PAGE Ad, THE HERALD, Thursday, May 12, 1977 # Vublished by Sterling Publishers Ltd. ate acces ST a ome "ADVERTISING MANAGER ‘KAYE EMSES oe ry ! rit a fet 5 ae ee AREY Kitimat - 632-5706 ovary weekday at 3212 Kalum St., Terrace, B.C. A om” Ber ut Vacitied Circulation. Authorized as second class *hwil, Registrationnumber 1201, Postage paid In cash, return postage guaranteed. ; PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR ALLAN KRASNICK NOTE OF COPYRIGHT ‘The Herald retains full, complete ond sole copyright in any advertisement praduced and-or editorial or photographic content published In the Herald. Reproduction is not permitted without the writen cermission of the Publisher. SSD SSS SS ROR STE So SS RT A a Centralizing all decisions Public works minister Alex Fraser confirmed yesterday that the provincial government will soon proceed with the establishment of its controversial B.C. Buildings Corporation, a crown agency that wil assume many of the functions and a majority of the employees of the public works ministry. On the surface, the shifting of jurisdictions may seem: reasonable enough, though obviously disruptive to the public servants whose jobs will be re-classified or eliminated in the change. It could be viewed as a rationalizing of government activities or, perhaps, an attempt to centralize a ministry's functions under a more easily controllable Crown cor- poration. * Surface impressions can be misleading. The shift of authority from civil service to semi- independent corporation represents a fundamental ehange. It also provides a glimpse into the Bennett Zovernment’s attitude to the civil service, especially in the area of policy initiation. The nature of the present government- bureaucracy interaction has revealed a degree of political immaturity by the premier and his {feneral mistrust of public servants. The result is a public adthinistration which is spinning ‘and " demoralized, an atmosphere that prompted one life-long civil servant to observe, in private con- versation: “I've never seen anything quite as unhappy in my whole life,” * The civil service is not being well-utilized and this is reflected in the absence of generation of any licies which might bear the imprint ureaucratic reform. Nothing this government has yet introduced could be termed creative or rofound. If anything, Social Credit policies have en little more than pedestrian, ar they are New Democratic policies, though refurbished. The government agrees with the land com- mission act... but. The labour code is adequate but changes must be made. Mincome is acceptable but scaleit down and change the name, The legislative schedule embodies routine law reform or political posturing to lessen the impact of NDP legislation. The goal of government-makers should he ‘the balancing of the “rational” goals of the bureaucracy with the more emotional, supposedly less rational demands of the public. In the current government, there seems to be a_ definite disorientation with the administration and a tilting towards the political cabinet. The strong com- mitment to politicians running the show, while not wrong in principle, is hazardous when Social Credit’s lack of long term goals is taken into mind. Bi}! Bennett’s vision is steered by pragmatism and short term goals: policies are chosen based on net political terms. In his preoccupation with political policy for- ration, Bennett has taken casualties among the thousands of public employees. Based on some of his government’s comments on the bureaucracy, one cauid conclude that he doesn't seem to care. ‘The prewnier has said that bureaucrats should work harder and not expect to set ‘the example for other workers in contract negotiations. Human resources minister Bill Vander Zalm has blasted civil servants for allegedly working less tran four days a week. Provincial secretary Grace Mctarthy has accused the bureaucracy of acting culside the interests of the government. Workers are traditionally and understandably Upset about the dislocations inherent when a new ussarrives. But Bennett has only exacerbated the ceinorulization, He finds his own interests and potiueal gain in large projects like coal agreements, the Kitimat oil port proposal, and constitutional reform that are outside the main- _ sireatn of the public service. in the process he has taken a toll in the crucial relationship between the government and civil service. Small business management, the premicr’s forte, may entail concentration of ‘«evision-making in the boss’s hands but it must be reconciled with the needs of a large government. Bennett is a businessman but small business is not a large