FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1970 VOL. 31, NO. 2 EI” | Oc
7 |
Me
By MAURICE RUSH
There is no justification for the 20 percent increase in electricity rates announced
on by B.C. Hydro Chairman Dr. Gordon Shrum, nor for any increase in bus fares. This is
n. the overwhelming reaction of the public to the announcement that new rates will come
e intoforcein March. -
d : After years of promising the Tuesday night the Vancouver Morgan said: ‘‘The increases
an public that the Socred Labor Council, after hearing cannot be justified. B.C. Hydro
I. government’s  ‘‘two-river”’ Ald. Rankin’s call for strong already has the highest rates
power policy will give B.C. vast public action against the boost, among Canada’s eight largest
i 3 quantities of the cheapest power decided to meet with the B.C. cities. Rates that are not only
3 : in North America, the boost Federation of Labor to launch a higher than Regina (where they
3 announced by Dr. Shrum would campaign against higher depend on thermal generated
: push rates higher than they were electricity and bus. rates. power) but rates that are almost
under the old B.C. Electric. The (see Labor Council report on double those of Winnipeg and
d boost would impose an page 12). Seattle, which gets power from
re additional heavy burden on : BL:
consumers, already reeling Nigel Morgan, B.C. ‘“‘Hydro’s light and _ gas
4 under rising living costs. Communist Party leader, said in distribution system is a lucrative
; Following the example of -:a_ Statement Wednesday that business, and if there are
other big business spokesman ‘Dr. Shrum’s call for a 20 financial problems it is only
e and Socred cabinet members, percent increase in B.C. Hydro’s because of cheap concessions
h Dr. Shrum tried to shift the light rates and bus fares should _ that the Bennett government has
F whole blame for the increase on be met with a solid wall of given the U.S. It is now
a “higher wages.”’ However, a opposition from every city and established that Hydro’s three
I study made of B.C. Hydro municipal council. in the Columbia River dams, built
Y figures shows that whereas province. and from tradeunions. solely for downstream U.S.
iG recently negotiated increases for labor councils. ratepayers and benefit, are going to cost some
¢ employees. will total about ~ customers of the government- :
it $6 million, which should be owned agency.” See HYDRO BOOST, pg. 12
L absorbed by the normal increase
S in revenues, .an increase in hydro
Z rates of 15 percent would add
& about $27 million in revenues. e h
p Thus Dr. Shrum’s attempt to Hi h food rices pus
put the blame for rising costs on ig \U
: labor falls to the ground and e
stands exposed as a cheap trick ee
al typical of the big business living costs up again
es establishment in its drive to
a impose a wage freeze on labor. Canadian Press
e WILDLIFE VICTIMS OF OIL POLLUTION. More than this is at stake if oil The announced increase has ider consumer price
d exploration by U.S. monopolies on the B.C. coast is allowed tocontinve. brought a storm of protest from OTTAWA —Consw mer wee fosed on 1949 prices
e all over the province and from prices rose significantly ae equalling 100, it cost $16.46 to
municipal leaders, trade unions. last month, mainly eee buy what $10 bought in 1949.
= e net political parties and others. higher prices Se ee and . The index measures the
nd oi expior ati on ener sen bles ant oy case change in prices of about 30
Spearheading the attack this higher-priced new cars. representative goods and serv-
) week against the boost was The Dominion Bureau of ices bought by urban samniies
] 0 | Vancouver alderman Harry Statistics reported Monday. of two to six living on modes
n C od S e Rankin. In a statement release that the index, based on 196 incomes. ‘
is Mg x to newspapers. he said: “B.C. prices equalling 100, rose to Economists watch niga
ic EDITORIAL Hydro is making a good profit 427.4 in November from 126.8 Glosely the year nase i.
ik from the sale of electricity and in October’ and 121.9 in Nov- change in the ee ane 4
re EF S the old year drew a close Premier W.A.C. Bennett and natural gas to B.C. consumers. If ember last year. index. In June, rices were
ee ederal.Fisheries Minister Davis were engaged in a war of words it is running into trouble it is only Tt was the biggest gain in August this year, aves pssst
ae Over who owns B.C.’s offshore oil. because of cheap power rates to four months and in sharp running er encices
‘il Fisheries Minister Davis said Ottawa has control over the the U.S. Premier Bennett and contrast to a slight drop in aor fell dining September
e: peource and that it had the power to veto offshore drilling. Premier Dr. Sheara Aerap chien: aGk September and small gain in and October, but turned up
pe auctt countered that ‘‘B.C. owns them, period.’’ He said. “If B.C. ac fn subsidize US October. thatit again last month when prices
n ad not joined Confederation in 1871 there would have been no naufacturing industries with The new index oxi to buy were 4.5 per cent higher than
= fontinental shelf belonging to Canada.” : cheap power.” oe aida in 1961. Using in November, 1968.
fl Bennett further claimed B.C. had the power to collect royalties : ; what $10 bous
: and issue permits without reference to the federal aes sak eee elias cer *
: : ary = : “demons é
id eerie Energy Minister Greene, wp recep Seas = = oe a ever rine know how Jhe above Canadian Press story appeared just before the New Year,
i ada should open up most of its resources to the US. Ag heralding another sharp ‘ise in-prices =" 5 ; i"
conti : fon Commons we feel about it’s completely larp rise in prices the biggest in four months.” It came
n- inental development plan, joined the fray. He told the oa ee —-" almost at the same time as the Dominion Bureau of Statistics announced a rise
1e before the Christmas adjournment that drilling below the low-water unjustified aLterapts: to load ItS in unemployment in November to 354,000 or 4.4 percent of the labor force.
t Mark requires federal approval by virtue of the Supreme Court of _ own miscalculations and failures Qn the other hand, profits, which are never mentioned by the advocates of
n ; on our shoulders. (See full wage controls, continued to spiral upward. That's what Trudeau's austerity
Continued on page 12 statement on page 2). program means: unemployment, high prices and high profits.
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