PAGE 4, THE HERALD, Friday, October 7, 1977 _—(the herald )- . General Office - 635-6357 (Kitimat) - 632-6209 postage guaranteed. Publisher. \. Circulation (Terrace) - 635-6357 PUBLISHER... W.R. (BILL) LOISELLE MANAGING EDITOR... STU DUCKLOW Published every weekday af 3212 Kalum St, Terrace B.C, A member of Varifled Circulation. Authorized #s second class mall, Registration number 1201, Postage pal. i cash, return NOTE OF COPYRIGHT The Herald retains full. complete and sole copyright in any advertisemant produced and-or any editorial or photographic content published In the Herald. epreduction Is not permitted without the written permission af the Published by Sterling Publishers ~aieey Interpreting the News Arabs may block U.S.-Israeli idea UNITED NATIONS (CP) — Arab diplomats are weighing anew U.S.-Israeli initiative for a Middle East peace parley but it is questionable whether the Arabs will buy the package. The issue hinges on the extent to which the Americans and the Israelis are prepared to permit representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization to join in the talks. The Arabs insist that the PLO, which claims to represent Palestinians made homeless when the modern state of Israel was carved out of old Palestine 30 years ago, must have a say in thefinal Middle East settlement. The Isreaelis, insisting that the PLO is nothing more than a terrorist organization dedicated to destroying Israel, refuses to sit at the peace table with PLO representatives. The terms of the new peace initiative, worked out here this week by President Carter and Israeli envoys, are being kept secret until the Israeli government gives them forma approval next week, but the broad outlines apparently have been leaked through diplomatic briefings. DELEGATION WIDENED The New York Times, for example, says the secret working paper provides for a resumed Geneva peace conference with srael meeting a unified Arab delegation that would include Egyptians, Syrians, Jordanians, Lebanese and Palestinians. Actual negotiations would be conducted by bilateral com- mittees 5 ing to work out separate ace treaties bet- ween Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Those are the three Arab countries from which Israel seized large tracts of territory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The Palestinians would enter the picture in a second set of © owrking groups which would cover such issues as com- pensation for Arab and Jewish refugees and the future of territory Israe] now occupies on e West Bank of the Jordan River, the Gaza Strip and the frontier between Israel and Syria. These groups, it is reported, could possibly include low-level PLO officials. — .U.S. State Secretary Cyrus Vance spent much of Thur- sday briefing Arab delegates on the new proposals. CRITICISM VOICED The new U.S.-Israeli plan was hastily drafted in the wake of an Israeli outery over a joint U.S.-Soviet statement issued last weekend on guidelines for Middle East peace. Israelis charged the document was heavily tilted in favor of the Arabs. Israeli supporters pointed to the statements’s reference to Palestinian “rights,” as opposed to past state depart- ment terminology of Palestinian ‘‘interests,” an in- terpreted this as a U.S, endorsement of the idea of creating a Palestinian state on the West Bank. The U.S. was sharply criticized both by Israelis and by Is- raeli supporters in the U.S. Congress for bringitig the Soviet Union into the negotiating process a cha oviet Union and the U.S. are co- to ignore the fact that the Vi e which seemed chairmen of the Geneva conference and one cannot act without the other. Meanwhile, time is running out on the Geneva con- ference, which Carter hopes to see in session by Christmas. The conference met for one brief session after the 1973 Yom Kippur war and has been standing adjourned ever since. Today in history Oct. 7, 1977 An American revolutionary force was routed at Chadds Ford, Pa., 200 years ago today—in 1777—by the Ist American Regiment, later the Queen's York Rangers, one of Canada’s oldest military units. The regiment was organized before the revolution by Robert Rogers— famous for his Rogers’ Rangers—but later moved to Torontoby Lt.-Col. John Graves Simcoe, first lieutenant-governor oi Upper Canada, who or- ganized them the Rangers. 1492—A cry of ‘Land ho” and sighting of Jand birds made Columbus change course and miss Florida. 1763—Cape Breton Island was made part of Nova Scotia. 1769—Captain Cook sighted New Zealand. 1849—Edgar Allan Poe, American author, died, 1851—Fourteen Barnard graduates became the first women to earn college degrees in New York City. CRA AR ’ i C1622 -Jroesol Pram Syrdcate A “So | said to her, ‘how about giving me some- thing to ramember you by?” Business spotlight - Self-serve supermarket caters to growing do-it-yourself bunch SURREY, B.C. (CP)— Soaring ingurance costs, steep repair bills and the consumer's increasing willingness. to the job himself are three factors Ralph James credits for the success of his unique self- serve car-parts super- market. James got the idea for his Vancouver-area auto part supermarket from a seminar of the Association of Cyclers and Dismantlers of America and says the supermarket is good for everybody. Sales have jumped 10 per cent this year, he said in a recentinterview, and should reach $1 million by the end of the year. “It's the coming thing,” said James, whose store is the only one of its kind in Western Canada. ‘People are keeping their cars EDITOR’S NOTE: Passage by the Quebec national assem-bly of the Charter of the French Language, known as Bill 101, will mean a decline in both the availability and the quality of English-language education in the province, says Laurier LaP-ierre, prominent broadcaster and educationist. His comments on Bill 101 are set out in this article written specially for The Canadian Press. Written for CP: By LAURIER LaPIERRE MONTREAL (CP) — Well itis done! We must live now with the consequences of Bill 101-the Charter of the French Language. It is the Jaw of Quebec sanctioned or given royal assent Aug. 26. The charter confers many . rights, such as the right to the French language in all circumstances of lite: work, office, store, legislation justice, etc. It makes rench the official language of Quebec and imposes its use in every conceivable field: industry, m looh ec boards, commerce, busi- ness. In the area of education, French is the official language of instruction. However in four cases, English is permitted: —To children of parenta who have recelved their rimary education in nglish and in Quebec, —To children whose parenta liva In Quebec at the me of passage of the law but who have recelved their rimary education in nglish outside Quebec. —To children who have begun their education in: English. —And to the younger brothers and sisters of those children. NOT EXCLUDED Essentially what this means is that the children of non-English-speaking immigrants who now are in English-speakin schools may continue to be there, as longer and longer, “They're getting away from thinking that unless you’re driving a nice new car, you're a nobody.” Nice cars have tio place in James’ store, ‘which is supplied by an average of 50 cars a week written off by the Insurance Corp. of British Columbia and of- fered for sale to licensed auto wreckers and bonded dealers. The corporation writes off a car if the cost of repairs plus the anticipated sa vage value meets or exceeds the estimated worth of the car before the accident, an ICBC spokesman said. CARS STRIPPED About 200 cars a week go onthe block, he added, at an average price of $335. When the wrecks land in James’ yard, all saleable parts are stripped, cleaned and inventoried. Leftovers go to the crusher. James said the maximum return from a stripped down car 1s about $1,500, or a 50 to 60 per cent return on the initial cost — of the automobile. “I offer a service,” he said. “You may think ‘he gets the car for nothing and he’s charging me $10 for this part,’ but you either get it ere or you get a new one. “If you think these prices are expensive, you should check out the prices for new parts. They're astronomical.” James’ parts run from $2 for‘a door handle to nearly $500 for a refitted, installed engine. : More owners are ready to pay $500 for a new engine than in the past, James said, because “‘it gets him around” more cheaply than “Osgood can hardly wait till it snows.” Education almost entirely in French a new vehicle. A tighter claims division at the government-owned ICBC also is helping business, he added. Parts that aren't on display can be cut from the wrecks by the customer himself, armed with a chisel. “We work under the assumption that somebody’s gat to put the part on for you and it’s going to be yous so you might as well take it off ourself so you can learn ow at the same time.” James guarantees his parts for 60 days, although eadlights are guaranteed forever. James found the greatest demands are for pony cars- the Mustangs, Firebirds, Camaros and Chargers that he said tend to be driven harder and faster than other types. [VOICE OF READERS Disilluston - Reading the newspapers one might sometimes come to the conclusion that the . government of the day is really an governemtn for the beneift of the province and its people. _ That isif you are willing to believe the printed word and is you are more or less living an afiluent live where number one is yourself. That is of course very shallow and not a good road to the ballot box. ; A am always open to wait and see the goodintentions of politicians and it does not take an intelectual to see what is good or bad, rigid or lacking. By being an avid reader of the Provincial Hansard I hav become quite familiar with the way the gover- nemtn is thinking and frankly it seares me. It is giving me a very sad picture. of where we are going. Of couse any government brings in new laws and legislation, but it is mu opinion that most of the nges that have taken lace and the new egislation that is being brought in is not exactly a step forward in the overal picture of the growth of the economy and the lives of the people in British Columbia. Many are politically in- spired and a slap in the face the opposition as a whole and reflects in return on the electorate of those M.L.A.' s. It is rather starnge that there areso many groups of people most of the time up in arms about something or other of this government compared to the N.D.P. rule or even the old Socred rule. That makes you think- .pa wether this government is really with the times. Times _ are changing ideas are changing, new generation who wants things changed. I don’t mean that govern- ments should toe to the wishes of the people, but I think that it is imperative to heed those wishes and be very well aware of the repercussions old fashioned or politically motivated changesare going to have in reflection on the people and the economy. It is very childish to every Bill 101: language by legislation can their younger brothers and sisters. However, no immigrant whosoever will be allowed in the English-speaking school system in future. And it makes no difference where that immigrant comes from, unless he is only tem- rarily—for three years or Quebec by his company. Canadians from other rovinces moving into Buebec are not allowed to send their children to English-speaking schools unless they are in Quebec for a period not exceeding three years or if a treaty has been signed between Quebec and other provinces per- mitting the education of children in both English and French. Lastly there is guarantee that the children of immigrants who now are in English-speaking schools will be able to send their own children to an English- speaking school. Lg tt What does all this méan? It is of course impossible in this short article to deal with the entirety of the Jaw. I propose to deal specifically with the matter of education. ‘LAW IS DANGEROUS’ However, I may be per- mitted to say that the law as itis interpreted at present is dangerous In so far as liberty is, concerned and cannot be conducive to social harmony. It created .categories of citizens within the same jurisdiction who can be reated differently and whose fundamental rights are left to the vicissitudes of bureaucrats. French-speaking Quebecers have no rights to an education in English should they wish it, In fact the English language need not be taught to their chil- dren. English-speaking Quebeckers are by the law considered transients, even those who have been here since the end of the 18th century. It is questlonable waether no° English-speaking Quebecers, and whether the native. les, are mem- bers oa becois.” Much in the law suggests a call to vengeance for real or imagined wrongs and also an encouragement to racism with its “they-us”’ syndrome. It is in the field of education that citizens will feel for the most part the iniquities of the law. Figures released b cGill University and which have not been seriously challenged demonstrate that by 1986 “the English school system would be no more than approximately 46 per cent of its present size.” “le peuple Que- Englishspeaking child is doomed in years to come to a mediocre system of education, with far less opportunity for excellence anits French counterpart. Many English-speaking parents have expressed this anxiety. Of course, there are some in Quebec who dismiss these fears because they believe that all the “Anglais” are rich and thus can send their sons and daughters to private schools. This is obviously nonsense. One only has to go to Verdun, Pointe St. Charles, Lachine, Brossard and other suburban places to see that is not so. Bill 101 is dangerous. It creates categories of citizens whose rights are left up to bureaucrats. . . In other words, enrolment in the English-speaking ublic schools of Quebec, rotestant and Roman Catholic, will decrease almost by half within ap- proximately 10 years. After 1986, the system would also continue to shrink aa well, for as the McGill report saya: “Ef all those leav ng Quebec are @ loss to the English school system and none of those coming In can enter it, then we see the eventual decline of the English schools to negligible propor- ion EVIDENCE VALID There is no doubt that the statements that the university made in its brief on the Charter of the French Language in Quebec and the evidence on which they have been based are valid. Witha decreasing enrolment, there goes a decreasing tax base, and this means little money to keep the system going and to improve on it. Consequently, the Large corporations are also asking themselves whether executives would want to come to Quebec because of the possible mediocrity of the English educational system. Con- sequently, this is an im- portant element in their over-all assessment of future development or in- vestment within the provirice. Furthermore, one may well ask: who would want to teach in such a system? Very few I suspect. Most English-speaking teachers would move out of the province and none would come in. When onne bears in mind the importance of attractin new recruits to give life an audacity, it is easy to imagine how intellectually starved the English- speaking school system of mebec would become. The classes would of course have tonumber more students, making more difficult a meaningful rlate ionshi teacher and student. Many young people who want to pursue a teaching career will not be able to do so in Quebec, thus accentuating and accelerating the decline of the system. SEES UNIVERSITY DECLINE Universities such as. Con- ‘cordia and McGill will suffer because of Bill 101, Neither of these institutions could operate, given the decrease in the English- speaking school system mentioned above. At present, enrolment at McGill is in the vicinity of 16,000. Of those, 15 per cent or approximately 2,400 are Frenchspeaking and 75 per cent or 12,-000 of its total enrolment is from Quebec. aoé , 29 y lit students come from the English-speaking public schools of Quebec. If by 1986 the attendance at those schools has shrunk by about 50 per cent, then it follows that McGill’s enrolment will be reduced by as much, unless more French- speaking Quebecers enter into it—which they probably will not be allowed to do—or more foreign students come to McGill—which again will not be allowed, The financing of a university depen largel. ongovernment grants whic are based on student enrolment. Consequently In about 10 years, McGill University will certainly not be able to continue its present commitment, It too will have to shrink. The same may be said of Con- cordia. In addition there is a question of staffing the university, In its brief on Bill 101 to the national assembly, McGill stated: A good university depends primarily on the interaction of ‘high y j{rairied minds supporte appropri facilities.’ ¥ Appropriate Given the fact that in- coming members of the faculty will not be able to send their children to so often come back to the N.D.P. rule and rub thier honest mistakes and flaws in again. It istheir job now to work to the best of their ability for the province and its inhabitants, and not only for thier political. friends and how to save a buck here and there and have the books come out at the bottom line. . Working for people and the environoment should never be a bottomline priorety, but a way of elping and making ways for everbody who is some step lower on the finacial ladder then the rich and well to do. ° There will always be a certain element! of people who like to rip of govern- ments, but that is minimal compaired to the ones who really need help and can not help themselves. And any government, who is responsible for a large segment of the population to fall even lower are bringing this province in to the 15t centruy through their ac- tions aconscience. The rich and the wealthy will never be affected by changes that are detreimental to others, we see that federaly and provincaly and I do think that is deplorable. Canda is a youn country and could learn in all its governments many lessons rom Europe and other countinents. But being a Canadian citizen, born and raised in Holland, and seeing the lackadaisical or jndifferent attitude of many people in their outlook wards polities and their right to vole,is very ap- ling to me. This country could have better regimes if people are willing to use their common sense and listen to can- didates at electiontimes and make themselves familiar with the different parites philosophyies. d use your right of freedom to vote this is a democratic country with many freedo s what too many countries,do not have - any. yore, remember, that, . Leni Sluyter Kitimat B.C. English-speaking schools— unless they accept an ap- pointment of only three years—how easy will it be for the university to recruit in such a highly competitive market? Slowly and gradually the universities are going to have quite a hard time renewing themselves. Such an unresolved problem may very well spell the end of the English-speaking univer- sities of Quebec. CONFIDENCE ERODED Lastly, the climate in Quebec is not one which can encourage confidence in the equality of all citizens before the state, before the law, and before the oppor- tunities of life. Aggression and vengeance and accent on linguistic and racial dif- ferences are too much in the alr. Feeling unwanted and unwelcome, many dream of leaving Quebec. This is particularly,so of young people, who see no future for themselves here even if they speak, read and write French, In a few years there will he a considerable generation gap: the old and the very young. The middle will have left. It is a sad prospect in a place like Quebec which prided itself on its ‘“‘Bien- venue” and ite friendliness, particularly to strangers. What I have {ust ainted will no doubt be described as an exaggeration and figures | be quoted to disprove what has been’ proved 80 often, Yet, the Quebec govern- ment must also speak about the negative repercussions of its policies in a rational sort on way and with a commitment to right them. Those conditions are not present in Quebec in so far as the English-speaking Quebecer is concerned. It is as if there would nothing lost if even half of them emigrated out of the province, It is doubtful that one can build a country in justice and in Love with such an attitude.