Page 4, Tha Herald, Wednesday, November 21, 1979 TERRACE/KITIMAT daily herald General Gifice = 635-6357 Circulation - 63§-4357 Published by Sterling Publishers GEN. MANAGER - Knox Coupland "OUPOR - Greg Middlaton CIRCULATION: TERRACE - 635.6357 KITEMAT OF FICE - 632-2747 Published every. weekday at 2212- Kalum- Street, Terrace, B.C. A member of Verified Circulatlon, Authorlzed as second class mail. Registratlon number 1201. Postan4 paid in cash, return postage guaranteed. NOTE OF COPYRIGHT The Heraid retains full, complete and sole copyright in any advertisement produced and-or any editorial or Photographic content published in ihe Herald. Reproduction Is not permitted. EDITORIAL The Terrace-Kitimat and District Labor Council, which represents a number of unions here and acts as a co- ordinator for the labor movement, has decided to open its regular monthly meetings. The move, which we wholeheartedly endorse, comes after intensive lobbying by representatives of the news media. The Issue was not forced on the local unions’ lobby group, which is affiliated ° Canadian Labour — with the nationa Congress. Labor here has for a number of years now been frustrated in Its at- tempts to explain itself. While the raison d’etre of unions is economic, labor unions are more than strikes and grievances. They are a social group and both reflect and form the opinions of a large part of our society. The labor movement does not come out of a closet only during contract negotiations, it is an ongoing action group debating social as weil as economic and political issues. Labor has something to say and wants to be heard. We hope that through coverage of the labor council meetings we will better be able to give a fair and accurate picture of labor’s concerns and activities. We commend the labor council for opening Its meetings. EDITOR'S JOURNAL BY GREG MIDDLETON, While the local labor lobby, the Terrace-Kitimat and District Labor Council, has decided that the most forthright way of dealing with the news media is to open meetings, the hospital board here is still hiding. Like a bunch of bandits divying up the booty, the board of directors of Mills Memorial Hospital meets behind closed doors to allocate tax money. On the fourth Wednesday of the month, that is when they don’t phone around to arrange a special secret session, the members of the governing body of our hospital hide and confide until they come to a decision. ’ That the hospital is run with public money, money that comes out of our pockets doesn’t seem to impress them. That the decisions they make and which become hospital policy affect the health care of the Pacific Northwestresidents (that's youand me) doesn’t seem to be reason enough for them to open the meetings. The board, elected by members of the hospital society, keep the meetings under wraps because they don’t want to take any flack, They want to keep their liftle power plays and disagreements from becoming public knowledge. The members of the hospital board did decide in a meeting rescheduled to avoid news coverage, to make press releases available after each board meeting. These press releases, undowdtedly to be laundered of any dissenting opinion, are to include what the hospital board feels you should know. What is important is in many cases not as much the decision that was reached but the process of debating the issues. If you have only the decision, then you do not know what information that decision was based on. The empire building and parochial attitude of the hospitals in this area have already prevented the residents here from having the kind of health care they need, but that is another column. The defensive, self-protective stence of this hospital board is probably going to cost us elected local input. If the hospital board does not quit behaving like a porcupine, curling up and bristling threats of ne’. er opening its meetings, it could cause its own destruction. How will that come about and why is the next column, TODAY IN HISTORY under the Peace of Paris, he became governor-in-chief, Because of his pees of con- ciliation toward the French, he was recalled to England in 1766 to face charges of partiality, These were dismissed but Murray never returned to Canada, Gen. James Murray was appolnted governor-in-chief of Canada 216 years ago today — in 1763. He had been named governor of Quebec when the territory was cc- cupled during the Seven Years' War, and when Quebec was ceded to Canada N uclear CALGARY (CP) — A former federal energy minister said Monday Canada should build a network of nuclear power plants to serve growing U.S. énergy needs, “While such a project would not create any serious environment probiems, it can be expected to meet political difficulties from the anti-nuclear lobby," said Donald Macdonatd, 1972-75 energy minister in the for- mer Trudeau government. But Macdonald, also finance minister in 1875-77, said the anti-nuclear arguments of persons like actress Jane Fonda should not be heeded. . “With the increasing at- fenuation of offshore oil supplies, the North American community is going to have to make a . choice as to which is wiser: Jane Fonda or not freezing in the dark,” Speaking to a conference organized by the Canadian section of the World Energy