Page 2, Tho Herald, Thursday, March 12, 1981

ar RITA

daily herald

. General Office - 625-6357 Published by
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Editor — Pete Nadeau

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fn

OTTAWA §f
VIEWPOINT ¥

by JIM FULTON
SKEENA M.P.

\

Is this a country where there is one law for the
“big oll companies and another law for the rest of
“us?
: Last week a government report revealed that
the petroleum industry overcharged Canadians
‘to the tune of $2,500 per consumer during the 60's
“and 70's.
* That's $12 billion total. ‘If one doliar bills were
‘laid out end to end, that amount of money would
reach the moon and = back, twice.
The federal government sighs in dismay and
regrets that our combines laws (which they
‘won't update because of business pressures)
‘aren't tough enough to deal with that kind of
corporate fraud.
. The government report showed the four major
foreign-owned oll companies in Canada have
fixed prices for years to sulf thelr own monopoly
contro! over the energy business. In the United
States they prosecute companies for that kind of
behaviour.

In Canada, the Minister of Consumer and -

Corporate Affairs says: “We don‘i.want revenge
against the oll companies.” Then he talks about
another Inquiry to see how bad thaigé raatly are.

-A study in Alberta has shown the mulfl-
national. control over the retailing of gasoline,
cements the companies’ monopoly over every
facet of the energy business. One frightening
comment on that study: "Nothing will be done
about it because the oll companies have more
‘power than governments.”

’ Unfortunately, these are the kinds of horror
stories that re-enforce what the NDP has been
saylng for years.

Yes, the forelgn-owned multi- nationals do
have an undesirable impact on our economy.

Yes, the multinationals have no interest In
individual countries or in a “free market.”

The federal report found the multinationals
charge artificlally inflated prices to their sub-
sidlarles here for foreign supplies coming into
Canada. ‘So Exxon tells Imperial Oli It will have
to buy oi! for the east coast at higher than world
prices and we foot the bill unwittingly.

“These excessive costs served to enrich the
parent company at the expense of the Canadian
consumer who consequently pald higher prices
for gasoline and heating oil,” says the report.

The power of the multinationals Is such that
they control not only exploration for Canadian
all, but production, transportation, refining and
marketing. That's the kind of monopoly control
that allowed them to drive out of business
hundreds of Independent suppliers of gasoline
and fuel oil.

Although those ‘little guys’ proved more
efficient at distributing and marketing
petroleum than the big companies, the
multinationals eliminated that competition
through various tactics. .

You could say that that is one thing we've got
from the multinational ol} companies: no more
| neighbourhood gas stations and no. more small

independent home heating dealers.

The authors of the federal report can only look

to PetroCanada to unclench the power of the

' petroleum industry, . They see the need for a

_ company which deals for Canada, with strictly
Canadian Interests in mind.

If that’s our oil out there, explored for at

’ faxpayer’s expense and then pald for by

Canadian consumers, we must have Canadian
control.

If it’s true that the oll companies are more

_ powertul than governments, this may be our last

’ chance to take @ stand against a wortd‘controlled
by corporate empires.

LETTERS WELCOME

The Herald welcomes its readers comments,
All letters to the editor of general public interest
will be printed. We do, however, retain the right
to refuse to pririt letters on grounds of possible
libel or bad laste. We may also edit letters for
style and length, All letters to be considered for
publication must be signed.

The Herald retains full. complete and sole copyright in -

HEY KID = HANG OM
TO A FEW OF ‘THESE

| REPORT
FROM
THE
LEGISLATURE -
q By PREMIER BILL BENNETT =|
Early this week my colleague Don Phillips,
Minister’ of Industry and Small Business

Development, and 1 finished what we-believe
was a very successful trade and economic
mission to Southeast Asia and Japan.

political contact: with those nations, as well as to
forge closer economic ties. We wanted to find
out their politicat priorities for industrial
development ‘and for expansion of trade
retations.

We also wanted jo find ways In which
Canadians can better understand, and in turn be
better understood by, people In those countries. |
got a very clear impression the Southeast Asian
nations, which are developing couniries,
welcomed us and welcome closer contacts with
Canada.

The misston, which Jasted from February 12 to
March 1, visited Thalland, Indonesia, Singapore,
Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan.

Its Importance was re-enforced fo me by the
ambassadors and staffs in the embassies we
visited, who said such missions give them much
greater access to top government officials and to
business and industry leaders in those countrles.
It Is important that Canada make a stronger
presence felt In those nations, both politically
and economically. This was stressed, for
example, by His Excellency Adam Malik, Vice-
President of the Republic of Indonesia, and a
former chalrman of the United Nations General
Assembly.

Mr. Malik considers that Canada could play a
much stronger role in the development of that
area of the world.

Thus, while we were travelling for British
Columbia, we were there primarily as
Canadians, making a stronger +: Canadian
presence felt and opening possibilities for more
trade for British Columbia as Canada’s doorway
to the Pacific Rim countries.

