translation into the first pioneering reality, will ever remain the Soviet Union's gift to mankind. On that April morning eight years ago very few of the world’s peoples thought of ‘‘that man out there’’ as a Russian, but as one of themselves, giving reality to a universal dream which only science fiction writers could rhapsodize upon, but which now, as they looked ‘‘heavenwards’’ had become a fact of life; that mankind indeed, with the heroic son of a new Socialist society at the controls of Vostock 1 was ‘‘out there’ in space orbiting the Earth and sending his reassuring voice back to Earth, vibrant with the majesty and grandeur of the void he was hurtling through. Thus in the short space of 44 years ‘‘a nation of illiterate peasants” had ‘reached for the stars’ and won, but the victory won was universal in its scope and magnitude - and immortal in its daring and achievement. Yuri Gagarin, the Russian Cosmonaut had blazed a trail to the stars, which many other Russian and U.S. Cosmonauts have already travelled - and in the decades to come will travel until mankind, endowed with all the knowledge of science, will master the unknown of the Universe, just as he has mastered one tiny earth sphere of it. We who lived to witness the beginning of the conquest of 4 outer space are signally fortunate in this regard. In an editorial tribute to the memory of Yuri Gagarin who died on March 27, 1969 at the age of 34 years in a plane crash, and whose untimely death caused a wave of mutual regret and sorrow around the world, the Comox Free Press wrote: ‘However. those citizens of the future will never know, perhaps, a greater thrill than ours for we were on hand, witnesses to the beginning of it all through the magnificent feat of the magnificent Russian.’ Truly for all mankind on that April 12 day of 1961, and for the generations to come, it was truly *‘A day toremember” in Man’s conquest of outer space, dedicated as it was and must be to mankind’s search for knowledge, and the cause of universal peace. “A day to remember’’ when the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin crossed the Rubicon from an old to a new and ever- changing world.”’ bese West Coast edition, Canadian Tribune Editor—TOM McEWEN Associate Editor —MAURICE RUSH Published weekly at Ford Bidg., Mezzanine No. 3, 193 E. Hastings St., Vancouver 4, B.C. Phone 685-5288. Subscription Rate: Canada, $5.00 one year; $2.75 for six months. North and South America and Commonwealth countries, $6.00 one year. All other countries, $7.00 one year. number 1560. ‘-PACIFIC TRIBUNE: ==APRI 1 -.-DAQy 7? Caact- J7.41294-~3, ete, aw i 1962 Page 2 «+0 e-< +> ne \Pacitic Tribune facilities hit By ALD. HARRY RANKIN Ask any homeowner ‘who lives around the PNE what he thinks of the PNE’s parking problems and you will likely get an answer that’s unfit to print. I got an earful myself the other night when I spoke on this problem to a meeting of the Cassiar Ratepayers. The residents of this area have a justified complaint. The numerous ‘‘Parking for Local Residents Only’’ signs that the City has put up have helped, but PNE patrons continue to park ' along residential streets. Often homeowners can't get room to park their own cars near their homes. In all fairness it should be pointed out that PNE patrons ' also have a problem. It costs too much to park in the PNE today. but worse than that is the fact that PNE parking facilities are poor and inadequate. Exits and entrances fail to move traffic quickly or efficiently. PNE parking facilities fail to meet the standards required by Council of apartments, shopping centres and other places where people and cars congregate. The solution doesn’t just lie in getting more parking areas around the PNE. Present facilities need to be overhauled and revamped. A new and imaginative approach is needed that will combine a variety of features including parking structures several storeys high. underground parking. exits and entrances through cuts, tunnels and overhead passes, Considera- tion might also be given to including the cost of parking in the admission ticket. What is really needed, | believe, is a thorough in-depth study of the whole parking situation at the PNE by a competent professional body. Perhaps the PNE and the Dontown Traffic Commission could jointly order and finance such a study, If we don’t act soon the situation can only get worse. Every year more cars will be coming to the PNE. We owe it to both the patrons and the local residents to get the ball rolling and provide good parking facilities that will leave surrounding streets free. NDP plans Cuba tour The New Democratic Party of B.C. is planning a group tour of Cuba this coming October. Plans