AND THE FAT
CATS GET ALL Y/,
PROFIT. ,

The major issue _ before
Canadians is to ¢urb the power of
the big corporations, Maurice
Rush, Vancouver East candidate
of the Communist Party, told a
rally of nearly 400 members of the
Carpenters Union at the Russian
Community Hall, last Friday.

“These corporations,’’. said
Rush, ‘‘are the only ones in Canada
who are profiting from inflation.’
Pointing to recent profits an-
nounced by Statistics Canada, he
said inflation has been a bonanza
for the small clique who dominate
the economic life of Canada and set
high prices, control the market,
and create shortages when it suites
their profit-making purposes.

Rush said the Communist
platform calls for action to shift the
burden of inflation off the backs of
the working people to those able to
pay, the wealthy. “That’s why,” he

Taxi owners have tight monopoly

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

‘One of the complex problems
that has faced City Council’s
Vehicles for Hire Board, of which I
am chairman, is that of setting the

“rate of taxi fares that may be
charged in the city. Involved are
taxi owners, large and small, and
taxi drivers, some of whom own
and drive their own cabs and
others-who work for the owners.

For the past 20 years the city has
had 363 cabs. While the population
has increased greatly during that
time as has the demand for cabs,
the number of cabs has remained
the same. One result has been poor
service. Owners of cab licenses
have a tight little monopoly, with
licenses (which are transferable)
selling for $35,000 and over.

Our Board has had a number of
discussions on what to do about the
appalling taxi service in the city.
The owners took the position that
more taxis are not needed, that if
they could charge more they would
provide better service with the
existing number of cabs, (a far

fetched idea — to say the least), as
well as pay their drivers more.

I demanded that the taxi owners
produce their books for inspection
to prove that they needed a fare
increase. They have refused to do
so. City Council then decided that
fares could be increased ap-
proximately 70 per cent as an in-
terim measure, and that in-
dependent auditors would examine
the books of the taxi owners.

In the course of this controversy
over increased fares, our Board
had the unusual spectacle of
hearing from two taxi drivers, who
claimed to represent the drivers in
the city, stating that. the taxi
owners were not making money
and asking for higher fares, so that
the owners could pay them more
wages!

It seems to me that taxi drivers
badly need an organization that
will fight to see that they get decent
wages out of-the profits made by
owners, (and remember that if a
taxi license sells for $35,000 and up
someone is making a good profit),

joining with owners in trying to get
higher fares is no guarantee that
their conditions will get better.

The duty of the Vehicles for Hire
Board is to protect the public from
excessive fares, and I want to do
what I can to help drivers get a
living wage. Our Board took the
position that any fare increases
must be contingent on the drivers
getting a minimum of 50 per cent of
the take plus seven per cent of the
fringe benefits. This the owners
reluctantly agreed to.

In the meantime, though, we
insist on an independent audit of
the books of the taxi owners. My
view, until it can be proven
otherwise, is that the taxi owners
are making profits now, and that
they can afford to pay better
wages. It is up to the taxi drivers to

use their muscle to get it, just as-

other workers -do in other in-
dustries, and just as taxi drivers do
in other cities. If the books show
that a fare increase is justified,
and if one is granted, the drivers

will have to see that they get a fair.

share of it. They deserve it.

ae ee

Curbs on corporations
to remain major issue

said, ‘“‘we advocate a 25 per cent
rollback of prices for food,
clothing, footwear and housing, for
increased pensions of $250 at 60,
and exemption from taxes on those
of lower incomes.”

The Vancouver East Communist
candidate said that the Communist
Party :is the only party in this
election calling for action to break
the power of the giant corporations
responsible for high prices, and
who dominate the economic life of
Canada. ‘We will continue that-
fight after July 8,” he said.

Pritchett calls
for flood control

Fraser Valley West Communist
candidate Harold Pritchett last
week called for the building of a
canal between the Pitt River and
Burrard Inlet to help ease a
potential flood hazard in future
years.

Pritchett ‘said there are two
major. issues confronting the
Canadian voter — inflation and
unemployment. He said the
Communist Party proposes a plan
of balanced all-Canada economic
development to create 2.5 million
new jobs during the next decade.

