HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-01-29, Page 6Page 6--Luclmow Sentinel, Wednesday, January 29, 1986
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1.;
"The Sepoy Town"
BLUE
RIBBON
AWARD
1985
VERIFIED
CIRCULATION
Thomas Thompson
James Friel
Pat Livingston
Joan Helm
Merle Elliott
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-Editor
-General Manager
-Compositor
-Typesetter
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Restorethe
medicare principle
In 1965 the federal government put in place a'medicare
system designed to guarantee all people in the country the
right to medical care..,
That principle has been eroded through the years in
various provinces through extra -billing by members of the
provincial medical associations and systems which permit
it.
The federal government has fined provinces permitting
extra -billing and Ontario's share in withheld transfer,
payments comes to $50 million a year.
There have been stories that those requiring the most
treatment through specialists, and with the fewest resour-
ces to pay - the elderly and handicapped, have been
hardest hit by 'extra -billing.
It's time to .return to the principle.
Ontario Medical Association (OMA) president Dr. Earl
Myers has rejected out -of -hand any negotiations whatso-
ever with the province.
Over the past week, Ontario premier David Peterson has
repeatedly offered plans to interest the doctors in finding
common ground to restore the principle of universal
medicare and yet make it reasonably acceptable to the
OMA.
His plans have ranged from phasing Kiri -the legislation
and offering to negotiate a fee schedule recognizing
"excellence in the medical profession',, to adopting a
system modelled after that 'in Quebec. There, opted out
doctors are allowed to extra -bill without reimbursement
from medicare to either the doctor or the patient.
Outright rejection of Peterson's overtures is unreason-
able. The OMA executive should realize that the return to
the principle is solidly supported by the public.
There are also signs of varying interests in the
association. For example, the letter in this issue' of the
Sentinel is from a group of doctors concentrating more. on
the underfunding of health care, perhaps a subject on
which both sides of this battle could spend their abounding
energy.
The universal• medicare system is here to stay, but it's
hardly perfect. The OMA should stop spinning its wheels
and forcefully, bargain for its constituents best interests
rather than plan on sabotaging a principle upon which so
many depend. J.F.
Robbie Burnscombo-
Kathleen Jamieson had a yen to visit her
native Belfast while she was still young and
fit enough to endure the long sea voyable.
When she conveyed her intentions to Cap-
tain Jamieson one evening after the store
had been closed, he suddenly rose from the
supper table ' and walked towards the
window. He looked out absently upon the
rural scene. What he saw was not the
meadows and trees, but a gallant ship
battling the fury of the Atlantic.
"I wish I could go with you," he said, his
voice choked with emotion; "I would like to.
make the crossing just one more time."
She came to where he was standing and
put her arm around his waist. "Andy why
not? We've slaved far too Long without a
holiday and we will never be able to spend
all the money we've made."
"But the store, my dear," lan protested.
"Who will take care' of the store?"
Kathleen laughed. "There are lots of
people who would be only too glad to earn a
little extra while we are .'away. Chippy
Chisholm could keepan eye y:
on the hard-
ware and farm supplies. and I ';am sure
Flora MacCrintrrmon would bedelightel to
,..
deal with the ladies dresses, haberdashery
and children's clothing."
There was Little time to lose. it was late
fall and few if any passenger ships were
sailing from Toronto to Great Britain. Ian -
Jamieson decided to board a local merch-
antman as far as New Brunswick and then
take passage on a lumber ship sailing from
Saint John.
They borrowed the only coach in Red -
trees which was owned by Lucy Murdoch
(nee Lockhart). Neil MacCrimmon agreed
to drivethem to Toronto and then return
the coach to its owner. A lively crowd
gathered outside the general store to see
them go. There were a few tears, but these
were more from envy than sadness. There
was not a woman in the whole' coinmunity
who did not long to see once again the glen
where she was born.
MacCrimmon and Ian Jamieson occup-
ied the`driver's seat and Kathleen and little •
tall rode in comparative comfort a lid the
soft upholstered interior. MacCrimmon
applied the brakes just before he reached
the first steep downward incline and
restricted the coach to a very slow pace. He
was glad he did .Moving across the
n " the road, from side to side, and anct in; order
to lessen the'°load on a peon emaciated,
horse. was a gaily painted vehicle, the likes
of which MacCrimmon had never seen
before. It was a caravan • of : sorts with
windows in the sides and a blackened tin
chimney from which black smoke issued
forth. Leading the horse by the bridle was a
little ferret of a man with a brown face and
greasy black hair.
"Gypsies," Ian told his friend. "I've
seen them before, but never in this part of
Canada."
Jamieson told 1VfacCr mmon a little
about the origination of those nomadic
people. But soon the gypsies were
forgotten in the excited anticipation of
reaching Toronto.
As much as the occupants of the coach
were surprised to see a story book caravan,
the gypsies were equally impressed by the
prestigious coach travelling on rural roads
at the back of beyond. A girl of some
twenty years with a pair of. dark, flashing.
eyes looked through the rear window, and
'watched the coach unit' it disappeared into
the distance. As she did so, she plaitted
her black hair into two strands and tied it
neatly with coloured ribbon, She was
supposed to be the daughter of the little
mangy. but anybody, amid see that her
beauty was not from his genes
It had been .a slow journey up the old
sixth line, the tinker at, every
� stopping p g
beverage room, more t ► gain .intelligence
of the area than to quench his thirst. He
was reluctant to enter a new district just
before winter, but some dubious transac-
tions in Toronto had made him the focal
point of a thwarted sherriff's attention. He
had originally planned to pursue , his.
business in Orangeville, but extensive
enquiries in numerous dens of inebriation
toldhim there were many districts north of
Toronto where his dubious skills could' be
used to great advantage. -
When they finally reached. the top of the
last hill; the gypsy climbed up on to the
driver's seat and steered his caravan to -
Wards the first .side -road on the left. The
horse, relieved at last -from dragging the
vehicle up the steep gradient,quickened
its pace and seeing there was'bnexpended
energy still left in the animal, the gypsy
applied the whip. The door at the front
openedand the gill looked at the driver
with puzzled eyes.
"is this the . way to Orangeville?" she
asked. . r
''No. it's' not," the 'ferre.`�,( y, urian replied.
First we shalt`., pay a visit .to 1 edtrees'"'