Friday, June 10,1977 48 VOL. 39, No. 23: RiBUNE By MAURICE RUSH A massive giveaway of B.C. coal at $1.50 a ton royalty was indicated last Thursday when Socred Premier Bill Bennett announced the provincial government’s new Coal policy. 5 Declaring that the policy Statement was the most important Tesource announcement since the- Socred government took office, and the most important it will Make “in the next two or three years,” Bennett said the coal resource will be developed by ‘“‘the Private sector’? — meaning that B.C.’s coal fields will be opened up for exploitation by the giant multi- national corporations. Indicating the extent to which the Socred government intends to give away B.C.’s coal resources was a statement by Bennett in which he said that in the next decade coal could eventually outrank the lumber industry in the economy of the province. One important point left out by the premier was that the big dif- ference between forests and coal mining is that trees are a renewable resource and can be managed to ensure a perpetual yield. Once the coal is gone it can never berecovered. Coal cannot be planted and grown. All it will leave behind are massive holes in the ground and huge areas torn apart by open pit mining, leaving large devastated areas like Appalachia in the U.S. Gone with the coal will be any possibility of transforming the basis of B.C.’s economy from raw materials to industrial manufacturing and processing. B.C.’s coal deposits in the Kootenays, the Sukunka area near Prince George, and Chetwynd are considered to hold some of the hest smelting coal to be found anywhere in the world. That’s why B.C.’s vast coal resources are being exploitation of sought by large corporations in the U.S., France, West Germany and Japan. The 11-point policy statement released by the premier at a press conference in Nelson last Thursday said that in addition to charging $1.50 a ton royalty for coal, B.C. will tax the coal industry only ata rate similar tothat applied to other industries. He pointed out that this will be in keeping “with the government providing the climate and - facilities’ to expedite the B.C.’s_ coal resources by ‘‘private enterprise.” Seldom has there been a more blatant announcement in recent years of a government openly declaring its intention to turn over a vitally important and major resource to big business. And, in addition, to “provide facilities” for the major companies which are expected to move into the province. Many of them are already here. As in the case of B.C. Hydro subsidizing low hydro rates for the big corporations through the present rate structure, the significance of - Bennett’s statement regarding ‘“‘facilities’’ is that the B.C. government intends to spend large sums of public See SOCRED, pg. 3 4 B.C. delegates to the World Assembly of Builders of Peace h Congress’ campaign at a press conference in F eld in Warsaw, Poland last month, outlined the ishermen’s Hall Monday. Left to r, Bert Ogden, Rosaleen Ross, he fifth delegate (Congress appeal page 6). Lobby to protest rent act changes Arevitalized tenants’ movement will converge on the legislature in Victoria June 21 in an attempt: to stop retrogressive legislation that will set back tenant’s rights by five years. : The hurried lobby and demon- stration is in reaction to Socret consumer and corporate affairs minister Rafe Mair’s_ an- nouncement of changes in the Landlord. and Tenant Act that will further shift the legislation in favor of landlords. Most threatening of the proposed changes is the dismantling of rent controls and the complete return to “free market” rents. Mair has reported to the press that the present Landlord and Tenant Act is “pro-tenant”’ and that rent controls are no longer needed. The minister indicated that “decontrols” would go into effect * Bruce Yorke, Walter Gawrycki. Missing is Vi Swann, t CP protests pipeline plan New energy policy urged for B.C. “The plan to pipe oil from Cherry Point in Washington to Edmonton, Which is now being put forward as an alternative to the Kitimat Pipeline, is contrary to the best interests of B.C. Both it and the Kitimat scheme are a threat to the Province and should be rejected - Outright,’’ says a statement issued by the B.C. executive of the Communist Party Tuesday. Following a special meeting of the party’s executive Monday to deal with the energy crisis in B.C., the Communist Party statement Said: “The same multinational cor- Porations behind the Kitimat -Scheme are backing the Cherry Point proposal. They have not yet Biven up hope that the Kitimat Pipeline will be approved and have - Not withdrawn their application before the National Energy Board. They have only asked that it be held in abeyance. These U.S. Corporations are determined to get their hands on the oil and natural 8as regardless of the price to B.C. “The Cherry Point scheme Would result in a massive increase in oil shipments down B.C.’s coast hot only from Alaska but from other world sources. These huge supertankers will pose a grave threat to B.C.’s coast especially in the Gulf of Georgia and Strait of Juan de Fuca. It will open up B.C.’s coastal waters and our fisheries to. the danger of a major disaster.”’ Pointing out that the Cherry Point terminus for Alaskan oil is a grave enough threat in itself, the CP statement warns that this threat ‘tis compounded by the plan to bring supertankers from around the world to Cherry Point. The plan to reverse the flow of the pipeline to Edmonton, and to pipe up to 900,000 barrels a day through B.C. to Alberta to be fed into the U.S. pipeline system to serve central U.S. states, holds no benefits what- soever for Canada. “Tt is a scheme which would shift all the dangers that are involved in the massive movement of oil for the U.S. market on to Canada. At the same time it threatens our sovereignty and national interests. The people of B.C. should speak out See ALCAN, pg. 3 Halt the Railwest layoffs If ever there was an action which underscored the provincial government’s responsibility to reverse its decision to shut down the Railwest plant in Squamish, it was the unprecedented action by B.C. Rail com- mission chairman Justice Lloyd McKenzie who in- terrupted proceedings at a hearing Tuesday to call on the BCR to halt any further layoffs at the threatened plant pending a study. For months now, the workers at the rail car plant, many of whom came to Squamish on the promise of at least five years’ work, have waged a campaign to prevent the impending shutdown, scheduled for August. In March, plant employees and their families massed on the Legislature lawn to demand that the provincial government keep Railwest operating. © Premier Bennett responded with a promise to pay a visit to the plant to hear their views but it was a promise, like so many others, that was never kept. “Cost-cutting’’ is the reason given by the B.C. Rail management for the decision to close the plant, a phrase that has become all too grimly familiar to the people of this province who face worsening unem- ployment because of the policies of the Social Credit government. And the “‘cost-cutting’’ excuse is as specious as it is irresponsible; behind it is a calculated policy aimed at dismantling a plant industry. The government in sponsibility to halt all further layoffs and to reverse the decision made by BCR management last March to cancel all new car orders. Railwest can be kept in production; it can become a thriving industry. But the government must act — now. established by the former NDP government and cutting short the first, tentative step taken toward the development of a publicly-owned manufacturing Victoria has a clear re- by the end-of this year ‘“‘on a geographic basis’’. “Tt looks like our worst ex- pectations are about to happen,” British Columbia Tenant Organization secretary Margaret De Wees told the Tribune this week, ‘“‘They have so many amendments that they have decided to rewrite the Act.” See TENANTS, pg. 3 South Africa rally June 16 commemorative _ rally, marking the massacre of Soweto students by South African police last June, has been set for the Vancouver courthouse June 16, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The action, initiated largely by students and teachers at McNair School in Richmond and organized in conjunction with the Southern Africa Action Coalition, is part of the world-wide campaign marking the week of solidarity with the people of South Africa called for June 16 to 26 by the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity. June 16 marks the day of demonstrations in Soweto when elementary school students, protesting the use of Afrikaan as a medium of instruction, were fired upon by police. June 26 is Freedom Day, marking the day when the African National Congress, meeting in an open field near Johannesburg, read out the now- famous Freedom Charter. The government of South Africa continues its brutal repression against students who participated in the demonstrations last June. According to recent reports from International Defence and Aid, the London-based organization which assists in legal defence,” at least 150 children under the age of 16 have been detained in the last six months. Lawyers acting for parents estimate that the total since June, 1976 is over 300. “In Port Elizabeth, one child detained was found to be only seven years old;” the committee said. : For further information on the June 16 rally phone the Southern Africa Action Coalition at 734-1712.