Fraser Valley LPP calls for grain price control The Fraser Valley committee of the Labor-Progressive Party last week discussed the serious situation which has developed due to the removing of subsidies and price ceilings on gtain, Eric Burnell and Floyd Hamilton, secretary and chairman of the LPP committee, stated to the Pacific Tribune that a resolution had been unanimously Hold those $$ for LPP Fair ’ If you’re one of the many people ‘who have ‘been planning to do some Christmas shopping at the annual Labor Fall Fair and Ba- zgaar, you'd. better hoard those fast-vanishing dollars a week or two longer. ‘The bazaar has been postponed from November 12-15 to November 26-29 because of the BCElectric strike. One thing you can be certain of, though. Prices of the many attrac- tive goods to be placed on sale at this bazaar will not go up in the meantime—in fact, most goods will be well below market prices, and that includes silk stockings. Among commercial firms partici- pating in this labor event are Har- rison Tailors, who will be selling men’s and women’s tailored suits and coats at a discount; Wear- ever Aluminum, who will give away a piece of aluminum ware each of the three days; and Morey Veno, jewellers, who are supply- ing the fine watch to be given as a prize in the stop-watch competi- tion. . Feature of the bazaar, which will be held in Pender Auditorium, will be a home-cooking exhibition, with many prizes offered for win- ning entries. adopted and forwarded to Prime Minister King. The resolution says in part: “The recent gction of your government in removing subsi- dies on feed grain and price ceil- ings on oats and barley has created a serious economic situ- ation .in the Fraser Valley, af- fecting thousands of poultrymen and other producers. “If the present prices remain many will be driven out of busi- ness or be forced to curtail their operations, The economic welfare and prosperity of the whole Fraser Valley are involved. “In view of the fact that the Federal parliament is meeting in an early session starting De- cember 5, it is our considered opinion that your government must act to safeguard the wel- fare of the people. We urge that parliament take action to re-establish subsidies and price ceilings at once, and roll back’ prices to a reasonable level. .We further urge that federal actior be taken to curb profiteering and speculation on the grain ex- change.” The Fraser Valley LPP commit- tee has pledged its full‘ support behind the producers in their fight for a fair deal. We will undertake to do whatever we can to help get a square deal for the Fraser Valley people. The LPP urges all citizens to protest to Ottawa and demand that the federal parlia- ment act to restore price controls and subsidies, and curb profiteer- ing. : THE PEN Open and League Play Invited DER BOWLING ALLEYS ; : FIVE AND 10 PINS Open Noon Till Midnight — Monday to Saturday $89 West Pender Street — . . JOHNSON HIGH QUALITY LOGGERS AND WORK BOOTS _ HAND- ‘S$ BOOTS 638 West Cordova Street - - - - - - + Bhone MArine 7612 MADE BE Delivered Free! Cc. 0. D. Phone: PAcific 1384 empties Please have them 25c per dozen paid for for the driver when he makes his deliveries 1385 1386 1387 ready This advertisement is not published or displayed by the British Columbia. ‘Liquor Control Board, or by the Govermment of FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1947 School tax commission hearings : flooded with taxpayer protests NANAIMO—As a direct result of the school tax strike of rural taxpayers a govert ment commission under the chairmanship of H. Allan MacLean met in the council chambers here to enquire into the present method of assessing school costs. The six man body com posed of Messrs. J; A. Stewart, R. L. F. Sewell, B. C. Bracewell, J. T. Clark and R. C. Grant heard a score of briefs and verbal representations from civic bodies, farmer and ratepayer or- ganizations. Chief amongst the _ demands raised was one by Commissioner WwW. E. S. Morrison, representing the village of Parkesville, for an early session of the legislature to implement school tax reforms re- lieving the present heavy taxa- tion burden borne by the land. Morrison declared that the small farmer was the backbone of many communities and it should be the duty of the provincial government to safeguard the small farmer’s interests instead of taxing him off of the land: He also charged that the present basis of taxation was discouraging veterans from taking up land for the purpose of farming. Don Wilson, representing the North Oyster Ratepayers, charged thatthe present method of asses- sing land for taxation purposes was both unfair and ridiculous. He cited figures showing that 45 average-sized farms in his district were assessed at $209,000, which was more than one-third of the total assessments for the town of Ladysmith in which are located the head offices, shops and board~- inghouse of the Comox Logging and Railway Co. and several other large business properties. He was supported by Geo. Wyndlow of Saltair in his demand for equal- jation of assessment values and the removal of all school taxation off of the land. Another demand presented was for the re-defining of what con- stitutes farm lands. Farm lands are presently defined as property that contains two or more acres under cultivation. Reeve Chapman of North Cowichan municipality claimed that a farm should be de- fined as property which affords it’s owner a livelihood. A number of municipal and provincial asses- sors who gave evidence supported his contention. Mr..Chapman, who is a big dairy farmer, also con- tended that land and improve- ments should be taxed but that improvements to farm lands should be exempted and only the farmer’s residence should be classified as improvements. his, he asserted, would lower the taxes of the bona- fide farmer who makes his living off of the land and would increase the taxes on those who merely live in rural areas in order as he put it “to escape the burden of urban taxation.” This was inter- preted by some observers as con- stituting a threat against the “stump ranchers’ who are strug- gling to establish a farm as a measure of security against illness, accident or for the time when they will no longer be able to compete in industry for jobs. HAST. 0340 766 E. HASTINGS Hastings Steam Baths Expert Masseurs In Attendance — ‘OPEN DAY and NIGHT Vancouver, B.C. HIGHEST PRICES PAID for DIAMONDS, OLD GOLD Other Valuable Jewellery _STAR LOAN CO. Ltd. EST. 1905 719 Robson St. — MAr. 2622 Dias SS VY uch te Work Clothes For Workers BELIEVE FT OR NOT Our Prices Are Right! 