we i

‘Fix it yourself’

O NE of the most sickening and despicable features of

capitalist politics is that it seldom misses an oppor-
tunity to utilize anything and everything for narrow parti-
san gain.

Even when natural disaster strikes, these partisan
hagglers invariably show much more concern about political
gain than for the prompt relief and rehabilitation of disaster
victims.

When the Alaskan community of Anchorage was de-
stroyed by a devastating earthquake on March 28, Prime
Minister Pearson promptly announced that Canada would
donate $5-million in aid of the stricken community. That
fine gesture had strong political overtones.

But the devastation of a disastrous tidal wave unleash-
ed by the Alaskan earthquake which struck the Albernis,
damaging or destroying some 300 homes, industry and other
property to the extent of $3-million got no such prompt re-
sponses, either from Victoria or Ottawa.

While the inhabitant of fifty-five or more destroyed
homes could find shelter and sustenance wherever they
_could, the old inter-partisan haggle on “flood relief” got
under way. Was it a “disaster”, what was the total assessed

damage, who should “pay, ’’ how much, and so on?

With a “grant” which fell far short of the capabilties
of a “debt free” province, garnished with typical Socred
chatter about “co-operative federalism,” Premier Bennett
left it to Ottawa to pick up a minimum tab of $750,000 for
disaster losses.

Divesting itself of its magnanimous “aid” to Alaska in
matters of home affairs, the Pearson government managed
a bare $250,000, almost two months after disaster struck

_ the Albernis. Happily for the tidal wave victims, the Al-

berni “Flood Relief Committee” has itself collected $300,-
000 or more in donations to help meet a grave emergency.

Meantime, a veritable flood of wires, resolutions and
letters have poured into Ottawa, demanding that the Pear-
son government meet its full responsibilities to the stricken
Albernis. This should be stepped up to the point where
callous evasion is no longer possible.

Ironically enough that useless fringe of irresponsible
government known as “Civil Defense’’, which was nowhere’
in sight during the Alberni disaster, is at it again with a re-

vamped propaganda campaign on the “how” and “where”

to “evacuate” in case of thermonuclear war—or “disaster.”

Plenty of taxpayer’s dollars for “CD” lunacy, but peanuts ©

for Alberni disaster victims.
Tom |
— McEWEN

ieee

“1 think it’s a Ban the Bus demonstration.” —

5 : e
Two-way trade bid
D R. Gordon Shrum, co-chairman of B.C. Hydro and
head of the new Simon Fraser University, currently

touring the Soviet Union with a Canadian trade mission,
has evoked something of an uproar in local coldwar circles.

Highly impressed by the advanced techniques of Soviet
hydro generation and transmission, Dr. Shrum has pro-
posed to the Russians that they too should enter a “‘bid”’
to supply equipment for B.C.’s Peace River power project.

Obviously Dr. Shrum has seen for himself what other
informed opinion has long recognized; that the Soviet
Union is well out in the forefront in the manufacture of
power generating and transmission equipment. So why not
a Soviet “bid,” knowing beforehand that such goods when
and if delivered, will be vastly superior to that supplied by
other “bidders” in the “Western” world?

At least Dr. Shrum, looking over superior commodities
in this field, appreciates the fact that Canada’s trade with
the USSR cannot indefinitely remain a “one-way” street.
Hence his sensible proposition to “make a bid.”

short-cut—away from reality. Its
much easier to gulp down acouple
of ‘‘tranquilizer’’ pills that to
figure out the how and where-
fore of the high-cost-of-living,
or why governments, includin:;
our own, spend billions of dol-
lars on arniaments without bat-
ting an eyelash, but regard a

» excuse us, the middle
—cow. :

Frankly, we just don’t like
grass, although we are ready to
admit it has great potentialities
—for some, Just imagine how
monopoly profits would soar
above their present high levels if

*he concern of a nation, a
community, or the individual
on the issue of health is a very
praise-worthy sentiment. More
so in this era of mounting wor-
ries and tensions, most sharply
reflected in sky-rocketting men-
tal-breakdown statistics.

Another barometer of these

tensions which drives ahighper- —

centage of otherwise normal peo-
ple toe the verge of insanity, is
the i,0unting consumption of a
wide variety of ‘‘tranquilizers”’,
€€eo0f bulls’’, dope, pills and po-
tions cf all sorts, producing mil-
lions of dollars in profits for the
drug monopolists, but little or
no relief, and certainly no last-
ing; relief, to the tensed-up ad-
dict.

Then we have another by-pro-
duct of this ‘‘goof ball’’ era;
a steady increase of quacks,
cranks and just plain crackpots,
numerous and varied as fleas
on a dog. Each with their spe-
cial nostrum for wooing human-
ity back from the “‘brink’’, anc

making a good fat living at it.

