ond Issue Feb., 1960

From Page One

Big. PLUMBER “WORKER

“Power

Uttawa conferences of the Policy Liaison Committee at which treaty negotiations with the United States will be discussed.

In his contribution to the “Yhrone Speech debate the Min- ister presented the House with an impressive array of engineering data respecting both schemes, but carefully refrained from stating policy either with regard to tim- ing or priorities.

Judging from the general tone of ministerial reference to the subject, the Government distinctly favours the private development of Peace River Power, and would be well content to leave Columbia development to the distant future.

A Grave Loss

One disadvantage of such a course would be to compel the United States to turn to other power sources, and thus deprive southern B.C. of its share of low- cost downstream benefits from the Columbia development.

It is not beyond the range of possibility that the next provincial general election will be fought on this issue. Already it over-shadows all other issues in the minds of both Government and Opposition members in the Legislature.

Race Against Time

The province is im a_ race against time, if it is to avoid a power “brown-out” sometime be- tween 1966 and 1968. Total pro- vincial usage of electricity at the end of 1959 was approximately 10% above the actual production of the previous year — 12.4 billion kilowatt hours.

There was a significant increase in generating capacity during the year, under the B.C. Electric, and the BC. Hydro. Plants now built or planned will provide for pro-

Vincial needs until 1966-68. By that time, experts claim, power must be available from other

major power sources for an ex- pected demand of 25 million kilo- watt hours — or more than double the present consumption, By 1975, it is estimated by the engineers, the annual requirements will total between 40 and 50 billion kilowatt hours,

Beeause the devlopment of major hydropower projects re- quires considerable time, engineer- ing studies and planning must now be accelerated. Vital de- cisions can no longer be post- poned.

Billions Involved According the Minister's Statistics, a fully developed system on the Columbia in Canada con-

to

sisting of 10 projects, together With the necessary transmission system, will cost ‘approximately

1.4 billion dollars and would pro- vide 21.5 billion kilowatt hours per annum. To this can be added a fair share of the 20 billion kilo- watt hours of electricity that the regulated flow from Canadian Storage would produce in the United States.

The proposed Peace River pro- ject, fully developed in Canada, would produce 20 billion kilowatt ours annually. This includes an estimated 16.5 billion kilowatts from the Portage Mountain and Site T projects.

Interesting Facts

The current controversy is un- covering interesting facts about Columbia development.

The Throne Speech, January 20th, in the House of Commons stated. “The Government of Can- ada remains ready to participate with British Columbia in the joint development of the potentials of this great river (Columbia)”. A Similar committment had been given in the 1957 Federal Throne Public Power Project Williston emphasized

nt given earlier by

the :

| volume of low-cost power for B.C.

' | i

1

Study By

misin-

may I repeat this Government’s policy statement that the Colum- bia in Canada will be developed as a public power river with the actual development carried out by the B.C. Power Commission”.

Step Financing Possible

The Minister was emphatic in his assertion that the Columbia would be developed in stages or steps. Usually this feature is an aid to painless financing. How- ever, he conveyed the impression that the financing of a billion dol- lar expenditure by three govern- ments over twenty or thirty years might damage the credit resources of the province in respect of other provincial needs. In corres- pondence with the Federal Govern- ment, the B.C. authorities have urged some clarification of fin- ancial responsibilities for the im- mediate as well as the distant future.

Attorney-General Bonner ap- peared to be in favour of the Peace River Development. In an argument which had overtones of a threat, he declared that making low-cost power available to the U.S. by downstream benefits would seriously damage B.C. in- dustry, unless tariff compensa- tions were provided. His argument has been attacked on al! sides on the ground that the greater

industry would far outweigh the | possibility of loss of industry to the U.S.

The ambiguous position taken by Ministers of the Government has invited serious criticism. Two Cabinet Ministers are members of the B.C. Power Commission. Thus they serve as directors of a publicly-owned utility.

Boosting Rival Interests

Notwithstanding this fact, they have both been stumping the country exhibiting colored slides portraying the advantages of the Peace River Power development. As a matter of fact, as directors of a publicly-owned utility they have been boosting the merits of a rival project, which will benefit

a mere handful of private pro- moters. It is predicted that the B.C.

Government will back down from

its present position rather than

run the risks of public disapproval See “POWER” P. 6

Automation

M.L.As

VICTORIA — The effects of automation upon the economy of British Columbia and _ its people will be the subject of enquiry by the Standing Com- mittee on Labour, it was ordered in the Legislature February 5th. When queried as to whether the Opposition would press for broader terms of reference, Oppo- sition Leader Bob Strachan ex- pressed the view that nearly all the pressing problems facing labour could be dealt with in terms of the enquiry,

General Probe Opposed

When speaking to the métion on the floor he expressed the view that neither labour nor manage- ment should seek to exploit the enquiry to air old labour-manage- ment grievances,

Evidently it is the intention of the Government that the Com- mittee shall stick to automation and only automation this session.

CCF members on the Commit-

tee are: Rae Eddie, John Squire and Cedric Cox.

It is anticipated that trade will be permitted to make 1 the subject, A 4 ‘ i

“Ao “Ga.

\ g NEW EXECUTIVE of the Vancouver and District Labour Council elected January 19. Group are Ed Sims,

President; Dave Chapman, Ist Vice-president; Mel Kemmis, 2nd Vice-president; H. B. Hodgins, 3rd Vice- president; Secretary-Treasurer, C. P. (Paddy) Neale; Public Relations Chairman, Al Colman; Legislative

Committee Chairman, John Henderson; Grievance Committee Chairman, Syd Thompson; Education Chairman, John Hayward; Credentials Committee Chairman, A. Barnes. Missing from picture is Wyman Trineer, Organizction Committee Chairman.

last time, they're Dayton’s D-A-Y-T-O-N-'S

No. 6401 “Light Cruiser’”—No. 1 choice in the B.C. woods

SHOE MANUFACTURING CO.

(B.C.) LTD. 2248-50 East Hastings St.

Vancouver, B. C.