HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1980-01-03, Page 45� T ]G TA1 , T U L. Aiv t.e0 4NRY` 4,19:90
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RIODELL,440;, OPRQN:
, =mom
,..aAfter the joys of
Christraaa, --MPS. Of ds
look upon the New. Year
as a time to grasp with
eager hands the op;
portunity to makeplans
for "a better, brighter
fu tare. • •
Certainly in 1979 we
lave -had our: share of
peoblems to conter}d with
provincially, nationally
and internationally. After
a long period of conr-
paretive ease and
prosperity, Canadians
•
•are beingforced to cg ne
M grips with. some . quite
unpleasant truths,. -With
resect to the economy,
•:changes in 'our .society •
and prospects for the"
future. Energy its cost,
its supply and-theaweapon
which it constitutes in the
hands of the un-
scrupulous, has become
the big- question mark in
all'qur lives: • r
Of course, the New.
Year a]s'o marks the
beginning of a new
decade - the eighties. As a '
nation, we entered the
•seventies on a tide of
•
•
c.uragc. an
gptie ism. Fresh from the
glow of • our Centennial
celebrations, we felt we
had everything going -for
use Now, as the decade
awe to a close; they"e is.
a ,increasing tendency to
li en to the -prophets of
gl ern and doom.
Many,, people, when
speaking about the ftxt'ure
• give voice to feelings of
•concern, anxiety even
fear. How damaging
these emotions . can be!
How easily they • can
seduce people into •
believing there isnothing
Gloderich
1/24
perseverance w1
that can be done to im-
prove the situation!
We cannot 1 expect to.
live always on a smogth
and even plane.
Everyone has to face
problems, worries and
fears;- everyone ex-
periences setbacks,
sorrows and misfortunes.
These are part of the
substance of living, and
no-one can escape them.
None of us can expect to
spend our entire lives on
the .heights. There are
rivers and valleys along
the way; and some are
deep and treacherous,
SIGNAL- -1-AR
The County Town Newspaper of Huron
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and OWNA. Advertising rates on request. Subscriptions payl ble 1n advance '16.00 in
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class mall Registration Number 0716. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that In the
event of typographical error, the -advertising space occupied by the ernaneous item,
together with reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for but tie balance
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, Signal•Star is not respons•Ible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts or pRotos.
Business and Editorial Office
TELEPHONE 524-8331
area code 519 •
Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd.
ROBERT G. SHRIER - president and publisher
'SHIRLEY J. KELLER - editor
DONALD M. H41131CK - advertising manager
Mailing Address:
P.O. BOX 220, Industrial Park, Goderich
Second class mail registration number - 0716
O goveinment again
Canadians really haven't had much "governing"
in the last year, and with a federal election looming
in February,• and much speculation that it will be
another '.minority-gavernrnent,. Gartadians May not ..
have much "governing'_ as they go into the
- eighties: •• -
More than anything, it positive governing and
thoughtful ' decision-making that the --,,Canadian
people need right tn.ow. No wonder this nation is
flow lidering despite the fact the country is rich' by.
Comparison to many others. •
One has to look at the system of government in
.Canada and.as•k,."Is it outdated? Is it failing_ to_
provide for the needs of a 'diversified Canadian
people in a changing wprld?"
". These are legitimate questions when people all
across Canada are asking why politicians in Ottawa
don't pull, together like a team rather, than tearing
' each other, apart in a useless demonstration of
individual party strength. •
Answer of course, is the system won't permit it.
The object is for the Prime Minister's party
members to suggest legislation ... and the op-
position to oppose it. There is very little room for
co-operation under the present system. Indeed,
opposition members just aren't doing their job if
they don't resolutely and soundly find fault with and
block legislation brought forward by the
governthent - and the rule seems the same for.good
legislation or poor legislation.
Party -members are destined tob ave s min-
dless puppets, voting with the par�wh4tlr tr'iey.
agree, or disagree with a motion. About the only
way they can register their disapproval is to
declare themselvesto be independent .... and that
often spells doom for the politician.
• In •a- minority government situation, it is
devastating.. Many times' Canadians are told that a
minority government can be good for the country.
