CTT ote a ocd 4 . - Page 4, The Herald, Friday, July 13, 1979 TERRACE/KITIMAT daily herald as General Office - 635-6357 Circulation - 635-6357 “Published by Sterling Publishers GEN. MANAGER - Knox Coupland EDITOR - Greg Middiaton CIRCULATION. TERRACE - 635-6357 KITIMAT OF FICE - 632-2747 Published every weekday at 3212 Kalum Street, Terrace, 8.C. A member of Verifled Circulation. Authorized as second class mal). Registration number 1201, Postage pald In cash, return postage guaranteed. NOTE OF COPYRIGHT The Herald retains full, complete and sole copyright In any advertisement produced and-or any editorial or photographic content published in the Herald. Reproduction |s not permitted. ATRILL THINKS | by Thomas Atrill Tax saving, anyone? Arevolutionary thought, I admit, but most of us are becoming increasingly conscious of our heavy .tax burden, and hope that it may be lightened. First, let me describe the typical public place; ‘it may be ‘a post office, a museum, a library, or a government building. There is an expanse of lawn, shrubs, seats and other conveniences for the public. But does the public get to use these attractive amenities? Not much. Time after ‘time, the only — people there are loafers, hippies, welfare bums and other degenerates. In the past, such places attracted families, pic- nickers, scholars and a host of wholesome and positive people who enjoyed the use of the things for which they helped to pay: Policemen on foot moved the uh- desirables on, and prevented the degeneracy that is now, said to say, associated with most public grounds. It made good sense to encourage the taxpayer: and good citizen to enjoy these parks and lawns, while discouraging the moocher and the social dropout.’ Socialists will say, “‘times change; the meek are not - inheriting the earth.”’ we “But not at my expense,” I say. And.since obviously they will not and do not pay, why not close down the facilities and spend our tax dollars on projects which will better benefit the working citizen’? We should build all public buildings to the property line, just as do banks and hardware stores. We should enforce the laws about loitering and vandalism. We should demand a dollar's value for every dollar spent. est bas A Fao Perhaps this appears to some liberals as being too hardhearted. I disagree. Hf and whén We rearrange ~ our priorities, and the ‘totem pole’ is again turned - rightside up, the low life's and their ilk will be af the bottom where they belong and the decent, taxpaying, honest working person will be nearer the top. The criminal will again be reviled and criticized and the victim will be given the help and sympathy he deserves. And our public places will not be hangouts for. moochers and degenerates, EDITOR'S JOURNAL BY GREG MIDDLETON t . Among the groups looking around and realizing - there is more to the world {s the Vancouver Board of Trade. In a recent comment they offer to newspapers, it notes that there is something north of Vancouver worth looking into. Board of Trademembers will be visiting this area as well as the Peace River country. The purpose of the trip is to meet members of local chambers of com- merce and civic officials as well as to see the sights. Anote of current interest is that the Red Cross was gearing up for disaster. dust in case Skylab does happen to drop on this area, the provincial Red Cross orgainzation was contacting ali the volunteers who work for the group in times of nee . You have to give them credit for putting in the effort on the slim chance that they might be needed. Let’s face it, Most of us probably wouldn’t do much even if we were told there was a good chance the space station might crash here. And speaking of covering the bases, I've got to hand it tothe advertising man at the Canada Dry Company. In my mail.here at the office recently I received a complimentary bottle of their club soda. The promotion revolved around the company’s claim that club soda made a nice, refreshing, non-alcoholic and calorie free beverage, when a dash of fresh lemon juice was addéd. Tobe sure I would try it they sent me a fresh lemon along with the club seda. What was interesting was that the promotion works. Ttried the club soda and squeeze of lemon and liked it. More important to them, I mentioned it to you. I must add, however, that it is even better with a squeeze of lime. Not only is it a tasty thirst quencher, it 1s good camoflage if-you don’t want to be swilling back the booze somewhere where everyone has a drink in their hand. ‘OTTAWA OFFBEAT ' BY RICHARD JACKSON OTTAWA (CP) — The new world trade agreement. signed Wednesday looks good on r, but will be of little: value unless the new, government forces Canada's trading part: ners to live up to their commitments, say key industrial spokesmen. “There's no question we've opened = our markets, but the big question now is whether other countries will comply with the terms of the deal,’ Roy Phillips, executive director of the Ganadian' Manufacturers ' -Aasoclation, said Thur. day.” "The assoclataion, which represents most of the country's major in- dustries, will urge the government to closely monitor its trading partners to ensure that they keep their part of the ‘bargain, opening their markets to more Canadian exports, “If the new trade codes . we agreed to there (in Geneva where the pact was signed), are not properly pursued, we really don't know where we stand,” spid a spokesman for the Cang- dian Exporters Association. He said many in- dustries hoping. to in- crease their sales abroad are waiting apprehen- sively to see how vigorously the Clark government will enforce the non-tariff agreements reached in Geneva. WILL IT LAST? . Trade agreement queried By CAROL GOAR - ‘=~These include pledges dig, Japan, the United i, and the hine- European Eco- nomile Community to let down barriers to Canadian products such as their governments’ buyat-home policies and + subsidies designed to give