i .

Page 4, The Herald,

Friday,

Apri, 3, 1981

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Lee |
ALAA

LETTERSTO
THE EDITOR

Guilty before innocent?

ito the Editor:

i-was in court recently for:
agpeeding ticket that I didn’t
deserve, and after all was
said and done, this is what
came out of it."

The Judge said “I have no
reason to disbelieve. this
lady's story, but I have no
reason to disbelieve the
Constables’ story either.
Guilty as charged.”

Whatever happened ‘to
“innocent until proven
guilty"? Tf he had no reason
to ‘disbelieve my story, why
am I guilty? It used to be
that if there was any room
for doubt, the person
charged was found innocent.

The lawyer said he could
press the case and try to find
out why the Judge made the
decision of “guilty”, but now
it ‘would be a matter of
principal, and how much
principal can 4 person af-
ford? This is true of our
system. ‘People can't afford
to fight for their rights or
their principals. I told the
truth in a court of law and it
got me nowhere. It was
‘made obvious to me that if I
had been willing to lie, I
would have gotten off, I was
given this opportunity, This
is ¢alled justice?

What will this cost me is

i. Three points on my
licence.

2; A fine to the Motor
Vehicle Branch.

3, A fine to ICBC.

4, An increase on my in-'

surance rate,
5: A minimum charge of
$200 for my lawyer,
“That’s what it costs me
when ['m innocent, It’s
iderably cheaper to be
aay :

_Ag a parent, I am expected
to bring my children up to
respect the law. Am I
supposed te teach them to lie
if they are a victim of some
charge of which they are
innocent, or to tell the truth?
The old saying, “honesty is
the. best policy”, ° is

always true in our society, ,

Ten years ago I would
have shrugged this off and
accepted the three points
without any fight, but I have
found in the last years as I
get older, that I believe very
sttongly that “the principal
of the thing” should be worth
fighting for. 1 don’t beet that

Ishouiti have to sit back and
be stepped on without a fight.
The older'I get the more I
feel that I shouldn't have to
feel guilly when I’m the
victim. I have put up with
too much of that in my life.

Barrett. sees Socred Violation.

By DAVE BARRETT © :

The Social Credit government budget vigiates..
an important part of the basic prineipie; of:
Parliamentary democracy which: was Set In
motion originally by Magna Charta. - -.

The principle 1s that the Crown may ngt-levy
faxes without first presenting estimates and -

obtaining approval of them after open debate by

the people's representatives In the Legislature, -.

Obviously it can't work unless the estimates of

expenditures on Individual ‘programs are the‘

honest intentions of the government. Thie debate
can then determine whether they should be
approved as presented or whether some of the
expenditures should be rearranged among —
programs depending on the Lealslature’a ylews
of the proper priorities. ... oes a

For the first time In our history, a governinent |

has brought down a budget which does not give “
the final, honest Intentions of expenditure for. *

individual programs. The finance minister has ~

presented individual estimates and then sub-

strated lump sums, amounting to some $61

millton, from each ministry which he claims will -

be ‘cut after the budget Is approved, by way of
unidentified “efficlencles.”

This sort of fllrm-flam attempt to manufacture: +

a better political Image Is understandable given :

the present regime's total preoccupation with Its’ a

internal problems. But the consequence Is that

the people's s representatives: are being asked fo

“s approve specitic ‘sums for things tke

-reforestation’ without any-assurance that the |

Hem will not be'cut.eut' arbitrarily. behind closed... :

cabinet doors after the legislators;go home:
* “How can. any.,-mem
debate estimates. and: priorities’ when .the-”
estimates presented are not genuine? A budget ~
should not be a game of guessing which shell has
the pea. Itshouldnotbeacarniecongame. -

A great many’ of our, forebears, and: con
*temporaries foo, made terrible sacrifices ta:

ensure survival of the Parilamentary process |
_which Is the keystone of our democratic way. fail
‘[ife. No administration, no matter”

desperate to recover public opinion, should: try
-to undermine the traditionat rules which keep
‘ our sysstem an honest, up front accounting ta.”

A + the people by the government of how it plans to:

raise and spend tax money.

If 1s a matter of grave importance: to. every
British Columblan because, It touches every |:
‘ eltlzen.

if you don’t belleve that, remember that the.
massive fax increases Imposed by this budget
are based on the Inflated estimates which even
“the government leaders admit they do’ not Intend -
- to spend where they say they wilh! |

Clearty, honest presentation of - ‘estimates’.
would have meant less taxes for B.C. citizens.

The shell-game sham, you see, Is belng played
on the faxpayers who have to pay the artificial _
ante. a .

bers -of. the: Legistature

5 newspaper -

province to continue to
‘Paley of frying to gat more vate added inthe industry, more

lean fully understand that
aman ina judge's position is
expected to make a lot of
decisions in one day, maybe
too many, but if he finds the
day to be too long, why
deesn't he adjourn court
early instead of prolonging
it? For example, this par-
ticular judge had over 100
juvenile cases for his
morning work-load, and still
had a busy afternoon to go,
The only other profession
that could be that deman-
ding, would be that of a
surgeon. I sincerely hope
that no surgeon ever makes
a decision on my life under
those same circumstances.

How is it that a man witha
record as long as your arm,
can go to court on charges of
holding a fire-arm on three
police officers and get a
sentence of four months in
jail, but aman af retirement
age who | speaks his ind ndein:
court w
minor infraction of the law, |
gets 30 days in jail?

How is it that an owner of a
restaurant can be attacked
and robbed by a thief, and
when the co-owner came
along and hit the thief with a

tei ebargealavith: a 4

baseball bat and retrieved
his money, he was charged
with assaulting the thief?
Justice today seems.ta be
for the criminal, not the
innocent!! Stand up and be
counted they say. But for
‘what? Lf you don't stand up -
for your rights and the rights

of others, you'll be told there *

is‘too much apathy in the
werld, If you do stand up for
your rights and honestly say
how you feel, you'll be told
you feel too much animosity.
“Respect the law" is one of
the commandments of our .

not’ society, but respect is

something the restof us have

‘to earn.

T would like very much to
feel free to sign my name to
this letter, but a number of

‘prominent citizens have led

me to believe that [ would be
severely harrassed. Is this

‘justice or injustice?

Anangry taxpayer

LETTERS WELCOME

. The Herald welcomes its readers comments.
All letters to the editor of general public interest
will be printed. We do, however, retain the right
to refuse to print letters on grounds of possible
libel or bad taste. We may also edit letters for
style and length. All letters to be considered for
publication must be signed. °

| OOOH...
 smely ans! a

Pension suggestions discussed

OTTAWA (CP) — legislatlon be required

the new minister of

many business groups
_ finance,” . Begin joked.

on that subject.
. “TL will be a staunch
The conference was

Delegates to the ft make coverage
national pensions mandatory? ;
conference made a few —How. much

, Fecommendations

_ Thursday for improving
private pension plans
but offered little

guidance to the federal *-

- government on the
major. issues in pension

_ reform,
After 2% days of
meetings the nearly 300

delegates were unable. —

to agree on any over-all
direction for the future
and failed to resolve
their differences on a

- fost of related issues.
Among the questions
left to be answered by
Ottawa and
provinces as they begin

the complex task of '

penslon reform are:

_ w=What's the best way
. tofill present gaps in the

coverage provided by

employer pension

plans? Will private -

companies fill these

gaps on their owner will —

the .

* protection against in-

flation can-be provided

’ to pensionera, and what

is the best mechanism
for doing this?
-—How can women

' whoarein and out-of the

“labor: force during their
lives be ensured decent
pensions in their own
right? What's ‘the best
way to‘open up the
Canada Pension Plan
and lis sister plan in

' Quebec to-.women for

the unpaid work they do

‘at home?.

' —How much. will

these and other pension

changes cost and who

will pay? -
-Questions of cost

probably got’ the least
attention of any of the

. issues discussed by the

delegates but Finance
Minister Allan
MacEachen said he

‘shares the concerns of .

advocate of pension.

reform but I will be an
advocate. of . those
reforms that the
country can afford," he
said in a speech closing
the conference.

- An earlier speech by

Health: Minister

Monique Begin, how-

ever, suggested that
finding the! money _to
overhaul ' Canada’s
peusion system was
hardly ‘an
surmountable problem.

The apparent dit-
ference between’ those
two points of view

prompted: one reporter”

to ask Thursday if Begin

ia the person cracking -

the -whip” for pension
reform, and MacEachen
the: person putting on
the brakes.

"We haven't reached .

that stage  yet,’’
MacEachen replied.

“Tm “still assessing |

T HEAR You DOCTORS -
VoreD To BALANCE BILL.

AND THE: GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCED LEGISLATION |
To STOP ust

T WONDER WHO:
WILL WIND |

varying

called by. the federal
government to set the
stage for talka with the

provinces that are
expected to begin in
July.

. Ottawa and most

’ provinces have yet to

decide whether to opt
for expanding public
pension plans or to find
ways of getting better

pension.coverage from -
' employers...

- Saskat-
chewan has thrown ita,
support behind im-

proving . the public
plans." : . . i

Despite: the many
differences. that
resulted . from their

part of private pension

plans.

PROBABLY THe
SMORTICIANS,

\

GC TALKING
 BOLITICS.-

This space: offers your. provincial and federal.
Jceected™ ‘pfficiats. @ place to say thelr piece.’

| By BILL BENWETT

_ Ccitration et ownership in the forest industry.
“Actually, , the poaitidn of the government is very simple. It

“4a fo prevent undue concentration in the forest industry, We

“want to éricourage the continued existence of the sinall

forestry operation’ while at the samé time ensuring the ;
_-Dealth of the tbe large inegrated compaiies, whose economies

ol-scale are necessary In order to compete internationally.

“Columns. ‘are sel@cted on the basis . of “

_ relevance, not.party preference and are the a
_ Opinions of the “author not the editor or this

co ~ - ).
. TEs L

“Fhe wodnatobo evalderable confusion being created by
‘sdme aboot the policies of the government related to cote

.. When Social Credit became government again in 1975, it

- was apparent the foteat industry could not keep expanding aa
it had, with new allocations of timber, because the British
Columbia forest base was, In fact, totally allocated.

“At that time our concer that withuschecked growth a few, .
or indeed one giant might control the whole forest industry
Jed us-to declare the pubile policy limiting the size of com-
“panies toabout 18 per centof the industry. -

“Tbat still left room for the forest companies in this
grow by fulfilling our government's

‘proceasing, more newsprint, moving into higher technology,
-knto fine paper, packaging and other innovative measures.

We subsequently brought in a now Forests Act that rein-
{erced the power of the forest minister to look at all transfers

a ° of timber cuts 10 that wo would have come authority in cases

whete takeovers and inengers were planoed. The minister

would want to know very precisely ifa jake-over waa going to

improve the forest industry and what plans there were for

a snd improvesneat of the fecilities of any operation
was

taken over.
“The iasue is not one of fearing takeovers by other

i Canadians, az hay been suggested in some quarters.

The issue is simply that we are against undue cor
ctatration of ownsrship; by any single interest in so vital a

“patt of the provincial ecasomy as the forest industry. And:

further, the issue Is that we want a mix of small and large in

our foreat industry,
The 15 per cent Imitation was chosen because it represents

‘apprasimately tha sine of MacMillan Blosdel The size we |

considered maximum.
Then; when the British’ Columbia Resources Investrwent
Corporation was created, to individual ownership

. encourage
‘| [o developing British Columbia's resources and industries,

we recognized that BCRIC, because of ite unique position,
should be permitted to acquire, if ite directors decided, up to
approximately 20 per cent of the allowable cut in the
province.

- Our, government belleves that BORIC will ‘play an im-
portant future role in the economic development of thls
province, not only-in forestry but in mining, the petroleum
and gas industry, coal and perhaps other Neids, :

Because of the role wesee for Lf, we felt it was important to

Aare a aha elena to participate in a major way in <

"", | dhe forest ibe vd we havesoen no reason fo
‘| change tht po a ;
. T want to rake it clear, however, that we are not in any

way making the decisions for BCRIC by adopting this policy.
We are merely providing an opportunity.

Our long-standing pollcy against undue conceatration in
the forest industry was the redson we opposed the proposed
take-over of MacMillan Blosdel by Canadian Pacific. It was

Cee Lee ey ea dniomt either CF, or investment ,

from other parts of Canada.

"We welcome investment in this province from. a =

of Canada as weil as abroad, not only in the forest
but other industries as well, 0s

Simply, the proposed take-over by MacBlo by CP would
fest bave put too much of our forest industry into the contra
of one company. :

Some may disagree with that policy, bat it isthe poly of
the government, ;

‘Our government is committed to private enterprise. Some 7

woult have It the! you are scmehow slifling private en-
lerprise if you are limiting size, That is not 20. The only thing |
that encourages soclalism and threatens private enterprise
is when you no longer have variety, when all competition has
been shunted aside,

T-am committed to preserving the mix we now have and :

that is why our government has this policy, a policy that says
dure’ By crea nee the private enterprize system to be

“concerns, —

delegatea were able to -

. agree on some of the
changes that should be a

abused by creating, monopolies on monopoly situations,

Our paticy will preserve a healthy forest
aod Canaan far the benefit of future British

and Canadiana.

industry for our

Pogo- -popping «

LONDON (CP) ~ It’s

"called pogo-popping and it's
like

ona pogo stock

" — but without the stick,
‘Pogo-popping ‘is a British .

dance craze: that ‘may be
dangerous for its youthful
exponenta as well an for the
dance floor.

Pogo-popping is usually

",” performed in large groups of

Popmusic fans — who
basically just jump up and

. down to the slmpte beat of
‘ loud, fast music, —.

_ But, at the same time, the
pogo dancers alsh

have their
heads, With so many af them ©
crowded into. confined:
apaces, it's no wonder the
craze is also called head-

‘Vet it’s not the heads

about — It's floors.
Structural engineers say

bop fans could be in serious

danger of having a floor

" “grack — or even collapee —

itmder them at a disco gr.
‘concert hall. .

may be dangerous.

Fears were firat volend oa .

& report earlier this. y

afler a toncert by the Bath a
rock group, The'.Who, | ito

vibration specialist ‘after .

cracks were discovered io
the floor, : .

the New Civil Engineer, .
the magazine of the: jo--

stitution of civil engineete,
said tests tdund” “glarming

. Measurements Of groka floor

overloading.”

The report was considered
_by the British Standaids
Insiltute when it tecently
met to set up a new code of
practice aiined at
~ the floor strength in dana

- halls to take the sdditional
', authorities are worried wat

4 meniber cof the in-
atitute’s’ loading cods
committee sald. Hhe

Sete a aes te
lable to collapee,. 21

“It is far more likely
they.would merely
that'Is, 7 ely