A old timer whom I had almost completely forgotten
since the belt-tightening days of the Hungry 30’s
called the other day to exchange some reminiscences and leave
some fine ideas on how to beat the Trudeau belly-robbing
inflationary belt-tightening racket. Especially as this Trudeau-
Benson starvation gouging applies to old age pensioners and
thousands of other low pension fixed-income brackets, whom
that gang, misnamed a government, have fixed indeed.

In his youthful days during the Hungry 30’s this old timer
used to serve at what was known as a Block Organizer. That is,
he would be assigned a city block by the Relief Workers
Committee and proceed to organize all the homeowners,
tenants, etc. against starvation, which covered a wide range of
evils. Adequate relief or welfare for families in need, mobilize
‘the block community to fight eviction, and there were lots of
the latter. To make all unemployed, married or single, and all
Senior Citizens of the time (there were no pittance old age
pensions then) part of a nation-wide struggle of the people for
survival.

This old timer’s descriptive language anent the Trudeau-
Benson-Bennett hijackers was somewhat short of being
complimentary, but it was very much to the point. As I recall
he wasn’t given to polite palavers in the old days, but he got
results, other than political inflationary or other hogwash,
which counted then— and what counts today.

“Do you ever listen to those b...... explaining their so-
called white paper? Their yarn is that the inflation they

themselves and the exploiters they speak for have created, can
only be cured by voluntary belt-tightening, by more
unemployment. That’s the price we have to pay, says this
ersatz statesman cynically, the while sucking away at his pipe,
knowing damn wellhe will never pay the price demanded of the
working people of this country.

“And in the same breath, the old age pensioners don’t get a
red cent more to meet steadily rising prices for food, clothing,
shelter or health needs. Not a penny, and the hell of it is with
scarcely a squawk out of the OAP’ers themselves.

“Do you know why? I’ll tell you. For far too long OAP
organization, such as it is, has been in the hands of Tory,
Liberal and Socred political hacks, building up illusions as to
what these parties will do for the OAP’er if they just had the
power of government. They fill the OAP’er up with the bull that
the government, (whichever it is), is trying very hard, but the
OAP’ers must be patient, and regard all such governments, a
la Bennett, as having a direct plug-in with the Diety himself, so
watch your language and political P’s and Q’s, otherwise you’ll
wind up worse than you now are — if that’s possible.
Unfortunately too many OAP’ers swallow this Trudeau guff.

“What is needed today as never before, is a great deal

more fighting organization and punch in the ranks of the
OAP’ers. A lot of them I know from the old days of the 20’s and
30’s were good fighters, and while it is admitted that old age
strips the body of it’s one-time vigor, it doesn’t necessarily
strip the spirit and the will to fight— unless one wishes it that
way.
“The Trudeau-Benson excuse for a government, plans to
‘solve’’ inflation in Canada by doubling and trebling
unemployment in Canada, that the senior citizens and other
fixed-income pension groups are expendable, and can be
hurried into a premature grave by the Trudeau-Benson funeral
undertakers who make up this excuse for a government of, by,
and for the people.

“All you OAP’ers of today require,’’ said the old timer as
he bade us ‘tata’ is a bit of the old vim, vigor, unity and
organization. Then together with the organized working class
you can send Trudeau and his gang of yes-men on a long holiday
for keeps.”’

EDITORIAL working people, who each year

35 YEARS FIGHTING

The Pacific Tribune campaign
for $18,000 to keep our presses
rolling this year is now
underway. We must raise that
amount by June | to ensure our
continued publication.

This year marks the 35th
Anniversary since the
Communist press was launched
in B.C. In all those years the PT
and its predecessors have been
in the forefront of the struggles
of the people.

It has been the devotion and
self-sacrifice of thousands of

Donate now fo the PT’s

SSS SSIS sees

donated generously out of their
meagre’ incomes, which has
enabled the PT to survive and
keep on fighting while many
other papers fell by the wayside.

Working people have con-
tributed generously throughout
the years because they saw in
our paper their own needs
expressed. We have been their
voice in the struggle for peace,
democracy and a better life. The
PT has been the spokesman for
the rank-and-file of society
fighting for security. That is why
they have identified with us and

APRIL 3, 1970—Page 2

The
housing |
scandal

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

We all know that housing costs
have risen beyond all reason in
the past few years. But here are
a few facts that may still startle
you. They apply to the ten year
period between 1959 and 1969.

The average price of a home in
Vancouver rose by 80 percent,
from $12,968 to $23,301.

The cost of building lots went
up by 175 percent.

Interest has risen by over 135
percent. - :

In the Hastings East area of
Vancouver, building lots selling
at $3630 in 1959 sell for $10,000
today. :

A 1200 square foot, five room
bungalow that was priced at
$16,734 ten years ago costs
$27,100 today.

When you buy a $27,100 house
today and take out a 20 year
mortgage at 10 percent, you will
pay $54,939 for the house by the
time the mortgage is paid off and
you can call it your own.

All this information and much
more is contained in a brochure
entitled ‘““‘The Housing Scandal’”’
just published by the Vancouver
and District Labor Council. It
was prepared by the Trade
Union Research Bureau.

