UNFIT HOUSING John McCuish, Vancouver B.C. eg The plight of people on ae income in the City of pee ouver, the apartments and %oms they can afford to rent, i in most cases unfit to live in. any swarm with bed bugs, cock- ees and other vermin. In _ J€ cases no water or wash as in the rooms, and/or one oilet and a dirty bath tub for a total of 15 or 20 people. “an Some of these slums nothing ig excess of a 40-watt light bulb eed and tenants are sateen to share their hot-plates Ai their neighbor tenants. If were happens to be a ty kitchen”’ they have tai and guard when cooking the fe Stew, or it is gone when ah return. With such slums at e orbitant rentals no wonder € have a high ratio of winos and other rubby-dubs. ae periodically we find the a and pension boards ae ge these poor unfortunates Ry th a few bucks now and again elr rental and welfare sick allowances. a RY church groups are trying K . P, but not nearly sufficient cane with the problem. In my aaa the trade unions and shoul, Peoples’ organizations : id be helping, instead of Tying their head in the sand. ne on all forms of gov- Ment which allows this kind —e PLAN MAY DAY RALLY Elan, for Vancouver’s annual Y'Day Rally were discussed Bye ference last Wednes- Con A Vancouver May Day mrt of seven was elected 3019 iliam Turner (phone 437- ) chairman. AVitations have gone out to a ed prominent black spokesman of - mor American civil rights cape ncats and several. leading € unions figures to address © rally which will commem- - Orate ; ate international May Day in qeouver, : baa Nichol, Business Agent of pi Fishermen’s Union alr the rally this year. of thing to happen, and in a country as prosperous as Canada; and the picture is even worse if we look at the plight of the Native Indian people, especially in relation to housing, where whole families ranging from 5 to 8 persons are forced to sleep (or try to) in one small room. Unless we get down to helping put an end to this sort of thing we could be next in line for the same treatment. AN ANECDOTE Michael Bader, White Rock, B.C. writes: — The American writer, the later Theodore Dreiser, travelled through the USSR in 1927-8 and focussed keen attention on all aspects of Soviet life wherever he went, seeing with his own eyes what was going on in that country. Still feeling the OBITUARY Richard (Dick) Nichol strong Veteran trade unionist and active socialist, Richard ‘Dick’ Nichol of Victoria, passed away recently at his home at 1140 Government St., Victoria. A veteran of World War I, Dick Nichol served with distinction and was the recipient of numerous army honors. But for Dick. Nichol the things he was proudest of was the many battles he had participated in on behalf of organized labor. During the 30’s and 40's. Nichol,..a,,shingle weaver by trade, was an active. builder in the ranks of the lumberworkers and in the water- front struggles of his home province. Nichol was also a member of the Communist Party and an active Communist and press. Born in Nanaimo, B.C., Dick Nichol is survived by two sisters and three brothers, all resident in B.C. Funeral services were held on February 12 in Victoria, followed by cremation. progressive Ss ATTENTION FRASER VALLEY READERS MARXIST CLASSES Lecture No. 2 ‘inflation, Taxation, Wage Controls— The Big Hoax’’ — Emil Bjarnason SUNDAY MARCH 22nd at 7 P.M. at TOWERS HOTEL (Fraser Room) 6th St., New Westminster Anyone wishing to attend, please register by phoning 521-5847 or 936-4467 ee | 253-1991 The Trip of a Lifetime! EXPO 70 & ‘Trans-Siberian Railway Contact: GLOBE TOURS 2679 E.-Hastings St., Vancouver 6, B.C. 254-2313. supporter of the- “And _ that impressions upon him from the overwhelming experiences he had gathered, he interrupted his homeward journey to the U.S.A. by a visit in London. While there he attended a reception at which he met and talked with a certain Mr. Winston Churchill. Speaking of his recent he declared: ‘‘. . . it is a magni- ficent political system — the Soviet Union, her leadership and her people!”’ ‘‘Nonsense!”’ blustered Churchill crossly. ‘‘In not less than seven years this system will be swept from the face of the earth!” ; In 1941 when the Soviet Union and Britain were under attack from the fascist forces and were joined in an anti-Hitlerite coalition against the common enemy, Dreiser wrote to Churchill (now Prime Minister); It is very wise of you to join with a power which, although according to your expressed opinion a: few years ago would soon be swept away, is now so powerful that today England’s flank is safeguarded and protected.” (Translated from ‘Horizon ’, GDR publication. ) STICK TOGETHER L. Boyd, Vancouver, B.C., writes:— Prime Minister Trudeau has said that his government would be willing to tolerate a national average of 6% unemployment if it were neces- sary to bring prices under control. Do you realize that means you and me unemployed? You say it can’t happen to me = just you wait and see— 6% of the labour force is a formidable figure. It is fine for Trudeau to speak thusly when he is ensured of thousands of dollars a year up on- that little hill of his, for working