PAGE 4, THE HERALD, Friday, April 28, 1978

EDITORIAL

ELECTION

It is hard to believe. Another week just about

gone-and still Prime Minister Trudeau (at this
" writing) has not ‘dropped the Writ’; to call a
general election.

A Kitimat phone caller gave us a buzz the other
day and sounded off about what a lousy Liberal
“Rag’’ the HERALD is, “Why, you’re known all
across Canada-you and your chain-for being
radical Liberal’’

Well, I don’t know about the “Chain’’... but do
we have news for THAT guy!

. o

: Ottawa
Offbeat

by Richard Jackson
Ottawa — Hey, get this.

Acutely aware of increasing public irritation | ; :

over the indiffernece of the federal civil service,
the Trudeau government has a special task force
working on ways to assess and improve the

quality of the performance of the bureaucracy.

You've had the treatment. The brushoff from

~ gome clerk at the Post Office-when you dare to
enquire about the slow-motion mail.

And at some time or other you must have had

We're still waiting a call from ‘thead office” to "the routine ‘don’t ask me, how would ] know?”’
tell us what our politics are! Somehow we don’t from an uncaring bureaucrat who is neither civil

think that call will ever come...

nor a servant when you call with a perfectly

So for those who may wonder what our “bias” legitimate question.

is-we'll give it to you straight from the shoulder.
The political news we print is the news we get.

~ So, if Jim Fulton sends us a ‘press release” -

preferably with a black and white photo ‘at-

tention getter’ - chances are, 99 ot of a hundred,

it will appear in the paper the next day- and 99

out of a hundred again- on the front page. If the

_ PC. candidate (we haven’t even met him yet) or

arty sends us a news piece (preferably with'

a picture) Presto! In it goes. Jim Fulton has

been to the Herald office twice. Fach time we

wrote him up and put in his picture. .

.We have yet to write an unfavourable

piece about a candidate- but simply because we
have not had reason to.

Frankly, we are very disappointed at the

general lack of interest in politics in Terrace. Aj

few “loudmouths”- the rest like they’re dead. :

The sensible types, the reasonable sorts, the Mr.
& Mrs. Average Citizen- quieter than-a fox
sneaking up on a hen house. It almost seems that
politics in Terrace & Kitimat attract the far-outs
and sails over the heads of the normal types.

‘ What about the 2,500 registered unemployed in
Terrace District? They all have votes. What
about the X number of unemployed in Kitimat?

What about the “housewives”- there must be still

some left at home- they all have votes. What
about the groups working for better conditions
for women- more day care facilities to name just
one usually needed service. How is it not one
womanis running as a candidate other than Mrs.
Campagnolo? How Is it that, in a largely Native
riding, no one from the Native population is is
polities? .

‘No. This looks like a very quiet scene if it
really is the eve of a general election.

Of course- it could be the lull before the storm.

What is that famous quotation? Isn’t it
something like this: Tyranny arises, not
because evil men are elected to office - but
rather that good men do not run. |

' WAITRESSES

The papers had beennarely delivered, Thur-
_ Sday morning, when reaction started coming
on the editorial “Help Wanted - Waitresses.”

Most of the. comments were emphatically,

favourable. Some of them were - “I wish I'd
known someone was go to write about
waitresses. Boy, could I tell you stories about
what we got to put up with.”

“So this guy says to me, - what do YOU need a
raise for. All you got to do is ‘be nice’ to a guy,

and you can get anything you want. You don’t.

even have to worry. any more now you got the
Pill” “So what did you do about it,” I asked.

“Went without the raise, of course, and started go.

looking twice as hard for another job, But I felt
like slamming a bowl of soup inhis face!’’

. “Qne of these days, some waitress is going to
win a bundle in a lottery and start her own
restaurant, She’s gonna hire only guys - and
treat them the way women get treated” one
Waitress said, “How about women restaurant
managers? Are they any better?’ ‘Hell, no.”
came the reply. The only ones I’ve met were
Butches, Just as biga ‘pain only weirder, —°

“Do. you think conditions will eventually im-
prove for waitresses?” I asked.

