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CAN'T YOU SEE
WE'RE PROTECTIN
YOU FROM THE
WOLVES7 .

Robson—another Gran

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

Now they want to do to Robson
Street what they did to Granville
Street — spoil it with a phoney type
of mall.

A developer by the name of N. B.
Cook, president of Neil B.C. Cook
Corporation and Anchorage In-
vestments Ltd., has a scheme
under way to build a 65 specialty
shop mall at the 1000 block Robson,

_ bounded by Robson, Thurlow,

_ Burrard and Haro. The scheme, it

is said, would cost $7.5 million and
take five years to build.

It hasn’t. come up in City Council
yet, it’s still being considered by
city planners. That’s how these
schemes are hatched — they don’t
come first as they should before
City Council but are presented first
to the planning department. Here
the plans are worked out in detail
at the cost of thousands or tens of
thousands of dollars in time spent
at city expense. Then a package all

nicely wrapped up to make it look
very attractive, is presented to
Council for approval. The citizens

who -are affected are rarely in-
volved or asked for their opinions.

What will happen to Robson
Street and the small merchants if
this scheme goes through? That’s
not hard to predict.

The first thing that will happen is
that the whole nature of Robson
Street will change. The small shops
we have there today, operating out
of relatively moderately priced
premises, will be replaced by
expensive new specialty shops
devoid of all the characteristics
that make the Robson shops at-
tractive today.

Secondly, rents will not only be
raised but doubled and
quadrupled. That’s inevitable
whenever a mall comes in. And
that in turn means that many of the
small shops we have on Robson
today will be forced out of
business. Those that remain will
certainly raise their prices.

Thirdly, the tendency will be,
just.as on Granville, to cater to the
tourist trade, not to the people of
Vancouver.

COPE calls for all-in

unity in civic election

“We stand for the unity of all
reform-minded citizens in the
upcoming 1976 civic elections, just
as we have always done in the
past,’ stated Bruce Yorke,
president of COPE, following a
recent meeting of its executive.

“Unity is the only way to prevent
the return to power of the reac-
tionary NPA. Go it alone policies
have proven bankrupt. The time to
abandon them in favor of real unity
is now.”

“A struggle to build a united
slate of progressive candidates,
pledged to enact a common
program around people’s needs, is
very much on the agenda in
Vancouver municipal politics,’’
said Yorke.

“TEAM, which fooled many
voters into believing it stood for
reform is breaking up, with its
dominant section openly con-
templating merger or joint en-
dorsation of candidates with the
NPA, the favored vehicle for real
estate and big business interests at
City Hall.”

“Such a merger on the right can

ville Mall?

I don’t think the people of
Vancouver need or want this kind
of a mall on Robson.

I’m certainly not opposed to the
idea of a mall on Robson. I think it
would be a good idea, in fact. A
mall on Robson makes much more
sense than a mall on Granville.

But what I have in mind is a
mall, which is, first of all, designed
to serve the citizens of Vancouver,
not the tourist traffic.

Secondly, the planning should

not be in the. hands of any ~

developer who is out to make a fast
buck at our expense, but in the
hands of citizens. This means it
should be planned by City Council,
the planning department, the
merchants ‘involved and the
citizens generally.

With this kind of approach, we
could end up with an attractive
people’s mall, not a developer’s
mall or a tourist mall.

If we are to spend city money on
a mall (and don’t forget that the

Granville Mall cost us many
See RANKIN 11

only be met successfully with a

broadly based centre-left
coalition,” stressed the COPE
president.

“Already a number of com-
munity groups who work year
round on civic issues, have met and
discussed.the basis of a common
electoral program. COPE has
participated in these discussions.
The Vancouver Area Council of the
NDP also participated, but showed
little signs of abandoning its anti-
unity position.”

“TEAM aldermen Michael
Harcourt and Darlene Marzari,
both of them associated with
TEAM’s reform image, and both
associated with the NDP, have also
met, along with certain other
aspirants to civic office. COPE was
not invited to this meeting. By and
large this grouping has not yet
committed itself, particularly on
the question of all-in unity.

“The Vancouver and District
Labor Council, which played a key
role in founding COPE in 1968, has
repeatedly made appeals for unity.
COPE has always responded
favorably, both in words and
deeds, to these appeals. On the
other hand, the ultra-left faction
which controls the Vancouver Area
Council of the NDP has always
rejected this common sense appeal
of the Labor Council.”’

“At a recent meeting of the
Vancouver Labor Council, its
president personally raised the
question of the 1976 elections. He
stressed the need for unity, but
stated that COPE and the Van-
couver Area Council of the NDP
are “refusing, unable or unwilling

to stop fighting among them-
selves.”
“This is not the case as far as
COPE is concerned. In the 1974
elections for instance COPE took
the initiative, nominated only five
aldermanic candidates out of a
possible 10, and in its literat
called for the election of five NDP
aldermanic candidates.” a
“COPE’s unity policy has
resulted in a significant increase in
its public support. In the 1974
elections, its over-all vote was
considerably in excess of the over-
all vote of the NDP. a
“We welcome all discussions on 7
the unity question, but discussions
should lead to action. 4
“In our view, the Vancouver
Labor Council might conside e
following up their repeated calls,
for unity, by sponsoring a con-

~ ference of organizations willing to

work out a common electoral slate.
and program. COPE is prepared to
fully participate, without an

preconceived position, in any su 1
conference that might be called.

