The Brussels Post, 1977-11-02, Page 13Sugar and Spice
by Bill Smiley
I for conscription
A while ago, Pefense Minister Damson
sent up a trial balloon suggesting he would.
not be averse. to „ conscripting young
Canadians into the armed forces.
I thought it wasn't a bad idea. Guys my
age always, think it isn't a bad idea to
conscript the young. "Give 'em a bit of
discipline. Put some backbone in them,",
we huff. • •
Many other nations have conscription,
schemes under which young men must
serve from•one year .to two in the armed
forces, then are listed in the reserve, and
go back once every couple of years for a
few -,weeksfOr refresher course.
Switzerland- is the classic example.:, It
has a cracking good army and a large,
well-trained -reserve, although it has never
been in 'a -war, ,as a nation. It doesn't have
much use for a navy, for some reason.
In Britain; used for many years to a small
regular army of professionals; the swarms
of volunteers in time of war, the National
Service, as it was called, was introduced
after , World War II • and was very
unpopular. It has since been cancelled, as
the need for bodies in the services shrank
with the shrinking of the Empire.
It was pretty well the same in the States
That infamous thing called The Draft
was suffered in war time, but: when it was
used to train young men to gO, and kill
people in a .senseless war thousands of
miles from home, for no logical reason, it
met with .calumny, chicanery, and plain
draft-dodging, alon g. with' a desertion, rate
that was a national scandal.
That's not quite what Barney Danson
and I had in mind. wouldn't mind seeing a
modest form of conscription which
everyone was called up, except of course,
your sons and daughters, -and mine.
What I'd like to see would be more like
the Dutch conscription system,- in which
the troops can have long hair and beardS;.:
belong to a union, elect their own' NCOs
and wear civvies when not on duty.
Conscripts 1 would be well, paid - ab' out,
$100 a. week—"would 'get one week off for'
every three weeks in service, and armed
forces kitchens would have the best food in
the world, outside'Of four-star restaurants.
The usual perks, of course,' would
remain: free dental and medical service,
duty-free smokes and booze, free travel on
leave. •
One .moxe, thing I would introduce.- I
would get rid' of the arrant sexism that
exists in our present armed forces. Women
would share the same, jobS, the same pay,
the same privileges, and the same
barracks, as the men.
Women would have the same number of
senior officers;. based on the .proportion of
females in the service, just as the French
Canadians have now.
Women would be given maternity leave,
with no blight on the old escutcheon, just
as lady school teachers are now. with one
.difference. They would have a built-in baby
sitter when they went from the swaddling
clothes phase back into uniform.
Just to make it fair, men would be given
paternity leave, although possibly not the
six months granted women. Free day-care
services would be provided for the children
of parentS' who were both in the forces.
Medicals would be a little more lenient.
I'd admit anybody who: could see his or t
hand before his/her face; did not have
veneral desease; was missing no more than
two limbs. This, would absorb about 94 per
cent of our young unemployed.
But this ,would cost millions,' you will
exclaifn.
Of course it would. Billions in fact. But
What's a billion these days? How many
billions are we now throwing off the end of
the dock to these same people, in the form
of unemployment insurance, welfare
cheques, reform schools, jails, psychiatric
treatment, and education?
L guarantee you we'd break -even. And
look what we'd gain. We could close, up
tw9-thirds of our institutions of higher
learning, which would be no great loss. We
could cut unemployment payments to the
bone. W could trim the fat off the obese,
and bolster the health of the badly
nournished, with good service grub. We
could absorb all those dentists and doctors
who now have to make $100,000 a year to
survive.
In five years, we could have an armed
force that would make Guatemala quiver in
its boots. At the present, the only nation
we could, lick is Iceland. Without
Greenland.
But I am never one to try to foist my
opinions, however brilliant, without some
solid backing.That's why I did an informal
survey with some of my senior :classes.
They thought it was right on, after
outlined my ideas.
"Wow!" was the reaction,of Elvira, back
in Grade 12 of ter an unsuccessful
attempt to establish a career in
waitressing. "You mean we'd all live
together in them there - whadda ya call
them, sir - barracks?"
"Ya mean I'd get a hundred bucks a
week just for drivin' around in a tank or
going' for a cruise on one of them big
ships?" queried Joe Muff-raw, who is 20
years old and has never been away from
home 'or held in his hand more than a
10-dollar bill in his life.
"Who gets to be officers, and how much
do they make , and are they fed better?"
asked Christopher,, the class whiz. "Sure
sounds easier than four years of college
and no job."
