Page 4, The Herald, Wednesday, December 5, 1970 TERRACE/KETIMAT daily herald General Office - 415-4357 Circulation -435-4357 GEN. MANAGER - Knox Coupland EDITOR. Greg Middleton CIRCULATION. TERRACE - 435-6357 KITIMAT OFFICE - 632-2747 Published every weekday at 3212 Kalum Sireet, Terrace, B.C. A member of Varifled Circutation. Authorized as second class mall. Registration number 1201. Postage pald In cash, return postage guaranteed. Publishad by Starling Publishers NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT The Herald retains full, complete and sole copyright In any adverilsement produced and-or any editorial or photographic contant published In the Herald. Reproduction is not permlited without the written permission of the Publisher. fog. EDITORIAL mo Is a driver’s attitude towards other road users better at 8a.m. or 5.p.m.? Is the level of driving skill generally befter at 12 noon or at 12 midnight? What makes a good driver? These are some of the questions the Canada Safety Council is asking each and every driver in Canada to consider during the 1979 ‘‘Safe Driving Week.’ The first two of these questions can only be answered by each individual driver-for as humans, we differ. The object of the exercise is to encourage awareness of the times that might be our driving ‘‘weak"’ points. Of course, there are many other tactors that can play a part in the decision at any given time. The Safety Council is offering some suggested answers to the third question: A good driver must have: -knewledge of traffic laws and regulations ; -driving skills -knowledge of defensive driving prac- tices and techniques -a vehicie that is mechanically fit and safe to drive -in good physical and mental health and, -a good attitude. eS ec OTT tee 0 The Council says.Ina.eaflet just published that all of these are critical to safe driving, but the single most im- portant ingredient Is the last-a good attitude. There is no substitute. A negafive or poor attitude can be | disastrous-even for a driver with all the other skills and qualities. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR | Publisher comments on the dog situation By KNOX COUPLAND The community we live and work in is on the verge of an old fashioned range war. Instead of sheep herders and caitle ranchers, the antagonists are livestock farmers and dog owners. § It is of little value to try to assess blame, as in most conflicts of this sort there are strong arguments on both sides. The tally at this point is a number of dead sheep and at least two badly in- jyred goats, as well as the known dead and missing degs. Local doctors and hospital officials will also relate almost countless cases of people bitten by dogs here. No one, however, has been killed, yet. Will It be necessary for a human being. to be mauled, permanently maimed or' even killed before sanity prevails? =~ ‘As a residential community we simply cannot allow animals to range freely on our streets. , Dogs have an instinct to ‘pack’ and hunt prey. Believe it or not, your friendly family pet, after frolicking with the children, can become a frenzied predator when caught up In the ex- citement of the hunt, The results of a dog pack hunting down _livestock and even other dogs are sickening. The retaliation of the farmers can be just as swift and brutal. When emotions are running high the. next logical step may seem to be - retaliation against the dog or livestock owner. The Herald calls on its readers to take immediate action before this crisis results in a human tragedy. Phone or write your aldermen, the mayor or your regional district representative today and demand our streets be made safe for our children as well as for both the livestock and occasional pet that does get free by accident. We call on the District of Terrace and the Reglonal District of Kitimat Stikine to take immediate action before it Is too ate. All dogs found ioose on the streets must be Impounded immediately and without exception. The excuse that the manpower is not available is simply not good enough. Animals, that means dogs as well as livestock should be kept in proper en- closures and please, please keep ihe rifles and shotguns on the shelf. “Remember ~— at the count of 10, you turn and fire at the tall, wimpy one, and I fire at the short, dumpy one.” Dear Sir: Most local observers would agree that there certainly is a rumbling of voices over the so-called Kemano [1 (or aa we shall increasingly hear, the Kemano Completion Project). The Smithers ‘Interior News’ has led in the regional investigation of Alcan’s intentions. According to editorial comment, these