There are a great many prospects open, not

only for sales of our products but also for sale of
technology. Of particular interest to places like

Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines are
such ihings as mining and forestry technology, |
petrochemical technology. food processing anda

‘ among some people in those areas is that

The purpose: ‘of: the’ trip was to establish:

| expect a number of things to come out of them.

variety of other’ British Columbia Sood and
service.

One thing that was Impressed on us is that in
order to setl our products successfully in those
countries we must, like good salesman always
do, go after the customers. The impression

Canadians are too timid when It comes to
opening up new areas for their products and are
not. so Inclined to take risks as some other
nations are.

That is a challenge | am sure our private in-
dustries wil! accept, as some of them have
already done in such varied fields as fish
Oren ne forestry and mining. a: awell, as
others. . ;

wel Eateay bee an

The lesson clearly for us was that we cannot sit}

at home and expect the world to beat a path to
our door. We have to go cut to the world.

At the same time, we must also remember that
trade is a two-way street. We must be prepared
to buy more from these countries. That is why
we repeatedly on the trip stressed our concern
that trade and quota barriers must be reduced.

In Japan. our meetings were more specific and|

Our province has a long-standing relationship
wih Japan and our dealings are therefore dif-
ferent than those with the Southeasf Asian
countries, where we are now just beginning to
get acquainted,

In Japan we made a very strong statement
calling for removal of the 10 per cent tariff on
SPF (Spruce, pine, fir) forest praducts, which
denies easy access fo Interior B.C. lumber. —

We also discussed development of a
petrachemical industry In British Columbia, and]
the market.for petrochemicals. These include
ethane, fertilizers, production, and others.

They could include liquified natural gas as
feed stock to develop petro-chemicals In dif-
ferent forms, as well as LNG Itself as a possible
export commodity, subject these to being sur-
pluses to our own needs.

We discussed getting additional pulp capacity
as well as addttiona! news print facilities for B. c.
and stated our wish to expand into production of

flne paper. We also discussed the development]

of added valve by more processing In the mining
industry.

The mission, as can be seen, covered a tot off
ground, and | am confident our efforts will pay

dividends in the future. a

ry

jomer

(Gomes, 7 THESE ROTATING
GENERAL STRIKES ARE

. TREASON
—S—_s

| SocteTy WILL ONLY ||
SURVIVE IF WE
DEDICATE, OURSELVES...

bela-3?

eT me. DeFENce or
OUR MOST PRECIOUS
. HERITAGE ae

Davis

LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR

’ Sir: .

How much longer will B.C.
Tel continue to insult the
public with its expensive
propaganda campaign that
is diguised as advertising?

First this multinational
monopoly publishes figures
as wages which are, in
reality, a combination of
wages and benefits; then it
Plays prosecutor, judge and
jury to a number af union
members. Most of those
“fired" are union activists.

Many 6f the: charges: laid
have been at the cor-
poration’s insistence.

B.C. Tel says that these
people have violated their
“strike privilege”. 1 defy
MacFarlane, Blue or any of
the rest of the scab kings to
define “strike privilege’.

_Let's look at the example
of one of these fired union
members, His “crime” was
being rundown by a scab-
operated vehicle. That's

tight. He was hit by a car,

thrown unto the hoed of a
second car and his hand did
some damage to the wind-
shield.

Will the scab be charged
with dangerous driving?
Will he be dismissed by the
company. Odds on, the
answer to both questions is
no. The scab will probably
get a promotion anda gold
star in Hell, ‘

In the meantime, service
continues to deHlorate badly.
Even emergency _ calls are
being “ mishandled” = This
situation, created by B.C.
Tel, has become intolerable.

B.C. Tel must be taken
from the giant american
GTE. It must be brought
under public ownership as
the telephone utilities are on
the prairies. Let's even toss
out an idea for com-
pensation. A bus tickel to the
border for President Gordon
MacFarlane. Let the reat of
the scabe walk.

Paul Johnston

Is coffee
the culprit?

WASHINGTON (Reuter) — A group of US.
medical researchers says coffee-drinking might be
. the major cause of cancer of the pancreas, .
The five doctors from the Harvard School of

Public Health said thelr research shows the risk of

cancer rises with each additional cup of coffee

consumed daily,

Their report published Wednesday in the New
England Journal of Medicine said: “A strong
association between coffee consumption and
pancreatic cancer was evident In both sexes."

Cancer of the pancreas accounts for about 20,000 -
Geaths a year in the United States, the report sald."
The pancreas is a gland near the stomach that te-

eretes digestive juices.

The group said its findings has to be evaluated

along with other data before a

direct relationship

between coffee-drinking and pancreatic cancer can. a

be established,

“'Weeatimate the proportion of pancreatic cancer

that is potentiallye attributable to coffee con:
sumption to be slightly more than 50 per cent,” the

report said.

i) (WY /

tee THE NoONeEY

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