PAGE 4 TERRACE HERALD, TERRACE, B.C. Te rrace EDITOR: RON THODY Business Adres 4613 Lazelie Ave., The Terrace Herald is a member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association, The B.C, Weekly Newspapers’ Assocation, and Varified Cir- culation. Published every Monday and Thursday at 4613 Lazelle Ave., . | Terrace, B.C. Postage paid in cash, Return postage guaranteed. Second - class mail registration number 1201. GENERAL MANAGER ; GORDON HAMILTON. © Terrace, B. Cc. Herald. >amz-zol ADVERTISING MANAGER: GARY CARD «. Phone: 635-6357 _] OUR OPINION” Noble comic opera It may have been a comic-opera teachers strike in Terrace Friday but the reason for the one-day walkout was noble, They had a meeting to discuss their grievance. But the press was asked to leave. They had promised picket lines. There were none. They had promised ‘information pickets” but the only information to be had was by going into. the schools where tables were set up. Few ‘public showed up, remarkable since nobody knew of the local teacher’s assocation plans. It was rumored, too, that there would be counter-pickets. And about 70 teachers out of 232 showed up at the mass teacher’s rally from which the press was democratically ejected. But their purpose was noble. The local teachers, along with an estimated 200,000 of their compatriots throughout the province, were protesting a watered-down version of an improved pension plan for retired i. teachers. The bill, before the legislature, requires one more reading before it becomes law. It does incorporate some of the earier teacher demands. But not all. And the walkout, which cost all the teachers one-day pay, was to underline needs for a better pension scale for already retired teachers, many of whom retired before the Canada Pension Plan went into effect in 1961. The teachers, through their parent ’ organization, or “‘unign’’---the .British....., ' Columbia Teacher’s Association, also’ want the right to handle their own pension scheme, the funds of which come from their own pay cheques. Six per cent in fact, is deducted for pension purposes from their pay cheques. In the pension fund sits $165-million, which is presently growing at $18- million per year. How much do retired teachers get? Only $6-million. The money is handled by the finance department headed by Premier Bennett through the Department. of Education and its minister, Donald Brothers. . Teachers also want the right to handle their own pension scheme, threugh the BCTF, which is- only logical. For all they know, Bennett and Brothers could be doing a juggling act with teacher pension funds; buying B.C. parity bonds, for example, This would earn money. But why can’t the BCTF have the right to invest? But the point is the pension funds are -atronomicaily high and the watered- down plan is an insult. to those who spent their many years teaching generations of B.C. men and women. What is their reward? According to BCTF President Jim Killeen, the average B.C. teacher's pension is $2,500 a year. Proposed increases now before the llegislature offer retired teachers an increase of $10.50 to $21 a month. The BCTF, however, is asking an additional $17 a year of service before 1961. The dispute, it should be pointed out, is not with individual school boards, but directly with the government itself. Premier Bennett’s reaction to the walkout was entirely unworthy of his office. It was ludicrous and insulting even to the most average of mind. “If it (the strike) is for the previous teachers instead of taking a day off they should work and give-the day’s pay to them (the pensioners),” he retorted. Altogether, teachers -- who did not receive pay for the day off -- lost $1.2 million in salaries. The premier didn’t get the point. He called the walkout just another day off for teachrs. He pointed to Christmas holidays; summer holidays and Easter holidays. (Most teachers go back to school to upgrade their professional status during thesummer, ravine for it _ with, their earnings.) _ It’s to give retired teachers, most of whom educated most of us with per- serverence and dedication, a pension which would allow them some comfort in their old age; to help them grapple ’ with inflationary trends and live the: rest of their lives in peace and con- tentment. The teachers have the money in the pension scheme to meet their basic requests. More money is going in each year than is going out. What B.C.’s working teachers did Friday was, indeed, a noble and pointed gesture on behalf of these retired men and women. Bennett talks of B.C. as the land of milk and honey. Tell that to a retired teacher. Who's birthday? We were upset that the British Columbia Centennial song was written by a Torontonian, We were even more upset at paying $10,000 for the inane cheerleader yell we got. We were just a little more upset when we realized our Centennial flags” were being manufactured in Ontario. Now the Centennial ‘71 Committee has come out with B.C. Centennial commemorative license plates which you affix to the bottom of your front or rear regular license plate. , A good idea. But upsetting. No...this time they're not made in Ontario. They’re made in the West. Saskatchewan. We're upset again. The white lettering, 1871-1971 is ona blue background, as is ‘‘British folumbia above it and Confederation on one side on the bottom and Cen- tennial on the other. ‘In the center ‘is a large, yellow centennial symbol with B.C.’s official flower, the. Dogwood, in the middle. . The envélope it comes in says: Give your friends a British Columbia Centennial ‘71.Commemiorative plate.”” ~ But upon the top, left hand comer, is. “yer Brite Signs; Ltd., P. fy) Bi Regina: ‘Saskatchewan... Ms upsetting. ‘bike. Skeena tem - Paine Edward: Island poles ‘‘made in Japan.”’ Hundreds of thousands are on sale--- at one dollar apiece. They don’t even give you a discount for purchasing two, one for the front and one for the rear. All that money to Saskatchewan, too, That’s upsetting. . Even if they cost a little more, we can’t see why_ the centennial plates couldn't have been made right here, in happy birthday B.C. And the flags. And there have _ been some beautiful British Columbia songs written by British Columbians in British Columbia. We have heard a couple on CFTK and CFPR arid they’re beautiful. The centennial committee, headed by Laurie Wallace may have an eye for - saving money by going to Ontario and, Saskatchewan for. flags and license — plates, but they certainly don’t -have'an- ear for music. It’s upsetting. What's wrong with ’ keeping our centennial business in sli? Havent we Bat the talent or. Skills Of ° course we have. But. “made in _ B.C." is not up Laurle’s 8 alley.” ‘Upsetting: GE the. official; ¢ake will; probably : be -: baked: in Calgary?and-the. candles: it “What i8 the point? ““° “7? ee - intellegent ' species“MAN eb eee ue aunty ‘EVEN THIS vos HAS (TS SHARE OF PHYSICAL LAgor....." - The’ fabulous fight hetw . already: been wasted on the} ’ sufficients ‘on ta the- sturdy : Bill S miley: ‘May | offer you some problems ?’ March is a time for madness in this country I have lain on the grass with a girl in March, studying for exams. And I have waded through snow up to the belly-button in the same month. This is enough to make Canadians a bit more psychotic than other nations. UNPREDICTABLE’ March is as unpredictable aS a pregnant female, as precocious as an eccentiric old man. ‘‘Mad as a March hare” is no flight of the imagination, You don’t have to be a hare to be mad in March. All you have to do is look at e body of your car, at what the salt andsand have done to it, and you get mad. All you have to be is a “mother ‘w small children tromping in - and out, and you get mad, All you have to do is total your fuel bill, and you know you are out of your mind to live in such a clime. WHAT? SNOW? All it takes is a note from a friend in the south who asks . how high the snowbanks still - are, and says he expects to come home about the first of May. HH Svatiing, muddy All you need to dais think of next month, and realize that the average Canadian gives “up a third of his income in taxes, and you can go right around the bend. Our nerves are stretched to the snapping point by -the rigours of the last four months, and it doesn’t take much to break us. Even a little thing like forgetting to get your car license plates before the deadline, or forgetting to pay your hydro bill in time for the discount can make the most stable of us erack and go roaring after the nearest person with the nearest blunt instrument. BLOW GASKET? I haven't quite blown a gasket yet, but [ can feel the pressure.building up«My -wif¢ has been off her oats- sitce Christmas, Having two kids in "+ University is tike walking around with two large leeches clinging to you. Halfa dozen people want me to speak to a similar number of completely dissimilar groups all over the geography. I have a hundred letters to write, My boss is bugging me - for a detailed plan for a new workroom for my department, and I couldn't design. the - interior of an outhouse. I'm in charge of two public speaking contests, and twa essay contest, both with looming deadlines. TSK, TSK The cat did it again on the floor last night and is going to the glue factory if it happens once more, The CNR has phoned five times to tell me [ owe them $1.09 which was their mistake in the first place, The guy who shovels my drive with his plaw has put his rates up-50 ber cent. [havesixty essays, seventy- five tests; and one hundred and thirty exam papers ta mark,. I. have stubbed the. second-littlest toe on my right , ‘foot and the nadliisdanelingby “a painful bit,,of. rHgsistle, or something.. ~ J missed two crucial shots and lost out on the big prize in the last curling bonspiel. The Jock on the bathroom door has been gone siiwe Christmas and penple keep are ened in, instead of locked out, SMALLPOP! | So, all in all, if you hear a small “POP" one of these days, it won’t. be the wax in te ‘die ‘of sheer _ exhaustion. _ devastating: blow at us, your ears cracking. It'll be little, insignificant me. There. 