reporters have been ‘stonewalled.' The Financial Post appears to have the inside track. On November 10th, it reported that Alcan has the ‘unique opportunity of doubling its hydro output (in B.C.).’Not an admission of intent, but more than a subtle hint, Combined with the fact that Alcan wishes to be known ag an ‘energy’ stock, the evidence speaks for itself. The debate over fish logs and habitat destruction has begun, as Alcan proceeds with its plans. The economic debate on fish dollara vs. aluminum is guaranteed lo be critical to the future of Keman 1, Food vs, Metal. Interestingly, thia emphasis must be seen in light of the similarity of strategy in both industries. The fishing industry ap- pears determined to export _ more Canadian joba with frozen, not fully processed flsh to Japan. Similarily, Alcan’s desire for further capacity hinges on further ‘opportunities’ in the Japanese market. The ex- port of increased amounts of raw pluminum has arisen due to the increased costs of energy for smelting In Japan. Once again, the export of jobs with raw material to a low cost wage area,Once again, Canadians are forced to buy back goods from another country and potentially hurt our balance of trade. All this is made possibic due to the giveaway of inexpensive land and electrical capacity granted Alcan more than a generation ago. — As with fish, the fabrication axel production of aluminum goods moves out. Yet one canrest assured that Alcan will prompt itself as a ‘Good Corporate Citizen’ in the up-coming debate, It will ignore the export of jobs and talk instead of the benefit of increased employment in B.C. Certainly, a large number of construction jobs are possible, but what of permanent employment? As a person associated with the Building Trades, 1 must take these jobs seriously, Of course, If Alean is traly concerned about job creation, an alternative exists. ['m certain that construction workers would be more thad pleased to build faciclities lo further proceas aluminum ingots. Always willing to help create more Canadian jobs in secondary manufacturing!! Just a final note and ob- servation, as the war of words heata up. Alcan has other problems on its mind. There are reasons why this ‘Good Corporate citizen’ has faced off with other coun- tries, Alcan’s International reputation is, at beast, uestionable. 1 do belleve at it would serve us well to learn from the experience of other natlens in which this . multinational has or does under legislative contrcla in Jamaica, be accused of support of apatheld in South Africa, or economically support a mililary dic- tatorship in Brazil? Alcan's words must be weighed with an eye to these matters, Before one chooses sides in the Kemano debate, there certainly are many factors to consider. Fraternally, Paul Johnaton WHO LOSES? The Premiers battle By MARJ WELCH TORONTO (CP) — Ontaria Premier William Davis doesn’t Ilke to play the numbers game when he discusses domestic oil prices, He prefers to talk about belng Canadian. “Iam not a pocket-calculater nationalist and Lam not about to doa cost-benefit analysis . of citizenship,” he said in a recent speech. But if backed into a corner he'll quote figures — 60,000 jobs, $2.9 billion in income, $5.4 billion in consumer costs, That's what Ontario says quickly shoving the price of do- mestic crude toward world levels will cost Canada, Sure, Ontario acknowledges that Alberta gave up $15 billion by selling its oll to Canadians cheaply. But, as Davis often says, Ontario contributed $16 billion in federal transfer payments between 1987 and 1977 to help other areas of Canada, “And the principle is nat ane af dollars,"’ a Davis aide said. "You can't put a price on being Canadian. We have to share the wealth.” And the west wasn’t worried about distorting the market in the 1960a when Ontario started paying more for Alberta oll under the Ottawa Valley agreement, he sald. That's when the federal gov- ernment drew a line across the eastern end of Ontario, Areas to the east wed imported of] which was cheaper at the time, those to the west paid more for Canadian crude. An energy ministry official said gasoline, which cost about 40 cents a gallon, cost one-half to one cent a gallon more because domestic oil was used, For about 10 years Ontario paid $35 million a year extra to use western ai] — until 1973 when in- ternational pricea went out of sight. “It was never a horrendous penalty,’ the official said, but Ontario paid it without fussing. It aleo helped establish a domestic oll market. my . “Tt was the appropriate thing to do in the national interest.” So William Davis talks about