The utilities can pay @ne of the worst ex: amples of civic mismanage- ment was revealed recently when investigators uncover- ed the fact that “enormous potential sources of rev- enue” from two of the larg- est utilities in British Co- lumbia are being deliber- ately sacrificed by Vancouver's Non-Partisan city council. The two big monopolies, the B.€, Electric Company with its subsidies, and the B.G. Tele- phone Company, have always been treated with a sort of tender solicitude by the City Council. Despite the Non-Partisans’ apparent approval of the mon- opolies’ policy of least possible Service at highest possible rates, Statistics prove that the poten- tial revenue from the BCE and BCT is so large that it alone would give the city all the ex- tra revenue it requires for com- munity improvements. : Comparison of revenues ob- tained in Vancouver and other Canadian cities reveals some amazing facts. In Vancouver, revenue from SBC€#Hlectric utili- ties amounts to only 500 thous- and dollars, or little over three percent of gross city revenue. Yet in the much smaller town of Regina, revenue from elec— tric utilities are more than 900 thousand dollars, or 43 percent of the city’s total revenue. Sas- katoon receives 42 percent of its revenue from the electric util- ity, Calgary 24 percent, and Ed- monton 14 percent. In other words, if Vancouver taxed its electric utility on the same basis as does Regina, our city could count on an extra six million, five hundred thousand dollars to pour into civic Im- provement every year! How should the city council go about obtaining extra rev- enue from the BCElectric? There are two ways open. One, the better way, is for the City of Vancouver to become boss of its own publicly-owned trans- portation system. A second plan would be to order the monopoly to pay increased taxes out of its Business tax proposed to end license inequalities, increase revenue Heads of large commercial enterprises here and those with head offices in other cities must chortle at the “killing” made in Wancouver each year in the form of savings ef- fected through lack of a proper business tax structure. This fact is so because it is universally recognized that Vancouver's method of taxing business enterprises costs taxpayers sufficient funds to pay for the Civic Center, and success- fully works a terrific hardship on the small storekeepers and: buSi- ness men who make up a great part of Vancouver’s commercial and industrial life. A corner grocer, carrying a number of sidelines, under the present licensing; method, pays approximately $85.00 annually for licenses to operate. One would imagine that under such circum- stances a large monopoly, which has a strangle hold on Vancou- ver’s public utilities, would pay a sum many times that amount. The ridiculous nature of the city’s taxation of businesses through licenses is revealed when it is learned that the B.C. -Hlec- tric, Transportation, Light, Heat and. Power Company pays into the city treasury annually the sum of only $1,500.00 in license fees. Tt is not necessary to list the many examples that could be cited in this instance. It can, however, be pointed out conclusively that by ignoring the potential income realizable from a business tax, the city council is deliberately Sacrificing sufficient revenue to supply present needs. Vancouver is one of the few cities in Canada which does not have a business tax. If Vancouver were to impose a business tax de- signed to ield 11.6% (the Ontario average) of assessment revenue, the income would be nearly $1,- &00,000.00, and this is based on 41944 figures. And if Vancouver were to completely eliminate Present licensing fees, the new system of business taxation would represent a gross profit of over one million dollars. Under the present set-up terri- fic discrimination is practiced against small shop and business owners. While big monopolies and utility companies pay token li- eense fees, small business men pay, and pay and pay for the privilege of staying in business. The remedy to the present sys- tem of licensing is for small busi- ness people and the people of the city to demand that our Civic gov- ernment impose a business tax, designed to derive the maximum ef revenue from those best able to pay. The city fathers’ blithe disregard of the potentiality lu- erative source of revenue repre- sented by a form of business tax- ation is a revealing example of their lack of ability to manage the affairs of the city, and reveals a policy of outrageous discrimina- tion against small business men. the voters’ list. Decade eof HeEny Labor in 1886 defeated the candidate of the big shots of the day and elected a labor mayor, Malcolm MacLean. Let us take a lead from our pioneers. us not only elect a “labor mayor” but a “Labor Re- form’’ group of aldermen as well. Preparations must start now. The farst hurdle is Eisewhere in these pages you will read how and where