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OPEN FOR

Why CCF won Alberni

FRANK BOTTNER, Port
Alberni, B.C.: The result in
Alberni in the recent provin-
cial election can be a valuable
lesson not only for the people
of this province but for all
Canada.

this riding, the CCF can-
didate standing for re-election,
ohn S. Squire, increased his
popular vote over the previous
election, receiving more votes
than the Socred and Liberal
candidates combined, even
though elsewhere’ in the pro-
vince the CCF lost ground and
suffered defeats in some rid-
ings that had been CCF strong-
holds for many years.

No matter how other politi-
l parties may attempt to

Clal
analyse the Alberni result to
interests,

suit their partisan

the best analysis can be made
by approaching the question
in reverse order. That is, to
pose the question, why was
the CCF candidate not de-
feated in this riding as were
some other CCF candidates
seeking re-election or contest-
ing former CCF seats?

Here, in Alberni, public
statements and reports ap-
peared simultaneously  an-

nouncing withdrawal of the
LPP candidate, for the sake
of unity, to defeat the Socreds
with their dangerous giveaway
policies, and the
tion and acceptance speech of
John S. Squire, in which he
took a strong stand against
the Socred giveaways of our
resources.

Throughout the campaign
there was maintained a unity
of thought and purpose on the
part of spokesmen and work-
ers in both parties, although
this was all done independent-
ly by the two parties. The
LPP campaigned with deter-
mination and a positive atti-
tude, by radio and _ leaflets,
for the election of the CCF
candidate.

Squire avoided the pitfall
that CCF candidates
stepped into — he did not re-
ject the LPP’s support. The
unity of purpose expressed in
action by both parties, the
conformity of statements by
their spokesmen in respect to
the real issues before the peo-
ple, prevented any frustration,
and made the electorate con-
fident that the interests of
the people were being placed
of narrow partisan in-

some

h unity of purpose in ac-
established, Squire de-
feated his opponents so over-
whelmingly for these reasons:

Opposition attempts to dis-
credit him for his actions in
trade union affairs, particular-
ly his stand of non-support of
the firemen’s strike a few
months ago, failed. It did so
because the very people who
were most openly critical of
Squire's stand, correctly point-
ed out that as the representa-
tive of Alberni riding in the
legislature his stand has been
above any serious reproach.

Squire campaigned on a pos-
itive program. He did not
harp on the Sommers-Sturdy

tion

re-nomina-_

In fact, he pointed out
quite clearly that it was not

case.

the only issue, and that there
were many vital issues in re-
spect of which the actions of
the whole Socred government
were deplorable.

In essence, he campaigned
on what was in the interest
of the majority of the people,
such as jobs by the right kind
of industrial , development,
labor legislation, and security.

The population of Alberni
riding is preponderantly work-
ing class, fairly well organiz-
ed into various trade unions,
and largely concentrated in
the twin cities. Proximity and
trade union action tends to
propel the political level up-
wards, and the value of hav-
ing labor represented in gov-
ernment is fairly well under-
stood.

Not the only ones

J. H. MESSINGER, Van-
couver, B.C.: Your review of
the pamphlet Lifeitselfman-
ship recalls an article by Frank
Sullivan published in the New
Yorker more than two decades
ago, dealing with worked-to-
death words. I clipped and
saved it (the title was “The
Cliche Expert Takes the
Stand”) and here it is, just
to prove that leftwingers are
not the only folks who indulge
in bromides:

Q—Mr. Arbuthnot, you are
an expert in the use of the
cliche, are you not?

A—yYes sir, I am a certified
public cliche expert.

Q—Would you answer a few
questions on uses of the cliche?

A—I should be only too glad

to.

Q—Thank you. Now, just
for the record — you live in
New York?

A—TI like to visit New York
but I wouldn’t live there if
you gave me the place.

Q—Then where do you live?

A—Any old place I hang
my hat is home sweet home to
me.

Q—What is your age?
A—I am fat, fair, and forty.
Q—And

A—Well, after burning the
midnight oil at an institute of
higher learning, I was for a
time a tiller of the soil. Then
I went down to the sea in
ships. I have been a guardian
of the law, a poet at heart, a
prominent clubman and man
about town, an eminent —

your occupation?

