eal JAPAN'S COMMUNIST PARTY scored a major victory in the July 7 elections for the upper house of Japan’s Parliament. Among the 20 Communists elected to the Diet were Ikuko Yamanaka, shown here on the right, surrounded by her supporters on election night. Why not probe food gouge here? Last week B.C. minister of agriculture David Stupich said the B.C. government would conduct an inquiry into food costs and pricing: In the following letter to Stupich PT writer H. K. Warren suggests some areas which need in- vestigating: I understand from the media that the government is instituting an inquiry into food costs and pricing. There are many facets to gouging. They do not all include overpricing on any particular article. One of the most rampant means of gouging is in the minced beef area. At the present time minced beef is being merchandised under various labels. ‘“‘Minced round’, “minced. shoulder’, ‘‘minced chuck”, ‘‘minced beef’’, and minced everything. There is a product on the food shelves at’ present that is 25/30% soy bean additive and is being mer- chandised under the name of “Juicy Burger’, “Burger Plus”, and many other names. Beryl Plumptre of the Food Prices & Review Board has recently given the press a release in which she states that she has discovered that ‘‘ground round”’ and ‘‘ground chuck’’ is~ not necessarily round steak or -chuck steak ground up. It is nothing short SESS fini. The picture reminds us of a worthy Irish reverend ministering to the alleged “cheathen’’ in Africa. “Black and White must unite’’, intoned the good father, to which the native congregation would respond with a lusty “mullagumbai”. “Black and White brothers must love and again came the vociferous one another’’, “mullagumbai’’. After a time with a profusion of these “mullagumbais” the worthy father felt highly inspired by the responses of his congregation. ‘“‘Oh Son of Ireland,” said the chief who accompanied him to the gate of the krall on his departure, “I am so happy you feel so inspired with the results of your mission — and watch as you go outside the gate that you don’t step in the mullagumbai’’. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1974 PAGE 2 of amazing that Mrs. Plumptre would reveal her naivete in such a manner. No housewife is naive enough to assume that a retailer would mince $1.99 beef in order to sell it for 99 cents per lb. There are laws dealing with - minced beef. Hamburger must be not more than 30% fat. Ground beef must be not more than 15% fat. But, there are no guidelines in the law with respect to how much other additives are allowable. ‘‘Pure pork sausage’ must have only pork in it. What percentage of pork is not regulated, so that as the law reads, the retailer is quite within the law by using as little pork as possible and as much other ad- ditives that can be absorbed with the pork. TOM McEWEN Li noises have been emerging from certain quarters anent the creation of a ‘‘new political party’’. This one it may be said has indeed a lofty purpose, dedicated to the proposition that since all men are created equal, the B.C. electorate should show better sense than elect a “socialist’’ NDP government. Hence the aim and purpose of this “new party” is to help them get rid of it. The formula is simple in the extreme: just ‘“‘unite”’ all the Liberals, Tories, Socreds, all the political hybrids roaming around B.C. and presto, the NDP is “out”, kaput, Thanks from Pritchetts Harold and Jean Pritchett ex- tend their thanks to the many friends and comrades who were so thoughtful and encouraging during Harold’s recent illness. The PT is happy to report that Hareld is now home~ and recovering well from his recent serious illness. We join with our readers in wishing him a speedy and full recovery. together! Considering ces thought everyone else was;) vation Army and get pie-in-the-sky in 2 Happily political unity, or any kind ante matter which requires a modicum of doesn’t work out that way. With the N tained socialism, but what we have is “mullagumbai’’ the NDP, and improve their own sor: Happily that brand of “unity” ie By ALD. HARRY RANKIN The Vancouver Area Council of the NDP has issued an open in- vitation to me to join the NDP, ina front page article, Vancouver Democrat, July-1974, titled ‘‘Harry Can’t Cope’’. It invites me to work within the Vancouver Area Council, and to submit myself ‘‘to the discipline” of that group. But in the course of issuing the invitation, the Vancouver Area Council makes quite an attack on me. It accuses me, among other things, of spending most of my time “‘making personal attacks on -Marzari” and of pursuing ‘“‘op- portunist tactics” to benefit the right wing in civic politics. I can’t help thinking: If I’m all that bad in the eyes of