Sed of last week the 3rd Session of the 29th Legis- lature of British Columbia got off to its usual color- less start. As a precaution against jobless workers, Womens’ Lib or other protesting groups of citizens, scads of police and other “‘security”’ forces were on hand to see to it that the ersatz decorum, dignity and what have you proceeded undisturbed.

Governor-general Jack Nicholson read the ‘‘Speech from the Throne” in an uninspiring monotone, probably realizing as an old real estate shark, that there was nothing in it to inspire anyone.. (To bring B.C. in line with Yankee-Doodle-Dandy, Socred High Priest Bennett has hinted that he would like that archaic title changed to ‘‘Speech On The State of the Province.” To the average citizen the thing that counts most is what is in such speeches, not the semantics of their titles. In this most recent one there was less than nothing, if such is possible, much like the contents of a $1.49 sale of lucky bags, listed but not elaborated.

There’s going to be “‘legislation brought down’’ on parks, litter, the ecology, school expansion, the unemployed, labor (more ball-and chain?) industrial expansion (read more give- aways), etc., etc. loads and loads of it, probably totalling ‘‘100 pieces’. And oh yes, a rechristening of the PGE, to become known as the “B.C. Railway.” For a railroad that long held the unique tradition of ‘‘starting nowhere and ending nowhere’”’ the PGE (renamed), will now symbolize (between wrecks), Socredia’s ‘“‘enterprise”’ in getting rid of B.C. resources. The change-over won’t put any extra nickels in the pockets of PGE

railroaders, but it: will promote the idea of a ‘‘Canadian _

independence”’ in the ranks of home and foreign monopoly, and that after all will be a Socred ‘‘triumph’”’.

The ‘‘state of the province’ speech, as WAC would like it termed, runs a close parallel with U.S. President’s recent address to Congress on the ‘“‘state of the nation”. And a helluva state of affairs it is in both cases. Mass unemployment in both “areas, without precedent. An unending and disastrous war in Vietnam and Indo-China. Mass unrest, uncertainty, race discrimination and oppression, the fruits: of brutal exploitation. Monopoly’s concerted attacks upon labor standards, with huge Establishment bureaucratics set up to: assist in all such attacks, yet Socredia puts on its best Sunday school leer, listens to the twaddle of its own concocted “Speech”, which spells-out nothing, says nothing, but plans, Machiavellia-like, to continue legislating for the affluent few at the expense of the already poverty-stricken many.

Unemployment ‘‘is included in the government program’’ but the question remains, how and when? No doubt it is “included’’, but in what respect — to creatively and constructively legislate for full employment at decent jobs and wages — or to condemn new thousands to an endless existence on a fixed and parsimonious ‘‘welfare” or worse.

This central of all issues, facing a very large sector of B.C.’s working force, got scant mention in Bennett’s ‘‘state of the province’, and when we do get around to it during the brief lifetime of this Legislature, equally scant attention in the provision of jobs, a decent livelihood, or ‘‘welfare’”’ handouts:

With sanctimonious Socredia ‘‘God is in His Heaven and all is well on Earth,” and if there is-an excess of jobless it is always a self-satisfying thought that most of them ‘‘don’t want to work.’’ As for the others, in the language of arch-deacon Gaglardi, ‘“‘QC’’ Campbell and others of their ilk, all such as “bums’’, ‘‘deadbeats”’ etc, all ‘‘want something for nothing,” a drag on our social affluence.

The wonder is therefore, not the surprise by sundry politicos and others that there is nothing in the ‘Speech from the throne,”’ but that anyone with a modicum of sanity— after nearly two decades of Socred monopoly brokerage, should have expected that anything would be in it— except for the big tycoons of Big Business.

When the “‘state of the province” is entrusted to nonentities, bible thumpers and resources hijackers, the “province”’ is always on the losing end. The coming two months will again confirm it— if more confirmation is needed for a clean Sweep- out of Socred deadwood!

PETITION DRIVE ROLLING

Serta sere a Ne Cif C a bu ‘ West C edition, Canadian Tribune SSS cette Editor—MAURICE RUSH

Published weekly ot Ford Bidg., Mezzanine No, 3, 193-€. ‘Hastings St., Vancouver 4, B.C. Phone 685-5288. © : Circulation Monager, ERNIE CRIST ibecription Rate: Canade, $5.00 one year; $2.75 for six months. North and South A and Comm Ith countries, $6.00 one year ‘AAllotber countrias, $7.00 one year | :

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, JANUARY. 28, 1972—PAGE 2

‘High cost of Third Crossing

By BRUCE YORKE

The Citizen’s Co-ordinating Committee for Public Transit is stepping up its campaign to obtain a vote on the Third Crossing question.

Last Saturday over 3,000 Names were secured on a petition to this effect and this Saturday the committee aims to secure an additional 10,000.

All citizens who wish to take part in the petitioning are asked to report to the Steelworker’s hall, 33 East Broadway on Satur- day, January 29, between 9:30 a.m. and 2p.m.

