: PAGE 4, THE HERALD, Wednesday. April 5, 1976

~ EDITORIAL
Election Date

By all accounts coming over the news wire,
within the next few hours we should be learning
the Gread Secret Everyone has Been Whisper
About. What's that? (As though you don’t know!)
Why. ~- the Date of the Next Federal Election —
Of Course! oo.

We are well aware that Prime Minister
Trudeau did not start the practice of permitting
the calling of the next election to be the exclusive
prerogative of the Prime Minister. We do know
that previous prime ministers have used the.
power of being the only ones to know the date,
and that the date can depend on their merest
whim. We fully realize the political advantage of
keeping that date a secret from the voting public
—on whom their office rests. We know all this —
as does everyone who has ever given Canadian
politics a serious thought. We also know the
serious state. both polit cally and economically
(that’s also spelled “financially” and “fiseally’’)
our nation is in. The Canadian dollar-at its lowest

in 33 years. The highest number of unemployed -

in the history. of Canada. A serious energy

situation — serious enough to warrant:the for- .

mulation of emergency gasoline and fuel oil
rationing legislation this week. The threat of if
an imminent breakup of Canada by the premier
of Quebec, Similar threats by the Innuit oc-
eupyone one million three hundred thousand
quae miles in the far north, and an almost
identical situation among the Dene and other
Native Canadians in the middle North.

These and other real problems require the full
and serious attention of stable governemtn... not
4 government that keeps toying, month after
month with the ‘possibility’ of holding an
election whenever or if’ — ever it feels like it ee

or prac a ear now, we have been
listening to the Prime Minister ‘thinking about’’
calling a general election. A comparison could be
drawn to that of an older brother whose parents
have given him a box of candies to distribute
amongh his brothers and sister. He holds the box
for all to view: Then says, ‘‘Let's.see..Should I
give them to you now — or later. If you are
GOOD tome, and.treat me nicely — I may... No!
I don’t think I will. After all, Mother and Father
gave them for ME to give — and I’m oldest!

‘there!?

The situation would be tolerable, perhaps, if it
was only a child 's game at pe so much and so
many depend upon it — and upon the outcome.

The fate of every cabinet minister who heads
every branch of the government — from the
Minister of Finance to the Minister of Fitness
and Amateur Sport — depends on Trudeau's re-
election, The federal budget itself depends on the
gutlook ; and’ backkground of ‘the’ Finance
Minister: whether our taxes go up — or down —
or sideways. Whether Family Allowances are
abolished — or doubled. Whether your postage
rates double agairi — or whether (as could be the
case) the postmaster general decides to give the
country free postal service — or, still further —
abolish the postal system altogether and - let it
out to private contractors. Well, you may be
saying ‘by now, we know all this. What is the
po t? : : :

Well — isn’t it about time the system was
changed? Would not the country be much better
off if there, was a.set date — say June for the
federal election to be called every five years?
Then, everyone — — business, private.
professional — and political parties would know
where they stand. The stock market could allow
for it;:and not be forced to suffer the un-
certainties of fluctuation that talk of an election
always brings. The printing industries — so
important for the paper work of a national
election; the news media could ‘plan their staffing
and coverage; Schools would be out, freeing
teachers — the air lines, car rentals, hotels, .
convention centers — the whole infrastructure
elections — good elections — are so dependent on
— could do their jobs and dothem well. ° -

The tens of thousands of last minute polling
places. — instead of costly, last minute
arrangements — would be well pr . There
would also be proper time for candidates '
to run to properly train forthe election, and-be
sensibly chosen by their parties, 7
The mad ‘cap scene of rush, fakery, hoopla,
would b mie reagent ansible one

e & reaso sensible .
(It could be fun, too!) y operation

Most important, it could result in better

leaders, well chosen, and lead to a better

nada.
-Who could ask for more?

herald c

Published by
= Sterling Publishers

p>—TERRACE
- [_ daily

General Office . 435-4357
Circulation - 695-6357

—_

Sm

PUBLISHER... Don Cromack
MANAGING EDITOR... Ernest Senior -

- Publistied every. weekday ai 3212 Kalum St., Terrace,
B.C, Amember of Varified Circulation. Authorized as
seoondclass mall. 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 Is not permitted without the written
-permiasion of the Publisher,

"was in the past.

Jim Fulton Opposes
Lowering Min. Wages

Jim Fulton, . Federal
NDP candidate for
Skeena, has reacted
strongly to Prime

ring Minister Trudeau's and

Manpower Minister Bud

Cullen's proposal that the |

Federal minimum wage
be lowered.

“Trudeau and Cullen
should try to live on the
minimum wage,’’ stated
Fulton,’ ‘perhaps then
they would develop some
understanding of how
difficult it is to make ends
meet for the average low
income - wage earner.”

“The  Anti-Inflation
programmes chief target
was the wage earner,”’
continued Fulton, “and it
has been successful to a

e degree.”
an ordinary wage
earner had earned the

| Safety

Since the Canada
Safety Council became an
entity within the
sae of its regular safety
one 'o r 8a
projects has been the
annual
Campagin,” In fact, that
campaign pre-dates the
Council, because a
similar campaign was
previously handled by
predecessor

: organizations.

Check Campaign
will not be held in 1978.
The Canada ~ Safety.
Council believes there is
a considerably increased
awareness on the’
drivers com)
years ago, and par-
ticularly that there is
much more informative
and authoritative
material available from
other sources than there

“Car Check .

rt of .
“with -

maximum allowable
under the A.LB.
guidelines since October
1975, his wages would
have increased by 22 per

(Oring ‘this
same

period of time, govern-
ment spending increased
by 44.4 per cent. Ob-

ously the government
doesnot feel constrained
by’ own guidelines,

" - governments
responsibility. to the
Canadian people ia to get
our eceonomy rollin
again,’’ conclude
Fulton, “not to continue
to take more from those
who can least afford it.
Canadians want action to
solve unemployment, not
high priced T.V. ads and
leaflets attacking the
unemployed.”

April Traffic

Month

include information
regarding the total traffic
environment, traffic
regulations, driver im-
provement, and vehicle
safety rograms for all
types of vehicles, drivers,
pedestrians, and
passengers,

And, this will happen at
the begi of heavy
summer driving season
— booklets, pamphlets
and information made
available should last
through the summer
driving, season.

Realizing that most
weeks and months

For i978, the Canada
Safety Council will
designate the month. of

as “Traffic Safety Benefits.
fonth”. The broader Public response will
scope of this project will determine the future of
enable. the Council. to ‘the new Campaign.

_ 2. New WCB Men
_ Move To Terrace

would appreciate’ the
reasoning and potential

-Two newcomers to

Terrace are Keith Smith’

and = Mark Ruelle,
Workers’ Compensation
Board accident
-prevention officers.
Smith

te ce

and the Alcan installation
at: Kitimat. Ruelle, who

8 an . exiens ive
sackground in forestry,
will specialise in forest
products and general
Industry,
Brian Brown,
sovered the Terrace area
for the compensation
board.for four years, has
moved to the WCB’s
Smithers office.

. Letters”

Editor, Terrace Daily

For ' freedom-loving
Canadians the time has

Canadian editor and
publisher Ron Gostick in
is booklet, ‘‘Canada:
The Moment of Truth’.
This well documented

and his long-time
political associate, Rene

vesque. Canadians
who value their future

of a’

must read and circulate
this booklet. They must
become aware of the
ideological backgrounds,
methods and objectives
of Messrs. Trudeau and
Levesque -— and the
threat that their alliance
poses to Canada. The
coming federal election is
the most crucial in our
history. -
“Canada: The Moment
of Truth’ is errr
100 a copy pos
from: . Canadian. In-
; ence Publications,
Box 130, Flesherton,
Ontario NOC 1E0. .
Yours very truly,
Malcolm Patterson

and that of their children

Reprinted from Apri

Beck there le wha‘e WE Manufacture our oride a to my Hight te wittre we
proces the government panarwork .

ae
Le

edition of MANDATE

TODAY IN HIBTORY
By THE CANADIAN PRESS

158¢—The first American
crloniats set sail from

1668—The first horse race
recorded in America was run
at. Hempstead, N.Y.