to register. the list who could and should register. Let Thousands are off Arrangements huge yearly profits. At the same time, the B.C. Telephone Company is handed a juicy plum each year by the city council in the form of f- diculously low tax rates. The small home owner, who suffers under the city’s high mill rate, might well wonder how the big telephone company, with 10 large buildings, nine of them telephone exchanges, gets away with paying only $83,148 for 1944. Yet in smaller Edmonton, the telephone company handed over more than $272,000 in taxes for the same year. When the Provincial Govern- ment offered this year to em- While thousands city are ruefully ment of school days, Shocked as reports on come from all-sides. of students will be packed the = nnn Mn Mn nnn mn Give our children a break! of school-age children throughout the considering the™ rest of inadequacy of school accommodation According to latest surveys, thousands into crowded classrooms crepit, out-dated buildings fit only for demolition, and teach- ers will be therefore severely handicapped bark with the city on a co- operative plan whereby the elec- tric utility could be taken over by the province and municipali- ties, the Non-Partisans gave the whole idea the cold Shoulder. A practical plan to accomplish the change to public ownership was presented in a report from W- G. Gilman and Co, New York Engineers. The city council re- jected the report after the slight- est possible discussion, thereby ending the immediate possibil- ity of public ownership. Such actions give the lie to the Non- Partisans’ hypocritical election slogans of picturing themselves as “good businessmen.” commence- being approaching Vancouver is in de- in their tasks of educating the younger generation. While the average citizen is becoming riled about such Shameful conditions, existing as they do in a province that prides itself on its progressive advances, experts who have studied the questicn thoroughly have uncovered the concrete facts of the case, and are pointing out a way to their solu- tion. Vancouver’s ambitious school construction program, (to which voters gaye an enthusiastic go-ahead signal by plebis- cite at the last ‘civic election) is bogged down by lack of funds. The school building program which called for an ex- penditure of $15,000,000.00 to provide new class rooms and equipment, cannot be put into effect until suffcient money. is raised. And if the 15 millions estimated cost seems like a lot of money, the experts say, it is a drop in the bucket tec what the city pays out in interests on old debts. Further, they explain that the proposed school building program could be completely financed, and another long- term building project be begun, if such huge monoplies as the B.C. Electric Railway Company had been made to con- tribute a fair share to the city’s upkeep. As it is, financial favors handed out to the comany by the city council make Such projects as the building of new schools, hospitals, parks and facilities for registration are designed to prevent a full registration. City Charter rights to vote are Narrow enough, but big business interpretations of the charter have deliberately and illegally narrowed them still further. Iabor and the people can break through these narrow restrictions. Thousands can and should register now—remember in December. Support the reform program and candidates who support it. = HTSUS LT PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 10 and changes tence, and lack of foresight the ordinary citizen, through proper taxation. and playgrounds nothing but rosy dreams for the future. An astounding picture of our school accommodation is given by officials of Parent-Teachers’ Federation, who declare that “A number of our schools are old and obsolete. Many school . . Im the next ten years Van- couver’s growing population will require many additions to in our school system.” buildings must be modernized. It is pointed out that our tion is the direct result of financial mismanagement, incompe- in city council members, prefer to cater to monopolies who instead A fairer method of levying taxes on such huge concerns as the BCER would mean money-in- pocket for the man who pays—the city small property owner. a NTT EU HUTT outmoded school accommoda-~ who “make a killing’ out of of increasing city revenues B.C. government must share city’s road-building outlay “Ask any motorist compelled to jar his molars loose on WVancouver’s nightmarish roads what he thinks of the Non-Partisan road building and improvement program and he'll probably laugh bitterly and reply “Lousy.” \ The primitive, wagon-track condition of Vancouver’s streets is a further evidence of the ten- year sit-down strike Non-Parti- sans have staged in the City Hall. With the built-up sections of the eity extending farther and farth- er from the city center, more and more property owners are begin- ning to