Plebiscite on third crossing demanded

Public rally called,
petition launched ~

The Citizens Committee for
Public Transportation, a
delegate body of organizations
representing many thousands of
Vancouver and area citizens,
will kick off a campaign for a
plebiscite on the Third Crossing
at a public meeting in the Queen
Elizabeth Playhouse January

16. The CCPT hope to get at least
200,000 names on a petition
calling for such a plebiscite.

The committee grew out of a
meeting held in October
attended by representatives of
68 metro citizens’ groups. Last
Friday members of the execu-
tive called a press conference to

his is definitely not a book review, nor a literary de-
fence of it’s author. Neither require any such props
from this column.

Just recently published, this book is entitled Stout Hearts
Stand Tall by Ivor J. Mills, a heart-warming memorial tribute
of a son to his father; a father who played an outstanding role
in the early struggles of the dirt farmers on the Canadian
prairies during the ’20’s and ’30’s, and in his later years among
the diversified farm and working class communities in B.C.
~ Stout Hearts Stand Tall is not a history of Canadian farm
struggles against a monopoly plunderbund who fattened on the
backs of farm communities then as now, nor did its author
intend it to be. But it does portray a man who played a big part
in these bitter struggles, and which in themselves, become the
prime fabric upon which all real history is written.

In this book is the portrait of a man, who, always and ever on
the side of the oppressed and exploited on factory and farm,
fearlessly ‘‘stood up to be counted;”’ who held a family unit
together with great dignity, love and respect, regardless of
economic or political ‘‘climates,’ and who in turn, as an
organizer, educator and ‘‘agitator,’’ won the respect of
countless thousands of his fellow farmers and wage workers,
far beyond the immediate family circles of his own modest
home.

Many names and incidents of these farm struggles of the
°20’s and °30’s are recalled in Stout Hearts Stand Tall; names of
veteran oldtimers still with us, and names of many who have
crossed the Great Divide. Names and associations which stir
and revive memories of the struggles of those days for a better
world — and give renewed inspiration for today’s struggles for
peace and humanity.

To the writer of this column it is therefore incompre- °

hensible that leading farm papers of the Canadian ‘*wheat
belt,” such as the Western Producer have not seen fit to
welcome the publication of Stout Hearts Stand Tall not only in
deference and respect for its own readers and contributors
(among whom the late Hopkin Evan (*‘Hop"’) Mills was one of
it’s most active in that regard), but because among its old-time
readers at least, memories of their struggles and their fearless
spokesmen are still precious memories.

Obviously however the ‘‘literary”’ nonentity who now
warm the editorial chair of the once-progressive Western
Producer holds no such sentiments. I am informed by the
author of Stout Hearts Stand. Tall, that reviews or other
favorable comment on this book, is strongly frowned upon by
this editorial misfit, not on the grounds of content, structure or
theme, but because forsooth, the author (or printer?) did not
pay the strictest attention to their punctuation, missing
commas, spelling, etc. As we have said, on the content of the
book, its recording of valiant struggles and valiant names, the
“literary” hack of the W.P. has nary a word to say. Quite
obviously that is not in his line. But missing commas, oh my.

Should this “‘literary’’ virtuoso care to browse through
earlier volumes of the Western Producer, he will find very
many farmer contributors in ‘Letters to the Editor’ pages,
letters on the merits or demerits of Socialism, on the co-
operative movements of the day, on the political pundits of all
shades and hues, letters in which the ommision of exact
“punctuation”’ or ‘‘spelling’’ didn’t affect the writer’s brilliant
ability to get his points across to his fellow ‘‘slaves of the
farm.” And that, after all, is the essence and the guts of any
language, to get the idea across to your fellowman, who is not
looking for correct and precise punctuation, commas, etc. but
for ideas which lead to human advance, to peace and human
brotherhood.

Stout Hearts Stand Tall should be on the shelves of every
Canadian library, large or small, in countless thousands of
rural and urban Canadian homes, as an inseparable part of that
new Canadian literature, which, as we turn its pages, reminds
us of three simple basic principles on the highroad to our
manifest. destiny; a deep sense of humanity, the strong filial
ties of the family unit, nation-wide in its abounding strength,
and above all consecration to a united and ever-increasing
struggle for peace, brotherhood, and Socialism.

That was the credo of ‘Hop’ Mills’ life. A reading of this
tribute to his memory by a loving, and beloved son, will help
others follow a like path. . . and permit a certain sub-specie of
editors to sit on their collection of omitted commas’ like a

broody hen sitting on a nestful of glass eggs — hatching nothing
save ‘‘literary”’ illusions.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 1972—PAGE 2

/

answer questions regarding the
policies and goals of their com-
mittee.