Conference, Macdonald outlined general economic and political benefits and disadvantages for energy exports. . Among the genera] dis- advantages were the dangers of running short of supplies and of exporting unprocessed energy that would create jobs elsewhere. The export of nuclear power, however, would have no such disadvantage and it would bring Canada great economic benefits, he said. Plants using Canada’s CANDU nuclear technology would be built in Canada specifically for U.S. customers on long-term contracts: “Energy in that form is not & raw resource but rather a highly finished export, “The design of the facility, most of its fabrication and the raw material used in operation come from Canadian needs,” Funds to build such plants could be raised in U.S, money markets, leaving Canadian capital supplies free for other uses, In return for favorable longterm prices, ‘‘the A SUGGESTION power as export Peed i “A spokesman for the nuclear plant was quoted as saying ‘Oops American customer might reasonably he expected to bear the risks of cost escalation during construc- tion,”’ he said. Macdonald, whose govern- ment helped set up a can- troversial uranium cartel in the mid-70s in reaction to U.S, measurees to protect U.S. uranium, also took the, opportunity to blast U.S. uranium policies: “In no other commodity have we witnessed such. harrow and predatory United States government action as was followed with respect to the absolute em- barge against the im- portation of - Canadian uranium into the American Market and = the © si- Multaneous abuse by the United States of its enrich- ment facilities to drive Canadian exporters and others out of the remaining foreign markets, “If, at most times, the United States has been a good friend and a good neighbor, her policies with respect to uranium have been about the shabbiest hypocrisy that we have seen in international commerce." Another conference speaker, John Kiely, - urged immediate action. on coal and nuclear plants, saying lead ‘times are long: “We need tc move now if we are to do anything about the 90s and the 2ist century. “My personal experience is that it would be much easier to slow down.a nuclear or coal program if there was a dramatic breakthrough in solar than it would be to try to catch up if that dramatic event doesn’t happen.” Kiely, an executive con- sultant to Bechtel Corp. of San Francisco, said previous conference studies had in- dicated nuclear power would provide energy equivalent to 83 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2000 and 314 trillion in 2020, But U.S, and other nations’ slowness in pushing ahead. with nuclear power’ means those forecasts should probably be halved, said RACISM IN THE EAST nye Kiely, also chairman of the executive council of the world conference. Dependence on oil and gas would leave western nations vulnerable because by 2000 Middle East and Communist countries would control the bulk of conventional world reserves. And the fast-growing energy needs of developing countries would mean more competition for declining oil reserves, About 1.5 billion people in the world suffer from parasitic worms, he: sald: “They will want a great deal ‘of energy just to clean up their water and thelr en- vironment. And they have a right to that energy.” So long as alternatives to oil remain undeveloped, he said, supplies will be tight and prices will rise: “Forty-or fifty-dollar per barre] oi] and a serious shortage of energy will do more harm to the developing countries than will many of the problems we are worrying about now.”. Black-white battles seen By DON McLEOD HALIFAX (CP) — A lot of tough fighters have came off the street cornera of north- end Hallfax. Buddy Daye, Canadian junior lightweight boxing champion in the 196Ca, waa one of them, By the time Daye lost the title, he had stepped into a bigger arena where the battle continues for him and others in the black man's corner, The opponent js raclal discrimination, A decade ago, Halifax came as close aa it ever has to wholesale black-white street violence. Daye, with the trust of fellow blacks and the respect of whites, played a key role in defusing racial con- frontation fueled by visiting Black Panthers from the United States and home- grown radicals like Burnley (Rocky) Jones. Paralleling developments in the U.S., blacks in Nova Scotia had angrily demanded changea_ in discriminatory lawe and practices that had helped keep them at the bottom of the social and economic ladder since the days of slave trading more than 200 years earller, A power struggle ensued for the sympathies and support of the black com- munity as moderate leaders tried to head off street violence. Daye was not the only one involved Inthat effort, but he wal a leader, To the extent that a violent explosion was avoided, his group won. “The biggest thing I had going for me was the firm belief that blacks here did not really want to fight with whites,” Daye, 47, recalls, Today, Daye and others concede that in the late 19608 pressure from the radical element played a major role in bringing about changes that have removed much of the heat from the black- white debate deapite oc- casional flareups. There is evidence of progress. Blacks drive buses, wear police uniforme, work as