n those rare moments of an election campaign, when the hustings have quietened down for the night, the “‘promising’’ marathon temporarily halted to catch it’s wind, and John Doe grapples with the herculean task of trying to separate the few kernels of political grain from a mountain of chaff, the problem of ‘‘what it is all about’’ assumes gigantic proportions. It is not always easy to distinguish between reason and rhetoric, between thought-out workable policies and plain unadulterated ‘‘bull’’ — and least of all during an election campaign, (new style). To the political campaigner for the status quo, quite regardless of partisan labels, an ‘‘image”’ with a slick Madison Avenue ensemble to match, with scads of monopoly-donated dough in the party coffers, rates much more important than an ikon to a Russian peasant under Tsarism. The latter at least devoutly believed that the ikon held some mystic powers to save himself and his household from material and spiritual disaster, whereas the modern political ‘‘image”’ is designed to fool as many of the people for as long as possible. Take the political “‘images’’ of the two old-line parties from away back, even to Confederation, and before that the “Family Compact’’. These ‘‘images’’ have varied, and changed with the changing times, but at bottom they both have a common objective — to fool most of the people most of the time. ; Sometimes they come with the halo of a ‘‘charisma’’, sometimes with the pretense of ‘‘a strong government’, a “stable” government, a government ‘‘for the people’, often in recent years to ‘“‘save’’ the people from something or other, mainly ‘“‘socialism’’. When, however, such “‘images’’ have served their purpose they inevitabley fade out, to be replaced by other and more enticing mirages. Over the years a new offshoot has sprouted from these two political “‘image’’ factories, one that claims to be “different”’ and yet the same. Obsessed with a Garbo-ish yearning to be “alone’’, and/or go-it-alone, yet insisting that “if elected all the peoples’ problems will be solved.’’ Its prime aim is to get elected and thereby demonstrate that it can run capitalism better than the capitalists do. A grotesque “‘image”’ indeed, but then we live in a grotesque world. This offshoot is universally known as right-wing Social Democracy, and its “‘image’’ a hybrid product patterned after the other standardized ‘‘images’’, and for a like purpose — to confuse and mislead the people. Shades of Keir Hardie, who believed a coal miner’s garb and coal miner’s pick was ““image”’ enough for the social change needed in his day. In B.C. “‘image’’ making has perhaps attained the highest eminence in the fooling game since the rule of the ancient Borgias. Here we have managed an ‘‘image”’ of Divinity, in which the ‘‘image”’ acquires an equal status with its alleged Creator. This is especially true if one calculates the length of time and the numbers of people systematically fooled by this “plugged-in-with-Divinity’’ image. Not even the Newfoundland of Joey Smallwood could reach such an eminence in “‘image’’ production, despite all of Joey’s gassy talent. Proving of course, if it proves anything, that the people do inevitably wake up to the imagery and trickery of the ““image’”’ makers. Many years ago one of England’s rebel poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley addressed himself to the Men Of England when he wrote: “*. . . Shake to earth your chains, like dew, Which in sleep has fallen on You, Ye are Many— they are few’’. Karl Marx, the founder of Scientific Socialism, puts it in even more dynamic words: ‘‘The workingclass have one thing in their favor — their great numbers. But these can only be brought to bear (against the ‘‘image”’ makers, TMcE) when an organization has brought them together and given them an intelligent lead”’ In other words, a strong peoples’ unity against the “image” makers and their phoney ‘“‘images”’ at every level, against images and their policies which rob the people! FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS Contact: GLOBE TOURS 2679 E. Hastings St., Vancouver 6, B.C. Ed Polowy, Manager 253-1221 254-2313 f 3 t 2% PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1972—PAGE 2 AG-— OXY FL me Aa ae Be tA Rankin charges board favors city developers} By ALD. HARRY RANKIN Many citizens are probably unaware that in Vancouver we have a body called the Board of Variance. Yet its decisions can and do, vitally affect many citizens and help determine the direction of the city’s growth and development. The Board of Variance, estab- lished under the city’s charter, consists of five members. Two are appointed by City Council, two by the provincial cabinet, and these four appoint a fifth to act as chairman. The