Germany.

From a 1931 campaign speech of Adolf Hitler, in Hamburg;

EDITORIAL ‘Open season’ via prices

FE very housewife trying to make-ends-meet budget-wise, may not have all the ‘‘proof”’ that she is being syste- matically fleeced when she goes shopping for the family meat and groceries at any or all of the big monopoly food chain emporiums. :

Yet she does know from long experience that her own, or hubby’s take-home-pay just cannot keep up with the almost daily rise of meat and food prices, to say nothing of other domestic essentials.

But she cannot “‘prove’’ it, so must just shell out the price demanded — or go without. Often she will be seen in some big chain, picking up a neatly-packaged item of food, looking at the exhorbitant price stamped on the package, and gently returning it to the pile. Yet the rising profit balance of the big (and lesser )

did buy — itself a confirmation of monopoly price-fixing to fleece the consumer.

The current (and simultaneous) lockout of the Retail Clerks Union employees by B.C.’s “‘Big Six’’ food distributors; their (simultaneous) agreement, more correctly termed a published threat of yet higher prices, should these employers have to grant a wage increase; their arrogant attitude towards the public generally — all constitute the crude elements of a gigantic conspiracy against labor and the people, for the attainment of yet higher prices and profits. But of course, ‘‘we, the people”’ have no ‘‘proof.”’

The statutory Combines Investigation Act (CIA) was designed just to keep tabs on such situations. The basic principle of the CIA, (not to be confused with the U.S. witch- hunting conspiracy) is not to demand ‘‘proof’’ before it acts, but to take action designed to unearth proof, and deal accordingly.

To date this ‘“‘commission’’ has done nothing to tackle the prices squeeze, other than provide alibis for the price gougers. It has of course produced a voluminous White Paper on prices, telling the buying public what they already know too well. This, while the statutory machinery of the CIA rusts from sheer disuse.

A few short years ago when some fish packer monopoly decided, without the remotest vestige of proof that the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU), fighting for a decent price for their fish catch, the CIA moved in on the union like a school of hungry barracudas, in an attempt to declare the B.C. fishermen’s wage demands as ‘“‘a conspiracy in restraint of trade” or some such legal jargon. The CIA had no proof when it moved against a union— and none when it concluded its ‘‘investi- gations.”’

But today, with meat and food prices generally steadily increasing with all the traffic will bear, with a government commission allegedly on the job, producing meaningless white papers and more commissions to study prices and incomes, a Sheer waste of time and money at the taxpayers expense, nothing is done to curb the monopoly price racket.

And it just seems that the Combines Investigation Act cannot, or won’t act to institute a thorough investigation of the monopoly prices racket because it ‘‘hasn’t got the proof’’ (?), despite the fact that last week’s 79-cents per pound hamburger is around 89-cents this week, and may reach the buck per lb. next week — and nobody has . . . or wants any ‘“‘proof’’. Just bigger monopoly profits for the nation’s privileged belly robbers.

chains involved, show how very well she had paid for what she -

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Need impartial probe of — acts of police brutality —

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

Should not the role of police in a democratic society: be the protection of life and property equally for all citizens and the fair and impartial enforcement of the law?

This question has increasing relevance today because instances of police exceeding their authority and roughing up people appear to be on the increase.

The Vancouver Province of May 29 reported a statement by Chief Justice Davey that the force used by police in arresting a young man in Stanley Park last summer was ‘‘grossly excessive and unwarranted”. The young man charged that he was kneed in the groin several times, grabbed by the hair, hit in the face, choked, and held in a full Nelson wrestler’s grip.

The same issue of the Province

reported that in Toronto, police chased a car in which three young men, all brothers, were riding. When the car stopped, one of the brothers got out. A detective drew his gun. His shot killed the young man. The other two brothers testified that the officer deliberately pulled the trigger. The coroner’s jury

ruled that the gun accidentally

discharged. de Last week Mayor Tom Campbell was asked to

investigate a charge by a young Vancouver school teacher that the police picked him up on the street, beat him up in a paddy wagon, threw him in jail for the

night and then released -him next

morning — all without

explanation.

Equally alarming was the story (also in the Province of May 29) of the testimony of a Seattle police officer, an “‘expert’’ in riot control, before the B.C. Mediation Board investi- gating a request by Vancouver police for a wage increase.

What we would expect in testimony before such a commission would be evidence to show the desire of police officers to become more efficient in enforcing the law fairly and protecting the rights of citizens in the process, with the emphasis on people’s rights wherever these conflict with property rights.

But instead the Commission heard this riot-happy U.S. police

officer advocate what amountet to a police state with policem i trained as combat soldiers suppress the people.

n office! to spou merical

Why was this A nerica brought to Vancouver his particular brand of A fascism? What has all th

: ic with a wage increase. ere Vancouver police are ©

. roup ?

the same as any other & civic employees?

All this bears some 1ookiné into.

The present Vancouver PF commission is not in a posill

ice

protect the public oF Be impartially invesiae complaints against —P® conduct.

What is required is a civilian ‘“‘watch-dog’’ board appointe City Council, and including Fé sentatives of labor and © . liberties groups. All citizen without exception, an includes youth, students, unionists and minority T° groups have equal rights. 4 these include the right 1 considered innocent until pr ful guilty, and the right of peac®™ protest to correct wrongs.

trade

Smoke from asphalt plant drifts across North Shore.

Public protest hits pollution

The people in many B.C. com- munities are taking action against widespread pollution in

their areas. Last week two such

action attracted public atten tion.

In Port Moody about 1,000 people took part in a -protest parade last Saturday against pollution in the Port Moody area of Burrard Inlet.

Organized by the Society for Pollution and Environmental Control, the demonstrators carried placards with slogans aimed at the major companies polluting the area: Gulf Oil of Canada, Reichold Chemicals Ltd., Flavelle Cedar Mill, Canadian Phoenix Steel and Pipe Ltd.,, and Pacific Coast Bulk Terminals.

Five floats were entered in the parade depicting the result of pollution on the public, on

‘vegetation, animal and bird life..

@2iGGT ToheG it 4

Coming under sharp fire from Port Moody residents has been the inadequate measures taken by. the oil companies. One participant charged that oil leaks into the water forming a scum which then sinks to the bottom killing marine life.

The sawmills and _ bulk terminal loadings are also a target for public protest.

In North Vancouver a major fight is shaping up between Neptune Terminals Ltd., and homeowners. Delegations and petitioners have appeared before City Council protesting the coal dust pollution expected when bulk loading of coal for export to Japan gets underway.

In a submission made to City Council by the North Vancouver Anti-Coal Petitioners, the charge is made that 1.700 homes lie

within the limit of coal dust

Mu

: e pollution expected from th harbor operation.

A report recently prepare consulting engineers pointe that the coal is very fine and tha 65 residential blocks, contain!” some 1,700 homes are include@! the pollution circle.

The protest over threatened

coal dust poliution comes on Ma of growing protest over pollu’ from industries, a laré distillery, and harbor activitle> which give off putrid odors a day long over much of Nort Vancouver.

Potash and sulphur Joadiné operations on the North shore have brought forth criticisms as well as a demal that air pollution be halted es stopping the loading of potas

municipalities.

Fa eo AR ee

is to do :

pre

‘oven

dby

strone

and sulphur by North Shore