corporation; unlike the latter, it does not revelve iround a consensus model, Government Ces. {t-te premier continues to ignore the legitimate alts of Lhe public service, he will be undermining tus own administration's performance. PERSS “SESSA oe nf. 4 . B, Ss ’ a ie Dy " Terrace - 635-6357 | NSS ae SBR Senet Sota ccc soa satis ears GORDON W. HAMILTON. # SAR RRS . because U.S. easing WASHINGTON (CP) — The U.S. economic war ainst Cuba, a war from which Canada gained trade advantages, is beginning to end. By a vote of 10 to 7, the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee has initiated action to remove part of the U.S. trade em- vgo against the Com- munist island. Cuba would be allowed to buy medicine food and agricultura supplies from the United States while negotiations continue on further removal of the embargo. Many difficulties remain but the Senate move and, recent related develop- ments herald a new era in the Americas. After Fidel Castro came to power in 1960, much of U.S. policy in the Americas centred on efforts to overthrow his regime or at least cripple and isolate it.. Heavy U.S. pressure was ‘applied to other countries to end diplomatic and trade dealings with Cuba; the disastrous Bay of Pigs in- yasion was followed by a more successful con- frontation with the Soviet . Union during the missile ‘crisis; Miami became a staging violence-wracked 000,000 area for raids and as- sassination attempts. Among the many disruptive and em- barrassing effects of. U.S. hostility toward Cuba was strained relations with Canada as successive Canadian governments refused to end their links with Cuba, U.S. attempts to stop U.S. subsidiaries in Canada from trading with Cuba eventually failed after giving a boost to Canadian economic nationalism. Canada and other coun- tries benefitted from the lack of U.S. competitio for Cuban trade, although the Cuban capacity to buy was Business spotlight Interpreting the news Cuban trade e limited by the economically- damaging effects of the embargo. Canadian manufacturers can expect a tougher time once the U.S, embargo vanishes, but the roughest period of adjustment may p experienced by rightist governments in Latin America, an For almost two decades, the United States gave’ unquestioning support to suc regimes. 80 that they . could defend themselves against possible Cuban subversion. They also defended thémselves against democracy. As the ‘threat of Cuban what -mightopr subversion receded, so too did the U.S. commitment to exile: groups and other enemies of Castro. The trend toward nor- malization of U,S,-Cuban relations was aided by defections from the U.S.-led trade embargo and such events as disclosure of CIA operations against Cuba. But the frend did not become a rapid movement until President Carter took office Jan. 20. Immediately, reconnaissance flights over Cuba were halted. ; Within weeks, restrictions’. on U.S. citizens’ travels to Cuba vanished. Officially acknowledged negotiations mbargo| began between U.S. and Cuban diplomats, In .April, South Dakota basketball players became a symbol of Carter’s new approach by being allowed to tour Cuba. Permission was, granted for a Mexican airline to start a Miami- Mexico-Havana flight, the first sach commercial U.S.- Cuba air link in 17 years, Despite the‘ hostility and occasional vidlence of the 7-year campaign, few U.S. groups feel Carter is acting prematurely, In a few years, a new generation of U.S. cilizens may wonder why it took so long. FRONTIER SOURCE Energy abounds in high arctic CALGARY (CP) - Charles Hetherington, who admits to being prejudiced about the area, says massive amounts of crude oil and natural gas are waiting to:be found in Canada’s Arctic islands. . Hetherington, president of Panarctic Oils Ltd., said he believes that conservative estimates of potential reserves in the area should start at. about 100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. In a speech to the Science Council of Canada, he said that assuming . gas uction and marketing ins in the not too distant future, exploration activity will spurt ahead, “as it has everywhere else in the world under similar cir- cumstances.” Panarctic, a federal government-private company consortium for- med in 1967, is the only operator actively pursuing the elusive reserves in the Arctic islands. So far the company has- discovered reserves of 16 trillion cubic feet of gas and ‘first Commercial oil field tn the area some 1,500 miles north of Edmonton. . * Hetherington said that ‘in recent years Panarctic has been discovering 2.5 to three trillion cubic feet of gas a year. Based on this trend one Inflation