Editorial

YOU can elect Effie Jones

E{FFIE Jones CAN be eected as mayor of Vancouver December 8.

It depends on you and you

alone. Make sure you get out

and cast your vote for Jones.

Get on the telephone and get

all your friends to vote. Call

on

on your neighbors, go can- vassing between now and clec- tion day. Work tirelessly from now until the hour the polls close, and Effie Jones will be elected.

Already there is noted a definite swing to Jones. The

campaign has helped to arouse the ever-smoldering resent- ment against the BCElectric and their Non - Partisan stooges in the city hall. The tempo of this campaign must now be speeded up.

The civic election this year is an extremely important event in the life of Vancou- ver, for this year our citizens have a _ real- opportunity to register a smashing victory for progress by electing Effie Jones as our next mayor. Effie Jones comes to: the people with a practical pro- gram of reforms and a major demand that an end be put to domination of our civic af- fairs by the British Columbia Electric Railway.

Last year more than 19,000 people voted for Effie Jones —the highest progressive vote ever recorded in Vancouver. The job this year is to get every one of these votes — and a few extra. That will do the job. Don’t say, “Oh, I’m sure he'll go out and vote.” MAKE sure he does. One such vote can lose the election. ~

Effie Jones CAN be elected on December 8.

cer ticker’ “and - “passes”

It depends on you.

Effie’s Mail Bag

Dear Mrs. Jones:

I am returning the petition with the list of names. Hope it will help. I have found that marily of these working people spend as much as $12 a month for car fare, and they are particularly anxious to have the street car passes in circula- tion again.

(Miss) A. J. (Robson St.) * *~ *

Dear Mrs. Jones: : Having heard your past broad- casts and hoping to hear more in the future, I hereby request that you favor me with a copy of the petition against high fares and I will solicit as many names as pos- sible. K. *

Dear Mrs. Jones:

I am applying for free street car tickets. . . . I would like to win back lower car fares and weekly passes. Just how can we do this?

F. B. C. (Odlum Drive) * * * Dear Mrs. Jones:

I listen to your broadcasts and am a staunch supporter of your efforts to adjust BCElectric rates, also of your civic program, I am a Conservative and Liberal by vot- ing, but I can see quite a lot of common sense in what you say. You are undoubtedly right that Vancouver fares are too high. The BCER has a stranglehold on the public. I wish you success in try- ing to break it.

T. K. B. (New * * Dear Mrs. Jones:

We read about the new broom which some supporters presented to you at an election meeting, with instructions to use to sweep B.C. Electric politics out of our city hall.

We hope that the broom has real, long, stiff bristles. We know, for sure, that you will know how to use it.

The only thing with which we ean compare your entry into the city hall as mayor, is a terrier en- tering a rabbit hole. Heaven help those rabbits!

“Some Up-Coast Pu wean 9 * >

H.C. (12th Ave. East) * *

Westminster) *

Dear Mrs. Jones: I am anxious to see lower street

car fares. The present rates are far too high for the working class of people, who are the majority who ride on street cars. High fares are particularly hard on sales peo- ple, like myself, that must make numerous stops for their daily business. I’m all for a fare that is fair. ' “Saleslady’”’ (Robson St.) * * *

Dear Mrs, Jones.

I hope I'm one of the lucky ones to receive the free car tickets. I voted for you last time and hope you make it this time.

(Mrs.) P. T. (West 7th Ave.) 7 x * Dear Mrs. Jones:

In reply to your advertisement. We sure could use a few tickets since my dad isn’t working. We are living nearly at Marine Drive and Main and my dad has to go to town quite often. ... Let us know what can be done to lower the street car fares, as we think they are away too high.

(Miss) P. G. (East 64th Ave.)

Jingles for Jones

Ashes to ashes, - Dust to dust, If we don’t elect Effie We'll all .go bust. wae —B.M. Jingle, jangle, jingle, Our pockets used to go; Now we’ve no dimes to jingle In the street car box they go. The bumps are downright terrible, ' The ride is barely bearable. Come on, folks, if you really care Make Effie Jones our new mayor. —E.T.

We'll never regain a 7-cent fate, Until we elect Effie for mayor. —B.M.C.

B.C.E.R. cars are a wreck,

Soon they'll break my bones:

That’s why on December 8th

T'll vote for Effie Jones. —J.A.W.

Vote for Effie,

Call their bluff,

Seven cents

Is fare enough!

—Vox Populi

Did you ever get hit

i se

OP

a9 a0 ——

ag :

fii

bi

a! lad

by a BCER street car?

op Vs Sy LL cys 2) SL LS aa LL See Walaa oe sasaeeel bead | Task — i. eel t] Hai =

Think twice before you answer ‘No’

Your pocket book or purse takes a beating every time you climb aboard one of the Toonerville Trolleys ‘which the British Columbia Electric Railway has the nerve to call

“street cars.”

