or an old Communist election campaigns have much

the same effect as a fire has on an old spavined fire

horse; not much either can do about it except give out witha
loud derisive snort.

Elections under our enlightened (?) way-of-life bring out a

lot of interesting angles. They show for instance what a raft of

assorted people we have whom nobody ever heard of before the

election . . . and not likely to hear of after it is all over; people
just ready to bust a gut to ‘‘save’’ the community, the province
or the nation from something or other.

Such candidates will orate endlessly about some secondary
or unimportant problem. . . all except the real vital issues
disturbing the people, mainly because the bulk of such
candidates haven’t the faintest notion what these issues are,
and those that do have an inkling to steer clear of them lest it
lose them a few votes. Better to be ‘‘all-things to all people”’
than “‘some things to an awakening majority’ reason these
political opportunits.

One of the prime virtues of Communist Party candidates is
that they do talk about the vital issues, insist upon raising these
issues on the hustlings, get people talking about them, and as a
result compel the old-line politicos of all vintages to talk about
these issues too, even though limited by lack of vision,
understanding or opportunist ambitions. The results are often
hilarious, often abyssmally stupid, but always entertaining
. . . provided John Voter doesn’t go sour on this high-priced
form of ‘‘entertainment,”’ when it is basic social legislation he
is looking for rather than mediocre actors.

In such electoral forays the Communists invariably get all
the hurrahs and cheers while the multi-partisan blockhead
ends up getting the votes. But with “‘the mole of History
burrowing deep”’ that too will end, and the Communists will
have both the cheers and the votes. This old world doesn’t
stand still, nor does it move backwards, despite all the efforts
of the super-charged Canutes of today to the contrary.

There’s an old yarn still going the rounds, almost as old as
Confederation itself: “‘I’m all for you fellows, but if I voted
Communist I'd just lose my vote.”’ Such “‘reasoning’’ assumes
of course that the Communists haven’t a hope of winning, so to
vote for them . . . even if the voter agrees fully with their
platform and program, would just be (to him or her) a ‘‘lost’’
vote.

Now how can one ‘“‘lose’’ something one never had, or had
it so long ago that the mists and visissitudes of Time have
erased all trace of its loss; Twenty years of Socredia political
shenanigans, nearly the same length of time with a Tory-Lib-
eral Coalition of petty hijackers, the Bowser-McBride merry-
go-round before that, a long way back to the days of Amor de
Cosmos when the plea of “‘lost’’ votes hadn’t as yet been
invented. Today the ‘‘lost’’ vote argument is on a par with the
glamorized Hollywood prostitute arguing that while a habitue
of that brothel she only “‘lost’’ her sense of values, not her
virginity.

This land has more ‘‘lost’’ votes than jobless workers,
“seasonally adjusted’’ and all. It can count them by the
millions, of people who have voted election after election for
what they didn’t want — and got it. Every vote for a
Communist candidate is the one that counts, for today and
tomorrow . . . for Socialism and the needs of the common
people of factory and farm— and an end to the monopoly-
government strangulation that marks the regime of the
Bennetts-Trudeaus, their predecessors et al!

This scribe has been engaged in many election campaigns,
from the Hudsons Bay to the Yukon Territory and in between.
We never ‘‘won”’ although we had a few close shaves in ‘“‘near
wins,’’ but then we never figured we had “‘lost’’ either. When
the Communist election program and platform squares with
the aspirations, needs and desires of the people and they give it
their hearty approval, that is victory enough. That'there will be
“‘lost’’ votes is a foregone conclusion, but the germinating
“idea’’ is more potent and lasting than the effervescent vote,
“lost,” squandered, or just thrown away upon Tweedledee or

_Tweedledum or their plentiful facsimiles.

To make doubly sure the “‘lost’’ vote will be held down toa
minimum this round— VOTE COMMUNIST!

FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS

Contact:

GLOBE TOURS

2679 E. Hastings St., Vancouver 6, B.C.

253-1221 254-2313

_ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, AUGUST, 25, 1972—PAGE 2

Socreds starve municipalities, ;
feed new deal for homeowners |

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

I’m a little surprised and more
than a little disappointed at the
failure of opposition candidates
to speak out more on the vital
issue of relations between the
provincial government and the
municipalities.

Perhaps this issue isn’t an emo-
tional vote-catcher but it cer-

. tainly is-a major issue in terms

of the quality of life in our cities
and towns. Therefore I think all
candidates should deal with it
and tell us what their program
is.

The Bennett government is
starving the municipalities
financially. Most government
grants to municipalities are
entirely inadequate, with educa-
tional grants being one of the
best examples. Most of the
grants have become conditional,
that is, they must be spent on
projects decided by the provin-
cial government. The Bennett
government, especially in the
past year, has been taking away
more and more of the autonomy
of municipalities.

Premier Bennett’s cabinet
now sets wage ceilings for tea-
chers (they can no longer be
decided by negotiations); Phil
Gaglardi has been given the
power to personally decide who
is and who is not permitted to
get welfare and how much they
shall get; the provincial cabi-
net has devised a retrogressive
formula which dictates how
school boards may spend educa-

tional funds, and so on.

