PAGE 2, THE HERALD, Friday, March 3, 1978
“SERENE ese ie

EDITORIAL:

“Pm not interested
in politics...”

If past editorials over the last three months

Siteetelteht hitebtaai a

have not already done so, this one will surely
date me. My father joined the ranks of th
Yorkshire and Lancashire Light Infantry during!
the Boer War somewhere around 1898. His
widowed mother had been left with 13 children t
support, and my father, belng the eldest, had, for
several years been the sole source of income for,
the family. Returning home unexpectedly on
day, and catching his stepfather, besotted with
liquor attempting to strangle a younger brother,
my father stepped on a chair, with a right to th
w knocked the drunkard unconsc ious, revived

up for the South African conflict.

In the usual manner of things military,
because father had signed up for Africa — they
sent him, inststead to India. A hard, diligent
disciplinarian, over the next 25-26 years, my
father in Kiplingesque manner, continued ‘‘a-
servin’ of ‘er Majesty the Queen.” He met a
nineteen-year old English governess and, in al
six month courtship married her in the dignified
cathedral at Lahore. Having mastered at least
six Indian languages and being able to read and
write Sanscrit, father had risen to the position of
Army Schoolmaster, then a Warrant Officer in
the Indian Army. He was then able to enjoy the
luxury of a honeymoon with the woman who was
to become my mother, Viewing the moon rising
at midnight over the Taj Mahal at Agra; and to
drift past the lotus blossoms in a houseboat on
Dal Lake, in the Vale of Kashmir. As the years
passed, and my sister and I arrived - the future
ooked bright for our family of four. Sensible
thrift and careful budgeting saw a small bank
account building up with each passing payday.
For years my father had allowed his leave to
accumulate. Only a few more remained for
retirement in Britian on a small but liveable
pension. ,

Then, politics reared its ugly head, ruining the
lives of scores — perhaps hundreds — of men
who had served their country long, hard, at great
risk of their lives. Including my father. ;
.. Somewhere, back in Britain, a man named
Geddes was instrumental in passing an economy
measure first known as the Geddes Act (then, as
the Geddés “Axe”), This was instrumental in
retiring Army Officers a few years before their
pension time - saving; the government
millions of pounds — but ruining countless lives.
Rather than face. the prospect of returning to
Britain .as._,.virtual’:paypers, ‘ many. _ drank
themselves’ to’ death, ‘blew ‘their brains out, or
sought other means to escape a retirement in
grinding poverty. For us four, it meant having to
return to the U.K. and live on a pension of ten-
pounds a month (at that time, about $40 a month,
Canadian). Also, supposedly due to political
manceuvering, the Bank of Simla — and a few
others went bankrupt and with the closing went
the life savings of our family ~~ and many like

em,

The plans for being sent to good schools “‘back
home” for my sister and I disappeared along
with the educational trust fund my father had
established for us. My father, for whom
elephants used to raise their trunks and trumpet
a salute to announce his entrance when he visited
the military farms astride his chestnut horse, -
found himself in post-World War I Britian; the
only available jobs those of “‘commissionaires””
of the menial, “office boy” type insufficient even,
to pay the rent of a ‘County Council” house. The
contrast was all the more notable, following over
two decades of life in the tropics attended by a
household staff of at least a dozen, ready to wait
on every need. eo -

Thus the pressure ‘was on pensioners to
emigrate to the -other, more temperate
“colonies”. The “Homeland’’ for which loyal
“servants of the Queen’ had worked so hard,
and scrimped and saved so they might return, in
their mature years for a comfortable retirement,
was now demanding they leave, to make jobs for
those who were adding to the ever swelling ranks
of the unemployed. ;

What has all this to do with politics?

Even now, as Canada nears the most im-
portant and vital federal election — an election
that could well decide whether Canada remains
Canada or fragments into a Balkan-like setfish
group of separate states, each nursing its own’
grievances and ancient quarrels, — there are |
still many who feel it is none of their concern.

For the loyal ones who have served. their
country well and long — it is the politicians who
decide whether their well earned retirement will
be possible — or whether they will have to end
their years in the most menial and poor paying
occupations or even emigrate! ' es

“Jur best “security” is that of ensuring that
those whom we elect to govern are- those best
qualified for the task. Eternal vigilance is also .

the priceof security ... the security for our young

and old, alike.

