EDITORIAL Neighbor aids neighbor Housing Minister Paul Cosgrove has had a rough few days. ‘He’s on the hot seat, deluged by hun- dreds of homeowners who face mortgage renewal at usuary interest rates and the prospect of foreclosure and eviction. Cosgrove’s embarassment heightened last week when NDP leader Broadbent held up a document in the House pre- pared by his department. It predicted thousands of Canadians would lose their homes. ‘The “mild-mannered” Housing minister reacted typically on behalf of his press. But his week was just beginning. In London, Ontario, Cosgrove: faced hun- dreds of angry homeowners. They told their individual’ stories of hardship. ‘They told of their friends and neighbors who stand to lose their homes, of those who have already been evicted, unable to pay. _ “Wait for the budget,” ‘sponded amid booes. Earlier he had boldly offered to inter- vene on behalf of hardship cases. The calls rolled in as opposition MPs held up his Ottawa phone number for all to see (it’s 1-613-996-5132). He retreated pleading a misunderstanding. Cosgrove re- Cosgrove’s personal Calvary may be. comic opera, But the plight of Canadian homeowners and tenants is not. His re- port is correct. Interest rates are driving people out, they are preventing young couples from even dreaming of home ownership. Tenants are facing massive rent hikes. In short, his government’s policies are a disaster for Canadians. People are demanding action, includ- ing government intervention to compell the Bank of Canada to lower. interest rates. They want a moratorium on fore- _ . . «Closures and heyy: want eens, rentcon- government: “We're asking the RCMP to .' % review the security system,” he told the ‘* trols. But this oretege crisis demands longer-term’ answers. Housing should become a public utility, proposes the Communist Party. The CPC argues that the banking and credit system should be nationalized putting an end to the terri- ble squeeze. In short, people before pro- fits should be the starting point. But as the fight develops, including on Parliament Hill on November 21, Cana- dians should at once organize to stop evictions. It was done in the 1930s when people banded together to save their neighbors from the bailiff. Itcan be done again, must be done again so that not one Canadian family ends up on the street to swell already bloated bank profits. - Cosgrove’s rough days are just start- _ing. Reagan applies pressure Pressure by the U.S. administration on Canada continues. American big busi- ness, their transnationals operating here and the governmentin Washington keep the squeeze on. What they object to is the developing National Energy Policy (NEP) and the Foreign Investment Review Act (FIRA). For the first time in our post-World War Two economic relationship, Canada has taken some steps, albeit timid, to curb the overwhelming domination of our energy resources and economic life by U.S. cor- porations. FIRA, also a rather timid tiger in its application, is seen by Washington as a threat to uncontrolled U.S. investment and control. Despite the fact that all states, in- - cluding such staunch U.S. “allies” as Bri- tain, Australia (and the U.S. itself) have -much tougher laws. to protect their natural resources and their economics, the U.S. hurls charges of “economic nationalism” at Canada which are ac- companied by threats of retalliation. _ U.S. legislators, speaking for U.S. bus- iness, threaten new anti-Canadian laws. The American ambassador in Ottawa (a millionaire backer of Reagan) lectures Canada from his office within shouting distance from Parliament Hill: ° The Reagan administration, mean- while, ignores every submission put be- fore it by Canada — on fishing treaties, acid rain, water pollution, the Garrison: Dam project —as it pursues its 19th Cen- - tury economics coupled with its danger- ously aggressive military policy. Elsewhere in this issue figures are given showing the tremendous profits PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOV. 6, 1981—Page 4 sucked out of third world nations by U.S. transnationals. U.S. investment in and control ‘of Canada’s riches bring the same results. Slightly different, perhaps, in form — more gentlemanly — but a profitable business nevertheless. That's what the shouting of “nationalism” is ab- out; it boils down to super-profits and political influence and control. Last week the U.S. senate approved a $4-million appropriation for the Garri- son Dam project in North Dakota. This despite official Canadian pleas to Washington that the project will do irreparable harm to Manitoba’s fisheries * industry. Earlier inthe year, Reagan’s budget- | cutters all but killed any hope for U.S. involvement. in joint Canadian- American efforts to stop Great Lakes pollution and acid rain. They unilaterally cancelled the East Coast fisheries treaty with Canada. -What we have to show for decades of this kind of an unequal relationship with our southern neighbor is an economy that’s out of whack, an ailing secondary industry, loss of control of our natural riches and a foreign policy that’s not in Canada’s best interests. And now, just by taking a few timid steps that any self-re- specting country would consider mild, Canadians feel the claws of the American eagle. It certainly is high time for a re- evaluation of what “good neighborly” re- lations are all about and for Ottawa to stand up to this attack on Canada’s sovereignty and independence. Fiashbacks 25 years ago... 50 years ago... HIGH COST OF HOUSING When the millionth Canadian post-war homeowner stepped into the new Scarborough bun- galow last week, many workers with average incomes won- dered, “Why not us?” The price on the house was’ $16,200 with a down payment of $4,408. There was a National Housing Act mortgage for $11,792 at 52% interest. Over ~ 25 years with the interest, the total cost of the Dana will be $24,000. To top it all, the owner had to show an average yearly income . of $4,700. But the average yearly wage across the land is only $3,579 and-in Toronto one-third of all wage-earners make less than $3,000 and they are the most desperate searchers for housing. The average rent for a two bedroom apartment in Toronto is now $135. and/$105. in the suburbs. Tribune, October 29, 1956 Profiteer of the week COMMUNISTS TO FACE TRIAL ’ The trials of 9 Communist” leaders, Tim Buck, Tom Ewen, |. Malcolm Bruce, Sam Carr, Mathew Popovich, John Boychuk, Tom Cacic, Mike Golinsky and A.T. Hill will commence in Toronto on Nov. 2. On Oct. 22 the Grand Jury returned a “true bill” on these cases charging the 9 with: : (a) being’members of an un> lawful association, to wit, the Communist Party of Canada, Section of the Communist” International; (b) being officers of an unlawful association; (c) being parties to a seditious conspiracy, contrary to the pro- visions of the Criminal Code. - On the day of the opening of the trial mass protest demonst- rations and 24 hour protest strikes will take place through- : out the country. The Worker, October 31, 1931 With the strike at Stelco reaching its 100th day and the company. refusing to grant its workers wage increases, it'sgoodtonotethe company’s profits are quite fine, thank you. Stelco’s profit fornine — months ending September, 1981 were $110,456,000 compared to $96,455,000 a year earlier. At the bargaining table they cry poverty. 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