That's just a sampling. I asked for a
show of hands from those who were
unalterably opposed. Not a hand was
raised. But of course, they v6erenot sure
what unalterably meant.
ueen's Park
No hydro shortages this year
Report from
GIGANTIC STOCK. REDUCTION
SALE!
WO RDEN'S jRSTOD REPE T
....MITCHELL
3 DAYS LEFT!
OUR GREAT SALE ENDS SAT.NOV:5th
MINIMUM DISCOUNT
ANY ITEM -1
ON
0.%
OcY
MANY CLOTHING ITEMSAREDUCED BY
30 T. 50%
BASEMENT WAREHOUSE IS OPEN AND THIS
MAKES 8000 SQ. FT. OF BARGAINS. EVERY
ITEM IS ON SALE - COME AND SEE IT, Y OU
WILL ENJOY GENUINE SAVINGS.
DISCOUNTS ON ALL! • •
CHRISTMAS ITEMS - WRAP - DECORATIONS -
CARDS
TOYS - GAMES - LUGGAGE - WATCHES
JEWELRY - GLASSWARE - GIFT ITEMS
APPLIANCES - RADIOS - RECORDS , ETC.
PLUS....
FAMILY CLOTHING AND.
FOOTWEAR
STYLEWEAR - BLOUSES - TOPS - SWEATERS -
SLACKS
BOYS AND MEN'S JEANS - SHIRTS - SWEATERS
OUTERWEAR: PARKAS—JACKETS
'SNOWMOBILE SUITS—SKI JACKETS.
OPEN MON. to SAT. and FRIDAY EVENINGS
COME„ ON OVER AND SEE!
"CHARGEX"
REMEMBER: SALE DISCOUNTS ON
EVERYTHING
DRASTIC STOCK REDUCTION
SALE WORDEN'S
MITCHELL
(By Murray Gaunt)
The Ontario Government will
advertise in trade journals that
Minaki Lodge, its expensive but
now shelved tourist project in
Northwestern Ontario, is up for
sale, Claude Bennett, Minister of
Industry and Tourism, told the
legislature this week that buying
and restoring the lodge has cost
$10 million so far, and to finish
the work might mean another $8
million,
Ontario Hydro spokesmen have
indicated that there should' be no
repetition this D ecember of power
sliortogcs which led to province-
wide voltage cuts and inter'rupt'ion of service to Some
industries in the pre.
Christmas period last yeal%
Hydro expects to have about
3400 megawatts of generating
capacity in reserve when the
period of peak demand is reached
in mid-December.
The Ontario Environment
N/Lnistry has admitted that a
Mississauga cement kiln has been
regularly burning highly toxic
wastes fot about two years
without public knowledge but
with the ministry's approval. The
burning's started as an
experiment, but the experimental
burnings were completed in 1975
and a ministerial certificate of
approval was issued then to
continue the practice.
EnvirOnmetit Minister George'
Kerr said he wants to resume the
burning sometime before the end
of the year, but not before the
Ministry has had an opportunity
to explain what is involved.
Opposition parties condemned
the Ontario government yester-
day as the province's largest land
speculator (because the Ministry
of Housing will make a $3 million
profit on a $5 million investment
in Kitchener.
The Minister of Housing, John
Rh odes, said it was government
policy to sell off at market price
23,000 acres it bought over the
years for land banks to provide
low cost housing.
Solicitor General John.
Macteth stated during Estimates
debate that Ontario has no
intention of reducing policing in
the Province. There had been a
report that bile hundred
Provincial Police officers were
going to be laid off.
THE BRUSSELS POST, NOVEMBER 2, 1977-13
Choosing, Fabrics
is short course'
"Choosing and Using Fabrics"'
a short course prepared by the
Home Economics Branch of the'
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food, is to be held in your
area this fall.
The course will be held
Wednesday, November 16, 1977,
from 1-4 p.m. at the Ethel
COmmunity Centre,
Everyone is welcome to attend
this free program.
Participants will become
familiar with methods of fiber
identification, fiber properties
and various methods Of caring for
fibers and fabrics. Fabric
labelling and finishing are two
additional topics included.
The course is conducted by
clothing 'and' textile specialist,
Mary Tompkins from Toronto.
Interested homemakers should
plan to attend this capsule course
on fibers and fabrics used in our
homes today.
Plan to attend and bring a
friend. Any questions concerning
the course should be directed t9-,
county home economist, Rea
McClenaghan, 'Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food, Box 159,
Clinton-Telephone 482-3428 or
Zenith 7-2800.