for the capitalists. Agreed, we also helped to vote him in (but boy wouldn’t we like to change that now) but good lord, has he done anything for us workers, but cause more misery than there already is? He spoke about a “just society’’ but he certainly was not meaning a_ just society for workers, I assure you. Soon labor is going to be so badly held back that we must only accept the few meager pennies the Capitalist throw At iS) OU become jobless. Our income tax has gone up 2% — a 2% we definitely cannot afford. Constant injunctions against us when we dare to strike — how much longer must we do without? How many more humiliations must we suffer before we rise up and take back what is ours! !!! Trudeau is crying constantly for a slow down in rising prices and wages and yet the M.P.’s are getting up a commission to study their earnings, with a view for® higher wages. Isn’t that a laugh? is what we must laughingly call our “‘government.”’ Do as I say, not as I do— that is the order of the day! Sa atin ae Use 5s) S* 5000 00s oy OVALTINE CAFE 251 EAST HASTINGS Vancouver, B.C. QUALITY SERVICE weeccccccccccoscscooree? tmeovesecosesocee® eve Beeceseseccesesses I Noted U.S. scientist speaks at city rally “Js there an American conspiracy against Cambodia?’’ will be the subject of an address by Dr. E. W. Pfeiffer when he speaks at a public meeting on Sunday, March 22nd at 8 p.m. in the Teamsters’ Union Hall, 490 E. Broadway, Vancouver. Dr. Pfeiffer, a Professor of Zoology at the University of Montana, has been one of the scientists investigating effects of defoliation agents used in Vietnam and early in 1969 went to South Vietnam as a fully accredited McGraw-Hill war DR. E. W. PFEIFFER correspondent under the sponsorship of the U.S. Society for Social Responsibility in Science. Professor Pfeiffer is a member of the American Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Science and has served on the A.A.A.S. Ad Hoc Committee on the ‘“‘Consequences of Environ- mental Alterations.” He is the author of many scientific articles,including “The U.S. and Biological Warfare’ published in 1957: “‘Chemical Warfare in Vietnam’’, 1968, and ‘‘Ecological Effects of the War in Vietnam published in 1969 in the Science Journal. Dr. Pfeiffer has recently returned from a visit to . Cambodia where he had an oppor- tunity to study the effects of the war in Vietnam upon this country in areas adjacent to the border, and will show colored movies and slides. . The meeting is under the auspices of Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians. YCL names delegates The B.C. Young Communist League elected nine delegates to “attend the YCL Founding Convention in Toronto, March provincial conference last weekend. Determination was expressed by the members to get into action prior to the national con- vention on two major questions: the planned increase in student transit fares and the inade- quacies of the Tenants Bill now before the B.C. Legislature. A lively discussion of the major problems facing working and student youth in B.C. followed the report on prepara- tions for the convention by YCL national organizer Chuck McFadden. Growing unemploy- ment, increased living costs, inadequate public trans- portation, shoddy classroom 27-29 at its facilities and pollution were among the problems discussed. Following the meeting, members went out to distribute 3,500 leaflets in support of the tenants fight and the rally called by the Tenants Couneil for Tuesday night. The newly-elected provincial executive was instructed to immediately launch a campaign to rally students in high schools and universities against the planned transit fare boost for students. Members decided they will participate in a picket line at the B.C. Hydro building to protest student fare increases. Classified advertising BUSINESS PERSONAL DRY CLEANING & LAUNDRY Also Coin-op LAUNDRETTE 2633 Commercial Dr. 879-9956 REGENT TAILORS LTD. — - Custom Tailors and Ready- to-Wear, 324 W. Hastings St. - MU 1-8456 or 4441 E. Hastings — CY 8-2030. See Henry Ran- kin for personal service. FOR SALE RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK Women’s C’ttee. for World Friendship. Everyone wel- come. HALLS FOR RENT RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME— Available for meetings, ban- quets and weddings at rea- sonable rates. 600 Campbell Ave. 254-3430. UK RAINIAN CANADIAN CULTURAL CENTRE -— 805 East Pender St., Vancou- ver 4. Available for Banquets. Weddings, Meetings. Phone: 254-3436 or 876-9693 PUPS. Sire and Dam import. CLINTON HALL, 2605 East ed. Temperament guaranteed. Pender. Available for ban- SHOW QUALITY ~- $150. quets, meetings. weddings Phone 856-8781. ee & etc. Phone 253-7414. : COMING EVENTS: MARCH 15 - 60th ANNIVER- SARY of INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. ANNUAL TEA at the FISHERMEN’S HALL - 138 E. Cordova St. on SUNDAY, MARCH 15th at 1:30 P.M. GRACE STEV- ENS - guest speaker. Tea & Home Baking. Ausp: B.C. Beaver Transfer Moving Packing * Storage 573 East Hastings St. Phone 254-3711 PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 13, T970—Page 11