iti aPC ee aS ea a eae

hether we belong in the ‘‘seasonally adjusted’’

category, the ‘‘unemployables,’’ the white or no-
collar proletariat, makes little difference to this tale, or to
the hundreds of thousands of workers denied the right to work,
or the additional thousands now facing such a prospect. In
Establishment eyes and jargon, we are merely cyphers in a
computerized galaxy of cyphers; a subject to make fine
speeches about, but nothing more.

Happily, however, the Establishment and its mumbo-
jumbo politicians are unable to forget we exist. Hence a
dramatic scene, prepared by this Establishment and paid for
by money syphoned from the cypher’s pay check, when he or
she had one (?), well illustrates the point.

The scene of this TV commercial drama is set in an
elevator going ‘“‘up.”’ It is filled with assorted white-collar
cyphers, all with a harried look on their faces as they head up
to their respective office floors. A pleasant dulcet voice tells
these soon-to-become jobless cyphers that life is uncertain in
the best of times, and nothing is more uncertain than the job
you now hold. But there is a re-assuring note for ‘‘everyone
who works for someone else;’’ that they now are, and will be
amply ‘‘protected’”’ by the new Unemployment Insurance
regulations.’’ Something to look forward to so to speak. So it’s
‘bully’? for our considerate Establishment, if albeit, mostly
‘bull’ for the prospective cypher.

Having the necessary deductions to qualify for UIC under
the ‘old’ formula, this writer made application some two
months ago for a token of this promised “‘protection.”’ A dead
silence prevailed. Then UIC (new style) got on the phone and
the following dialogue, quite unlike that on the TV elevator
drama ensued.

UIC: ‘Is that Mr. McE?”

vest:

UIC: *‘You wrote us some time ago asking whether your
application has been accepted or rejected. It was rejected.”’

‘On what grounds?”

UIC: ‘‘You are on Canada Pension and therefore not
eligible for UIC.”

“‘But I am not in receipt of Canada Pension, only the OAP.
Who advised your department on that point?”’

(Pause, while UIC goes to look up the file on the source of
that phoney information).

UIC: “Well. . . I can’t find it, but we presumed you were
on Canada Pension’’ a

“You are not paid for making presumptions, only for
ascertaining facts. I repeat, I am not on the Canada Pension
Plan.”

UIC: ‘‘Well . . . you: haven’t enough deductions to qualify
under the new UIC, and anyway at your age the Pacific
Tribune Publishers had no authority to make such deductions.
You should apply to the PT for return of the amounts
deducted.”

‘Hold on a minute. I am not aware that the PT has been
advised on this new arrangement, however since such
deductions were paid the UIC and accepted, it would appear to
me that the UIC and not the PT should make good such refund.
Otherwise your department is guilty of receiving money under
false pretences.”’

UIC: ‘Sorry, we can do nothing about it under the new
regulations. Good day to you. . . Sir.”

Funny how the mind plays tricks on one sometimes. For a
moment I forgot that UIC-TV commercial about ‘‘protection”’
as my memory harked back to another ‘‘drama”’ of long ago. A
Workers Unity League delegation from across Canada was in
Ottawa, in the august and hysterical presence of the Right
Honourable (?) R.B. ‘‘Iron Heel’’ Bennett the Tory leader who
was going to ‘‘cure unemployment in thirty days.’’ We were
then demanding a system of non-contributory unemployment
insurance satisfied that monopoly could pay the full shot, then
and now.

Makes one wonder now just what in hell we did help
create: A system of unemployed insurance designed to protect
the tens of thousands of workers and their families, deprived of
their right to earn a livelihood — or a gigantic Establishment
bureaucracy, dedicated to the ‘‘protection’’ of monopoly from
the end result of its own inherent greed.

ANNUAL VOCHENBLATT BANQUET
SUNDAY — JANUARY 9th at 6 P.M.

VANCOUVER PERETZ SCHOOL

6184 Ash St.
GUEST SPEAKER — JOSHUA GERSHMAN,

Editor
Full Course Dinner — Chicken, Knishes, etc.

Adm. ADULTS $2. Students & Children $1.
Everyone Welcome

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1971—PAGE 2

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN

The year 1971 was a difficult
one for most people, and many
will not feel any regret at its
passing, aside from the fact that
none of us welcome being a year
older!

Unemployment remains at an
alarmingly high level. Price
fixing and profiteering by big
corporations in the necessities
of life is getting worse, if
anything. Foreign control of our
economy is increasing with more
and more of our country and its
wealth falling into alien hands
with little or nothing being done
about it by governments in
power.

In Indo China the Pentagon
seems determined to destroy
every living thing — man, beast
and vegetation — by means of
saturation bombing’ while
hypocritically pretending to be
withdrawing its forces.

In our city, the year 1971 saw
the npa use its majority on City
Council to steam-roller through
one decision after another in
clear violation of the will of the
people and the best interests of
the city.