Following the last election, political analysts in
Canada said the slim majority of the Clark
government would work very well in difficult times:
Now, those same political analysts are
suggesting the government fell because the new
Progressive Conservative government didn't have
enough experience in dealing with a minority
situation. They say the budget which caused the
d-efearofthe government had all the earmarks of a
being put together by a party with a wide majority.
But its no consolation. Canada is without a
government ... again. r,,
Hardly anyone outside the PC party was in-
terested in making the' government work. The sole
interest seemed to be in finding a good enough •
reason to dump parliament on its ear. •-
And. it was all so predictable.
It makes no difference that nobody wanted an
election - or that the country. can't .afford an glec
tion. It makes no- difference -because ::under the
present: system, there seems to be no alternative.If
you are in opposition, you oppose. If it results in an
election, so be it.
ManyCanadians believe the budget wasn't
reason enough to bring 'down the •government. When
John Crosbie said he was going to bring in a
tough "budget, most Canadians were expecting ,.
something much `''tougher" than it turned out to be.
Canadians generally agree that the .Clark
government was less effective•than was hoped, but
* few saw the Prime Minister's bungling' as reason
enough to throw the country in another election that
could have similar results. Certainly Pierre Elliott
Trudeau isny'tsuddenly more lovable to°Canadians
this time around .... or Ed Broadbent miraculously
more desirable.'
' Most confusing of all is that Canada seems to get
along for such long periods of time when there is no
government at all. And if that's not something to
give one nightmares,what is? SCK
Humanity
some a cruel challenge to
human endurance,
The manner in which a
natign Meets difficult
timesi and copes with
serious -problems., is the
measure of• that nation's
stature 'and strength, its.
success as a nation.
In his famous essay
"Self -Reliance",
'Emerson wrote "Success,
depends on a plus con-
dition of mind and body,
on , power of work, on
courage". His words
have been a dominating,
motivating influence in
•
?dits
na
overco
the Wes- of thousands of -
scc'essful lien and
women.
In the same vein, John
Quincy , ,Adam . said
„Comae ah - per-
severarnc•e have a
magical'talisinan, before
which 'difficulties -
disappear and. obstacies.
vanish into air."
It would be irrespon-
sible and short-sighted to
underestimate the extent -
of the difficulties and
problems which we all
face at the present time.
However,. I believe that
the prophets of doom and
gloom underestimate the
. ability of the Canadian
people to meet the'
challenges which . lie'
ahead.
Many of us - because of
the prosperity -and peace
which this country has
enjoyed in the past -.have
never truly: been tested.
Therefore, some may
doubt~ our national
strength of will and the
determination of in-
dividual Canadians to
come through the testing
period which we are now
undergoing, and which
will ,continue for same
time.
i. Personally, 'I feel no
such doubt. Tn fact, I
think we shall probably
surpriee .ourselves and
the rest of the world..''
I believe that, as' a
nation, we have the
necessary,:" abilities,
courage and per-
severance to make
"difficulties disappear
and obstacles vanish into
air". What we -do lack,
perhaps, is confidence in
ourselves
because we.
tended to
whelmed by
hours to the
Aa 4
• 0
s
- Probably
have always
be . over -
our neigh-
outh.
This -e elfeconfidence.
will, I am sure, grow and
expand as we meet the
challenges of the
eightiese as we come to
realize that we can
overcome -difficulties,
that we can make
sacrifices to achieve our
objectives, that we can do
what is courageous and
right.
The recent disaster in Mississauga does a good
,deal to restore a -flagging faith in humanity. In a
community teeming with 250,000 people aepeaple
who on an average day seem to mill around without
care or • concernfor the other fellow - it was
downright inspirational to' see the way citizens
'reacted with kindness and ,assistance in this
emergency. -
Everyone in Mississauga was involved. Police,
firemen, ambulance drivers, environmental ex-
perts and policitians worked long • hours • har-
moniously. Service organizations, hundreds of
small businesspeople, and just plain volunteers
became involved in "massive numbers. There were
no deaths, only a few minor injuries and little or no
looting. -
Consider just one aspect of it all. The evacuation -
of almost 2,000 patients in hospitals and nursing••_
homes around, the city. This tremendous fete. was
accomplished in less than 19 hours, and required
the resources of government, the facilities of about
25 hospitals and nursing homes in the district, and
ambulance and public transit services from -
something like 25 communities outside , the
evacuated areas.
