“This is the first time in many
years that we have had such a lay-
off in the spring. The normal pro-
cedure for many years has been to
increase. the labor force at this
time. That is why our membership
is alarmed.

“At the time of the layoff on
April 30, there were approximately
160 men in the Water Works de-
partment who were under our
jurisdiction. The layoff left ap-
proximately 123. We have been
given to understand that there will
be only three gangs of six men
each on construction work. The

Civic workers charge
layoffs unnecessary

Layoff of 37 outside workers employed by the Water Works department was termed “unnecessary”
in a brief presented Tuesday this week to Board of Works Committee by Donald Guise, busines agent
for Vancouver Civic Employees Union, Outside Workers. : J

“All of these men but two had more than one year’s seniority,” the union brief pointed out. “These
were not casual employees but men who reasonably expected steady employment in this department.”

balance will be employed on main-
tenancé and the installation of new
servicés.

“Does this mean that if the
building of new homes goes down
there will be further cuts?

ment to a mere skeleton, made up

encies such as a burst water main
or a smashed hydrant?

been told that a good part of our
water works installations are ob-

solete and should be replaced.

11,000,000 U.S. ‘comic’
booxs are sold in Canada
every mouth...

J

Vancouver’s two largest distrib-
utors of crime and “horror” comics
agreed this week to remove more
than 40 titles from newsstands fol-
lowing a meeting with the newly
formed Citizens’ Committee on
Comics. %

Mrs. Florence Stanton, chairman
of the children’s reading committee
of Vancouver Parent-Teacher Coun-
cil and the council’s representative
on the Citizens’ Committee, termed
the action, “our first major victory
in the anti-crime comics campaign.”

The two wholesale newsvendors
accepted the committee’s recom-
mendations without argument, said
Mrs. Stanton, but a careful watch

- Committee gets
- comics removed

will be kept to see that the objec-
tionable “comics” do not reappear
under new names. ‘

Crime and “horror” comics were
condemned by delegates to the re-
cent conventions of the B.C. Par-
ent-Teacher Federation and_ the
B.C. Teachers Federation.

The Citizens’ Committee on
Comics was sponsored by the Van-|
couver Parent-Teacher Council and
includes representatives from the
Council of Women, all city teach-
ers’ organizations, Catholic Wo-
men’s League, Vancouver Labor
Council, YMCA, Vancouver Public
Library and the B.C. Pharmaceuti-
cal Association, .

Is it |
the intention to reduce this depart-}a lack of planning in connection

of crews required to meet emerg-.

‘}of the people.

Are we going to have a long-
range plan for replacing obsolete
installations or shall we run
around plugging holes in a make-
shift fashion?

“It is our considered opinion that

with Water Works is inefficient and
extravagant. It is like putting off
going to the dentist; the longer you

j wait the worse your condition and
“For many years now we have , the more money it will cost.

“Almost two years ago, on July
30, 1952,-the Vancouver Province
pointed out editorially that there
was no long-range plan in public
works.
water works is even more applic-
able to sewers. It is estimated that
it will cost in the neighborhood of
$20,000,000 to provide sewers in the
septic tank areas of Vancouver,

and to generally catch up with the |-

backlog. I am sure that if we ex-
amine the overall question of pub-
ile works in the city we would
come to the conclusion that more
realistic planning is required.

“Our members are vitally inter-
ested in the growth of our city, as
citizens and as civic employees
and recognize that the city coun-
cil is confronted with many prob-
lems in meeting the requirements
We also recognize
our responsibility and are making
a serious study of such matters and
request that our opinions be given
full consideration.

“While we consider this layoff
was unnecessary.in view of the
overall requirements for public
works, we must also point out that
the manner in which they were
laid off was not conductive to har-
mony and the promotion of effi:
cient services. With a minimum
of planning it could have been
arranged that these men would
not have been laid off. until there
were openings in other depart-
ments. eee

“We hope and trust that these
workmen are not victims of the
American efficiency expert im-
ported into Canada to study the
efficiency of the Board of Works, |
Efficiency experts are notorious.

ly callous about workmen as
human beings. In the long run,

this lack of consideration for
people defeats itself and does not
contribute to an efficient public
service.”

_» The letter, which has space for
10 signatures, reads:

“As one of your constituents |

am opposed to the use of ‘the

. hydrogen bomb by any nation in

’ REAL ESTATE

TO BUY SELL EXCHANGE
Call ; : e
. MARSHALL JOHNSON
GLen. 1891-R: EM. 2167

CAMBIE REALTY LTD. ¢
- Member Co-op Listing Bureau

4

Civic workers union
seeks ban on H-bomb |

Union, Outside Workers, and the meeting decided by
members and. friends can send to their MPs.

y membership meeting of Vancouver Civic Employees
unanimous vote to circulate a form letter which union

the world. -

“1 urge you to Use your inflv-
ence to have the hydrogen bomb
outlawed, with full guarantee
against any violation, through
strict international control.”

