Tenants find government cs action ‘disappointing’ B.C. Tenants Organization president Bruce Yorke. follow- ing last Thursday's lobby of ten- ants to Victoria, said that he was pleased with government agreement to changes in section 51 of the Landlord and Tenant Act but was dissatisfied with its reluctance to provide further needed protection for tenants. The tenants wanted the word- ing in the contentious section changed to read: *"no increase may be collected during the twelve month period following establishment of therentorits last increase. and thereafter only one during any subsequent period.’ The present wording in the Act doesnot guarantee that tenants will not get more than one increase per year. **MacDonald also gave some indication that he will introduce legislation, perhapsinthenext session, requiring landlords to posttherents. Yorkesaid.He pointed out that. unless tenants have some way of knowing what the previous occupant was paying, there is no way of guaran- teeing only one increase per year. Taking up the tenants’ long standing demand for municipal rent review boards, MacDonald expressed willingness to take the grievance procedure out of the courts and invest responsi- bility in municipal boards. But he gave no indication of the- powers such boards might have. On one of the most urgent ques- tions of tenant legislation— just cause for eviction— MacDonald made it clear that he was not pre- pared to change the property rights of landlords or tenants. -This is the way ithas been for thousands of years.” he told the Parks Board ‘search’ for new ideas suspect By ALD. HARRY RANKIN If the Parks Board doesn't know what it was elected for it should resign as a body and make way for one that does. Four months now after the De- cember civic elections it is appealing tothe public totellit whether it should be elected or appointed by City Council. whether it should promote natural or developed parks. in- door or outdoor recreation. and how recreation facilities should be paid for. Secondly. ithas hired afirmot management consultants (these are the firms that advise big business on policies) to re- view the operations and organization of the Parks Board and to come up with proposals for change. That's about as sensible as a trade union asking the boss how it should run its union. What happened toall the fine promises of NPA and TEAM parks board candidates in the last civic election campaign” Instead of asking the publicfor direction. the Parks Board should be presenting a plan for park and recreation develop- ment to the public for discus- sion, listing specific priorities. Thatis whatiswas elected for: that is what Park Board mem- bers are being paid for. I suspect that there is much more than meets the eve behind these moves to hire manage- Birthday party set Plans are underway fora gala birthday party for Alderman Harry Rankin which willbe held in the Peretz School. 6184 Ash St.. on Friday. Mav 4. starting at 8p.m. Remembering the huge turn- out last year to Rankin’s birth- day party. the committee in charge is making extensive preparations to handle a large turnout. The program will include enter- tainment, refreshments. food. games and other goodies. ment consultants and to ask the public for advice without provid- ing any leadership. and also behind the cat and dog fights go- ing on in the Parks Board now between NPA and TEAM members. The fact is that this Parks Board has a policy. whether itis spelled out or not. That policy is expressed in using public funds +0 build a $300.000.00 exclusive and posh restaurant at the top of Little Mountain (Queen See RANKIN, pg. 11 monopoly. rightful owners— the poor. tenants’ lobby and left no impression that he was about to change the pattern. More than3,.300 petitions were presented to Rosemary Brown who accepted them on Premier Barrett's behalf. She told tenants that she was disap- pointed with the government 's changes in Landlord and Tenant legislationasshehadexpected some protection against unjust eviction. Kamloops unions demand labor act changes KAMLOOPS— The Kamloops and District Labor Council last week sent a protest to Premier Dave Barrett demanding the immediate repeal of Bill 43, the Trade Union Act: : Delegates to the council pro- * tested that the NDP govern- ment was not living up to its election promises. They termed the bill a holdover from the pre- vious Socred government, and blocks unions in their right to collective bargaining and their right to strike. CUPE delegate Bill Ferguson said the problem today is not what the government has done for labor. but whatit has failed todo. He termed Bill 43 arepres- sive piece of legislation and said it must be taken off the books. Other delegates pointed out that the government has had two chances to repeal Bill 43 and that the labor movement cannot afford to wait until the fall ses- sion. TE CAN'T SEEM To BREAK THE HABIT.” | ‘Free S. Vietnam prisoners — The Vancouver