its election, the Unity and local government By ALF DEWHURST {t is good that the editorial board of the Pacific Tribune has thrown open the columns of, the paper to a discussion on the proposal recently advanced by Tim Buck for unity of the pro- gressive forces at the polls to elect a CCF government. The readers of this paper will play no small part in determining the success of the proposal in B.C. Therefore, it is well that they, through the process of discus- sion, should achieve some clari- fication of what is implied in the slogan, “Elect a CCF Gov- ernment.” The point upon which I would like to express an opinion is one advanced b y Many left - thinking .work- ers, that the CCF is “the lesser of two evils” and therefore we should support other being the old - line polit- ical parties, This thought A. Dewhurst “constitutes a serious threat to full mobiliza- tion of progressive voters for decisive action at the polls to oust the reactionary governments from office. It reflects a failure to comprehend fully the tre- mendous danger which at this ‘time confronts the labor move- “ment. And it. completely ne- gates the content of the pro- posal advanced by the Labor Progressive Party. : The King government hag sold out the Canadian people to Wall Street through the medium of the Abbott Plan which subju- gates the economy of Canada tu that of the U.S. and is already expressing itself in the growing lines of unemployed. The King _ Sovernment, through its adher- tously thrown {the MA. 7756 The King government has cal- consuming Public upon the not-so-tender = 3 All Forms Of Insurance LAURIE NOWRY | 706 Holden Bldg. MA. 9407 (after 5), DR. W. J. CURRIE ; 49 W. Hastings INVITES ALL HIS FRIENDS rO DROP IN AND SEE HIM — MEN’S WEAR 54 W. Cordova Phone TA. 2657 Y% Block East of Woodwards Made to measure ae and _ Topeoats Our Specialty E : IT OR NOT” PRICES ARE RIGHT The solution to the municipal dilema lies in workingclass unity to defeat reaction as represented by the Non-Partisans, and elect progressives at the polls. The new LPP policy has opened the way for, and given new impetus to- . mercies of the profiteering food monopolists, has tied the farm- 6rs down to unprofitable con- tracts for their produce and has given away Canadian soil to a foreign government upon which to establish war bases. And it is King, echoing the words of Col Drew, Senator Farris and others, who is now calling for & world crusade against ‘“com- munism.” In B.C, it is a tory-liberal coali- tion that is responsible for the anti-labor Bill 39, the increase in Street car fares, the viciously unfair school. tax levy, steeply increased milk prices, the cur- rent shake-down compulsory car insurance, the increase in gaso- line prices which bypassed the station operators and went di- — rectly to the oil companies. It is the Anscomb-Johnson govern- ment that is now proposing to institute a 3 percent sales tax. Our present governments in Ottawa and Victoria are fully committed to a bdig business’ ‘guns instead of butter’ program. They are committed to a pro- gram that must demand a ruth- less suppression of any and all ae tee Za Kv sat aE How they,do Change The following letter was ori- ginally addressed to the Vancou- ver Sun, but to date has not ap- peared in the columns of that wor.hy champion of a “free press”. Perhaps the writer, a past provincial president of the Canadian Legion, is a little too direct in showing up present-day ‘warmongers to suit the editorial tastes of the ‘Sun’. -The Pacific Tribune believes the people of our province should know these facts. “Editor, Sun: “From a news item in your issue February 18, it would ap-- pear that Senator Farris has be- come quite martial urging all and sundry to prepare to fight the battle of armageddon with the Soviet Union. “Just when the Senator somer- Saulted from anti-conscriptionist to ultra militarist is not clear, at least to this writer. : “During world war one the then Mr. J. W. deB. Farris ap- , Parently deemed it his duty not only to stay home to attend to volitical fences and to keep the home fires burning but ‘to stumv the country against the proposed conscription act to provide rein- fercements for our much deplet- ed army in France when most of the fighting units of the Can- adian Army were sadly below strength. “The battalion the writer was with was over 50 percent below streneth while having to hold a full battalion front. a “Of course -in 1917 Mr: Farris wards this achievement. opposition. They have already embarked upon that road that ends in fascism and war. If we recognize that the task facing the labor movement at this time is one of beating back the drive of reaction to fascism ‘and war and not one of building a socialist Canada, then we must speak and act in terms of rallying all progressives to elect federal and provincial govern- ments that will be against re- action and for the people. All those who are opposed to the un-patriotic, anti-democratic poli- cies of the King and Anscomb Johnson governments constitute the great potential vote that can be swung behind the CCF to give Canada new policies and - better government. The election of a CCF govern- ment does not present us with the necessity of choosing be- tween “evils.” On the contrary, the election of a CCF govern- ment presents to all patriotic and democratic Canadians] the only hope, in the existing politi- cal situation, of saving our coun- try from ruination and the pev- ple from suffering untold hard- ship and. misery. ‘ : ‘was much younger than he Is today, younger than the under- signed, but apparentiy Mr. Far- vis not only did not get into uniform himself but endeavored to prevent the then government of Canada from procuring the much needed reinforcements for overseas, : “What has produced the great change? Usually