HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1980-02-06, Page 3Clearance
Ladies' Blouses
Now is the time to take
advantage of 20% savings
on famous Shirt-Tale and
Style-Rite blouses and
shirts. These fine quality
Canadian designs make
for fine fashion for most
occasions.
Sweaters
Also take advantage of 20 percent off
on limited lines of Holiday knit
sweaters. See the V-neck vests and
turtles. They provide a comfortable look
and feeling for cool days.
Larone7s.
Seaforth 527.1960
ofessional
inting
When you want your business cards,
letterheads and office stationery to
look its best, you can rely on us for top
quality work at reasonable rates. Our
representatives will be happy to ad-
vise you and to discuss your job at
your convenience.
Brussels Post
887-6641
GUARANTEED
INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES
cb
121/2
on 1 year annual Interest.
Rates subject to change
*I STANDARD
Winghann, 237 Josephine Street, phone 357.2022
(Aides in: Brampton o Chatham • liatnitton • Marknini • Ottawa • Paris • Picton • Toronto • Walkerton •
Willowciale • Wingharn • WOottlitook
MEMBER CANADA DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
TRUST
THE :BRUSSELS FEBRUARY. Si 1980 —
Energy tax disastrous
cQuail says
BACK IN PLAYSCHOOL AGAIN—Mrs. Jane McDonald is keeping the
children busy painting and doing crafts now that the Brussels Playschool
has re-opened in the Brussels United Church. (Photo by Langlois)
To the editor:
First the phone company,
then Petrocan?
Just a little „history on the Brussels,
Morris and Grey Telephone:
This system was organized in the early
1900's. A canvass was-made and a number
of Brussels residents and surrounding
farmers signed a promissary note for $100.
(I suppose secured by their property).
These notes were taken to the bank and
were security for the money to build the
telephone system which became opera-
tional in 1909.
The system grew until it served the two
townships 'and the village of Brussels.
It apparently prospered as none of the
notes were ever called.
In 1967 a -merger with Blyth and Auburn
was agreed upon and a new company,
Maitland Teleservices Ltd. was formed and
twenty-four shares valued at $10. each
were issued to the subscribers of the
original Municipal Systems.
In Nov. 1968 Bell Canada offered to buy
the shares that had been issued to the
subscribers at $15. each and soon owned
the controlling interest in Maitland
Teleservices and by January 28, 1969
owned almost 98 per cent of the shares.
In 1976 the Company was absorbed by
Bell Canada and there is no longer any
local control or ownership ,in our present
telephone system.
If the shares in Petro-Canada are
distributed to each Canadian citizen,
eighteen years or over I feel sure that the
Multinational Oil COmpanies will take over
Petro-Canada just as easily and just as
quickly.
The facts of this letter were taken from
"A history of the independent telephone
industry in Ontario." Ontario Telephone
Service Commission 1975.
The, statement. "In 1976" on appeared
in the Brussels Post, 'September 26, 1976
issue.
The final paragraph is my own comment.
J. Carl Hemingway
Bluevale C of C
elects exec.
Bluevale formed a Cham-
ber of Commerce and elected
its first executive at a
meeting, attended by about
45 or 50 people at the
Bluevale Hall last Monday.
The executive members
are: President Bob Searson;
Vice-president Marg Mof-
fatt; Secretary-treasurer
Etoile Johnston; Directors
Jannette Ruff, Wayne Day,
.Jerry Timm and Bev Brown..
The meeting saw 13 people
standing for seven positions.
Tony 11{cQuail, the NDP -candidate for
Huron-Bruce thinks energy, the Canadian
control of our economy and resources are
all major issues in this election campaign.
He said he thinks part of the question of
Canadian control of our economy and
resources is how we (the people of Canada)
manage: our interest rates and our deficit.
Locally, he thinks there is concern about
agricultural policies, federal commitment
to medicare and health services in the
country and building a mixed economy
which is supportive of agriculture which
means getting enough, medium and small
sized industry without threatening the
agricultural base.
Asked about people's reaction to
Finance Minister John Crosbie's budget
and especially the 18 cents a gallon excise
tax, Mr. McQuail said, "I think the feeling
is that the Crosbie budget could really be
disastrous for Canada, that it did nothing
to guarantee future energy security,
because there weren't any real commit-
ments to developing renewable
alternatives."
He said the tax was basically a money
transfer from farmers, small businesses,
industry and the consumers in the form of
higher pirces to oil companies, the
province of Alberta and the " federal
government.
"It would have involved a' major slow
down in our economy because all energy
input costs would have gone up. People
would have had less personal money to buy
goods and services with, because it would
be used to buy energy and it would have
been extremely inflationary,, since energy
is used in everything we do."
"When you raise the price, it has a
snowballing effect in terms of inflationary
price increases. I believe that what we
need to do is rapidly move toward
developing the many alternatives which
Canada has, so we can reduce our
consumption of oil, but we should do it
by developing serious ' conservation
measures and alternative energy supplies,
the NDP candidate said.
"Five years ago, I felt that our oil was
undervalued, but now I feel it's at the right
value of replacing it with renewable energy
resources," he said, mentioning such
replacements as methanol, and gasohol.
"I guess the important thing is, I don't
believe we have to go to woyld prices if we
have a government committed to
developing Canadian resources for
Canadian people. I think 'then we can
develop alternatives," Mr. McQuail said.
As for high interest rates, Mr. McQuail
said he thinks people are beginning to
realize they can't treat the economy as
if it were a household budget, that it's got
to be treated like a business or farm
budget. Government spending needs to be
productive, he said. When government is
going well, the government has to bring in
tax 'revenues to pay off government
spending and the deficit, he said.
He commented that the Tories tried to
get rid of the government deficit by
treating it like a household budget.'He said
the economy isn't in a boom stage right
now and that the Tories understanding of
the economy was "weak to say the least."
Neither the Tories nor the Liberals have
been able to tax the large multinationals
over the years, he said.
Mr. McQuail said high interest rates
push up input costs for the farmer and they
discourage both small businessman and
. farmers from risking the expansion of their
operations.
He commented the high rates commit
the government to paying high interst rates
later on and that it was a false way to make
the dollar look strong.
He said he thinks voters recognize that
Western society is in a difficult time and
that we do have to make some changes but
that it wasn't fair for the low and middle
income earners to bear the brunt of
difficult times.
"We, have to try and make a tax system
that's fair," he said.
Regarding •energy costs he said, "Let's
see some leadership that says to us, yes we
can' do it ourselves, rather than selling
ourselves out to the multinationals and
asking you and me to pay for it."
Mr. McQuail said the problems the
Conservatives inherited are fairly large but
they continued with old Liberal policies and
their policies resulted in the deficit getting
bigger and he said they were taking taxes
in without trying to balance things off.
He says people are seriously looking at
the NDP now and as for opinion polls which
' show the Liberals winning the election, he
says he thinks those polls were taken a
month ago when people were very
disillusioned with Joe Clark and that
people are not that enamoured with
Trudeau, either.
He said the NDP is the one party that is
talking policy and as opposed to the
Conservatives, they have done their home-
i work a little more, not just on policies, but
on how they will try to implement them.
Asked whether, he thinks the voters are.
apathetic and what he thinks voter turnout
will be like, he said a number of voters are
certainly upset with the Conservati*sand
Liberals and that they seem to be taking
the NDP seriously and think that it's a very
important election. He said he's finding
people who are willing to listen and that's
not apathetic.