hey toil not. neither do they spin, yet Solomon in al!

his glory was not arrayed like one of these... .

Nor is it recorded that Solomon had: any hankering for ar

accumulation of gilt-edged stocks and bonds, although with the

large number of wives and concubines he is reputed to have

had, he sure could have used some additional income — if the
high-cost-of-living in his time was anything like it is today.

A Vancouver Sun front-page article in its January 5 edition,
purporting to be the report of a research agency of the National
Council of Churches in these United States, shows the modern
“Solomons” in 10 separate denominations have “a total of
nearly $203-million invested in 29 companies that last year
produced more than $10-billion in war material.”

This report estimates that the three major religions,
Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish, have; ‘about $22-
million invested” in the stock market. it also gives a break-
down re specific denominations. Hence we see the Methodist
Church with a $60-million investment ‘‘in 29 defense con-
tractors.” the United Presbyterian with $57-million the
American. Baptist Convention with $30.5 million, the Episcopal
(Anglican) Church with $29.9-million, and the Luterhan
Churth in America with a mere $.7-million.

The news item also lists a number of the 29 corporations in
the vast U.S. military-industrial complex of war, pillage,
rapine and cold-blooded massacre, in which these modern
monopoly “Solomons” have placed their multi-million
“offerings,” their ‘faith — and their professed ‘‘christian’’
humbuggery. While the Christ these latter day “Solomons” are
presumed to serve, is reported to mave ‘‘chased the money
changers out of His temple with a whip,” they can’t get back
into it soon enough to share in the blood-saturated profits of
war.

Aside from his well stocked harem, Old Solomon is best
remembered for his alleged “wisdom.” The same cannot be
said of these modern *Solomons’’, unless of course. we accept
the “wisdom” of modern Establishments and their high priests
— an impossible feat for all who lay claim to sanity, peace, and
human brotherhood.

The above report cited here will make sad reading for the
millions of good Church people who in recent years have joined
in the struggle for peace in Indochina and throughout the
world, but it drives home a salutory lesson; viz, that to win
peace the struggle must begin with ourselves, in our own
backyard, in our own community, in our own union, church, or
other organization in modern society. Only then will we get at
the Holy Willies, the forked-tongued politicians, the capitalist
riff-raff who talk “‘peace”’ while they pocket the blood-money
and spoils of war.

* * *

Some weeks ago in this column we touched upon the high
incidence of “leaks” in high places: cases where something
considered top secret by some high muck-a-muks who don’t
want the media. and incidentally the public to.know anything
about until it becomes a fait accomplai— at which time nothing
can be done about it.

Now it would seem, according to the ‘news’ that these
socalled “leaks” are turning into a veritable deluge.

In the U.S. where all such leaks are becoming as common
as Nixon's “credibility gap” a big flurry of “leaks” are show-
ing CIA and Pentagon conspiracies in the now ended India-
Pakistan war, which apparently finished much earlier than the
Pentagon war hawks had secretly planned. Now of course the
“leaks” are out. the “fat is in the fire.” the Pentagon *chag-

have a value after all.

And at home here in Calgary the mayor of that City is
heatedly demanding to know ‘‘who should investigate the leak
of the leak investigation?”’ A good question, Your Worship.
We've asked the same question many times ourselves during
the past fifty vears on matters relating to police brutality, or
as it is sometimes referred to as the “lawless enforcement of
law.” ‘who should police the police?”’

To date we've never had a satisfactory answer, and not

likely until this system called capitalism, is finally and
irretreivably interred.

rined.” and so on and so forth. So the art of “leaking” ‘does °

‘wis, Pacific Tribune

te!

Editor—MAURICE RUSH
Published weekly at Ford Bldg., Mezzanine No. 3, 193 E. Hastings St.,
Vancouver 4, B.C. Phone 685-5288. ¥

Circulation Manager, ERNIE CRIST ~
Subscription Rate: Canada, $5.00 one year; $2.75 for six months.

North and South America and Commonwealth countries, $6.00 one year.
All other countries, $7.00 one year

Second class mail registration number 1560.

seseseceeceaeseteeteteeeeseeenereeeestet etree ttt Sere lee et
eeeseetetetets

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1972—PAGE 2

‘No need for tax increase
on homes’—Ald. Rankin -

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

If you’re a homeowner, the
assessments on your property
have been increased anywhere
from 10 to 25 percent this year.
That’s a sure sign that when the
mill rate is set in April, your
taxes will go up. If you're a
tenant, this year’s increase in
taxes will be used as an excuse to
boost your rents far beyond that
required to meet any tax
increase.

Actually there is no justifi-
cation or need for any increase
in taxes on homes. But there are
at least four reasons why they
will be increased by the present
Council.

The first is that while assess-
ments on homes are being
boosted way up, taxes on most
big industrial and commercial
properties are being raised not

at all or very little. This is

“explained” by the assessors by
saying that market values in the
industrial and commercial
sectors are not rising as fast as
in residential areas. Sales
records show this to be untrue.
The second reason taxes on
homes are going up is that not all
properties are being assessed at
this true market value as called
for in assessment regulations.

Homes are assessed at close to -

their market value, but big com-
mercial and industrial proper-
ties are assessed at only a
fraction of their true worth.

