Opposition to NPA domination
shown in record-breaking vote

By MAURICE RUSH

The main feature of last! week’s record breaking civic vote in Wancouver was the

strong feeling against NPA domination at city hall.

The campaign which Effie Jones and

other progressives led for many years against the NPA was finally taken up by large num-

bers of voters on December 11.

Confused as many of the voters may have been about

the different alternatives that presented themselves the wish of the electorate for a change

was unmistakeably clear.

When the smoke cleared away the NPA found its grip consider-

ably weakened although still in control of city council, school and parks board. City council
is now made up of eight NPA and two CVA. The school board is. entirely NPA and the
seven-member parks board has four NPA, two independents who sought NPA _ endorsation
without success, and CCF’er Arnold Webster.

If it had not been for the
system of voting by which the
people each year elect only
half their representatives the
composition of our civic bodies
would be much different now.

The NPA has been shaken.
But the real test will come
next year when the mayor and
NPA members of council,
school and parks boards come
up for re-election. Labor and
progressives should now turn
their attention to the all-im-
portant 1958 election.

Bos bos es

It is clear now that the
largest number of voters who
wanted a change in city coun-
cil saw Tom Alsbury and Eve-
lyn Caldwell backed by the
Vancouver Sun as_ the ones
most likely to succeed. To that
extent big business circles in
Vancouver succeeded in chan-
neling opposition to the-re-
actionary NPA into support for
the equally reactionary CVA
in much the same way that
Social Credit was able to do in
provincial politics when the
Coalition became discredited.
In carrying through this man-
oeuvre big business in Van-
couver was considerably aided
by Tom Alsbury who helped
give the CVA a “labor” front.

In a leading editorial last
Saturday the Vancouver Sun
indicated what lies behind its
support of the CVA. In taking
to task a leading NPA spokes-
man for saying the NPA will
“rid the city hall of the CVA”
the Sun warned that “if the
NPA ‘rids itself of CVA com-
petition some other group will
arise to capitalize on this re-
sentment.” The “other group”

LEVAV LID ERLE DZD RE WRED ADE RAPD?

HOLIDAY
STORE HOURS

PEOPLE’S CO-OP
BOOKSTORE

337 W. Pender St.
MArine 5836

Friday, December 13
Open till 9 p.m.

December 18 & 23
Open till 9 p.m.

Regular Store Hours:
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

PEAT ART RA AIA EL

EFFIE JONES

the Sun fears is labor and
progressive independents. The

‘Sun is in fact. warning the

NPA that if it doesn’t make
way for the CVA it may open
the way to election of labor
and other progressives to civic
office.

This fear of the Sun and
other big business interests
has been added to by the im-
pressive vote polled by the
three labor candidates and by
Effie Jones and school board
candidate Harry Rankin. It is
significant: that labor candi-
date Sam Jenkins and Effie
Jones beat two of the NPA
and one of the CVA candi-
dates. The 20,000 to 22,000
votes polled by the labor can-
didates is particularly signifi-
cant when it is considered that
two of the three candidates
were practically unknown
civic personalities: and ‘that
confusion had been deliberate-
ly sown in labor’s ranks by the
duplicity of Tom Alsbury.

Organized labor should draw
courage from the results and
prepare now to enter civic poli-
tics next Décember with the
aim of electing. One of the big
jobs labor should tackle this
year is to ensure a much larger
turnout of non-owners, only
32.4 percent of whom voted
as compared to 52.1 of prop-
erty-owners. Labor should also
energetically take up civic is-

‘sues throughout the year and

associate its candidates with
these issues.

The results of last week’s
vote has created a new stage
in Vancouver civic politics.
The main features of this new
situation are: (1) the NPA has
been weakened and is in de-

cline, although it still domi-
fates city council, school and
parks boards; (2) Reactionary
circles backed by the Vancou-
ver Sun have created another

civic political machine, the
CVA, which has already -
established a foothold and

through which they hope to di-
vert public dissatisfaction with
former civic policies into
“safe” channels; (3) Organ-
ized labor has taken the big
step of entering civic politics
and has become a force show-
ing that with proper prepara-
tions and broader allies it can
elect; (4) Independent pro-
gressives such as council can-
didate Effie Jones and school
board candidate Harry Rankin
have shown that progressive
independent candidates can
rally a large vote and that
uniting of labor with these
and other progressive forces
among ratepayers, pensioners,
etc. can elect and shatter the
NPA next year as well as pre-
vent the reactionary CVA

from replacing the NPA.

