BCER submitted
no facts to PUC
justifying boost

Vancouver Trade Union Research Bureau this week -issued a
statement on the BCER fare increase declaring that “the facts
brought out by the company at the public hearing did not provide
the PUC with any basis for finding that additional revenues were
needed to cover increased transit costs.”

LPP protests
fare increase
to Johnson

The Labor-Progressive party
this week asked Premier Byron
Johnson to countermand instruc-
tions of the Public Utilities Com-
mission and order the BCElectric
to keep fares at present levels.
Nigel Morgan, LPP provincial
leader, sent the following letter
to Premier Johnson:

“The provincial executive of the
Labor-Progressive party lodges
with you a strong protest against
the action of the Public Utilities
Commission in granting to the BC
Electric its application for an in-
crease of fares in Vancouver,
North Vancouver, Burnaby, New
Westminster and Victoria.

“This action by the PUC was
taken despite the almost unani-
mous opposition of the citizens
of the affected centres. The terms
of reference of the PUC in exam-
ining applications of utility com-
panies for’ rate or transit in-
_ereases instruct thé PUC to take
into account the interests of the
general public. This. interest has
been flagrantly disregarded by
the PUC.

“Chairman Percy George’s rul-
ing that the commission’s infor:
mation on the company’s fin-
ancial position is confidential and
cannot be produced at a public
hearing is a violation of the Pub-
lic Utilities Act. This decision re-
flected a very deep bias on the

part of the PUC in favor of the

_ BOER and against the public in-
_ terest.

“In view of the above the” La-
bor-Progressive party calls upon
the premier and the government

of the province to intervene in
this dispute between the public
and the BCER by setting aside the

_ decision of the PUC to allow the
company’s application for fare

“The BCER has not proved the
merit of its case*to the satisfac-

‘uae of the public. That factor,

totally disregarded’ by the PUC,
is a factor that your government

is duty bound to consider. Your

government, in the public inter-
est, should countermand the in-
structions of the PUC and order
__ the BCER to proceed to collect

fares on the basis prevailing prior

Text of the statement follows:

The Public Utilities Commis-
sion has announced that the
BCElectric application for higher
transit fares has been granted in
full, effective April, 6. The Trade
Union Research Bufeau wishes to
draw to the attention of the trade
union movement and the public
generally, the following facts:

A.) The company’s application
based its claim for higher fares
on two considerations, namely: 1.
The cost of an increase of 12%
cents per hour to the Street Rail-
waymen’s Union effective March
1, 1952. 2. The need for “a small
increase in the rate of return.”

B.) The company’s only wit-
ness, Dr. Harry Purdy, admitted
under crass-examination by Emil
Bjarnason of the Trade Union
Research Bureau, that last year’s
wage increase of 12 cents per
hour to the Street Railwaymen,
effective March 1, 1951, had not
resulted in increased operating
costs. In spite of the increased
hourly wages, the transit wage
bill .was $78,033 lower in 1951
than in 1950. Dr. Purdy also ad-
mitted that total operating costs
of-the transit system in 1951 were
$378,380 lower than in 1950.

It will be recalled also that
in 1951, the Public Utilities
Commission granted the com-
pany an increase in domestic
_ electric rates to cover the alleg-
ed increase in transit costs,
which, they now admit, did not
materialize. Moreover, two fur-
ther increases in electric rates
have been granted since that
time.

It is quite obvious, therefore,
that the facts ‘brought out by the
company at the public hearing
did not provide the PUC with
any basis for finding that addi-
tional revenues were needed to
cover increased transit costs.

C.) In December, 1951, the Pub-
li¢ Utilities Commission held a
lengthy hearing on the BCElec-
tric’s rate of return. At the out-
set of the bus fare hearing, March
5, 1952, ‘Chairman Percy George
stated that the commission would
not be in a position to make a
‘decision on the adequacy of the
company’s rate of return for at
Jeast two months ‘because the
PUC experts had nog evaluated
the evidence from the December
hearing. : ‘ SN

If “Chairman George was
speaking the truth, it is obvious"
that he cannot now, three weeks
later, make a finding that the

company requires “a small in- .

crease in the rate of return.”

We urge all organizations in
the interests of labor and the
consuming public, to pass im-

/mediate resolutions calling upon

the premier of British Columbia
to veto the Public Utility Com-

| mission’s order.

to the board's recent ruling.”

523 West 7th

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PACKING HOUSE WORKERS
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CRUITING OFF ICE
<) Hurtig Bldg.
Portage: AVE

ARMY RE
cupstairs
= 264

‘Unfortunate’ wording

Following exposure of the
army recruiting advertisement
reproduced above by the Cana-
dian Tribune, army spokesmen
in Winnipeg withdrew it, ad-
mitted the wording was “un-
fortunate.” CCF MP Alistair
Stewart charged in the House
that the department of national
defense was using “economic
misery” to get recruits.

issue call for
disarmament

OCEAN FALLS, B.C.

The Canadian government and
UN secretary-general Trygve Lie
were petitioned to support and

through the United Nations in a
resolution endorsed by the March
membership meeting of Pulp and
Sulphite Workers Local 312. The
well-attended meeting spoke for
a membership of nearly 1,000 and
expressed the feelings of the
majority of this paper-making
community’s 3,300 citizens.

‘Major attention was given to
the 1952 ‘bargaining proposals,
which will 'be presented to an in-
dustry-wide wage conference in
June before sitting down with the
companies. The local’s central
demand is for a 50-cent across the
board wage increase and isolation
pay.

