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, VOL. 22, NO. 1

VANCOUVE FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1962

IBENNETT’S NEW YEAR GIFT:

Indonesian demand for return of territories reaching near climax

The Indonesian government of President Sukarno over the New Year week has proclaimed a new “West

Irian” province and military theatre of Indonesia, which now includes the Dutch-held territory of West New

Guinea.

While the return of Dutch Guinea to Indonesia has been on the agenda for some con- siderable time, Western im- perialism loudly ‘‘deploring”’ | India’s liberation of Goa from the Portugese colonists, was fearful that the example. of |} Goa might unleash a chain- reaction, resuiting in a grow- ing demand for colonial free- dom» by a number of other “Asian areas held by foreign imperialism.

Hence, British, U.S., Dutch

and other spokesment of im- perialism have been pleading for “negotiation”, and urging that the government of In- donesia do nothing about Dutch Guinea other than ‘“ne- gotiate.”’

The proclamation of the Indonesian government, in- corporating ‘‘West Irian” into the Indonesian sovereignty now terminates the issue. The next move is up to Dutch im- perialism and its U.S. and British backers.

World War.

Talks on Berlin settlement resumed

_ A hopeful sign for the New Year. was the meeting Tuesday in Moscow between U.S. ambassador Llewellyn E. Thompson Jr., and Soviet foreign minister Andrei A. Gromyko. They met for two hours and 20 minutes to dis- cuss the basis for four power talks on Berlin.

Meanwhile, in a New Year‘’s message to British Prime Minister Macmillan, Soviet Premier Khrushchev said he believed the efforts and “common sense” of statesmen could ensure the settlement of outstanding problems and prevent a slide toward catastrophe.

He said the Soviet Union would work toward solving "important problems for the destiny of peace” such as disarmament and abolition of the remnants of the Second

van |

Hundreds of thousands of B. C. homeowners this week re-. ceived the highest assessment notices in history as a New Year's gift from Premier Bennett’s Social Credit government.

Although the notices came from civic officials, they were the result of amendments to the B.C. Assessment Equaliz- ation Act; pushed through by the Socred government.

The new amendments make it compulsory to assess land and improvements at 50 per cent of 1958 values. Prev- iously land was assessed for tax purposes at 60 per cent of the 1955 value and im- provements at 60 per cent of 1953 value.

Under the new arrange- ment owners of homes will pay -more while owners of apartments, commercial and industrial property will pay proportionately less.

The reason for this is that |

on the real estate market the value of homes have. in- creased at a much faster rate since 1955 than values. of commercial properties. While progressive people have supported proposals in the past fOr equalization of them closer tO real- values, assessments and bringing the vresent anm\endments to the Act are being used as a

‘vast operation to shift a big

chunk of the tax load off in- dustrial ‘and commercial pro- perty and on to the backs Of homeowners.

CITY HIT HARD

In*Vancouver i¢ is expected that city homes will have to pay about one million dollars more in property taxes in 1962 above any additional in- ereases which higher sckool and other civic taxes may bring. The one million dol- lars is the amount which will be shifted from commer- cial and industrial property assessments to home assess- ments.

Recently city assessor Don McQueen said the average overall increase last year was about one per cent compared with this year’s 35 per cent. One of the hardest hit areas of the city is expected to be South Vancouver. One hund- red thousand assessment not- ices have already gone out in Vancouver.

City Council has sent tax- payers a notice stating that an increase. in assessment does not necessarily mean an increase in taxes. Council can reduce-the mill rate in proportion to the increased assessments. It can also in- crease business and other tax- es to transfer the $1 million new tax load back to com- mercial and industrial pro- perty.

However, ratepayer groups in the city are deeply dis- turbed. They point out that the present City Council is dominated by representatives of the same groups who will benefit from the shift of tax-

es to homeowners. Some have’

property in the city which will benefit directly from the new assessments.

They also point out that the NPA-dominated City Council has rejected all pro- posals in the past for taxa- tion reform to shift the tax load on to the big business interests in the city who are best able to pay more taxes.

CALLS FOR ACTION

Mona Morgan, spokesman’

for the Civic Reform Assoc- iation, and candidate for Council in the recent elec- tion, this, week urged all homeowners to appeal their tax assessments. She said the

suming nuclear

U.S. to resume tests

The U.S. announced over New Year’s weekend that a

task force had been set up to make preparations for re- tests. De- cision to resume tests fol- lows a meeting between Ken- nedy and Macmillan at Ham- ilton, Bermuda a few days ago.

CRA will ask City Council to seek-a Charter amendment immediately to make possible the required tax reform.

Last year the CRA warned of the big tax increases com- ing in 1962 and presented a brief to-Council urging ac- tion. to offset any bigger: tax burden on homeowners and tenants.

Ther CRA brief called for increased aid from senior - governments and drastic al- teration of the real property tax by an exemption of $1,-— 500 on homes and a lowering of the mill rate.

Commenting on the CRA brief, Mona Morgan recalled that. Premier Bennett had suggested some time ago that a $1000 exemption might be considered. She said “it now appears that a much larger basic exemption, perhaps $2500 would be required to provide relief for homeown- ers.”

On going to press the Pac- ific Tribune learned that the -

-Vaneouver Central Council

of Ratepayers executive had held a meeting to plan action on the tax crisis.

CUBAN PEOPLE STAND ON GUARD. In face of stepped up activity by the U.S. government to rally support in the Western Hemisphere against Cuba, the Cuban people this week celebrated the third anniversary of their revolution. Picture above shows a recent mass rally of women in Havana in support of the revolution. Picture below shows an anti-aircraft unit of the Cuban militia ready to defend their homeland.