Presence

ashe"
ea eraataty

"aan )
Calton of 4 latter In the Letters To The Editor coturme of this
Tpapor doak not mtn thal olther the pubiishors, not the oditor or atatt
reaporalblllty for tho. Tha Lettors columna are provided 3h nosded
puattc sarvion, wholly withoul charge, to enable persons of nil walks of
Ife, all rectal and reliulousnbvouns and levels of education fo mprenas.
Bublced neo etter nee te Or ha
fostoction {tiny orn bolo, ‘awedorous Or reuchilonf Aved weno poe

them to thal
haven rennet rae uae wh the hounds of deceny

Think smatt |

by Jim Smith

Do-It-Yourself Fatality —

The latest rage in do-it-
yourseHery is do-at-yourself
home medicine. With the aid
of available amateur medical
inanualy, any reader can
quickly Iearn tes cure head-
athes. set 4 hreken arm or
take aul an inflamed spleen.
The attraction is abvious: no
waiting in the dectar’s lobby
while the neighbour's kids
sncexe all over you.

The only real draw-back

brother then walked to the nearest recruiting} to the trend is that the less
depot, and ‘taking the Queen’s shilling” signed] wary do-it-yourselfer may

wind up dying of a typogra-
phical error.

Something like that took
place al the recent First Mini-
sters Conference in Ottawa.
Pulling Gut the amaleur ect-
nomic medical hooks, the
Prime’ Minister and various
provincial premicrs agreed to
“cure” the Canadian econo
my wilh a spectacular array
of high-priced energy deve.
lopment programs ranging
“from new pipelines ih Alber-
ta to tidal power develop-
ments in the Hay of Fundy.
Unfortunately, the: First Mi-
nisters forgot to read the fine
print in the economics texts
‘and the country is in danger
of being clubbered by an un-
noliced footnote.

There have been massive
capital investment projects

stance, suffered through the
Olympic building spree. -and -
is still paying the price. Nova
Scotia's economy was dis-
torted while the Glace Bay
heavy water plant was under
construction. The only real

4 difference between these ear-

lier projects .and the propos-
ed energy development plan
is scale: the energy projects
would be larger than any-
thing Canada has undertaken .
in the past - and the effects
would he multiples of the ef-.
fects experienced previously,

before now. Montreal, forin- .

The problem starts with
wages. Large capital works
projects use armies of work«
eral afthem paid premium
wages. There’s mare feather-
bedding here than in mel
eidetdawn factories

Private employers can't af-
ford to match ghe high wages;
unlike the government, pri-
vite firms face stiffcampeti-
tion from firms outside the
country and high wages can
destroy their competitive po-
sition. Consequently, work-
ers who already have jobs in
the private sector migrate to
these lucrative new johs and
some firms are forced to shut
down because they can't get
enough skilled help. [ronicai-
ly, with everyone receiving
higher wages, local prices rise
and_no one is really any het-
ter off.

The worst part comes
when the project # finished.
Suddenly, there are ne more
big-dollar jubs. The workers
can’ go back to theireld jubs
because the privale sector

has been ravaged. Workers

can't maintain their mortgage
payments und Jose their jabs.
Unemployment runs ram-
pant. Suddenly, the once
booming economy needs
massive relief programs to
survive.

What went wrong? It's a
simple matter of footnotes,
Huge investment projects
can cure unemployment —
temporarily; the problem is
what to do when those pro-
jects end after damaging the
private economy, The only
answer to unemployment is
an innovative competitive
private sector — and that re-
quires many more Canadian-
owned businesses.

“Think smalt" 4s an editorial

. Message from the Canadian
Feueration of Indepandant

_ _, Business:

floor of the Centre Block.

Ontario.

the Liberal establishment.

flattering and
light, 2”

of accusations.

down in the Communi.

Tom Cossitt, you may recall, for years was the
organizer and power-behind the Grit-Throne in Eastern

Ottawa Offbeat |

by Richard Jackson

Ottawa — One of the oddest sights around Parliament Hill
— and things here are seldom routine, dull or even ordinary
—istosee Conservalive MP Ten Cossitt scrunched down ina
pay-phone tucked away in an obscure corner on the ground

top Liberal

He held high office in both the federal and Ontarlo wings of

And then, suddenly, elght years ago, ‘‘came the dawn," a3
|they used to say in thuse oid Hollywood movies. _
- “Tom Cosaill, as day broke one morning back in 1972, in
Brockville, beautiful litle add town, full of “ld money" on
the shores of the St. Lawrence, just below the Thousand
Islands in the United Empire Loyaliat strangheld of Ontario,
“saw Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau for what heis.”
That is a direct Tom Cossiit quotation.
And gince that awakening, now going on three
ago, he ‘haga been seelng Pierre Trudeau in the most un-
offen embarraseing, If not to say humiliating

Day after day, week in and month out, one Parliament
following another, Tom Cosailt has been drawing a deadly
polltical bead on the Prime Minister.