1899—] Paul Julius de
Reuter, founder of Reuter's

news agency, died.

who ©

APRIL IS CANCER SOCIETY MONTH. CANCER}patient. Over 100 ; all forme
: inastectomy patients, provide emotional supp
Schuberg, former eance vata and voiuntect loth practical advice on prostheses and specially design

Schuberg, former cancer patient to women who must have surgery for breas

Canadian Cancer Society’s mastectomy rehabilitationclothing
program, offers a helping hand to amastectomy)cancer.

tons ee

volunteers in B.C., all former

“Kitimat Comment” Part two of two | |
Skeena MP Speaks to Rotary and Kiwanis

MARCH 30, 1978.

fo that hoped ‘to use
ago tha o use
my position in Ottawa to
facilitate the economic
enhancement of our area.
And by our area I mean
all of northern B.C. — not
just Kitimat or Terrace
or Prince Rupert or
Stewart. We are all here
together and the.
economic futures of all of:
our towns and villages
-are inextricably. linked,

(And as an aside — that is”

why I think the. joint

and the Terrace

to develop this brochure |

is such a major positive
step. Itisa very valuable
step forward.)

I view my role — and
that .of the federal

government — as one of.
providing the tools, and:

creating the economic
environment, so that

rivate enterprise —
opefully -: locally-
ferprise can get the job

— can get the jo

done. Owner managed as
much as possible — so
called small. business as
well . as. . employer

managed large business:

~—-must be encouraged to
set their’ sights’ on
generating: greater ac-
uvity to enhance a
pro ctive north.in this
e of economic stress.
And in doing this, I feel
we have been more than
successiul — a quick list
includes the $30 million
federal-provincial
upgrading of Highway 37;
e extension of our
maritime boundaries to
200 miles: the $350 million
Salomind Enhancement
Program — chum and
ink: hatcheries to come
Kitimiat; hard work —
and rogress — to resolve
outs’ g— and
legitimate native land
to affirm’ social
justice and
aboriginal people. with

their pieceofthe economic -

pie, and last year’s $120
million federal-provincial.
Regions!
Development .
Agreement. ($86 million
for agriculturé.)’ as 1
have said — I feel itis my
role to work to create the
environment so that you-
can do the job. : - .

To give a specific local
example — let's look at
the Skoglund Hot § ngs.
It could be a f po it
for the upgrading of our
fourist: . industry .
throughout .the whole
region — but right now
it's degenerated frankly

to a-rather. mouldy and -

unsavory location. (I
know — I stayed. there
last night). What it needs
is ~ aggressive local
ownership and.
management, and an
infusion of capital to
provide the: necessary
renovations. — .
That — to me — is not
the job of ‘the federal
overnment. But what 1s
e@ job of the federal —
and = provincial 9 —.
overnment is to create
the infrastructure —
flop. the roads,
provide the ferry service,
and provide incentives to...

stein ROE MATES *

innovative “go” of a
Bate like ‘the Hot

action by your Council,
Council

still more important in
the future.

2} Pacific Rim markets
have put impossible
demands on the Port of
Vancouver. Ships are
frequently forced to spend
weeks at anchor in mid-
harbour while they ring
up phenomenal
demurrage charges.
rings. - There simply aren’t
More needs to be done enough berths to ac-
‘— and I want to touch on, ‘commodate them. The
some of these items ina rail system serving
minute—butIwanttore- Vancouver has all but
emphasize that the job reached saturation point
cannot be done for any and represents a critical
conimuni in barrier to further ex-

business thro’
programs such as DREE,
and Urban Affairs and
Provincial Economic aid,
and Provincial Tourism
assistance — so that
someone with some
initiative and
imagination can make an

isolation — we all have to
work together, and I
believe we're finally
making. a. good start
on our own brand of

That is why [have also
arranged countless
meetings with southern
and eastern businessmen
to draw  siorthern
potential to their at-

tion. Gn your behalf I
have argued our case
before the blue-chip

pansion of port facilities
on the southern coast.

3) Northwestern B.C.
can well become a source
of an important bulk
commodity -- coal — and
there are pood prospects -
for -:further.. mineral
development in northern
B.C, These commodities
need north coast ports for
economical shipment.

4) The hard grains

roduced in northern

berta and Saskat-

“would bé inade

rovide .

