Socreds.want control over civic finances Vancouver city council voted Tuesday to ask the federal government to conduct an in- quiry into the monopoly of Southam Press on daily newspapers in Vancouver, and to demand from Southam ‘‘a clear statement of its intentions’ now that it owns both the Vancouver Sun and Province. Council’s action came in response to a communication from mayor Jack Volrich who asked council to join him in ‘‘ex- pressing concern’’ over the pro- spect of Vancouver becoming a one newspaper city. But it was alderman Harry Rankin who added substance to \the debate with the motion calling for a full inquiry into monopoly control of the press, and a second motion asking the government to consider the establishment of a crown corporation along the lines of the CBC to compete with the giant Southam and Thomson newspaper chains which have carved up the Canadian market. “If we're serious about this we’ll do more than express con- cern to a corporation about something it has already done —I could write their reply. That won’t solve our problem,” Rankin said. The monopolization of the press has reached a stage where a separate vehicle for dissemination of news is needed, and a govern- AR icine BWILL NEVE | BE Ace ‘Que. death industry When Joshua Nkomo blew the whistle in early 1979 on Space Research Corpora- tion’s illegal arms sales to South Africa, he bared the edge of a massive arma- ments industry in Quebec. “There is a flourishing death industry in our ‘belle prov- ince,’ ’’ Quebec writer and labor leader Herve Fuyet writes in the first of two ar- ticles detailing Quebec’s mil- itary-industrial ‘ complex. — page 8 — Rankin suggests CBC-style press as city raps Southam ment financed, independent newspaper, similar to the CBC’s operations in radio and televi- sion, ‘‘could bea partial answer,” he said. Many journalists agree that there is more freedom to express alternative points of view in the CBC than exists in the private net- works, he said. Volrich told the council that he had spoken to Province publisher Paddy Sherman who assured him that council’s request for a state- ment of intentions would be com- plied with. Criticism of Volrich’s kid glove approach to Southam came from the right wing of council as well with George Puil questioning the ! & ere PEC Pc PEE NDUM CHILEANS ON HUNGER STRIKE . . . sit-in at Vancouver Indian centre protests phoney referendum. value of asking for a statement from Southam. ‘‘The major point is the monopolistic inten- tions of the company. Our con- cern should go to the federal government. “They’re going to close one (newspaper) down,’’ he predicted. Rankin’s motion calling for a full inquiry passed easily, with only Volrich and Doug Little op- posed. However the motion to ask for consideration of a public- ly owned newspaper was defeated with only Rankin, Darlene Mar- zari and Warnett Kennedy in favor. Council unanimously demanded the statement of inten- tions from Southam. Hunger strikes protest Nine persons from the Van- couver Chilean community staged a 48-hour hunger strike last week- end as part of a world-wide protest against Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet’s ‘‘referen- dum’ on a new proposed constitu- tion for Chile. Hunger strikes and demonstra- tions were also held last weekend in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal. Similar actions will be held this weekend in Calgary, . Regina and Saskatoon. Pinochet’s referendum has been fascist ‘vote’ in Chile cynically scheduled for Sept. 11 — the anniversary of the brutal fascist coup which smashed the democratically elected government Concert in solidarity with democratic Chile Sept. 14, 8 p.m. Details page 11. of Salvador Allende in 1973... The proposed constitution would “‘legalize fascism’’ in the country and would rule out any See CHILE page 11 TRIBUNE PHOTO—FRED WILSON — page 2 LABOR ) Policies at stake in Federation convention — page 12 —