men are more martial in their youth and less so in old age, but in this case it is the reverse!” ‘ T. A. Barnard. Nanaimo, B.C. Who is the Government? Pacific Tribune: Prdébably most of our readers have had experience with the Rentals .Board, either as tenants or as small owners of rented houses, but I wonder if any have had a chance to see the difference in the Rentals Board’s attitude when dealing with or- dinary citizens and when dealing with big companies Such as the CPR. ; Some time ago I had dealings with the Rentals Board as the owner of a small rented house whose tenant was giving trouble, According to the Rentals Board there was nothing I could do to remove my tenant. They stood ‘ behind the tenant and protected him from being dispossessed of his dwelling place. I had no right to give him notice and unless he decided to move out of his own free will there was nothing f could do about it. of By ELGIN RUDDELL if fact that discussion oun the new LPP electoral policy is revolving around the question of application of the policy in- dicates ¢learly the unanimity of the acceptance in principle of the new policy. One of the pop- ular questions raised with me is “Does the new policy have a municipal as well as a national application?” In my opinion the answer is definitely, ‘‘Yes.” Spread across Canada are near- ly five thous- and elective municipa ] councils and school boards. Tuhe over- whelming ma- jority of them are ,controlled or led by prominent and not so prom- inent “local politicians of the reactionary political parties. Most of them attempt to play down and conceal their political . affiliations, but on issues such as the proposed provincial sales tax they stand revealed in their true colors. y Elgin Ruddell The present campaign for the _ provincial sales tax was and is Ment lleaes However I recently had a dif- ferent tale told me by the Rent- als Board. For the past two and a half years I have been living in a CPR house while working for the CPR. Finally three weeks ago I decided to quit the CPR, but before doing so I consulted the Rentals Board to find out how I stood with regard to. the house in which I was living. I was told that as it was a com- Pany house and as I was a monthly tenant thirty days no- tice was required before I would have to vacate the premises, After I had given two weeks no‘ice of leaving my job and’ thirty days notice to vacate the house I was notified by the CPR ievement. being generated at the munici- pal level, ostensibly to solve the financial crisis of the municipal- ities but in actual fact to pave the way for reaction to loaa fresh burdens on the backs ur the people as an alternative to the “business tax” and reformed property taxation. These reactionary local politi- cians must be defeated as part of the drive to oust reaction from the senior governments. The means are complementary and a part of the new policy to secure unity at the polls. That unity can and will be developea not only in the shops and mills but in the neighborhoods ana communities as well. The new LPP policy will make it easier to_secure common action at the local level on community needs and grievances and these in turn will help to generate enthusiasm and drive for the larger perspec- tive. In many municipalities in the past the CCF has not run can-. didates in the local elections. In such cases I believe the LPP should try to secure the candid- acy of progressive individuals, including LPP. members. ln other municipalities, particularly Vancouver and Burnaby, where the CCF habitually runs under the CCF banner, the LPP should call for election of CCF candid! ates as the alternative to the Non-Partisan groups. However, that does not mean that the LPP should abdicate the muni- cipal field. On the contrary, I be- lieve it should urge a minimum number of its members, who have unquestidnable municinal Support, to be candidates this fall. This will serve to strength- en the municipal election cam- paigns and the policies of the new councils, ; : The municipal activity and el- ections will be particularly im- portant in the event of the na- tional and provincial elections being delayed beyond the end of the year. Electoral victories in ‘even a few key municipalities would have great effect on the political alignments provincially and federally. The municipal crisis in B.C. will continue to grow as the Ab- bott “austerity” program un- . folds and the Johnson-Anscomb policy of starving the municipal- ities of financial aid continues, The solution to the municipal dilemma lies in working ciass unity to defeat reaetion as rep- ‘Tesented by the Non-Pariisans and elect progressives at the polls. The new LPP policy has opened the way for, and given new impetus toward this ach- * SALLY BOWES Let Me Solve that I would have to leave the Your INCOME TAX PROBLEMS house as soon as I wads finished with my job, that is, with only Room 20 — 9 East Hastings MAr. 9965 two weeks notice. On soing to Srpmutunmecganwmcumarsmeaca memes the Rentals Board with this in- formation I was told that they could not interfere in this mat- ter as the CPR had absolute control of their own property. They told me I could stick out for thirty days but they would not protect me if I was prose- cuted for trespassing. I was also told I could take the case to court but they thought it would be a waste of time and money. Just notice the difference; to the small house owner the Rent- als Board is a raging lion but to the great CPR the Rentals Board is a timid lamb: Who con- trols the government? Or rather I should say who is the govern- ment? ; > Allan Hutchings, Notch Hill, B.c. lO% Discount | With every | purchase at CLOTHING _ 6 West Cordova WORK & DRESS WEAR ‘ af ‘PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 12, 1918—PAGE 10 \