William Kashtan, Canadian Communist Party leader, will commence a
national speaking tour in B.C. in mid-November. On Monday, Nov. 18
at 7 p.m. he will address a banquet, together with B.C. party leader
‘ Nigel Morgan in Vernon's Oddfellow’s Hall. Tue. Nov. 19 he will speak
in Mission; Wed. Nov. 20 in South Surrey; Thur. Nov. 21 in Port
Alberni; Fri. Nov. 22 in Campbell River; Sat. Nov. 23 in Nanaimo, and
_ Sun. Nov. 24 in Vancouver. He will also make a number of broadcasts

while in B.C.

COMMUNISTS URGE ACTION IN FALL SESSION

‘Hold the line on ren

A call on the provincial govern-
ment to “take firm and decisive
steps to hold rents down” was
voiced by the provincial committee
of the Communist Party meeting in
Vancouver last weekend.

In a letter to Premier Barrett
signed by provincial Communist
leader Nigel Morgan, the com-
mittee noted that action was
particularly necessary following
moves by corporate landlords who
were threating tenants with illegal
20% rent increases and the NDP
government with strike.

“It’s unthinkable that the NDP
government should meet and
adjourn without taking a number
of decisive steps in the housing
field,”’ Morgan declared,
especially when the future of this
government is threatened by the
lawlessness of these landlords and
especially when galloping inflation
is cutting deep into the living
standards of the people and when
close to 15,000 woodworkers are

’ jobless.

“The people of this province are
looking to the fall session of the
Legislature — opening November 1
— for action on a number of
pressing questions — despite
Premier Barrett’s plan for a two to
ten-day meeting.”

Morgan emphasized that if the
landlords were to carry through

Ban on South African
liquor—blow against racism

Responding to a lengthy cam-
-paign waged by the trade union
movement and other groups, and
as a means of marking United
Nations Day last Thursday, at-

torney-general Alex Macdonald -

announced that South African
wines and liquors will no longer by
appearing on Liquor Contorl board
shelves. after present stocks run
out. :

The trade union movement in the
province. has long advocated the
removal of the products as a
-protest against the apartheid
policies of South Africa. Several
other, groups, including several

_ organizations active in the peace

movement, the Communist Party
and the New Democratic Party
also supported the boycott. The
Southern Africa Action Coalition;
organized some two years ago,
waged an intensive public cam-

paign to have the products taken
off LCB shelves.

BURNABY

Cont'd from pg. 3 -
formula to remove those taxes
from local taxpayers.

The organization’s school board
program calls for continued
reduction in class size, particularly
in the elementary grades, with no
class in the district to exceed 25
students, professional develop-
ment programs for teachers and
improvements in curriculum to
provide instruction in local history
and the labor movement.

The BCA has stressed in its

program the need for improved

-medical and dental services to
students, with particular emphasis
on preventive dentistry. While
limited dental services are
available to elementary students,
they are subject to extensive
waiting periods — often as long as
three years — making the present
facilities of little value.

BCA candidates have also called
for an increase in the number of
school trustees from the present
five to seven, so that more board
members can be available to the
community.

Macdonald said the decision to
stop listing the products was a
protest against racism in South
Africa and pointed out, “South
Africa practises abhorrent policies
of racial segregation and denial as
an integral part of its legal
system.”

ee ee eg

- Office workers at Cominco’s
operations in Trail, members of
the Association of Commercial and
Technical Employees, reached
agreement on their contract
dispute with the company this
week, thus paving the way for both
Steelworkers and office employees
to return to work.

Although their strike was settled
two weeks ago, Steelworkers at
Cominco had refused to take up
their tools again until the Company
reached agreement with ACTE
workers.

The settlement brings to an end
the months-long shutdown of
Cominco operations, during which
time the Trail unionists won the
respect of organized labor
throughout the country for the
unity and cooperation shown in the
strike. :

The agreement came only days,
however, after the Trail Times —
known-for its advocacy of company
views —. published a front page
editorial specualting that both
USWA and ACTE members were
pawns in a bigger game that was
‘Tun by a hierarchy in the U.S.