In the meantime however, since

we are the main organized reform
group, with an elected alderman
whose record is outstanding, with a
growing vote for all our can-
didates, and with a well worked-out —
program, COPE in conjunction —
with others, has proceeded to call
meeting to consider the nominatio
of candidates. A number of in-
dividuals from community group’
have been invited to attend th
meeting. Their opinions an

Support will be sought on the ke

question — how best to proceeed to 4
elect a genuine reform government.

Fall sub drive nets 800

With this issue of the Tribune our annual circulation drive comes to a
close, and with the results of the drive still incomplete, we have had over
800 new subscriptions and renewals turned into our office. Though still a
little short of our goal of 900 subscriptions, this total marks a considerable
effort by our readers and supporters who overcame many difficulties to

collect those 800 plus subscriptions.

However, there are still about 300 of our readers whose subs have ex-
pired and have not yet been renewed for the new year. With these 300
renewals we would be way over the top in our drive, and off to a good start

in our fifth decade of publication.

As announced last week, these subs may be renewed at the current rate a
of $6 per year up to February 15. After that date our new subscri
of $8 per year will come into effect. 4
So, buy a new sub or renew your old sub before February 15 and save |

$2.00.

ption rate

5 SSF

McEWEN

‘ A number of archaic-thinking school boards, town
councillors, vest-pocket mayors and what not are
clamoring for a restoration of the strap in classrooms.
“We're paying too much for the regulation of discipline in
the schools,” booms one ignoramus board member from
Coquitlam. ‘‘Cheaper to bring back the strap and teach
these young hoodlums a salutory lesson.”
One of the few progressive measures introduced by the
___ late NDP government in Victoria was to abolish the use of
__ the strap in schools. The new Socred regime, a la premier
Bill Bennett, was to publicly approve the strap in the
_ School curricula. With ICBC Liberal Pat McGeer: as

minister of education the strap could become a ready

“solution”’ to problems, just as his “sell-your-car’’ was his
initial solution to ICBC ills. How delicate the fine thread
which suspends our vaunted democracy from the savage
ignorance of barbarism?

Use of the strap in school is an initial step toward the
acceptance of corporal punishment in the prison as a
deterrent to crime. It is a form of legal violence, which in
its entirety, serves neither purpose, either as a violent
enforcement of juvenile discipline in school, not a
deterrent or solution to criminal activity — the root cause
for both requiring a much deeper study. But for the social
class rule of a powerful minority jealously guarding its
status quo prerogatives, it is the easiest and cheapest
“solution”’ to apply.

The vast majority of teachers of all grades are strongly

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 30, 1976—Page 2

Ne ee ee ee

opposed to the use of the strap in the classroom, knowing
full well that the lack of student discipline in school goes
far deeper than just an emotional urge to raise hell. Those
few teachers who do approve of its use are invariably
motivated by an animal desire to cover up their own
inefficiencies as a teacher.

Moreover, the parent who condones this barbaric
savagery against his child without protest, or who may
neglect his own elementary teaching of discipline in the
home, is consciously or unconsciously helping to set a
dangerous course for his offspring.

What should be done when some ignoramus weilds the
strap against a juvenile, is for the parent to take a trip
down to school and administer to the so-called teacher
precisely the same punishment as was inflicted upon the
child — and in front of the whole classroom. “Violence,”

yes, the law might rule that way on such an exercise, but”

then as Dickens’ Mr. Bumble insisted upon occasion, ‘‘the

- lawis ah’ass.” But it would sure cool off the ardors of the

strap wielder.

In my Prison Bars I draw a close parallel between the
use of the strap or cane in the school classroom and the
ignorant acceptance of corporal punishment in prison as
an alleged deterrent to crime.

A convicted prisoner comes into prison with so many
years incarceration, plus 10, 20, or more lashes added to
his sentence. He is stripped and strapped to a table. The
prison guard who wields the lash (this job by preference)
receives an extra dollar ‘“‘bonus”’ to his meagre pay en-
velope. As each stroke of the lash cuts its deep welt on the
bare back of the helpless victim, the prison doctor
periodically takes the victim’s pulse to see how his ticker
is taking it. If the heart is protesting too much the Doc can
order the barbarism halted. The prisoner will come back
at a later date for the balance of his ‘‘punishment”’ — and
ee lash-wielding “‘screw’’ will garner another bonus

ollar.

With the paddle, a broad, beaver-tailed looking weapon,
for application to the victim’s bare buttocks, Unlike the
lash victim however, the ‘‘paddled”’ inmate is escorted
back to his place of work, his rear end resembling a
chopped-up slab of hamburger and his spirit seething with
shame, anger and resentment against a society which
permits such human degradation. Not one in every 100
Canadians would tolerate this deliberate cruelty and

sadism, were they obliged to look upon its barbarism in 3

practice. Yet it is the end result of those who yelp for a
restoration of the strap in the classroom. Nor is the
security of any state, Communist or capitalist
strengthened one small iota by this barbaric form of
punishment. The imposition of violent deterrents in the
classroom or in the wider areas of crime, does not and will
not produce a sense of discipline and responsibility toward
society. But it will, and does produce quite the reverse, not
cheaper but far more costly in the long run.
It is time we began in earnest to look for causes which
compound the ills of modern society, rather than fiddling

around with effects ... which ultimately turn us into
damn fools or worse.

—_ TRIBUNE

Editor — MAURICE RUSH
: Assistant Editor SEAN GRIFFIN
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