their own manfucturers a competitive edge in the . home market. The agreement also calls on countries to remove trade obstacles such as punitive dufies ¢ designed to keep put § oeumwant ‘and standards and licensing procedures which pre- clude imported goods. “We hope the ef- fectiveness of these new non-tariff agreements will make up for the reductions we have made in our protective tariffs,” said the export associ- ation ofticial, Phillips said he had. been ‘assured by both Canadian and United States negotiators after six-year trade talks that all participants signed the pact in good faith, fully intending to decrease — and in some cases eliminate ~ their non- tariff barriers. Businessmen are also edgy that the new trade agreement might in-- directly cause taxes to go up. ; Phillips said industry . representitives will soon approach In-o dustry | ‘Minister Bob de Cotret and Trade Minister Michael Wilson urging that the government resist any temptation to recover the revenue it stands to lose when tariffs are lowered by increasing ’ taxes, Iti difficult to estimate exactiy the amount in- volved because govern: ment collections depend on how much Canadians buy abroad. However, it ia clear that lowering these duties means a loss of revenue. Fae ove. primary concern ; consumers is how’ the government will behave when it loses this tariff income," said Phillips. “They must ensure that they reduté their own spending to Same industries are worried tough years lie ahead as they attempt to’ survive in the more competitive trade at- mivsphere expected to flow outof the agreement, Tom Whellams, executive: vice-president of. the Automotive In- dustries Association of Canada, said his great fear is that many of the U.S.-owned companies, which manufacture some of their product lines in Canada, may pull oul their. subsidiaries. as a result of the agreement. ‘His association represents companies which make replacement to match the - _parts for cars and other vehicles. Eighty per cent of these companies are “US. branch ‘Plants, . Whellams said, Although tariff reductions on. vehicle. parts are. av omnall. andi Gradual (a 5.8-per-cent . drop over seven years), this could be sufficient to convince U.S. parents not _to expand in Canada, he said. Spokesmen for the chemical industry said producers _ of key petrochemicals are disappointed _ the qpeement trike to open’ the U anticipated. But the $28 billion chemical Industry as a whole considers the trade pact acceptable. Several exporters . expressed uneasiness that the government has mt yet made clear exactly how much assistance they can ex- pect in adjusting to the new international trade ‘elimate. The exporters association will press the government for a full. statement as soon as possible. Phillips said the trade agreement will intensify existing pressure on manufacturers to produce more cheaply and efficiently to compete internatiomally. - He said It is too early to identify industries. which» could be termed winners or losers as a result of the new trade pact. r el a uae as uek wat a a Run 1 LONDON (CP) — ‘Margaret Thatcher, elected prime minister on a “cool the unions’ plat- form in May, has made her first ‘move in that direction and, already, storm signals are flying. Her proposals this week sound tame compared with her pronouncenients during Britwpn's winter of strikzhdiscontent, | Nevertheless, Big Labor doesn't like it one bit and union leaders are predicting that it could lead to a rzplay of thz confrontation brought down the last Conservative ad- — ministration flve years ago. Alan Fisher, head of the National Union of Public Employees, says: “We are absolutely deter- mined to oppose the gov- ernment’s interference with trade union affairs,”’ David Basnett, leader of the Municipal and General Workers Union; says: ‘‘The proposals show a dangerous lack of understanding of the mechanisms of peacexu) industrial relations." which. BRITISH TORIES By BRUCE LEVETT Len Murray, general secretary of the Trade © Unions Congress, says: “I had hoped that the lessons of 1971 to. 1974, - which did so much to Cause unnecessary in- dustrial difficulties, had been learned. We shall try to persuade the. govern- ment to change course.” ‘ To Western countries such as Canada, the Conservative gov- ernment’s proposals — and at this stage they're only talking pointa — — might seem something less than controversial. Closed shops showd be established only with the wholehearted support of the workers concerned. Governtnent cash would be supplied to finance secret ballots in union affairs, as opposed ta the present ‘show of hands” system now in vogue, The outlawying of secondary picketing, Among the criticisms being heard is one that . asks why the subject is being brought up now, during a period of relative calm on the British labor scene, Against that is the argument that to have delayed would hwve been - to open thehgovernment to charges of shirking the central issue upon which it was elected. That Thatcher government proposes to make the secret ballot point voluntary. . Union leaders have said that a secret ballot could lead to the election of more militant officials and the endorsation of ex- treme wage demands. * The government argues that thiahpoint alone is why the yecret ballot is net being made com- pulsory. Even The Guardian, not the most .right-wing of Britain's responsible newspapers, expresses surprise at thz vehe- mence of union [reaction which speaks of “maximum resistance." “It is hard to, see that in with unions: seen basic trade union rights ' —as opposed {9 or: ’ easlonal trade union ex- cesses, which are con- sistently condemned by trade union leaders and deeply disliked by the mass of the public and most trade unionists — are under thjeat fram the current ,,Peform ackage,’’ the paper raltorielizes, P In sum, there is Ilttle that is compulsory in the government praposals. Pickets = wo be confined tolaction againyt