ity compelled
to act on BCE
by Effie Jones

Effie Jones, independent aldermanic candidate in the coming civic elections, won
a signal victory for commuters on Monday this week when she forced Vancouver alder-

men to refer her brief on poor BCER service to the transit committee for action. Lead-

ing a Civic Reform Association delegation, Mrs. Jones demanded that the Utilities and
Airport Committee call a public hearing to investigate citizens’ complaints about the

lack of service following the recent B.C. Electric cuts.

So forceful was Mrs. Jones’
presentation, and so _ flagrant
has been the company’s disre-
gard to the public’s needs in
most aldermen felt compelled to
rise and support the brief.

“I have received complaints
that people have been passed up
by as many as three buses and
teft standing for 25 minutes dur-
ing rush hours,” said Ald. Hal-
ford Wilson.

“Buses are crammed to the
doors. The BCER transit system
is going backward rather than
forward,” declared Alderman
Sydney Bowman.

Ald. R. K. Gervin rose and
sidied out of the room, while the
BCER representative looked un-
comfortable.

Said Ald. J. W. Cornett: “I
have received a lot of complaints.
Service is poor on the Main line.
I believe an extensive survey
should be made.

Even Ald. Earle Adams was
compelied to protest that “many
workers are ariving late at their
jobs and may be fired through no
fauit of their own.” But he went
on to opine that “the home com-
ing service didn’t matter,”

On motion of Ald. Halfard Wil-
son, aldermen refered Mrs. Jones’
brief to the transit committee for
action.

“The only way we'll get ac-
tion,” Mrs. Jones warned citizens
tater, “is for all organizations
to demand they be invited to the
meeting of the transit commit-
tee.”

in her brief Mrs. Jones gave
exampies of bad transit service
on the Fraser-Davie, Main-Rob-
son, X-Broadway and other lines,

and demanded that City Council-

tell the BCER that it- must im-
prove trequency and service on
its lines immediately.

“People living in the Broadway
Kast area who have been able to
8c downtown directly on the
same bus or car, now have to
transter,” she said. “Early mor-
ning service on Main going south
from Broadway has been cut by
45 minutes, the first bus under
the new schedule now leaving at
5.25 am. as compared to 4.42
a.m. before the change.”

Citizens’ protests against BCER
euts in service have forced the
company to revise some sched-
ules in North Vancouver and
Burnaby.

On Monday this week a series
of bus schedule changes was
placed before Burnaby municipal
council by a BCE representative
in an etfort to placate aroused
commuters.

Rassengers from the Sprott and
Norland area will now be able to
gc either north or south on the
Gilmore-Willingdon buses with
either zone one or zone two
fares; half-hourly’ service has
been reinstituted on the Capitol
Hill run; passengers from Smith
buses can transfer to Fraser Arm-
Rumble buses for the trip to Van-
couver without any more than the
total city and zone fares.

Italians riot in Trieste

Lasi week Trieste police fired on Italian students carrying “Down
with Tito!” banners and demanding return of the city to Italy. When
American and British troops set up machine guns in the main square,
Italian Premier Guiseppe Pella told his ambassadors in Washington
and London to protest vigorously against such actions and the be-
havior of British-commanded police in Trieste.

Bennett - Johnson
debate ‘evasion’

VICTORIA, B.C.

“Recent exchanges between
Premier W. A. C. Bennett and
ex-Premier Byron Johnson about
saving British Columbia $34 mil-
lion are just deliberate parti-
sen distortion,” Nigel Morgan,
LPP provincial leader, declared
at an LPP meeting here last week.

“What the people are interest-
ed in is what is happening to their
taxes.

“The undeniable fact is that
taxes reached their highest point
in provincial history under the
Johnson government and nothing
the Bennett government has done
has materially reduced them.

“A lower provincial debt is

meaningless as long as the muni-
cipal debt is mounting. Taxes on
homes are still going up sharply
all over the province and no re-
lief from the sales tax has yet
been promised.

“This whole controversy is just
so much flim-flam to confuse the
voters — prevent debate on the
central issue of this byelection —
markets and jobs. On this issue
not one of the four parties in the
legislature had a word to say dur-
ing the recent session.”

“Increasing numbers of work-
ers are tacing layoffs or are al-
ready eking out an existence on
unemployment insurance,” Mor-
gan declared.

Paci

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cmd pons

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1953

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a“ ul ‘in’ IY.

Continued from page 1

BYELECTION

continues how long will it be
betore cutbacks and ‘depression
economies’ are ordered for the
civil service?” she asked.

“There need not be layoffs,”
she assured an enthusiastic audi-
ence. ‘““I'here are markets for our
goods, provided we elect someone
who can compel the legislature to
take up the fight for the welfare
of B.C. and place the need for
markets ahead of the plans of
the warmakers.

“No government and no party
which drifts along with the cold
war policy and U.S. domination
over Canada can fight for B.C.
That's why not only the Liberals
and Tories, but the Socred and
CCF spokesmen remain silent.

“We've got to take steps to re-
gain fost sterling markets and
break the U.S.-imposed dollar re-
strictions on trade with Europe
and Asia,’ the LPP candidate
said. “The British people need
our fish, farm and lumber pro-
ducts. Markets in the Common-
wealth and Asia are wide open
providing we get out from be-
hind U.S.-dictated trade barriers.”

“Just~ think what this would
mean to Victoria. It would mean
more ships calling at the Port
ot Victoria, more longshoring,
more ship repairing, outfitting
and provisioning. Trade would

make necessary the rebuildité
of Canada’s merchant mati
now reduced to one-tenth 18
early postwar strength.

“Trade with China could ws
up a vast market for B.C. produ
and it would mean the pos
for Victoria shipyard workels
more orders for China ¢0
like those which kept Yart
and V.M.D. busy in 1945-46.” aid

Outlining a program of ne
public works for Victoria,
Blakey pledged to get actio
a new isolation hospital for
couyer island.

“Victoria has just experien
the -worst polio epidemic ™
history,” she said, “but there
only one place where a
could be treated—the Royal ;
bilee Hospital—already filled
capacity.”

Nigel Morgan, LPP prt
leader, who is in Victoria au
ing in the campaign, outline? |
LPP plan to beat the threat
depression. :

LPP election headd «Bi
opened this week at 1953 08 Mt
Avenue, announced that spree
Blakey would be heard of 7.
radio broadcasts over
CKCD this coming week, Mo
November 16, 9.55 P.M %
day, November 18, %°
Saturday, November 21, 7

Be

The LPP

NAME

It’s your fight!
* against layoffs
* for jobs and
world trade

is the only party with
a program to Beat thé}
Threat of Depression"

DONATE NOW
to the LPP Provincial Byelection Fund

—__ ae
(AMOUNT)

——
USE THIS AS A COLLECTION LIST AND TURN (ig,
LABOR-PROGRESSIVE PARTY, RM. 503, FORD
VANCOUVER, B.C.

— TT

In Victoria vote
BLAKEY, Doris

I
INSERTED BY LPP PROVINCIAL ELECTION coMMIT

Bul

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