PAGE 4, THE HERALD, Tuesday, May 2, 1978 epiroriaL «=. How important is Afgha The term ‘‘Aighanistanism” is a pretty ‘fancy word, It has been used for years among newspaper editors and journalists to describe a certain habit that editors used to have when trying to think up an editorial on dull days when the wells of inspiration were low, if not dry- and there was little of special interest in the news to take a, stand upon. At times like those, editors would be tempted to write upon obscure topics and subjects which were not particularly relevant issues. The price of Beer in Baluchistan. The decline in the number of ravens in the Tower of London. The social significance of female circumsicion in the tribal rites of Upper (or Lower) Volta. The decline in the popularity of hopscotch with the paving of school playgrounds. Stuff like that. Now (Oneisalmost tempted to exclaim ‘Lo! and Behoid!’) Afghanistan, that very remote fierce, tribal country of approximately 20 million’ people, off the northwest frontier of Pakistan, in the mountains beyond the Khyber Pass, is sud- denly front page news. Apart from the tragedy and senseless murder and suffering accompanying all wars- no matter how small,- for all warfare and killing is similar madness- the appearance of Afghanistan in the headlines will bring joy to the hearts and bring a new sense of importance into the lives of certain groups and individuals around the world. Among these will be the “pukka sahibs’’ (big- shots) who years ago served in His Majesty’s forces along the NorthWest Frontier of India (as it was then.) Hundreds of officers- actually a tiny remnant of the original number who served long ago retired on tiny service pensions in ‘Victoria and other garden sposts of B.C. Others, in suburban London — at places like Surrey, or sunny Devon and Cornwall - as far afield as New Zealand and even: Tasmania- will be rubbing their hands before their open fires in their drawing rooms, exclaiming ‘Gad, Sir! Shocking! It’s shocking, that’s what!”’And some will no doubt be brandishing their walking sticks as sabres’ to demonstrate what they would do if they were only back in harness, forty and fifty years younger! uO I can remember a studio photograph of my , father taken in Dehra Dun, India at a Masonic Ladge convention. Of the twenty or thirty of- ficers in the photograph, all of whom had served on the Afghan frontier, not many years after the photo was taken, only a scant two or three were still alive. The rest were either killed by Afghan bullets or had died of the various fevers and attendant hazards of life in that dry, dusty, hilly, dangerous mountain border country. For more than a century Russia has coveted that strategic though wild land. Like a patient watchful bear she has been poised, waiting for some relaxation on the part of the Indian and Pakistani governments to strike. During the hundred or more years of British rule, the danger from Russia was always recognized, hence the guard along the Khyber pass was always kept at the alert —-not merely to prevent the mountain raiders of Afghanistan from carrying out their deadly border ids of pillage, rape and plunder - but to discourage the Russian Bear from its ever threatening coup. My father used to tell me the Afghans insisted the Russians kept railway rolling stock, with ‘steam up 24 hours of the day, across the Russian- Afghan border, all set, at a moments:notice, to rush a roadbed in and lay rails to Kabul, the nistan to Western World? ‘tal itself. There are no railways whatever, in tan The assassination of the president of Afghanistan, 33 members of is family, and 500 top government officials, ve the weekend, and the assumption of an obvious ly Communist new government may 500 C ange ver,” ; that, ae the news of the fall of the f iercly proud independent government of Af ghanistan an’ e bloody take over by the new ' People’s Republic obviously aided by Russia comes almost as a shock. It is akin to a Fire department that has guarded a factory for over a century, always on the alert for a fire. Then suddenly, one day, before their eyes, and without being called out to fight it- the factory is burned to the ground. Of what great significance is the overthrow of rnment of Afghanistan? . nite event is of arent historical and military ignificance. - ; the fall of the government of Afghanistan could, one hundred years from now, be looked upon as being similar to the assassination of an obscure Archduke at Sarajevo- the event that historians today link as being the start of World War I. Joe Who? Why, “Joe Opportunity” of course! Ottawa Offbeat by Richard Jackson Ottawa,- Alvin Hamilton, veteran of seven electionsand 21 years in the House of Commons, has the answer to that favorite question with wich the Liberals love to but the Conservatives: “Joe Who?” ; Alvin’s answer; ‘Joe Opportunity,” Your opportunity, he’s preaching across the land, to give Joe Clark a chance after 10 disastrous years for the Canadian economy and national unity under Pierre Trudeau. Alvin can make it sound very convincing. He’s always been the party’s ‘idea man,” since he first came to the Commons in 1957 when his friend and mentor John Diefenbaker broke 22 years of Liberal rule, and won power. Besse ITH Ons 5 . neyeatateraretotet RA eletetetetebetechicceneete THIS WEEK aan from Ottawa J | ow “Ton Campagnolo - I was recently advised by officials of En- vironment Canada's Fisheries and Marine Branch of prospects and regulations for the 1978 Skeena Salmon Season. I ‘hope the fishing in- dustry in our area will consider this information as the 1978 season begins. The regulations, as laid down by the Skeena River Management Committee, are