Industrial -

complementary

businessclubsin Toronto’s- chewan have lbecome
Bay Street. Ihave spoken -particularly important to
‘with the senior our trade with China. The
executives of mining, most efficient way of
pipeline, transportation, getting such grain to
grain and communication market is through nor-
companies about . thern B.C. _
business for Skeena, And

5) Major western
1 have spent long hours projects the Alaska
discussing with -the Yukon Highway Gas
people and elected Pipeline require nor-

representatives of the thwestern ports of entry
communities of Skeena for a number of can-
how best to promote struction materials.
ordered and beneficial Other major energy and
growth in. the coming resource projects will
year's, I think that if you likely maintain this
review this record f arly demand.

and completely, it __ 6) The development of
put - misdirected . an increasingly
criticisms to rest, sophisticated in-

‘ I know, of course, that frastructure. of tran-
the’ “‘record’’ is less sportation, com-
important than what is municaitons and plan-
next to take place. As I ning services - should
said when I began, I want make our region more
to spend most of my time and more attractive to
talling about Kitimat’s poetntial investors and
immediate future. port users.

_T want to begin. by | There are other factors
saying that it is my that both you and I could
opinion that economic, list—butI think the point
demographic and is made that we are now
strategie factors have in a good: position to
now changed enought for persuade  decision-
us in the: no to ‘makers and investors to
demonstrate to govern- -.give us the attention we
ments, industry and to deserve.

our trading partners that 7

it js ha y desirable to. ene ta Ee etitically
es and use ports ,. rT
other than Vancouver on Kitimat? ~

Canada's west coast. . .

Prince Rupert, Ithink,is There’ are three

finally on ‘the road to specific goals to which J
being firmly established feel we must’ address
after 60 years of struggle. ourselves. These will
Now we can turn our full provide the environment
attention to Kitimat and. for -economie ~ diver-
Stewart, which offer ‘Sifleation that I spoke of,
-ad- an
vantages, and I think we down-to-earth, attainable
can now realistically objectives; not giant
expect their develop- miracle developments or
ment. i. @as8y economic solution
The factors that now to complex needs. These
make this port of are: an upgrading of the
development desirable rail link between Terrace
and inevitable include and Kitimat ~— even
these: _ . though Alcan and
1) In the last decade the adequate te their needs.
Pacific Rim has become’ the completion and
Canada’s most rapidly. designation of what could
expanding ¢ iy tae oun be called the Kitiynat-
bat ir y et et » Cassiar Corridor; and the
modities as well. It shows ‘port:
every sign of becorhing ; oF isiclities, here in

they are all realistic, f

provision of commercial -

The rail line between
Terrace and Kitimat, as

Many of you will know,

is in questionable con-
dition. It was originall
built to lower standa’
than the mainline —
allowing steeper grades
and lower weight limits
than the Jasper to Prince
Rupert line, The line has
since deteriorated. There
are ballast problems.
Some bridges need
replacement. There are
frost-heave dangers. In
ence, trains are
limi to two
Iccomotives and about 30

Cons!

-elther of those companies:
increased their demands.
on it, Or if other economic
developments dependent
on rail service were to be
established here. This is a
point which has. been
expressed to me by grain
companies ,minin;
companies an
engineering firms when-I
raise with them. the
“prospect of their routing
cargo through. Kitimat,
e argument from CN
officials has usually been
that freight volumes
don't justify the con-
siderable expenditure
that upgrading would
entail But, as I have said,
I think a good case can
now be made for the
immanence cf greater
volumes, and a very
strong-case can be made
for the necessity of im-
provements simply to
meet the needs of existing
cus'tomers. I have been in
contact with senior CN .
people on this matter,
and will pursue it in other
arenas — especially the
federal ministry of
transport — in comin
months. .

It will, not be easy —
and it will not. happen
overnight’ — it we will
takea lotof work — yours:
and mine -- the cost will -
be considerable. The
early Satin, wes A have
are in the ballpark range
of $20 million. is

The . secona’ goal —
development of the
Kitimat-Cassiar' [
Corridor, is wel'l on the

‘ way to realization. High-

‘

way 87 road construction,
under a $30 million
agretment iE pootcde)
entis progres
at a good pace Bridge
construction scheduled
or this year on the
Kitwanga-Cranberry «
River link is articula rly
important, When .that’ is.
complete, you will be ‘a
viable port of entry —:.
fact if not in name: If will
remain for you to con
vince the — provinciai\
government to extend the
Transprovincial Highway
7 ,Geslgnation to
Kitimat. The - provincial
overnment will. also
ave to commit itself to
building the three-mile
connect public’ whary
with the highway, =

roadextension that would . _