Among other arguments raised
in discussion, it was pointed out
that American “pulp mill em-
ployees on the Pacific Coast are
paid 30 cents per hour more than
Canadian workers and seek a fur-
ther increase this year. Owing to
the high cost of living in Canada,
‘the isolation characteristic to the
B.C. pulp and papér industry, and

the meeting felt that the Cana-
dian pay level should be not low-
er, ‘but higher than the American.
The meeting endorsed com-
pensation coverage for fisher-
men, condemned the Canada-

and condemned Vancouver City
Council and “labor” Alderman
R. K. Gervin for the dangerous
and unprecedented attack on
trade union rights in their
policy towards the Vancouver
Civic Employees _ Union (Out-
side Workers).

EAST END.
TAXI

UNION DRIVERS
Hastings
0334

FULLY | 24-HOUR
INSURED SERVICE

811 E. HASTINGS ST.
scae

Pulp Workers

work for universal disarmament

‘Canadian industry?” and gave its
own answer, “If Canadians are
not worried about this,
should ‘be... .”

Ironically enough, the story
was written by an American: It
was datelined Boston and was
distributed iby the North Ameri-
can Newspaper Alliance, the syn-
dicate of the Chicago Daily News
and the Knight chain of news-
papers.

The story called attention to
the startling revelation in a re-
cent survey by the Wall Street
Journal that there are over 2,500
US. firms operating in Canada
and that they account for 25 per-
cent of all Canadian manufac-
turers..

they

Emphasis was placed upon the
fact that present American in-
vestment in Canada is $8\billion—
70 percent of all American invest-
ment abroad.

Canadian tax laws were cred-
ited for the spectacular growth
of Canadian business. The ar-
ticle enlarged on this point by
reminding its readers that Can-
ada had no capital gains tax;
that there was no excess pro-
fits tax and that corporation
income tax was 46 percent com-
pared to 52 percent in the
United States.

The writer contrasted this treat-
ment of business with the heavy
taxes on workers and salaried
employees who pay as much in-
come tax as their American
counterparts. It also mentioned
the additional ‘burdens of the ex-

Casfle Jewelers

Watchmaker and
Jewelers
Special Discount to
all Tribune Read-
¥ ers. Bring this ad
with you
752 Granville St.

TED HARRIS

Painters’ and Paperhangers’
Supplies |
Sunworthy Wallpaper
reg. 45¢ — Now 19c a roll
157 EL HASTINGS HA, 2973

the need of a substantial increase, |

Japan-U.S. Fisheries Treaty, —

“Everything ‘in F. lowers”
FROM .

EARL SYKES:

56 E. Hastings St. PA. $355

Vancouver, B.C,

Vancouver
Second Hand Store
@ Stove Parts and Repairs
@ Used Plumbing Supplies
Tools ‘Kitchenware

538 a! ST. Pacific ‘8457

Ee ie FRIDLEIFSON

(Naturopathic CR uiCtaad
Hours 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Phones, Office PA. 9713; .
Res.: FAir. 1679-R
- Room 204, Ford Bldg.

198 KE. Hastings Vancouver

i

\

‘e
eu

States Canadians
should be worrie
by U.S. control

VICTORIA, B.C.

In a front-page news story, last Sunday’s edition of the Victoria
Colonist pointed to the increasing domination of Canadian industry
by American capital. Under a six-column headline reading “U.S.
_|Investors Control Much of Canada’s Industrial Boom,” the story

opened with a question, “Is American business going to take over

cise tax of 25 percent on auto-
mobiles, electrical goods and
household appliances, as well as
the general sales tax of 8 to 10
percent.

CLASSIFIED —

A charge of 50 cents for each
insertion of five lines or less with
10 cents for each additional line
is made for notices appearing in
this column. No notices will be
accepted later than Monday noon
of the week of publication.

NOTICES

aceeeee

IN MEMORIAM

GEORGE CAMPION

Who died in Burnaby
March 29, 1952

As we go marching to sing:
ing lomorrows :

Though you no longer grasp
our hands

We take pride in the memory
of vour life

“That ‘was full of courage and
gencrosity

Good humour and loyalty

And will remain ;with us an
inspiration ;

We dedicate ourselves most
humbly to try

And fill your place.

CENTRAL BURNABY
CLUB

LABOR PROGRESSIVE
PARTY

WHAT'S abs G?

PEARL WEDRO reports on her
visit to SOVIET UNION, Fri-
day, April 4, 8 pm., Capitol
Hill Community Hall; Howe
and Hastings. :

BUSINESS PERSONALS

% TRANSFER & MOVING. Cour-
teous, ‘fast, efficient. Call Nick
at Yale Hotel, PA. 0632, a
1527, Che S105, 2

HASTINGS BAKERIES LTD. —
716 East Hastings St. Phone
HA. 3244. Scandinavian Prods i

ucts a Specialty. ‘

CRYSTAL STEAM BATHS =
Open every day. New Modern

| Beauty Salon—1763 E. Hast

ings. HAstings 6094.

0.K. RADIO SERVICE. wee
factory precision equipment

_ used. MARINE SERVICE, 1420
Pender St. West. TA. 1012.

JOHNSONS WORK BOOTS —
_ Logging and Hiking and Re
pairs. Johnsons Boots, 63 W
Cordova. Sy

-
HALLS FOR RENT x
ee

DANCE—Modern and Old Time
Music at Clinton Hall, 605 Ba
Pender St.- every Sat
night, 9 to 12. Music by
ton’s Orchestra. Hall for
HA. 2377.

RUSSIAN PEOPLE'S on am
Available for meetings, W
dings, and banquets at reaso™
able. rates. 600 Campbell oy
HA. 0960.

PACIFIC Ee — APRIL 4, 1952 — PAGE 6