Steelworkers Local 480 president
Marv McLean called the editorial
“gutter journalism” and said that
“every decision during the
Steelworkers strike was made
locally, including the decision to

New phone

no. for PT
The Tribune now has a
new telephone number. For
those readers who wish to
make note, it is 685-8108.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1974—Page 12 > __

wines,

stay out until Cominco gave its
office workers a contract.

their threat of 20% rent increases
that such an increse would be
blamed on the government — with
disastrous results.

“Labor and progressive forces
should press for legislative action
to keep rents down,” Morgan said,
“and convince the provincial
government to tackle housing as an
essential public utility,
cooperating with the federal and
municipal governments to
assemble the land and funds
necessary to launch a massive
housing program. Finally, the
government should move to
protect tenants’ rights by enacting

Strict controls and collective

bargaining.”

Morgan pointed out that the
housing crisis “‘ties right in” with
the need to get the wood industry

‘province wide campaig®
support for this progra

moving again and to provi
for the-thousands of uneM
woodworkers. :

He added, ‘‘alongsid

~ measures, the people have

0!

waiting for tax reform,
promise of which th
government was_ eleclé
includes the removal of the®
education from homes al@
farm.
“There is only one Way’
the housing crisis and sg
by profiteering landlor®
provision of more housing”
cost, low rental housing: . 4
of the sales tax from f
materials would also be
stantial help.” Morgan sl@
The Communist he
mobilize its entire resoure

m of@

McEwen to speak

Peoples Cooperative Bookstore
Association will hold its Annual

_ Meeting Friday, November 1 at 8

p.m. in the Board Room of the
Fishermen’s Hall, 138 East Cor-
dova Street. Featured speaker will
be Tom McEwen, whose new book
“The Forge Glows Red’? has just
been published.

Other business includes

discussion of plans for the

bookstore for the coming period
and the election of a Board = of.
Directors. Coffee will be served.

LAYOFFS

Cont'd from pg. 7
stumpage rates will do nothing to
solve soaring unemployment. The
only cure, he said on the program,
Capital Comment, was financial
help to the housing industry
through lower interest mortgages.

He said the lumber companies
made high profits when the market
was buoyant during the first of this
year and in 1973 and it is only fair
that they now should pay the full
royalty on trees cut. By reducing
stumpage rates to the province, the
forest industry would subsidized by
British Columbians without
helping unemployed forest
workers, Munro said.

The forest companies, whose
high profits resulted in pushing
lumber prices toan all-time high in
recent years, were major con-
tributors to the present housing
crisis in Canada. Now these same
corporations, in order to maintain
their high profits, have mounted a
province-wide campaign with
backing by the big business media,
to pressure the NDP government
to abandon its legislation which
was aimed at getting a larger
return to the province from its
natural resources.

The B.C. Federation of Labor,
which now represents about a
quarter of million B.C. workers, is
expected to beam in on the issue of
layoffs and housing at the con-
osha which will meet November

Downtown housing urgé
by Eastside residents

Downtown Eastside Residents
Association president Bruce
Eriksen lashed into Vancouver city
council Tuesday night for their
inept approach to housing in the
Downtown Eastside.

Eriksen appeared before council
to urge them to use a ‘provincial
government refund owing on the
building of the new courthouse at
Main and Cordova to rehouse the
people of the area.

Eriksen said that in 1971 more
than 400 people were displaced
from their dwelling to make room
for the court houses which have

cost city taxpayers more than $6
million.

“After all that,” Eriksen said,

“the future use of the building is in
limbo. It seems to be a story of
unmitigated disaster. Using the
provincial government refund for a

rehousing program woul
one mitigating act. We -
get every cent you call
provincial government @
ask the tax payers to au

to spend the refund ona?
program.”

Eriksen had strong
alderman Harcourt whi
committee has held
struction of senior a
dwellings in the Downto F
side. Eriksen has ©
assurances from federal
of urban affairs Barney
that both federal and P
money were available
projects. pe

The only hold up 15
Vancouver, Eriksen S@
land needed has been.
city’s rezoning depart
months but no decisio®
made.

wort

id,

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