IN Mie) KO ONO No

No transit hike — no tax hike!

TORONTO — The Metro To-
ronto Committee of the Com-

munist Party of Canada, in a -

statement this week, blasted su-
per-mayor Paul Godfrey for
“fraudulent” arguments for rais-
ing iransit fares, and showed
cause why the provincial and
federal governments must be
made to live up to their respon-
sibilities to the urban dwellers

* from whom they lift millions in

taxes.

The CP Committee said it is
“totally opposed to the attempts
by Metro Chairman Paul Godrey
to soften up the people of Metro
Toronto to his bill of goods — a
334% hike in transit fares.”

The statement made these
points:
¢ A fare increase stands in com-

plete contradiction to the con-

cept of increasing the use of
transit as opposed to the use
of the automobile.

¢ It will further congest already
overcrowded streets with cars,
further pollute the air and in-
crease the accident rate.

¢ It will place an intolerable eco-
nomic burden on the working
people already paying uncon-

scionable rents, taxes, interest -

rates and food and commodity
prices. :

Welcome Initiative

“We welcome the initiative
taken by aldermen Mike Gold-
rick, Dan Heap, John Sewell and
Dorothy Thomas to stop the
T.T:C. fare increase,” the state-
ment says. “This is in stark con-
trast to the attitude taken by
Paul Godfrey which further ex-
poses his willingness to act as
the Metro strongarm for the

—

Continued from Page 3

omy will benefit from the de-
velopment of these resources.
Not least it is the only way to
‘batten down the hatches’ in light
of growing pressures by U.S. im-
perialism to compel Canadian
agreement on. a_ continental
-energy policy.
‘Synchronization’

“True enough U.S. imperialism
does not use the term continental
energy policy because it is a
dirty word in Canada. It now
uses the high sounding term of
‘synchronization of effort’ in-
stead. This is the meaning of
the remarks of Mr. William Por-
ter, the new U.S.A. Ambassador

to Canada who is reported ‘to.

have said, according to the Globe
and Mail of March 2, that ‘I firm-
ly believe that this continent
and those who sit astride its re-
sources, are going to exert tre-
mendous influence as we develop
those resources. We can be ex-
porters of energy to the world.’
“He then went on to say that
he hoped that Canada will decide
to work closely with the USA,
not necessarily in sharing these
resources, but at least in deve-
loping the complicated and ex-
pensive technology necessary to
exploit these resources.
“Clearly U.S. imperialism has

its eyes and its claws on the .

Athabasca Tar Sands, on the
Arctic and the North,” the Com-
munist leader said. “This may
well be a primary reason for Mr.
Kissinger’s visit to Ottawa this
month. Democratic opinion
would be well advised to insist
there be no private deals or
understandings between Mr. Kis-
singer and the Government with

policies of the Davis provincial
Government.”

Godfrey should be demanding
“massive economic support from
the province” rather than cover-
ing for the Davis Government
with proposals for higher transit
fares and higher property taxes,
the statement said, charging that:
“The argument is fraudulent!”

Calling for “maximum pres-
sure on the provincial govern-
ment” to have it assume its fi-
nancial responsibility, ‘‘even if it
in turn has to seek federal assis-
tance,” the Communist statement
asserts:

“What is required is lower
fares to reinforce the use of pub-
lic transit and the reduction of
already all too high taxes, by
shifting the burden onto those
who can pay — big business.

* How It Can Be Done

“For a start,” the Communists
state, “the Ontario Government
can turn back to Metro some of
its Sales Tax revenues, 50% of
which is generated in Metro —
not to mention the provincial in-
come tax revenues.

“Tt can tap the greatest single
source of additional revenue —
the resources and mining indus-
try which the Tories thus far
have absolutely refused to do. In
1970, the last\ available figures
reveal that a mere $22.3-million
was paid in taxes on net mining
profits of $425.4-million — a rate
of 5.2%. Who else gets away
with larceny on this scale. This
is a public scandal. In addition
the Ontario Government should
follow the lead given by the pro-
vincial government of British Co-
lumbia, and institute an excess
profits tax, or a capital gains tax.

respect to Canada’s energy and
natural resources.

Long Overdue

“These vast resources must be
the basis for a massive indus-
trialization program in Western
Canada, coupled with measures
to equalize freight rates and win
guaranteed markets and a guar-
anteed income for farmers. Such
a new national policy, or new
Canadian policy, for which the
Communist Party fought over the
years, is long overdue. It cannot
be delayed any longer and
should be directly linked to ac-
ceptance of energy as a public
utility and an all-Canadian re-
source. , >

“All the signs point to this be-
coming a major issue of Cana
dian politics, indeed, the reason
for calling a federal election.”

Mr. Kashtan then turned to
the case of the stalled sale of
locomotives to Cuba.

“While attention has ‘been
focused on inflation and energy,”
he said, ‘‘another issue has come
to the fore since the new Par-
liamentary session, that of Can-
ada’s economic sovereignty. Re-
cently the Worthington Com-
pany of Montreal, a branch plant
of a U.S. Corporation, sold 25
fccomotives to Cuba: The U.S.
Government, using the ‘Trading
with the Enemy Act,’ vetoed the
order.