‘Don't hold your breath. Some day, perhaps,
there will be a revolt of the “food servers”.
Some intelligent waitress, with a few bucks of
her own in the bank will finally get tired of being

" underpald, overworked, and having to put up
with the jig saw puzzle layout of the average

restaurant planned more for a taxi-driver to:

extra mileage from than a gal with a tray.

Some smart-ass will come in. Give her the usual

lip, Then he'll make the usual grab with his dirt!
hands, She'll let him have it - Pow. With a fi
tray -and she’ I cult ‘and the other girls will quit,
And the word spread. And maybe, out of it,
will come a decent Food Servers’ Union. But I:
gotta go, I don't know. Some day perhaps, Who
mye It might happen here. But don’t count

.TERRACE/KITIMAT

daily herald

Genural Office. 635-4957
Circulation. 635-4357

PUBLISHER...Don Cromack

MANAGING EDITOR... Ernest Senlor
REPORTERS...Donna Vatlleras (Terrace-Thornhill)
REPORTERS...Scot? Browes (Kitimat-Kitamaat)
KITIMAT OFFICE.,,Pat Zelinskl - 632-2747
Published every weekday at 3212 Kalum St., Terrace,
B.C. Amember of Varifled Circulation. Authorized as
second class mall, Registration number 1201, Postage
pald In cash, return postage guaranteed,

NOTE OF COPYRIGHT

Published by
Sterling Publishers

The Herald retains full, complete and sole copyright
In any advertisement produced and-or any editorial or
photegraphic content pubilshed In the Herald,
Reproduction Is not permitted without the written
perminsion of the Publisher.

in.

gaurded jealously

Far too J
become accepted practice - is the “don't
bother me” business you can get from an uncivil
servant who is too unbusy to do more than pass
the busk with a “call So-and-so at such-and-suc
a (wrong) number.”

Untrue?

Or at least exaggerating?

Not if you turn to page 2887 of the word-for-

-word Hansard record of Parliament and leanr

from no less an authority than Treasury Board,
President Robert Andras that it is, as he terms
it, “an ongoing concern with the government.”
So what are they doing about it?
Spending $34,000 on the special task force - _
“exclusive,” explaings Mr. Andras, “‘of the
salaries of tis 11 members” — to try and find out
what’s wrong and what, if anything, can be done

. to fix it.

On the surface it looks good. a

Your government DOES care about the way its
staff so often treats you.

And it makes it sound like it really might do
something to make the public service stand to
attention for that $6.4 billion it annually draws in

and a further $727 million in travel costs. _
Almost makes you feel good about paying

taxes, knowing that good old Bob Andras really

has your welfare at heart and resents the shabby

treatment you often receive from a couldn’t-.
‘eare-less and sometimes even hostile federal

sa catch, though. ; :

The special task force doesn’t report back to
dear old Robert A. until sometime in “mid-
Summer” by which time the election should be

over, ; .
And then - win or lose for the Trudeau

government — what would the Task Force

matter?
But meanwhile, it makes another plank in the

overnment’s campaign platfortn — doing right

y the taxpayers, even if it costs them $84,000

plus task force salaries.

The cute little election gimmick was un-
covered by Conservative MP Lincoln Alexander
of Hamilton West, with a series of 10 searching
questions on the Commons Order Paper.

_“Has the government established a task force
on the quality of service to the public?”’ asked.
Mr, Alexander.

_ “Yes,” replied Mr. Andras, “the Task Force
on Service to the Public (all in caps denoting
official status of the group) has been set up as
part of the government’s ongoing concern with
this issue,”

Aah Hah. So it IS an issue. :
“What is its assignment?” asks Mr, Alexan-

quality’ of the
the public’s

r
“To study and report on the
federal service to the public an
perception of that service.”

