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“WE SEE tT! WE SEE IT!”

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‘Mayor Andrews deserves
defeat in by-election’

If the Seymour Planning
Association in North Vancouver
is to justify the recent LIP grant
of $15,000 it should press more
vigorously for action by the
District Council on socially need-
ed projects. This was the view
expressed recently by Ernie
Crist, prominent North Shore
community worker.

Crist points out in a statement
that the SPA has produced some
useful reports on the problems of
the Seymour area for the District
Council, which is headed by
Mayor Ron Andrews, who is the
Social Credit candidate in the
Capilano by-election.

Crist says the SPA will get
nowhere with Mayor Andrews
and the present council if it
limits itself to reports and hopes
that council will act on them.

“Mayor Andrews is one of the
most right wing and reactionary
politicians on the North Shore
and deserves to be roundly
defeated in the by-election
because of his performance, or

TSR TC

JSSSSSESES ESSE:

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1974—PAGE 2

McEWEN

n crises-stricken Britain there are already

i rumblings in the reactionary Tory media of

an anti-Communist hysteria being drummed up. Only

rumblings, but an indicator that a resounding red-
baiting crescendo is not far behind. :

After all what is.a violent anti-Communist crusade
for, if not to take the attention of the common people off
their real problems and focus the public attention upon
some ‘‘communist plot’ or other? The British Tories
are master at it, as numerous occasions in their long

history well illustrate.

A century ago, in writing on the possibility of
socialism in Britain, Karl Marx, raised the possibility of
the British worker even marching to the barricades
singing ‘‘God Save the King.’* We might not think it like-
ly but it could happen. In such a situation however it is
the action rather than the tune that is decisive!

The elements of the present crisis in Britain which
flow directly from Tory bungling, blundering and
provocation have no parallel in the long chain of
economic and social crises. They are without precedent,

lack of it. as mayor of the
municipality,” said Crist.

Among the projects he urged
the Seymour Planning Associa-
tion to press for is a sensible
housing policy based on the re-
quirements of the people and a
rational use of land which gives
priority to the needs of the com-
munity and region over the
profits of the big real estate and
development interests.

He also urges the SPA to press
for adequate cultural and
recreational facilities including
parklands, and for day care cen-
tres and nurseries.

Crist called for a taxation
policy to protect homeowners
and placing taxes on those who
can best afford it, along with a
standard of accommodation
bylaw and rent control for the
protection of tenants.

One of the major issues is the
rights of citizens to participate in
the affairs of the community and
the opening of the District Coun-
cil to more democratic participa-
tion by the public.

Tom

ideology!

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN
At the first meeting of City

‘Council this year on January 8,

Mayor Art Phillips relieved

himself of what he called his,

‘Mid Term Report,’ in which he

modestly claimed that his TEAM

Council had, ‘‘dramatically

changed the direction of city

government in Vancouver. ©

The evidence he cited in proof
of this claim was slight, although
he took eight pages to present it.

It consisted of the following:

e The passing of an interim zon-
ing by-law as a step to bring
downtown development under
control, plus action to establish
the Granville Mall.

e Work was started on the
redevelopment of the south
side of False Creek.

e The acquisition of park lands —
Jeriche Langara, ten acres at
the entrance to Stanley Park
and seven lots on Wall Street.

THAT'S ALL"!
As for 1974 priorities. as seen
by the mayor, these include:

e Establishing a farmer s
Market.

e A park, a golf course on the
present site of the Kerr Dump.

e Creation of a ‘“‘much better
pedestrian environment on
Pender Street,” in Chinatown.

eA further redevelopment of

False Creek.
eA regional sized park on the

University Endowment lands

with, ‘“‘some housing.” of a

type. “complimentary to the

western part of the city.”

e Put rapid transit on the track
tor the city of Vancouver.
You will note that nothing at all

is said about three of the biggest
issues facing the majority of our
citizens — rising taxes, spiralling
rents and a housing crisis getting
worse by the week.

The main issues as seen by our
TEAM mayor and his council re-
main business developments.
There is little interest or concern
about the issues facing the or-
dinary citizen trying to make
ends meet in a world of rising
prices. This council has no plans
for 1974 toi lower taxes, halt rent
increases, build low rental hous-

ing, or for that matter to build,

and cannot be solved by switching to a Liberal or a
Labor-cum- ‘‘gradual” solution. At this stage of the
game a Wilson would be no improvement over a Heath,
since both are a product of the same reactionary

The British media records 750,000 unemployed,
‘‘seasonal’’ figures included. That means there are not
less than two million jobless, with an additional 3'
million or. more directly affected by unemployment.
Tory ‘‘optimism™ nor Wilsonian “‘gradualism”’ will not
remedy that major economic defect.

British industry has been cut to a 3-day week,
allegedly because of a rigged energy crisis, but actually
because of Tory bungling, and criminal association with
corporate-monopoly profiteering. As a solution further
cutbacks on industry are contemplated.

Sprialling food, rents,.clothing and other costs have
reduced a once proud people to a nation of ‘‘welfare”’
paupers, with many areas of the Britain of today literal-
ly and actually starving. In the depression days of the
‘30's Britain publicized its ‘derelict areas.’’ Today it
may be said, thanks to the greed of ruling easte, that all
of Britain is a derelict area! The heroic defence of Bri-
tain during the Nazi blitz had a noble purpose; this Tory-
made crisis has none whatever, except to rook the peo-
ple and reduce them to famine conditions.

The Federation of British Industries sees ‘‘a pur-

high taxes, rents and housing

rapid transit. These will have to
come from the people
themselves. that much is already
quite obvious. c
kok 5

Chevron Canada Limited. a
subsidiary of Standard Oil of
California, has applied to Bur-
naby Municipal Council for a per-
mit to carry through a $50 million
expansion project aimed at
doubling its refining capacity for
crude oil.

On municipal council the fight
against the expansion is being led
by the two BCA aldermen —
Brian Gunn and Gerry Ast.

Burnaby citizens rightly fear
that any expansion of the
refinery will lead to still further
air and water pollution, despite
Chevron claims to the contrary.
Previous experience with this
refinery by Burnaby citizens has
made its actions as well as its
corporate words highly suspect.

If; Chevron secures its expan-

sion permit it will be only a
matter of time before the several
other refineries on Burrard Inlet
take similar action. EB
The solution to the problem is
not only to stop this Chevron ex- 4
pansion attempt. but to relocate
all the refineries now on Burrard
Inlet. That is a big undertaking,
of course, and one beyond the 7
powers of just one municipality.

That is why the Committee of
Concerned Citizens has appealed
to groups throughout the Lower
Mainland to join with it in
demanding that Chevron expan-
sion be stopped and discussions
begin with the provincial govern-
ment and the Greater Vancouver —
Regional District to relocate
these refineries somewhere
further inland. on land not
suitable for other purposes and

where their damage to the en-

vironment will be kept to a
minimum. f

This proposal certainly has my
full support. y

Ho rent inereases here

B.C. tenants. faced with rapid-
ly rising rents, will be interested
in a statement by Soviet Housing
Minister Sergei Butusov that
rents in the Soviet Union have
remained unchanged for 47
years.

In an interview published in the
Soviet periodical *‘Soviet
Woman.” Butusov said that there
is a single rent rate — 13.2 kopeks
a month per square metre of liv-
ing space. No rent is charged for
the kitchen, bathroom, corridors
and other auxiliary premises.

The rate was set by govern-
ment order in 1926 and covers all
municipal residential buildings
throughout the USSR.

Tenants do not pay for capital
repairs. The state foots most of
the bill for the maintenace of the
housing fund. Thus, in 1970 the
annual maintenance of one

-square metre of living room

space cost an average 2 rubles 50
kopeks, of which the tenant con-
tributed one ruble 58 kopeks. The
difference is made up by the

porations.

media.

gap!

citizens will get better housing by

It may be recalled, just by way of small talk. that —
all of Britain's industrial, economic and social problems ~
were going to be ‘‘solved’* upon entry into the European ~
Common Market (ECM). At least that was the prime —~
Tory argument at the time. 4

Now of course, aside from a number of British in-—
dustries moving their plants, lock, stock and barrel to
continental Europe in search of cheap labor, nothing has ~
been ‘‘solved”’, nor as far as the British workingclass iS —
concerned, is it likely to be. the present world capitalist
crisis, as it immediately affects Britain (and ultimately
all of us) provides ample proof. of that. The profit-
hungry energy barons, aided by subservient and docile
governments are out to make a gigantic killing, and who
gets hurt is no concern of theirs. Maximum profit is
their prime objective; and if it requires a real old-time
anti-Communist thriller to cover up that fact, they wil
provide it . . . by and through an equally subservien

Lenin once said, ‘there is no situation for th
bourgeoisie from which there is no way out.” The Torie
have learned that well. The workingman has still t
learn it! because it is his historical task to close th

housing administration. using
. . . x
funds from renting non- —
residential premises among

other sources.

Rent discounts are offered to
students, who pay 25 percent
less. and to those with large
families who pay 15 percent less
than the standard rate. Teachers
doctors. medical nurses and cer- |
tain other specialists working in
the countryside are entitled to
housing free of charge.

a

Overall, rents come to less —
than five percent of monthly pay.
Under the present Five Year —
Plan. over 70 million Soviet

1975.

All this is happening while —
wages of blue and white collar —
workers are rising steadily. and —
while prices remain stable for —
foodstuffs. clothes, and the flood —
of new consumer products com- ©
ing on the market. ei

That's the difference between —
capitalism and socialism in .
terms of people's welfare. 2