- No Opposition MP, Conservative or NDP has inflicted such
damage tothe public image of Pierre Trudeau and hia party.
Scandal after scandal Tom Cosaltt has ex

posed, Liberal

indiscretions, questionable conduct, misdemeanors and
worse have poured from Tom Cogsilt in an unending stream |

The Liberals fear and hate him.
They have tried— and failed — dozens uf times to howl him

Bul he keeps coming at them with charges of misuse ‘and

an

” My two cents worth this week is going to be
directed towards the working woman and one
problem which seems to be. paramount-

SHOPPING. I may be WAKO in my thinkin but I

feel the store-keepers should be catering to the
working girl. Instead, I fell I can’t get any ser-
vice at lunchtime- the time when I want to pick
up two yards of brown material with which I am

supposed to miraculously produce a presentable

“bunny” for school the next day. Or a tin off
hippopotamus toe nails for that special receipel
for dinner, Or a speical anniversary card for
‘yeseterday’s’ anniversary you forgot. I have
gulped down my bologna sandwich and dashed
down town to shop. First I have to go to the bank
and take out’some’money becatse I:canit face

in front of whom stands five disgruntled
customers clutching their meagre saving. 1
stand and stand and finally I ask’- could we have
another teller. Sorry they are all out to lunch.

‘I’m not fussy I say. I'll take the bald one with the
heavy eyelids in the corner. I am told he is the
‘auditor from Vancouver. I leave and hope I will
find a sympathetic salesperson who will believe I
am not going to issue a cheque that will bounce
into her nightmares as she sweats out her
penance in the shoe department. I walk into the
store and I see two tall customers - no clerks -
unless they.are three and a half feet high and
hiding behind the counter. Fortunately they
don’t have what I want soI can try another store
where they may have a salesperson. I enter
another store- good, I see one leaning against the
‘counter filing her nails. I rush-to get the item,

- | and rush back to the couriter-you guessed it, she
elctions.

left for lunch.-I need a can of Hungarian goulash.
Trush to the Express Checkout. No-one there, I
-ask politely where the cashier is. It isn’t
economical to have just an express checkout I
am told, Sol stand behind two housewives whose
grocery carts look like they are feeding twelve
lumberjacks. It’s countdown.
minutes to return to work and [ still have to hit
the post office and I KNOW I can’t get service at
the Post Officé in‘five minutes. It takes me that
long to find out who is selling stamps this week.

Letter to Editor

the hutniliatién’of the third déegrée Lam ‘going to ©
get if I write a Chedjdé-. What dod-findone (eller,::

I have five 4

Horn of Africa

My 02° Worth

BY JUDY VANDERGUCHT

“3

You get the picture, I am sure, without further
elaboration. And while I am on the ‘beef’ trail. 1 -
want to complain about all the ‘hot deals’’ I miss
out on simply because 1 can't listen to the radio
every day. Why can't these deals be advertised
in the paper as well as on the radio or advertised
in thestore a few days BEFORE the items go on
sale. I get up tight when I hear about certain
item I have been wanting but couldn’t afford
selling for a more reasonable price and 1 hear
about it when the items are all sold. :

Okay let us look at a solution. I know
salespersons have to eat too but there must be a
way their lunchtimes can be staggered so that
more than ONE salesperson is on the-floor or.at

_ the counter at lunchtime: A-more viable'soluthr!

“to this problem is to hava ap venting OF Shope
and Kor ouFriday when the whole mil}is uC!
Evening shopping is very popular. Every store.
doesn't have to stay open, it could be staggered. .:;
I would like to believe that the shopkeeper really.
cares about what I think and will make an effort;
to change what is not right. If you feel as I do-
about the lack of service at lunchtime, and an.
evening of shopping minus children appeals to.
you, talk it up with owner-manager of stores you’
patronize. Nothing is going to change unless we
et the shopkeepers know of our disatisfactions. I:
have found most stores will listen - and in some:
cases effect changes right away. Of course your:
complaints have to be legitimate - there are’
some areas where the store has little control,:
especially in the grocery store. a
y the way, are the piles of dirt on the vacant:
propterty on Lakelse Avenue the work, of’
overactive gophers, or are we finally getting the-
new shopping centre we were promised a few:
years back? . :
WOULD YOU like to see an endto the three
litre plastic bags of milk, ( Can't understand why.
agree to using plastic over wood pulp) °