tentative and are based on the probable abundance of runs, escapement requirements and the ability of the fishing fleet to exploit Skeena Salmon stocks. I would be pleased to supply a copy of those regulations to anyone who has not been advised on this matter. Sockeye abundance for 1978 has been for- mulated mainly on the basis of the four-year-old return in 1977, the rate of survival from smolt to adult and the average ratio of four and five-year- old’s returning. from a brood year. Extreme variability in survival rates and age composition has -occurred in the past, and this forecast provides merely an objective basis for for- mulating fishing regulations at this time. As has been the case in the past years, appropriate changes in the fishing regulations may be required during the season, and ‘these will be implemented on the basis of the actual size of the return, - The 1978 sockeye return will be composed of 52’s from the 1973 escapement of 827,000 and 42's from the 1974 escapement of 721,000. The smolt production from these brood years was 34.1 and 43,0 million, respectively. Based on the above information and the number of age four returns in 1977, the best estimate of the 197B sockeye return is 1,85 million. This return is expected to be composed of 110,000 age Sws, 875,000 age 42’s and 65,000 other age classes. It must he em- phasized that this is the most probable size of 1978 sockeye return, but the return could range between 1.4 and 2.2 million. | The expected strength of the 1978 return is in the Pinkut and Fulton River stocks, with the largest contribution from Fulton River. Very poor returns are expected to the early non- Babine streams, and light returns to the small streams around Babine Lake and the upper and lover Babine River stocks. Consequently, the. proposed regulations have been designed with these facts in mind. PINK SALMON The 1978 pink salmon run will return from a very light escapement of 604,025 in 1976. Con- ditions during incubation were good, and egg to fry survival appears to be good, Based on an average ratio of return for even-year cycles, the 1978 pink salmon stock is expected to be 1.75 million. Again, this is an ‘estimate of the most probable size of the 1978 return, but it could range between 0.7 million and 3.0 million. CHINOOK SALMON Expectations for the 1978 chinook return are based on the average ratio of return, age com- position and brood year escapements. The total expected stock for 1978 is 80,000. , Skeena chinook salmon stocks have been It was Alvin who dreamed up “Roads to Resources,” for which he was ridiculed by the Liberals 20 years ago, but in the last few years of far northern resources development has become a policy paying off with ever-increasing national dividends, It was Alvin who first suggested the liberalizing of retirement savings plans which Liberal Finance Minister Jean Chretien in- troduced in this last budget. And Alvin’s been working on -- among a great many other ideas -- a plan of financing that could bring the Alberta and Saskatchewan oil tar sands into production at a fraction of the currently calculated capital cost. The scheme has enough going for it that at least two of the major oil companies are ' studying it. . Alvin has had so many ideas -- including the generation of gas from barnyard manure -- that only his secretary keeps track, and her files are. spilling out over the cabinets into stacks on the oifice floor. So Alvin ponders the problem of ‘Joe Who?” And it has been a problem. . : Pierre Trudeau has done so much -- not all of it ali that wonderful -- and beén just about everywhere, oe And Joe Clark has done so little -- beyond the back rooms of political organization and a summer job in the newsroom of an Alberta newspaper --and as a world traveller, well, a quickie trip of Europe is about it. The Liberals, pragmatists that they always are, recently have taken to confessing their faults and saying, as Jean Chretien put it: “If you think we're ‘not so hot, take a look at the alternative.”’ © That’s just what Alvin wants you to do. Look at Joe Clark. Carefully. Alvin is not only an old friend of John Diefenbaker's but was his manager back in the early Saskatchewan provincial political days long before Dief was Chief. '*] remember Dief then,” recalls Alvin, ‘‘He was about Joe’s age. Going on 40. He looked much younger than his years. (So does Joe.) He was inexperienced, didn’t know how to perform on the platform, waved his arms, jumped not all that well known that people couldn’t have said ‘‘John Who?” \ But Dief matured. A fast learner. And at 45 was in Parliament and beginning to make his name. Alvin says Joe's a few years ahead of where Dief was in those days. He’s in Parliament at under 40, and not only the leader, but a fast enough learner to know he can’t do it all. | So he has delegated responsibilities to his best and brightest men. To do this requires confidence and trust, for when you delegate responsibilities you deliver yourself into the harfds of those taking them. Alvin is Joe’s “policy man” on resource development. Finds Joe a good team man. Knows if Joe wins, he can put together a remarkably able cabinet, And if Alvin is to be believed -- that Joe is more sophisticated, better organized, and a long step ahead of where Dief was in his day -- then you've got to know that “Joe Who?’ is your “Joe Op- portunity.” SS pehhiiatsenetnecaianesba geben aeaetsasaneteer esas ' extremely low during the last several years, and restrictionehave been imposed on both com- mercial and sport fisherman to protect these stocks. It is again proposed to continue these restrictions in 1978. -_ RESPONSIBLE SPENDING In recent weeks you have