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Vancouver, British Columbia, March 18, 1955 :

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PRICE TEN CENTS

BCE GRABBED $480,000

FFFIE JONES DEMANDS

W-CENT FARE, NEW PU

Two demands were raised by Effie Jones
this week when the B.C. Electric was compell-
ed to reduce transit fares in Vancouver from

. Sover

6

Headlines tell the story

® Succes,
fo

Effie Jones demands
cabinet hear appeals

Effie asks
old fares
till appeal

These headlines from the Pacific Tribune tell the story of Effie Jones’ long fight since 1947 against

Sion of B.C. Electric fare increases and service cuts. More than any other individual, she has

to personify the protest against the transit monopoly’s exploitation of the public.

Socreds, Liberals join forces
to defeat Bill of Rights proposal

Sociat Crean: VICTORIA, BE.
berg cA Tedit and Liberal mem-
lature ee forces in the legis-
Solutio ts Week to defeat a re-

‘on by the CCF urging the
Se to consider the ad-
incial Y of introducing a proy-

Bill of Rights,

oe of a Bill of Rights
Ment : urged on the govern-
ations many provincial organi-
deleg, saa ? earlier this year a
Ese baat! ttt

tee atic Rights visit-
the tears f° Solicit aEIBONS for

Both
Bonner pttorney-General Robert
or the government and

Laj :
that aa Liberal leader, argued
“aS a national question,

although the St. Laurent govern-
ment has made no move to bring
in a national Bill of Rights and the

issue has not been raised by So-
cial Credit members at Ottawa.

“To lay down a blueprint in
this matter is a task we do not
think any provincial government
should undertake,” said Bonner.

CCF leader Arnold Webster
urged adoption of the resolution
as an opportunity for the gov-
ernment “to take some specific
action.”

“There is a growing desire for
governments to place a stamp of
approval on an easily understood
declaration of :rights,” he said.

15 to 13 cents.

The demands were:

‘

1. Roll back fares to 10 cents. for six

months.

2. Fire the Public Utilities Commission.

Reduction of fares to the September 1954 level
followed decision’ of the Court of Appeal which
branded the boost in fares approved by the Public
Utilities Commission as illegal.

“The B.C. Electric has not yet refunded to

transit users the $480,000 illlegal-
ly collected since last Septem-
ber,’ pointed out Mrs. Jones in a
“thank you” leaflet which will be

distributed to thousands of long-
suffering straphangers this week-
end. ‘The PUC, which has fav-
ored the B.C. Electric all along,
is still in office. We beat the
15-cent fare; now let us see that
justice is done! Write Premier
Bennett demanding that the cab-
inet roll back fares to 10 cents
for six months to compensate the
public, and that the government
fire the present members of the
Public Utilities Commission.”
Mrs. Jones, whose long cam-
paign for lower B.C. Electric tran-
sit fares sparked the broad move-
ment which developed in recent
months and led to the successful
battle in Court of Appeal to wipe
out the PUC decision allowing
the 15-cent fare, expressed con-
fidence that “similar unity of
municipal bodies, trade unions,
ratepayers organizations and oth-
er groups can win the dime fare
and result in firing of the PUC.”
Press reports from Victoria in-
dicate that the PUC is on the
way out. Despite a “No, I won’t
resign” declaration by PUC chair-

man Percy George, it is felt that
Premier Bennett is getting ready
to fire the present commission.

When Arnold Webster, CCF
leader of the Opposition, asked
Premier Bennett in the House
to give “serious consideration”
to replacement of the PUC the
premier said the government had
not. received a report from Chief
Justice Sloan but when they did,
the whole matter would be given
“every consideration.”

Following prorogation of the
seven-week session of the House
on Tuesday, Premier Bennett left
for a holiday in Honolulu. It is
expected that the cabinet- will
meet to discuss firing of the PUC
on his return.

Labor ousts Bevan

LONDON
Aneurin Bevan was ousted
from the Parliamentary Labor
party this week on charges aris-
ing from his opposition to domin-
ant right-wing Labor policy. Vote
to “withdraw the whip” from
Bevan was 141 to 112, after a mo-
tion merely to replimant him was
narrowly defeated, 138 to 124.

ly

Facts about TLC-CCL merger

page 12

Pearson’s speech shocks nation

page 12

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