Page 4, The Herald, Tuesday, November 21, 1978 | TERRACE/KITIMAT daily herald ‘General Office - 635-6357 Circulation - 635-6357 PUBLISHER - Laurie Mallett GEN. MANAGER - Knox Coupland EDITOR - Greg Middleton CIRCULATION - TERRACE. Andy Wightman 635-6357 . KITIMAT . Pat Zelinski : 2 ITIMAT GF FICE - 632-2747 Published every weekday at 3212 Kalum Street, > Terrace, B.C. A member of Varified Circulation. Authorlzedas second class mail. Registratlon number 1201. Postage paid In cash, NOTE OF COPYRIGHT The Herald retains full, complete and sole copyright In any advertisement produced and-or any editarlal or photographic content published In the Herald. — . Reproduction is not permitied without the wriften . permission af the Publisher. Published by Sterling Publishers 632-2747 return postage guaranteed. LETTERS TO | THE EDITOR De.~ Sirs, People who have been made homeless, isolated and miserable by the savage weather of the past week might recal) that an American ‘'weather ex- periment’? was conducted high in the atmosphere over this area of the Pacific Northwest on Oct, 29 — just 48 hours before the deluge. CBC listeners on Oct, 28 were advised to keep an eye open for “strange skies’’ and ‘large blue cloud for- mations”. All of us are aware, wwadays, of the two super yowers’ preoccupation with weather as a potential Older workers weapon of warfare. . Moreover, we know now that the U.S. military has seldom | hesitated to employ its ar- ‘senal of chemical and disease weaponry on its own citizens, the belter to test its effectiveness, Let us hope that recent * breakthroughs in the area of freedom of information, in| the U.S. (which disclosed these and many other un- savoury antics) have not driven its military machine to seek new victims in - Canada, still smothering under the blanket of “national security”. Yours truly, D.R.Graham | have a place | WINDEOR, Ont. (CP) — Smployers once shunned ‘der workers in wokkeeping and secretarial visitions but now they're ighting to find them, says a ‘oronto man who organized in employmnt placement ‘entre for seniors who want o werk, Willlam Ferguson of Over 5, a three-year-old govern- nent funded program ponsored by the YM-YWCA, aid “the older worker is a ery dependable person." “He's loyal, usually has a ‘ery high work ethic and is eldom away from the job." With the older employee the employer doesn’t have o worry about the working nother staying off the job to ake care of the kids when hey’re sick, and usually ‘oesn’t have to worry about ny at-home battles ex- ending into the office.” “All that makes the older erson'an attractive in- estment in the work force, ‘erguson said. But employment vossidilities still are more tractive for men than for French schools women, he said, simply. because women in the over- 55 category never really infiltrated the job market. Employment placement, however, generally has been good for both sexes, Ferguson said. He reports that more than half the applicants found jobs through his non-profit organization last year, and the breakdown works out now to about 26 placements every 22 working days. “There’s sucha great need for something like this. The problem isn't going to go away and we're going to find ourselves with more and’ more people moving into the higher age brackets." By the turn of the century, | Ferguson said, there will-be 3.3 million Canadians 65 and oider. And there will be a 70- - per-cent increase in the numbers of citizens 45 to 65. “All the signs of an aging © society are there, but. nobody's paid any attention to them," he said. ‘And they ° probably won't—until the roof falls in." falling down POITIERS, France Reuter} — Every year in ud-September, 12 million rench children return to zhool after a 10-week immer break, This year, many of them sturned to oversized classes nd decaying buildings. ome elementary students ven returned to find they ad no teachers at all, ac- ording to France’s two irgest teachers’ unions, Poitiers, a town of 75,000 gsidents 320 kilometres juthwest of Paris, shows iany of the symptoms esetting France's highly entralized school system. “Every year our working onditions seem to get ightly worse,’ ane high- zhool teacher said, but this rar things have ateriorated dramatically. “If you need proof just look ‘ the unprecedented sup- at we're getting from arenls who are demanding ware teachers, smaller asses and better schools w thelr children,’’ she ded. A new school to have been ompleted in time for the tart of the academic yeer vas in stch a mess that »arents refused to send their children there. After several protesls, nipils were allowed to slay min the old buildings until he new school was ready. 