It is not accidental that the
U.S.A. has by far and away the
highest percentage of this as-
sortment of modern quacks, each
with their own sure-fire ‘*cure’”’
in their chosen field for all the

: jlls of the new jet-age nerve-

wrecked “man.”

Almost daily the brochures,
leaflets, ‘‘tracts’’ etc., from the
quack centers of U.S. ‘*know-

how’? hit our desk, (Could it be

that some of them regard us as
a likely candidate for their spe-

cial ‘*cure’’?).

- Just recently we got a book-
let extolling the high nutritional
qualities of ‘“‘grass’’, Its sup-
porting thesis was a simple one.
Since man is a meat-eater and

‘milk drinker, obviously neither

being ‘‘good’’ for us, and -since
**Bossie’”’ gets allher sustenance
for meat and milk from grass,
why. not eliminate the cow and
eat ‘the grass ourselves? That

way we’d eliminate the middle-

they could hold their working.

people down to a daily diet of
alfalfa or timothy hay? On such
a diet even union men could
cast away their wage negotiation
tensions and begin to develop that
relaxed air, said to be the sole
feeling of ‘‘contented cows,”’

It may be added that this
‘“erass’® diet, according to the
booklet, also requires a close
affinity with the‘ Almighty’’, just

_ in case the old cud-chewing fac-

ulties don’t measure up to the.

menu. |

Another booklet from a U.S.
source tells of ‘‘a great new
discovery’’ on how to shed wor-
ries, tensions, peevishness, irri-
tations and what not, all with one
small bottle of ‘‘wonder pills’.
Just ‘‘enclose $5,00 for our free
booklet and a trial sample .of

pills,’ and you’re on your way —

to Nirvana.

Between these extreme
‘‘health,”’ ‘diet’’, and ‘‘tension-
relieving’ faddists there is just
nothing Homo Sapiens cannot be
‘cured’’ of. And it provides a

genuine tension-relieving all-in-
elusive medicare plan as ‘‘tou
costly.”’

How’s about a dish of dec ..
licious ‘‘grass’’ soup?

tee

The current trial of Harry Van
Gelder in Vancouver, allegedly
another of those quacks who
prey upon human credulity, with
their own special stock-in-trade,
underscores the above. Harry’s
‘*Jine’’ has something to do with

Paci

Vancouver 4, B.C.

$4.00 one year.

of postage in cash.

“We are now living in the
math of nuclear confrontation : « it
are in no danger of an ottock
the Soviet Union; on the other ™
we are in no position to °
Soviet Union ground - - -

“The Cold Wa :
and malignant phase —!
long term competition betwe
tems, is nof.””

—WALTER LIPPMAN, noted A
can political commentator, in afr
CBS-TV interview.

What the North Americans”
by the ‘Free World” is that P'
the world in which their busine!
have unrestricted freedom, '
which the American bureucracy
generally to do what it pleases:

Hence the spectacle of orders
given by minor U.S. officials pti
citizens and officials of “allied”
tries, on matters of trade and Poly
Hence the shock at de Gaulle*
obedience and the propose? indi
of the Seventh Fleet into the
Ocean in order to keep ov part
world “‘safe for democracy:

The government’s evasive ood :
ment on this last problem (cont

of course in an academic oe
“nonalignment” which failed t
press us with, the clevernes* ao
official who wrote it out) :
that the intruders are welcome

As long as President Johns
his successors act as if they d the
Presidents of the whole world,
can be neither peace nor co-e%

deal more from Rus

ing what she can sell fo

the present wheat contracts
.. . We are foolish to igno! '
opportunities. Canada should no ©
till the wheat sales end, but ed
wheels of diversified trade wi
moving today.” ;

_Globe and Mail editorial, 7

a ’

supposed to “surround”? ©
man body. All very tee”
and entertaining.

Anyhow a local food and
sleuth, playing the role of
ient”’ sent Harry a sample,
‘blood’? for analysis, onl¥!
case he sent cow’s blood §
of his own. Not to be ?
Harry seemingly got a plau
‘diagnosis’? of the ‘pa
ailment.

Characters like Harty»
of being sent to jail for
ticing medicine’’ illegallYs
be transferred to the enté
ment field. Such tale!
become a real boon to
Hollywood, and set a
cedent for the rernoval 0
quacks from the area 0*
health. 4

F Co < } Say TRG |
iN 4

ee +0 at Li nore

: : Editor — TOM McEWEN .
Associate Editor — MAURICE RUSH iz
Circulation Manager — JERRY SHACK. _
Published weekly at Room 6 — 426 Main Street

Phone MUtual 5-5288

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Australia, United States and all of
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and for paymé

May 22, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—