He said monopoly is forcing
small businesses out of circulation,
and that the corporations have only
one purpose — that is the drive for
maximum profits.

areas “which would

~ banks,

Rush said his party adv
nationalization under
control of at least three

process of placing th a
porations under control.

these as (1) nationalizé
foreign owned compa
multinational corporatio!
nationalization of tans?
and energy, starting with
and the establishment of @ a
transportation syste™ ©
integrated national at
program; (3) takeovel
trusts and cr nati
stitutions to establish tt
control over financial iS" —

Pointing to the recent
monopoly case In er
shaved that heads of ite afl
companies involved, g0 Ip
lightly because of politica
their standing in the be
world. He said despite th
law. allows charges
against persons resP? ‘
engaging ina monopoly a ene
against the public, none a ip
and no names mention©
long court case:

“Rush said those guilty " ‘e
part in a monopoly re
against the public shoul
jail as provided fo ;
combines legislation. ~~.
law provides for 4 ee
two years and that term
increased,” he said.

“Things look bad, your shares ob
times what they were last year!

are only worth four —

and oF

While scores of hundreds of these elements masquerade
as “Marxists” or, ‘‘Marxist-Leninists” and pilfer for
themselves the honored title of the Communist Party,
they have no other purpose in this than to cause
widespread confusion and disunity. In this alone they are

an historical denial of the imperishable valididty of
Marxism-Leninism.

one with U.S., British, Canadian, Fe tskyil?,
“democracies”. Then it was largely * ts” hada
“Jumpen”’ declassed elements. The ‘“Maols

been invented. :

: 74
Today in the current federal election of 7
some 104or more of these “Marxist-Lenins want |
the ballot. Most of them say they “doD™ pall
elected’’ and none of them will. They are orering® !
the express purpose of down-grading, slam unist }
representing the candidates of the con on the
Canada, and above all confusing the electo™
issue of social change.

Consequently they largely remain what they are — a
blight upon the working class of their country of
residence, a handy and pliable tool (well financed) in the
hands of a ruling caste with which to split and divide the
unity and resolve of the people. And in sharp periods of
revolutionary class struggle, a mercenary band in the
service and pay of reactionary imperialism.

} a ibe all critical periods of history, critical that is for the,

Se toe Goes > sruling class in power, its symptoms are again gaining °

Poe Be hs momentum. Times and conditions change, so also do
language definitions. But its origin, content and relative
purpose remain unchanged.

“The history of all hitherto existing societies,” Marx
tells us, “‘is the history of class struggle.” Precisely. And
the history: of all ruling class ‘‘Fifth Columns”, whatever
their names have been, is the history of a ruling caste
dredging up the lowest scum of the society it has polluted,
in order to destroy, deny or defeat that historically con-
scious segment of society.contending against it.

Hence at different times and conditions, the “Societies
of December 10’’, the ‘“‘Black Hundreds” the ‘‘Citizen
Committees’, the “Committees of 100”, the “‘Specials’’,
the ‘John Birchers’’, the ‘Minute Men’, ‘‘Maoists’’,
““Trotskyites’’ etc., and etc., ad infinitum.

All of these and more come into prominence at different
times and under different conditions. They all have dif-
fering “‘philosophies’’, different names, etc. But they have

<> one common bond — their almost pathological hatred of

anything and everything remotely related or associated
with genuine Communism.

: do
: ach
Quite an expensive item of $200 deposit © iN

drain, but Trudeau, Stanfield and Company mned

One only has to look at the patriotic revolts of jon | :
oe ee tie money ‘‘well spent’’ and inflation be ™

African or Latin American people to see the gutter-role of
these: ‘‘Marxist”’ mercenaries; at the ‘‘cultural
revolution’’ in China (which can be turned on and off like a
water tap) to see these Fifth Column “Marxist-Leninists”’
Operating on behalf of a Greek or Chilean military dic-
tatorship, to evaluate this “service”? and to whom.

ei
y, ” situa

Of course, there is no “revolutionary Ww |
minent in Canada at the moment that wes this i

Over 30 years ago when democratic Republican Spain
was fighting for its very life against the combined forces
of Nazi-imperialism, the POUM, “Parti Obrerra Unitedad

: Marxistes’’ (the party of “United Marxists”) was fighting
against its own Republican and International Brigade
forces, much more than on their side. Politically, the
POUM fought for everything that would assure defeat for
‘the Republic instead of victory. In this the POUM was at

uncertain and unsure that their demise 45 i
long postponed. Hence a “‘little”’ exper
“services” of a ‘Marxist-Leninist out the!
justified at this time. It will help to drow? abl
Communists, at least that’s what wa ast
hopes, and in the end may prove as effec we
lauded Pearson-Diefenbaker “Bomar —
Canada also paid dearly!

PACIFIC TRIBUNE— FRIDAY, JULY 5, 1974—-PAGE 2