3ul an access road still is avfinished and ihe shiny new suildings are surrounded by 4 sea of mud every time it rains. ; Teachers at one high: school went on strike for two days in protest against classes ranging from 36 to 39 l6-year-olds, But they were told that education miniatry regulations say they are entitled only to extra staff if a class exceeded 40. Perhaps the most chronic problem in French education is the question of auxiliary teachers—the 45,000 or so instructers who anxiously wait every fall to hear whether they have a job for the academic year, They have no security of employ- ment, Most French teachers are civil servants and enjoy almost tolal jobsecurity. But lo reach ‘hai status they have to pass a competitive examination and the education ministry fixes quotas in line with the number of posts it wants to create. Those who do not become civil servants may be given posis, where they work longer hours for less pay than “qualified’’ teachers and can be dismissed at the end of any%chool year. Teachers' unions have long demanded job security for all teachers, but the ministry says it cannot create large numbers of permanent teaching posts at a time when population growth is declining. a Pil he ler’ CONSOLIGATE ALL. YOUR LITTUL HEADACHES WEADACHE, Lines SFR. 4 “Aik ApauT oe, * BILL PIER LOAM “I need a loan to pry off the interest rate on the lean you gave me yesterday.” 17 guilty’ idea, in ‘Caridda. pened system." recently THOMAS A Take gare of y The following is, admittedly, hearsay, so please forgive any errors or ommissions. However, It is basically true, and it hap- in Terrace. A respected and law-abiding feenage student was stopped by a policeman, while driving a well-maintained automobile on which he had recently installed a legal and new exhaust muffler. A ticket was written, charging him with “inadequate exhaust In court, the prosecution presented no concrete evidence to substantiate the nger of losing it A person must be considered innocent ‘unless proven guilty. Those of us who have lived under a system of ‘English’ law, know that this concept is a fundamental safeguard of our rights. Perhaps we would better appreciate the value of the ‘innocent unless proven if we realized that it Is relatively uncommon in our world. It is not part of the Napoleonic code, for example; which forms the basis of Quebec law. Nor is it enshrined in the laws of socialist states. ! believe that we are in da THINK. our rights policeman's charge and no scientific tests or noise level limits were presented. The presiding judge refused to take part in or aHow any examination of th system in question, or to examine:a similar muffler which the young defendant -Wwished to produce. It became clear that the _ policeman’s opinion was supreme and that: the lad was guilty unless he could prove himself to be innocent. How, was not in- dicated, The young man had no alternative to paying the fine. He continues to drive the same car, with the same (legal) muffler. _ lt seems to-me-that we are’ in-dangerdt**** losing the legal safeguard that | mentioned at the beginning of this column. We are allowing our policemen and our courts to promote personal apinign and prejudice at the expense of justice. Thus, law en- forcement becomes subjective, varying according to the whims of a policeman or judge and creating disrespect for the law, in both the honest and the crooked; and young ‘and old. Remember folks, you are Innocent until preven guilty. Oppose any effort to erode that right, pase VANCOUVER (CP) — Moderates and militants square off this week ina _ toughly-contested fight for control of the 250,000- member British Columbia Federation of Labor. For years the federation has followed an independent, militant course under the direc- tion of president George Johnston and secretary- treasurer Len Guy. But both men have stepped down and delegates now must _ decide whether to con- " tinue the hard-line style of Johnston and Guy or to adopt a more conciliatory approach, with closer ties to the New Democratic Party. Bob Donnell, president ol ibs Telecommunicitist.s Workers Unias, ic ctin- hing for federation President oi a poicorm almed at caisying en British Culumbia's distinctive militant brand of trade unions. Donnelly was nominated as a candidate last month - at a controversial meet- ing of federation officers. Pitted against Donnelly is Jim Kinnaird, former president of the B. C. and Yukon Building Trades Council. He is the eandi- date chosen by those seeking to change the direction of the fed- eration, Kinnaird says he is not opposed to the policies IN THIS PROVINCE adopted by the federation in the past year, but believes a change to more conciliatory style oj leadership iS necessary. Delegates to the con- vention, which starts today and ends Friday, are told in a report from the oulgoing executive council; ‘We have been determined to carry out our policies and programs even though many around us have