Aceon Canada” has gone the way of all political pipe
dreams. It is now dead as the dodo, a ‘‘movement”
that no longer moves— if it ever did?

Its founder and high priest Paul Hellyer, MP has now
teamed up with Progressive-Conservative leader Robert
Stanfield. . . i.e. ‘your friendly undertaker,” and together
they hope to scale the Olymphian heights of out-trudeuing
Trudeau.

Hellyer’s latest switch confirmed what the Communists
have insisted all along, viz, that there is no basic difference
between Liberals and Tories, between Tweedledum and
Tweedledee, other than the partisan anxiety of each to get
themselves a leading spot at the public pork barrel, where they
can both, separately or together, serve the exclusive interests
of Big Business monopoly, first, last and all the time. In all
such political switches there is no strain or stress upon
“principles”, chiefly because such political chameleons have
none to strain. :

Like all such abortions *‘Action Canada” will probably try
to survive for a period following the departure of its leading
spark-plug, but its ultimate demise will be speedy. Movements
born with chronic constipation invariably expire in infancy.
Down through the years the Canadian political scene has a
wealth of such movements, rump political parties, opportunist
aggregations, etc. which sprung up like weeds amid a lot of
fanfare, then petered out because there was nothing that Cana-
dians didn’t already have too much of, to keep them alive.

Hellyer’s prime achievement while leader of ‘‘Action
Canada’’ (if such it may be be described?) was to call for an
“investigation into the ramifications of communism in
Canada;”’ not an investigation into excess monopoly profits,
monopoly grabs of resources, Establishment give-aways,
mass unemployment, sub-standard levels, etc., etc., but
another anti-Communist witch hunt in the best Tory tradition.

Beyond that it was Liberal (lower case‘l’) constipation at
its most chronic expressions, typical of all bourgeois politics,
from which not even the CCF-NDP leadership in times past
have been immune. Hellyer’s abandonment of ‘‘Action
Canada’’ and his defection to the Tories is just another
symptom in the growing crisis facing all the bourgeois partisan
servitors of Big Business— when to jump and where to jump,
in order to assure a place at the public park barrel. That is the
only “‘principle”’ involved.

<**

Well the all-powerful news media managed to score again,
via the smear technique. It was no skin off our hide, but the
example holds another good lesson. All that was needed to do
the job was a press hawk to fabricate the slander, a powerful
press with its columns waiting to print the dirt, and presto,
U.S. president nominee George McGovern’s choice of V.P.
Thomas Eagleton went down the drain.

A three-time psychiatric loser, plus a few times ‘“‘drunk’’
and “‘impaired driving’’ the press hawk said, and Thomas
Eagleton had it. The mob screamed, the pressure was on, and
McGovern was left high-and-dry sans a V-P ticket. That the
said press hawk confessed later it was all a ‘‘fake,”’ “‘untrue”’
and what not, made little difference. The character
assassination had been complete, decisive and thorough!

Now Eagleton can see his psychiatrist or get ‘‘stoned”’ as
often as he may wish, since the ‘‘destiny of these United
States” no longer hangs on such manifest human weaknesses.

We would suggest however, purely gratutious on our part,
that every time Eagleton calls on his favorite psychiatrist, he
take the “Mad Bomber”’ Nixon and a good half of the Pentagon
war hawks along, since if anyone ever required the services of
a psychiatrist or other expert on lunacy, ‘Tricky Dicky’ and his
Washington fellow-lunatics and criminals surely do. As the
man said, ‘‘it is not the psychiatry cases you know that are the
real danger, but the ones who are long overdue to mental

diagnosis treatment, but have managed to avoid it up until
now.”

With Nixon now waging meteorological and electronic war
against the people of Vietnam, it makes one wonder why so
many Americans get all in a sweat because some brainwashed
press hawk writes up an admittedly false smear on people like

Eagleton — but are quite prepared to let their key maniac run

loose— to kill, maim and destroy.

Regina’s telebus system
should be tried in city

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

Regina's Telebus system
seems to be working out very
well. In certain sections of that
city, if you want to go some-
where by bus you just phone up
the bus system and ina matter
of minutes, a mini-bus picks you
up at your door and takes you to
a main bus terminal where you
can catch one of the city’s re-
gular big buses. The charge for
this service to your front door is
only an extra 10¢.

Regina has been experiment-
ing with the telebus system in
three selected areas of the city
since September, 1971. They
use three sizes of telebus — for
14, 23 and 40 passengers. Tele-
bus ridership reached a peak of
1500 passengers per day in Jan-
uary; in March-April it levelled
off to about 900-1000 passengers
per day. One-quarter to one-third
of the people using the telebus
reserve their trips in advance,
either on a weekly basis or the
night before, thus assuring
themselves a seat.