The third reason why taxes on —

homes will be increased is the
legislation passed recently by
the provincial government

limits assessment increases for
school purposes to 10 percent

annually. This means that proper-

ties being rezoned, which may
increase their value three or five
times over, can still only be
assessed at 110 percent of their
last year’s assessment. The
main beneficiaries of this legis-
lation are the real estate
developers and promoters, the
biggest of whom is the C.P.R.

The fourth reason why taxes
on homes will be increased is the
millions of dollars in subsidies
and concessions being given by
the present City Council to
promoters and developers like
the Block 42-52 people, Project
200, Four Seasons, etc.

The biggest wrong of all
against homeowners is that

FREE

“Snoor tax J
~

SEWER TA
SIGAR ENTE TAs:

|

i
Yi;
=
Ed
4
w
3
<
g
“

k
af
Z
t
J
§
j |
t

* ——— INCOME TAX *

EMPLOYMENT TA
‘~~ INNER ITANCE TASS

> 7 PREPERTY TAX
HEAD “TAK

CAR TAX

their properties, which are i
revenue producing but only ®

place in which to live and raise®

family, are being assessed

raise general revenues for the
city. They should be taxed onl

for those services which appl!

directly to homes such ®

streets, sidewalks, garbage
sewer and water, police and fil®

protection.

Other costs incurred by the
city such as education, admin*
tration of justice, etc. should ©
paid either by senior govell
ments or by taxes on busines

properties that produce revel

ues. ° |

The assessment figures ha
already been set, but it is sl
not too late to act. ~-

Homeowners, and tenants 1
for that matter, would be We
advised to press for: :

. b..Anm.- immediate
assessment of all big industtt's
properties at their true mark
value, and an end.to the unfalit
discrimination against hop
owners. 4

2. Amendment of the ©
percent limitation on asse*
ment increases so that it WWE
apply only to homes. F

3. An end to subsidies 4™%
concession to provide promote
and developers. a

4. Make it clear to all clVy
political groups and candidal’y
that no votes will be given to 4
candidate who does not endo)
the above measures. BS

Homeowners can’t expect 4
justice until these reforms 4
carried out.

tl

Overflow rally demands

vote on third crossing

An overflow crowd of some 800
citizens at the Q.E. Playhouse
Sunday night determined on an
all-out campaign against the
_third crossing to the north shore
and for the right of the people to
vote on the question.

A number of knowlegeable
speakers outlined some of the
reasons why a third crossing
meant no sense at the meeting
sponsored by the Citizens Co-
ordinating Committee for
Public Transit which represents
some 25 community organi-
zations. At the conclusion of the
meeting the audience voted over-
whelmingly to sponsor and
promote a petition demanding a
public vote on the issue.

Chaired by Vancouver and
District Labor Council secre-
tary Paddy Neale. the rally was
attended by more than a dozen
aldermen from the area and by

several members of the
provincial and federal parlia-
ments.

Norman Pierson. planning
consultant formerly with the
Regional Planning Board told
the audience there are. just six
square miles of land on the north
shore which can be developed for
housing compared with 93
Square miles of non-farmland
across the Fraser. This gives the
lie to the statement that north

shore development will oSave a.

valuable agricultural lands, he
said.

SPEC’s Bill Terry said Van-
couver Sun and Province editors
treated condescendingly the
thousands of persons concerned
with the city’s future who are
Opposed to freeways and tunnels
for cars. He urged the. people to
fight for a public referendum,

_and to demand that federal funds

be held back until a public
hearing and a plebiscite is
completed.

Alderman Jo Dean of North
Vancouver said the engineers
who advocate a third crossing
do not have to pay for it: the
people will pay through taxes
and tolls. She said -‘if mayors
and aldermen who support the
crossing are so sure the people
want it. why are they afraid of
putting the question to a vote?”

What is the issue? asked
Alderman Harry Rankin. He
maintained it is the right of the

ANNOUNCEMENT

Because of the airline dispute
the national pages which we
carry each week from the Cana-
dian Tribune did not arrive from
Toronto. In their place we reprint
this week eight pages of features
from the U.S. Daily World to
whom we express our thanks.

people to have a say in what a
going to be done with the i
money, and that means the righ.
to vote on the third cross!)
issue. : N
Alderman Hugh Ladner ©
Burnaby advocated implé
mentation of the Kelly report {%
improved public transportation
He urged the federal goverle
ment to hold a public hearing ®
the question of a transit syste 4
for the Greater Vancouve,
Regional District and the thi
crossing before any portion
the federal loan was handed oul,
Loud applause greele”
Amalgamated Transit Uni

business agent Bill Link wh@

he said his union was unalté n
ably opposed to the thity
crossing. Like Ladner, he urg*,
an immediate start on upgra
ing the bus system. ‘*Publi!
transportation has to appeal
the people,” he said, and urg' i
that the people demand a VOF
and “make it rapid transit!” 7
Planning expert Setty Penda
kur brought the house down wit

a few sardonic comments on

readiness of the NPA alderm®
to move backwards into de™m
with the people's money. He h@y
prepared an easily-digest®
review of the costs of the thif
crossing: how long it will take™
pay off the interest alone (™

See PETITION, pg. 12
#99 soneg