56 TORONTO — The League for Socialist Action roports encouraging results in its campaign behind the candidacy of Ross Dowson for Mayor. Editor of the “Workers Vanguard" a national monthly publication, Dowson is woll known in Canada labour circles as a revolutionary socialist. The Leaguo announced that it was supporting Dowson for two ronsons ¢ (1) Ta uphold the principle of indopondont labour political action when this was not dono by cithor the Toronto Labour Council or the New Democratic Party. (2) To rally spport for the dofenee of Cuba against the threat of attack from the Uhited States,
The Calam crisis was a turning issuo throughout tho campaign but the defenders of the Cuban Revolution — no doubt bocauso of their positian on this question — found it difficult to break into the columm of the daily press, Dowson @id succeed, however in getting sevoral short appearances on T,V. Most of the campaigning was dono in the streets, Somo 60,000 leaf= lots were distributed at factory gatos and door to door in working class areas and a special leaflet in Italian was distrihited in tho It .lian Community. Almost a thousand posters were pasted up throughout the city.
Two days before the clection, demonstrators carrying placards paraded through tho heavily crowded downtown areas, A sound truck was also used om major streets of the city. The revolutionary socialist received 1,119 votes. This low vote was not unexpected, Workers wero little inter= pated in the election as a whole since the labour bureaucrats urged support of Tory and Liberal candidates, With limited resources and a complete prese and radio blackout, it was difficult to bring the socialist slternative to the electorate. However, tha League For Socialist Action reports that the direct response te the campaign was greator than in any previous campaign,