To make matters worse, the
Bennett government has
created a fourth level of govern-
ment, of which the Greater Van-
couver Regional District is one

example, and stacked them (in
the case of Vancouver at least)
with the oldest and most con-
servative-minded aldermen.

The GVRD has taken over
responsibility*for such matters
as housing, some aspects of pol-
lution and hospitals. This takes
the heat off the provincial
government, allows it to evade
its financial responsibility for
expanding these services and
places and additional load on
municipal taxpayers.

The Bennett government has
kept for itself all the most lucra-
tive sources of funds — the sales
tax, liquor sales, gasoline tax
and the tax on natural re-
sources. The result is that
municipalities must rely mainly
on taxes on property for
revenues, and especially on
taxes on homes. This ‘is grossly
unfair.

In my opinion senior govern
ments should take over the en-

« tire cost of education and of wel-

fare too. It should share the gaso-
line tax with the municipalities
to help pay for the upkeep of our
streets. It should expand the
B.C. Hydro-owned bus system,
instead of allowing it to gradu-
ally deteriorate, and provide
funds for a rapid transit system
in Greater Vancouver. Ad-

ditional funds should be pro
vided from provincial coffers
for hospitals and low-cost hous
ing.

These are some of the issues _

which I believe should be raised
by candidates in the current
provincial election campalé™
In all fairness I should giv
credit to the NDP for raising
some of them. In its brochure.

New Deal for People’’ beiné
distributed in all constituencl®

it points out that our taxes are”

high because mining con
panies, the corporations explo
ting our forests and the lat

e 4
lators and promoters al& |
specu Pp thei?

free-loading by not paying
fair share of taxes.

The NDP program promises "

that.an NDP government ve
‘‘inerease tax revenues fro
our resources’ and

pletely remove school taxes |

from homes and family a
These are positive steps !"

right direction.

I hope that voters will ask

“com |

candidates to speak out on thest

issues between now and ei
ust 30 and that they will vote’

the candidate and party 0 —

s . Ce
fering a serious program of a
form in provincial-munic!P®”

relations.
re

STAND ON TENANTS RIGHTS

The B.C. Tenants Organization announced this week it has

written

letters to the leaders of five parties contesting the prow
election asking for their stand on a number of major amendme

the Landlord and Tenant Act.

for tenants.

The letter asks for the views of candidates on setting up of P roe ;
cial Rent Review Boards in the major municipalities, empowel®
hear cases involving rent increases and to announce findings 09
constitutes a fair rent increase; no evictions without just
elimination of security deposits; and collective bargaining y

_

C.P. Women’s group urges equality

The B.C. Women’s Committee
of the Communist Party has re-
leased a leaflet which sets forth
it’s program.

The leaflet says women
should have the right to choose to
work inside or outside the
home. Today this is possible
only if jobs are available; if
there is training or retraining for
women; if there is no discrimin-
ation or prejudice in hiring
women; if there are facilities for
adequate child care or if a hus-
band earns enough for a good
living for the family.

On the question of abortion
the Women’s Committee say it
is a serious matter requiring a
decision by a woman and her
doctor. It should not be a birth
control ,measure. Adequate
birth control information must
be readily available for all. So-
ciety must provide proper child
care and adequate means of sup
port.

A poverty level existence is
the lot of too many women who
have never worked outside the
home and are not eligible for
Canada Pension Plan benefits in
their retirement years.

The Committee urges child
care centres. Mothers with a
family work under difficulty due
to lack of proper care for their
children. Even some babies are
left unattended. This often
results in accidents, illness, in--

secure and disturbed children,
and an unhappy home life and
broken homes. British Columbia
has the highest number per
capita of children in other than
their natural homes — hardly a
testimonial to Mr. Bennett’s
“good life’’

Women workers must receive
equal pay. Equal pay legislation
providing penalties should be
introduced. There must be no
discrimination in hiring em
ployees.

The problems facing women
are fundamentally those affec-
ting the whole family. Lack of
jobs, low pensions, high prices,
expensive housing, deteri-

crealé

orating education ulting

frustrations too often rest”
in confrontation and viole?
Billions in profits opp
lowering living standards
cynicism, mistrust and
simism.

of
The Communist Parly
Canada is a party of men

ing
women planning and work

They believe that all men ed
women are collectively
to the full fruit of the!
that all are equal in right ne
duties, that a just society ‘sor
which expects each t0 ",

according to his ability it is
which accords to each all mite

needed for a healthy, hares

Campaign for better transit

: tine

The Amalgamated Transit Union and the Citizens Co-or el i0

Committee for Public Transit have opened a campaign des ste™ in
seek immediate improvements in the deteriorating bus sy

Greater Vancouver.

The campaign was launched this Thursday with a spe¢!

s our 0
al : prie!

the city for the press to illustrate points made in a ten Pa ios,

outlining in detail the present shortcomings and proposed re pink: a
In a joint statement announcing the campaign by
business manager of the ATU, Division 101-134, and Brucé
chairman of the Citizens Co-Ordinating Committee, they sale
card questionnaire had been drawn up to solicit the opint
support of the public. The results of the questionnaire and

will be presented to City Council.

: 1a
- For information about the campaign phone 733-4953 or 681-589 i

on

gi

what,

ight

e
create

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a prie! §