WOULD YOU like to know they get that inp of,
ripthing ta look and feel like a tomato and taste:

_ WOULD someone like to tel me why I can't’
find that perfect occasion card except two,

months after I don’t want it anymore? and so:

TODAY IN HISTORY a8
By THE CANADIAN PRESS “i

es Senses

abuse of public funds, of owlrageous requisition of govern:
ment property for personal convenience, of an astonishing
empathy in High Places fur Cuba's Castro and the keepers of
the Kremlin. : : ; oh

The Liberals can rage and fume, but they can’t stop Tom
Cossitt from damaging, if not ultimately destroying their
political integrity.’

They can't unless they can find and plug his secret sources.
Driven tw desporation, the Liberals have been suspected —
and upenly accused, time after time — uf bugging ‘Tum
Cosaltt and olhey troublesume Opposition MPs, ’
' Electronic listening devices have-becume so sophisticated
that even the RCMP can't guarantee an MP that he isn't
‘being overheard by Liberal eavesdroppera’ ;
- Conservative Leader Jue Clark’ and NDP’ Leader Ed
Broadbent have had their offices ‘‘swept” for secret Liberal
bugging. devices, . 7
So have dozens of rank and file Conservatives and New
Demucrats. . . . . . . — a
Litule has been uncovered, elther by the RCMP, or elec-.
tronic experts called In by Mr. speaker James Jerome. _
But Tom Cossitt's information . has becume so sensitive —
spies, caplunage, subversion, treachery and possibly even
‘ treason — that bis secret sources insist on strictest, air-tight,
and ear-proof safeguards. — ; z
There may be rendezvous — but never in his office — and

phone communication — but never on the government lines,
And who could trust the mails? :

“The RCMP could not guarantee," he says, “'Lhat [am not
being overheard anywhere In-this building.” ©. *

So he Is using the pubilje pay-phane — the unly one In the
Centre Block — “‘swept" regularly for bugs and more remote

listening devices and with a full view of all approaches,
Tom Coasitt makes “Big Brother” nervous. =

_. Dear Editor, . ,

Jusi..a word about our
Indians. I think our: Indians
are best helped if they learn

to look after themselves, .

without an- Indian Depart-

the office here in Terrace is
expanding, [fT wag an Indian
(my relatives are) I would

feel embarrassed and tell -
them to leave me alone, The
Toissionaries did a belter job. |
But they are not the kicking .

post of the cammunists,
Somebody wrote . in
“‘Aburiginal Times''
(pretending. to be an Indian
woman, but not likely sa),
“The early influence of the
missionaries had inalilled in
usaninnalefeeling shame
and infertority. We -learned
tobe ashamed of our bodies,
ate:

The opposite is true: The
missionaries. taught our
Indians to be proud of their
bodies; They told them these
bodies ‘are temples of the

couraged them to. wear-nice
colourful clothes and jewelry.
for’ decoration. A. person
who honors and respects her-

his own body will not misuse

ment, You should see -how .

Holy. Spirit and they. en- —

it and Jower it to the level of

the gutter. If it comes to a
feeling of shame and in-
ferlority: only Indians and
Whites who visit the bar
and the liquor store too often,
may have thal feeling, The
missionaries have been
trying to teach the people to

places for

_ stay out of these

thelr bodies sake and for
much more than that.

_Again, I gave you an idea
ofwhat I believe Is belng
. taught at the Northwest
Communily College. Labour
Studies, Palliical Schlence,.
Aboriginal (Indian) Studies
etc., laught by people who
are in-‘my opinion radical
leftist teachers, I think this is
upsetting the peace in the

_ North. Is that what you want
“for yourself or -for

our
children? Come to chired
Sunday and hear a different
atory,.a sound of love and
peace and forgiveness and

_ Acceptance. Seek first the

Kingdom of God and the reat

‘will be added unto you. This
- is still a fre country and the

-mioice is yours,

>: “Qh, Canada, we stand on
guard for Thee"’,
"Bill Homburg, .

The former Spanish island
of Puerto Rico became a
United States territory and
its residents were granted
U.S. citizenship 61 years ago
today—in 1917—when the
Jones Act reformed the law
under which the Americans
had ruled since the Spanish
American War.

185t—Nicholas I, the Iron;
Czar ox Russia, died. aa

18!—The first U.S. board?
of education was founded;

184—Theodor © Seur:
Gelsel, author of Dr, Seuss:
books for children, was born:?

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