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The Citizen, 1991-07-31, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1991. Opinion Too short stay at the top Moms township native Murray Elston has moved to the top of the Liberal party in Ontario where many feels he belongs. Unfortunately his stay there will be too short. Mr. Elston was chosen interim leader of the party Monday night but has already declared he won't be a candidate for the permanent leadership when the convention is held, probably in February. Wisely, Mr. Elston has said that his family comes first and he doesn't want to put his wife and young children through the stress of being party leader, and perhaps premier, can bring. While his family should come first, it's too bad that Mr. Elston isn't ready for the top job on a long term basis. He is clearly more experienced than any of the four people who have indicated they will seek the leadership. He has proven his ability to take tough stands in the doctors' strike and the no-fault insurance controversy. He's proved he can do the job needed if only he were ready. Too much power, too little knowledge While some people sing the praises of the new international marketplace, Canadians almost got an expensive lesson last week in the inherent dangers of a market that can have great effect on people with very little knowledge of what is happening. The ordinary Canadian probably had little inkling that an obscure sequence of events could have changed his life, and the history of the country. It all began with corruption charges laid in Canada but the effects went around the world and back again and, without prompt action, and probably a bit of luck, we could all have paid the price. The story began in Ottawa where Glen Kealey, a former Hull businessman, won the right to lay private criminal charges against 13 senior Conservatives and some top members of the RCMP. Nobody in Canada, including the normally blood-thirsty media, knows quite what to do with Mr. Kealey. Is he onto some scandal with his charges or is he a bit of a wacko who suddenly has been given new credibility by a justice of the peace who allowed his charges to stand? Ignorance of the situation didn't stop Japanese currency traders halfway around the world from knowing what to do. Used to their own government scandals and the economic fallout, they nervously sold off their Canadian dollars in a massive way. The value of the Canadian dollar plummeted three-quarters of a cent on world markets. That in turn brought a chain reaction back in Canada. Bank of Canada governor John Crow has shown his determination to defeat inflation, to drive it down to three per cent by next year and he feels that keeping the costs of imports down is a key in that inflation fight. He has shown his determination to keep the Canadian dollar high, even if it means stalling the Canadian economy with the double whammy of high interest rates and a high dollar that keeps Canadian business from being competitive in the rest of the world and loses them business to cheaper imports at home. Mr. Crow stuck to his normal thinking last week and protected the Canadian dollar. There were rumours he would allow interest rates in Canada to increase in order to protect the dollar. Weak as the Canadian economy is, it could stall the recovery and plunge the country right back into recession, costing thousands more their jobs. Luckily for Mr. Crow, and for all of us, his gamble of using reserves to buy the Canadian dollar on the open market and keep the price up, worked. By Thursday, the day they set the central bank rate for the week, the crisis had passed and the dollar was stable. The bank rate didn't go up. Thousands of jobs of people who couldn't even imagine what was going on over the computer terminals of international high finance, were saved. But the danger remains. The old saying that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing is proven right again. The ignorance of Japanese traders (plus the stubbornness of a Canadian bureaucrat) could have hurt thousands, even millions. We have delivered enormous power into the hands of people who may not be equipped with the wisdom to handle it. We have the economic equivalent of the atomic bomb: we've proved we can create this power but is anyone wise enough to control how it is used? A remembrance of spring ©i? By Bonnie Gropp It was a break but it wasn't much of a rest BY BONNIE GROPP The dictionary defines a vacation as an intermission from work, a recess, whereas a holiday is a day of rest from work. That being the case, I guess I just had a vacation, because rest never entered into it. While, it was undeniably a nice change of pace, there were times when I wondered if the pace had only picked up. My husband was unable to get away this year, so I spent most of the week visiting, and reaffirming my conviction that Huron County is die only place to live. There have been many times I have quietly paid homage to Huron. As I drive to work in the morning, I listen to a Toronto radio station, playing the oldies. As they report on the backed-up traffic, accidents and construction, I revel in open spaces. While they give the pollu­ tion reading, I see geese sitting by a pond, and I'm surrounded by clear blue skies, lush forests, and fields of golden wheat. The dozen or so vehicles I meet, plus my own are the biggest source of pollution. My daily drive to work is not that of the harried urbanite, but one of pure enjoyment. Needless to say, I am somewhat of a reluctant traveller, but my chil­ dren and I saw this break as an excellent opportunity to catch up on some visits, so I stepped gradu­ ally into the regions beyond my quiet haven. The first leg was not too extreme as I spent a day in Port Elgin, but then I became braver and ventured forth to see my sister in Oakville. Making my way closer to Toronto, I started to question this folly. My distaste for any highway with more than three cars on it or any place with a population over 1,000 is well-known and I hoped my sister appreciated the lengths I would take to see her. A trip to a downtown Toronto restaurant one evening showed me, however, that she understands bet­ ter than I thought. Though it is true she has moved to the city, her appreciation for the relaxed lifestyle she left behind is obvious. Several comments uttered by her, while her husband jockeyed us through the congested traffic, made that abundantly clear. I have often said that if I had to live or work in Toronto I don't think I could do it. However, I also have said that humans are well able to adapt, so quite likely I would do what I had to do. But no one could convince me to like it. Others of my family members have, for one reason or another, been transplanted into urban soil. They have chosen to take root and now thrive on poking fun at my family, because we live in the "boonies". My oldest children have been the butt of some truly intelli­ gent jokes delivered by their more worldly cousins. "You mean they actually have high schools there? What subjects do you take-dairy production 101?" Our response is a secretive smile because we know well of the boun­ ty of this area that we can fortu­ nately enjoy daily. Yet, when it's time to take a vacation it seems only right to see what other areas have to offer. Certainly, I have found favourite spots to visit time and lime again, but I have also discovered that little compares with what we have. Pas­ toral landscapes, culture, good food, beaches and sports are all within a short drive. As for the city dwellers who feel it must be such a burden to live here, we have only to ask where they take their holiday to see how they really feel. The Citizen ' P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 ’ Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 P.O Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 The Citizen Is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $19.16 + $1.66 for each month after March 31/92 ♦ G.S.T. for local letter carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A, and Foreign. Advertising Is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copywright. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Assistant Editor, Bonnie Gropp (♦cHa 1990 BLUE RIBBON AWARD Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968