It voted to allow the Four
Seasons speculators to
desecrate the entrance ‘to
Stanley Park by building a hotel-
apartment complex that will
create impossible _ traffic
congestion which will cost
taxpayers millions of dollars to
undo.

The action of City Council in
voting to equip police with riot
sticks, and the provocative,
inflammatory and _ bigoted

tirades of our youth-hating non--

mayor created the conditions
that made the August 7 police
riot in Gastown inevitable.

The NPA majority on Council
turned down a ward system —
the most important reform this
city needs because it would have
made it possible for every area
of the city to be directly
represented on Council. This
action by the NPA was obviously
inspired by its desire to keep
reform-minded community re-
presentatives out of Council and
to perpetuate the rule of the
Neanderthal NPA and_ the
narrow vested interests it
represents.

The last major act of the NPA
majority on Council was to

illegally vote $3.2 million of

olnt Mh ott lll dell tL LO tht Mal

public funds (without putting the
issue to voters as a money by-
law and without a_ public
hearing) for a Third Crossing of
Burrard Inlet. This was clearly
aimed at scuttling public transit
and at forcing a freeway system
on Vancouver and the Lower
Mainland.

But 1971 also saw a significant
upsurge of public opinion against
the Four Seasons sell-out, for a
ward system, against freeways
and for public transit, and for
public control of the police force.

These reflected the concern
and sense of responsibility of
citizens for the future of the city,
and their conviction that it
cannot be entrusted to the
present Council. The people of
Vancouver have given a very
good account of themselves.
They may have lost some
battles, but they haven’t by any
means lost the battle for public
control of Council.

I’m sure these movements will
continue to make themselves
felt in 1972 and especially during
the civic élections which will
take place before the end of the
year. If these various
movements are able to unite
behind one program and one
slate of candidates, the NPA’s
goose will be cooked, but good!

I would like to thank the many
people who offered me advise

Smith tells truth

An interesting statement came

last week from the former head
of the Economic Council,
Arthur Smith. It is interesting
not because it reveals some new
truth but because he never said it
publicly while he headed the
Council.

“People who say wages cause
inflation are just making an
assumption’’ said Mr. Smith
now that he is free of his official
post. ‘‘But it is not based on fact,
as several major studies have

shown.”

Last year John Young, chair-
man of the Income and Prices
Commission, tried very hard to
convince the public that labor is
responsible for inflation.

Smith says now that studies by
the Council, the Woods Task
Force and Queens University all
deflated the old argument that
wage hikes alone are to blame
for inflation.

ce

This Mac-Pap banner was prominently displayed at the successful social
held by the B.C. Section of the MacKenzie-Papineau Brigade in the
Fishermen’s Hall on Friday, Dec. 17. About 150 people attended the

Christmas Party.

and assisted me in my alder
manic duties over the past yeat:
I hope I have also been of Some
material help to the people who
have come to me for assistance.)
The fact that an average of 4
least 35 to 40 people a Wwee®
contact me for help or advice 1S
in itself a measure of the needs
of people, and proof that under 4
ward system these needs ¢0U
be attended to much better. '
Best wishes for the New Yea"
to all of you. Keep in there,
pitching — we'll win some
changes in City Council yet!

1a

TIM BUCK, whose 81st pirthdoy)
falls on Jan. 6, is recuperd! ©

from a severe illness and Bil 4
that he is “beginning t® eniey al
again.”’ Buck, who took an pea i
part by letter in the 21st Conye ;
tion of the Communist Party: “he
re-elected, chairman 2° on
party’s Central Committee: nde
behalf of his many comrades Oli
friends we wish Tim many haPP
returns and hope to se© —
among us in full health soon: —

FREEWAYS

Cont'd. from pg. !
the $1.5 million costs for t
third crossing. ‘hi
The public be damned. is
typifies the attitude taken by US
proponents for the third cross
ing and the freeway system. nese
elected councils of North Var
couver and the NPA majority“
Vancouver are the front runner
for powerful groups represy aa
ing big business and real oe |
interests. With federal fe al
provincial government back af |
they have enlisted the supp" De
the public media to wag He tg
campaign for freeways. ee
efforts to scuttle the prion |
needs for rapid transit proP?® pelo
by the GVRD and the Commill®”s
for Public Transit, are despe! he Pt
moves calculated to hide ee br
advanced stage in freeway pla ita
ning to which they ba
committed. ~ ; “the 1
What is feared most by ric
freeway pushers is that pubrr &
opposition against a june * nel
freeways would end up !¥¢)
demand to get on with the J° on We
rapid transit. The stage has aa Si
reached where public a¢ ‘pe
around the demand that a halt is th
called to the third crossiM i IN,
the key link in the fight to DIO fy
freeways. in
There is no time to 108).
demanding a halt to the Hy e
crossing before tenders for
called and contracts awarded
construction. aed, }
Public opposition, if organ? jn
can bring results just as it
Toronto where citizens Wa8™ 4)
successful battle 487)
freeways by halting (4)
struction of the spadiné
Expressway.

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