a am

Confederation.
siderable wrangling, . still
hasn’t decided on its- cen-
tennial project and the Na-
tive Sons, which originally
proposed the marine mus-
eum at Kitsilano, has with-
drawn in high dudgeon be-
cause the most recent plans
don’t conform to its ideas.

Similiarly, in “Burnaby,
the Burnaby Mountain pro-
ject doesn’t sit well with a
lot of people, particularly
those who feel that mislead-
ing information was given
to win a majority for the
project in the recent pleb-
iscite.

The projects that seem to
be proceeding with the least

Hal Griffin

€
HE preparations for next years’ cen-
tennial seem to be marked by almost
as much dispute and acrimony as accom-

panied the entry of the colony into
Vancouver,

after con- :

dispute and the most en-
thusiasm and community
spirit are those in the small-
er centres — and for a good
reason. Unlike Vancouver
and Burnaby, these smaller
centres are calling upon
ordinary people to contrib-
ute their talents and giving
them the feeling that this
is their celebration—which
it is, or should be.

Last week plans for the
1958 . Vancouver. Festival
were revealed. The plans
call for a number of inter-
national figures in music
and drama to be brought
here for the centennial. This

is fine, for Vancouver gets
few such opportunities.
But where are the plans
to give our native music-
ians, singers, actors, an op-
portunity to show the people
what talent is already in
our midst? We don’t want
merely to be spectators at
our own celebration. We
want to participate. :
Where are the plans to
give labor, the men and
women who have built this
province, more than the
formal recognition of a
place on a committee and
what is labor itself doing?
What, particularly, are
the hardrock miners doing?
This centennial is nothing
if not a tribute to the min-
ers who toiled along the
Fraser River in 1858 to open
up the mainland of British
Columbia — and forge the
final] link in a nation.
What an occasien — and
an opportunity =- for the
miners and smelter workers
of the Kootenays to stage a
celebration!

Daily Bugle interviews pioneer

on higher old age pensions

_. SAID the editor, “I
think we should do “a
story on the OAPs. I have an
idea all this talk about the
need for higher pensions is ex-
aggerated. If you ask me some
of them are doing pretty well
for themselves. Find out what
they spend. their money on.”

That’s how I found myself
interviewing John Smith
in his quaint old residence on
Powell Street (built in 1887,
a year after the Great Fire of
Vancouver and three years
after he was born.)

©

Admittedly it didn’t corres-
pond to my ideas of comfort
and modern conveniences but
with a little effort I could
imagine it as it was before the
turn of the century, its rooms
echoing to gay laughter, its
gardens heavy with perfume.
Now there was a_ peculiar
smell from the docks and I
hurriedly picked my way over
the rotting floor of the ver-
andah.

e

a a a

I always try to live up to
the Daily Bugle’s policy of
Truth, Democracy and Fear-
lessness and my first question
to John Smith after I had
forced my way in (the door
seemed warped — sheer neg-
lect, no doubt) was this:"

“What do you do with ali
your money?”

The question) seemed to take
him aback. “I spend it on wine;
women and fast horses that al-
ways seem to be left at the
post,” he snapped.

“Forty-six dollars a month is

a lot of money for one person
to spend when all he has to
do is eat and sleep and pay
rent,” I pointed out. I looked
around for a chair, but there
was only one and he was sit-
ting on it.

“You try it,’ he retorted
rudely. ‘Do you think it’s
enough?”

“My paper believes that too
much security saps the energy
of a nation,” I replied. “If peo-
ple are provident during the
years+*they are earning, the
pension should be adequate.

“And now,” I continued,
“answer a few of my ques-
tions, Mr. Smith. First, do you
contribute to worthy causes?”

“No, I don’t have enough for
myself” .

“Would you contribute $5 a
month to the Hungarian Re-
lief Fund?”

“The Hungarians get $3 a
day, which is mere than I get.”

“That shows you don’t value
our free way of life. Would
you get a pension in Hun-
gary?”

“Yes,” he said, “according to
the Pacific Tribune ...

I was aghast. “So you-read
the Pacific Tribune,” I said.
“Then all this agitation for
higher pensions is Communist
inspired.”

“Doesn’t the Daily Bugle be-
lieve in higher pensions?” he
demanded.

“That’s not the point,” I
said. “The Daily Bugle be-

lieves in economy in govern-
ment so that industry can in-
vest its full earnings in the de-
velopment of our great coun-
try.”

He was insistent. “Don’t you
think I’ve done my part in de-
veloping this country?” he
asked. “I’ve worked in the
woods, on the railroads .. .

“Answer my questions, Mr.

’ Smith. Why do you think you

should get a higher pension?”

“Well, I was born in this
country, I’ve’ worked all my
life when I could get work,
and I think I’m entitled to a
little security in my old age.”

$0 o *

ook,”=1.-said;::to “him, 1
came here to get your opinion
as a matter of public interest
and you choose to be unco-
operative. Why can’t you be
more like the Hungarian Free-
dom Fighters? You don’t hear
them complaining.”