outlining the proposed tour were disclosed in the March edition of The Democrat, B.C. organ of the NDP. According to the release, participants will be limited to 32 persons for a two week period. Total costs would be in the neighborhood of $500-$600 which includes all meals, hotels and sightseeing. ‘ Special arrangements are being made with Cuban authorities for comprehensive tours of the entire. island, A telephone call by the PT to Globe Tours, agents in Vancouver for the Cuban Govern- ment Dept. of Tourism, confirms that they are handling arrange- ments for the trip. Any reader, interested in joining should contact either Globe Tours or the provincial office of the NDP. ‘ a! ALD. HARRY RANKIN will be honored at a birthday banquet and dance Thursday, May 8 at Maglio’s, 1739 Venables Street (at Commercial Dr.). Sponsored by the Committee of Progressive Electors (COPE). Smorgasbord supper will start at p.m., followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. A special floor show, ‘City Council in Action” will be staged. Tickets are $5.00. VIETNAM Cont'd from pg. 1 because our complicity in this war is tremendous.” Giant peace demonstrations in 42 U.S. cities marked the end of the lull which greeted President Nixon's first 60 days. The Nixon administrations stalling in the Paris peace talks and his recent announcement of the anti- ballistics missile system (ABM), have galvanized the peace forces into renewed action. In many U.S. centres large contingents of anti-war GIs took part coming from some of the major military camps, recruiting stations, and military hospitals, The U.S. press generally recognized the peace marches as signalling that ‘‘the honeymoon is over’’ for Nixon. In Britain an impressive demonstration took place in London, with large contingents converging from many centres for a giant protest. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh, NLF negotiator at the Paris talks, spoke at a Trafalgar Square rally on Easter Monday. Teachers to’ back labor Kitimat teachers have taken decisive action to safeguard jobs threatened by the school board Last week, 124 teachers in this northern B.C. community voted 90 percent to withdraw services if proposals arising from budget cuts are not reversed. The defeat of a referendum asking property owners to assure costs no longer shared by the provincial government pressed the board to suggest that super- vision aids and some janitorial and engineer staff be laid off Further more next term would find a decrease of 40 teachers in the district, about 28 percent. Consequently, and unless the first proposal is reversed, services will be withdrawn on May 1. Unless the second proposition is withdrawn services will be withheld June 1. The source of the problem lies in the provincial government's educational finance formula which forces school boards to cut costs to get within the confines of a provincial median. Such slashing denies further equal educational opportunities and impinges upon the working conditions of those involved. Such paring of budgets short- changes taxpayers — and lest someone should forget the children. Further discussion will take place at this week’s Teacher's Federation convention being held at the Vancouver Hotel. The BCTF has already endorsed the action of the Kitimat local. READ and SUPPORT B.C.’s only weekly labor paper... PACIFIC TRIBUNE Mez. 3-193 E. Hastings St. 685-5288 NATO DECISION HIT Cont'd from pg. 1 Later the convention adopted two resolutions, one of which called for Canada’s complete withdrawal from NATO. The other called upon the govern- ment to ‘‘oppose the ABM system planned by the United States Nixon administration and to declare its firm opposition to any such installations on Canadian soil. Pointing out that the ABMs mean escalation in the arms race, the Convention declared that the road to peace lies through ‘‘negotiations leading to agreement on peaceful co- existence of states with different social systems as consistently proposed by the Soviet Union.”’ “The immense resources wasted on aramaments,”’ the resolutions stated,’’ must be diverted towards putting an end to poverty and want, towards the closing of the gap between rich and poor nations and towards ending forever the curse of war on mankind.”’ “It is for such aims,”’ it added, “that Canada must proclaim a new and independent foreign policy of peace, free from the dictates of the U.S. military- industrial complex, dominated by the armament profiteers. Admission: $1.50. ANNUAL SHEVCHENKO CONCERT A Tribune to “BARD OF UKRAINE”’ SUNDAY -APRIL 20th - 8PM VANCOUVER TECHNICAL SCHOOL 2600 East Broadway Children 50¢ For information phone: 255-0032 or 254-3436 Students $1.