| appeal to all readers and supporters of the Pacific Tribune to make the present Financial Drive a complete success. Never wasa paper like the Pacific Tribune needed as it is today. We are entering a new phase of development internationally. The prospects of easing international tension become more promising daily. In Canada a new upsurge of struggle in defense of the standards and rights of the working people is in the making, merging with the battle for genuine Canadian independence and fora truly independent, sovereign and united trade union movement. The struggle against monopoly is growing on all sides. New prospects open up to weaken the stranglehold of the old line parties in Parliament. In the battle to defeat the drive to the Right and shift politics to the left, the Pacific Tribune is absolutely indispensable. WILLIAM KASHTAN General Secretary, CPC e TOTAL THIS WEEK: $6,200 Municipal Act changes Would extend democracy — ole. VICTORIA — ee | B ie s Changes in Municipal Act are expected to get final passage at the Legislature in the next week before the House winds up its Spring session. - The Act, which covers all “Municipalities in B.C. except Vancouver which has its own city charter, contains a large number of changes, some which _ Progressive civic leaders have eeeed for years. ne change provides that OG: --MAnicipal elections, which were 4 ia held in December, will now be ™MOved to the third Saturday in PRaBicmbe: December was con- Sidered a bad month for elec- 2 _ tions because of the Christmas _ holidays. ¢ ~ €Xpected to encourage larger ____ turnouts to the polls. The new date is Similar changes in election dates are being considered for Vancouver during the present _ hearings on the ward electoral ‘reform. A change in Van- COuver s election date from the second Wednesday in Decem- _bertoa November date is gener- ally supported for the city. Another, important amend- ment would allow municipali- ties to conduct elections on a ward or area basis. This could open the way for a much more democratic election in many municipalities now electing on the basis of an overall vote which generally favors the more affluent political machines, and works against local democracy. Municipalities under the proposed amendments would have the option of electing the entire council at one time instead. of electing half the council each year. This has also been a devise used by. business groups to perpetuate their control. A number of other amendments are also proposed which would require mayor or aldermen seeking election to regional boards to run on a separ- ate ballot: changes in zoning would require that affected prop- erty owners be informed by mail of hearings: and municipalities would beempowered toengage in business activities up tonow not permitted. FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS Contact: GLOBE TOURS 2679 E. Hastings St., 253-1221 Vancouver 6, B.C. 254-2313 RANKIN Cont'd from pg. 2 Elizabeth Park) where meals cost up to $7.75 each. ‘ No working family can afford to eat there or take in the kids fora treat on a Sunday after- noon. Thisis strictly for people with money, Charging $2.00 to get into our own aquarium and charging admission to get into the new Van Dusen Botanical Gardens are other examples. So is the concern of this Parks Board with building more marinas and golf courses. Its policy is clearly to supply more recreational facilities for those who need them the least. Going through the seemingly democratic motions of asking the public to submit ideas is just a cover-up for continuation of these policies. When will this Parks Board get the message that its duty is to provide park and recreational facilities (swimming pools, ice rinks, community centres— and more staff torunthem) first of all for the people who need them the most? This means starting in the East End and other recrea- tion-poor and park-poor areas of the city. Furthermore, these facilities should be provided free of charge. That's what we pay taxes and rents for. To levy admission fees is to dis- criminate against those with . little money to spare. And with food prices going up almost every day. more and more people have less and less money to spare.for recreation. impressions:) Beaver Transfer * Moving * Packing * Storage 790 Powell St. Phone 254-3711 Life in GDR- today is described by visitor (Mrs. E. Dill, the writer of the following article, is anactivemem- ber of the Canada-GDR Society in B.C. and recently returned there for Here she gives her By E. DILL For someone that has