As you put your ticket in the box, remember that tickets were “four for a quar-

ter” uutil the Non-Partisan mayor and council a price, thus robbing you of one ride in every four. They weren’t even content with this extra

profit

weekly car and bus passes, which had been a boon to small business people and other citizens who had to use cars several

times a day.

The term ““Non-Partisan” is very misleading. Actually it is a very partisan organization, indeed. The NPA is nothing more and nothing less than a political “front” organization

for the BCElectric. faithfully carriés out the orders of this giant monopoly. '

It Was the Non-Partisan gang at

city hall which signed the dis- graceful franchise giving the BCER control over Vancouver for a period of 20 years. And ‘since this infamous franchise was signed, the Non-Partisans have granted one concession after another to their masters. - |

The Old Gang in the city hall did not protest the proposed fare increase—they condoned it. The extra fares means the taking of an extra $25 to $40 a year from the pockets of every street car rider in Vancouver,

2 Attempting to hide their com-

plete subservience to the BCER,

the Old Gang at city hall told citi- zens that the fare hike was only “an interim increase.”

_Nine months later, the Public Utilities Commission held its prom- ised inquiry on BCER transporta- tion, gas and power rates. On two occasions during the nine-month interval, Effie Jones had appeared before city council, demanding that the enquiry should be set for an earlier date and that city council make a strong protest against the increase in fares.

The enquiry took place, and what happened? Our supine city council announced that the City of Vancouver was not prepared to oppose the BCElectric’s application for finalization of the increased street car fares.

Effie Jones appeared at the en- quiry, but was not allowed to pre- sent facts and figures proving that the BCER could well afford to re- duce fares and still operate at a profit.

The BCER, with a battery of fin- ancial and legal experts, had nine months ‘to prepare its brief. Effie Jones was given only nine days to prepare her brief. Why was the Public Utilities Commission afraid to hear what she had to say? is that

The’ answer, of course,

~}they were afraid Effie Jones would

lift the BCER’s paper curtain of figures and words, and expose the truth. :

High finance is difficult for the

it is the willing tool of the BCER and

average person to understand—un- til the hocus-pocus of stooge statis- ticians is reduced to the ,every day language of the man in the street.

‘The BCER borrowed money’ for its expansion program some years ago at an average intefest rate of six percent. However, through re-financing, they now have to pay only three to four percent’ on these loans. This means a saving to BCER of approximately $2,000,000 a year; but in their financial state- ments they do not take this huge saving into account in determining profits,

The Public Utilities Commission and the Non-Partisan politicians were afraid that Effie Jones would bring these facts to the attention of the public and expose the finan- cial juggling act of the BCER.

When Effie Jones is elected may- or of Vancouver, she will use her high office to expose the real prof- its of the BCElectric and force the c@mpany to grant a reduction in fares and return of the weekly car and bus passes.

grab.

greed to allow the BCER to jack up the

They also abolished the

OVERFLOW MAIL

Dear Mrs, Jones:

Street car fares sure burn a person up. The BCElectric sure takes it out on the low wage earn-

ers. Hope you get in as mayor and do something about it.

A.I.S, (Carvolth Road.) * * x :

Dear Mrs. Jones:

I hope that I get in on the first hundred free tickets, I simply can’t afford to pay car fare and have to walk, and am not in fit condition physically to walk as much as the current rate of car fares forces me to. I am more than grateful for your interest in this matter,

(Mrs.) M. H. (West Georgia)

* * *

Dear Mrs. Jones: Iam an Old Age Pensioner. Hope I can get a few free tickets, That BCER business hits me hard. I voted for you last time and I wish you the best of luck this time. (Mrs.) M. R. (East 47th Ave.) * * *

Dear Mrs. Jones:

I saw your ad and am writing this for my father, who is an Old Age Pensioner. He would certainly

appreciate some tickets. Any in- formatiqn on how we can help to work for lower fares would be greatly appreciated.

(Miss) W. D. (East 45th Ave.)

into collection boxes,

oe et 2S ; ¥ E s C ic 7 MAYOR o J E A For 25¢ eo) F FARES pT | WHEN N ; E E a ; IS D 4 MAYOR E N Effie Jones’ supporters are raising aunts for Cc E aise ee by selling four-for-a-quar- hee ey ne and BCER officials admit that S any 0 ie’s “tickets’ have found their way 8

along with regular fares.

If you would like some of these ticket receipts send your donation to Effie Jones, Plectior

Headquarters, 389

West Pender Street.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 19, 1948 — PAGE 4