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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-01-29, Page 11 jobs created at Champion BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK Within the next few months, 118 new skilled jobs could be added to the payroll at Champion Road Machinery Ltd. in Goderich. Five projects under the Job Develop- ment program of Employment Canada were approved recently and will spend $1.5 million to create 79 new jobs at the Goderich plant which already employs 650 workers; The remaining two projects which will create 39 more jobs are ex- pected to gain approval in the next week, Steve Symes, executive vice-president an- nounced on Monday. Because of a lack of skilled candidates in Huron County, Champion applied to the Job Development program for help in training for a variety of manufacturing job skills. The training, which will last 49 weeks, will be done in classrooms installed din the Gearco buildings in Goderich's in- dustrial park. "There are lots of people around but not enough with the necessary skills. The idea is to get people who) are unemployed train- ed for long term employment and we couldn't have done that without the pro- gram," said Symes. All hiring will be done through the Canada Employment Centre in Goderich. Hiring and training will begin immediate - GOthe „ CilleNriCh 138 YEAR --05 ly. The increase in jobs in Goderich follows a decision by Champion to consolidate a major portion of the primary manufactur- ing in. Goderich and downplay the opera- tions in its manufacturing plant in Colum- bia, South Carolina where about 120 workers were laid off in early December. "This is an extension of our cost - reduction program due to competitive con- ditions. We plan to continue to assemble in South Carolina but all other manufactur- ing operations have been transferred to Goderich," said Symes. "We're getting close to being the most cost competitive road machinery company in the world. We expect to' double our market .penetration in the United States and increase it severalfold internationally. We're marching in on the Japanese," he said. During the past several years, Cham- pion's interational market share had fallen off dramatically because of stiff competi- tion with the Japanese. But, in the past three or four months, itg international market share has increased because of the company's overall cost reduction and moderization program. "Many times job creation is short term. What I really like allout this is it's long Turn to page 2 AL -Si .r' GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1986 60 CENTS PER COPY Gasoline prices too high, say customers Automobile Association invites people to write in protests BY SUSAN HUNDERTMARK Complaints about high gasoline prices are nothing unusual to local gas station owners. But, since the, 27 per cent drop in world oil prices has not been reflected at the local gas pumps, complaints have been on the increase at some stations. "There's been a bit more talk going on about gas prices, a little more than the usual,, 'What the heck are you doing about prices?"" says Ed Brissette, of Ed's Shell in Goderich. Because he himself has no control over the gas prices, Brissette agrees with his customers that prices are too high. . "The government is taxing gasoline too much. It's a necessary product, not a lux-, ury and the poor man has to pay the same amount as the rich man. We should be tax- ed on our income tax instead, so ,the more you make, the more you pay," he says. Brissette says that with 27 cents tax on every litre of gas sold, Canadians are pay- ing $1.20 in tax on every gallon. Subtract that tax from the current price of $2.25 a gallon, and Canadians would be paying $1.05 a gallon, a price that's cheaper than many Americans are paying. "Customers look at that $2.25 and start blasting the gas companies immediately but it's the tax that makes the price so high. Sure, you have to have money to run the country so you should put more tax on cigarettes and booze because they're not necessities like gasoline,".he says. While gas prices have gone down with the decreasing world prices for crude oil, Canadian gas prices have never gone down, says Brisette, who's been in the gas station business for more than 20 years. Brissette adds that he's sure the gas companies are making more money than ever before, as well. "I'm not protecting the oil -companies ,because they're shysters too. I don't think it would be too hard to get people to protest because everybody is mad at the gas com- panies. They just miss the point that the government takes a big slice out of the price too," he says. Members of the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) will be able to voice their protest when the current issue of the association's magazine Leisureways is out. Inside, will be a card for members to fill out protesting high gas prices and 'send to head office in Windsor. Approximately 2000 CAA members in Huron County will receive the magazine and any other interested members of the public can obtain a magazine at the CAA Marcel Richard, of Goderich says he thinks the price of gas is too high and he blames both the government and the gas companies for the price. Though he could fill his car's gas tank -for $10 every two weeks 10 years ago, he's now spending $20 a week on gas. ( photo by Susan