2 At the City Hall News-Herald Can Take Him By Cynthia Carte Elgin Ruddell Pinch Hitting for Cynthia Carter— WHEN I was asked to write the column for Cynthia Carter this av week, I couldn’t help but jump at the opportunity. It’s been a secret ambition of mine to write a column. And when the col- umn is about city issues, it, well it made me doubly eager to pinch- hit for our capable little ace that takes the city beat. Take for instance Gerry McGeer (did I hear you say the News-Herald can take him?) well anyway it seems that years ago Gerry was hired to present B.C.’s case for better freight rates. It was a good issue and adjustment in favor of B.C. was long overdue. The demand was backed by popular opinion on the coast and an adjustment was made. Gerry (modest fellow that he is) took all the credit and has been using that case for political capital ever since. Qh yes, he was mayor of Vancouver for a spell. During which time he became notorious for his vicious anti-labor policy. He led in smashing the longshore strike for union rights and decent working conditions. The union is back on the waterfront today. It’s been a long hard fight but the union is here to stay and we'll hear more, I’m sure, from the longshoremen on how to win a future for Vancouver as a world port in the democratic postwar, that Gerry can ever understand. : Many of our boys overseas when they are reading a letter from home and read that MeGeer is making a bid to be Mayor again, will remember with a curse how he read the “Riot Act” at Victory Square to them and the other relief camp men when they sought for “Work and Wages.” Down at Ottawa where Gerry has been holding down a seat in the Hederal House at the taxpayer’s expense, he has been very conspicuous by his lack of anything positive or constructive. His single accomplishment was to use up several weeks of the finance cémmittee’s time in advocating loud and long how easy it would be for the printing presses that turn out paper dollars to work overtime and then, oh, happy day,-the people of Canada could have piles and piles of paper money. Nice thought, eh? The BCER and Reddy Watt i’ VE all been. hearing a lot lately about the power shortage And nearly every issue of the Buzzer (for our out of town readers that’s the free propaganda sheet of the BCHR) brings tears to my eyes when I read of the heroic effort that our noble utility is making to battle the forces of nature in bringing little “Reddy Watt” to our factories, plants and homes. What a story! The writer of the Buzzer should go in for full length books and compete with Jules Verne. Now, let’s look at the facts. At Bridge River, about 150 miles from the city, is a partially developed site, with plenty of power, that had the BCER been willing to stake its future along with the rest of the community in going ahead and making B. CG. prosperous would have been completed before the war and would now be able to serve our community fully and efficiently. It wasn’t lack of money and it wasn’t lack of return on profit. Proof? The free light that the Provincial Government has order- ed for us on two occasions. It was, however, lack of faith in our community. It was lack of willingness to place the needs of our community first. y Such a condition is no longer tolerable. The importance of electricity to our community makes it imperative that the pro- duction and distribution of power be removed from the little fears of a few profit conscious individuals and must come com- pletely under the control of the community through its govern- ments. There is no doubt in my mind that the Liberal members of the coalition in Victoria were responsible for the decision of the government to take over the BCER. It is regrettable that the CCF has not yet seen fit to publicly congratulate Premier Hart on his announced intention of submitting the necessary legisla- tion to take over the BCER to the next session of the House. And what about the city council in Vancouver? Where do they stand in this issue? Mayor Cornett, who is an old tory, led the city council and the other city and municipal councils in this area into refusing the invitation of the Premier to participate with the province in acquiring this vital public utility. Now why does Gornett refuse to participate? I can see a number of ad- vantages to Vancouver. First we would have a hand in seeing that never again would we be short of power, for the expanding industry of the postwar and for extension to rural farm areas. Secondly we would re- tain the right to question how much we are going to pay for the run down obsolete BCER system. Thirdly, we can make a nice jnerease in our city revenue (which we can stand) as many an- other city has done. What about it, Mayor Cornett? Does public ownership help Vancouver or does refusal of the city council to participate help the conservatives to block the efforts of the Liberals at Victoria to convert the BCER to public ownership ? Do you ever stop to think when you read about the Gradua- tion exercises of the nurses each year of the things that le be- hind these girls? I don’t know the whole story. But I do know that in addition to working long hours for meagre pay, that here in our city the girls live in a. “home” where they are loath to have anyone