OTTAWA

The family budget is going to take another beating

this year while

profits zoom as never before. With most

average Canadian families already straining every nickel
to keep pace, Ottawa experts predict prices will continue

upwards for some time.
admits that the danger of in-
flation is serious. He told the
House of Commons August 12
that the Canadian economy is
in “imminent danger” of get-
ting out of control.

The government’s Consumer
Price Index, based on 1949
prices, hit a record high as of
July and is still going up. It
stands at 118.5, higher than it
was in January 1952 at the
height of the Korean war in-
lation. It was then 118.2. In
the past two months prices
have risen almost as much as
they have over the past three
years. The lowest point was
May 1953 when the index was
114.4.

Sharpest increase in the past
two months has been noted in
the food index which has been
fairly. steady over the past
years. The rise follows a con-
tinual increase in shelter and
clothing. Food and clothing
together take up 43 percent
cf the index.

The dollar spent in 1949 is
today worth only 71 cents in
terms of purchasing power. A
look at the way wholesale
prices are mounting indicates
the dollar will be worth less
and less in coming weeks.

In June, wholesale prices
hit a new peak.

Animal products, which in-
cludes that steak or hambur-
ger, rose 4.8 percent over the
past six months, putting new
pressure on retailers. Veget-
able products went up 3.8 per-
cent.

The 118.5 index figure does
not tell the whole story. In
many cities, especially indus-
trial areas, it is much higher.
Toronto is highest at 121.5.
Montreal is 119.1, Vancouver
119.3. Montreal has the high-
est food index (117.4) while
Toronto is by far the most ex-
pensive for shelter at 148.9 —
compared to Winnipeg’s 127.6.

Even Finance Minister Harris

The effect of this new price
on Canada’s low and
groups is

spiral
medium income
serious.

Last week, the government
again refused to assist old-age
pensioners by boosting the pre-
sent $40 starvation cheque.
Earlier this session it also re-
fused to consider increasing
family allowances to adjust
them to rising price levels.
The pension cheque today is
worth only $32.40 in terms of
1949 dollars.

The government, professing
concern over the trend, has
for the fifth time in the past
increased the Bank of
Canada’s interest rate. The
latest on August 8
put the rate at 3.25 percent.
The argument is that the
country’s $8 billion capital
program expansion is too big
for physical resources
available to carry it out.

year

increase

the

But by adding to the inter-
est rate, the price of housing
and rent are shoved upwards
and small businesses are hit.

Ottawa has not yet, how-
ever, moved to siphon off some

of the tremendous profits be-
ing recorded this year. Capital
gains go untaxed in this coun-

try. adding to inflationary
pressure. In the first quarter,

profits after taxes were up 31
percent over the same period
of 1955 — which were 35 per-
cent higher than in 1954. Divi-
dend payments are running 14
percent ahead of last year.
Meanwhile, wages continue to
lag behind the rising cost of
living.

A LT

Two Quebec priests
this province
to come.

O'Neill (chaplain of Catholic
Action at Laval) published an
article for the use of the clergy
which attacked “immorality,”
“Iving” and widespread cor-
ruption in Quebec politics.

Their strongest condemna-
tion was against those politi-
cians who unscrupulously “per-
mit the building up of huge
collective lies and the repeti-
tion without limit, through
newspapers, radio and televi-
sion of misleading slogans.”

“Cultivation of myths,” said
the two priests, “is immoral
yecause it destroys truth.

“Communism, as presented
ic the Quebec masses, is a
myth. Communist reality is
not that which is covered by
the picture of it in the minds
of people. We have seen the
anti-Communist theme utiliz-
ed, and in about the same
tersm, by reputable members
ef religious orders, recognized
fascists, pitiable comedians and
authentic blackguards.

“The same literature which
forms the civic conscience of
those who like Nouvelles et
Potins (a scandal sheet), or
which stirs the young disciples
of Adrien Arcand, has pene-
trated into the presbyteries
and “guided more religious con-
sciences than we dare imagine.
As we can see, the ‘anti-Com-
munist truth’ is a marvellous
panacea which is adaptable to
all spiritual levels.”