“In addition to the loss of em-
ployment this has meant to Can-
adian workers, the Act has
“brought to the fore again the
fact that Canadian trade with
other countries is decided by the
USA, and not by the Canadian
Parliament,” he said.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1974—PAGE 10
, ae, ee | Ag Bee i Se Y Aotst. i a $4 334

“It can pressure the federal
government to turn back to
Metro some of. the revenue it
gets from personal income tax —
28% of which is generated in
Toronto. :

“It can demand the federal
government tax the huge cor-
porations such as Cadillac De-
velopments, which has not paid

a single cent in income tax in its ~

fat corporate life — and turn
some of this back to Metro.

“It can demand a massive re-
duction in arms spending, cur-
rently at the level of $120 for
every man, woman. and child in
Metro as against the mere 20¢
spent on public housing.

To move the Davis Govern-
ment to develop a subsidy pro-
gram for Metro Toronto, the
Communist Party calls; in its
statement, for “labor, all pro-
gressive citizens and organiza-
tions,” to “come out solidly
united” to ensure:

1. Holding the line on transit
fare increases, and progressively
reducing fares over time towards
free public transit.

2. Rapidly expanding Metro
public transit facilities, more
subways, more busses, more
streetcars.

3. Holding the line against

property tax hikes, pointing in ® /
the direction of reducing taxes ala lal art S al (
by removing education costs j
S Af i i
. Airica aparthel

from property, transferring these
costs to the big corporatiohs.

In putting forward these pro-
posals and demands, the Com-
mittee pledged the Communist
Party of Canada “to do all iri its
power to assist in the formation
of such a movement.”

“Parliament should demand
the annulment of this shameful
Act. But more than that, Parlia-
ment and Government should
make clear that no corporation
or foreign government can be
permitted to flout Canadian
laws,’ he stated. “And if it is,
necessary to institute public
ownership over such _ branch
plants to achieve this objective,
it should be done.

“This situation,” Mr. Kashtan
said, ‘draws attention to the
fact that the Government’s for-
eign investment bill and the
screening mechanism it estab-
lished is obviously not geared
to cope with foreign investments
and take-overs.

“The screening mechanism
was directed to supervise foreign
investments, not control them,”
he charged. ‘“‘This is why foreign

investments and take-overs have ~

increased in scope and why there
is need for legislation to limit
and control the expansion of for-
eign-owned companies in Can-
ada.”

wt .
“ ee

‘YouLt Be HAPPY To KNow al
COMPANYS CONCE RNE) FOR OUR,
SAFETY SINCE YOURACCIDENT *

|

No. 22.918 Thursday February 28 197s

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London: Thursday February 28 1974

LECTION EXP!

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It proves once again: You can’t believe what you read i
biz press. All through February their headlines looked like

ORC poll shows Libs support eroding

AD

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“3 BP eae been wal GO seats

———

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Continued from Page 5

loans were made with ISCOR,
ESCOM and METKOR, all South
African state-owned enterprises
holding virtual monopolies over
steel and electricity.

In the most recent loan to the
governrhent Canadian banks
contributed $8 million out of a
total of $46.5 million. In the
loan to ISCOR Canadian partici-
pation was $9 million out of a
total credit transaction of $20
million, and to METKOR Cana-
_dian banks lent one quarter of
the $10 million deal.

In all the Canadian Imperial
Bank of Commerce, the -Toron-
to Dominion Bank and the Bank
of Montreal have jointly antied
up $20 million ‘to keep fascism
and racism alive and well in
South Africa. This speaks vol-
ums about the ‘honest broker’
facade that Mitchell Sharp tries
to project abroad for Canada, It
contradicts the many _ resolu-
tions passed by the U.N. calling
for the isolation of South Afri-
ca, economically, politically and
culturally, some of which Can-
ada has voted for. It makes a
mockery of the overwhelming
popular sentiment in Canada
which opposes the practice and
-support of fascism and racism.
It shows in unequivocal terms
the utter lack of morality and
patriotism of capital. Are there
not hundreds of projects in Can-
ada to advance the well-being of
our people that cry out for $20
million?

This action brings to mipd the
many international banks, in-
cluding Canadian, that withheld
credits from Chile when the
government of President Allende
came to power in 1970. Such
credit denial was a political act
expressing “no confidence” in
the Chilean government and. its
policies.

The converse argument ap-
plies to South Africa. Loans to
South Africa’s government pro-
vide psychological and political

support for its policies.

-L.C.F.T.U. and the W.C.4

‘mands the leadership

_ their locals and mem

Last fall, at an nistori¢
national trade union con
sponsored by the I.L.0.

tended by the W.F.1Uy¢

solution was unanimously
ed, calling for, among tio
things, the economic isol@®
South Africa. The iT
Labor Congress has fw)”
dorsed the resolution. a

that

This issue is .one

C.L.C., and all organiZ
in a call on all trade

I}
withdraw their accounts
these three banks as aoe
continued support for @F 4
South Africa. With such, a
ship progressive orga
and individuals would %

Ottawa has been
silent on this issue, thé B
ment must see to it tha
ther deals of this sort
taken.

Continued from Page 9
it is commonly agreed
language problem has
roots,” a

In an article in Comba
nette Walsh, national °
of the Parti Comme

uébec writes: “The |
Sete is that English
principal language °
Quebec, because the m4
the firms in Quebec a
Canadian or U.S. ow? ao

“What makes one —
that neither the 2,
nor the nationalists a
necessary measures: th
oblige the. owners — ff
French as the languag® :
Because, once the g
guage is so conside
will no longer be a Py
garding the immigran
of language for theif