54 West Cordova (% block east of Woodwards) Z By ALF DEWHURST ALF DEWHURST During cross-examination Mr. Chapman revealed that the North Cowichan municipality fol- ‘lowed a practice of low assess- ments which had not been changed since 1937. As a result the entire community of Chem- ainus where one of the largest mills in the province is located, the Victoria Lumber and Man- ufacturing Co., and the Copper Canyon Logging Co., both con- trolled by H. R. MacMillan, only paid the sum of $14,000 in taxes to. the municipality during the year 1946-47. School Inspector Stafford of the Cumberland Consolidated. School District raised the demand for the exclusion of isolated areas from the consolidated school districts and their reconstitution as rural school districts. He claimed that lines of communication to these isolated areas do not correspond with the present administrative centers. He gave as examples such points as Minstrel Island, Engle- wood, Woss Lake and Ferndale Cove, which, observers were quick to point out, are the locales of logging camps and where the main taxpayers who will benefit from the consequent alleviation of taxa- tion if the recommendation is put into effect will be the logging ‘their opinion that the Island Rat® companies. Mayor “Mike” Hamilton of Port Alberni defended the fixed asses® ments granted by the city of Port Alberni to the Alberni Pacifio Lumber Company and _ Bloedel Stewart and Welch. Mayor Hamil ton, replying to charges levelled against his municipality by the Al berni Ratepayers Association in # previous hearing of the comm sion held in Port Alberni, com tended “that whilst the policy o fixed assessments was to be de plored they. were not all evil. They attracted industry resulting in i creased payrolls, retail trade and markets for farmers’ products, even though it meant lower tax@~ tion income from the favored com panies. “It was revealed during the tak- ing of evidence from the provi: vial assessors, who were presen that Powell’ River, which is # company town, had it’s asses ments lowered this year by 4P proximately $2.5 millions. Provil: cial Assessor MacKenzie testified that this was the result of thé implementation of the new schoo! taxation policy which allowed &* emptions for personal property and that the personal exemptions of the Powell River Co, included stocks of paper and pulp on hand. The provincial assessor for th? Nanaimo Assessment District dis closed that he accepted for 4 purposes of assessment the ations placed on fixed and erected machinery by the companies tha: owned the machinery. He stat that in his opinion the self-valua tion by the companies concerne had been eminently fair. At the conclusion of the com” mission’s hearings in Nanaimo — this reporter had occasion to dis: cuss the sessions with several fluential members of the poweh ful Island Ratepayers Associatio? | who will present. their brief the commission during the course of its sittings in Victoria. They expressed the hope that the T Enquiry Commission will not allow itself to be used merely as a brus?” for the purpose of white-washin8 the present iniquitous school ation policy of the provincial 8° ernment. They also expressed a8 payers will not end their tax strike until the legislature meets an = A charge of 50 cents for each insertion of five lines or less with 10 cents for each additional line ig made for notices appearing in this column. No notices will be accepted later than Monday noon xf the week of publication. NOTICES Oldtime Dancing To Alf Carlson’s Orchestra Every Wednesday and Saturday Hastings Auditorium f 828 East Hastings Phone HAstings 1248 Moderate Rental Rates For socials, weddings, meetings ASH BROS. CARTAGE Moving — Transfer Dump Trucks 2239 Cambie Phone FAir. 6469 Hair Restored— OK methods, hair scalp disorder | restoring. 671 Smythe Street. Meetings— Swedish-Finnish Workers Club meetings cancelled for duration of transit strike. acts favorabl mands vi y upon their dene ae Sts. 13 Sk Be a ct eee Wanted— ; : Clothing for rummage sale, Ohh vember 24, 2 p.m. Arcadian Hell Sixth and Main. Auspices Fait view Club. Bring your contribv tions to 855 West Highth phone FA. 3459-R or FA. Lo i = Conrad Persson— _ ; 38 Teacher of violin, studio a be E. Hastings. Pupils preP# d for exam, ensemble playing a festivals. Wednesday and Satu day—9 a.m. to 9 p.m. PHOT HAstings 1020. 8 oe Dance, Clinton Hall— eo 2605 Hast Pender. Dance every Saturday night. Modern am Old-Time. Viking’s Orchest¥® | for rev 4 Hall is available HAstings 3277. 8.0.8.— ¢ Calling all Nabob coupons in #, bazaar. What other cour os have you? Send or bring oat to Bazaar Headquarters, der Shelly Bldg, 119 W. Pent Phone TA. 2030. WHAT’S DOING at 2 Sea Croatian Hall Available for Dances, Socials, Weddings, Banquets, Meetings, Reasonable rates, 600 Camp- bell Avenue. HAstings 0087. A Treat on Sunday—_ pe Film and Forum every SU? 8 pm., West End Hall. “oo Davie St. Everybody wele? Silver collection. At 6 PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE