Bennett's happy’ budget brings
little joy to B.C municipalities

VICTORIA, B.C.—Premier W. A. C. Bennett’s prediction of a
into some heavy going soon after the current session
B.C. Peace Council lobby, demanding recognition of |
lobby of more than 400 trade “unionists,
demanded action on’ jobs. Hard on the
Workers Union lobby descended on the

Premier Bennett was rather
quiet himself on the result-of
his money-raising and hydro

power finagling trip’ to Ot-_

tawa recently. However, on
Friday last week he broke
silence and used up two hours
and three glasses of grape
juice delivering what he call-
ed a “happy” budget.

Examining the ‘budget, the
average taxpayer will find
little cause for happiness. For
one thing is clear; debt re-
duction for election propa-
ganda purposes comes before
aid to hard pressed taxpayers.

According to .Bennett the
province will be debt free by
1960, but contingent liabilities
(government guaranteed bonds
issued by ‘the power commis-
sion, toll bridges, etc.) will
increase by $50 millions to a

~ record high of $450 millions.
The premier claims these lia-
bilities are self-liquidating but
the people will have to supply
the money to liquidate them.

Actually, while on the books
the province is “freeing” itself
of debt, taxes on homes, es-
pecially older ones, have in-
creased up to 100 percent
since the Socreds came to
power seven years ago.

Nor is there any indication
in the budget that the bur-
den of taxation is going to
lessen when B.C. is “free of
debt.” ‘

B.C. may now have the low-
est debt of any province at
$18 per head, but it is second

i PATRONIZE j
CEDAR FUEL
& TRANSFER

’ Phione: 566-R-3
Cedar, B.C.

The Dental Associatién has
forbidden Dr. R. Llewellyn
Douglas (Old Doc) from an-
nouncing publicly that he
is willing and able to pro-
vide top quality, guaranteed
dental plates at only $40 per
plate.

Dr.R. Llewellyn Douglas

712 Robson St. Vancouver 1, B.C.

(Corner of Granville)
Phone: MUtual 1-4022

By ERNIE KNOTT

legislature.

only to Ontario in the size of
its net debt plus contingent
liabilities. This works out at

$317 per capita for B.C. and

$369 for Ontario. :

B.C.’s_ total revenue has
grown from $99 millions in
1952 when the ‘Socreds took
over, to $300 millions in 1959.

The biggest chunk of that
income — $116 millions — will
come from the five percent
sales tax, hospital . construc-
tion and pari mutual taxes.
Some $62 millions comes from
the federal - provincial tax
sharing agreement. Privileges,
licenses, natural resources and
gasoline taxes bring in $56
millions, with car licenses and
gas taxes making up the big-
gest part. The next biggest
chunk is $27 millions in liquor
profits. -

It is obvious that all of this
income is derived frém a
multitude of taxes which the
average working class and
farm family pays on the nec-
essities of life and _ this
amount is bound to increase
rapidly as the spiral of infla-
tion continues.

Provincial government rev-
enue is increasing rapidly, but
hard-pressed municipalities are
not getting any extra’ help.
True, the $72 millions alloted
to the municipalities to help
pay for schools, roads and
bridges, social assistance, etc.
is $9 millions more than last

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ON MARCH 14

“quiet session” ran

got under way. First there was the
China.
organized by the B.C. Federation of Labor, which
heels of this lobby the United Fishermen and Allied

Then came the determined

year, but population increases
absorb this. In fact, under this
“happy” budget the position of
the municipalities will worsen,

because their costs are in-
creasing tremendously while
government aid remains al-
most static.

A simple example will serve
to illustrate the point. In 1957
some 19,700 persons received
social assistance from the
municipalities. In 1958 the fig-
ure jumped to 32,600. If a fig-
ure of 70,000 unemployed is
added the picture indeed is
not a happpy one for munici-
pal budgets.

Maurice,

A farewell gathering for
Maurice and Lillian Rush is
being held this Friday, Feb-
ruary 13 in the.lower hall at
the Russian Hall, 600 Camp-

‘bell Avenue, from 8:30 p.m.

to 11 p.m. ;

_ Maurice Rush, city secre-
tary of the Labor-Progressive
Party, is leaving B.C. after
some 25 years of service to the
progressive movement in this
province, to take up a new post
in the LPP national office i
Toronto. ;

“Tve always kept it a deep,
dark secret, but now I feel that
I can reveal the fact that I
was born in Toronto,” Rush
said. this week.