secretaries and waitresses and a few have emerged from law schools and medical schools, 10 years, moat of them from blacks, Up to 1972, when the legislation was broadened to caver discrimination against women and the physically disabled, blacks represented 71 per cent of the complaints. Since then the percentage has fallen to 45. The Slack United Front APPR was formed in 1970 as an umbrella organizatlon, providing advice and help for Nova Scotia blacks. George McCurdy, human rights commission director, saya the black struggle of 1970 is not the same ag that‘of 1969, here or elsewhere, STILL STRUGGLING McCurdy recalls that ‘it had been said there would‘ never be another single . leadership figure like Martin Luther King, but there ara hundreds of young black U.S. leaders carrying on the same struggle, “The same ls true re,” Daye describes today’s ap- proach as more analytical than 10 years ago. Some of the more blatant problems may have been corrected but "I'm not saying the job is even half done,” Nova Scotia blacks con- nue to suffer from a “aubtle, very difticult-to- deal-with kind of racism.”’ “We have to develop the kind of expertise that can drive right through to the heart of that.’ Rhetoric was not the anawer, “If all we had to do was scream, things would have been done years ago." Spokeamen for the black community concede there has been some improvement in the attitude of whites. But changes bring mixed reactions. Some criticize new competition from whites for traditionally black employment, cleaning jobs and In the service industry, _ Unions and higher wages opened up this previous black preserve, they say. There are white porters now on Halifax-Montreal paasenger trains. NEED OPPORTUNITIES These critics say new opportunities for blacks have not appeared further up the employment ladder, Were NeeSh Fat atate tats! atatetitatatstaatet sees Others disagree, noting there are black conductors on those trains now. McCurdy says the radicals of the 1060s made people listen. Not enough are ‘listening yet, ‘he adds. “We have to work like heli ... to maintain that momentum." McCurdy’s pet project for what he calls. attitudinal change on the part of whites is Affirmative Action, whereby businesses sign a formal policy document promising equality of op- portunity. The standard agreement contains a requirement that the firm provide a Lat of projected manpower requirements at all levels, The commission seeks to match these with qualified people from minority groups, “We've directly found em- ployment for something Ilke 1,-500 people." Meanwhile, a $120,000 de- mographie aurvey for the Black United Front will spell out the size of the black population of Nova Scotia, its distribution, educational and employment altuations, * Daye and others consider 1988 and subsequent revisions of Nova Scotia human rights legislation, including creation of a Human Rights Commission, as a giant atep in dealing with outright discrimination in education, employment, housing and other areas. The commission has handled 11,000 complainte in _ family sizes, housing standards and other details. Figures often have been cited showing 30,000 or s0 blacks in the province, Joe Menzah, directing the survey, says he feela com- fortable with an estimate of 16,000 to 18,000, about half - concentrated in the Halifax- Dartmdéuth area, ’ SOUGHT CHANCE H. A. J. (Gus) Wed- derburn, an elder statesman of black community groups in the province, was a high school viceprincipal during the late 1960s who later went back to school to become a lawyer. He says he changed careers to free himself to speak cut for blacks. Wedderburn concedes progress has been made but notes there still are no black judges or legislature membera in the province. He emphasizes the [mpor- tance of education to enable blacks to compete far jobs and ¢o prove their capabilities in the face of any discrimination in em- ployment, This may be the major issue being tackled by the black movement in the province today — ensuring that the education system is not biased against black children by discrimination or ignorance of their par- ticular needs, Is enough belng done to avoid future heated clashes? Rocky Jones — who was visible 10 years ago as a spokesman for blacks — still helleves that the noise he and othera made more‘than 10 yeara ago brought change and that, for more change, more nolse is needed. The social and economic gap between blacks and whites is widening, he says. “When there ' were aggressive groups at work, things changed. When the groups disbanded, things became stagnant,” . Buddy Daye suggests that, having made some gains, blacks may be In a “sleepy period” right now and need to be motivated to further progress, Violent con- frontation may not be the answer but thera is a need for a “squeaky wheel.” OTTAWA OFFBEAT BY RICHARD JACKSON “OTTAWA — In Prince Albert, they’ve been con- sistently Conservative, right? Not exactly, although the Conservatives did capture it for the party’s firat victory there in 1953 and have held it until now. . Before '53, it was “open” territory, usually Liberal, twice First World War coalition, and once CCF. Never was it really Conservative in the Tory Pary . sense. It was rather, says Max Carment, member and spokesman for