Upset win in North Vancouver,
gains by progressives in province

A scattering of progressive
and labor candidates contest-
ing seats in last week’s muni-
cipal elections scored several
successes, notably in North
Vancouver City, where a pro-
gressive candidate won elec-
tion to the school board, and
Delta, where a labor man gain-
ed a council seat.

In North Vancouver City,
Harold Dean won an upset vic-
tory, defeating Sydney J. Ley-
land, school board chairman,
by 2,504 votes to 2,497. A re-
count increased his narrow
margin from 7 to 14 votes.

Another progressive candi-
date, Mrs. Dorothy Lynas,
North Vancouver District
failed by. 302 votes to hold the
school board seat she gained
by acclamation two years ago.

In Delta, Carl Liden, making
his first bid for council with
support of the Sunbury local
of the United Fishermen and
Allied Workers Union and
North and South Delta Rate-
payers’ associations, ran third
in a field of four candidates to
win one of three council seats.

Va S vot
CITY COUNCIL (Six Elected)
Tom Alsbury, CVA 57,932
Evelyn Caldwell, CVA 53,739
Anna Sprott, NPA aioe, ee ORS
J. W. Cornett, NPA == 2-2 : ; 35,188
Reg Atherton, NPA __. 34,154
Frank Baker, NPA (one year term) oR SOOOLS
Charles Balfour, CVA 33,389
William Wallace, CVA __. 29,086
Jack Moffitt, CVA aoe 28,475
sam Jenkms, Labor 2... 22,335
Hitie- Jones; Ind.<. > 3 ud 20,829 °
Ne's Beaton, NPA _____- po : 20,418
Patrick Neale, Labor _- : 20,344
Ree Paxton; -CV-A> 2 = 20,282
Char’es Lamarche, Labor 20,174
Everet: King, “NPA. =: Gort _ 19,940
Patrick O’Donohue, Ind. EE 13,007
Albert Dunn; ind = .2e ee ts a 9,892
Arthur Riley cin: vce ey ee ee OD
SCHOOL BOARD (Four Elected)
Jean: Crowley; “NRA 2235.8 eS a Boor Pile
George Robson, NPA —__- oe tee a oe G4 95).
BenoBalle NRA a oe 50,446
Pred Rowell NPA}! =e 50,984
Hariys Dankin. And. = es eee hea 54,042
PARK BOARD (Three Elected)
William Galder,Ind. 3s. 60,477
Charles Stephens, nd = 22. =. 50,688
> DTeweo Pratl, NEA ashe 47,283
Adam sutherland, sNPA geno 03 10
“Herbert Wwardelle Ind, oes Se 38,813
PLEBISCITES
ges For Agains. Pet.
Five-Year Plan ___-_--- 42,191 17,966 70.13
Schools Bylaw __------ 45,025 15,049 74.95
Fluoridation *_.-=----- 538,284 42,135 55.84
Sunday Sports —-.- =.= 2,043 34,446 64.3 =
ELIGIBLE VOTERS 22 ee ee ee 231,464
TOTAL WHO:-VOTED: -2= 98,344
PERCENTAGE WHO VOTED -_____--_--- 42.48
ne

At Kitimat, Ronald Freeman,
one of two labor aldermen
seeking re-election, held his
seat, but his running mate,
Don Stickney, was defeated.
Both Freeman and Stickney,
sponsored by the United Steel
Workers, were elected in Kiti-
mat’s first election in 1955.

At Vernon, Ald. Geraldine
Coursier topped the aldermanic
poll in her bid for a second
term on a progressive plat-
form. :

Several progressive candi-
dates were returned by accla-
mation. Among them were
Councillor Ken Gibson, stand-
ing for the Wildwood Heights
seat at Powell River he won
two years ago, and Mrs..Jean
Carlson, seeking a second term
as school trustee at Cowichan
Lake. In Maple Ridge, Reeve
Peter Jenewein UFAWU mem-
ber, was given an acclamation
for his third term of office.

In the Prince Rupert mayor-
alty contest, Peter J. Lester,
member of the striking Pulp
and Sulphite Workers, ousted
Mayor George E. Hills in a

December 20, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE

close fight by 1,363 votes "|
1,323: :

At Port Alberni, a lab]
candidate, George McKnight
fell short of election by 1
votes in his second bid for *
s@at on council.

Another progressive cand”
date who increased his vol
was Carl Hilland, who polleé
640 votes in the Maple Rid
school board contest.

Live togethe!
says Reuthel

DETRO!
President Walter Reuther ®)’
United Automobile Work)
recently asked an audience by
California auto workers
it is of any importance 1? —
worker to receive a few P®%,
nies more or less in wage?
an H-bomb drops in his b@
yard?”

Unless we learn to live na
gether, he said, we shall pel |
together.

4