“Seriously, I regret very much
leaving B.C., because I grew
up in the progressive move-
ment in this province, first in
the Young Communist League

*

Farewell party fe

Lil Rush

and later in the Comm
Party of Canada and its
cessor, the Labor-Prog:
Party. , :
“I owe much to the
munist movement in B.C., @
I only hope that the trai
I received here will help
to cope with the responsi!
ties I will have to assum
my new post.” ie
During the Second W
War he served overse
the Canadian Army and Was
prisoner-of-war of the Na#
On his return he held varlo®s
responsible positions in the
Labor - Progressive Party, and
ran many times as an LPP
didate in both provincial
federal elections.
For several years Rush
been a member of the nati
committee of the Labor-
gressive Party.

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NOTICES

DEADLINE FOR COMI NG
EVENTS COLUMN — All
copy must be in the Pacific
Tribune office not later than
12 noon Tuesday.

COMING EVENTS

FEB. 20 — WELComING

BANQUET
in honor of MISS CLARA
KMITTO, Polish Prima Bal-
lerina will be held FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY 20 at the RUS-
SIAN PEOPLE’S HOME 600
Campbell Ave. at 630 p.m.
Everyone is invited to attend.

FEB 91 — SMORGASBORD

x DINNER & DANCE
will be held SATURDAY,
FEB. 21 at Ukrainian Hall —
805 East Pender St. Dinner
from 7 p.m. on. Dancing — 9
p.m. Everyone welcome.

COMING EVENTS—City
VALENTINE

FEB. 14 CABARET

in aid of the Ukrainian Cana-
dian. Saturday, Feb. 14 from
8:30 p.m. on. Ukrainian Hall
—805 East Pender. Good music,
novelty dances, supper served
at 10:30 p.m. Everyone is wel-
come. Admission $1.50 per
person.

FEB | 5 — VARIETY CON-

= CERT featuring
songs, music and dances of
many nations. UKRAINIAN
HALL — 805° E. Pender St.
SUNDAY, FEB. 15 at 8 p.m.
Spensored by Rusalka ' Wo-
men’s Choir of AUUC. Every-

one welcome.
FEB 15 — Soviet film,
vs ~ . “SONS” will
be shown at thé Russian Peo-
ple’s Home, 600 Campbell Ave.
on SUNDAY, FEB. 15 at 7
p.m. English subtitles. Every-
body welcome.

plan for
Burnaby
Social Club’s 4th ANNIVER-
SARY DINNER-BANQUET &
DANCE. Watch for details.

_BUSINESS PERSONALS

HASTINGS BAKERIES LTD.
—Scandinavian products a
specialty. 716 East Hastings
Street. Phone MU. 4-9719.

REGENT TAILORS LTD. —
Custom Tailors and Ready
to wear. For personal ser-
vice see Henry Rankin at
324 W. Hastings .St., Van-
couver 3. MU. 1-8456.

0.K. RADIO SERVICE —
Specializing in TV repairs.
' Latest precision equipment

used. 1420 West Pender St..

MU. 4-1012.

THE STEAM ROOM — Drake
St. at Granville.
Hotel). BATHS — MASS-
AGE — THERAPY. The

. working man’s Remedial
Centre. MU. 3-0719.

34 TRANSFER - 1420 Commer-
cial -Drive. Call Nick, HA.
4058. ;

OLYMPIC STEAM BATHS
1956 LTD. .
“A good clean place to relax”
404 East Hastings St.
MU 4-0720

(Yale _

FOR RENT

ROOM FOR RENT with
chen privileges.

1727 William St.
month.

TO SEE IS TO RENT—NEY
basement Suite — self-
tained — unfurnished.
information Ph. HA 87

HALLS FOR RENT

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME -
Available for meetings, wed-
dings, and banquets at Teé
sonable rates. 600 Campbeli

Ave. MU. 4-9939. 4
- —

CLINTON HALL, 2605 e
Pender. Available for fc
quets, Weddings, Mee
etc. Phone HA. 3277.

WANTED

USED POCKET BOOKS OR
other reading material want
ed. If you have any not #
use, which you are willing
to donate to a good caus
please contact BOB. DAN
IELS at 1654 East 3
HA 4281-R. :

EMPLOYMENT WANTED —

EXCELLENT COOK-tHOUS.
keeper with 5-year-old
requires immediate positio
Can take full charge for
wage. Have references.
HA 9179-R.

PENDER
AUDITORIUM —

(Marine Workers)

339 West Pender

LARGE & SMALL HAL
FOR RENTALS
Phone MU. 1-9481

February 13, 1959 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE