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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-10-23, Page 24Page 8A—Crossroads,-Oct. 23, 1985 Mainstream Canada Lowering the barriers to the future By Tony Carlson Just as there is no such thing as a free lunch, there is also no such thing as free trade. Not in the sense of a no - holds -barred free-for-all at any rate. But the federal govern- ment's decision to pursue a new ,trade agreement with the United States is a historic one which promises to put this country on a solid foot- ing for the future. Ottawa's intention to seek the broadest possible pack- age of reductions to tariff and non -tariff barriers has produced predictable hand - wringing among those who lack confidence in Our ability • to compete. Much has been written, and many more trees will die so that Canadians can read how such a scheme puts the very existence of our country • at risk. But the political •and economic realities of the world of the 1980's and be- yond argue convincingly that it is at best shortsighted to cling to such protectionist nervousness. For one thing, the trade barriers strung along the 49th. parallel (and the eastern extension of the border) already allow most commodities through with- out restriction. The arrangement to be hammered out over the next year or so promises only to lower those hurdles which do. exist,'in the knowledge that • they can never be elininated entirely. - ' Thus we face. not a giant leap of faith into the • un- known, but a short stride for- ward, .recognizing that though it is a direction, the path is one that must be taken. The •long and short. of it is ' this; we need guaranteed ac- cess to the•U.S. market to en- sure the basic viability of our industry- in an international marketplace that is be- -coming fiercely competitive. • If we can't compete in the North American market, we haven't a hope of going head to head with the rising stars, the Singapores of the world. Many people feel that free trade means good-bye Canada the country, hello Canada the 51st state. There's no reason that should happen, especially if we look to free trade as an opportunity, the kind of jolt that forces our society to get serious about our interna- tional competitiveness. The Dutch and the Austri- ans accept the necessity of aligning their economic policies with the giant West - German economy on 'their doorsteps. In the process, they've preserved their identities and uniqueness. And, says John Bulloch, president of the 73,000 -mem- ber Canadian Federation of Independent Business, look at the Australians. "They'd give their eye- teeth to be sitting next door to a market like the U.S.," he says. "The future is in find- ing and developing market niches, and this kind of trade agreement will open up un- told numbers of opportun- ities." - Small businesses share Bulloch's optimism. In two recent studies, CFIB mem- bers voted more than three to . one in favor of Canada - U.S. free trade and eight to one for removal of provincial trade barriers. That's the confidence we need: confidence not only to compete in the most entre- preneurial'. -arena ntrepreneurial`.-arena "in' the world but also to face the future with an open mind. • 48 Hrs is a cops -and -rob- bers movie — an urban thril- ler spiked with raunchy hu-- mour. An unlikely duo, a • white cop and a black con must team up to track flown two killers. And it all hap- pens in just 48 Hrs., Sattir- day, November 2,. 9:00-11:00 p.m. on CTV Television. IL GO OV GREEN Add one more bit of the list in Schultz's police record. Breaking and entering. And he's done it so often now that the family accuses him of being a iabitual criminal. Schultz has never been con- vinced that he should be ask- ed to stay in the kennel with the other dogs, unless there's some copulating to be done out there. Nor will he consent to stay in the barn. If I am over here working in my study in the stone house, he , can, of course, do as he damn well pleases. There's no furniture here that isn't al- ready a wreck. But as soon as I go over to the big house, Schultz must come too, and there he will always find the softest, warmest place avail- able. Which is generally the sofa in the front room. And the little woman has now come to the place where she is ready to skin him alive. She's getting as fed up with Schultz as she is with me. In her defence, however, it must be admitted , that Schultz does have very big feet. And even on dry days these feet are likely to be luxuriantly muddy. And now we have• come again to the juicy time of the year. We were pretty fair about it at first. We talked tlpe matter over with Schultz, and he seemed to listen contritely enough. We show- ed him the door and told him to leave his big homely car- cass outside for all time. But Schultz has that convenient kind of conscience which ceases to be a drawback the moment there is no one to watch. Just as surely as some careless person would leave, a door ajar, Schultz would wait until the coast had cleared and then head straight. for his favorite sofa again. Or at least we thought that was the way he , got in. To- day, after a bitter argument about who in the world was 14 -piece portrait collection 2-8x10s. 2-5x7s. 10 wallet size*, 1295 includes 95c deposit Sears - Portrait Studio No appointment necessary. 950 for each additional subject in photographic package. Adults and family groups welcome. POSES OUR. SELECTION. Available at regular prices 'in'addition to this offer: Christmas Background, White Background, Black Background, Double Feaure Portraits and Instant Color Passport Photos. Prices may vary in Alaska. ',Approximate size. ' ' OFFER FOR PORTRAITS TAKEN MON. OCTOBER 14 THRU SAT. NOVEMBER 2 studios located in most larger Sears retail stores Check local store for.days and hours of studio operation • /A/R11 Your money's worth. and more Canada forever leaving the back door open, someone happen- ed to see Schultz in the very act of going through a cellar window. Aha! we thought. So now we know the secret! Reach- ing for the broom, I took up my battle station at the head of the cellar stairs. Only Schultz knew better than to come up right away. He had obviously learned that the best way to get to that sofa was to wait until everyone in the house was outside, or sleeping or watching tele- vision. That was his cue to come quietly up from his hiding place and nose open the cellar door. Only this time I flushed Schultz out of the cellar, and battened down the window which he had jimmied. I� tossed the broom and some cusswords at him as he headed, conscience stricken as usual, for the woods. The broom added a little to his momentum as he disappear- ed over the horizon. "Maybe that'll learn you to keep your place then!" I hollered at him. But this evening I find my- self feeling a bit guilty about it all. Here I am, administer- ing shame and punishment on an otherwise considerate and perfectly -mannered fellow just because he wants something better out of life. Because he happens to be somewhat smarter -than most. Because he has alto- gether too much ambition. Because he won't give up. Come to think of it, those are just about the noblest at- tributes there are according to the school books and all the gospels. Noble when we have them ourselves, that is. But how can I explain to Schultz when he conies back from the maple shack to apologize that he better for- get those aforementioned ,qualities? How can I explain that while ' these might eventually earn me a Cadillac or a seat in the Senate, they will get him nothing but a kick in the slats? Just in case Schultz looks up hurt and hard -done -by when I break the sad news to him, I could tell him that he's not the only one who finds himself in trouble by being determined to raise his At wit's end by Erma Bombeck The inside of a house:, o worship must be the mos confusing place ' dyer to child. There's water .that yo can't play in, books withou pictures and mysteriou doors that no one ever opens You're never allowed to see what's' behind you, and the only thing you have to play with is' your tongue and that's punishable by severe pinching. One of the problems s we never really tell ki what services are all about. All, they're told is to be quiet and not talk for an, hour. They have no idea what we're doing. When my son was five years old, , I dragged him. to confession one Saturday. Every .time I inched toward the closed closet door, my son would start to say some- thing and I would clap my hand over`his mouth. Final- ly, the lliie started ),vith me. I was next up when he -said, "I don't. have to go to the bath- room. I`' went before I left home," and bolted toward theparkinglotT'— . -- There's the plight of the four-year-old who. was in church on Sunday when the wine and wafers were passed out. His mother leaned over and told him that he was not old enough' to comprephend the transubstantiation and that he was not allowed to partake in the. Communion: Later, the collection plate came by and stopped dead in front of him. His mother again leaned over and tried to coax the nickel out of his clenched fist. He held firm and shouted, "If I can't eat, I won't pay." f "Faith" is just a word to t children. They don't know a what it means, how to get it, how to keep it or what to do. u with it. They just pick up bits t and pieces of conversation s and try to sound like an adult. A Sunday school teacher asked her class if anyone knew where God' is. One. little girl said, "He's in d the'bathroom in the back of the • church. -When the teacher pressed her for her rationale, she said, "My Mother is always knocking on the door saying, 'God, are you still in there?" Adults become different people in church. A few years ago, our son served his first Mass as an altar boy. He knew he was supposed to 'ring the bells at a certain time in the Mass, but he wasn't sure when, so.he rang • therm every time he passed them. Afterthe service, the ,priest _leaned over and said to me, "It was like serving Mass, with Quasimodo." Ordinarily, r would have roared and sent the story, off • to—Rea-cler's Digest f sat there like a mask of tragedy. Church to a child is low - noise -level punishment like holding your body in a vise and pretending to. arrange your hair whenthey'/re really pulling it. Thurch is lips that sing "Lovetthe little children"' at the same time eyes are saying, "You will never get another Oreo cook- ie for as long as you live." Church. is where everyone talks about joy and love and happiness, but when some- one rings bells at the wrong time we're afraid to laugh. Why? standard of living. A good many humans who have the same ambition are found equally obnoxious. How. many? Well, offhand I'd say practically every man on earth who isn't white, Christian and a subscriber to the free enterprise system. 0 0 0 I am still receiving suggestions for ways to cure Schultz of his egg -stealing. One irate reader of Scar- borough scolds me for not doing what she thinks is the obvious way to solve the problem. "Just feed the poor abused brute!" she tells me. "He's starving!" Another lady from Fenelon Falls tells me that all I have to do to bring the trouble to a cease is put my nest boxes high. enough so, that Schultz can no longer reach them; to which I. can only reply that Schultz, when he stands on his hind legs is tall enough to put his front paws on my shoulders and many of my hens are so big and fat they would never get up that high. Or if they did they would surely sprain their ankles jumping down again. John Green of Belwood (no relation) who is an authority on electric fencing of all sorts, must have taken an entire evening diagraming a system which would allow the hens to enter their nests quite safely but would at the same time discourage Schultz from further thieving. I am of course quite grate- ful for the many suggestions sent me, but I can now report that the problem has solved itself: My hens have all quit laying. ..for home or office AT•A•GLANCE Appointment/ Record Books • Day, Welk or Month Appointment Books • Memo Pads & Portfolios • Estate & Household Inventory Record Books • Budget & Expense Record Books • Income Expense & Tax Record Books • Personal & Trip Record Books • Guest & Visitor Record Books • Telephone/Address Books • Wine Label Register & Trip Diary • Planning Calendars Limited Quantities All for 1986 The Listowel Banner 188 Wallace Ave. N. Listowel 291-1660 , MINDICIONMONNIMMIll 3 PROTECTION SERVICES...ONE GREAT'PRICE! Zlebart RUST PROTECTION penetrates and seals all critical rust -prone areas. Zlebart PAINT PROTECTION bonds to the paint surface, shields and enriches the finish, and locks in the shine. Zlebart FABRIC PROTECTION protectsyour car's interior fbric against stains. 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