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HYDRO-MUNICIPAL TALKS BREAK-OFF

Victoria,
B. C. Hydro’s

P.U.C. HEARINGS AUGUST 26

B.C. The second hearing of the Public Utilities Commission eS
Proposed bus fare hike was adjourned Aug. 5 to provide time fo

direct negotiations between the company and affected municipalities.

Aim of the discussions, al-
ready under way between Mayors
Rathie of Vancouver and Wil-

son of Victoria representing the
11 municipalities and Hydro’s
financial adviser, Einar Gunder-

son, is to break the present im-
Passe and explore more fully the
basis for new franchise agree-
ments and a long-term solution
of the growing transit crisis,

Ratepayers, women oppose

“We are absolutely Opposed to
any interim agreement to in-
crease bus fares,” said Harry
Rankin, president of the Central
Council of Ratepayers, in a pre-
pared statement, “This would
immeasurably weaken any future

an discussions with the Public Utili-
; ties Commission, It is self-evi-
dent that any increase in fares

will result in the deterioration

of the bus service and will re-

duce substantially the number of

persons travelling on the buses,

“The City of Vancouver has
indicated that it is prepared to
pour in several millions of dol-
lars in downtown development,
because the core area in the City
is in an extremely run-down
condition, A cut in bus service
will continue this downward trend
by decreasing the Passengers who
would use the bus service,

Ps

“The Central Council of Rate-
payers wishes to urge the Public
Utilities Commission to hold He
representative public hearing on
all aspects of public transit, We
suggest that the more lucrative
aspects of the Hydro and Power
Development could be used to
subsidize a large-scale rapid
transit system which would give
cheap, efficient transportation to
the citizens of Vancouver, We
feel that rather than increase the
fares, there should bea decrease
in the cost of public transporta-
tion, with free transportation to
Old Age Pensioners,

“The clogging of our City
streets with cars is a reflection
of a lack of public transportation
and a number of traffic experts
in the past few months have

. warned us that this situation will

deteriorate,”

“We are strenuously opposed
to the B.C, Hydro’s efforts to
impose another transit fare in-
crease on the citizens of this
province,” stated Mrs, Elaine

Podovinnikoff, Chairman of the |

Women Against High Prices
Committee;

A Brief issued by the Com-
mittee points out that a bus fare
increase would place real hard-
ship on those least able to carry
financial burdens; that it could
very easily wipe out the benefits
of a pension increase, and to a
great extent negate the Family
Allowance to older children re-
cently agreed to by Parliament,
since these are the ones, for the
most part who must take the bus
to their secondary schools,

Widespread agitation and Oppo-
Sition-to the threatened increase,
amounting in the case of Victoria
to 923 percent for adults and 100
percent for school children, was
reflected in attendance which
taxed Victoria’s new “Small
Debt’s Court” to capacity.

Among those appearing here

FLASH

As the Pacific Tribune went to
press, word was received that
negotiations between municipal
and hydro officials have appar-
ently broken down, =

The main objective of the mu-
nicipalities — q thoroughgoing
independent study of the transit
crisis—depended on approval of
the provincial cabinet, This was’
at the center of the offer of the
municipalities to negotiate a
small interim increase, forego
present franchise payments, and
review bus service frequencies,

Collapse of the negotiations re-
turns the matter tothe extremely
limited and restricted terms of
reference of the Public utilities
Commission, and possible court
action threatened by the muni-
cipalities,

A number of organizations have
urged the government to institute
a Royal Commission enquiry into
the whole transit crisis,

Photo shows the huge memorial meeting of 100,000 people held in the Peace Park in Hiroshima

was the Victoria Citizen’s Com-
mittee, which has prepared @
brief opposing the fare hike
According toits spokesmen, Ml
E. Peakes, it has endorsemenls
from many.trade unions, old age
pensioner and Army and Naw
groups, as well as promine?
figures in labor, N.D,P, and othé
groups.

A highlight of the Victor
session, where Hydro officials
put in their case for the tarehil
in the Victoria area, was !
appearances of N.D.P. leadel
Robert Strachan. P.U.C, chai!
man, Prof, Angus, drew a nest
laugh from the crowded cour
room when, after initially ™
fusing to recognize Strachan @
*Leader of the Official Opp0s
tion,’ he finally agreed to ae
him as plain ‘Mr. John Q. Cit
zen.’

Meanwhile a student’s demo”
stration outside the staid victor”
Court was ordered to remov"
banners reading ‘NO FARE IN

‘CREASE.’

Next hearing, where cross”
examination of B.C. Hydro’s i fi
nesses may proceed, will be aa
in Vancouver Courthouse AY
26th. .

the

thousands of victims. On the right is q stat
bombing from the effects of radiation, She
The mayor of Hiroshima read
of “peace” doves, shown int

: U
ue of a 12 year old girl who died ten years ei ,
is holding a crane, the Japanese symbol of es s
@ peace message to the gathering and when he finished
he upper left of the photo, were released.

12
August 14, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—P29°

on Aug. 6 to mark the 19th anniversary of the atomic destruction of the city by the U.S. The
meeting was held at 8:15 a.m., the exact time

of the picture is the Peace Arch and Memorial Grave which contains the names of the tens of