On Monday, January 31 at 8 p.m. in the Grandview Com- munity Centre the committee has called an organizational meeting of all affiliated organi-

Ratepayers want wards

The Central Council of Ratepayers in Vancouver want a plebiscite on the ward ‘system. before the end of April. The request was made in a letter to Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Campbell, who has the authority

to direct city council to hold such _

a vote.

The letter says ‘‘As you are aware, a large number of organi- zations representing a considerable section of the voters expressed their wishes for a change to some form of ward system. We consider it a nega- tion of democracy that the present city council should deny a plebiscite on this matter when requested by such a large section of the electorate.”

On Thursday of this week the Committee for Community and Civic Development will hold a rally on the question of the ward system in Room 308 of the City Library on Burrard Street.

This is a follow-up to a rally attended by some 400 citizens who urged Municipal Affairs Minister Campbell to take action two weeks ago.

zations. Invitations have also been extended to every com- munity, ratepayer, trade union and citizen group in Greater Van- couver. bk

_ The purpose of the meeting is to intensify the petition campaign; to elect delegates to go to Ottawa to appear before the cabinet sub-committee reviewing the $100 million. Third Crossing loan, and to plan for a mass lobby of citizens to go to

Victoria in the latter part of Feb- ruary.

The committee has recently prepared factual material with regard to the Third Crossing. The material was prepared by Setty Pendakur, professor of planning at the University of British Columbia and all figures were taken from the govern- ment-financed Swan Wooster engineering report.

Highlights of the material are as follows: The total tunnel crossing approaches capital cost is $194 millions (1970 prices). According to Swan Wooster the cost today is $23 million more.

Distribution of the $194 million

is: Federal government, loan

_ Vancouver Regional District

of $120 million; Provin@ government, $41 million; Nat Shore municipalities, | million; City of Vancouvel; * million.

The cost of the freeway @ nection from Highway 40! Georgia Viaduct to comple the entire scheme is $65 MIE (to be borne by Vancouvel © payers). é

Total cost of $32 plus $69 lion to be borne by Vancoll taxpayers is equivalent 7 average $75 increase in prope taxes for the next 20 years © this project alone. a

Total interest payable 00 $120 million federal loan will $600,557,000— even at a mode per cent. t

Tolls on the tunnel to stat! 50 cents and will rise to $2. the year 2000! No wonder opp” tion:to the crossing is welliNb” new heights!

A vigorous and united effort i all concerned can defeat © Third Crossing proposal. TH” the indispensable pre-condlt for the establishment of a cheap and efficient pul! transit system in the Gre@

PACIFIC TRIBUNE —

King Canute

Why special privileges for aldermen

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

Sometimes the “‘little’’ things that happen in City Council are just as revealing as the debates and decisions on major issues. Take for example what happened at last week’s Council meeting on the issues of free parking privileges and expense accounts for aldermen. :

Over my strong objections, Council members voted them- selves a life-time free parking ‘pass, condition on 10 years service on Council. The NPA aldermen, as was to be expected, voted for it as a bloc. The TEAM aldermen, as is also usual for this group which likes to have a foot in both camps, split on the issue. Aldermen Art Phillips and Brian Calder voted for the life-time pass, while alderman Walter Hardwick joined me in voting against it.

Why aldermen should have this special privilege I don’t know. It isn’t extended to the city’s 6000 employees who work a lot harder and longer than most aldermen. All Council members already have free parking as

long as they are on Council (and this includes exemption from Some traffic fines) and that should be enough. Once a’person 1s no longer on Council he becomes just another citizen and

should not be entitled to any .

special privilege.

Council has another privilege that most citizens haven’t — it can decide the size of expense allowances to aldermen while travelling on city business. And so at the last Council meeting

they voted themselves another little plum.

- When aldermen attend annual conventions of the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) in other cities, they receive $25.00 a day plus hotel and fare. That’s reasonable enough. But when the convention is held in Van: couver there’s no need for it. Yet, last week, Council members. voted themselves $25.00 a day expenses to attend the three day convention of the UBCM which this year will be held in Vancouver. The NPA voted solidly for it. TEAM alder- men couldn’t resist this little

plum so they all voted for it was alone in my opposition.

Last year when the UBCM vention was held in the EB malt Sports Centre (whit three or four miles downtown Victoria) Cou members voted to give t selves an extra $10 a da travel from Victoria to malt! And now our travel non-mayor, Tom Campbell, served notice to incr@ expense accounts to $35 4 plus fare and hotel, fo!” conventions and trips. :

What makes this actio™ Council even more galling #4 fact that our non-mayO! | some aldermen just put token appearance at UBCM ventions and then you see no more. But they are alw hand when the expense ch are to be dished out or 0 town jaunts to be assigned.

There is a word to des! this kind of petty self-se mentality. It has to do. poultry dung, spelled Wi, capital ‘‘C” and a capital