1 know there’s nothing more boring . than other people’s troubles, But: F've got about half of them off my chest. And you: must feel better to know that someone in the world has as many troubles as you. | And of course there are some things on the black ink side of the ledger, too. There’s the “winter break” as they now call what used to be the Easter holidays. A whole week in which to do nothing but mark exam papers. There’s the prospect, in about six weeks, of getting the leeches off my back (and into the. Aue th lines). Wt adil gett g " Wabi every deat ie sun shines waterily. ‘ind occasionally. There’s a glimmer of Aope that the peculiarly Canadian monster - winter -, having vented ‘his orgy of rage, is beginning to ’ emotional Unless the old brute throws — one more senile but - missionary of sorts. of sorts. WORK: Just as important as sex and eating _ ‘Workisa basic need of man. Man needs work as he needs air, food, sleep, social contact . _or sex,” says Dr. Hans Selye, head ‘of the University. oi. Montreal's far.ed Institute of ’ Experimental Medicine and . Surgery, quoted in The Medical Post. Dr. Delye believes the Western world is being everyone his .- friend. i sitassnnensasage che wrecked by the insatiable demand for less work and more pay, He feels the true paupers of mankind are those * people who are not good at anything and do not like . anything in particular. Only these people consider short hours a boon. ; “Hard work in a field one enjoys, says Dr. Selye, can contribute to longevity. It is ‘A crowardly killer’ The Editor, Terrace Herald Terrace B.C. Dear: Sir: Yesterday my children had.to . learn one of the most tragic - facts of life. That “MAN” is not always trying to be good. When the children arrived home from school; in- Stead of being met by their tail wagging, friendly barking playmate that the had loved for: three = years, = they discovered the body of their.” Hs y of their. ; alright, Even the cat received friend Unfortunately I was not on te to break the news to ‘Deathi is A reality that they have met before (rabbit, turtle _ and bird) but death from age, . accident. or. even animal ‘fighting. can be understood even if not liked. This was ‘different in that it was not any of these things that caused them. tolose a friend, but,a deliberate act on the part of the B0-called my J Bay deliberate as their was poisoned! al ‘Our’ yeard has ‘alivays been thé play area fot all children, so. De Tl ea knew “Snoopy. ms, ear. iv But=-happy. birthday’ anyways. elven year When they. play ball. it be there to «ake thé polsorier realize: chases the sparks. There will be, no Snoopy to lay with and protect them when they sleep oulside. things won't be the same without Snoopy's dashing around’ after the fireworks, Next winter when the © children go sleigh riding, Snoopy won't be there to chase the sleigh, _ Snoopy: never - played Favorites. here. Each child received a nightly visit to their beds, to make sure they were his sympathy when she had her last litter, Then he-adopted the kittens as his own, and let them | climb all over him as he lay by ‘the fire.’ | He considered - - Yes, “Dogs”, bother at times, but to the children and = myself he. was not “DOG,'.he was family! TI have tried whom over. it was that did this horrible: they will understand, ...-;.'. ‘My thanks to you for allowirig me:to: ‘put this - “obituary” is “a your ¢o umn, Just maybe it will 1. Jife is: ‘Precious. Come Halloween, excited . can :be a to explain that a . thing must be sick’ “and therefore needs our: pity, ‘not our hate. [pray td God that - that only the stress of frustration, . the stress of unsuccessful s- truggles. that leaves some irreversible chemical scars ’.. which accumulate to cone: . stitute the signs of tissue ‘aging. On the other hand, he thinks, successful . : activity, no matter how intense, leaves virtually no .. such sears. It. is this suc- . YOUR OPINION~ | “Terrace reeds. ‘bakery towns with lots af pavement and . The Editor Terrace Herald Terrace, B.C, ra ‘4 . Dear'Sir: | _ Have just re-crossed ‘the - . mountains after a trip to visit Bennett's best dressed baby ~ the town of Hudson's Hope near . _ features a, European style, . eoffee shop ~ where everything: the site of Bennett's’ enormous hydro damn.’ So the “dam" baby: ° became. one of B.C. Ss: instant — _ cessful activity that provides the ‘exhilarating. feeling of . _ youthful strength, even at an, "advanced age. ~ ; : “The ’art is to find the 3 jab you like best and ~~ that peaple know. Man must ‘have ° recognition, hecannot tolerate constant’ censure, for. that makes - work i frustrating. And,” " Stressful,”, " ‘Ta stip I had forgotten about, ; . this late T4 slip or for any De! ‘return. Muhammad All arid Joe Frazier is over, the Louisville Lip ailent, and Frazier is th undisputed boxing. champion O the world. fF : Since «oceans of ink have} extravaganza, there is little we, can or should add. . But there are some ob _ servations to be made, Sasay!: Cassitis seems strangely; mellowed by defeat — which is: ag ‘surprising as the defeat it-! ’ self, Moreover, the biblical! phrase proves particularily apt, He that. thinketh he stand, take! heed lest: he-fail.” — least a. few shivers of un-+} certainty. And that's just fine. One our most serious failings is thati(j# we live and act as if we we : immortal, omnipotent and all-| : knowing. It takes a. “little adversity to; it - demonstrate our vulnerability. fs ; The more we have, the more we - ‘can lose.