By E. B. HY do the good citizens of Vancouver pay the highest W prices in Canada for electricity and transit fares, and put up with outrageously high municipal taxes and telephone rates into the bargain? The high-salaried stooges, Clyne and Grauer, would no doubt answer that high wages are to blame. Don’t. believe it. Wages account for only one-fifth of the B.C. Eleciric’s operating revenue. Another fourteen percent - goes for miaterials, and all the rest disappears into depreciation, taxes and:profit. Compare the B.C. Electric operations with the Saskatoon Electric Light and Power Department: ’ Disposition of each $100 of Revenue B.C. Electric Saskatoon Electric Operating: Expense _____-__~ $38 $53 Depreciation ee ee 14 6 Interest, Profit & Inc. Taxes 43 a1 - @ontribution to Municipalities 5 30 100 “Wer The result is that the resident of Saskatoon not only. gets cheaper electricity than we do, but in addition, thirty percent of the lower price he does pay is kicked back to the municipal treasury and deducted from the annual tax levy. _ geal is not unique. It is only one of hundreds of cities across Canada that operate their own electric sys- tems. All of them, without exception, have lower electric rates than Vancouver (and lower transit fares in most cases), and nearly all receive substantial profits to reduce municipal taxa- tion. The following table shows the advantages such cities enjoy in the miétter of rates: , Monthly ‘Bills ' 100kwh. 300kwh. 500 kwh. Montreal '_-_____ ee omer $2.15 $4.37 $6.06 ie 1.59 “ay 6.63 ee oe 2:22 4.07 4.84 eee 4.30 6.85 9.78 OS SN sae Seer S 2.80 5.30 6.67 MANHOUVER ©. So he Sas 4.46 9.63 11.53 SS ee ee 3.68 6.92 8.39 The example of Nelson proves that it is neither B.C. wages, B.C. terrain, nor any other factor except private ownership of the B.C. Electric that gives rise to the outrageous prices we are required to pay. Let’s take a closer look at the B.C. Electric operating state- ment. Total Revenues amounted last year to $105,500,000. The disposition of this revenue breaks down as follows: Wages, fringe benefits and other employment costs $23,800,000 Remuneration of nine executive officers plus legal advice — Paid for materials _ ----- te oe SE CR eS Depreciation, taxes, interest & dividends 468,000 14,700,000: 66,502,000 That last item should provide the answer to those timid souls who wonder where the provincial government or the City of Vancouver, or both, would find the money to buy the B.C. Electric’s $700,000,000 worth of assets. Since publicly- owned utilities pay no taxes, the whole $66 million would be available for debt charges. How long does it take to amortize $700 million at $66 million a year? About 14 years — less, in all probability, than the morigage on the typical citizen’s house. HE NED for public ownership. of the B.C..Electric lies T not oaly in the high rate it charges. The fact is that through its monopolistic control of our utilities and water and gas resources, the B.C. Electric has gained a dominant position in’ the economic, political and. cultural life of our province. While. it is not disclosed in any prospectus or balance sheet, few people can doubt the close connection between the Socred government-and the B.C. Electric. It is no coincidence that Bennett’s right bower Gunderson, and Grauer’s alter ego, Main- _| waring, are fellow executives of Peace River Power. This part- nership is:much too cozy.to leave any room for doubt that in framing legislation and administering it, Premier Bennett has the benefit of Grauer’s friendly advice. : Nor is it any coincidence that our highest seat of learning, the University of British Columbia, has lately become a finish- ing school for Madison Avenue four-flushers and purveyors of commercialized intellectual garbage — Grauer himself is its Chancellor. And speaking of coincidences, note well that when Bennett set up his Energy Board to inquire into the power situation, no ‘better man could be found for chairman than Grauer’s university comrade Professor Shrum. Look around among our other institutions. You will find |B.C. Electric executives in prominent office in the hospital board, the. Community Chest, the Art Gallery, the Symphony Society, etc., etc. ; os The present dominant position of the B.C. Electric in all of our affairs is based upon its ownership of water rights on the tributaries to the Fraser. But its tentacles are reaching out. As a partner in the Wenner-Gren companies, it hopes to gain control of the Peace. As sole power distributor in the Lower Mainland, it hopes to control the output of the Columbia. Each of these represents a much bigger power empire than the pres- ent holdings of the B.C. Power Corporation. It is time that the monopolistic career of this corporation was halted. Practically all of the rest of Canada has taken control of public utilities. Why not British Columbia? For too many years now the B.C. Electric monopoly has preyed on the people of this province. It’s time to end the power of this corporation and place it under public ownership. Heres why public owners! of BC Electri would benefit you! ie ee Te Cc EDITORS. NOTE At the closing session of. the B.C. Legislature Premier Ws A. C. Bennett said his govern ment. would “consider” public ownership of the B.C. Electrice “Me "Whatever the Premier‘s mo § tive for making that state § ment, one thing is certain: The people of British Columbia have realized for some tim@ that long © overdue. such -a move is A few years ago the Gilmat Fe proposals for taking over the | B.C. Electric were sabotaged by big business interests. This ff time the people of B.C. must 4 make sure that the provincial 2 made fully | aware of the demand for pla ing this giant utility companY under public ownership. The people of B.C. should see to it that the Bennett gov” ernment is not allowed to just stop at “considering” it. Vie toria must be made to act bY a united mass. demand {0 public Ownership of the B.Ce Eleciric now. ; government is In this article the PacifiC ~ Tribune presents some of thé main arguments favoring such 5 action. And whai’s more: i shows the vast benefits th? public would der ve from suc action. — On April 27; the students and faculty of the Moscow State Medical Institute receiv- ed James G. Foulks, BA, Ph.D, strengthen mutual understand- ing and friendship between the two neighboring peoples. After being introduced by City Scientist Visits Soviet On Exchange M.C., professor of Pharmacol- ogy at the University of Brit- ish Columbia. He. was warmly received in the Marble Hall of the Institute. Prof. Foulks noted that the program ofthe exchange of scientists in accordance with which he had arrived in the -USSR was part of the effort applied by both countries to the Director of the Institute, Prof. Foulks described the system of medical services to the population of Canada and the organization of medical. education in the country. In reply to a number of questions he said he had high regard for -the health services in the Soviet’ Unioni ‘A: great’ dical advantage of the Soviet’ sys-| children,” May: 26; 1961—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page © ‘have been able to see the qué tem of free ‘med'cal services; he said, ‘is that good medical assistance “it: given here to al citizens without exception; * tespective of their material” status. During our stay in the” Soviet Union, my: wife and ity of medical service. Whe? @ our children- became ill they were treated by doctors from ce! an ordinary district polyclim® We were very favorably pressed with the