ead Gib er 2 At the City Hall 3 Aldermen Act | On Housing Issue By Cynthia Corter { pees week a young exserviceman phoned Mayor J. W. Cornett to report that his family was homeless and to ask for help. On Monday morning a civic employee informed Ald. John Bennett that his family were being evicted and had no home to move into. Houseboat residents visited Ald. George Buscombe te demand ac- tion on their housing problem. The Labor-Progressive Party, the Local Council of Women, the Consumers Council, the Rehabilita- tion Council, the “5,000 Homes Committee,” and many other public bodies have sent appeals and delegations to the council asking relief for the thousands of city families facing eviction. Mass protest has been growing on the subject for many months. So finally the council sot the idea. “Something must be done to help out in the housing crisis,” announced Mayor Cornett gravely at Monday’s meeting of the council. Ald. Jack Price backed up the mayor, and finally the council, - over the protests of diehard Ald. Buscombe, passed a resolution that the corporation council be instructed to formulate a resolu- tion to be sent to Ministers of Munitions and Supply C. D. Howe, asking that more building materials be released for this area. The resolution will come before Monday’s council meeting. If passed, it will commit the Non-Partisans to atcive support of a housing plan for this city. C Building Permits Misleading WS about time that the myth build up by Buscombe around the housing problem was exploded. Sincé the problem first became acute, Buscombe has maintained that because a large number of building permits are issued here and because of material short- ages, the council can take no action= But is the issuing of building permits under the present system solving the housing shortage? This week I visited the city building department and looked up the actual figures. Here is what I learned. Increases in the number of building permits has not kept pace with our growing population. Moreover, since January 1, half the permits issued have merely sanctioned improvements on large homes already constructed, others have been issued to owners of stores and ex- panding businesses. And here is the most significant fact of the lot. Average cost price of all homes constructed here since Janu- ary is $3,400. In other words, if an evictee wants to purchase one of these homes he’ll find it will set him back to the tune of ap- proximately $5,000. Who are the evictees? They are the families of clerks, unskilled workers and men in the armed forces. Know any soldiers’? wives with $5,000 handy ? And as for Buscombe’s second argument, shortage of materials, the answer to that one is obyious. ‘The materials used in one de- luxe construction job would go pretty far on a block of workers’ flats. Ask the construction workers who are building the super- homes our city is issuing permits for! : Eyes On Next Election DEENs discussion of the housing problem, Ald. John Bennett suggested that the city social services department should give all possible help in eviction cases, even if it meant detailing a special man to handle them. : Ald. George Miller, on the council since 1929 and never known to take a progressive stand on any issue during the entire 15 years, warned the council that “if it became known that the city council was looking out for people without homes, why we’d soon have no time for anything else!” 3 The picture of our city council wearing itself out in the public service is very touching. Before we shed tears of sympathy, let’s consider just what it was the council did this week to keep it so busy. The passing of the resolution to pass a resolution on housing: apparently tired the Non-Partisans out completely on Monday, for little else was accomplished that day. Some interest was aroused _ by discussion of the private school to be opened by a certain Mrs. Drivenside, a subject dear to the hearts of the zoning appeal board. On Tuesday afternoon the regular council meeting was held. The ceremony attached to the meeting, it must be admitted, is enough to tire anybody out! The city clerlx, attired like the mayor in heavy black gown, who reads out resolutions and motions three times each, vies for title of Most Hardworked Man with the ser- geant at arms, a pleasant fellow in cutaway coat-tail who ma- jestically carries the mace back and forth to its resting place in the center of the huge council chamber. By Tuesday visible signs of fatigue were displayed by council members, and the one issue which provoked discussion was the eontroversial one of Japanese repatriation. A move by Ald. H. L. Corey to have the 1942 stand of the coun- cil (unopposed to the return to B.C. of a small number of Japan- ese) reaffirmed, was abandoned in favor of a resolution temporarily deferring the matter, “in view of developments which have taken - place.” Just what these “developments” were was not made clear. Ald. Bennett, who has hinted in the past that the “development” lead ing the council to discussion of the controversial issue is the ap- proaching prospect of the-next election, agreed with Ald. Corey that this was no time to go deeply into the Japanese question. The mayor, Buscombe, Worthington and Miller, with an eye on the press table, repeated their tirades against the Japanese, attacking all Japanese, not on the basis of policies or allegiance, but on the basis of race. a “Even Japs born in Canada have dug their own graves as far as I’m concerned,” said Worthington. The discussion was brought to a close, and the council—bowed down with the burden of civic responsibility—adjourned. Labor Must Elect Own Candidates Vital to Coalition Perspectiv. “The workers and farmers of Canada must elect as many of their own candidat is possible in the next federal election to ensure a SEEDS coalition government comr to social security for the people in the postwar period,” declared Sam Carr, na organizer for the Labor-Progressive Party, as he told more than 1Z00 persons WBE med the Boilermakers’ Hall last Sunday theat “the working men and women of © have an important stake at issue in the next federal election. “The greatest danger,” he said “is that many thousands of workers may onee again be led up a blind alley as a result of the partisan platforms and the unprincipled type of propa- ganda being disseminated by those who are desirous only of obtaining seats