RAPID TRANSIT URGED EDITORIAL ‘Mr. Prime Minister’ 66 W hat’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’. So said the Bard of Avon in his immortal Romeo and Juliet. Conversely, if we tried to upgrade stinkweed by describing it as lily-of- the-valley, it would still remain stinkweed, offensive to visual and olifactory glands alike. Nevertheless it is now obvious that British Columbia’s premier W.A.C. Bennett is a firm believer of the idea that ‘“‘something new has been added” by changing his official title of Premier to that of Prime Minister. In his special case there may be something to it. It will add “stature and dignity’’ to his designated position — and his already over- inflated ego. to blame. help us.”” effort to seek redress? It will also provide (for him) an “‘equality of status” with the Prime Minister of Canada — whom he loves to berate for his own government maladministration. And in these piping times of Pentagon peace and threatened austerity it is always good to have someone or something — Moreover since ‘‘Prime Minister’ Bennett and a number of his Socred ministers have more than once publicly declared that B.C. would do better if independent from the rest of Canada a purely Socred separatist concoction, the switch from premier to Prime Minister may just be another of Wacy’s ideas on “taking time by the forelock,”’ so to speak, as he will aiready be, by his own decree, ‘‘Prime Minister’. And, as a delegate to this week’s BCFL convention said, ““May Heaven The question has been posed: Could Socred Premier Bennett, clothed in his newly chosen title of Prime Minister do a better job of selling out our natural resources heritage to U.S., Japanese, West German or other foreign monopolies at fire-sale prices? We think not. Or will his switch from premier to Prime Minister lessen in any way whatsoever his government’s unending, consistent, and dictatorial attacks upon the wages and living standards and democratic rights of working men and women; upon their trade unions, and upon their every In his fraternal address to the BCFL Convention, NDP provincial leader Robert Strachan made it clear that every act in the field of labor legislation by this Socred government and its super-egotistical premier “chas been directed against labor’’. Will his donning the new title of Prime Minister slow-up or speed-up that process? The Prime Minister’s announcement this week that he “‘favors”’ ball- and-chain compulsory arbitration to keep labor in check, is all the answer needed. The new title merely illustrates an egomaniacal urge to “reach for the top” — in this instance, virtual dictatorship. Soon it will be — unless halted, ‘Sieg Heil der Prime Minister’. And don’t try to laugh it off. Bennett isn’t laughing. He’s telling YOU. Tom McEWEN ost working people know from what they have read, or even instinctively, that capi- talist wars are primarily moti- vated by a lust for exploitation and super profits. If today’s society could take the profit motive out of war, it is quite conceivable that big monopoly capital in the U.S. or elsewhere would be out of Vietnam tomorrow. The tragedy is however, that in our ‘‘free-enterprise-way-of-life’’ mass death and destruction is the most lucrative preoccupation in the super- profit capitalist jungle. The September 15 edition of “Justice”, official organ of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, features an article by New York Congressman Otis Pike, entitled, ‘‘Equality of Sacrifice,’’ illustrating the point. Congressman Pike shows how the Defense Supply Agency (DSA) for the U.S. Department of Defense does its buying — to fatten the profits kitty of the monopolists. A few examples; ‘An item which my wife would call a knob if it were adjusting the gas on her stove. The DSA calls it a ‘‘Handle, Spare, Synchronizing’’. It is made in Newark, N.J. and sold there for $1.62.” “The one which I have in my hand was purchased by the federal government and paid for by the American taxpayer at a cost of $312.50. In the past years, in three separate transactions, they ordered 130 of these at a total cost of $33,398.95. They should have paid $210.60. “There is a gear which the manufacturer listed in his catalogue as worth $3.43. The Defense Supply Center in Columbus, Ohio got nine of these for only $194.30 — each. ‘“‘A rod which the manufacturer listed at 50-cents. Through purdent quantity buying the government got 20 of these for only $25.25 — each. In the manufacturer’s catalogue, this rod is described as ‘precision shafting’. For once the American taxpayer got precisely what he paid for. “The Electronics Command of the Army in Philadelphia, Pa. bought 129 gear clamps. The manufacturer October 27, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2 Rankin calls for new look at freeway plan By ALD. H. RANKIN City Council is under heavy criticism right now for its deci- sion to put a section of the pro- posed freeway through China- town. Council is boxed in on this whole question of a freeway. We are in the peculiar position of being presented not with an overall free- way plan, but with just pieces of it. And we're being asked to decide on it piecemeal without knowing what the finished *"\ gat product will be. ' It’s like being handed a few pieces of a jig saw puzzle and asked to pass an opinion on a pic- ture we can’t yet see. Right now we're voting in the dark. This is how we got into the posi- tion where we were asked to decide on a piece of the freeway — a piece leading from the waterfront to Georgia Viaduct. Confronted with information that a route just east of Carrall Street would cost sev- veral million dollars less than an alternative route via Gore Avenue. Council decided on Carrall. Yet, we made this decision without pre- viously approving either a Georgia Viaduct section, a waterfront free- way, or other East-West or North- South arteries. This leaves City Council in a rather untenable position. ‘To overcome this dilemna I be- lieve City Council