lived in the German Democratic Repub- lic for eight years after the Sec- ond World War, and lived through the then existing prob- lems and returned recently fora quick look, is surprised by the a visit. “progress this small but now powerful state has achieved. . _ To get to know a country you muSt go there and experience the bad and the good times and only then can anyone under- stand what is really happening there. Yes, the GDR had troubles and there are Still problems, but today the GDR has overcome the economic disproportions and surmounted other substan- tial difficulties, despite its meagre mineral wealth and despite the other unfavorable ~ economic conditions that still prevailed in 1949. Today the GDR is a highly developed socialist industrial state with an up to date agri- culture, education system, social services and sports. It ranks among the world’s top ten industrial countries. Togointo all that deeply would take a lot of time and space, so I will only touch briefly on education in the GDR, since people always ask about the young people and the children in the GDR whenever I mention the fact I lived there. First of all, we must not forget that socialism needs a univer- sally educated man or woman who has a good knowledge of the sciences of production and tech- nology in order to master the scientific-technical revolution, one who isready and capableof both physical and intellectual work and who consciously places all his energies and skills at the service of society. The GDR educates its.young people for this purpose, and highly educated specialists grow up. The various stages of training and education, rang- ing from pre-school right up to qualification courses for adults are geared to each other in such a way that a harmonious trans- ition from one stage to the next is ensured. Education is free of charge. The GDR is spending large sums of money for this purpose. The children that don’t go to creches and kindergartens go to the schools directly one year before entering school and pre- pare themselves so that inthis way the transition to school is made a lot easier. The first 10 years ensures all childrena comprehensive gen- eraleducationthat fully meets the requirements of the modern socialist society. The upper level extends from the 5th to the tenth grade. It’s at this level that special subjects begin. But in addition there are special schools: sports schools, music schools, language schools that teach English, French, Span- ish. They also learn the lan- guage of their neighbors: Czech, Polish and Swedish. ; All teachers who have taught more than two years get anaddi- tional pension. I hope that this" small article has given some people a little information about what is happening ina country that we don’t even recognize. 83states have given recognition to this new and powerful state. Why not Canada? Classified advertising COMING EVENTS April 28 — ATTENTION VIC- TORIA READERS! CUBA TODAY. A slide showing by two young Canadian construc- _ tion prigade workers. Satur- day, April 28 — 6:30 p.m. Nor- way House (1110 Hillside) Smorgasbord Supper and Soc- ial Eyening. Proceeds to the Tribune. May 4 — ALD. HARRY RAN- KIN’s BIRTHDAY PARTY, 6184 Ash St. Peretz School, May 4th at 8:00 p.m. Games, entertainments, refresh- ments, food. $2.00 adults — $1.50 stud.. unemp. & pension- ers. MAY 5 — MAY DAY CELE- BRATION — See and Hear of the FIRST WORKERS’ STATE by Jim Beynon, Jr. SLIDES to be shown at Dorothy and Sams place, 832 Calverhall, North Vancouver, May 5th at 8 PM. Smorgasbord. Refresh- ments. Admission $1.50. Pro- ceeds to Tribune Drive. North Shore Club. —an NFB Biography. Keep this evening reserved. Refresh- ments. Admission $1.50. HALLS FOR RENT UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CULTURAL CENTRE - 805 East Pender St., Vancouver 4, Available for banquets, wed- dings, meetings. Phone 254- 3436. WEBSTER’S CORNER HALL — Available for banquets, meetings, weddings, etc. For rates, Ozzie 325-4171 or 685- 5836. RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME. Now available for rentals. For reservations phone 254-3430. BUSINESS PERSONALS VINCE’S MOVING & STOR-. AGE. Call anytime, reason- _able rates. 253-0336. Wanted: Temporary free stor- age space in Burnaby — gar- age or shed will do. Call 526- 5226. NOTICES May 5 — May 5th at 8 P.M., Film Night at the BJARNASONS’, 3446 w. 19th Ave. ‘BETHUNE’ PACIFIC TRIBUNE FRIDAYS APRH-20;19733RAGE 11 Readers in South Burnaby who wish to contribute‘to PT Press Drive — please call 526-5226 Edmonds Press Club.