the Prince Albert Progressive Con- servative Riding Association, very personally “Diefenbaker's riding,” almost the ‘‘private property of The Chief.” . And ~ i ras. But Dief has gone. And Mr. Carment anys, Prince Albert, again “open litical country” is up for grabs. Pett will be,” he Fy aa very tough fight, a election down to the last vote.” . Oerince Albert is very independent, although it did give its heart to Dief for 26 years, so independent that itis spurning the Conservative Party's suggestion that the nomination go to Robert Rene de Cotret, the Tory Super-Economics Minister, on a platter. Dief, in bis first election there, back in '53, came in as an outsider to the constituency if not exactly a stranger. ; . Since entering Parliament in 1940, he had represented another Saskatchewan riding, Lake Centre, just north of Regina. ; And he would haye been more than content to run in Lake Centre for the rest of his life. . But the Liberals, smart cookies that they were then when former Agriculture Minister Jimmy Gardiner was their federal boss in Saskatchewan, had gerrymandered Lake Centre, making it impossible for Dief to win. So Dief moved to Prince Albert where the CCF under the then leader Major James Coldwell was strong. Dief was worried, wondered if this might be the end of his parliamentary career, Then one day in the middle of the campaign when this reporter came back t Ottawa for a week's rest from the election trail, there resting in the same way in the sunshine in front of the Centre Block was Mr, Coldwell, thing “How are 8 people?” he asked. “T think we might win it,” replied Mr. Coldwell, “but If we don't, I hope Dief does." He went on to say that the ‘‘might” for the CCF wasn’t very strong, but that didn’t bother him toa much because ‘‘Dief was a very fine representative for the riding.” ~ So this newsman did a column on what Coldwell had said, The Canadian Press, lifting it out of The Sudbury Star, put it on the national wire. Acouple of days later this reporter was relaxing by a swimming pool some 10 miles south of the city — having left word nowhere’— and up comes an at: tendant who says you're wanted on the phone, Impossible you say, but he comes back and insists. You answer, and it's Dief. “How'd you find me?" he was asked. “Been phoning every pool within 20 miles of Ottawa. “But that’s not important. What is, is that you send mea telegram right now swearing that your interview with Coldwell was true and accurate.” “Why?” , “T had 20,000 copies of your column reprinted and distributed al] over the riding, and Coldwell’s on his way into town tonight to deny it.’* “He can’t,” you said, “because it's true.” “Maybe so,” said Dief, “but send the telegram now.” It was sent, And Coldwell did go into Prince Albert for a rally specifically called to deny the column. Weeks later after the election, Coldwell was asked why he had denied the interview when he knew every word of it was true. “Sorry,” he smiled gently, “but how do you think your column quoting me made my candidate feel. 1 had to deny it. In politics, you sometimes have to do things like that, you know,”’ Dief won by 3,000 votes. In the last election, slipping, he made it by only 4,000 after a string through the years of huge majorities, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR possible. Democracy Ia faith, faith in the tolerance of natural functions and the exclusion of functions un- going in Prince Albert for you i Dear Sir: Every human endeavor is fundamentally judged by its following generations, Though tyranny may alter for a time: faith, democracy, the one the whole, and God, are the constants that distinguish man for the ape, Lest we forget: democracy is faith, faith of a general body to do good for the en- lirety of the general body, Democracy is faith, faith in the power of the singular and believing the singular is the essence of the whole, and faith that without the singular as the essence of the whole would not exist, Democracy is faith, faith of self-respect to the one and the one’s respect af the whole, and faith that self. respect to the one never exceeds the self-respect to the one, Democracy is ‘aith, falth in others to do things that the one finds inconvenient, and faith in the one to do things that the others find im- natural to tolerance. Democracy is faith, faith of acceptance by others for the one andfaithof the oneto. accept the others for the whole, . Democracy is faith, faith that the sanctity of the whole cannat endure without the participation of the others and the participation of the others will not exist without the respect of the one, and faith that the whole is an illumination of” the respect for the one “‘by" the respect of the one, and "for" the respect of the one, and '‘for’’ the respect of the one without Which would not delegate responsibility of success or - failure, blame or achievement, creation or destruction, to the oxe in the face of the whole. Yours truly, David R, Erickson. The Herald libel or bad welcomes its readers comments. All letters to the editor of general terest pa aes ec refuse to print letters on grounds of la taste. We may also edit letters for style and length. All letters to be considered for publication must be signed, ever, retain the right: