House clashes on Doukhobors

VICTORIA, B.C.

Any attempt to force the’ Sons of Freedom to move from the Kootenays to another part of British Columbia would be a violation of their rights as Canadian citizens, according to Attorney General Robert Bonner, and “a threat to the personal freedom of all the people of

Canada.”

“We cannot require them to live in any part of B.C.,” he argued, “or require them to remain there.”

Bonner’s statement was made in the House last week in reply to de- mands voiced by Randolph Hard- ing (CCF, Kaslo-Slocan) that the government “do something” about relocation.

The statement was in sharp con- trast to the actual treatment of the Sons of Freedom Doukhobors by provincial law-enforcement agen- cies, notably the rough handling by the RCMP of those arrested at Per- ry’s Siding last fall and the harsh sentences meted out by Magistrate Graham Ladner.

Bonner rejected opposition de- mands for a continuing commis- sion as recommended in the Re- port of the Doukhobor Consulta- tive Committee. Return of the lands seized: from the Doukhobors during the thirties and now held by the government would be de- layed until a judge could be ap- pointed to enquire into the best methods of doing it, he said.

Reduced to its essential propos-

als, the program outlined by Bon- ner in the course of the debate was for more arrests and more prison terms. It had two parts, he told the House, education and en- forcement of the law of the land. But later on he expressed consider- able doubts about the success of education.

The adults and even the teen- agers were, he claimed, too “in- doctrinated” to alter their views. He characterized the whole ques- tion as one of “religion and phil- osophy” and strongly implied that nothing could or would be done about it.

Union seeks grain barter

Proposing a conference of West-

ern cities affected by Canada’s|{

“wheat marketing crisis,’ Local 333 of the Grain Workers’ Union pre- sented a brief to Vancouver City Council last Monday. The six-page

statement, presented by the Van-|

couver-New Westminster Local’s president H. F. Martin, called on council to make “the strongest re- presentations . . . to our senior governments urging a more realis- tic wheat marketing policy.”

Martin pointed out to aldermen

that ’75.7 percent of Vancouver’s port facilities are dependant upon grain shipments.” Alderman Anna Sprott supported this statement and said she was currently engag- ed in making a survey of the situ- ation. . Quoting from a recent news let- ter of James Richardson and Sons, Canada’s leading grain brokers, the brief underlined three points:

“The Canadian Wheat board and the private exporters are being hampered in their efforts to sell Canadian wheat by lack of any machinery in Canada for taking care of barter transactions.”

“.. . With the exception of the Colombo Plan, Canada has no give- away program and consequently can not compete with the U.S. in this field.”

“.. . Canadian sales are being affected by the necessity of receiv- ing payment in dollars. . . . Part of the U.S. program is to accept native currency in payment for American grain.” :

The brief, already endorsed by New Westminster City Council, called for barter and acceptance of local currency as the answer to “ . . the threat of further and more severe unemployment in the local grain trade.” -

Alberta, and the other west from

But the provincial government intends to press the CNR fo live up to an agreement made by the. Grand Trunk Pacific (now part of the CNR) to send part of its © Vancouver-bound freight over the PGE as soon as the Squamish- North Vancouver link is complet- ed in 1956. ;

U.S. railways are interested in the PGE, but the provincial gov-

‘B.C. has best qualified teachers’

Bonner chides SC backbenchers

“B.C. has the best qualified group of teachers in Canada,” Attorney General Robert Bonner, in his

dual capacity as minister of education, told the legislature last week. Speaking during the debate on education estimates, Bonner said, “We are fortunate in having

men and women whose idealism, sense of duty, and whose results are of such a quality as to cause

any of-us to be proud of them.” This, he emphasized, represented the viewpoint of the government.

- PUBLIC MEETING

to protest inadequate City Gas Bylaws)

SPEAKERS: @ EFFIE JONES @ J. M. MICHELSON @ J. FERGUSSON @ HARRY RANKIN @ GEORGE EDWARDS

Wednesday, April 7 -- 8 p.m. PENDER AUDITORIUM

339 WEST PENDER

@ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PHONE OR WRITE NORMAN LAKES, MA. 5330, 735 ROBSON STREET.

~\

VICTORIA, B.C.

Bonner’s remarks were general- ly felt to be intended to dissociate the government from attacks made on education by Socred back-bench- ers. ie 7 weet)

Bonner derided those who talk- ed about returning to “the little red schoolhouse.” He said their recollection of those days was aid- ed by “a bad memory.” It was necessary in a -highly developed society to increase the breadth of the curriculum. He mentioned technical training as an example.

Bonner attacked those who con- sidered musical training and art

ed leisure, he pointed out, meant that people must be trained to enjoy their free time profitably.

turity and appreciation of cultural values,” observing that a founda- tion for the enjoyment of these things must be laid in the elemen- tary schools. y Bonner reminded his hearers that he himself had received all his education, including univer- sity graduation and law school

training, in the B.C. school system.

appreciation as “frills.” Increas- _

4 He spoke of “the growing ma-

Vancouver’s growing population.”

PGE co

Edmonton to Dawson Creek, B.C.

“The southern extension would open up the fertile Pemberton. Valley as a source of food for

GE completion held vital to B.C. future

VICTORIA, B.C:

_ The federal government will not go into partnership with British Columbia on extension of ¢ provincially-owned Pacific Great Eastern Railway primarily because of joint ownership by the CNR 4? CPR of the Northern Alberta Railways, one branch of which runs north from Edmonton to Waterway®

se

ernment’s position is that it must be completed as an all-Canadian railroad.

Premier W. A. C. Bennett gave this information to the legislature last week in the course of present- ing the*Social Credit government’s case for extension of the PGE.

The planned’ extension, south- ward from Squamish to North Van- couver at an estimated cost of $10 million and northward from Prince George to Dawson Creek at an estimated cost of $50 million, is the second since 1918, when bank- ruptcy of the PGE Development Company and the subsequent poli- tical scandal left the Oliver Liberal government with an uncompleted railroad and its Liberal and Con- servative successors with a peren- nial election promise which no government made any serious ef- fort to fulfil until the Liberal-Con- servative Coalition began construc- tion of the Quesnel-Prince George link, completed last year.

In the intervening 35 years, the track out of North Vancouver was torn up, although the provincial government retained the right. of way, and successive governments piled up. large deficits operating the railroad from Squamish to Quesnel popularly derided as “be- ginning nowhere and ending no- where.” :

The Bennett government's pro- posals to extend the PGE into the Peace River country repre- sent the long-delayed fulfilment | of promises made to settlers more than 30 years ago.

In the course of his two-hour speech to the House, Premier Ben- nett pointed out that British Col- umbia was the only province with- out a north-south railway and that completion of such a railway was essential to the future of the prov- ince—the great “untouched em- , pire” of the north.

“We stand for development of this country,” he declared. “The

‘

only answer to unemployment is employment.”

Construction of the railway to the north of the Peace River, hé said, would tap the vast MackenZ@ River basin. It would open up ? area with more resources that similar area in northern Swede? ae supports seven million pe? ple.

The entire northern section of B.C., he continued, was now trib tary to Edmonton, with 95 perce? of the trade from Prince Georé going to the Alberta capital.

“We believe this great territory belongs to the southern mainla? and Vancouver and Victoria.”

Bennett said the southern exte® sion to North Vancouver was nee" ed to handle the increased volun’ of freight. To move this freié : from Squamish by the present 04 worn barge system, now due replacement, cost $1,000,000 a Dee as against an estimated $689; when the railroad is brought int North Vancouver. This saving © some $300,000 would rise to $1,000" 000 with completion of the nort ern extension. 5

The southern extension would open up the fertile Pemberton ¥° ley as a source of food for V4, couver’s growing population provide as alternative to the Fr Canyon as a route to Vancouve™

Two bills were before the lee lature last week, one to cut $ | 497,494. in interest charges 4” appropriations from the accu!

a asel

lated PGE debt of $152,720,39%

leaving a net debt of $59,228,987 as of March 31, 1953, and the oth® granting the PGE power to bort® $30 million. \

The PGE, which has never show, a profit, lost less money in tt {than any previous year, Benner |revealed. The-railroad’s losseS, the past four years have shower steady decline—$763,400 in 3, $326,600 in 1951, $215,900 in 19?” $54,000 in 1953..

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — APRIL 2, 1954 — PAGE .