It has be termed a magnificent demonstration of
good ' old-fashioned Canadian goodwill. And it
reminds everyone that down deep, Canadians 'are
very real people indeed. - SJK
Dear Editor:
May I try to dispel
some of the confusion
that appears wide -spread
on the efforts to provide
relief to Cambodian
refugees.
Although I can say very
little about the situation
within 'Kampuchea itself
where UNICEF and the
International Committee
of the Red Cross are
directing the effort,' I do
have first-hand reports
from CARE workers in
Thailand which testify to '
-thee-high-
operation
he high operation existing bet-
weee the various agen-
cies and organizations
ministering to the sick
and hungry in the refugee
camps.
"There is an actively
EAR EDITO
functioning council called
the 'Committee for Co-
ordination of Services to
Displaced Persons in
Thailand (CCSDPT)
which meets at least once
a week and allocates
responsibilities 'to par-
ticipating agencies:
Leadership in 'co.7.
ordinating these ac-
tivities comes from the
United Nations High
Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and
the International Com -
and has already assigned
experienced CARE
workers from other
countries. These include
Brian Wolff of Edmonton,
Assistant Country
Director in, Kenya, who
spent three years with
CUSO in Thailand and
speaks the language
fluently.
Besides shipments . of
donated foodsand
medicines, CARE has
provided 400 hospital cots
and three CARE'
has sent a tape recorded
message in. ' which she
describes the appalling
state of the mothers and
children racked with
....malaria and dysentery .
-and severe malnutrition -
three thousand patients
in nine tents with hardly'
enough space for the
nurses to move between
them.
mnittee for the Red Cross MEDICO nurses for 'the ..
• (ICRC):_ -Kato ..
For example, CARE camp.
has been given, the -Nurse Marge Dollack
resp onsilea lit y' for of Peterborough, Ontario
providing and servicing arrived • there from
supplementary high Afg_lianistan, October.
nutritionfeeding stations 24th and after working for •
in three refugee camps- 16 hours a day for weeks
•
•Pubti"enerny number_one:_
BY ED TURTON
ECONOMICS 400-1
YEAR4
'New Economic Shock
Will Change Our Lives';
'Spending Power •Slip-
ping', 'Senator Sees 1980
Difficult forAaadians'.
•As 1979 draws to a close
we are confronted daily
with gloomy predictions
for.1980.
Seldom, however, can
these . predictors 'agree
upon. the destiny of the
Canadian economy:
Recently a
eiasareessmen, an
economist and . a
politician were asked ' a
question "What is the
sum of two plus two?"
•The businessman
quickly answered "four",
the economist
"somewhere between
three and five" and lastly
the politician replied,
"which number would
you like?
The • economic
forecasters are
unanimous on one point,
however - 1980 promises
to be another unrelenting
year of high inflation.
Webster's defines in-
flation as "an expansion
of the volume of currency
and bank credit, out" of
proportion to available
goods and services, and..
resulting in a : con-
, siderable and prolonged',.
rise in prices, wages and
other costs.'
Inflation -affects each
and every one of us. In
general, prices have
TRIPLED since 1960. The
major culprit in this
enormous increase is the
cost of food.
For instance, in
November of.1978, a basic
nutritious diet for a
family . of four costed
$55.'01 per week. In the
same month of 1979, the
cost of that. same
nutritious .diet rose to
$61.44 per week. This is
recent indication of the
inflationary process.
There are hordes of
others.
As . Canada heads into
r980, it is .,interesting to
examine inflation rates
from the past decade. In
1972, the inflation rate
was only 4.8 percent., It
rose in 1973 to 7.5 percent
and -higher in 1974 to 10.9
percent. - 1975 gave
Canadians an inflation
rate of 10.8 percent
followed by -7.5 percent in
1976. In. 1977, the inflation
rate was 8.0 percent, _in
1978 it was 9.0 percent
and already this year, it
is in excess of 8 percent.
With• the Canadian
economy in its 'present
state, there is no reason
to believe that the 'in-
flation rate will slacken.
There are, however,
several methods' of
dealing with inflation.
Firstly, we must learn
to live with inflation. It is
\a -problem that will not
disappear .if we avoid it__
Consumers must learn to
manage their finances
wisely while corporations
must lessen the drive
towards exorbitant
profits. •
A second method of
battling inflation involves
cuts in federal spending.