Anne Fall, Harold Weinreich,
Bruce Yorke and Paddy Neale,
executive spokesmen, stressed
that a decision is about to be
made which will be the most
important one in the Vancouver
area for the remainder of this
century. This decision will
vitally affect the daily lives and
pocketbooks of all Vancouver
area citizens; it is a pivotal deci-
sion with far reaching overall
planning consequences.

This decision concerns the
question — should a third
crossing of Burrard Inlet be con-
structed?

On a question as vital as this
the people must have the right to
express their opinion, the CCPT
maintains. It is the people who
will pay for it; it is the people
who suffer when ill-planning
creates new problems.

They are demanding that the
plebiscite be held before further
action is taken. The meeting on
January 16 is not a protest
meeting. It is a means of
reaching the public with infor-
mation; to make plans for future
action, and to see the campaign
through to the end, said Bruce
Yorke. Action could include
sending delegations to Ottawa
and Victoria.

Harold Weinreich pointed out
that city council has no mandate
to spend taxpayer’s money for
any part of a third crossing. Ann
Fall said she believed there was
no member of councils on the
North Shore who knew the full
implications of the crossing.

Paddy Neale, organized
labor’s representative on the
CCPT, said the statement that
fighting the third crossing is to
fight against jobs is false. He
said if they started on a rapid
transit system it would create
many more jobs, and in the end
would cost the citizen much less
because of the overall cost of
freeway systems and their
attendant wastage of lad, and
ecological damage.

He said the communities of
Delta, Richmond, Surrey and
Coquitlam were desperately in
need of public transportation
right now. What would the third
crossing to the north shore mean
to them?

“Is the third crossing the real
priority?’’ asked Weinreich.
‘Four or five times as many
people want to go south and
south east.”

The Spadina Speedway was

“Yes, ‘but where shall we-live Ghen
the government has cleared all the
slum sites?”

stopped by mass protest; the
Chinese people in the east end
stopped the Georgia Viaduct con-
struction from tearing up their
community. Bruce Yorke cited
these instances to show that con-
certed effort could stop a retro-
gressive and damaging develop-
ment from taking place.

“We cannot move into the next
century having made all the
mistakes of cities like New York
and San Francisco. Freeway
congestion in the cities must be

halted now,”’ Weinreich oa
The committee is distribul
some basic facts on costs,
transit and priorities prepé
by Professor of Planning »©
Pendakur.. The figure givell
the cost of the third cm
tunnel; the amount which m
be collected in tolls to pay ba
federal loan, and the increas
taxes on the average h®
owner are eye-openers. *
should be made familiar to &
citizen. r

PHONE
CITY HALL

Overflow rally hears
call for vote on wards

Speaking to a citizens forum
last week the Honorable Dan
Campbell Minister of Muni-
cipal Affairs called upon the Van-
couver city council to place the
issue of a ward system to a
plebiscite of civic voters.

A capacity crowd of 400
citizens jammed the auditorium
of the Vancouver Public Library
warmly applauded Campbell’s
statement, which followed
presentations on the ward
system and other electoral
reforms proposed to the forum
by six city organizations.

The groups participating who
had previously presented briefs
on the matter to the General
Purposes committee of city
council, were the Committee of
Progressive Electors, Com-
munist Party of Canada, The
Electors Action Movement, Van-
couver NDP Area Council, West
End & Downtown Ratepay-
ers Association, Vancouver
Council of Women.

Without exception, spokes-
men for these organizations
singled out the ward system as
being essential for widening
civic democracy, placing it asa
major demand for electoral
reform. :

Alderman Ernie Broome, NPA
alderman and chairman of city
council's General Purposes
Committee opposing the ward

°

system, attempted to defend
position but was heckled
booed by the audience.
unpopular stand takel
Broome, in which he W!}
asserted that a ward sy§
would lead to abuses and col
tion, raised the ire of the
causing him to observe thé
did not have a single supP‘
in the audience.

Clearly the presentat
made at the forum in supp?
the ward system and
response that it evoked, le
doubt as to where public op
lay. The audience
representative of a cross-S€
of the citizens of Vancouve!
their organizations. It W
public protest against
attempts of the NPA major!
city council to hold the lil

This fact that was not l¢
the Minister of Munl
Affairs in calling upon
council to hold a plebiscite
ward issue, and indicate
broadly based appeal on
question.

There is no doubt the
forum showed the issue i:
very much alive. Concé
citizens as individuals th
their organizations
continue in their effor
demand and bring pressuré
the city council to rever
position on the ward systen