Branchof the International Committee to Free South Vietnamese Politi- cal Prisoners has sent out a letter urging that the public write their members of parlia- ment urging that Canada take the following two actions: e Place an embargo on all forms of aid to the Saigon regime pending the release of political prisoners, and the granting of freedom to peasants to return to their land. o Useitsutmostinfluence to _persuade governments of the world to concur in the with- holding of aid until relevant Arti- | cles of the Agreement are fu filled. ned The Paris Agreement sIBNy by the three governmen res Vietnam, and the U.S.. dec st that “The South Vietne of Parties will ‘prohibit all” og | reprisal and discrimi od 3 against individuals . : yout Article 8 (b) of the protoc® lf lines humane rules for the release of civilians, “atl j For further information? oft the work of the Vancouvel sof mittee call George Het mat at 224-1614 or Frank inf 536-7984. — F he dashing highwaymen of the last century had some admirable qualities. Even the less colorful footpads and lower breeds of pickpockets, had some redeeming qualities. not evident in the legalized robbery of modern As for the fabled outlaws of Rebin Hood vintage. thev were our heroes. Thev robbed the rich of what the rich had robbed the poor. and returned the loot of all such robberies to its The modern highway robber possesses none of the chivalrous attributes of his early forerunner. Being almost faceless he doesn t wear a mask. and being like the Jahweh of old. he has created a social svstem in his own image which legalizes his exploitation and robbery to the nth degree. Moreover. in perfecting a legal svstem which provides him with the legal rightto rob and exploit and pick pockets at will. t whopper of aprice— for nothing, whilea pricesfarce plays its finale. Come hell or high water. free enterprise vas prevail. The modern monopoly highwayman is not in bus!? primarily to sell food, lumber, real estate or what have: His first concern is PROFIT, first, last and all the time- di! How does the common multitude which has long serve aol, the capacity of adocile cow— or aperennial sucker—86t>, 3 this parasitic octopus for good? There are many ways, but unfortunately, alm handicaps. Obviously “commissions” of any sort are alin useless, since the monopoly powers they pretend to be de we with are far stronger than themselves. If (an importan dof had a government with some guts and less class bias. inst we tri By ostas m0 the repeated gutless Liberal or Tory aggregations ve continually elect. perhaps we would get somewhere. ~ - yi¢l brought the modern prices highwaymen under e. the provisions of the Criminal Code. perhaps that would help ‘ are |p But that is largely for the birds — for the people ee getting rooked every hour of the day. > teredaee The working people of factory and farm have master el: art of production in abundance, but the monopoly. the nave the conglomerate, the Profit Plunderbund Incorporate aj d galt commandeered all distribution for their own pel! ane thal And the government of the dav. with more s substance. mutters its amens. A labor meeting a few nights ago in Vancouve ati r voice il he has not been forgettul of his own breed of lesser footpads: porch-climbers. racketeers. real estate sharks. etc.. etc. He allows all such jackals to get inon the spoils of the killand pick the bones clean. What mav be left he gives to charity. thereby assuring a box seatinhis heaven. thus providing a‘ “christian” backdrop to his multiple robbery. Had this monopoly bandit lived in Christ's time he would have undoubtedly demanded. in excess of the sacrifice made.—a high price for the lumber used. Our big timber tycoons do it daily! What is to be done? An old question. but ever and always new. For weeks. Canada has hada parliamentary committee sitting. pondering the whvs and wherefores of this almost universal robbery. _And they say there is nothing canbe done aboutit.andasa result. do nothing. Meantime John Taxpayer pays another idea of government breaking up the big monopolies: ASP idea whose time has come for far-reaching action p tbe Robert Owen of ‘Merrie England’ and foundel > jot | modern co-op idea. learned long ago that monopoly dist po! couldn't be ended by a co-op David taking on 4 rae util Goliath by emulating the rules set down by the jattel : eal Wasa great illusion while itlasted. Co-ops by all mee yeh |= short-term ones. just long enough to bring primary PF est ia and ultimate consumers together— to eliminate the emit big and not-so-big thieves that collect their protit per eeu the distribution process _who stand between prime forces in modern society > have These faceless monopoly food and kindred thle er4 never be influenced towards honesty by polite cha con cajolery: only by the stern willof aunited andenrage “Now's the day. an now's the hour...” PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1973—PAGE 2