read a great deal about the new federal budget presented by Finance Minister Jean Chretien, which outlined Canada’s policy for spending. It is timely, I ‘think, to exprain the various roles played in Canada’s fiscal management, and to clarify how our national revenue is spent. The ‘Department of National Revenue is responsible for actual taxation, funds which are . largely governed under general policy of the - Department of Finance. It is then the respon- sibility of Treasury Board to see that the outlay of national revenue is done in a responsible fashion. Treasury Board estimates of spending for 1978- 79 were published recently, showing plans for Canada’s $48.8 billion budget. I feel it is useful for taxpayers to know where their money Foes. and I want to provide you with a very outline of Treasury Board’s allocations. — Traditionally, Health and Welfare programs have required the most funds and 1978-79 is no exception. These programs use, in total, 34.6 per cent of the expenditures, while public debt (14 percent), economic development and support (11.1 per cent) dnd defence (10.9 per cent) receive the next three largest allocations. - Transport and Communications, a category of government expenditure that is of great im- portance to us in northern British Columbia, receives the next highest allocation at 6.8 per cent or $3,163,000,000. Next, the federal govern- ment pays 6 per cent of its total revenue to the: , provinces, That means $12.8 billion in fiscal transfers. _ The govenment also puts a total of $2.2 billion into education assistance, largely post secon- dary schools - that is 3,7 per cent of the national udget, Those are just ‘a few of the government’s spending allocations, and I want to poirit out that of those amounts, $10.3 billion will finance direct payments to Canadians to augment the income of senior citizens, families, the unemployed, workers in training, veterans and native citizens, a figure Iam sure will be of interst to all of you. . If you have any questions or comments on the above or any other matter, please do not hesitate to write to me, care of House of Commons, Ot- tawa K1A 0X2 PafataSatetatatatetatstatetetatetel SS Newsletter, as Ken Morton Le t t @ rs , AE calor often start by saying how much they hate Skeena Zone, competition, and how dif BCDA. . fieult the cholca was this time. I don't know 1f the Dear Friends, others tell the truth, but this _ This letter is in lieu of a time around the cliches public address to the entire apply. It was an agonising Festival. I did speak in cholca betwen two Prince Rupert, but these productions which were very comments are for cir- different in style and con- culation’ through the Zone tent, but closely matched in rief - around, was new, looked uncomfortable and was se re Rag UCC RENO ae ASLO me arene BA cowottins quality. © These were outstanding productions be Caledonia “Players' The entered in the Finals, I'm Effect of Gamma Rays on told that this season it’s - Man-In-the-Moon Marigolds, BCDA policy to admit only Campbell ~ Scapino in My thanks to Ken Princo -Rupert’s Company, Zone members te ime And a special Buster fascinating trip: some en- Keaton C7 Ser eno 4 by Paul Zindel, directed by Stfan Cieslik; and the North Pacific Players’ production ofa ; Company” of Wayward Saints, by George Herman, directed by Bob Whiteley. They are two excellent pr ctions - one by a fine h schoo] group, and the other by a well-prepared adult group that I was very surprised to learn consiated mostly of first-ilmere, .' I chose Marigolds to go to Powell River: it had a slight edge. I enjoyed, the show more and was more emotionally involved with the characters. A part of my response had to do with the cholee of script, which of - couse is always the biggeat decision in preparing a show: the Company script has some inherent problems. And part of it related to roduction values. But ause the decision was a close one, I recommended to the BCDA, here in Van- couver, that both these one production from each, Zone. Apparently there were similarly close decisions in other Zones thia year, and the policy Is being strictly adhered to. So Marigads will be representing the’ Skeena Zone, 1 greatly distrust the “Best” Actor and Actress nonsense; acting isn’t racing, and can't be judged by stopwatch and tape measure.. But 1 certainly belleve in giving Mention to apecific performances that were Honourable; so in order, more or less, of ap pearance: — ' Hon. Mentlon to Helly Champoux ~ Heatrice in Caledonia Players Terrace little Theatre's: Marigolds, Hon. Mention to David B, Thomson for thirteen roles In _ Rupert's. Hon. Mentlon to Marg Haigh -- Mra. Chisholm in Prince Rupert's Practlaing Deception. Hon. Mention .to . Ken,, Memorial Un- tertalning theatre, and some deracting Award to Roy ‘Stlmulating questio Supernault, for his very discussions and arguments, funny passivity in Caledonia Players The Sandbox, TERRACE/ KITIMAT daily herald. General Office. 635-6357 Clreulation. 63.4987: PUBLISHER.,.0on Cromack REPO ge TOR... Ernest Senior «Donna Vallieres (Terrace-Th h REPORTERS. .Seott Browes (Kitimat. al - Publatny OFFICE...Pat Zelingki ae td every weekday at 3212 Kalum St, B.C, A member of Varified Circulation, Avior ea tecond Claas mall. Registration number 1201, Postage pald In cash, return postage guarantead, 0 1 John Lazarus . . Publithed by Storling Publishers | NOTE OF COPYRIGHT ‘The Herald retains full, com In any advertisement produce shatographi«’ content publl plete and sole copyright a and-oF any editorlal or Reproduction is not ermitted ' n a Herald. . permission of the Putlisher ed'withou! the written I enjoyed working with you. s 2 rte oe ie =e eed Pe Perr