EFFIE JONES

6,679 votes for council

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GAIN this year, as in 1950, the issue of Sunday: sports played a role in Vancouver civic elections entirely out ‘of propor- tion to its political importance.

‘Seized upon and distorted by

Tory and Liberal candidates running under the Non-Parti- san Association banner, fear of a “wide open” Sunday became the issue that rallied thousands of church-going citizens behind the reactionary NPA politicians, who posed as defenders of the status quo.

The plebiscite for sensible Sundays carried in the working class East End but was defeatt ed by a wide margin in the Shaughnessy, Kerrisdale and Point Grey areas. On the Sun- day prior to voting day thous- ands of children were sent after Sunday school to distribute leaf- lets urging citizens to vote against modification of present Blue Laws.

The plebiscite went down to

‘defeat 31,091 to 24,813, and the

FLORENCE DORLAND 3,970 votes for council

son and

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ONSET TETANUS Cee ee EEE

- Politics in. Vancouver’s

city hall

NPA won three top aldermanic posts, the fourth going to an “independent” Tory. ,

A Liberal manoeuvre to in- crease that party’s strength in the city council by running sev- eral “independent” Liberals backfired when Tory J. W. Cor- nett captured the fourth seat, nosing out CCF’er Laura Jamie- “independent” Everett Crowley. The official NPA nominee, E. G. Adams, ran a poor seventh.

The ‘Liberals are: unhappy in the NPA “Coalition” because

‘they feel 'that Tory representa-

tion is out of proportion to that party’s public support. At the same time they do not wish to break openly with the NPA. Hence tthe decision of Liberal NPA alderman Alex Fisher not to run this year; hence the “in- dependent” campaigns of Cas- son, Galloway, Sharp and Mc- Geer (Crowley filed his papers when it was clear that McGeer was ineligible).

The Liberals outsmarted themselves. The Liberal Fisher has been replaced by the Tory Cornett.

e

‘Progressive sentiments of Vancouver voters were reflected in clear-cut passage of the adult franchise plebiscite, 38,831 to 16,579. Even the NPAs candi- dates did not dare to campaign openly against this extension of the adult vote, a popular meas- ure ‘which progressives have fought for over the years. This victory should greatly hearten voters in their efforts to secure other pressing reform meas- ures..

The CCF campaign was an extremely weak one, reflecting the apathy in that party, and the discouragement following the debacle in the recent Ontario provincial elections, Ex-Alder-

By ELGIN RUDDELL

ELGIN RUDDELL 15,401 votes for school board

‘

man Laura Jamieson was the |

only aldermanic candidate to threaten the NPA positions in that field and George Green- away, runner-up for the second

year in succession, was the only’

CCF candidate to offer any serious challenge to the NPA in the park board contest.

An encouraging feature of the civic elections this year was the growing strength of progres- sive candidates. © More voters are discarding the humbug and last-minute glitter of various fake “reform” candidates and. are casting ballots for progres- sives who have long records of service in people’s movements; such candidates as Effie Jones, Elgin Ruddell, Viola Bianco and Maurice Rush.

Newcomer Alex Gordon, en- tering a civic election for the first time as a candidate for

council, and Florence Dorland,

making a second attempt for a council seat, received good

-votes and laid the foundation

CTT TUTE eit ny Te

MAURICE RUSH 7,154 votes for park board

SUT TE Tr TT En Ee Pe ee

for further civic campaigns around the issues they introduc- ed.

Two other newcomers to civic politics will be watched with in- terest. One of these, David Rutka, a young Canadian of Slavic origin, introduced a new progressive note into local poli- tics ‘when (he campaigned strongly against racial discrim- ination. By continuing what he has begun-in an election strug- gle Rutka could play an impor- ‘tant role in helping to bring ‘the important Slav community into our civic public life, thereby en- riching it.

