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EDITORIAL
Oh, that terrible Wall

Bu Columbia’s ‘‘Prime Minister’? W.A.C. Ben-

nett arrived home last week following a European

junket which took him to England, France, Austria, West Ger-
many, and of course, West Berlin.

“It’s good to be home again,’’ cooed B.C.’s top salesmanas :
he literally gushed confidence that soon the cream of Big
Business in Europe would ‘‘come and get it,”’ that is, what’s
left of B.C. to give away.

France, we are told is taking a $100-million worth of pulp
and paper investment in Northern B.C. And of course other
European businessmen are keenly ‘‘interested in pulp, mining,
gas, oil, etc., in B.C.’”’ Allin all ‘‘very satisfactory,’’ even if the

. details on such anticipated deals were a bit skimpy.

One learned from the ‘‘Prime Minister’ that B.C.’s
municipalities, financial-wise, are the best-off anywhere in the
world —‘‘better than any place by comparison.”” Do we hear
some harassed Mayor mumbling in his beard, “‘if we’re the
best. . . the others must be really bad.”’

However, in his visit to West Germany, and more
especially to West Berlin the ‘‘Prime Minister’’ really waxed
lyrical on one subject— that ‘terrible Berlin Wall.’’ For him it
provided a magnificant opportunity to extoll ‘‘our free way of
life,” to SFU students or anyone else. “If any one (or
everyone) in B.C. could see that (Wall) they would realize the
importance of a free society.”’

It is perhaps unfortunate that Mr. Bennett, out to drum up
some business, did not spend a day or two on the other side of
the Wall, participate in the 20th Anniversary celebrations of
the German Democratic Republic (GDR), takea gander at the
remarkable industrial development and growth of a new
Socialist society, building a mighty bulwark to socialism and
peaceful co-existance on the soil of Germany; while at the
same time drumming up a bit of two-way trade and cultural
exchanges between B.C. and the GDR — without having to
“give away’’ any of B.C. as a ‘‘come-on’”’ attraction.

Perhaps we expect too much from a sleight -of-hand
Socred salesman who has mastered the fine art of “giving
away”’ what doesn’t belong to him. But oh, that ‘‘Wall.”’

Pacesetter for 1970

: a closing sessions of the IWA convention held last

week in Vancouver made one point crystal clear in
the deliberations of the delegate body representing some 32,000
Coast and Interior lumber workers in B.C.

Specifically, that when the 1970 wage negotiations open,
regardless of changes (if any) in the techniques of collective
bargaining, the wage packet that will be demanded — and
required to meet spiralling living costs, will probably be the
biggest in the union’s history. :

That being the case, and already well forewarned of
employer and Socred government schemes on how these
powers would like to deal with labor per se, the IWA
convention arrived at conclusions aimed at strengthening two
prime prerequisites for victory; an ample fighting fund
sufficient to meet most if not ali unforeseen contingencies that
might arise, plus a union appreciation of unity, or as Regional
President Jack Moore put it to the convention in his keynote
veech: ‘“‘A unity greater than we have ever known before.”’

With these two essential ingredients for victory, FIR and
its B.C. Employer Association, Chambers of Commerce, etc.
might be more inclined to listen to reason, and the IWA wina
wage hike in ’70 that won’t be all eaten up by rising living costs
— even before they get it.

Tenants should have say |
on public housing board —

ote |
hospital boards and the PNBs

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

In Vancouver today we have
1859 public housing units,
occupied by low income families
or people on welfare. The public
housing projects are run by the
B.C. Housing Management

Commission, a body appointed -

by the provincial government.
It includes representatives of
Central Mortgage and Housing
Corporation as well as an official
from City Hall. Tenants are not
represented.

The Commission lays down all
the rules and makes all decisions
on the operation of public
housing in our city. This includes
everything from rental rates to
bird cages in suites.

The way this Commission
operates has led to many griev-
ances. Its rulings are often
arbitrary and made without
regard for the needs of tenants.
Apparently it has no written or
stated policy concerning the
management of these public
housing suites. It has ignored
briefs submitted by organi-
zations representing tenants
and others interested in low cost
housing.

Tenants do not know and have
no way of finding out when and
why rents are increased, how
rent increases are arrived at or
why leases are
Tenants feel the Commission is
ignoring city health and fire by-

laws. The result is friction and .

trouble.

In an effort to help correct this
situation I moved a motion in
Council asking that:

(a) The Commission should
make the records of its. pro-
ceedings available to concerned
parties and to all tenant comm-
ittees, and

(b) The tenants should have
representatives on the Commis-
sion with voice and vote on all
matters affecting the manage-
ment and maintenance of these
public housing projects.