The door-to-door tour of the
telebuses is synchronized with
the mainline buses. Customers
are usually picked up 10 to 15
minutes after calling in during
the off-peak period and 20-30
minutes during the busy per-
iods. This waiting time will be
still further reduced when com-

puter dispatching is put into
operation.

Some of the results of the tele-
bus system have been: the tran-
sit system is used by more
people: less cars are in use and
this means less air pollution;
less accidents; less wear and
tear onthe roads (and less
money spent on upkeep): and
better transportation all
around, especially for the
young, the old and the infirm.
The telebus system can func-
tion economically in both low
density and high density areas.

The Regina system was under-
taken as a joint experiment by
the city and the provincial and
federal governments.

Why don’t we try it out in the
Greater Vancouver area?
Regina has provided enough ex-
perience for us to draw on to en-
sure its success here. I think it
should be introduced on an ex-
perimental basis here too, with
each municipality in . the
Lower Mainland selecting at
least one area, and with Van-
couver trying out several dif-
ferent types of areas (East End,
West End, etc.). In our case too,
we could ask the provincial and
federal government to share
the costs.

If B.C. Hydro is interested in
improving its bus system,
here’s its chance.

‘

ERAI= WALAS

: ria
‘ Bloedel regarding thell ie

SA

NEWS ITEM: Dair

yland milk prices increased a cent a quart this week

and similar increases are expected from the other major dairies on the

Lower Mainland.

Launch drive for public transit system

Around the theme of ‘‘demand
that the provincial government
assume its proper role in estab-
lishing a comprehensive public
transit system for the Greater
Vancouver Regional District’’,
the Citizen's Co-Ordinating
Committee for Public Transit
announces plans for a cam-
paign to rally public support for
its endeavours.

The Committee. states Chair-

man Bruce Yorke, together with
the Amalgamated Transit
Union, will present a brief to Van
couver city council, and to muni-
cipal councils in the sur
rounding areas. on the matter of
the deteriorating bus service.
and will also arrange a guided
tour for press, radio and TV of:
the present bus service offered
citizens of the areas.

A booth at the Pacific Nat-

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1972—PAGE 2

ional Exhibition will be util-
ized to acquaint the public with
the campaign and activities of
the C.C.C.P.T. The main activ-
ity there. as well as at selected
spots throughout the Greater
Vancouver Regional District.
will be the circulation of a
questionaire to assess the
public’s reaction to the present
bus service. and to request
opinions tor possible alterna-

tives and suggestions for im-
provements.

Anyone interested in helping
in the booth should contact Mrs.
Ruth Smith, at 254-3732.

Yorke also urged members of
the C.C.C.P.T. and its affiliates
to make an effort to attend pub-
lic meetings during the present
election campaign and ques-
tion candidates on their post-
tion re public transit.

GEORGE McKNIGHT

McKnight sparks :
M-B tax appeal 9

Port Alberni city council “a
appeal the B.C. Supreme COU”

decision in favor of Mac

assessment, to the suprem
Court of Canada. The outcome ;
the appeal will have © C
implications for every. dus
town and city which has
tries within its boundaries. @
The decision to go to We
preme Court of Canada | !
made on the inte \
man George McKnig ‘ian |
led the fight to have MacMilt
Bloedel pay its rightful ee |
municipal taxes. McKnigh ait |
pointed out time and time ae i
that business tax, as deli i
the Municipal Act, is unfa”
small business, homeoW
and to every taxpayer ™
city. ith,
In a statement to cn
members prior to the dete |
appeal to the Supreme Col fle
Canada, McKnight said: en}
30 years of fixed asseee
which industry enjoye rover 2
Alberni the provincial 8° elt
ment, in it’s readiness t0
to the demands of indus :
special tax concession:
facing growing opposition ents |
further ‘‘fixed assess?” fir ;
found a new gimmick. * ‘ of 2!
provided for an exemptl0 prot! |
industrial machinery , ine!
general rate taxation aties! :
permitted the municipa” jg
levy a ‘‘business tax taxable |
limit of ten mills on the = igi),
value of machinery OF "Fatal |”

levy must be the sa {i

gem. erty: J
classifications of proP “was *, f

Last year the tax rate jel a
at 7 percent of the anh’ a4 0 Ii
value and the asses ow it.
rental value did not a xatit ny
deduction of municipa nis is tl fy
from the rental value: supre™ {hi
decision which the sai
Court of B.C... |
incorrect. en

i A c *

McKnight said to 4 F ;
decision would nat mn ind
further the tax base ¥
try.

ua

He expressed strong ‘
tion to the whole ne by 4 |
concept as it is set ee

provincial governm that.
nicipal Act. He said cot
a provincial elect!" wuld

soon the candidate? — oss
faced with the DUS! joclt
question and aske ee Od
their position 1n rest 10 col |
right of municipal tiol

a rightful share OF °°") nh |
i indus ‘ petty '

all the assets of Wy de Mf
ing machinery. wes peo le
ing the small busine” stn.
taxing them oul ol Che