United protest can stop

o

planned city tax boost

Vancouver’s Non-Partisan c

By MAURICE RUSH

‘

ity council will try to foist another tax increase on home-

owners during March if it can get away with it. “This is indicated in the newly prepared
civic budget which is shortly to come before aldermen.

Taking advantage of the increase in assessments carried through.in 1955 which raised
evaluation on homes by an average 10 to 15 percent, the council aims to maintain the mill

rate at close to the 1955 level of
43 mills. This would mean an
average tax increase of around
$7, with the city taking close to
$2 million in additional taxes.

Hardest hit would be home-'
owners in older type houses on:

which assessments were boosted
in some cases by as much as 30
percent.

Under NPA administration taxes
in Vancouver have risen steadily.
Between 1945-55 they have been
doubled. Now they are the high-
est in the city’s history.

Last year the average tax bill
was $226.50. If.the projected tax
increase goes through, it may
bring the average tax bill up to
$235 or more.

For thousands of working peo-
ple in older type homes it will
mean an even greater increase.

Although ‘many avenues are
open to the city for getting addi-
tional revenue without increas-
ing taxes on homes, the present
council has shown no desire to
‘ take advantage of these avenues.
_This is understandable because
of the big business and large real
estate influences in the NPA.

Additional revenues can be'de-
rived from upping taxes on utili-
ty companies, such as the B.C.
Electric and B.C.° Telephone
which made unprecedented pro-
fits this past year.

Another step, long overdue,
which would more than take
care of the anticipated needs this
year_ would: be to eliminate the
fifty perceht exemption on busi-
ness properties now in effect.

A strong united movement of
the people of Vancouver, includ-
ing ratepayer, labor and other
citizens’ organizations, can stop
the council from pushing through
another tax increase in 1956.
Protests should be addressed to
the city clerk at the city hall. - 4

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Week in the House

‘Grass roo

By BERT WHYTE —
Resignation of Lands and For-

ests Minister R. E. Sommers on],

Monday this week stole the head-
lines from Premier Bennett’s
billion dollar 10-year roads and
bridges announcement made in
the House earlier the same day.

Sommers’ ery that His critics
were trying to defame his name
and drag the government’s repu-
tation through the .mud was
strangely reminiscent*of Vancou-
ver ex-Chief Walter Mulligan’s
angry accusation of “mud-sling-
ing’ on the day he stalked out
of the Tupper hearings on charges
of graft and corruption in the
police force.

Soon after Mulligan fled to
the United States. A fortnight
ago Ray Munro’s tabloid weekly,
Tab, reported that Mulligan left
for Brownsville, Texas, jumping
off place, for Mexico and other
Central Americafi countries, car-
rying $85,000 in cash and travel-
ler’s cheques.

Sommers handed Premier Ben-
nett his resignation just before
Opposition ranks were ready to
attack him over the Sturdy case.
There was evidence that Sturdy’s
statement of defense in the libel
suit brought by Sommers against
him would be read in the House
by a Liberal MLA.

Since the session opened in

January, Sommers has been un-|
der continual fire over his hand-|

ling of Forest Management Lic-
enses.

Premier Bennett’s “sunshine
budget,” introduced with such a
flourish some. weeks ago, has
now been all but forgotten in a
rising tide of indignation against

the government's “giveaway” pol- |

icies which place the province’s

chief natural resources — timber, |

Socreds drying up

ts’ base ot.

water power and natural gas —
in the hands of U.S. trusts.

Criticism of Socred “giveaway”
policies, which began in the form
of CCF and Liberal sniping, has
mounted steadily as facts on the
sellout of natural resources have

More and more Premier Ben-
nett’s government stands exposed
as a right-wing, reactionary gov-
ernment intent on stripping this
province of its future independ-
ent industrial ‘development for
the sake of a few quick millions
in the treasury. —

The “grass roots” support for
Social Credit is drying up. Pre-
mier Bennett and his cabinet
ministers are coming out in their
true light — opportunist tory-
minded politicians who strive tp
continue Coalition sellout policies
at an accelerated pace. ;

After only a little more than
three years in office, the tide is
beginning ‘to turn against Social
Credit.

been revealed. at

By SAM RUSSELL
MOSCOW

A moving appeal by, Public
Health Minister Dr. Maria Kov-
rigina for working mothers to
have their hours of work reduc-
ed even further received tremen-
dous applause at the Soviet Com-
munist party congress here.

~ Welcoming the decision to in-

crease the period of maternity
leave with full pay for preg-
nant’ women, Dr. Kovrigina
asked that this should be in-
creased to 112 days.