Among other things, it also
shows that the cost of on-site
labor on house construction is
only 7 percent of the actual cost
of a house today. In fact, the cost
of building a 1200 square foot,
five room bungalow (and this
includes wages, materials and
the contractor’s profit) has
increased by only 30 percent in
the past 10 years.

These figures effectively
knock on the head the propa-
ganda that labor is to blame for
the high cost of housing. The real
culprits are the high cost of land,
high interest rates and the
government who do nothing
about either.

The sollution is obvious — we
need low cost housing. But
efforts to provide this run up
against corporate interests who
profit. from our outrageous
housing scandal, and_ this
includes banks, land speculators,

see our survival as their own
cause.

We must now again appeal to
that same deep sense of loyalty
and devotion. We need every
dollar ‘we can get to keep
printing. Our paper is more
urgently needed today than ever
before. The gang-up against
working people by Federal and
provincial governments and the
big monopolies makes it more
urgent than ever that our voice
not be stilled. If anything, it
must be louder and clearer than
ever before.

Realizing this, the Editorial

FOR

real estate interests and the
governments who serve them.

There is no reason why a
government which can spend
$1.8 billion a year on defence,
much of it wasteful and unneces-
sary, cannot grant low interest
loans at from two to four percent
to people who want to build their
own homes. 35.

Secondly, «city-owned
should be eased at a small,
nominal fee to prospective
homeowners. The City should
end its policy of selling such land
to private developers. By the
time they get it on the market,
it’s out of reach of the average
citizen.

Third, the city should take
advantage of existing legislation
to-build low rental housing with

land.

McEwen to
be honored

time Communist leader
B.C.
week.

McEwen, who
eightieth year last month, was
one of the nine imprisoned with

Tim. Buck for political activities in

Provincial Executive

member of the Central Committee
of the Communist
Canada and its B.C. Provincial |
chairman. ¥

The banquet will be held in the
A.U.U.C. Hall, 805 £. Pender St.,

will be hea@table quests at the |
banquet. : '

—

provincial and federal financial:
assistance. Building 2500 such
units a year for the next 10 years —
-would- not only provide new.
‘accommodation ~at half the

‘price people pay. today, it would
help to bring: down all rents and
housing costs.

reached _ his : g:

A banquet to honor the Pacific] ~
Tribune's retiring editor and long-|.~
Tom] ae
McEwen, was announced: by the} *
this}

1934 and was for many years a}.

Party of |

Sunday, April 19. A number of | —
old-time members of the party |~

Fourth, the city should make -

land available to non-profit —

organizations who wish to take
advantage of housing legislation
to build low rental suites for
senior citizens.

Royal City

Tenants

want rental board

New Westminster Tenants
Council sent a delegation to

their city council last week.

urging them to establish a
Rental Review Board.

The Council brief, presented
by Bruce Yorke, spokesman for
the group, pointed out that such a
board should be given sufficient
powers to enforce certain rental.
regulations in addition to those
contained in the provincial
Landlord and Tenant Act, and to
make public recommendations
with regard to the level of rents.

The Tenants Council recom-
mended that such a Board should
include one representative of
the tenants, one for the
landlords, and an independent
chairman.

The city fathers were
reminded that it is clear beyond
doubt that municipalities have
the power to set up such Rental
Review Boards. In 1954 the
provincial government
repealed the Leasehold Regu-
lations Act and in its place substi-
tuted the Rental Control Act

which gives every municipality

the authority to adopt the provi-
sions~ in that ~ Act, and~ the
authority to revoke, amend, oF
substitute for any of the
regulations. ;

Consequently, the brief stated,
all
council had to do to set up 2
Rental Review Board is to pass 4
by-law.

It is a common misconception
that tenants have no stake in the
community, that they are trans-
ients only, the Tenants Council
brief states:

~~ See ROYAL CITY, Pg. 11
Ose ES
SS eeeeeeeeeneeneeeeeesseesee ete eeeee eee eeeeaenenae
The Canadian Tribune, from
which we reproduce 8 pages
each week, experienced some
technical difficulties in their
printshop this week with the
result that they had to reduce

the size of their edition. The PT

therefore made up its centre
spread this week with some
important reprints from the
U.S. Daily World, to whom we,
hereby express our thanks.

THE PEOPLE

Board has decided that starting
April 17 we will add an additional
page of B.C. features each week
until mid-June. The cost for this
is not included in the present
$18,000 objective. To pay for it
we are counting on our
supporters going over the top on
the drive objective.

Some of the boys from Pacific
Press, now in dispute with the
big business media, told us the
other day that the PT is the only
“honest paper” in B.C. “If you
want to get the truth there’s only
one place to find it,’’ one of them
said. They should know!

We on the PT realize that this
is a difficult time for many
workers. The government §
austerity program, rising prices:
rents, and now growing unem-
ployment, have added to the

economic difficulties of out

readers and supporters.

But we have found from
experience that in times like
these workers realize more tha?
ever the need for a fighting labo"
paper.

HELP KEEP IT ALIVE. WE

NEED $18,000! WE KNow YOU —

WILL NOT FAIL US!

35th Anniversary Fighting Fund

New Westminster city