the Van- couver Area Council, how could it possibly want me in the party? The answer is — of course it doesn’t. There are laws with respect to using dye in meats, yet I know of only two instances in Vancouver in the last number of years where a_ conviction has been obtained for dyeing meat. A lady who cooks for a large catering firm in Vancouver recently told me of making one of the courses a meat loaf. She tells me that she had the meat loaf in the oven for three hours but could not eliminate the red appearance of the loaf. Needless to say none of the guests ate the meat loaf, as they thought it was not cooked! Instead of allowing products on the shelf under these various camouflage labels, would it not be better to require that they be marketed under labels such as “‘sround beef, 15/85%’’, or “‘ground beef ‘‘30/70’’? Instead of allowing soy bean fortified meat products to be retailed under inspirational names, why not tell the housewife “soy-burger 30/70%’’? Such requirements by law would ensure that the housewife was not being gouged for a fancy name. Regardless of price in these in- flationary times, she would at least know what she was paying a high price for. its source and_ its \ these “mission’’, _ the mullagumbai of the ‘‘new party” will be of much the same texture and quality, sticky but not enduring. Basically, of course, the Liberal exponent of the “new party” will insist, especially with the most recent majority win by Trudeau and company, that the best way for eves to 98 vat against the NDP, is for everyone to join the Liberal party. i tri He ae as Bob Stanfield ana his = ap isco tless Bill Bennett, echoing his worthy si B.C. for over 20 years, until y substantial ioaeeee retired him for good, will repeat the sam you want unity, join Social Credit”. By the same token one might say (were he sufficiently “everyone join the S Tory’ lieutenants. And NDP majority e thing ... ‘‘if of unity for that wit and wisdom, sae we haven’t at- { is far superior to the of old-line party ‘politics, mixed or It may be noted of course, ca they are in our modern day ponents of the new-pa anxious to speak out their minds — if they them would prefer tod families, rather than : ot in the process. is not even conceived in AGAIN APPEALS FOR UNITY Rankin hits NDP area council for suicidal civic policies The invitation was issued purely for propaganda purposes, to provide an opportunity for an attack on me and on the Committee Of Progressive Electors (COPE). Ihave much better things to do in City Hall than to spend most of my time attacking Alderman Darlene Marzari, and when I do oppose her it is on the basis of our differences in policy. But this defence of her by the Vancouver Area Council is rather strange, after all she is a TEAM member. Ihave no intention of descending to the level of Phil Lyons, who authorized the ‘‘invitation’, by answering his personal attacks on me, by more of the same on him. I have a great deal of respect for the membership of the NDP; there’s not too much difference between their aspirations and mine when it comes to civic affairs. But what I do take strong exception to is the stubborn, suicidal policy of the Vancouver Area Council of the NDP, in splitting the progressive forces and allowing reaction to maintain its hold on City Hall. There’s no way that the NDP, or COPE either for that matter, can hope to secure.a majority or even a substantial minority at City Hall as long as the reform groups are divided and carry on a civil war among themselves. COPE stands for co-operation and one united reform slate in civic politics. So does the trade union movement. So do many community organizations. The Vancouver Area Council of the NDP is unalterably opposed. The result? TEAM, has control of City Hall. It’s as simple as that. volume and odor. ': shoots of the old. : “My husband and I would like to buy some porkehoP® heaven — as yet. But. the mullagumbai is The history of all capitalist politics has bee? ‘recurrent economic crises, which the party if by accentuated and sought to extricate itsé pounding its own crisis at the expense of the We had many years of a Pattullo-Ha? nd Tory-Liberal “coalition” conglomeration, mat” i Wacky Bennett’s Socred “party-of-the-little- t pay over, but soon became an onerous and arros ended ! the “‘big man” (read monopoly). That per? peal £0 the majority emergence of the NDP —a New eres y people; not socialism, but the kind of PFC@ makes socialism possible. iy _ This is what the “new party” hopes to term pave the way for new sellouts, for new 8" ate policies that would make Nixon’s famed Wie like a Sunday school picnic. No wonder, for @ valid reasons, its promoters don’t want to and jf about it at the moment. It stinks, collectively °