St. Laurent calls subsidized housing ‘unconstitutional’ “No government of which I am a part would ever pass legislation for subsidized housing. stitutional” and “a threat to democracy,’ want to do favors for votes.” aa He branded it “‘uncon- * saying “We don’t So, Vancouver housing If you live in slums—that’s “de- mocracy.” If the government were to sub- sidize low-rental housing — that would be “unconstitutional.” So says Hon. Louis St. Laurent, minister of external affairs, and heir-apparent to the leadership of the Liberal Party. He’s coming to Yale and Vancou- ver Centre to speak in the byelec- tions posing as a “democrat.” Also coming is the Hon, C. D. Howe, minister of trade and com- merce, who says, “We'll build all the houses we can get lots for, but we think the man who is willing and able to pay for them should get first attention.” Everybody would be willing to pay for a lovely home but the family shown upper right is being kicked out because they can’t even afford any home at present prices, “ The inhabitants of the wretched Vancouver shack shown in lower left above don’t live there be- MH HUTT | TNT Natives ‘weighed cause they’re not willing to pay for a house. They haven’t got the money. The Liberal govern- ment sees to that. That’s Liberal “democracy.” Recognized authorities on hous- ing, as well as the scores of thous- ands of unrecognized authorities living in slum conditions, state re- peatedly that the only solution to giving people decent homes is gov- ernment operated or _ subsidized low-rental housing. By placing the “democratic rights” of the real estate sharks and the big landlords above the rights of citizens to homes and security, the government has failed to solve a long-standing ‘acusing crisis that grows steadily worse. The Vancouver City Social Serv- ice Administrator in his annual re- port for 1947 states: “The situation has greatly deteriorated during the past year. Low rental housing is not available .. .” Citing cases, the report contin- ues: “In one instance a woman and CRUTETOCOCUOCEUTATUUAAALAUTHAA Hil! Hi EUIVPAOVAYCUUOUAQUAUOQAUVOOUEHAEUU as freight’ SYDNEY—The Australian government is investigating charges that native workmen are “weighed as freight” to avoid compliance with passenger safety regulations on airlines in Australia’s South Pacific colony of New Guinea. The investigation was instituted after 33 were killed in the country’s worst recorded plane disaster eas ae month. : workers, with an Australian crew of four, perished in the crash of a Lockheed-Hudson transport carrying them to the Bulolo goldfields (where British Columbia interests are active). Transports of this type are usually permitted from 14 to 17 passengers. : Australiar airmen with New Guinea experience said the prac- tice there was “to count natives not as passengers but as freight, to weigh and charge (their employers) for them on a poundage basis.” No safety belts or seats were provided. The people of New Guinea were promised a “new deal” after the war by the Australian government in return for their loyal services to Allied armies as guides, stretcher bearers and soldiers against the Japanese invaders. THT TTT 7 FINE CUSTOM TAILORING For Ladies and Gentlemen 720 W. Hastings, UPSTAIRS PA. 8059 - Those able to buy houses come first, states Howe “We'll build all the houses we can get lots for, but we think the man who is willing and able to pay for them should get first attention.” two children, whose normal so- cial allowance is $50 monthly, were persuaded to move from a shack which resefhbled a_ dis- carded packing. case, and the only accommodation she could find was two rooms at a rental of $35 a month, To the normal shel- ter rate of $13 the department added $22 monthly ... This case and many other like it indicate the need for subsidized housing units where adequate accommo- dation could be provided at lower cost than is now paid for the maintenance of slums.” Vancouver City’s Health Depart- ment found 70 percent of basement suites and 50 percent of housekeeP- ing rooms in the West End “un- suitable.” i Howe and St. Laurent can expect a hot time from hecklers when they reach the Coast. They are likely to find that the family cooped up in the third floor back at $50 a situation gets worse month has a new slant on demo- cracy. Their slant probably includes a private bathroom, a rent they can afford to pay, and a landlord that will let them raise a family. It will be hard to convince them that these views are subversive. They're even likely to want a new government. A place to live can be as important to a sawmill worker as to St. Laurent—who has two of them. Vancouver to be starting point of international “peace train’ Vancouver is to be the starting point this summer for a “peace train” that will carry youth delegations from many countries across two continents to participate in an inter- national sports festival in Czechoslovakia and the centennial celebrations of the Hungar- ian republic. The idea originated from a pro- posal made by Mrs. Leah Manning, British M.P. On June 18, a group of Vancou- ver young people will leave for Halifax on the first leg of their journey to Europe, and as it travels eastward the “peace train” will be joined by delegations from other cities. In Europe, the Canadian delega- tion will link up with American and British delegations for a con- tinuation of the “peace train” across the continent. Some 100 Canadian delegates are expected to compose the 1948 ver- sion of the Beaver Brigade which went to Prague last year to attend the World Youth Festival. “Those of us who had a chance to travel through Europe last year went with many ‘Western’ ideas about Europe,” says Glyn Thomas, provincial executive secretary of the National Federation of Labor Youth and a member of the 1947 Beaver Brigade. “We had a lot of misconceptions about Eastern Eur- ope, and about young people there, and the trip gave us an opportunity to see things for ourselves, talk with young people from other countries and form our own im- pressions.” This year’s delegation will attend ‘ a youth conference to be held in Warsaw on August 10. In Prague the delegation will take part in an international sports festival, : In Budapest the delegation will be guests at the 1848-1948 hund- redth anniversary celebrations of the Hungarian republic. Like the members of the 1947 Beaver Brigade, this year’s dele- gates will take part in reconstruc- tion work. Their job this year will be the rebuilding of miners’ cot- tages in the Lidice-Most-Litvinov areas of Czechoslovakia, where the 1947 Beaver Brigade, headed by Homer Stevens of Vancouver, Un- ited Fishermen’s Union secretary, was formed. Delegates will also work on the youth railway in Bosnia, central Yugoslavia, on which project the 1947 Beaver Brigade won its “high- est recognition” award. The return trip will include re- ports on their experiences and drafting of a statement on their achievements for peace. ' “The Beaver Brigade, 1948, wil constitute a long step towards real- ization of the slogan of the World Federation of Democratic Youth that through international friend- ship and cooperation youth builds the peace.” Unions protest Greek murders A demand that the King gov- ernment “vigorously” protest against the execution of Greek de- mocrats has been voiced by Auto Workers’ and United Mine Work- ers’ locals, Amalgamated Local 252,., UAW- CIO declared in a resolution that the government of Premier Soph- oulis had carried out a ‘fascist policy of terror and execution” during its eight months in office and asked the King government to “protest mlost vigorously against these executions” as well as to demand that those scheduled to take place be stopped. | In Alberta the Bellevue and Coleman locals of the United Mine Workers of America (CCL), protested “this brutal crime against democracy and humanity” and demanded that the Canadian government immediately register a protest with the Greek govern- ment. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 28, 1948—PAGE 10