visit them (in fact the place is so over crowded that there is neither the space nor the facilities.) For years there has been talk about a new home. Now at long last after much) prodding, pushing and ur- gent appeals our tory-led non-partisan city fathers are going to reluctantly submit a by-law this year for a NEW Nurses’ Home, with the Provincial Government footing one third of the cost. It’s a fine proposal and long overdue. More power and a decent “home” for our nurses. Vote “YES” on the Nurses’ Home By-law! Playground Facilities Fight Headed by Fairview LPP Club Under the chairmanship of George Flagg, executive mem- ber of the club, an enthusias- tic “Playgrounds Committee for Fairview” was formed and has already registered consid- erable progress. A petition addressed to the Parks Board and the City Gouneil was drawn up and 800 signatures obtained by an in- tensive canvass of the district. This indication of public sup- port for the project was strengthened by expressions of support from leading communi- ty figures. Among those who haye already signified their en- dorsation are Rev. Edward F. Church of Chown Memorial Church, Rev. #. G. St. Dennis of Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Chureh and Rey. W. R. Brown of St. Giles Church. The committee also carried out investigations and secured . information regarding suitable vacant city lots which could be used for the purpose. The results of committee in- vestigations and an outline of work done, was recently con- veyed to the Board of Park Commissioners, with an urgent request for immediate action to relieve what the committee terms a dangerous situation. Chairman Flags stresses the absolute lack of playground facilities for children in the area and the fact that a num- ber of accidents, some of them Mott Urged to Act On Housing NE WESTMINSTER, 8.C— Following the Royal City’s first eviction case this week, Harold Griffin, LPP Federal candidate and Jack Greenall, LPP Pro- vineial candidate, called on Mayor William Mott of New Westminster to urge that the city council take under immedi- ate consideration the question of pressing a housing program. They pointed out that the house on Royal Ave. from which the family had been “evicted for nonpayment of rent Was in such a state of disre- pair that “it was criminal for rent to be charged,” adding that the Royal City had a large number of sueh old houses which in normal times would be condemned. “The situation can be reme- died only if the city council gives the leadership expected of it on planning a housing pro- gram to be started immedi- ately,” said Greenall. Mayor Mott promised to give the matter early consideration. stttrttbtbbtbb bbb, Pender Auditorium (Boilermakers) Modern—Saturday Old-time—Thursday BOWLING ALLEYS Large and Small Halls : for Rentals Phone PA. 9481 BS SS cs aa oe 7G 0G OG OG Oa OG OG OG OG OG Oh OG OF OG OG OG OG OG OG UG OG 2 a4 fo lo > s + co * Lo > + + = > > Le Lo * o * * . Seobdhdbchdodiiodosbdbabaodkebashabdorkaele dbs v4 of near fatalities, have occurred. . Proper facilities, he feels ecer- tain, will prevent the majority of these and will considerably relieve the terrible anxiety of parents. ‘ Plage also points to the sta- tistics of juvenile delinquency as a major reason why imme- diate action to provide play- ground facilities is imperative. He quoted the figures of the Ganadian Welfare Council which show that the number of children actually adjudged delinquent was 42 percent high- er in 1942 than in 1939. Court appearances of juveniles in- ereased, under wartime condi- tions, from 9497 im 1939 to 13,892 in 1942. mittee feel very stz: this is an urgent commu sue that should receive 7 port of ali citizens. im: action is necessary to the children in the False district with a suitable ground, equipped with ‘teeter-totters; sandpiles nastic bars and other fa Flage asked that ; -terested eitizens contact 198 West Sixth Aven telephone the committee tary, Mrs. Jean Mason, a mont 0158M. Local CCL Unions El Delegates to Quebec Delegates to the fifth annual convention of tt nadian Congress of Labor, to be held October 16 ir bec City, have been elected by two of the major sh unions afniliated to the CCL, at recent meetings. The Boilermakers’ Union, largest union in the yards, el- ected the following as its dele- gates to the important conven- tion: William Stewart, A. De- laney, W. White, A. Leneou, M. Mcleod, W. Schwartz. The Dock and Shipyard Workers Union elected five delegates to attend the CCL meet. These were John Sandu- sky, Robert Mason, Adolph Pot- horne, Fred Nyby “and Fred McNeil. The Boilermakers also elec- ted delegates to the ence of the Shipyard | Workers FEederation opens its sessions in Vici October 6: The Federati ference is expected to major importance to the of shipbuilding on the Coast. This and allies tions are expected to bh with. 2 Delegates elected we Stewart, W. White, M. I W. Schwartz, W. Gee, Gough, W. Purvis, A. & E. Simpson and GC. Care DIRECTORY. =e = ot == = = A charge of 50 cents for each insertion of five lines or less with 10 cents for each additional line is made for notices appear- ing in this column. No notices will be accepted later than Wed- nesday midnight of the week of publication. Swing Shift Meeti All Vancouver LPP