“Oh, don’t you,” he snorted.

“You should thank God you
have freedom,” I continued.
“You can say anything you
like and no one will interfere
with you.”

Then he became very ex-
cited. “Get out,’ he yelled at
me. “Get out!”

Obviously there was» no
point in continuing the inter-
view further. He was merely
confirming the Daily Bugle’s
suspicion that old age pen-
sioners are unappreciative of
our free way of life, easy prey
to Communist agitation and
too ready to exploit public
sympathy. AR,

BOOKS

Carters write most
controversial work

AVING been an inveterate
smoker almost since ghild-

hood but otherwise temperate
in my habits, my first reaction
on reading Charlotte and Dy-
son Carter’s Cancer. Smoking;
Heart Disease, Drinking in Our
Two World Systems Today
was mainly one of surprise
that I was still around to re-
view it.

This latest work of the Car-
ters represents a great deal of
research and covers a wide
range of scientific opinion on
human habits (some call them
vices) and ailments.

Nevertheless, it must be ap-

proached with caution, partic-
ularly in this age of quack
medicines, “health” foods and
wonder drugs and their appeal
to the ill-informed, the gullible
and all those whose desire to
escape the stresses and strains
of our society leads them to an
unhealthy preoccupation with
health.

By and large I think the Car-
ters have done a commendable
job in setting down in simple
language the opinions, re-
searches and efforts of world-
famed scientists against the
dread menace of~cancer and
heart, disease.

In this opinion which fills
the pages of their book, the
authors have placed the great-
est emphasis upon Soviet
science. This is fundamentally
correct since Soviet science is
not hampered by “profit” mo-
tives nor dependent upon
charity financing.

However, it adds nothing to
the value of this book to have
the reader draw the conclu-

‘sion that the Soviet Union is

p@opled with a race of non-
smoking’ and non - drinking
supermen and women.

True, in every sort of Soviet
public establishment, just as

LETTERS

DIGEST
Back to 16 pages

H. B., North Kamloops, B.C.:
Enclosed find $10, to settle my
bill of $2.73. The remainder is
a donation to help you get back
those extra pages you lost. We
need the larger paper, even
if it means a little more sacri-
fice fromethose who can afford
it. There is no surer way to
go out of business than to cut
down on size. Only those who
are convinced of the absolute
need for it will pay a dime for
a little paper.

The extra pages should be
filled with something concrete
on the socialist countries—you

have got to give the people .

here something to shoot for.
The article exposing the UN
Hungarian report was what
we need; also the article on
the Hungarians in Vancouver
who want to go home.

in our own country, there are
“No Smoking” signs in abund-
ance, and generally they are
strictly enforced. On the other
hand, the percentage of

smokers in the Soviet Union

is probably as high as in Can-
ada.

Like Dr. Partnoy, I also have
“no statistics’, but I have
plenty of happy recollections
of extensive travel in the
USSR, and of fellow-smokers,
both:men and women, Hence
to quote Dr. Partnoy as saying
that “not often do you see a
woman smoking in the USSR
nowadays” or to make the
statement, “No. matter how
many thousands of people you
see—on the streets, in theatres,
trains, sports stadiums, hotels,
cafes — you will rarely see a
young woman smoking”, is
rose-colored reporting.

In my opinion, Soviet of

other scientists specializing on
the Probably harmful effect
of smoking and drinking on
the human body, do not re-
quire such “testimonials. Nor
does it add to an otherwise
very worthwhile book on a
problem of world concern.
mt 503 ™

Probably the greatest. single
group of readers. that will
interpret the Carters’ book to
suit their own ideas of well-
being will be the “health” fad-

dists, those who insist that the.

road to socialism lies through
the stomach rather than the
intellect.

A few weeks ago a Vancou-
couver TV station featured 2
very old Chinese - Canadian
celebrating his century mark,
a man who came to _ thesé
shores long before a lot of us
were born. He had worked
very hard all his life, smoked
several tons of low - grade
tobacco, and taken all the
fleeting joys and hard knocks
of life with characteristic calm.
When asked the stock question
as to what he attributed his
ripe old age, the grand old
worker replied, “You eat ‘um
lots, no worry.” ;

I venture to say that Cancel;
Smoking, Heart - Diseasé,

Drinking will be one of the’

most controversial of the many
books the Carters have written.
It contains a wealth of infor-
mation, much of it disturbin8
but all of it interesting.

It is the kind of book that
can confirm the neurotic in hls
neurosis, compel a chain:
smoker to toss away his stock
of “coffin nails,’ cause #4
wobbly “Alcoholics Anony-
mous” member to reach for 4
quick bracer, and make the
average normal person whos
main purpose isn’t to live 10
years thankful that there aré
such people around as Charl
otte and Dyson Carter.

Cancer, Smoking, Heart-Dis-
ease, Drinking is available 4
the People’s Co-op Bookstor®
337 West Pender Street, Va

couver, price $1.60.
TOM McEWEN

Jon a

a

July 12, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 4