Shift | in education’s direction noted compared with 314 last year. Kitimat remains by Brian Gregg Figures can be misleading, says Brian Lop- Ston, Northwest Community College registrar, and the drop from last year’s total in academic courses does not concern him. “We've increased the Community Education Service and part-time vocational courses from 99 to 150 and students seem to be moving into these other areas,” he said. While more students are taking academic . courses in Terrace this year other communities in the region have remained the same or dropped in numbers, Terrace has 364 students registered LESS INTEREST IN ACADEMICS the same at 115 students, Prince Rupert is down from 108students to 89. Smithers is down from 89 students to 34, Hazelton is down from 64 students students to 28, Houston is up from 16 students to 31 and Queen Charlotte Islands is down from 730 Students to 682. Lopston explained that many students are taking five courses in Terrace while students in other areas are only taking one course. He at- tributes the increase in Terrace to the greater awareness of the full-time program. First-year full-time programs were begun three years ago year. and second year programs were introduced last The college has introduced some new courses for labor studies, women’s studies, English and Philosophy this year. Lopston said the college is always updating its programs. One of NCC’s feature attractions is its mobile course programs. j This year a mobile com- mercial course was introduced and a super- visory Management training course will be in- troduced in January. ; Mobile welding, mobile hydraulics, mobile air brakes and basic training for skilled develop- ments upgrading continue this year, Mobile courses are given when special needs within the college region require the courses to be held in a community for several weeks. When Granduc in Stewart was preparing to close down NCC of- fered workers two mobile welding courses for two months. Lapston says the NCC mobile program is more developed than other colleges in the ‘province. He said the college payroll has increased to 200 people and there are now two people involved in developing full-time courses. — ee Volume 72 No, 201 ( TERRACE-KITIMAT 20¢ Tavr Wedrrestigy, Octoher 3 1978 | y i9 4 COPPER ALL METALS OPEN TIL Location Seal Cove i RUPERT STEEL & SALVAGE LTD. we buy MON. - SAT. 4 BRASS & BATTERIES 5 p.m, Phone 624-5639 y, Saskatchewan re-elects NDP. REGINA (CP) — The New Democratic Party under Premier Allan Blakeney scored a surprisingly decisive victory in Wed- nesday’s Saskatchezan elec- tion, which saw the Liberal party virtually eliminated as a force in the wheat province's pulitics. The Progressive Cun- servatives, frum whum the NDP expected its main chal- lenge, improved their showing frum the 1975 vate but it fell far shart of its goal of overturning Canada’s only remaining NDP ad- ministration. Liberal Leader Ted Malone was personally defeated by the NDP’s Doug MeArthur, a Rhodes scholar and furmer civil servant, in Regina Lakeview. The Progressive Cun- servatives, who were built into a political force almost singlehandedly by Leader ‘Dick Collver since: 1973, taok over the second spol in Saskatchewan politics. It was the second major shock for the Liberal party vat the hands of voters this week, In 15 _ federal byelections Monday—none of which was held in Saskalchewan—lthey won unly two seats while the Cun- servatives took 10, the NDP two and Social Credit one. However, Collver had a tough personal fight in his bid for reeleclion in Nipawin constituency where he was threalened by an NDP candidate. ; Blakeney, elated at his tri umph, said the election meant the NDP would carry un “ly make vur party still stronger.” Jt would do an even belter jub than it had aecumplished to dale. Matone said yuters weren't able to vote for the Con- servatives and wouldn't vote fur the Liberals su the result was Ada landslide for the NDP.” Elected party leader unly two years ago, he said he dues nol expect to remain at the helm “loo much longer,” The NDP and the Con- servalives combined to siphun off votes that had gone to the Liberals in 1975 when the Blakeney govern- ment was returned with 39 seats to 16 for the Liberals and seven for the Con- servatives. When the ‘legislature was dissolved last month for the election, the Liberals had lost four Seats ta the Cunservalivyes - dhuugh two: MLA-defections, an twu byelection defeats. Finance Minister Walter Smishek said the election was a show of support for the NDP's resource policies. “Saskalchewan is guing to shuw the rest of Canada huw things can be done for the peuple inthis country,” Smi- shek told cheering sup- * porlers in Regina North East. Few of Blakeney's cabinet minislers appeared to have any trouble winning their