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Labor launches

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1965 VOL. 26, NO. 4

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Churchill’s ‘finest hour’

in anti-Hitler alliance

At the end of a brief illness, the death ofSir Winston Churchill last Sunday marks the passing of the last of the world’s “Big Three” in the war against Hitler fascism,

In Britain’s “darkest hour” of 1940 in that devastating war, as war-time Prime Minister, Win- ston Churchill more than any other man, gave inspiration, courage and high morale to his hard-pressed people, In his 60 years in British politics, that was indeed his “finest hour.”

At the end of the war Churchill again renewed his life-long op- position to “our valiant Soviet ally,” by designing and launch- ing the “cold war” in his Fulton, Mo, address on March 5, 1946,

While tributes to his memory are pouring in from every coun~ try, state funeral services willbe held in. London on January 30.

SPEAKS IN CITY SUNDAY

Endicott to head peace delegation to Victoria

A first hand report on Viet Nam will be given by Dr. James Endicott at a public meeting Sun- day next, January 31 at 8 p.m. in the Stry Hall, 125 East 8th Avenue,

Dr. Endicott has just returned from an extensive tour which took him to six countries, in-

DR. JAMES ENDICOTT

cluding North Vietnam. In Nov- ember he was chairman of the World Conference for Peace and International Cooperation in New Delhi, which was attended by Prime Minister Shastri of India.

At 2 p.m, January 31 he will attend the Annual Meeting of the B.C. Peace Council in the Pender Auditorium and on the following day, February: 1, he will leada delegation to Victoria to inter- view members ofthe Legislature, and present a brief to the Cab- inet, While in Victoria, arrange- ments have been made for him to speak on the CHEK noon tele- vision show,

All peace supporters are in- vited to join the delegation. Those wishing to participate are asked

‘to telephone the B.C. Peace Coun-

cil at 685-9958 between the hours of 11 a.m, and 2 p.m, any day so that travel andhotel reservations can be made, Estimated cost is $7.50 per person excluding meals, The delegation will leave Vancouver around 6 p,m, andre- turn the following evening Febru- ary 2,

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‘People’s heaith

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MEDICARE FOR ALL VOTED — DOWN BY SOCRED GOV'T

; Medicare now’ drive

must

come before profits’

Riding roughshod over opposition in the Legislature, and ignoring the needs of the people of B.C. for a complete government-sponsored medicare plan, the Social Credit majority this week turned back a want-of-confidence motion which condemned the government's “‘tin cup medicare.’’ The motion moved by New Democratic Party Leader Robert Strachan hit the government for its failure to bring before the House a comprehensive medicare scheme.

Joining in the protest against Premier W, A, C, Bennett’s “mini -medicare,” B,C, Com- munist Party Leader Nigel Mor- gan said Tuesday, in a press statement, that “the means test medicare proposed by the gov- ernment is entirely inadequate,”

He charged that Bennett’s scheme “is obviously devised to guarantee maximum financial re- turns for the big insurance com- panies and doctors, while giving the least medical service to the smallest number of people, ‘It’s no surprise,” he added, “that insurance company executives and spokesmen for the medical fraternity enthusiastically hailed the plan.”

Morgan said Bennett had * cap- itulated to the insurance com- panies and doctors.This scheme,” he added, “will partially subsi- dize a very limited service through existing insurance com- panies for those in the income level just above social welfare standards, It represents a finan- cial bonanza for insurance firms and doctors who have had great difficulty in tapping this income group,”

Pointing out that the Hall Com- mission report recommended a comprehensive government medicare plan and specifically recommended against the kind of approach the Bennett govern-

B.C. labor has launched an all-out drive for a comprehensive medicare plan now. See story on page 2 and labor’s postcard to Premier Bennett on page 3.

ment has proposed, Morgan drew attention to similar limited “means test” plans being intro- duced in Tory Ontario and Social Credit Alberta,

“What more effective way of frustrating and delaying imple- mentation of a comprehensive health plan than those schemes which deny complete coverage to all?” asked Morgan,

NDP LEADER ROBERT STRACHAN. His want-of-confidence motion on medi- care was defeated in the House by a 32 to 19 vote. He urged a universal health scheme now for B.C.

The similarity between the On- tario government scheme, the Alberta scheme and the one pro- posed by Premier Bennett lays bare a Tory-Socred plot to severely restrict or scuttle a national health plan by confront- ing it with a body of provincial legislation already in force,

The large financial interests and medical circles who oppose medicare see restrictive health legislation in the provinces as a major means of scuttling or cur- tailing a comprehensive national plan. =

Supporting the campaign launched this week by organized labor, Morgan said “It is not too late to get what’s needed,” He urged strong public pressure be brought to bear on all MLA’s to have the Legislature enact an all - inclusive, comprehensive plan,

“Adoption of such a plan,” he said, “would set a national ex- ample and make it possible for B,C, to fit into a national scheme when it comes.” He urged letters, wires and delegations to MLA’s,

Immediately following the dis- closure of the Socred govern- ment’s plans, Vancouver Labor Council secretary Paddy Neale said; “This is just an endeavor to stop a national medicare plan,

See MEDICARE, pg. 3