How is the. Task Force operating?

“Public opinion is being sought across
Canada,” reveals Mr, Andras, “through per-
sonal interviews and discussions in .con-
sideration of possible improvements to the
quality of public service.”

So on your mark, get set, ready and go with
your answers, and don’t be bashful.

‘amiliar — so routine that it has”

Letters to the Editor

pay, plus another $1.3 billion in fringe benefits -

Dear Mrs. Cam-
pagnolo,

Further to my recent
letter about CBUT

Vancouver's Hourglass
program on Kitimat, I
ve heen advised by our
Director for British
Columbia, Len Lauk, that
there did indeed seem to
be grounds for complaint
‘about the picture of

Kitimat presented by the

program. A considerable
number of such com-

laints were received in -

ancouver, and a
decision was made to
show a — follow-up
rogram ‘covering the

eelings and opinions of.

those who had reacted to
-the first report. As you
will know from the
sample reply that was
forwarded te you from
our Vancouver office, the
follow-up was telecast on
March 13.
CBS is, of course
always concerned about
fair presentation, but a
report which -is mostly
about problem areas

- within a community will

inevitably produce a
certain shock reaction.
As you know, the story of
Kitimat is an ongoing
one. For many years
was seen as a successful
product of the application
of community planning to
the needs of industrial
~ development but, more
-recently, concerns have
been expressed about
emerging - health and
. social problems, and it

waa these concerns our.

Hourglass staff con-

‘ time to commend

centrated on. Our review
of the program noted that
the story of the problems
of isolation generalized,
without sufficient
evidence being presen-
ted, about the positive as
well as the negative
aspects of life in Kitimat,
and it should have been
made clear that the
problems .are by no
means unique to Kitimat.

I hope our follow-up .

program has helped to
clarify the situation.

In closing, I would like
to express the -Cor-
poration’s regret that the
original program about
Kitimat was not upto the
usual high standards of
balanced CBC reporting.
- Yours sincerely,

A. W. Johnson,
President.

My dear Colleague:

I am writing at this
ou on
the extellent assistatce
provided to the west coast

hing industry by our
country’s Search and

~ Rescue Forces during the
' recent

herri

fishery. — me
The improved -coor-
dination of resources, and

’ the outstanding com-

mitment of the personnel
involved to their task,
have both played im-

_ portant roles in the

significant improvement
in search and rescue
services on our west
coast. In particular, I

Victoria Report with Cyril Shelford

The proposal I made this week in Victoria was:
to set up a emall ‘All Party Committee ” to find
ways to streamline the Legislature, and bring
about change to get the business done, This
would enable the Minister's to get out of Victoria
and take a look.at the problems out in the

countryaide.

If this is not done, the Minister’s have to rely
on advice from the senior civil servants
- which normally only present one sid of the story,

It has been my experience that it's always
e views of the average
. Citizen, as their views are often quite different

and present a balanced view . The Minister is
. then in a position to make a reasonable decision.

All of us in Terrace saw this kind of a roach
an
came to Terrace and saw first hand the situation

solel

desirable to hear

in action when the Honourable Bob Mc

and the concerns of people directly involved.
‘This gave the Minister the
problem first hand (some

ve done sitting in Victoria).

In my opinion, all Parliaments waste a lot of
time attacking each other, father than the
problems of the country.’ This is because debate

oses its meaning when the vote on issues is

nearly always along Party line and decided in
. Caucus before the Party goes into the

Legislature or House of Commons.

The problem is with the system we have which
ed over many years and
all Governments up to this : reduced

has been devel

e as it leayes complete control of the:
any Government that both inside

Vote against a!

Legislature in the hands o
happens to be there.
In Canadian Parliaments a

rtunity to see the
fag he could never

_ election.