She pointed out that most
deaths among children of under
one year took place in the first
few months after birth,
longer maternity leave before
confinement would help remedy

Automation freed these women workers in a Soviet ball-
bearing plant for other production jobs.

USSR extends help |
for working mothers |

and

| this situation. aa
It was no secret, she said, that |
although there was equality b& |
tween men and women, wome!
workers still had to carry th
burden of housework, while #
pregnant woman who _ already |
had children was under a si
greater strain. q
Therefore she appealed 10
shortening of the working 4
to begin with working womel |
and especially for those wi! |
children under seven; that th® |
reduction should start in 1956 |
and not 1957 as planned, and that |
it should be ‘a reduction of tW® |
hours instead of one so that work
ing mothers would only work @ |
six-hour day and, where possible
a five-day week. :

“CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING |

A charge of 50 cents for each
| insertion of five lines or less with
| 10 cents for each additional line
is made for notices appearing in
this column. No notices will be
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of the week of publication.

MARCH ] 5TH BIRTHDAY

CABARET FOR
CHAMPION, Saturday, March
10, 8 p.m., Clinton Hall, 2605 East
Pender. Turkey Plate, Dancing,
Floor Show. Admission, $1.50;

NOTICES

‘THERE WILL BE NO CHAM-
PION CONCERT IN VAN-
COUVER as expected — Con-
cert in New Westmister, March
4.3

DEADLINE FOR COMING
EVENTS COLUMN — All copy
must be in the Paeific Tribune
office not later than 12 noon
Tuesday. e

'
i

Effie reiterates
BC Tel demand —

B.C. Telephone Company’s
record revenues for 1955 should
stir Vancouver City Council to
act on her request for action to
roll back phone rates to’ 1953
levels, Effie Jones said this week.

Last December = Mrs.
urged council to apply to Board
of Transport Commissioners for
a reduction in phone rates, and
cited “ continual increases in
BCT profits, amounting to nearly
100 percent between 1951 and
Ey Saar

The corporation’s annual report
for 1955, just released, shows. a
record net profit of $3,735,192, a
jump of $841,384 compared with
the preceding year. *

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i

POSTAGE STAMPS wanted. Don-
ate your used postage stamps,
any country, including Canada,
particularly values above 5c and
perforated OHMS or overprinted
OHMS or G. Stamps should
not be torn or mutilated and are
best left on paper, with perfor-
ations not cut into in trimming.
Resale proceeds go to Pacific
Tribune sustaining fund. ~

COMING EVENTS—CITY

BANDUNG
HISTORIC FILM
April 27 — Pender Auditorium
MARCH INTERNATIONAL
: WOMEN’S DAY,
Sunday, March 4, Banquet at 5
p.m. Concert at 8 p.m., Russian
People’s Home — 600 Campbell
Avenue. Everybody Welcome.

MARCH 'Q HEAR STORY OF

JOE HILL, Enjoy
social evening. Aid Champion
Drive. 3440 Fromme Road, N.V.

hk, Phone WI. 4554 for.road direc-

tions. Friday, March 9, 8:30 p.m.

MARCH 19 soctaL — Good

: Music — Good
Food, Refreshments and Danc-
ing. Saturday, March 10, from
8 p.m. to ???? at 3622 Normandy
Drive. Everyone welcome. -

MARCH 11.

Couple, $2.50.
The dramatic

MARCH ] ‘story of peace-

ful co-existence in official Indian
Gov’t films. See Nehru greeted
by: millions in China and the
Soviet Union: Standing-room only
audiences have acclaimed these
films throughout B.C. and have
asked for return showings. Fri-
day, March 16, 8:15 p.m., Capitol
Hill Community Hall.. Burnaby
Peace Council. nS
MARCH 1 INTERNATIONAL
WOMEN’S DAY
CELEBRATION AND TEA —
Sunday, March 11, 2 pm. at
Swedish Hall, 1320. E. Hastings.
Speakers, International Concert,
Costumes and Cooking.
COMING EVENTS—PROVINCE

MARCH CHAMPION CON-

CERT — Sunday,
March 4, 8 © p.m., Columbia
Theatre, New Westminster.

— ATTENTION
LANGLEY
PRAIRIE! See Indian Gov’t docu-
mentaries telling dramatic story
of Nehru’s tours of China and
Soviet Union. These films have
packed halls everywhere. Sun-
day, March 11, 8 p.m., Masonic
Hall. Langley Peace Council.

MARCH l UNE SOCIAL —

Friday, March 16, 8 p.m., CHASE

RIVER’ HALL. Concert, Enter- =

tainment,
50 cents.

BUSINESS PERSONALS
KEITH FISH AND CHIPS—Deep

Dancing. dmission

Fried Chicken and Fish in Pea-|=

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