national interest. He told a recent federal-provincial meeting on oil pricing that ‘“‘the _ ultimate security of our country has absolutely no place ag a bargaining chip around this table,” Ontarians are willing to pay more for oll if the extra earnings ara pumped into ensuring energy self sufficiency for Canada, he said. “But we cannot accept a change In the existing price agreement that would generate windfall profits rather than oil security and economic recession. rather than shared national growth," And Ontario doesn't agree that Alberta must line up diversified industries to fill in when the oil runs out. First, the oil will be there for a long time. Davis told the first ministers that oil sands production will continue for 30 yeara with current technology, 200 years with ° new technology. Secondly, without adding a penny, the $5-billion Heritage Trust Fund will be worth $10 billion by 1985. Alberta is running its alffaira almost without taxing ite residents while the federal government and consuming provinces have huge deficits — not exactly a stabilizing thing for Canada, Ontario officials BBY. Canada has oil while others, like Japan and Germany, have none ao it canset 6 ‘‘made-inCanada" price to keep its energy resources cheaper. This will allow a competitive edge over other industrial nations rather than accepting an “artificial, erratic and soaring world price,” Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed has promised Ontario the lowest: priced crude oil of any manufac- turing complex in the industriallzed world even after a price raise. “We've always argued that we should have that,"' Davis aald in an interview. “It's in the national in- terest to have it." He said Prime Ministr Clark, a Progressive Conservative like Davis and Lougheed, seems to back this theory. And the Ontario premier is optimistic about other parts of his pricing package. . It appears the western producing provinces and federal government don’t want world prices, he hopes — perhaps they will set a cost higher than Ontario would like but at least it won't double suddenly, Canadians pay $13.75 a barre! for domestic oi], the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries charge twice that, And Davis said the rest of the ’ cauntry basically accepts. the On- tario argument that Canada must aim for energy security and im- proved self-sufficiency, But Ontario is alone in wanting the cost of Canadian crude oi] kept well below world levels. Its premier was accused of being parochial as he battled alone at the federal- provinclal level. Davis told the first ministers that ralsing the cost $4 a barrel next year and adding a 30-cent federal excise tax will take $700 from every * Canadian household. “There can be no question that you will risk a national recession.” The premier has reminded the rest of the provinces that ''a healthy Ontario means a healthy Canada,” And Davis has used strong words over the situation. He told a recent dinner in Toronto he was developing “aslow burn” over the western view that Ontarlo is just greedy. “We're not saints here in Ontarlo but we have helped build this country and we have shared our abundant wealth with other Canadians in each and every region of this country — no strings at: tached.” But there's a light sida, too. At a federal Conservative fundraising affair, Davis joked that he had heard Finance Minister John Crosbie was planning to give Ontario to Alberta in his December budget. OTTAWA OFFBEAT | BY RICHARD JACKSON Ottawa--So long in power roughly 40 of the past 45 _ iberals never change. vrey geemn incapable of accomodating to: the changing circumstances of victory and defeat. And that's understandable, for in all the years since: the defeat of Conservative Prime Minister Richard, Bedford Bennett in the mid-1930's they've only ance’, tasted the bitter mult of rejection by the tax-.” . until this Spring. _ ; They sulfered the first humiliation, briefly, for a shade more than five years, when. John Diefenbaker - ledhis Conservatives out of nowhere in 1957--how time : flies, it was nearly 23 years ago-totake power. o Now power to the Liberals is not just something to - savor, the pleasure of personal ego-tripping; nor the - profitable joy of rewarding your friends and allies. :. . It's more than even an incurable addiction, 7 Power has become regarded by the Liberals-atter: , all national supremacy dong has been their way of’. political life-as their personal possession. Not only do they deeply resent its loss in their every: : blood and bones, they simply can’t comprehend it, - : To them it has been for hic a a yo : lerstanding that the usually apprect should become disenchanted with the legislative wonders they cause to come about. 