hurting the rich? VANCOUVER (CP) — In- . flation is forcing even the most well-heeled gen- tlemen’s clubs to look closer at cost cutting and improved productivity. ' As non-profit organizations, private clubs almost always expect to operate in the red. But .of soaring operating costs their ability tostock to expected losses is being strained. Property taxes, wages and dining room costs all have climbed without a in Quebec political scene _ GRANBY, Que, (CP) — The hulking union official leans over the checked, plastic tablecloth of a steakhouse on the main street of this quiet industrial city and talks angrily of Prime Minister Trudeau’s unwelcome ‘‘interference” in Quebec politics. Although he Insists he is ‘not a separatist, Jean-Guy Gadbois, 48, threatens to vote for Quebec in- dependence if ‘Trudeau doesnit stop playing around.’ He would back the Parti Quebecois govern- ment if the Quebec people's pride were on the line in a confrontation with Ottawa. he said. Gadbois said he was “shocked” as a Quebecer when the prime minister went on national television ‘0 aight of Nov. 15, shortly after the °Q election was coiufirmed, te warn the overnment-elect ‘hat it acked 4 mandate to divide Canada. ; “that was shocking. Six similar increase in mem- bers’ dues. The major men’s clubs in Vancouver--The Terminal City, the Vancouver: Club, the University Club and the Engineers’ Club—say operating costs have almost doubled since 1970. Wages take the biggest bite. Although non-union, the cluhs say they pay staff at rates equivalent to those of their unionized counterparts and B.C, union wages are ’. While having to pay more to maintain the same ser- vices, downtown clubs are further pressed by com- petition from the recent proliferation of restaurants. To get members to choose dining at the club, there is ecial emphasis on a luxu- rious atmosphere, special events and good cuisine at reasonable rates. .. : SOMETHING EXTRA . ‘“We try to give members something they won't get among. the highest rates in outside theclub. Itis the last Cana bastion of democracy where WORKER COMMENT | - Prime minister interferes months later I might have accepted it, but not on election night,” To Gadbois, Trudeau was questioning the wisdom of e province's electorate. This: shook his long- standing allegiance to the federal ).iberal party and to federaiisin. ‘ The attitude that Ottawa should steer clear of the independence debate, at least for the time being, was expressed often in a series of conversations with residents of Granby, about 50 miles east of Montreal, This appeared to be linked to a feeling that' the idea of Quebee independence, far trom being accepted, is jus! beginning to have an impact on many Quebecers and that, in Gadbois’s words, “Trudenu should leave us aiuie’’ to niull over the issues. Real Dupont, a 44-year-old toolmaker at a factory in nearby Waterloo, expressed strong reservations about Quebec independence, but also said he felt the federal government was adding fuel to the fires of nationalism. “If you ask me, they are talking too much,” he said, leaning back into a com- fortabie leather sofa in his modest suburban home. “it’s almost as if the federal government is running an advertising campaign for independence. They talk about it as much as people do here in. the province.... “By hearing all this talic, talk and more talk, people will start to warm up to the idea. There are even some anglais who are starting to believe in it.” Dupont and most other rsons said the PQ would ve to prove itself”’ in the rough-anctumble world of provinelat politics before successfully broaching the independence issue. “There were quite a few people who voted Parti Quebecois, not because they were separatist but because they wanted a change,” a man can walk in and do what he wants,” said James Byrom, secretary-manager of the University Club. Although most private clubs have increased monthly dues— their main income source—to offset increased operating costs, they haven't been able to re- cover the whole amount. Entrance fees generally provide a club’s capital expansion funds, said Horst Anders, secretary-manager of the Engineers Club, Its monthly dues went to the Gadbois said. He added that his pride was hurt by Trudeau's sometimes casual: treat- ment of Bourassa, who lost his own seat in the PQ sweep of 71 out of 110 seats in the Quebec national assembly. - “Trudeau can't treat Le- vesque the way he treated Bourassa. Bourassa? Trudeau could kick him out of his office whenever he felt like it,” ; Over in Waterloo, Dupont reflected on the allegations of corruption, prolonged contract battles with public service ' unions and economic difficulties that helped tumble the Bourassa administration, saying: “When the PQ won, I was happy. The people wanted a real government and they. . didn't have much to lose.” Lapierre, | Jean-Guy Gadbois’s fellow union of- ficial, had a different story to tell. “T voted PQ and for me that means a commitment to separatism,” he said. current $70 per quarter from’ three years ago and entrance fees jumped by to-pay for refurbishing its new club headquarters. ‘The entrance fee for the Terminal City Club is $2,000, and the Vancouver Ciub, stili regarded as the most - exclusive, is believed to charge entrance fees in the neighborhood of $2,000. e end result is clubs have less money available for capital expansion. Renovations and re- ‘placement plans now are stretched out over several years or are shelved completely. STUDY GIVES FIGURES Clubs here guard their ivacy and do not reveal reakdowns of their ' finances. But figures from a recent U.S. study by Harris, Kerr, Forster and Co. in- dicates the amount of funds available to private clubs for debt service and capital improvements has fallen to less than half that available five years ago. The study showed that of every dollar of city clubs’ revenue, 36cents came from dues and almost 35 cents from food sales, and half of that dollar went to payroll and related costs, One way to boost income would be to get more members to use their clubs more often. Managers of ‘businessmen’s clubs, with non-resident and inactive members, can expect be-. tween 40 to 60 per cent of membership use of the club. The days when private clubs had lengthy waiting lists of prospective members are ‘one. ‘We haven't had a waiting list for four years,” the manager of the 650-member Engineers Club said. “And the situation is similar at other clubs as well,” qve'to be the: _ cludes a might: expect reserves of some 30 trillion cubic feet five years hence. MONEY REINVESTED He noted that traditionally, once firms sell their products, the money is reinvested and more reserves are discovered. For example, when British Columbia built its first pipeline in 1956, gas reserves in the province were about two trillion cubic feet. B.C. recoverable reserves, including gas produced to date, now stand at. .10.5 trillion cubic feet — five times the pre- production figure. In Alberta, gas was first marketed on a largescale in 1958 when reserves were 19 trillion cubic feet. The province’s original recoverable reserve, in- cluding produced gas, now stands at 66 trillion cubic feet. Panarctic has spent some $400 million on exploration in the Arctic islands since 1968. Hetherington said other companies, working on- Panarctic lands, have’ boosted expenditures to more than $50 million. When Patarctic was formed 10 years ago, oil and gas prices were low and expenditures in the high- cost, high-risk Arctic islands could not be justified hy private enterprise. Ottawa, anxious to find out how much gas and oil was contained in the region, agreed to become a shareholder and purchased 45 per cent of the stock. A up of 30 Canadian firms Old the remaining 55 per cent and receive a tax credit against other income for exploration done by Panarctic on their behalf. Exploration activity in- creased from two, wells drilled in 1969 to 23 in 1975 hut dropped sharply after Ottawa decided to draw up new regulations governing royalties, taxes amd ex- ploration. Ten wells were drilled in 1976. BOOST EXPLORATION Panaretic has announced plans for increased ex- ploration in 1977 and has made arrangements for $100 million worth of exploration and development during the next five years, Part of the package in- greement among Iraperial agreement among Imperi Oil Ltd., Guif Oi Canada Ltd., Panarctic, Petro- Canada Exploration Ltd., Sun Oil Co, Ltd. and Global Arctic Islands Ltd. to ex- plore 33 million acres in the area, most of it offshore. Hetherington said it is easier to operate in the Arctic islands, one of the last great resource fron- tiers, than in, other froutier areas despite low tem- peratures and strong winds. “The land stays frozen for over nine months each year so that rig moves are only seldom delayed by summer thaw; ocean ice is strong and essentialiy stationary for six months of the year. Effective exploration can be carried on almost 365 days a year in a relatively routine fashion, — So far seven gas fields have been discovered. The largest are at Hecla and Drake Point and offshore from the Sabine Peninsula off Melville Island, Five ethers, King Christian, Jackson Bay, Kristoffer Bay, Thor Island and Wallis, are located on and around Ellef Ringnes and King Christian Islands. |