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25 years ago...

YOU’LL PAY MORE FOR
HOUSING THIS YEAR |

OTTAWA — The average
Cost of houses financed under
the federal National Housing
Act rose from $10,211 in 1951 to
$10,934 in 1952. ;

Costs in 1953 are still higher.
Interest rates on first mortgages
are up from 5.78% in 1951 to
5.99% in 1952.

_ Of total funds put into

housing, that supplied by:

government and lending institu-
tions declined. Funds from
governments, mainly federal,
pnped from 18.2% of the total
Ousing costs to 15.5% in 1952.
i an institutions dropped
their share from 23.5% to
ae rane owners had to put
1% as i

28.6% in iy Cates with

* * *
Thirty-five young Canadians
ave left to attend the 4th World

Festival of Youth and Students
in Bucharest, Rumania.

“I'm just trying to catch up!” |

50 years ago...

RUSSIAN UNIONS
HELP CHINESE
MOSCOW — Announcement

has been made that the Council ’

of Trade Unions of the USSR

‘has donated 100,000 roubles for.

the relief of Chinese workers.
This contribution, which it is
emphasized has been made by a
trade union body within the
Soviet Union, the message ac-
companying the donation de-
clares will strengthen. the. bonds

between the free workers and.

peasants of the USSR and their
fellow workers in China who are
struggling to free themselves
from the yoke of the warlords,
imperialists and — native
capitalists.

The money will be used for
the relief of trade union mem-
bers who have suffered under

the terrorism of successive war-:
lords and for the strengthening

of trade union organizations ata
time when Nanking is under-
taking a new anti-unions cam-

Tribune Sos The Worker
July 13, 1953 July 14, 1928
~ Profiteer of the week:

It’s like somebody claiming the right to sell

- us air and sunshine at a fat profit, this private

hold on resources rightfully belonging to all

Canadians. But it’s very . profitable so
capitalist law upholds corporation “rights,

not ours. Canadian Western Natural Gas Co.

Ltd., Calgary, e.g., had profits of $4,001,000,

Jan.-March, 1978 compared with $3,374,000,
same period last year.

Figures used are from the company's financial statements.

THE NORTH¢,

CANADI4 N

——4

MINERALS

TE

EDITORIAL
COMMENT

Hypocrisy or human rights?

It is always a sad day for the forces of

_anti-Sovietism when their man gets’
caught at indictable activities, and worse

when there is undeniable evidence.

Not that the capitalist politicians and
cold warriors care a hoot about Anatoly
Shcharansky or Alexander Ginzburg as
persons, or as Jews (many are anti-
Semitic), but they do resent the loss of a
willing tool considered capable of
damaging the machinery of socialism.

Hence the embarrassing (to more
sober statesmen) way they fly into
screaming action at the whistle of the
world Zionist propaganda machine. The
machine happens to have a lot in com-
mon with reactionary politics every-
where, with secret service agencies, with
a stepped-up arms race, the wrecking of
détente and with dreaming of an end to
socialism.

For sheer hyprocrisy the anti-Soviet
claque around the current trials —
not to mention gross interference in
another country’s internal attairs — hits
a new low. .

‘The humans rights commercials from
Carter, on down to Ontario’s Bill Davis
would stink less of political opportunism
if they were consistent. And the Cana-
dian government which, reportedly, of-
fered Shcharansky landed immigrant
status, could also join this real quest for
human rights.

They could start with the Indian “re-
servations”, or the prisons full of rail-
roaded Native people; or with the visible
minorities victimized by immigration
laws as welt as the capitalist bosses. They
could examine the Ottawa secret trial of
Peter Treu.

They could look at thousands of U.S.
cases, starting with the attempt to judi-
cially murder the Rev. Benjamin Chavis,
one of the Wilmington 10, by refusing
him emergency medical care.

They could stop Canadian monopolies
from pouring money into fascist Chile
and apartheid South Africa, where the
countless political prisoners languishing
in prisons and suffering torture and neg-
lect is an outrage against humanity.

They could denounce Brazil and
Guatemala where indigenous peoples
are killed off like weeds to accommodate
foreign investors in resources.

Or are they worried about the totalita-
rian rule of Forbes Burnham in Guyana
and Geary in Grenada? What about hu-
man rights in Paraguay, South Korea
and Rhodesia? Are the capitalist media
bursting with statements about these?

Ah, the capitalist media; they vie for

_ places of honor in the sewers. The To-

ronto Globe and Mail accuses the Soviet
Union of persecuting Jews, an unforgiv-
able insult to the people who gave 20
million lives fighting fascism and defend-
ing, in the first place, fascism’s Jewish

- victims.

What human rights the meddlers, the
provocateurs, the lying hypocrites could
defend if it was were really human rights
and snot anti-Sovietism which moved
them! »

No. there is not a shade of doubt,
the frantic campaign in the West, aimed
at exonerating Shcharansky, is spon-
sored by the same agencies he worked
for. .

Don’t proposition us!

There have been some efforts in
Canada to bring about legislation for
huge tax cuts for property owners and
businessmen, along the lines of Califor-
nia’s Proposition 13, which was ap-

proved by a two-to-one majority of vot-

ers. Organized labor opposed this gim-
mick. |

The first media interpretation was that
the “little people” had scored.'The well-
to-do leader of the campaign was hailed
as a hero. Then the light began to dawn.

The State of California “responded”
by cutting off funds to municipalities for
summer school programs, libraries,
parks and recreation, senior citizens’
programs and other services such as

health, schools, fire, police, etc. All this in

the name of offsetting the fall in income
from taxes.

"This “people’s victory” was going to

_ cost the powers that be not one measly

cent, but it was going to cost the working
people plenty. ae
California Governor Jerry Brown an-

nounced June 14 a pay freeze for
200,000 state employees. Los Angeles

scheduled a layoff of 8,000 city employ-

ees for July 1. A study estimated the
state’s jobless figure would jump from
the present 7.2% to 10.3% by the end of

1980. The inevitable fallin buying power

boded ill for living standards.
Defenders of U.S.-style “democracy”

may want to explain the human rights

involved where voters who have been |

had by clever propaganda vote them-
selves out of health care, out of educa-
tion, out of jobs, while voting long life to
corporate profits.

Canadians, if they are alert, will cut
down without ‘hesitation any such
schemes to dump social services and
plunge living standards to the depths on
the pretext of cutting taxes. What was
wrong with Proposition 13 was that it
told working people: don’t fight the rul-
ing monopolies and their governments;
don’t demand profit curbs and diversion
of the country’s wealth to the needs of
the people; simply vote yourself — and
the business interests — a tax cut. Such
plans enhance the profits of businesses at
the expense of workers.

The key to raising living standards in
Canada is unfettered trade union rights
by which to win gains; controls on
monopoly profits, including nationaliza-
tion; the restructuring of society to give
the working class a say in all matters of
concern to working people; and genuine
working-class political action.

Sie: proposition us, messrs. ruling
class

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—July 21, 1978—Page 3

—s