It seems to me that sensible
management policies, not to
mention elementary _ justice,
require that tenants be repre-
sented on this Commission. They
must have a say in decisions
affecting their welfare. They
must have an opportunity to
present their views before
decisions are made affecting
their welfare.

The tenants have constructive
proposals which should be
considered by the Commission.
One of their requests is that
rents (which are based on
income) should be based on net
income rather than gross income
because this is in fact his real
income. Another is that all
written statements of policy,
both federal and local, that apply
to the operation of these public
housing units should be made

terminated. .

- health problems.

available to tenants and tenant representatives of Councl
organizations so they know just
where they stand.

Unless we take such remedial
measures soon we are heading
for trouble. The pent-up
grievances of tenants cannot be
forever contained or ignored.

I believe too that the Commis-
sion should include at least one
alderman. The City is an active
partner with senior govern-

why should this public housing
Commission by any different?
An elected alderman, resp
sible to Council and the voters. 5
more likely to be sensitive to HE
needs of those in public housiNe
units than hard nosed appointe
civic officials who are md
concerned about providing
services to private industrial am

ments in public housing projects commercial — properties ie
and should have some say inhow _ providing social services 10
they are managed. We have needy.

School trustees urge
B.C. pay 90 percent

of cost of education —

The B.C. School Trustees Association, meeting at-its 65th annua

convention on Oct. 5-8 at the Bayshore Inn in Vancouver, has ¢4 at
for a foundation of approximately 90 percent of the total curre
operating costs for education to be financed by provincial grants 9
of consolidated revenue. i

It also called for provincially imposed levy on real property ©
enough to ensure that any school district has sufficient
discretion to satisfy local education needs.

The 788 delegates went on record as opposed to the ©
amendments to the School Act which require that annual ope!
budgets go to referendum. :

ecent

fications for voting on school by-laws and on the election of

trustees. .

Another resolution called for doing away with prora choo! 2:

Great concern was shown by delegates, which represente <0
boards throughout the province, over the rising level of poll 1

The convention called on the B.C. School Trustees to extel

moral support to any organization engaged in research for contro ‘

pollution.

Health Board parley asks

for pollution controls

“at 4
The 16th Annual convention of the Associated Boards of Health ea |
B.C. was held at the Stanley Park Pavilion in’ Vancouver on O¢ the

9th at which concern over the problem. of pollution highlighte
session. ‘ vin
The incoming executive will be presenting a brief to the pray
cial government on a plan for Environmental Control for B.C.
Among other resolutions addressed to the provincial
ment were: :
e request for extension of drug benefits to all persons rec
subsidy to their premiums under the B.C. Medical Plan;
e finances to assist Vancouver and Victoria metro ag)
develop a co-ordinated home care program to relieve pressure ©
hospitals;

gover

ei ving a

-@ increase in public health staff in line with increased population 5

© request that the Dept. of Health draw up standards for fo
served in private hospitals; :
e request for grants to establish first aid posts in remote
where medical help is not directly available. :
Support of the convention was given to recommendatio
Indian Health Committee of the B.C. Division of Canadian*M i
Assoc., calling for much more funds and more attention (0 n

areas
edic4

: aes jous
The executive committee which is drawn from the eri

regions of the province was this year elected by the Okanagan re

RCMP bosses have ‘distinct color’

Recently Prime Minister
Trudeau shored-up his new
“security”? forces by adding a
couple of new ‘‘cops’’ to the
RCMP staff; one up from the
ranks to the position of RCMP
commissioner, the other, an
“outsider”, from the diplomatic
corps. : :

-The new commissioner got off
to a good start with a press inter-
view, in which he announced that
any diplomatic recognition of

: : e
polite word for spying, 1" i
diplomatic corp; son

Peoples China would simply
mean that all Chinese embassies

ating

—

{0
eas ;
a n

ons of Be |

in Canada would be a veritable
“nest of spies.’’ A unique way
indeed of establishing friendly
relations with the neighbors
with whom we aré anxious to do
business. ,

The other new addition to the
“‘security’’ forces is a personage

of wide experience, who
obviously learned much of his

“counter-intelligence’’, the

ycoon

1 tycoon
wealthy Montreal grain telli-

and an old hand in the “i9

‘gence”’ and ‘“‘security”’ sane

“Widely educated,” 4S

f
saying goes, he had it topped Us

with a semester or tw0 a0
Munich, Germany, in 1936 dut!"*
the Hitler era. Heil! Liga
Trudeau's added “‘securilY |
would seem to-be taking °
distinct ‘coloration’. . 4,