counselled us to seek a softer, shinier, slicker image. “We have taken tough and sometimes unpopular stanés im order to win Aucutes in spite of the inet that we have been y dittaed for cosy siding to not "public _ attitudes." “We hava put tite in- . terests of ow mem- bership and the trade wiion mievement ahead of vther political con- siderations,”" The federation every yeas adepts the standard uniun policy of political support for the NDP, but B.C. labor leaders have always reserved the right tu criticize the NDP for policies they disagree with. The B.C, labor body also has taken aim oc- casionally at the central Canadian Labor Congress. Congress president Nercis McDermott could face a hot lime Tuesday when he is scheduled to speak to the federation, The CLC executive’ council refused to support e Canadian Union of ‘ostal Workers in its decision last month to defy Parliament's back- to-work order, while the B.C, federation’s ex- ecutive council offered the postal workers ‘“full and unhesitating ‘ BUp- Jean-Claude Parrot, president of the 23,000- member postal union is set to address the con- vention a few hours before McDermott is to speak, Parrot and sight other executives of his union face criminal charges of defying an act of Parliament. The maximum penalty, on conviction, is two years in ‘prison, The delegates will have a full four days to debate ideology and size up the candidates. Elections are’ Friday. - At least three didates are. expected: to run for secretary- treasurer. | Dave Melntyre,' who was appointed by the federation executive to serve as secretary-treas- urer after Guy retired in May, is running for a two- year term. He originally was nominated ° the federation officera, but has since switched his allegience to Kinnaird. However, some of the major Kinnaird sup- porters are backing Mike can e Labor control fight seen : Hramer of the Canadian Union - of Public Em- ployees for secretary- treasurer. Donnelly says he will pick another running mate as secretary- treasurer and his choice is to be announced during the convention. Jack Munro of the Interational Wood- workers of America (IWA), one of Kinnaird’s key backers, has - criticized the federation officers’ meeting that nominated Donnelly and McIntyre because neither the building trades nor the [WA, the federation’s largest affiliate, par- ticipated. . The executive council says in’ its report to delegates the labor movement faces harsh attacks from business: and governmenis. “The question is not ‘ whether we are capable of overcoming and meeting these challenges, but whether we will find atnongst ourselves the necessary solidarity, organizational ability and leadership. “The B. C, Federation of Labor has been recognized across Canada has ihe most effective central labor body in the country. "Phat success has been _ built on an understanding of the federation as a militant, democratic socialist, working class organization.” Labor pledges united stand VANCOUVER (CP) — ‘There will never be ‘tan on- going lovein'' in the British Columbia Federation of Labor, but it must stand united when union rights are under attack, retiring federation president George Johnston said Monday. Johnston is slepping down after eight years at the helm of the 250,000-member federation and moderates and militants are squaring off in the battle for control. As the federation’s annual convention opened, Johnston made a final pitch for solidarity and urged the B.C. labor movement to unite behind the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in its fight with the federal government. Officers of the federation last month pledged full backing when postal workers decided to defy a parliamentary back-tawork order. But the central Ca- nadian Labor Congress withheld support. Postal workers now are back on the job. Their leaders face criminal charges for defying an act of Parliament and their cause continues to be the subject of vigorous disagreement within the labor movement. Johnston said the B.C. labor moavement has traditionally rallied behind unions in trouble. ; The outgoing executive council of the federation said in its report to more than 450 convention delegates it “commends the courage and determination shown by the membership of CUPW in the face of a powerful, arrogant and dangerous govern- ment.” “Their fight is not only for their own rights as a union, but for the rights of ail workers everywhere in Canada,” Johnston recalled a number of earlier disputes in B.C. that were won only after union members ignored back-to-work orders and continued to strike. The B.C. labor movement has followed a militant, independent course under the direction of Johnston and _ Len Guy, former seeretary- - treasurer. Delegates must decide Friday whether to continue Johnston's militant style or whether to opt for more moderule leadership with eloser ties to the New Democratic Party. Johnston is backing Bob Donnelly, president of the ‘Telecommunications Workers Union, successor. The more moderate forces are supporting Jim Kin- naird, former head of the B.C.