An earlier letter from the union

S. H. BROWN
PLUMBING & HEATING
371 Johnson Road

Vancouver Real Estate Board ¢ R.R.1 White Rock - Phone 5661

a

ee Greetings from _ a
LAKE COWICHAN CONSUMERS
| COOPERATIVE STORE.

to all members of the legislature
asking their opinion on banning of
further H-bomb tests in the Pa.
cific has brought two more favor-
able replies, union officials report-
ed this week. :

“I must say that I agree with
you that the time is here when the
feelings and thinking of the peace
loving people of the world should
have the effect of preventing the
use or experiment of such bombs
by all nations of the world,” wrote
Bert Price, Social Credit member
for Vancouver Burrard.

Burnaby’s yeteran CCF member
KE. E. Winch, replied that “vou will

Paper reports that both Arnold
Webster’ in the provincial legis-

House’ of Commons have made

major presentations on the above
subject.”

What we have said about!

| letic ‘Meets; nor of th

the Engli

doubtless have noted by the news-

lature and Harold Winch in the|

Roger Bannister at the end of his historic mile.

Gert Whyte's

SPORTLIGHT

Bl the dawn of civilization, be-

‘fore man became a hunter, it is
quite possible that one of our an-
cestors ran a mile in four min-
utes to escape the jaws of some
Savage pursuing animal with a
taste for human flesh.

Back in those days, parents
must have taught their offspring
to Tun at the sound of a snarl: It
Sel to assume that those
No survived were might
of foot. } ie

We have no records,
of these early sprinters and run-
ners. Nor have we any records
of the champions in o

Id Greece
who won events at numerous ath-

e times and
first Olympic

however,

distances in the

Games staged by the Romans.
The Ol

: ympic Games were abol
ished by a Roman emperor in 392
A.D., and the next mention in his-
tory of track and field events
comes in the 12th century, when
sh revived these sports.
By 1800 distance races, with

Stakes as high as $4.00
octal $4,000 were re-

Electrical
for track
1892, |

timing was first used
meets in England in
ut the five-minute mile
had been run long before that
First recorded mile run under

that time was by Charles Lawes

of Great Britain Who did the dis-

yee in 4:56 in 1964.

rom that time on runn
Sought the Golden Grail of the
four-minute mile. Here’s the
fascinating Story in figures :

4:56 Charles. Lawes, itai
tek S,. Britain,

4:36.5 Richard Webster,
1865

4:29 W. Chi
4:28.8 W. Cc.
4:24.5 Walte

Britain,

nnery, Britain, 1868,
Gibbs, Britain, 1868.
r Slade, Britain, 1875,

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MAY 14, 1954 —

; ‘pritail”

4:18.4 Walter «George, Brit
“1884. 895:
4:17 Fred Bacon, Scotland, 189%
4:15.6 Thomas Coneff, U.S 13:

4:14.4 John Paul Jones, U-5+ toys,
.4:12.6 Norman Taber, U-Ser andi
4:10.4 Paavo Nurmi, Fi
; 1923. '
4: 9.2.J. Laddumegue,
1931. 933
4: 7.6 Jack Lovelock, N-2Z+ ah
4: 6.8 Glenn Cunningha™,
1934. ritaily
4: 64S. Wooderson, ®
1937. eft
4: 6.2 Gunder Hagg, swodt
1942, lef
4: 6.2 A. Andersson, SW
1942, lem
4: 4.4 Gunder Hagg, swed
1942, det
4: 1.6 A. Andersson, Ss
1944, edet
4: 1.4 Gunder Hag, Sw
1945.

* * * 008"
On Thursday last week pri
striding Roger Bannister a the
ain became the Athlete
Century when he ran one
3:59.4 on a windswept ‘
Oxford and hit headlines
the world. for the
It was a sweet triumph * the
man who finished fourt oly
1,500 metres at the Ae 0"
Games in Helsinki two a upretl!
And how did he feel? 3
tired.” “s : ese’
The secret of his smote
Training, of course, 22 tiod®
couple of factors not side
in the daily press—an 1
measurement of 35 inehe

capacity for absorbing 2

quarts of oxygen

Hats off to Roger
and let’s hope we'll re
miracle mile run at t Al
Empire Games here 12

de

Franc’ —

eo |