Hundertmark) . . office in Clinton, says CAA spokesman Carol Sutherland. "There's been a good response so far in Windsor," she says. CAA launched the write-in campaign to protest gas,prices rising 21/2 times the rate of inflation last year. The association says Canadian prices are an average of 19 litres higher than American gas prices. Jim McDougall, owner of the Petro - Canada gas station on Bayfield Road, agrees that gas prices are too high. "Gas prices are unpopular noW that the price has been stable for the past four months. I think they're definitely too high and the tax on gasoline is ridiculous. The tax is a lot worse than the cost of fuel itself," he says. Bill Kirkey, owner of the Texaco station at the Five Points, says he gets 'so many complaints about gas prices he can't keep track of them. "I think the prices are too high but there's nothing I can do., It''s up to the government and the gas companies," he says. Because his truck has an engine that's hard on gas, Gordon Kemp, of RR7 Lucknow, says he spends about $240 a month on gasoline just to get to and from work in Goderich. "I can't afford it but what else can you do if you have to travel. Gasoline prices are too high and the tax on gas is too high," he says. " - Kemp says Canadian citizens already have to pay too much tax in every other way and he doesn't buy the argument that gas prices must stay high to pay off Canada's deficit. "I don't know why we, the people, should have to pay for all the government's blunders like Mirabel Airport and deHavilland Aircraft," he says. Phyllis Fisher, of RR4 Goderich, says she thinks twice before she hops in the car these days. Living five minutes out of town, she spends $20 a week or more on gasoline. "I can't see why when World prices go down, it takes two months for prices to go down in Canada. It sure doesn't take two months to raise the prices," she says. Because she used to live on the farm, Fisher says she knows that gas prices real- ly affect farmers "a lot more than they did a few years ago." Marcel Richard, of Goderich, says he blames both the government and the gas companies for the high price of gasoline. "Why should we pay so much more for gas than the States even though Canada's dollar is lower?" he asks. - Though he spends $20 a week on gas for transportation to work and back and around town, Richard says he remembers the days when he filled the -tank every two weeks on pay day for $10. "But, that was 10 years ago. The govern- ment should come down on those taxes," he says. Library board may dissolve The executive cornnnittee of Huron Coun- ty council will recommend to county coun- cil at Its Feb. 6 meeting that the County Library Board be dissolved, the Signal - Star has learned. The executive committee which met on Jan. 27, will recommend that council pre- ceed with the necessary steps to have a private members bill presented to the On- tario Legislature to have the Huron County Library operated by a committee respon- sible to council. Doug Reycraft, MPP, has agreed to sponsor the bill. The county will be respon- sible for the charges in connection with the printing of the bill. Should county council approve the recommendation at its Feb. 6 meeting, the bill would proceed to the Legislature and if passed, the Huron County Library Board would cease to exist as an autonomous board. Instead it would become a commit- tee of council. Only the library board and the board of health are autonomous. All other Huron County committees and boards are committees of county council. While the library board is autonomous, county council has complete control over its budget, setting and approving the budget. All other library boards in the province pre autonomous bodies except the Elgin County Board which was recently dissolv- ed by a bill passed by the Legislature in 1984. The bill named the Elgin County Council as a board for the purposes of the Public Libraries Act making the library board a committee of county council. Notice that the Legislature intends to dissolve the library board must be given in the Ontario Gazette and at least one county newspaper. The county application ',to dissolve the library board and make coun- ty council the board of the county library must be considered by a standing commit- tee of the Legislature. Any person who has an interest in the application and wishes to make submissions. for or against the ap- plication to the standing committee must' notify the clerk of the Legislative Assembly in Queens Park. `Flimflam' alert Goderich Police Chief Pat King warns shopkeepers and cashiers to be on the alert for a "flimflam" artist who has defrauded three stores in Goderich of more than $200. The three incidents involved a person buying a small article and then asking for change for different denominations of bills. One store was out $20.; another $50. and a third, $150. Chief King said there have been reports of similar occurrences in other towns in the area. "They are real experts," says Chief King. Young Offenders Act costs taxpayers money BY SHARON DIETZ Goderi h Police Chief Pat King raised an additional concern about the Young Of- fenders Act at the January meeting of the Goderich Board of Police Commissioners. `"Chief King said regulations implemented by the act are costing the Town of Goderich more money in transportation . costs for youthful offenders under the age of 