y TOM “1 McEWEN 2 Ts, a= e ast week the people of the USA, and the world, were: treated to a ‘“‘briefing’’ of President Nixon’s latest “‘peace’’ scheme for Vietnam specifically and Indochina generally. For Nixon and the ghouls who direct the industrial-military complex of these United States, the issue was a simple one: how to make a convincing gesture of ‘“‘winding down the war’’ in Indochina in order to garner enough votes at home for presidential re-election? An election ‘‘program,” based on trickery, deception, and outrageous lies, typically Nixonite in substance and content. The news media gave it full coverage and the trained seals of the airways piped it into millions of homes via TV. ; : _ Last week too there was another presidential program given to the American people — a program for peace, justice, equality and opportunity, which the news media largely blacked out, and which the trainéd seals of the TV circuits did not pipe into millions-of U.S.— or Canadian homes. Gus Hall, leader of the Communist Party of the USA nand Party candidate in the presidential election, gave a press conference a thumb-nail sketch of what he would do during the first few days in office, were he elected president. : ..2,The first two days in office, said Hall, ‘We would declare i all armed forces from Indochina, followed by an-order of withdrawal of armed forces from every corner of the world. “We would order the padlocking of the three centers of aggression and repression in the U.S., the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters and the FBI.” This would be followed by the ‘“‘release of all political prisoners, starting of course with Angela Davis. ‘And for the youth of America *‘who have refused to participate in this immoral and unjust war, means will be devised to honor them, not just grant them amnesty.” That is a good day’s work for any president, but Gus Hall is an old longshoreman and accustomed to heavy lifts. For his second day in office Hall told the press hawks he would issue “executive orders to outlaw racism in every respect, and to cancel all war production contracts which he estimated would save the American people $100-billion. On that second day too the new Hall administration would introduce legislation for ‘‘a massive housing program, eliminate the slums, and provide housing at prices people could pay.” With two full days of such magnitude, it is easy to see that America would speedily move towards sanity, peace and prosperity under a Hall administration — a common prosperity and human relationships, that only peace can bring. No doubt some of our own home-bred political windbags, who never tire orating about ‘Canada’s destiny is linked with that of the U.S.” or “what is good for the U.S. is good for Canada,’ will be caught short on the Hall program. In the opinion of this scribe, it would be the best thing that ever happened to Canada. Of course the hundreds of millions of dollars we pocket annually in arms production for U.S. genocide in Indochina would go kaput, but that is a ‘‘loss’’ we would gladly welcome. Doubtless too, others will term the Communist presidential candidate’s program for the USA as “utopian,” “unrealistic,” “impossible,” **Communist propaganda,” etc., etc. The “practical” devotees in Tory, Liberal, Socred and rightwing NDP circles will scoff and sneer and seek to “laugh it off but it is just so realistic, so practical, so urgently needed, and so widely approved by millions of Americans and others, to scare the living hell out of all such political poltroons, pundits, or what have you? To Gus Hall, lumberjack, steelworker, longshoreman and construction worker, leading U.S. Communist and presidential candidate, nothing is impossible. given the will and backing of the American people to surmount the impossible. Now he has given the U.S. a program for peace and peaceful reconstruction (with no Nixonite jokers in the deck). So now we can parody the pundits, but unlike them. say with a deep honesty and conviction in this instance, “what is good for America will be equally good for Canada.” the‘war in Indochina over. We would order the withdrawal of HEAR BRUCE MAGNUSON FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN, C.P. of C. ON “THE COMING FEDERAL ELECTIONS” AUUC HALL, 805 EAST PENDER MONDAY, FEB. 14 at 8 p.m. AUSPICES: VANCOUVER REGION COMMITTEE, CPsof.G: PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1972—PAGE 2 I for city homeowners By WILLIAM TURNER The tax squeeze is on again for Vancouver home-owners. The rise in assessments levied against residential properties ranging from a 10 to 35 percent increase tightens the screws in favor of industrial and big-busi- ness properties. With a $3 billion valuation of assessments for tax purposes in the city, the main burden of the tax increase falls on those who . are in the category of resi- dential family home-owners. Revenue-producing properties — industrial, commercial and apartment blocks and land spec- ulators enjoy the advantages of the Assessment Equalization Act limiting to 10 per cent the maximum increase on assess- ments for school purposes. It is in the area of the tax for school purposes that the effects of this inequitable basis of tax revenues is revealed as a loaded device. aimed at the home- owner. The family home bears the brunt of the property tax increase while the Hilton-CN operated Vancouver Hotel