The Western Socialist
Vol. 28 - No. 222
No. 4, 1961
page 17
A serious gentleman by the name of Gerald Johnson has written a book named, "The Man Who Feels Left Behind." This book was touched upon by one John Crosby in the Daily Colonist for March 3, 1961. The reviewer quotes the author on something socialists have contended for a long time, but he limits the area: "No big city is physically fit for human habitation. The noise, crowding, atmospheric pollution and inconvenience are such as sentient human beings should not be called on to endure save for compelling reasons."
Well, we know of some pretty compelling reasons why humans who belong to the wage-working section of society inhabit the asphalt jungle. It's nice to be able to eat, wear clothes and sleep with a shelter over the frame.
But what many proletarians must put up with is shown by another item in the same' paper the following day.
"Twenty-one-and-a-half tons of dust fall on each square mile of Vancouver every month. But this is minor compared to London's 112 tons, New York's 85.5, Toronto's 50.2, Winnipeg's 49.2. and Ottawa's 31 tons.
"The side effects of air pollution cost each man, woman and child in the U. S. $2 a year. It means increased costs, skin irritations, allergies, damage to lung tissue, and is a possible link to cancer." (R. E. Munn, meteorologist from Toronto.)
Auto exhaust pipes can be filtered, so can smokestacks of factories. Industries and populations could be more dispersed, but this is not likely while wealth is produced for sale. Costs have to be taken into consideration and these things might eat into profit. So the workers continue to suffer.
J. G. JENKINS