The money saved could
be used in incentive
programs, such as the
home ' in"sulation
program, pr returned to
Canadians i'n the form of
income tax deductions.
Tax incentives. • are .
another form of inflation.'
inhibitor. Examples
include the reduced sales
tax program of 1978 ot the
mortgage deductability
plan soon to be enacted.
This program would -
allow home owners of all.
income brackets tax -
credits of up to $375 in the
first year alone.
A fourth method- 'Of". -
dealing with.. inflation__
involves stimulation of
capital investment. That
is, the govertrment must
find a way to cause
consumers and industry
to return their money into
the economy. For in-
stance, Chrysler is
willing to invest in
'Canada. IF the gover-
nment will offer proper
incentives, such as tax
breaks.
Finally, inflation can
be con/,rolled through
wage • price controls.
In 1976, the inflation rate
was only 7.5 percent and_;..
that •year prices and
wages were controlled by
the Anti -Inflation Board.
Economic controls have
been used throughout
history. The Greeks,
Itornans and medieval
lords made use of price
controls. Do they indeed,
work? You, the. Canadian
consumer, can decide
that.
In a recent Gallup Poll,
50 percent of those
questioned felt' inflation --•
was the major Canadian
•
With 401000 people
already in the camps and
another 360,000 expected
to stagger into Thailand
by the end of-the-manth;
there is work for all the
international agencies
there and need forallthe
funds that. can be
collected to purchase
appropriate food,
clothing, medicines,'
shelter and
sportation.
CARE has
distributed 6,000
need kits to tho
have had to leave
possessions behin
has delivered 45
'infant foods with a
80 tons on its way.
tree -
!ready
basic
se who
all their
d and
tons of
nother
If readers would like to
help, please send
donations , by cheque • or
money order To- CARE
Canada Fund for Cam-
badiens, 1312 Bank.
Street, Ottawa KIS 51-17 or
"the agency of your
choice.
Yours' sincerely,
Thomas Kines,
National Director.
inflation!
problem. This • ie ...an in-
crease of 10 -percent from
one year. ago.
Apparently, Canadians
fear the affects of in,
nation on this new decade
which we are entering.:
Why is this so?
Firstly, • Canadian's fear
momentous gasbline
price hikes far 1980.
Gasoline at $1.30 per
gallon 'is quite
foreseeable for the new
year.
Secondly, . Canadians
fear increases in oil
prices. This could add as
much: as $100 to a yearly
heating bill: Already in
1979, energy costs have
risen 10.2 percent.
Thirdly,-wCanadians.
fear credit card interest
rate increases. Many
Canadians rely upon
credit cards as instant
cash. Analysts predict
that the interest rate on
credit cards will cli
three 'percent 'to•21 pe
cent.
Fourthly,-•' Canadia
fear the rising prim
lending rate. Already
stands at 13.75 percen
Analysts - foresee con
tinued high interest rate
for 1980:
A" recent newspape
article • was e-ntitlei
'Living with Inflation
Means More of It'.
To a certain degree this
is quite true. Canadians
will alway"•'s• have to deal
With . inflation. •But it
doesn,.t have to increase.
Consumers can ,shop
carefully and ask about
price increases. The
`government can enact
suitable policies • to
counter the vicious circle
ofinflation.
Together, Canadians
can control public enemy
number one -inflation:<.
b
r -
s
e
it
t.
s. .
Faith in the Good Man
Dear Editor:
'Christmas reinforces
_ 1~'aith" in the Good of
Man"
A year is gone and this
year a decade is gone. We
are soon to enter in a new
decade which seems to be
full of challenges fore
every .one of us. We are
all going to make new
resolutions • for the new
.year.
As'D am ready to make
new resolutions I feel that
the New Year resolutions
-are greatly influenced by
he Christmas. 'If the
Christmas was not ' a
week before the New
Year the entire spirit of
the New Year would have
been -very different.
As the Christmas "day
nears I -start sensing an
overwhelming feeling of
love, - consideration,.
charity and helpful at,
4itudes. I receive a- lot of
smiles from friends. as
well as strangers.
The people show
courtesies, try ,,to
reciprocate warmth and
convey a message that
we all belong to one
common brotherhood
though we may be dif-
ferent in color., race,.