Q—Now then, Mr. Arbuth-
not, what kind of existence do
you lead?

A—A precarious existence.

Q—And what do you do for
it?

“ A—I eke it out.

Q--How do you cliche ex-
perts reveal yourselves?

A—In our true colors, of

course.
Q—And you expect to live
to
A—A ripe old age.
Q—What do you shuffle off?
A—This mortal coil.
Q—What do you thank?
A—My lucky stars.
Q—What do you do to hasty
retreats?
A—I beat them.

Q—What kind of a dog are
you?

A—A gay dog.

Q—And how do you work?
A—Like a dog.

Q—And you lead?

A—A dog’s life.

Q — Now, Mr. Arbuthnot,
when

you are naked, you
are
A—Stark naked.
Q—In what kind of day-
light?

A—Broad daylight.
Q—What kind of outtsider
are you?
A—I’m a rank outsider.
Q—How right are you?
A—I’m dead right.
Q—What kind ‘of meals do
you like?
A—Square meals.
Q—What do you do to them?
A—Ample justice.
Q—When you buy
you buy them for. .
A—A song.
Q—You are as sober as...
A—A judge.
Q —eAnd
drunk? :
A—I can be drunk as a coot,
or a lord, or an owl —
Q—Very good. Now
brown are you?
A—As brown as a berry.
Q—Ever see a brown berry?
A—Oh no. Were I to see a
brown berry, I should be
frightened.

Q—To what extent?
A—Out of my wits.
Q—How fit are you?
A—I'm as fit as a fiddle.
- Q—How do you wax?
A—I wax poetic.
Q—How about the fate of
Europe?
A—It is hanging in the bal-
ance,

things,

when you are

how

Q@—When you travel, what
do you combine?

A—I combine business with
pleasure.

Q—And you are destined...

A—To go far.

Q—What kind of beauties
do you like?

A—Raving beauties.

Q—How generous are you?

A—I am generous to a fault.

Q—How is corruption these
days?

A—Oh, rife, as usual.

Q—What time is it?

A—It is high time.

Q—How do you point?

A—I point with pride, I
view with alarm, and I yield
to no man.

Q—What do you pursue?

A—The even tenor of my
way.

Q—What do you throw —
and where?

A—I throw caution to the

winds.

@—As a cliche-user, have
you any: pets?

A—Yes, I have pet aver-

sions.

Q—Any tempests?

A~—Oh, yes. In teapots. In
china shops I have bulls.

Q—I see. Well; Mr. Ar-
buthnot, I think that everyone
who has listened to you here
today will be a better cliche-
user for having heard you.
Thank you very, very much.

A—Thank you. It’s heen a
pleasure, I assure you, and I
was only too ‘glad to oblige.

“Martha, we’ve solved the cost of living problem.”

Pertstya Wierd gee aes

oh

UPPER PLATE, Vii
B.C.: I haven't, ee
about the campaig® fo)
dation in the PT rece aft}
should keep — plugé?
for this health me
have to wear an UPFc@y
which doesn’t fit, 2% fot
scious of the nee
venting tooth cece f

Last week Dr. Core
president of the Hea, a
of Canada, was 12
and had some
things to say abo
tion.

He called it “one oF n
spectacular discove’ ata
cent years” an eople
that “the same Fatih,
are fighting fcr plo
up a fight agains’
tion 10 years ee

Of course, Most .
dists who are opposife
dation are still a8 the"
ination — witnes? | it
statements of Mrs: ‘po
sens of Victor”
goodness, is no
tack MLA after be foo"

‘ te U
ut

a
“If we had ould
fluoridation, W& ith 60

have a_ nation
teeth,” said Dr. Babaiy
the fact that ever sehr
good teeth wou é ye .
lengthen the life SP |
eral years.”

intind._|
No fingerprint
apt?

DEMOCRA® Veal
B.C.: Meeting wart
the B.C. Civil D& ge
ization advocated nee
ing of all Canadia adie”,
Here is one pe if
doesn’t propose ier of
printed as a “me@ i
fication.” . on 2
I have no object tel
inals being finBe?? singe
the proposal a8
every Canadian eee)
an infringemen” tows
rights, and a steP
ice state rule. mn

OCTOBER 5, 1956 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE ~—