eee Pen ee oe SUPPORT BETTER EDUCATION IN BC. Education is the most challenging issue facing the citizens of our province. On it depends the very quality of our lives, now and in the future. British Columbia has traditionally offered its young people the best education in Canada. Now, however, teachers are concerned about signs of deteriora- tion that are beginning to appear in the province's school system. AN APPLE FOR EDUCATION. Above is the front page of a pamphlet being circulated by the B.C. Teachers’ Federation as part of its campaign for better education. B.C. Communist Party leader Nigel Morgan outlined his party's policy on education at an all-party rally this week. The teachers have asked all candidates who support better education to use the apple as a symbol in their ads. Socred education policies scored Cont'd from pg. 1 under the new Social Credit school formula. And of the nine Districts which finally had to put their budgets out to referen- dum, seven were rejected’’. Morgan said, ‘‘The referendum idea introduced in Bill 86 is wrong in principle, and will be disastrous in its effects on our children. It can only result in a serious deterioration in school standards, hopeless frustration for our elected trustees and’ teachers, and widespread dissatisfaction in the community at large.”’ : “District after district are faced with cutbacks,’ he charged. ‘‘Already crowded classrooms (which in many schools are already using lunchrooms and every other corner) are being further overcrowded. Urgently needed schools and expansion are being delayed or not built at all. Kindergartens (where they exist) are facing closure. Night schools are being cut back. All our universities are in turmoil and teachers are being forced to strike to bring the facts to the public,’’ Morgan said. “Yet there is no need for such a situation in this rich province. Our lumber and pulp production is only surpassed by two or three countries in the whole world. We have tremendous hydro resources, petroleum and mineral deposits which are hard to match anywhere,’’ he said. “But we have a ‘giveaway’ government. It’s a disgrace that B.C. stands 7th among Canadian provinces in percentage of revenue allocated to education. But is it any wonder when we. have a Premier and Minister of Finance who can say in one breath that he has no more money for schools and universi- ties, and in the boast of a $39 million budget surplus, and that he’s prepared to go it alone in putting up $27 million to build a superport for the Kaiser- Japanese strip-mining consortium at Robert’s Bank?’ This is what has to change, he told a questioner at the meeting. “The Communist Party believes the starting point in solving the educational crisis lies in bringing our natural resources back under full public control, sharply increasing the royalties and taxes on their use to get the moneys to lift the tax burden off homes and make it possible to elevate education to the top priority. it deserves. ‘‘The Communist Party stands for repeal of the latest amend- ments to the Public Schools Act known as Bill 86. We are for a complete review of the educa- tional system in B.C., particu- larly its financing and we will fight for a full public hearing at which Schools Trustees, Municipal councils, the B.C. Teachers Federation, labor, rate- payers and community organi- zationscan make their views felt”’ ‘‘We are for a re-tooling of our schools; more __ individual attention to those with specific problems, so that we'll spend more money on education and less on jails; provisions for educational research commensurate with the $325 million expenditure we're making; _ provincially-financed day-care centre facilities for the children of working mothers and kindergartens as an integrated part of the school system; and we're for free public education right up to and including voca- tional institutes and colleges and universities, with a stipend to help maintain students in higher education,” Morgan said. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—AUGUST 8, 1969— PAGE 8 Ald. Rankin wins fight | for city tenant board The long fight by Vancouver tenants for the setting up of a municipal board to protect tenants rights took. a big step forward this week when city council adopted a by-law setting up the Vancouver Rental Accom- modation Grievance Board. - The fight for a board to protect - . tenants was led by Alderman Harry Rankin, who described the by-law as an_ important ‘Jandmark in Canada.’’ Van- couver is the first city in Canada to set up such a board. Rankin said the fight isn’t over yet. ‘‘We have accomplished a major job in getting a by-law to set up the board. Now we have to make sure that the regulations which will be discussed by council next week, will have teeth in them protecting the welfare of tenants,” he said. ALD. HARRY RANKIN Tax handouts hit Con’t from pg. 1 concession to big business is staggering - amounting to tens of millions of dollars. Thus, while Premier Bennett travels the province proclaiming what he has done and will do for homeowners with his Homeowner Grant, behind the scenes he has forced through a measure which will add millions of dollars to homeowner tax bills in B.C. municipalities unless the recent amendment to the Municipal Act is repealed and industrial machinery placed back on civic assessment rolls to be taxed like other property. “This business tax was only brought in to provide an escape for industrial giants from paying fair taxation on their machinery. This was a service to industry by the Provincial government... . The government of B.C. has proven once again that it is a willing servant of the industrial | monopolies,” charges Mc Knight. “The Business’ Tax was introduced to perpetuate the concessions industry had enjoyed under the ‘Fixed Assessment’ and continues in fact most of it’s tax exemption,”’ charges the Alberni alderman in a brief made public this week. McKnight has led a long fight’ against the ‘‘Fixed Assessment”’ granted McMillan-Bloedel in Alberni, under which industrial values amounting to about $50 million were assessed and taxed on only $800,000. As a result of his long struggle, and that of others in cities like Trail and elsewhere, the provincial government was forced recently to outlaw fixed assessment on industries within municipal areas. McKnight charges that consulations between company officials and the government have resulted in the new amendments to the Municipal Act which continues that exemption in another, more hidden dorm. “Large scale industry has gained ownership and control of all the basic wealth of the country and surely they must now be forced to pay a fair and’ equitable share of taxation,” says McKnight. The Alberni alderman announced that he intends to make this an issue in the August 27 election. ‘‘We can fight in this election, for the complete elimination of this business tax legislation and for the restoration of the principle that machinery is as much a part of the taxable value of a sawmill or pulp mill as is the land or the buildings on which it sits. This is the only answer. to the injustice © of special tax concessions which big industry has enjoyed too Jong’ — at the expense of the rest of the taxpayers.” Under terms of the by-law he j three-member board is to oT up to enforce the by-law. Ra on said much of the effectiven® | of the by-law will be decided a4 the type of members na fot é the board and arrangemenis | inspection and policing of the y law. ‘‘We must make © the that’ the three members il board are of the calibre that™. | see to it that the by-laW enforced,” Rankin added. - A last minute attempt vA made at city council meer : Tuesday to bring down a weak "i law which would have ‘0 T ineffective, leaving the boar determine its own function. 4 i Rankin and other opponemls |, | the weak by-law fought to ha af council agree that it will dm regulations which will a teeth to deal with grieva” immediately. ae, Tenants in Burnaby aré als organizing and pressing ad) adoption by Burnaby coun i by-laws setting up a Tem iy | board and to protect the rap | i lation. <9 growing tenant popu ; Veteran dies Harold Wynn, a Welsh mit q by trade and World 1 veteran who was active “s | B.C. unemployed struge.y | during the hungry thirtles oy was deported to England Dy ; for his activities in’ aed int Servicemen’s League, #@ | London, England on July 12: ife He leaves behind nsy “| Addie, formerly-of Vancouve Pag AKA SEES Se. Ly change. support. An appeal to readers | —LOMMUNST Pont of 73 Premier Bennett has called the election at the most difficult time. He wants to avoid any real debate. Ducking the central questions and making statements Like Tom Berger made last week that as far as the N.D.P. is concerned, "Nationalization begins with the telephone company and ends there," and that they have "no intention to bring the natural resources ownership!!-- is not going to produce a4 Communist candidates are needed to bring the real issues to the fore. We are the only party which combines a for stand on immediate issues (resources, P P ownership, Bill 33, repeal of the sales t4% ete.) with the longer-term aim of socta ownership of the meane of production -- go necessary to achieve maximum benefits and lasting security for all. Help te urgently needed to finance 7 Communist Party's campaign --- to pay for the thoueande of leaflets, newspaper ad- verte and radio time. Please send your donations to PROVINCIAL CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS 4 ...under public ensigh ub 11¢ We appeal for your 408 Ford Bldg. ancouver 4, B.C. et! 3 Send your donation NO