realize that nothing short of a major shake-up will remedy the conditions which persist. Perhaps the most striking ex- ample -is the arterial highways which extend south to the Ameri- can border and east to the In- terior sections of the province. Because all roads-end in WVan- couver, and although the province collects huge sums in gasoline tax from the city, none of this is fed back to the city for road im- provement and maintenance. In other municipalities, the provincial government contributes 7S pereent to the costf primary, and 50 percent to the cost of sec- ondary highway maintenance and construction. The network of highways radiating from Van- couver are in fact the key to in- international terprovincial and highway commerce, but the pro- vincial .government contributes absolutely nothing to upkeep and building of roads. A classic example of this is Fraser Ayenue, which in addition to joining the residential area of South Vancouver to the city, per-= forms the function of a primary- highway to Marpole, Ladner, and the United States border, The con- dition of this road is deplorable and stands as condemnation of the provincial government’s dis- crimination and the City Coun- cil’s cap-in-hand attitude in de- manding aid from the province for maintenance and upkeep. While the City Council has bleat- €d to the province and timor- cusly asked assistance, at no time Ras it offered a real program for highway improvement as the starting point for a road building plan. A hard-headed and realistic ap- proach, making specific recom- mendations to and demands from the Provincial Government is what is necessary, if Vancouver is to enjoy improved highways and roads. Taxation past. But anyone who has been forced to ride in the antiquated streetcars provid- ed can see no reason for singling the BCER out for special consideration. ; While the BCER has . nothing to offer the city ex- cept the vaguest promises of improvements sometime in the future, other transporta- tion companies are eager to try their hand at the job, and are willing to make real concessions to the city for the privilege. - x A striking example of this Was given when the Biue Line Transportation. C€om- pany presented its offer to the city for consideration. OTHER OFFERS Among other things, the Blue Line offered the city that all rew equipment would be em- ployed and unsightly car tracks would become a thing of the past. More than that, the Blue Line would agree to sell the en- tire transportation system to the city as early as five years from now, at 75 percent of its origin- ai cost or at the end of 20 years for only 10 percent of the original cost Another im- portant point which appeals to the average man and woman is that the Blue Line offered a very favorable tax arrange- ment which weuld mean in- creased city revenue. : Yet this plan was rejected without consideration. It was not the job of the city sub- committee to consider any of fers except these submitted by the BCER. And the Blue Line Plan was not even used as a bargaining device in negotiations with the BCER. ; Beeause of such bare-faced patronage, citizens are begin- ning to demand that the eight- months silence be broken. They are demanding that not only should the Blue Line Transpor tation Company’s offer be con- sidered, but similar bids be sought from other large trans- portation companies. They are demanding that a city-wide pleb- iscite be held so that citizens can make their feelings on the subject known. Another point that is causing mueh dissatisfaction is the city council’s refusal to discuss pub- lic ownership plans. Other mu- nicipalities have proved that public ownership is the most economical way to provide transportation. West Vancou- ver, with its fifteen publicly— Gwned buses, made a clear prof- it of $11,000 last year, profit which was not put in the hands of private financiers, but was placed in civic coffers for pub- lic benefit. Traction steal assessments on high value prop- erty. This in turn demands 4 complete break with the city council’s policy of appeasing real estate and property interests who dominate the Non-Partisan civic government. The present Non-Partisan city council, with a ten-year record of incompetence, has proven con- clusively that it is incapable of running the affairs of our city in the interests of the population. It is the job of every person inter- ested in equitable distribution of the financial burden of running: the city to protest the corrupt and penny-pinching policies of the WNon-Partisans. The only alterna- tive to continued WNon-Partisan mismanagement is its replacement with a modern and forward-look- ing city government designed te _meet the demands of a growing metropolis. Before Vancouver can Jlaunch into the expansion de- manded by the reconstruction period, present evils of misman- agement must be wiped out. ERIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1946