Continuing their sharp de-
nunciation of the anti-Com-
munist smear technique, so
widely current in the last pro-
vincial elections, the article
rotes that “people will be made
to believe that to preach so-
cial security is to slide towards
Marxism, that to promote
health insurance is to sabotage
oui religious communities, that
to give food to hungry men in
under-developed countries will
impoverish us and encourage
Communisin, etc.”

“We have seen newspapers
which are officialy Catholic
publish lying and clearly im-
moral advertisements. We have
met priests who considered
such propaganda ‘clever’ and
did not object to it too much,
so long ‘as it favored the good’.”

The two priests complain
not only of the . “systematic
lying and use of the myth” as
“fraudulent manoeuvres.” They
also take up “such proceedings
as vote buying, corruption of
the electoral laws, threats of
reprisals against those who do
rot support the ‘right party,’
false oaths, substitution of per-
sons, the corruption of elec-
tion officers,” all of which
“seem to be becoming normal
elements in our social life at
election time.”

“Those who now employ or
tclerate these proceedings can

With what passes for. consic
ier Duplessis’ autocratic hand, Rev. Gerard Dion (head of the
trial relations in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Laval University)

-topped the poll.

By FRANK ARNOLD

and the political waves created will probably not
jerable courage in the province ruled!
department?

jay no claim to their invention.
We must admit that our Cath-
olic province has for a con-
siderable time known what is
meant by electoral frauds. But
their use is more and more

+ generous at each election. No

party has the monopoly... .”

The conclusion which the
priests arrive at is that “we
must proceed rapidly” to est-
ablish a “real public morality
league” which would be poli-
tically independent of any
party, whose purpose would
be to educate the public and
denounce scandal.

“A number of Christians
have lost the taste to hear the

Courageous priests
Quebec corrupt poli

have heaved a rock into the placid post-electio

subside fot

and

truth spoken,” thé
“They are quite
we are prudent
dare to say ©
They don’t want
science to be We
their appetite
things, aroused %
ample of their ‘elite
nents to sell the
t> be more vigote™
demanding.” 4
So far the
League of the Drat
istration and
Council of the C®
dorsed the pries®”
Union National
cra] party have?”
and uncomfortably

‘Defense’ dol
could help ped

Canada’s defense budget for
this year ($1,755,000) would
just about cover the total net
expenditures of all of Can-
ada’s ten provinces.

For the cost of one aircraft
carrier ($41 million) and one
year’s instalment on the mid-
Canada radar line ($45 mil-
lion) the South Saskatchewan
River dam could be built.

For the cost of the mid-Can-
ada radar line ($170 million)
already obsolete according to
most authorities, Canada’s
848,000 old-age pensioners, in-

ciuding those 1” =
group (94,000) ©
$40 a month raise
sion cheque: to 6%
the rise in the ©

For the cost of

ers ($46 million) jf

upkeep for a
lowance cheques

i

Canadian childre?

boosted by $1 4-

The cost~ of ont
fighter $700,000
for an average fe
eny Canadian

More than 3,(
attend Labor P

An estimated crowd of more
than 3,000 people attended the
Annual Labor Picic last Sun-
day at Confederation Park.
Amid brilliant sunshine and a
fine sports program it was a
big “family” day for grownups
and children alike.

Highlight of the day was the
Popular Girl contest. In a
close voting run between the
three top contenders, Joey
Ferbes of North Vancouver
With election
manager Bill Hreherchuk
rounding up support, Vancou-
ver East with Mary Gawrycki
came second. Third on the
list and well up also was Van-
couver Centre’s Doris Bradco,
with Betty Gadd of Burrard
fourth, Jean Waugh of Kings-
way fifth, and Burnaby’s Hat-
tie Dove sixth.

The tug-of-war contest org-
anized by the managers of all
the popular girl contestants,
went in favor of Doris Bradco,
when the Vancouver Centre

August 17, 1956 —

PACIFIC TRIBU

_Stalwarts outpu
ents.

Another top it
gram which Lo
group of spect@
wrestling bouts
“Tarzan” Botvi#
Spendlove, 1%
threw a little
eree in their
second bout was

0

in

ners were Bow
x

Between 12° rf

pony rides and ©
ming pool,
kiddies spent
day. Other "7
sports rounded |
taining ana |
gram, while the.
pop concessio® gil
business thre

Harold Pritehé
well-known /@7
ed as_ picni¢
monies.

fot a