purpose of the Board is to PACIFIC TRIAUNE hear appeals connected with zoning regulations. Grounds for appeal are limited to such questions as ‘“‘unnecessary hard- ship’ caused by a zoning regula- tion. All meetings of the Board are held in public and decisions made.in public. Decisions of the Board:cannot be appealed. Such a board could serve as a useful instrument for re- dressing obvious wrongs. But its usefulness to citizens must be judged by its performance. In my opinion its record is not a good one. Evidence before me indicates that where the ordi- nary citizen is concerned (where a homeowner wants to make NE WALKER NEWS ITEM: Vancouver city council has just approved a budget which will raise taxes for most ratepayers . - . Taxes on most homes in the city have increased by 70 percent since 1966. BENEFIT CONCERT SUNDAY City wants to tax bombed Russian Hall at full value A gala concert to help rebuild the Russian People’s Home will be held this Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The benefit concert will high- light international songs, music and dances and is sponsored by the Federation of Russian Canadians. The Russian community is busy rebuilding their hall which was heavily damaged by a bomb a few hours after New Years Eve. So far authorities in Van- couver have failed to apprehend those responsible. Damage on the hall was far greater than the insurance cover- age with the result that sub- stantial sums of money have to be raised to restore the hall. Indicative of the attitude of civic officials to the victim of this wanton bombing was the announcement last week that city finance staff has recommended that the Russian Peoples’ Hall will be taxed its full value for 1972. Deputy finance director Peter Leckie is reported to have said that any assistance with respect to taxes would be ‘‘an undesirable precedent.”’ This ridiculous stand smacks of bias. One is prompted to ask: How many bombings of public halls are there in Vancouver to Justify a fear that granting a tax concession in this case would create ‘‘an undesirable pre- cedent?.”’ If the same attitude per- meates those responsible for Justice in the city, it’s easy to see why nothing has been done so far to uncover the terrorists responsible for this and other terrorist acts in recent weeks. improvements, build a $9 etc.) the Board is a stickl® . enforcing regulations down to the last detail. Hoy when it comes to big devell# ‘ the Board not only bent} regulations, but breaks WHE suit the big developers. Ff I'll illustrate the Bly rulings with two examples: The first concerns Grey’ Lines of Canada which ®) garage at 939 Main sit behind the Cobalt Hotel am) Georgia Viaduct. The co™ appealed for a relaxalll zoning regulations so ! could establish sleeping ©) for bus drivers above its i ' The appeal was granted 4 sleeping quarters built. er The ‘‘accommodation’ +" it can be called, is used PY") 15 drivers for sleeping (Py) bus trips into the interior ® | another 25-30 day drives consists of 7 sleeping Ey toilets, 2 sinks, 1 showel: at are no urinals and no et | hang clothes. The noisé 4 tion from the garage | where bus motors are My and from the cement platy door, where big cement? are on the move all the u yo such as to make undis! Fi sleep for bus drivers a pred impossibility. The ace dation breaks all city hea™” | laws. The Board of Variane posed to hear all side argument in cases before the union and the men I? were never informed f! company’s appeal OF 4 Board hearings. It is Ue i) notice was published int eff press, but how many notice these? The bus any af out on the road a good pal i) time and had no knowle the press notices. ate! The ‘‘evidence’’ prese. jj the company in supp%! io! case was without founda” fact. no It claimed that the M® not find suitable accom tion in hotels, when 1” ait working agreement nt between the company i Abbotsford Hotel to suph 7 drivers with rooms, @ op agreement has bee? ! tion for some time. Fi tpt The company claimé gett men involved were 429 ig) and short stop drivers: gat fact they were all loné drivers and night drivers ye The company clail™” yi such accommodation SF ee provided by it in all its ™ if ings in North Americ; ' untrue statement. in I raised this matte! yé 4 Council but got no res atl, raised it with the ©, pi) Variance but it woul had 48 Its reply was that it ™ qe) the evidence and ont decision and in no way consider the matter a8? ne Well, this is one © jn!) how ordinary citizeMS ai case bus drivers— al only the Board of Variance ye) company wants a cone vv) increase its profits hotel bills. 4 e is? Le Fi Next week I'll eat another example, thi§ © | jf appeal by a big devel oi Kitsilano area, and ae Board accommodate 1 ils allowing him to appe? decisions!