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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1981-08-20, Page 4Page 4 Citizens News August 20, 1901 a J "The latest poll shows you running neck and neck ... with `Undecided'!" unuuuutuunutnuunnumm�ntnutuunutiunutnunnnttnututuntnuuutuutttttttrr�tttututttrrtttttinrtttrtttttttnnnunniuurmuntunnnunnnuntr+nnuu: Viewpoint Z.C.N. E ►uuututu HuH urnnnnrnnunnuntntnunntutnnttuutnunuuruuuuuuurnnnUunrnnnnunnnurnnnunnnnunurruuIu uurnnunuruutuununnnnnur� Close to the jungle There's nothing quite as enlightening as a strike by policemen to indicate just how little removed many people are from the law of the jungle which provides for survival of the fittest. A police strike early this summer in Halifax turned that city into a centre of crime, some of which was even attributed to the striking police of- ficers. Gangs of hoodlums set fires in the streets, looted stores and generally showed a complete dis- dain for the property and rights of others. Last week, the policemen in Sackville, N.B. walked off the job and the same thing happened. The officers went back to work after drivers had turned the streets into drag strips. One of those races resulted in the death of a driver who lost con- trol of his speeding vehicle and slammed into a building. The situation points up the fact that strikes by policemen can not be tolerated, simply because many people can not handle the responsibility of such freedom. Passing the buck Canada's 10 provincial premiers met in Victoria last week, and as expected, hammered the federal government for failing to provide economic leadership. Even Ontario Premier William Davis, who has sided with Pierre Trudeau in the matter of the nation's bitter constitutional debate, concurred that the Trudeau government's energy policy has created uncertainty and anxiety in the international business community. In many aspects, the premiers' complaints are a case of buck -passing. They each have con- siderable input into the economic well-being of this country, and in fact, would like to *be solely in charge. It may be convenient to use Trudeau as a whipping boy, but the fact remains that provincial governments are far from blameless in the economic plight of the respective provinces and therefore the nation as a whole. To charge Trudeau solely for the lack of an energy pricing agreement and the resulting problems, is to totally ignore the fact that there are two sides to most questions and the Alberta govern- ment appears equally to blame for the failure in reaching an agreement that would reduce oil im- ports and return stability to the national energy pic- ture. Some compromise appears warranted by the federal and Alberta governments to resolve that matter and there also is a similar need for the 10 provincial premiers to accept some of the respon- sibility for righting the national economic problems, many of which are created by over- spending at all levels of government. In many areas, the premiers have control of their province's destiny, and to heap the blame en- tirely on Ottawa is a shallow attempt to avoid the blame they must share. Published Each Wednesday Sy J.W. Eedy Publications lid. Member: Canadian Weeitly Wewsp.pers Associ»•ion 4Nerre Weehly Newspapers Aseecietren News Editor Rob Chester Second Class Mail Registration Number 13115 Subscription Rates: $8.50 per year in advance in Canada 119.50 per year outside Canada Singh copies 25e By ROB CHESTER Being a student of history (my own included) I must admit I like traditions. I seemed to have dropped into Zurich at a very interesting time in its history. My first exposure. to the village's history was during the 125th anniversary. My second is the bean festival. This year marks the sixteenth consecutive year of the festival and in very. real terms it keeps on get- ting bigger and better. It's good to see though, that the festival com- mittee is concerned with the festival not getting too big. It can always grow, but organizers want to re- tain the friendly country atmosphere of the festival. Most of the advertising of the festival is by word of mouth, and printed material seems to be restricted to the region. The festival proves how popular a small town event can be. It also proves an event can be pop- ular with the people who live here all year round.It's something to look forward to and something to br- ing your friends to. I however, will not be there. Long before Zurich became known to me ( I should say long before I visited the village in any professional sense) I began establishing some of my own traditions. By the time you read this, my foot -loose and fancy-free days (both of them) will be memories of the past. I plan to establish the biggest tradition of them all by getting married on Saturday. (This is even worse than radio. When an an- nouncer is away you can stillhearhis voice). I am writing this on Friday (Aug. 14) and will be .married tomorrow. Not the Saturday of the bean festival, which may very well be tomorrow to you. If however Saturday was yesterday to you dear reader, kindly forget the foregoing.) I suppose even bonny Prince Charlie quailed a little as he walked down the aisle and since I am a lesser. mortal, I will quail all I want. It began last night, with an inability to sleep. A bit of extra work to set up a bean festival issue hasn't helped me relax either. It has kept me busier though, and my mind has been occupied. (Last night for those of you interested was August 13, not the night before the bean fest. We've been through this before.) Those of you that haven't been openly yelling at me (That's an inside joke to the gangsters of Zurich, bless their pointy little heads.) are probably scoffing at the above remarks, but I usually have a hard enough time getting the work done for one issue a week let alone one -and -a -half. This wedding however may seriously affect my journalism career. Not only will I miss this year's bean festival, what will happen next year, when I celebrate my anniversary? (That's tomorrow next year, not this year. If anyone happens to be reading this in an archive, or at anarchaeologicaldig that's tomorrow August 15, 1981 and if you touch my bones may the curse of the Pharohs be upon you). As I have stated before, writing is a form of gestalt whereby ideas and typewriter and writer become one. At the moment my typing is giving my nervous fingers something to do and. is occupying my mind. (Questions about when this -moment is may be answered by rereading the column as many times as necessary or by sending an SSAE and $20 to me at this newspaper.) It is also letting me clear a lot of extraneous thoughts cluttering my mind like Zurich bats. (And you'll have to read the paper very carefully to figure out what that one means.) I just hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. And final- ly, I have come up with a comment that needs little explaining and can be applied to just about every . Please turn to page .5