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The Citizen, 1987-10-28, Page 1Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. VOL. 3 NO. 43 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1987.40 CENTS Ethel angered over threat to P. O. Standing solidly behind their postmaster, residents of Ethel are in full support of a meeting called for Thursday to protest the measures Canada Post is taking to privatize Canada’s 5,200 rural post offices within the next ten years. Meeting organizer Lorraine Robinson, at far left with postmaster Doreen Suter, says the terms of the new contracts offered by the crown corporation could result in the closing of the Ethel Post Office, as well as in the closing of 11 other small post offices in Huron County. BYTOBY RAINEY Canada Post has put Doreen Suter in a no-win position, but her angry community says it is not going to let her face the situation alone. They are organizing a meeting to “let the whole county know what is happening here,’’ The would-be Ethel postmaster is the latest victim of what the grassroots lobby group, Rural Politicians sympathetic: can't offer help BY TOBY RAINEY Huron politicians say they are concerned about the fact that up to a dozen small communities in the county may lose their post offices within the next few months under the terms of the contract being offered by Canada Post to each of them as they come up for review, but say there’s not much they can do about it. Contacted Sunday by The Dignity, says is the crown corpora­ tion’s bid to rid Canada of its 5,200 rural post offices by 1997, and they are coming to town on Thursday to help the hamlet fight back. “If the post offices go, the villagesgo- it’s as simple as that,’’ says Viola Higgs of Ilderton, who was elected secretary of the Ontario chapter of the national organization in Toronto 10 days Citizen about the current situa­ tion in Ethel, Huron MP Murray Cardiff, whose home address is RR 1, Ethel, skated around the issue by saying that it is difficult to pass judgement in the case “without knowing all the facts.” “I can’t say whether $19,000 or $5,000 would be a fair wage for the services offered (in Ethel); we just don’t have all the details at this point,” he said. ago. Rural Dignity was founded in the Maritimes last December, to lead the fight against Canada Post ’ s plan to close and privatize its network ofrural post offices, which account for some 10,000 jobs across the nation. Canada Post’s plan is to turn salaried postmasters in rural com­ munities into franchised operators working on a commission paid on The figures he referred to are the differences in the alleged annual take-home pay of Ethel’s former postmaster, and the com mission that could be reasonably expected by Doreen Suter, the interim postmaster, under the terms of the contract offered to her by Canada Post last Wednesday. ‘ ‘Canada Post has assured us that it wants to continue to offer equal or better service to our the basis of the volume of stamps and other postal services which they sell, using attrition as much as possible to eliminate jobs. But opponents of the plan say that the terms offered by the franchise agreement are “laugh­ able,’’re sultingina wage of as little as 56 to 84 cents an hour for the duties performed. If she signs Continued on page 5 rural communities than they have had in the past, and I can’t see how this will change,” he insisted. “Canada Post has been ordered (by the Conservative government) to reduce the horrendous debt it has accumu­ lated, and no matter what methods are taken to reduce costs, somebody has to get Continued on page 5 Fire leaves Brussels family homeless Fire gutted a Brussels home Monday leaving a family of four homeless. Brussels Fire Department an­ swered a call at 11:33 Monday morning to the home of Ken and Linda Smith on Albert St. They remained on the scene until 4:30 p.m. battling a stubborn fire. Fire Chief Howard Bernard said the damage to the house was very heavy, saying the floor in the kitchen was completely burned out and the flooring in other areas had to be cut away by firemen as they tried to extinguish a fire that had spread to fuel wood stored below. He said he could give no accurate estimate of damage. Although the exact cause of the fire had not been pinpointed, Chief Bernard said it probably started in the heating system. Firemen poured hundreds of gallons of water on the burning wood and Chief Bernard visited the scene several times later to make sure the fire had not started up again. The couple stayed with Mr. Smith’s parents overnight Monday but will be moving into an apartment for the time being. Meanwhile the community is rallying to help. Donations of clothing, furniture or money, anything that can help, can be left at Huron Feeding Systems during business hours. At other times people wanting to make donations can call 887-6289. Railway hearing Tuesday The Canadian Transport Com­ mission Railway Transport Com­ mittee will hold a hearing next week into Canadian National Rail- way’s application to close the Listowel to Wingham rail line which includes portions in Grey, Morris and the village of Brussels. Canadian National cited losses of $210,773; $379,806 and $314,396 during 1983, 84 and 85 as its reason for wanting to close the line. It had earlier closed and dismantledthelinefrom Wingham to Kincardine. Thenoticeofthe meeting was advertised in Wingham and Lis- Continued on page 2 Citizen subscription rising The subscription rate for The Citizen will rise to $17 a year beginning Nov. 9. Until that time subscriptions can be renewed for up to one year at the current rate. The new rate was approved by the board of directors of The Citizen at its October meeting in order to continue the service the paper has delivered in the last two years. This is the first increase in subscription rates since the paper began in Oct. 1985. The board was faced with the fact printing costs had risen seven per cent earlier this year and a further increase of eight per cent in the cost of newsprint has been announced for late this year which will further increase the cost of printing. The Citizen remains the lowest priced newspaper in the area compared to: Listowel Banner, $26; Goderich Signal-Star, $22; Huron Expositor, Seaforth, $20; Clinton News-Record and Wing­ ham Advance-Times, $21. Since copy sales will increase to 45 cents. Subscriptions to foreign destinations will be $38.