The other. newcomer, Dr. Joseph Blumes, polled 22,111 votes and ran fifth for school ‘board. His program of milk for School children at low cost, equal pay for women teachers and education for racial under- standing attracted wide atten- tion. If he continues his cam- paigning on these vital issues through 1952 he should make a

principal contender, in next ~ year’s elections.

e

Although the progressive

candidates succeeded in bring- ing the main municipal issues to the fore, it reflected a weak- ness in their respective cam- paigns that they failed to re-

late these issues sufficiently to. ~ “the struggle for peace.

Some candidates in speaking to elec- tion rallies did raise peace as fundamental’ to all issues in- volved in the campaign, but it found small reflection in press ae and general . advertis- ng.

Progressives were handicap- ped by limited budgets in con- trast 'to the’ slush funds that were available to both the NPA and the Liberal-sponsored “in- dependents.” The Non-Partisan candidates, while avowing that they were “proud of their spon-

TE Li TEE sors,’ invariably refused to di- vulge the source of their finan- cial backers when questioned from the floor at election meet- ings.

A continuing weakness in civic elections is the failure of voters in the working class areaS to turn out at the polls. While the overall city average was 41 percent, a breakdown shows that over 50 percent vot- ed in many well-to-do areas and less than 35 percent in many “labor” polls. This situation can be changed in the coming year by better work in the com- munities and trade unions; a fight for greater registration of voters; and a campaign for a new ward system.

The fight for peace must be further developed and integrat- ed in the struggle to make Van- couver a better place in which to live, so that we may build in peace a future for ourselves and for our children.

VIOLA BIANCO 16,265 votes for school board

Anna E. Sprott (CNPA) - Halford D. Wilson (CNPA) Roland K. Gervin (CNPA)

Laura E. Jamieson (CCF) Everett Crowley (Ind.)

Ray J. Casson (Ind.) Magnus Eliason (CCF) Victor Forster (CCF) F. Norman Hill (CCF) Effie Jones (Ind.) Alex L. Gordon (Ind.) Fred M. Sharp (Ind.) Florence H. Dorland (Ind.) Albert Dunn (Ind.)

Rejected

Jonathan W. Cornett (Ind.)

Sn we w wile BRR S 6 Cee te

Earle G. Adams (CNPA) .. Theresa Galloway (Ind.) ..

hgergar ees

William G. Calder (CNPA) Norman Carmichael (CNPA) John Moffitt (CNPA) George Greenaway (CCF) Duncan MacDonald (Ind.) Nathan Sadler (CCF) Thomas H. Clark (CCF) Maurice Rush (Ind.)

Ada Crump (CNPA) ‘William Wallace (CNPA) J. Edwin Eades (CNPA) George W. Rogers (CNPA) Joseph -Blumes (Iind.) Viola M. Bianco (Ind.) Elgin Ruddell (Ind.) David sRutka (ind): 8 ob.

PARK BOARD

Rejected SCHOOL BOARD

Rejected ‘

Coen ercerecens

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iw ibi wine Oe: 9 000 <b 0 ele hove

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How Vancouver voters cast their ballots

; MONEY BYLAW—CARRIED

31,833 Yes... 35,974 No... 11,107 Rejected... 1,857 25,326 5 ay 21,930 21,537 ; PLEBISCITES i 14,209 SUNDAY ACTIVITIES—DEFEATED 13,630 = No... 31,091 Yes... 24,818 Rejected... 1,355. 12,995 7,754 2,972 ADULT VOTE—CARRIED

Yes... 38,881 No... 16,579 Rejected... 1,252 40,425 35,427 VOTING SUMMARY 34,327 OLA VOLE Ra gE a te ion Gee aig 56,644 BO819 eligible to Woe eo ee yo 138,966 aye Percentage of eligible vote ............ 41 percent

’

15,401 © CNPA, Civic Non-Partisan Association; CCF, 6,467 Cooperative mee ee lea Federation; Ind., Inde- 1,857 Dennen ts

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — DECEMBER 21, 1951 — PAGE 4