-Yukon Building Trades Council. Dave MeIntyre of the Printing Pressmen's Union originally was picked by federation officers to run for secrelary-treasurer, but he switched sides and now is running on a slate with Kinnaird. Mike Kramer of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, also a Kinnaird — supporter, has dropped out of the race for secretary- treasurer. As a result of McIntyre’s switch, Donnelly must find another running mate. — The executive, council's report said leaders of the federation have: rejected suggestions that they adopta as hia “softer, shinier, slicker image." “We have put the interests of our membership and the trade union movement ahead of other political considerations,’ the council said. The labor movement must be united to fight “the swing to the political right by the Liberal, Conservative and Social Credit parties.” “Their policies of restraint, cutbacks and of reliance on the private sector are fundamentally wrong,” the council said. “Just as wage controls led to further unemployment, 80 have the policies of restraint. This right-wing approach to economics has created financial and social hardship for a great many Canadian workers." Delegates were urged to nominate union members to run as NDP candidates in future elections. The executive council said the Liberal, Conservative and Sociai Credit ad- miinistrations In Canada .. “have shown themselves: toi“ be vigorously anti-labor and must therefore be opposed by a strong, politically conscious trade union move- ment,” A standstill WASHINGTON (CP) — Prospects for ratification of the two amendments to the U.S, Constitution now before state legislature are becoming almost as gloomy as the late fall skies across the U.S. From its performance so. far, the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, which would allow residents of the capital to elect at least three congressmen, may be in big trouble. . And the Equal Rights Amendment is still in the same position it was almost two years ago—three states short of the 35 needed to tatify it so it can be ap- pended to the constitution. Results of the Nov. 7 U.S. elections brought little comfort to supporters of either proposal who hope for action in several states when many legislatures resume in January. The Republican party sur- passed its objective of picking up a net gain of 200 state legislature seats in the election: in fact, they gained just over 300. . While the Democrats still control the vast majority of the more than 7,000 state legislature seats, the presence of a few extra conservative Republicans in state houses may swing voles against ratification in close Senate contests. The recent Pennsylvania vote which defeated ratification of the District of Columbia amendment illustrates the situatlon. While four of every five Democrats voted in fayor of the plan, only two of the 99 Repubiicun legisiators en- dorsed it. And with mare Republicans in Harrisburg and other state capitals next year, the already difficult task of getting the amend: ment approved is made toughter. The amendment would allow district residents—the overwhelming majority of whom are black and sup porters of the Democratic party--to elect two senators and at least one member of the House of Representa- tives. The initial reaction of many Republicans is that the amendment is a mave to increase the black and liberal vote in Congress at the expense of both their ‘state's representation and their party's position in Con- gress. The task of supporters is to convince Republicans—and many conservative Democrats as well—to see the fundamental argument in support of the plan—that Americans living in the capital are virtims of tax- ation without representation, regardless of their race or politics, . Getting the point across . Will require a nationai effort to see the issue as a bipar- tisan or perhaps a non- partisan solution lo an unfair situation. The increase in Republican legislators at the state level also is not ex- pected to help supporters af the Equal Rights Amend: ment, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, That proposal too is regarded 6hy liany Americans as a liberal Cause, and one that has been opposed with great success by conservative groups who fear it would destroy the Armerican family, 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 fo refuse to print letters on grounds of possible libe! or bad taste, We may also edit letters for style and length. All letters to be considered for publication must be signed. We ask that letters be typed and dauble spaced.