He Fare Increase

The struggle against the increase in Belfast bus fares continues. We have shown in recent issues the class nature of the fight. In issue No.5 we named the councillors who voted for the increase and showed that not only were they all car owners but were mainly representing business interests. The council was faced with a choice between an increase of 30% and a subsity from the rates or a 50% increase and no subsity. The Council chose the latter. They rejected even a small rise in rates in favour of a massive jump in fares. Even under the present system (where the London bankers took £244,000 of the £280,000 lost on the buses last year) modest support from public funds could have |; prevented the fares rise. Two shil- ! lings per pound of valuation on both domestic and commercial rates . would have raised half-a-million pounds. For the average working class family (living in a house with a valuation of up to £20) a 2/-d. rates increase would have meant £2 extra in the year. The fares in crease means £80 extra per year for the average working class family.

The same sum of half a million pounds (which would have paid off last year's loss on the buses twice over) could have been collected by increasing the commercial rate by 4/-d. and leaving the domestic rate alone. And this is where the business men come in. Let us examine a typical Councillor-businessman. Alderman Joe Cairns lives in a fine house at 598 Antrim Road. He runs two cars, he even has a space marked out in the City Hall grounds for parking the fine car supplied to him by the people of Belfast. He also owns five shops, on the Shankill Road, Newtownards Road, Albertbridge Road, Duncairn Gardens and Sandy Row, as well as his headquaters in Dover Street. The total valuation on all his shops comes to Belfast, the real reasons for the increase in fares and also to try to force the council businessmen to reconsider their decision the P.D. decided to picket the Lord Mayor's shops. Last weekend demonstrations were mounted outside two of his premises and more are planned for this weekend. On Friday five members paraded in front of the shop on the Shankill Road. The pickets carried posters reading: "Down with Fares", ''How's your Car Mr. Mayor?" and "Hit him where he hit you - in the pocket". The protest continued for about twenty minutes receiving a very friendly reaction from passers-by, until one man began to shout and gathered a bit of a crowd. He then | tore the posters, and at that point, rather than provoke a confrontation, the P.D. members left. Another demonstration outside the Duncairn Gardens premises was very well re cieved for an hour. However a gang of men arrived and ripped up the placards, much to the annoyance of some local housewives who shouted that we were doing a good job. Even the Belfast Telegraph, which gave a very sneering report of the Friday picket, was obliged to recognise the support as well as the objections on Saturday. And during the week someone wrote to the Unionist owned Newsletter calling for a boycott of the Lord Mayor's shops until the fares were reduced. We do not expect to see Cairns signing on in Corporation Street for a few weeks yet, but we bet he is begining to feel the pinch!

We are continuing to gather signatures from councillors to calla special council meeting to reconsider the fares' question, and to suspend the increase. Next week we will publish a list of those who signed, and those who refused, it will contain a few surprises.