16. Since the inception of the Act in July, .young offenders must be dealt with through the same procedure as an adult, making it necessary to -bring the offender before a judge while in custody under the Bail Reform Act. "You get this remanding back and forth and the offender must be brought before a judge every so many days," Chief King told the Signal -Star following the meeting., Escort offender Because these young offenders are held in secure custody at the London Detention Centre, Goderich police must escort the of- fender from London to Goderich for his Court appearance, which often takes about 10 minutes; and then escort the offender back to London. The cost cannot be reclaimed under a grant, if the offender is under 16 years of age, as it is with of- fenders over age 16, explained Chief King. When the Juvenile Delingnents Act was in effect, there wasn't the necessity for as many remands and court appearances aecause the system permitted the judge to place the offender in a facility sooner. Goderich police made 14 escort trips to London with one young offender, who has' not responded to the direction of the court and was placed in secure custody, since the Young Offenders' Act was im- plemented in July. The, police also escorted the youth after sentencing to the secure custody facility, Sprucewood in Simcoe. Some of these trips involved over- time for the police and the transportation cost cannot be reclaimed through grants because the offender is under 16. Chief King told the commissioners there will be an increase in court time for police bcause they must make these additional appearances with young offenders, as they proceed through the same court pro- cedures as adult offenders. He also pointed out that he has not received adefinite com- mittnent that young offenders could stay at the Bluewater Centre if inclement weather made it impossible to escort them to London until the next day. Turn to page 2 Majority of Huron doctors will opt out of OHIP,. says OMA representative Huron County physicians will be asked to sign statements indicating their will- ingness to opt out of the Ontario Health In- surance Plan, (OHIP) should the Ontario government's proposal to ban extra -billing be passed in the legislature. The decision to canvass the county's 48 doctors individually was made at a January 23 meeting of the Huron County chapter of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) according to Dr. Ken Rodney, of Seaforth, spokesman for the local associa- tion. Dr. Rodney said he expects most of the local OMA members to go along with the plan. "We had close to 50 per cent of our membership at the last -meeting and most of them seemed to be in favor of this kind of sanction," saictDr. Rodney. The county association is following the lead of the provincial OMA, which is ask- ing all its member physicians to opt out of OHIP in protest of the extra -billing ban. The province -wide opting out would only be put into effect if the legislation passes without alterations to make it more accep- table to the medical commjinity, said Dr. Rodney: The resignations will be held by the OMA head office and not acted upon unless the legislation • goes into effect unchanged, Dr. Rodney said. Meanwhile, "We will try to arrange a meeting with the Minister and the OMA in an attempt to see if we can get negotiations going to hold up the legislation," Dr. Rodney said. If the situation does reach the stage, where the doctors opt out of 'OHIP, Dr. Rodney does• not expect the protest action to last very long. "The government wouldn't let it be lengthy," he said. Dr. Rodney predicts the government will take one of two avenues open to them in response to the protest. "They can leave it that way (with the doctors opted out) and see if doctors can stand the confusion," he said, adding opted -out doctorS will' face changes in ac- counting procedures and patient flow, along with other inconveniences "Or they can legislate diem all back in (to, OHIP), if they take the hard line," said Dr. Rodney. If doctors are legislated back into the program, there is little they could do about it. "This is the problem with taking away opting out' as a valid method of protest. Then the only measure to be taken is to strike,"said Dr. Rodney. INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Vikings undefeated The Goderich Collegiate basketball teams remain undefeated in Huron -Perth action and Friday both the junior and senior teams added to the win column. A picture a story on the basketball action appears on the sports pages. Carroll honoured Evelyn Carroll volunteered to supervise the adult workshop for three months for the Goderich and District Association for the Mentally Retarded in 1965. That volunteer stint turned into a career that has spanned more than 20 years. The Association honored Evelyn for her work and a detailed story appears on the Com -4. munity front. Porkers win The Eighth Goderich Recreation Hockey Tournament unfolded over three days at the Goderich Arena with Leamington and O'Brien's Porkers winning the A and B Division championships respectively. Pic- tures and stories from the event appear on the Sports page inside. Oppose ruling Doctors have vocalized their concerns' • over fife Health. Minister's attempt to eliminate extra -billing in the province. More letters on the subject appear on the Opinion page.