assessed for land value of $1,276,485 was reduced $75,976, a cut of 5.9 percent. Two other downtown business properties also share in the benefits to be derived from the 10 percent limit on assessment increases. The MacMillan build- ing originally assessed for $719,668 was cut $24,209 or 3.3 percent, while the Burrard build- ing assessment of $933,768 was | Support theVTC” | Seon thePetition, hy, S 08 fe ~~ NEWS ITEM: The Vancouver Tenants Council this week kicked off a petition campaign addressed to city council asking it to empower the Rental Grievance Board to certify tenant organizations as bargaining agents for tenants. reduced by $78,170, a decrease" 8.3 percent. The bonanza _ share af assessment cuts was garne by a Safeway property with valuation of $65,841 reduced ! $31,738, a discount of # percent! : These glaring example remove any pretence that ™ Assessment Equalization Act! any way serves to provide a fal and equitable basis for ass ments. The provincial gove™ ment, by placing a 10 percell ceiling on any increase in asst» ments, has given a gift to its | business friends at the expel of. the home-owner. = In a move to placate pub y opinion and aroused by pre& reports of the assessments cll on business properties, the government has ordered the.cil) assessor to re-open and reviel” each case. It is extremely unlixely W# any drastic changes will rest! from the preview unless publ pressure is brought to beat ® demand that the original vay of the assessments be restore” for tax purposes. The reviel must also take into accoul! whether industrial, comme cial and other revenue-produt ing properties accurately rele their true market value 1?” assessment purposes. ‘ttaablininssscndidaiiaatistsatcustbits If this course was followed tax*load borne by the home owner could be lightened as 0% step towards shifting the base tax revenues. Further, the teri of the Assessment. Equalizai Act, limiting assessmell increases to 10 percent, shoul apply only to residential fam!) property. “Youth need recreational By ALD. HARRY RANKIN Glue-sniffing has become a serious problem in Vancouver among youngsters. It is particu- larly acute in depressed low income areas like MacLean’s Park and the Raymur Housing project. Aroused mothers in these areas have been campaigning for remedial action, including a ban on the sale of glue and nail polish remover to children. Recently they carried their protest to the streets, marching directly to the offending stores. The provincial and federal governments, both of whom have all the powers they need to act on the matter. have just passed the buck to one another with the usual: *‘This is your jurisdiction, not my respon- sibility.’ And in the meantime the problem gets worse. Last week I introduced a motion into City Council pointing out that glue-sniffing was on the increase and that certain stores were continuing its sale. My motion proposed that City Council instruct city license inspectors to notify these stores that if they continued this traffic, they may be required to show cause why their licenses should not be cancelled. I'm glad to be able to report that the motion passed unani-. mously. Glue sniffing problem Now the problem is to enforce it, and this requires the co-opera- tion of concerned citizens. I notice that*sorme people are - asking for grants to make an- other study of the problem. I don’t think that will help much; this is one problem that hardly needs more studying. It has been studied and studied and studied and nothing has changed, except that the problem got worse. We don’t need more endless talking about it, what we need now is some action. That action could take at least two useful forms. One would be for concerned mothers (and other concerned citizens too) to check on all stores that have sold glue or that are suspected of selling it. If they find that these sales are con- tinuing they should report the matter immediately to City Hall and lay a complaint to the License Inspector. I note in this connection that the New Westminster and Dis- trict Labor Council has decided to send around teams of trade’ unionists to check stores. If these stores persist in the sale of the glue. the unionists will throw up a picket line. Sgegn - _ facilities’ : al One of the basic sources‘of Ut problem is the kids in thes depressed areas have nowhere go and nothing to do in their r& time. This leads to my secollt proposal which is that tt mothers and other concerne)” people should demand of the Parks Board that it build recreé tion facilities in these area equal to those in any other pal! of the city. This means a Com munity Centre equipped fol skating, swimming, games, dal cing, etc. The CBC recently made a! investigation into the glue-snill ing problem in Vancouver's Skit" Road, televised on HOUR GLASS. The interviews with these youngsters was molt) revealing. When asked the reason for the problem they 4) said that the kids had nothing © do. : All kids, and especially thost living in these under-privilegel” areas, need a constructive outlet for their energies. Te continue to ignore this need iS short-sighted; it won't only harm the people immediately involved but is bound t adversely affect the whole city. If the Parks Board spends $350.000 to build a restaurant ol the top of Little Mountain for tourists. why can’t we find funds to take care of the needs of ou! youngsters, who need it a ol more?