in the House of Commons.” It was the duty of all political parties, he said, to represent the wishes of the people and not the narrow grasping desires of a few individuals divorced from the realities of life. He as- serted that the present policies of the CCE were assisting to divide the unity of the people while the Tories were taking advantage of the unrealistic CCF slogans to raise false is- sues and misrepresent the post- War program of the labor move- ment. “Qur Canadian army overseas represents Canada,” he said, “and despite the situation in Quebee where unscrupulous fas- cist politicians play fast and loose with the issues of con- seription and low living stan- dards in that province in order to keep the people divided, there are over 60,000 French-Cana- dian volunteers in the Canadian army fighting shoulder to shoulder with Canadians of other racial origin to defeat fascism.” “Do you think,” he asked “that while our boys are unitedly fighting fascism in Europe that we have the right to remain disunited in Canada and permit reactionary gsroup- ings to seize political power and destroy our hopes of the future?” Pointing to the lessons of German fascism, Carr reminded his listeners that the Socialists, Communists, trade unionists, and other anti-fascists in Ger- many finaly united in a com- mon front against Hitler. “ . .’. but it took place in the con- centration camps after legal ‘elections had been abolished and trade unionism destroyed.” He warned his hearers against being lulled into dangerous com- placency with slogans of ‘so- cialism now” which were being tagged onto ordinary reform measures by certain CCF lead- ers who were utilizing such slogans to deceive the workers and farmers. e@ Quoting from an article writ- ten by Prime Minister Nash of New Zealand that capitalist dividends had increased in that country since 1935, Carr scored the speeches of M. J. Goldwell and other CCF leaders who had described New Zealand as hav- ing a ‘socialist’ government. Turning to the program of the LPP, Carr emphasized that his party stood for socialism, “. . . but it is scientific socialism based up on the teaching of Marxism, and not divorced from the objective realities of life? “The road towards socialism,” he said, “is one beset with dif- ficulties and struggle and any- one who describes ordinary re- forms such as have been passed by the New Zealand Labor gov- ernment as socialism, either knows nothing about marxian socialism or is deliberately mis- leading: the people. “Our conception of socialism is not that we compensate capi- talists by purchase of property. When the conditions arise and the - people want a change of system to socialism, they will take over the means of produc- tion and the only compensation the capitalists will receive will be the right to work. “The people of Canada are not yet ready for socialism,” he con- tinued. “This.is quite clear from the Gallup polls of support to various parties. Until they are it is political irresponsibility for CCE leaders to attempt to de- seribe electoral victories in Saskatchewan or the public ownership of public utilities as socialist measures. i ® “What the people of Canada do want and are mainly con- cerned with is some assurance of social security in the postwar period which means full em- ployment and a higher standard of living. These things can be fulfilled even under the present ‘system’ and there is a large section of capitalists which re- ase A charge of 50 cents for each insertion of five lines or~less with 10 cents for each additional line is made for notices appear- ing in this column. No notices will be accepted later than Wed- nesday midnight of the week of publication. : NOTICES East End LPP Branch meets every second Wednesday at 8 p.m. and every fourth Sunday at 1:30 p.m. each month at 875 East Hastings. Hastings East LPP Branch meets every second and fourth Friday each month, 8 p.m., at Club roms, 2443 East Hastings St. North Vancouver LPP Branch meets every second and fourth - Wednesday each month, 8 p.m., at 1320 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver. South Hill LLP Branch meets every second and fourth Wednesday each month, 8 p.m., in Horticultural Hall, 41st Avenue and Fraser. South Vancouver LLP Branch meets every second and fourth Wednesday of each month at Norquay Hall, Kings- way at Slocan. Swing Shift Meeting All Vancouver LLP members are urged to attend swing-shift meetings held on the second and fourth Wednesday, 1 p.m., at - 931 Homer Street. West End LPP Branch meets every second and fourth Friday each month, 8 p.m. at 1332 Davie Street. Victory Square LLP Branch meets every second and fourth Friday each month, 8 p.m., at 531 Homer. SEE ES 3 alizes that this must be a the system is to continue (in reply to a questio circulated in North Vani Shipyards by the Industri construction. and Social velopment Council, 34 out replied with concern ab job in the postwar perioc Carr pointed out tha politics of Canada are nc cided on the farms of Sa chewan but mainly im th Jargest industrial proyine Ontario and Quebec whic turn the majority of men to the House of Common said that even should CCF obtain the majori western federal seats it ¥ be unable to form a ge ment because its streng Quebec and Ontario woul give it sufficient membe) Dealing with the provi Quebec, Carr turned- hi upon the Bloc Populair Union Nationale parties he averred, must be de while the Liberal sovernm —Continued on E ee -Y Steam Baths— 40 Lo: opposite Court House. Tues. to Sat. 1 p.m. to 1 Oil and electric m: Phone New Westminster M. Varilla, proprietor. Social Saturday, July 29, 8:30 the Croation Hall Gewe 600 Campbell Avenue. - sored by the Victory Gle Wanted to Rent Suite or rooms, furnished furnished immediately 3 oO} seven years old in family, MA. 6929. NOTICE — Winners of Tonic drawing will be ar July 28th instead of July Dancing every Saturday. 9 p.m., throughout the se Seymour Park (Swedish north end of Second N Bridge. Sponsored by th Canadian Aid to Russia Auxiliary No. 1, want and workers. Send used c of all kinds‘to 835 West | MArine 2744. Oldtime dancing to Al Ga Orchestra every Wednesd Saturday. S HASTINGS AUDITOR 828 Hast Hastings Phone: HA. 3248 — Moderate rental rates 1 cials, weddings, meeting: VACATION RESOR’ Spend a PLEASANT VACATI —at— SELMA LODG Selma Park, B.C °* G. NEAL Formerly of Shelly Goffe Phone BAy. 6480-: For Information |