should now: Rescind its motion of endorsa- tion’ of the Carrall route. Agree to have a thorough study made of a freeway plan for the Levesque rally to boost Vietnam medical fund The giant rally at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Sunday, November 5th, at which Rene Levesque will speak on the subject of ‘Canada and Vietnam”’, is part of a major drive by the Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians to reach its objective of $50,000 for medical aid by the end of the year. Levesque, a member of the Quebec Legislature and former CBC war correspondent, has thrown his support behind local efforts to raise funds for medical supplies for war-torn Vietnam. In a press release this week the medical aid committee said: “Mr. Levesque is making a trip at this time despite heavy commitments in Quebec, because he feels it necessary to focus public attention on the human disaster entailed by escalation of the war and on the need to help civilian Vietnamese in all parts of their country. He is also doubly concerned at the increasing danger of world conflict arising out of the Vietnamese situation.” Eleanor Collins, well-known Vancouver TV and radio artist will sing at the rally which gets underway at 8 p.m. The Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians also announced last week that it has launched a “‘Special Christmas Appeal”’ for medical aid for Vietnam. A collection list is available to the public on which contributions are being sought to purchase medical supplies. Listing what various contributions can purchase of urgently needed medical supplies, the collection lists are available from: Canadian Aid to Vietnam Civilians, Box 2543, Vancouver 3, B.C. said in his catalogue, which was up to date, that these were worth $1.80 apiece. The Army paid $18.75 (apiece) for them. An item which should have cost $230.00, cost $2,400.00. ‘‘On November 9, the same purchasing unit of the U.S. Army bought 110 little nurled thumb screws less than an inch long. The manufacturer said they were worth 65-cents each, but by intelligent quantity buying the Army got 110 of them for $6.25 each.”’ The above are only a few examples cited by Congressman Pike in the extraction of super-profits through the co-operation of ‘‘intelligent”’ buying and selling of war materials. On the larger units of war equipment, planes, tanks, guns, lethal gasses, germ bombs, etc., the profit rake-off must be staggering. This while tens of thousands of the flower of American and Vietnam youth must lay their lives on the line, in order that dollar-democracy may grow and flourish — and their folks at home, the American taxpayer, get robbed blind. But don’t feel piously smug that this can only happen in the U.S. Our own Candian war profiteers need take second place to none when it comes to war profiteering and war graft. The war scandals following World War 1, well recorded in Hansard of the times, show our Canadian profiteers amassing millions in war profits while young Canadians were dying by the thousands in Flanders Fields. The war scandal of the Ross Rifle, which would not even shoot after half- a-dozen rounds, but the Ross Rifle manufacturer demanded his blood- stained pound of flesh, and the Ross Rifle continued to pour off the assembly line long after it was declared uselss. No one will ever know how many Canadians died because profits took precedence over human life. Then the Sam Hughes perforated trench spades, army boots that fell apart with the first shower, uniforms made with shoddy that looked like cloth, an infinitum. It can all be found in the Hansard of the period. It is a sordid picture of millionairs rising from the mass graves of Canadian and Allied dead. Then there was our famed cavalry - connected with the pla Lower Mainland. If this cos million as some suggest, We © ask Ottawa to share the @P A freeway system will cost % where from$350 to $500 million ‘ so a million spent now would well worthwhile. Any plan proposed should subject to a wide public dis before any decision is made ue Council. Such a freeway plan ™™ clude provision for a fast, iow rapid transit system to brit ple, rather than cars, into a of the city. This is essential Dt a freeway system by its@ likely aggravate traffic cong in the downtown area. A modern rapid transit ® ‘al utilizing express buses, — transport, fast commuter along rail arteries such as B.C. Electric tracks and Northern Railway tracks. © freeway costs by as much if half and solve our traffi¢ tion. The Soviet newspapet Re said last week that the massing troops, artillery: Fie warships near the Dé Zone for an invasion ©” Vietnam. February is siv@t likely date. ee. In an article headed, f Losing Their Heads,” Leontiyev said the recent © of U.S. artillery 3” bombardments of the pM2 southern area of North Vie" ned The article cites : Cushman as saying 0% that the purpose of buildup was ‘‘so that weg an offensive.” csi st fig regiments and the demand t horseflesh. Army veteri’ out to ‘‘buy’’ horses. ify good Tory with nothing tos old spavined nag Te!” ig boneyard — the top-notch if you were a Liberal Coe NDP), and owned the eet of all time, like “Dan FY couldn’t get a dogmeat PU" iudi That was how Py se buying” the Army velS™ fg in Nova Scotia at 4 2 which lad been turned 4° the earlier for ‘‘service War. No ‘sir, in this lin op profiteering our Cana ae “‘pay-triots’’ are as 8 tak? Yanks anyday. Only ‘ sal taxpayers in both coum ele a long time to apprecl# gies apply the proper reme such an awakening, P@ tremendous boost — !® » jPacitic Tr ib ‘West Coast edition, Canadian Editor—TOM McEWEN Subscription Rate: Canada, $5.00 one year; $2. North and South America and Commonwealth countries, All other countries, $7.00 one year. Authorized as second clas® aice RUSH Associate Edlitor—MAURICE Rig Published weekly at Ford Bldg., Mezz@nine No. 3, 193 E. Vancouver 4, B.C. Phone 685-5288. 75 for si* f 00 0% oy oil PY : Post Office Department, Ottawa, and for payment of postage y