thelr own company, Even should secondary picketing occur, it would to the fir- mbinvolveb ~ and not the govermment — to take the matter to court. Even The Guardian calls for detailed union- government negotiations over the propoyals, “To interpret &maximum trade union resistance’ as a call to boycott leks with the government would be short-sighted, - self- defeating and = con- temptuous of the elec- _ torate.” - represent, Ottawa,-li Prime Minister Clark-for ‘all his initial mistakes--loes just one thing in his first year of power, | he will-accomplish what turned out to be the im- ‘possible for both Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau. And that is to break up the. “old boys’ network” In the public service that locks, out of any federal: job Practically all but the pre-selected favorites of the civil service boffins. . Truth to tell, Lester Pearson, being a career public servant himeelf, never really tried to break this . federal job monopoly, To give him his due, Pierre Trudeau recognized the problem, made a publi¢ declaration that he would solve it and dismantle the government employment cartel, But he didn’t, or couldn't. A small thing, a mere detail, of little if any con- sequence to anyone, you say? And sure, you're correct, if 300 (000 jobs, all of them paying: more than comparable employment in -the private sector and carrying an indexed pension, don't matter. It used to be, if the legend of the "the finest public service in the world’ (gospel in goverment circles only 20 years ago) is to be believed, that bright young Canadians from ail regions of the country were eligible for appointment, if qualified, to serve the nation. A good many aspired to such a career, It is set out-that all public service jobs must be advertised, and competitions for them held. But it’s only a costly playing of the game of let's pretend, For as any government-watcher well knows, federal jobs--from the halfdecent to the very senior--are - inevitably slotted for a choice of one, two, or three “insiders,” Frequently the choice id made before: ever the position is advertised. The ‘tmerit system,” as the public service once proudly called it, is as dead as the idea that anyone qualified for the job has a fair shot at it. No long is it'a case of what you know, but who you know, and more recently and more importantly who you are.. —_ Fantasy? " jfskear “any public servant of close , acquaintance and ust: “Asian ‘early, “retiree,” squeezed out to make room for. somebody’ S favorite. Bk’ any. frustrated government workers who has been brought to a career dead end by bilingualism. . They'll tell you the big thing is not being an English- Canadian, even a fluently bilingual one. Because ?éi: _English-Canadian speaking good French is not the same as a French-Canadian speaking bad English. Poor English has. the priority over good French. Which is one of the reasons that fully a third of the ‘public service is French while French-Canadians . account for less than one-fifth of the population. Prime Minister Clark has directed that at least one ' SEHIG? Pésitidit ti” every’ cabinet minister's staff be French-Canadian, which is fair. To break the bilingual job cartel, the new govern: ment should amend the Human Rights Act which protects Canadians from discrimination based .on race, color, religion, age, sex, marital status, a par: doned offencewand Physical handicap—but not on language. MLA’s REPORT by Frank Howard . Last fall, upon hearing that General Motors might - be interested i in establishing an aluminum die-casting plant somewhere in Canada, I wrote to the President of G.M. telling him that aluminum, power, space, workers and a deep-sea port existed at Kitimat. I received a reply saying that G.M. would take the suggestion under advisement. Shortly after that I received a létter from the President of Alcan commenting on the die-casting proposal. That letter said to me that Alcan was paying more attention to politics than had earlier been the case. Shortly after I was elected 1 got a ietter of congratulations from the Employer's Council of B.C. This was followed by meeting with the Employer’s _ Council's Victoria lobbyist. Within a few weeks of being elected I got a message indirectly that George Wilkinson of the Kitimat Oil Pipeline Consortium would like to have lunch with me. Bill King, NDP MLA for Shushwap-Revelstoke, and myself met with George for lunch. His purpose was to tout the proposed Kitimat Oil Port proposal. And here I thought the project was dead. The next morning I had a visit from D.W. Ross and Associates Ltd., giving me further information about the oil port proposal. I've been receiving Beale’s Newsletter in which specific mention is made of the need, by corporations, to keep politicians informed, Certainly we are all interested in information, but - certain types of information received from cor: porations is information with a message,-with-a purpose. It is information provided with a bias and, as such, needs careful examination. The intentions of the corporate world and the needs of the general public are not always on the same plane. What may serve the corporate interest may injure the public interest. These corporate representations are not confined to me, for other MLAs have received them as well, albeit from different corperations. The complication which arrises is that, while MLAs are not elected to serve corporate interests, it Is the corporations which have the time, money, desire, and ably My lobby for their special projects or special interes The general public, whom we are elected to is. sometimes inarticulate and not: organized to develop and present MLAs with a steady stream of ‘information’. The general public can only hope that the people it elects, both individually and collectively, will not succumb to the blandishments and the lunches and the dinners and thereby blend the public interest into the corporate interest. ’