seats as the results rolled in. Traditional NDP strength in Regina and Saskatoon went sulidly behind Blakeney. Boozers pay VICTORIA (CP) — British Columbia drinkers will finance the provincial government's $1 million campaign un the dangersouf alcohol abuse, Consumer Corporate Affairs Minister _ Rafe Mair said Wednesday. “The cost of this program will be borne oul of provincial revenues fram the sale of beverage alcuhul,’’ he ' said, pointing to a five-cent- a-bottle surcharge currently imposed on all liquors except beer and wines. “We don’t feel thal we can ask non-drinkers to subsidize this campaign through the general tax structure,” the minister said. He said a survey indicates thal eyen the hardest drinkers want sumething to be done about alcohv! abuse “ond we feel this Is the fair and proper way of doing it.” “The minister told a news conference the campaign will ran for six months. He said B.C. has the highest alcohul cunsumption rale in the country and the greatest number of alevholics on a per capita basis, The minister said the cam- paign, un which he expects to spend $2 million next year, will have been worthwhile if there is indication that hospital custs have been cut down, thal even a few lives have -demonsirably been saved and some families have been kepl logether. Last week Health Minister Bob McClelland annuunced his ministry was alsu launching a campaign against alevhol abuse. Mair rejected a propusal by Progressive Conservative leader Vic Stephens ihal the distribution’ and sale of liquor be turned uver to private enterprise, Workers evacuate IDAHO FALLS, Idahv (AP) — About 50 workers al the Idahu’ National Engineering Laboratory’ chemical processing plant were evacuated Tuesday night after an apparent nu- clear chain reaction released a small amount of radivactive gas, INEL uf- ficials said Wednesday. There were no injuries re- ported, and Dick Blackledge, spekesman fur the depart- ment of energy's Idaho uf- fiee, said nv ane was expused to radiation, He said the gas did not contaminale either the inside or outside of any buildings. . Lottery winners WINNIPEG (CP) — Five tickets worth $100,000 each in the Western Express lottery were drawn Wednesday. The top tickels are 29929 in series 03; 47541 in series 09; 64204 in series 07; 66255 in series 10; and 43234 jn serles 19. Tickels with the same numbers in any ather series are worth $1,000. There are 115 such $1,000 lickels. Cash prizes of $190 gu ty holders of tickets with the last four digits uf the winning numbers. Tickel hulders wilh the last three digits of winning, numbers win $25. SIU 3 ye tinued the strike yesterday. POSTAL WORKERS ‘Defy order’ Striking inside pustal workers in major centres across Canada remained off the job tuday, heeding their leader’s advice and defying a backtu-work bill passed Wednesday by Parliament. Workers in the Atlantic provinces, must pvinls in Quebec, Teronlo, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Ont., Win- nipeg, Regina, Saskatoun, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver all remained off the job. The approximately 30 uniun members that crossed a picket line alt a Toranto plant did su with pulice assistance and a struggle ensued. In Edmonton, there was confusion as to whether the membership would return. A union steward said the men would cumply with ihe law, but the group’s president said the lucal wuuld stay off the jub until a meeling today ta discuss (he next step. Late Wednesday, union president Jean-Claude Parrut urged the 23,000 members of the Canadian Union of Pustal Workers (CUPW) to defy the back-to- work-order for 12:01 EDT to- day, Uniun officials who counsel disubedience uf the law are liable to fines ‘of $2,600 plus $250 a day for each day they urge members te stay away from work, Ii Winnipeg, a CUPW spokesman said picket lines would remain and workers would defy the order, Abuul 200 pickets were al the main post office when the order was tu have taken effect, “We've faced the threat of fines befure," the spokesman said. “We'll call the government's bluff and maybe we'll gu back to the bargaining iable."* ‘The only inilial reports of compliance with the guvern- ment order came from Sarnia, Oni., and Medicine Hal, Alta, PICKETS STAY Members of the Canadian Union of Postal ‘Workers (CUPW) in Terrace remained on strike yesterday despite threats from Ot- tawa that strikers across Canada can be jailed and fined. Doreen Hill, vice-president of the Terrace local, said that no word has come from the regional office in Vancouver but she expects to know more about the conditions affecting postal workers today. Postal workers were legislated back to ‘work on -Tuesday night and if strikers remain on the picketline on Friday they could lose a pay cheque, Hill said. Terrace postal workers Marlene Barber and Vicki Gardiner picket the federal building. Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers con- ‘DEPRESSING’ » Mortgage rate is increasing TORONTO (CP} — Mortgage rates are un the rise again, a muve thal at least one mortgage broker said could have a depressing effect un the already weak Canadian economy. Several Canadian bank and trusl cumpanies in- creased rates on residential mortgages by half a per- centage puint, Wednesday following the increase in the prime lending rate by the federal banking authvrity, the Bank uf_Canada, Tu the pvlential house buyer, ihe change translates into a $14 increase in the monthly interest charged un A $40,000 murigage amor- lized aver 25 years. The new rale won't affect ‘those who already have mortgages unless they seek tu renew them. Canada Permanent Mortgage Corp. made the first move Monday when it boosted ils rate for one, two, and three-year conventional morigages to 11 per cent. Fur four-and five-year rates, it nuw will charge L'4 per cent. The new rate fur National Housing Act insured mur- gages is 1114 per cenl fur five years. Ruyal Trust, Montreal Trust and Terento Dominion Bank raised their rates as well, Others were expected tu -folluw. Huward Stulberg, president of the Ontario Morigage = Brokers Association, said the higher rates cauld hurt the econumy and have a severe affect on the constructiun industry, “The housing market has been in a depressed con- dition for almost a year. We have a surplus of houses un the market now. ; “Houses will be harder to sell and more expensive," he said. But Ben Gestrin, chief econumist. at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada which is. cunsidering raising its rates, said the highr rates should not significantly affect ihe market. “Any upward adjustment NO _RAISE would be moderaled by the general supply of mortgage funds, which is good now,” he said. Seniors get rent break OTTAWA (CP) — Urban- Affairs Minister Andre Quellet, under pressure from tenants, the pruvinces and members of his uwn party, has withdrawn a proposal that could have raised rents by as much as 50 per cent for abvut 170,00 senior citizens and low-incume families Socreds millions acTuss the country. Asenlor official at Central Mortgage and Housing Curpuralion said Wednesday that Ouellet has abandoned a proposal. that would have altered the formula for calculating operating grants lo the provinces for existing public huusing. ° saving at the seniors expense VICTORIA (CP) -— British Columbia's Sucial Credit government will have saved $10 million by the end of the — year al the expense of senior ci5izens, Liberal leader Gordon Gibson said Wed- nesday. He said the saving cumes from a decision. by the government ta eliminate from assistance payments to senior citizens a quarterly increase equivalent to the increase in the cust uf living. “One of the Suereds' first measures when they came to. power was tv eliminate those autumatic increases,"' Gibsun said. “lL have nothing against them saving money, but I don'l want to see it dune at the expense of the pourest senior citizens.”” The Liberal leader charged thal the latest issue of the guvernment publication B.C. Gev- ernment News is misleading and almust fraudulent. Lottery hoarding claimed VICTORIA (CP) — The New Demucralic Party called on Auditor-General Erma Morrison Wednesday lv investigale the provincial lottery fund. Eileen Dailly (NDP— Burnaby Nurth), in a letter to Mrs. Morrison, said there is evidence the guvernment is huarding the lottery funds, then using (hem for purpuses uther than originally in. tended, Stan Smith, new college librarian, is familiarizing himself with the resources available to students and the general public. Public invited to use library at the college by Brian Gregg Stan Smith, Northwest Community College's new librarian, has extended an invilation to the public tumake use of the evllege facility, Smith, who began his job earlier this week, says his predicessors have dune a guud job in building up ihe library since it was started a few years agu and be plans to carry on from their work, He (touk his library training at the University of ‘Toronto where he worked In thal city's libraries fur over two years, He fan the Cranbrook Public Librdry for ine year * the library. before taking the jub in Terrace, He is originally’ frum Nelsun, The college library slucks nuw up to B,200 buoks and Smith says he will make himself familiar with the college and the communily to assess the future needs of Smith says he is im- pressed that Terrace ‘seems to be filling up. He found rental ac: cumodalions a big problem because of the high demand and the low supply. He is married with one il-month-uld daugiiler, He said he is pleased with his move here and finds the scenery very beautiful.