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SPECIAL FOUR PAGE FEATURE INSIDE

Tribune

Second class mail registration number 1566.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1974

“WE Ww
below.

ON'T GRIN AND BARRETT” says sign carried by Surrey teacher at last Friday's lobby in Victoria. Story

Betty Griffin photo

Teachers demand gov’t action
to resolve education crisis

RY BETTY GRIFFIN
thousand ‘angry Surrey
Omics. gry Surrey
Se poured into Victoria
Mediate sce, to demand im-
Z0vernn at 1on from the Barrett
toa, oul to resolve the crisis
- preci even in that district -
respite ated, after a one year
Provincia’ the changes in the
al budget.

ever in the history of the

Provinea

mares has an entire local
‘MDership taken such direct

Politic ;

“Cal action to demonstrate
their 1onstrate
4 unee at the injustice to

" : udents.
growing Hot indicated also the
teacher: lostility of 24,000 B.C.
educa . to the lack of any sound
laa and financial
Bovorn, on the part of the NDP

ieee In many cases, the
Which serene similar to those
Senin ee members opposed
When ee during the years
[Sen ley were in opposition.

§ Page 2).
~ ae echsts moved quickly
‘loria « ch their protest. to Vic-

after the local school board

5s ane eS RIE aa ee

sey

million dollars off the local
budget following the announce-
ment of the provincial budget.

The board had earlier ap-
proved an adequate though
modest budget but because of the
inadequacies of the provincial
budget, it reversed its position
and voted for massive cuts
resulting in reductions in every
service to students.

The executive recommenda-
tion proposing a lobby to Victoria
was presented to a general
meeting of Surrey teachers
February 14 and passed un-
animously. It took two ferries to
take all the teachers who had
booked off for the day and every

See TEACHERS, pg. 11
Poly ae joke Me

ge Ue

available space on the boats was
taken up with hundreds of people
painting placards.

Slogans saying “Give us our
bread, Dailly’ and “From Robin
Hood to Jack the Ripper” — a
sarcastic reference to Barrett's
so-called Robin Hood budget
reflected the mood of the
teachers.

Massed on the steps of the
Legislature, they listened to
leaders of the opposition parties
and even Bill Bennett. Socred
leader, had to concede that the
teachers had fought consistently
for progressive educational
policies and their campaign had
figured largely in the defeat of
the Socreds in 1972.

“We've learned some lessons
from history.” he admitted.

The thousand teachers stream-
ed into adjacent auditorium —
intended to hold only 550 people—
and filled aisles and the
perimeter of the stage to hear
education minister Eileen Dail-
ly. deputy minister Jack Flem-

a

‘

ahead

VOL. 35, No. 8

19°

al erupts

The disclosure last week that the attorney generals
department was conducting an investigation into
questionable practises by real estate companies and
agents which pushed up the cost of housing and rents,
has put the spotlight on the scandalous housing situation
in Vancouver and other major B.C. centres.

In the last few days the follow-
ing major developments have
taken place which indicate the
growing seriousness of the hous-
ing crisis:

eA report released by the
Canadian Real Estate Associa-
tion in Toronto showed that the
price of homes in Vancouver
rose faster in 1973 than anywhere
else in Canada. The price of a
house-in Vancouver jumped 32
percent over 1972 far above
the average.increase nationally
which was 22 percent. A house
which sold for $31,465 in 1972 sold
for $41,505 in 1973.

e The vacancy rate for suites
in Greater Vancouver has
dropped to an all-time low — 4
vacancies for every 1,000 suites,
or 0.4. In some of the most
heavily-populated areas such as
the west half of the city and Bur-
naby it’s even lower at 0.2. This
shortage of rental accommoda-
tion is a boon to the big landlords
and real estate companies and
lec ves tenants at their mercy for
a place to live.

Landlords have taken advan-
tage of this favorable situation to
push rents up in the last few
weeks.

e While having announced the
spending of $100 million for hous-
ing in its new budget. the plans of
the provincial government are
fuzzy. In any case, government
spokesmen admit it will take
some time before new housing
will change the present situation.
By announcing there will be no
curbs on landlords or imposition
of rent controls. the Barrett
government has in fact given the
green light to landlords to go
with their rent gouge,
which will more than eat up the
$30 yearly tenants grant in the
new budget.

The investigation by the at-
torney generals department into
questionable real estate prac-
tices in Vancouver brought out
some startling facts. which in-
dicate that quick fortunes are be-
ing made by slick promoters who
have moved in to take advantage
of the housing crisis and the
desperation of people needing ac-
commodation.

_See TENANTS. pg..12

Labor Fed
criticizes
NDP budget

The B.C. Federation of Labor
has described the new: NDP
government budget as ‘‘a sensi-
ble. humanitarian budget:
however, one which fails to take
any significant steps towards
greater economic equality in
British Columbia.

In a press statement, Federa-
tion secretary-treasurer Len
Guy said. “The budget can be
described as sensible and
humanitarian in that it increases
the allocations in those areas
related to serving the needs of
the people.

“The allocation of $100 million
for housing’ he said, “‘is a
recognition of the gravity of the
problem facing thousands of low
and middle income families in
B.C. The government deserves
credit for this feature as well as
for the substantially increased

allocations for health and
welfare oriented programs.
“However.” Guy said, “we

would have preferred to see
some indication thatthe govern-
See BUDGET, pg. 3