Turn, to page 22 e
DEAF
•READERS
BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER
I get a really big kick out of reading
some of the information sheets from
the various politicians in. Ontario and
the federal government. Some of the
most interesting. come from Mel Swart
who is the MPP from Welland -Thorold.
Mel's a member of the New
Democratic Party and he's consumer
price protection critic. How's that for a
handle?
Anyway, Mel claims that the Ontario
Minister of Consumer and Commercial
Relations, Frank Drea, has supplied
incorrect -information to the legislature
in the course of "defending
multinatiorfal corporations".
Mel asked Drea why a 500 ml. (17.6
oz.) jar of Kraft Miracle Whip sells foe.
x„$1.05 at Dominion stores in- Canada
while a. 32 oz jar, almost double the
amount, ccost only f.two cents more
($1.07) in the United States super-
markets.
I thought to myself,"Hey, I'd like to
have the answer, to that one myself."
So I read on.
Drea told Mel a difference in
American and Imperial ounces makes
it necessary to compare •it in litre"§.
Then he said, "We have to convert the
32 oz. jar into one litre. Doing so, we
multiply 32 x I.040843 x 28.41225. This
brings the price in the particular
supermarket • in Buffalo of a com-
parable produc"&•for"..one .litre U.S, to
$1.11 -as compared to $1.56 fn Canada."
Now, I got_.out my trusty calculator
and worked out that little problem. I
came up with 946.32512• But the trouble
.*•15•r•'•"I` don't'kak•rrow what. Was - it•,o
millilitres? I suspect so.
If it was millilitres, then the
Americans are getting about one litre
of Miracle . Whip for $1.07. • while
Canadians are paying $1.05 for a half
litre. And that sounds like a rip off.
Ah, but wait juet a minute or so."
Everybody knows that the smaller the
package,' the .,more expensive the
product becomes. So it becomes ime
portant to know what it costs in Canada
for a litre of Kraft Miracle Whip.
According. to. Mel and Drea, .a litre
jar in Canada costs $1.56. Now it sounds
'even more :ike a rip off $1,07 for a
litre in the US and $1.56 fort a Titre in
Canada, •
•
Ah, but don't jump to any faulty
conclusions just yet. If that -946.32612 is
millilitres (and I believe it is) that's
about .95 litre. Therefore one litre in
the US would cost 100 divided by 95
Times $1.07 equals $1.07-
\ That $1.13 is American money. When
you figure it in Canadian Hands, it
works out to about $1.32 or $1.33..
Still sounds like a rip-off you say?
Well, now you have to work in the fact
that according to Drea, Canadian
prod'ctioh'costs of Miracle Whip are
17.3 percent higher than in the US.
.There's that old problem rearing its
ugly head again kids .... the trouble
Trudeau kept referring to during his
•term as prime minister when he
warned again and again that Canad.i.ah
tproductivity was too loW in comparison .
to wage demands.
When you take the $1.33 figure and
• work in an additional 17.3 percent for
wages, you get an additional cost`of 23
-cents for productiotr. Add 23 cents to
$•f33 and yoti have'$1.56. •
So when you lookat it this way, the
cost- is exactly the same,in Canada and
irf the US for{one litre of Kraft Miracle
Whip. Whew!`!
Mel c,orriplained bitterly about
Drea's mathematics in the first in-
stance .... and we agreed it was indeed
bad. •
But Mei is also giving. a distorted
picture because, you see, he isn't
tabulating the difference between the
Canadian and the American dollar in
his calculations. And that is absolutely
necessary to get a true evaluation of
the situation.
Mel figured out -that if one litre costs
$1.13 injhe US, that's in fact 20 cents
cheaper than the $1.33 I figured, taking
into account the difference in,, the
Canadian dollar. •- •
So Mel goes on to conclude that the
same product in Canada, even figuring
in the'17.3 percent for additional wages
should cost only about $1.32 or $1.33.
And that, says Mel, represents a 20
percent gap in price to the disad-
vantageof the Canadian consumer.
In retrospect, I'd say both Mr. Drea
and Mr. Swart need to do some
brushing up on their math. As for me,
I11 buy the no -name brand salad
dressing. It's even cheaper..._
s
A
iia