4 But it has happened. Twice now. th Diet ’ First time with Dief. . And now, this second time in 45 years with Joe . Clark. ; ; Their response has been totally irrational each time. In 1957 when the Conservatives--as surprised as they’. themselves were—astounded everyone by beating | them, the dogma of the divine right to rule had: become, even then, so deeply engrained they refused - to accept it. . So Laster Pearson, the freshman Liberal leader, naively was persuaded by Jack Pickersgill, who < learned his tricks at Mackenzie King’s knee, to ask the newly triumphat Conservatives to politely step aside and allow them to get on with the business of running the country, which, they believed in their hearts was so rightly theirs. ; Right there on the floor of Parliament,Mr. Pearson, in all sobriety, moved a non-confidence motion reading... ; +, Jn view of the desirability at this.time of having a government pledged, tod lement dera policies; “His Excellency’s advisers ‘(that ‘was“Dief and. Company) should, in the opinion of this House, submit their resignations at once.” If you saw and heard it that day, you'd never forget it. The House was thunderstruck, except for the Liberals who saw nothing extraordinary about‘it. In their view the universe was unfolding as they thought it should, ; Then Dief replied, and the late Bert Herridge, NDP member for an inter-mountain British Columbia - _Tiding, remarked that Dief; in cutting up Pearson, had. “transformed the House into an abbatoir.” *" ‘Which indeed he had.-for 12 days Tater he used the arrogantly presumptive Liveral motion as the springboard to an election that won him that record - seats, Now on what they regard as the “wrong” side of the ° House, in Opposition, the Liberals are in the same’ mood of unrealism. They’re challenging the Conservatives to tests of - vating Strength in the minority House, and coming _ close. = Close to toppling the new, Clark govergment--and if they and the NDP win the two by-election’ this month, * they'll have the troops for it--and close to disaster -. again. Arrogance beat them last Spring. : And if they continue playing with fire in the House, ' arrogance Will consume them again, for even the . Liberals admit the country is in no mood, or financial - shape, for a Winter election. : LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The enclosed letter received no consideration, was merely - . read and filed, at the Council Meeting of Monday, November: . The incumbent alderman made the statement from a, public platform. The press reported it. He repeated it on radio the week of the municipal election, The mayor became involved. When elected persons confront ane another over Public funds, it is in the public domain. Now thanks to the ob- servations of another alderman, the Gair Avenue paving arises. The job was done last August. The $14,000 cost is being borne out of general revenue, A by-law should have been processed early last summer, and forwarded to 4 The Mayor and Council, Dear Sirs, During hile recent campaigning for public office, to which he waa re- elected, an incumbent alderman raised his ob- fection to the spending of large sums of monies from the 1970 budget on frille. When challenged on thia at the Regular Meeting of the In Council on * Tuesday, Municipalities re an November — 13th, the proval. Thus property alderman ateod by his owners on Gair Avenue (or oes it not seem any other. street) carry the costs from the aulset. This is the concept of Local Improvement Projects, The Clerk-Administrator has called it an oversight. “In our enthusiasm and haste to get the paving done, we forgot to put through a by-law’, or words to that effect. There are three | unicipal officers whose salaries and allowances are in the 2 ne ehibourkood of $30,000, each. Thelr responsibilities are to - check, double check and triple check the correct documentation for the collection and disbursement of public Pie, on whatever other detail la Involved, Being three in - / is a triple guarantee, a b: t miviakes. “Oversights" shoutd not occur, ack UP agains : ue respect, Mr. Editor, I ask you, i the - statement and rebuttal regarding the 5p budget and the Gair affair, is the public from whom the monies are collec- ted, the public wh ; ; why an where ; 0 pays, not entitled to know in detail-how, | reasonable to expect that the public will be fully enlightened on this matter: how the monies were ac- cumulated, and how they were spent? Sincerley, Gerry Duftus. ae