_ Government measure’ can and is considered a
Vote of non-confidence and if passed, means an
However, many times the fact:is, a
Meimber could have complete confidence in ‘his
or her Party - yet against certain issues,
’ In,my opinion, if free votes became common
practice as they are in the United States, West
Germany and Switzerland better legislation:
would come out ‘of Parliament, because the

Government in power would have to rely on good

discipline.
Most |

‘legislation rather then rely entirely on Party

ople” say “well why doesn't “the
Member vote against the Legislation if there is.
something he or she doesn’t like”’, it is far easier .
sald than done, and I can speak because I’ve ©
done it on several occasions. However, we have

to face the facts of life - a member paye a penalty

for doing itand showing
can be.hurt in several ways.

his indepen

ence. They
One being the

chances of getting the nomination at the next
election is greatly reduced unless he is a v

. trong member in the Constituency,

If :

anyone wants to dispute this, they should only
look at the record of rebel Members and 85 to 90

per cent
vention. .
I've been luc

two trips a year.

go down at the next nomination con- .

coming from 4 rural area
where I was well known and. the

' tremely loyal (which I appreciate) however, I
. too, have paid a price by sitting in the back-. |
bench for 19 of my 23 years with a greatly

nsion and only one trip in 28 years

and outside the country sponsoréd by

ent, when some members get one or

I could give many other examples but the point

: Reseue

ople ex-

wish to commend both
Captain Art Mountain of
the Coast Guard here in
Ottawa, and -Captain
Frank Gavin of the
Coordination
Centre in Victoria for the
excellent cooperation and
assistance they have
provided to myself and to
my office during recent
weeks. ;

. Search and = rescue

facilities and efforts of .

the west coast have
greally improved during

e past four years, and
wish at this time, on
behalf of my constituents;
to thank you for your

significant ticipation
in this achievement.

Sincerely,

_ ona Campagnolo

. .

An appeals court has
‘ruled that police had'no
Tight ..to...stop. .a, man
walking down a Harlem
street with what looked
like a television.set in a
pillowcase.

The Appellate Division
of New York Supreme
Court -in Manhattan
delivered that opinion
Wednesday and \
dismissed a burglary
conviction against
Clarence Moore, even
though it was a TV set in
the pillow case and police
said he confessed to
Stealing it.

“This court is faced
with a basic question of
whether a black man

carry a television set, be .

it exposed or covered ina
sack, in a public street,’”
said the decision written
Hi Justice Francis
‘urphy.
Moore was st by
iain-clothes police on
est 149th Street in
danuary,

-moyance shoul:

of .a TV -set in the
pill

lowease.
r Moore said. hechad just

left the home of a friend
and had a fur coat and a
TV set of a particular —
brand in the case. But
police -said when they
searched the pillowcase
they found a different
brand of TV.
Police said they also
found a screwdriver in
Moore’s pocket, sohe was

' charged with possesion of

b 'y tools as well as

burglary.

e judges, by a +to-l
vote, ruled that the fact
that the police guess was
correct was “irrelevant”
and they had no “founded -
suspicion for taking him
in for questio ,

“An individual's right
to walk the public = ~

without fear and an-
id not be

circumscribed by per-

as often as

will be wrong,
Hite decision

itis correct
said,

the pe cemen saw what
“ooked Tike” the outline

Tmt

rying to make is - if we want our Members

to be independent and truly reflect the wishes of
the constituents, then there must be real reform —
of Parliament and only have Government
defeated on non-confidence votes, not on each

and every issue,

Having said this, I must say I’ve mainly en-

joyed
)

my stay in the Legislature to be able to

peak out on issues even though at times I've

been very unpopular with my Party,
ing has done a yyo0d sit
people of this provin

generally spea

ce,

which
for the

had to do it over again, I wouldn't doit a
other way. The changes! propose wouldn’t coms ,

into effect till the next Par
only benefit future M.L.A.’s,.

ent, and would

RAAT.

“1 fold you not to drink all that coffee.”