M0to shows troops of the Captain Kong Le and the pies Lao in Loas. They are shown on their way to take M military operations on the Plain of Jars against = armed rebel troops who are attempting to establish y PtO-U.S. government in violation of the Geneva agree- aut for a neutral Laos. 1 200 unionists lobby Vitawa on jobs action Ottawa Witnessed a lobby by 600 Canadian unionists Week. It was the first major Canadian unemployed 7, °"Stration in the capital since the Hungry Thirties. The ae. was backing up an Toke ec of the Canad- red oe a which cen- ent crisis. e€ unemploy- hor’ CLC brief called for ete Social se of the national economy, Immediately following pre- sentation of the CLC brief the Confederation of National Trade Unions (Quebec) pres- ented their brief. The CNTU brief ticked off the govern- ment for taking only such ac- tions that tended to maintain the perrogatives and_ privileg- es of private enterprise. It call- ed for control of private en- terprise because of its inabil- ity to solve the unemploy- ment problem. : The CLC brief spoke against nuclear arms for Canada, ad- mission of China to the U.N. and Canadian recognition. Al- so, for the exclusion of South : Africa from the Common- ‘Me line’ in the interest | wealth. “DO IT NOW” oe Teader of the Pacific Tribune sent us a clipping from ~®tibOo Observer of Quesnel, B.C., dealing with the | Fe ae Tal S0vernment’s winter works program: Here’s what it plan, higher and € old age pensions, in- ¢ family allowances, re- ahead On lower incomes, much more govern- ecto, greg in. the public Eductio a Gish in defence spending. ee Sigil reaction was to a € ball back to ‘labor bs een They play- arola he theme adopted by Winch, CCF M.-P. that or old fis management must . Cari | Ssueq boo Observer recently received an advertising mat } the by authority of the Minister of Labour, Canada.’ } On ni dealt with the ‘Do It Now’ winter work program. Us He back of the mat. was stamped ‘Certified, Made in Wi inter work, hnmmmmmmmmmm!” Radio CKW 1130 KILOCYCLES Every Sunday 7:10 p.m. Weekly commentary of Communist Party by Nigel Morgan Hint At Provincial Income Tax ‘The 1961 budget will reach most $340 million — practic- ally three times as big as the 1952 budget when_ Social Credit came to power. That is attested to by the fact that rit will take twice as much out of the poekets of the con- sumers (sales, amusement, liquor and gasoline tax) as it will recover from the big pro- fiteering monopolies for the use of our natural resources. - Just imagine —° over $157 million from the people’s poc- kets (including the unemploy- ed, the old age pensioner, the welfare recipient and the poor) for sales, amusement and con- sumer’ taxes. Yet, only $81 million from the big monop- olies (most of. which are US. owned. and controlled). Notable is the fact that in spite of a whopping $9 mil- lion boost in overall revenues nothing is provided by way of relief for B.C.’s growing army of unemployed. No provision is made to cope with sharp and repeated criticisms of in- adequacies in allowances and administration of social wel- fare. And nothing is offered to relieve the heavy burden of municipal and school taxation. In fact two new tax levies in- troduced can anly serve to in- crease the burden on the above groups. Under amendments © intro- duced to the “Equalization of Assessments Act,” land assess- ments will be based on 50% ‘of present values, instead of 60% of the 1955 value. Tax on improvements will be based on 3714% of the current value. “Bqualization” is a fine sounding word, but don’t let that, or assurances of the Min- ister of Finance that it is in- tended to ‘‘lead to a more equal distribution of the school tax burden,’ lull you into ‘missing the main point: that it means another increase in an- nual municipal tax bills. Equalization is only fair and reasonable. But we should in- sist that it be ‘‘equalization” and not “increased assess- ments.” We should demand that there be a basic exemp- tion for homes, a graduated system of taxation that takes into account the revenue pro- ducing value of various prop- erties, and a reduction in the t | basic 12-mill educational levy By NIGEL MORGAN Bennett’s budget soaks poor and spares the rich “Tax the poor to spare the rich” is the central feature of the new Bennett budget -|introduced in the B.C. Legislature last Friday. a record high for B.C. of al-| this is a “rich man’s budget’”|_ ist Party. NIGEL MORGAN to 11 or 10 mills to prevent the shift in . school costs to municipal taxpayers which is involved in the present pro- posal. Another sharp boost is_ in- volved in the new tax on gas- oline and diesel oil fuels. for automobiles. Like all sales taxes it will be a hidden tax, but for the average automo- bile driver it will mean an additional levy in most cases equal to if not more than the annual motor vehicle licensé fee. : Why © doesn’t -the govern- ment go after the big profit- -General gouging monopolies and insist that Ottawa cut-back -on its senseless cold war spending, and instead, pick up the tab for needed additional Provin- cial “revenues? And, why -doesn‘t’ the CCF placé the > issue sharply by giving battle ‘around these fundamental issues, and organize and unite the people to fight for their interests and rights? : An interesting. sidelight on the shape. of things to come - was. provided by Attorney - Bonner last week, when he indicated to a meet- ing of “party faithfuls” that . the Socred government “may be forced to consider reintro- duction of a provincial income tax.” If we don’t call g halt that’s what will be next! There is only one answer to the people’s needs — and that is new national policies of neutrality in the cold war, Canadian independence, world disarmament and peace — to- make possible a drastic re- vision in sharing of revenues between the three levels of government and relief from present unbearable tax loads. B.C.’s_ Social Credit govern- ment is going in reverse, and united labor and progressive action is what is needed to change it. Hundred pickets protest at Belgian consulate Belgium Consolate offices in Vancouver were picketed, Wednesday with signs demanding “Get Out of Congo, Belgium Colonists,’ “Freedom for Africa,” “Hammar- skjold Resign.” One hundred picketers or- ganized by the Vancouver Communist Party paraded be- fore the consulate offices dur- ing the noon hour as part of the world wide protest move- ment against the murder of Patrice Lumumba and two of his aides. Passers by and hundreds who lined the streets to watch the demonstration were hand- ed a leaflet issued by the City Committees of the Commun- The leaflet traced brutal treatment accompany- ing nearly aq century of “bestial Belgium rule of the Congo.” More than 7 million Congol- ese corpses, to say nothing. of the cut off hands and mutilat- ed bodies of millions more, go February 17, 1961—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 3 to make up the fortunes of King Leopold and the Belgium monopolists.” The leaflet goes on to de- mand that those responsible for. this horrible crime be brought to justice immediately and that the legal government . |of the Congo be immediately restored to its people. Harold Pritchett, city sec’y. of the Communist Party sug- gested in -an -interview that “everyone who wanted to ex- press . their indignation and horror at the murder of Lum- umba should attend a protest meeting at the Fishermen’s Hall Sunday 2 p.m., February 19. Tom McEwen, Editor of the Pacific Tribune will speak on the Congo Crisis.