The Goderich Signal-Star, 1971-01-14, Page 2! ,! 1D .SI' -STA , THURSDA1,Y, ,IANUAARY 1,40971
YE THVMB
BY G. Macl-E00 ROSS
The parliamentary system -
wbieh 'Once 'suited. the British
Mate so well has come in' for
some' critical overhaul by Lord
Coleraine in his , book: "For'
Conservatives only"* largely
because the essential • 'fabric o' f
that' ,system: Governmenft , and
Opposition.,. has becorne,derelict,
largely ,owing to both parties, in
•greatery or '' lesser degree,
espoizamg the same policies; the
same myths;. ° ,the same
evident at ` all levels of
government in Canada.
Lord Coleraine has some
devastating arguments .,, against
the prevalent idea of
governments . that they are
omniscient; that they are "social
engineers," that
;they may
mean by that catch ph1rase; that
although government cannot
,organise supp149 and demand;
cahnot supervise •the...minutiae of
production and distribution, it
surely cannot be denied. ,the
ocnniscienceL ;of identifying
econorn1'c demand trends and its
'ability to "persuade'' industry to
conform. [The *Ord "persuade"
is used by government solely for
propaganda purposes; industry
being virtually voteless can be
•safely dictated to and will have'
to like it: ]'
Government argues " that it
commands sources • of
• information and "statistical
ser -ices that industry cannot
match that this, centralised
Service alone can predict the
trenclk the future,
"But what .does experience,
show? Siiiplat --thc "•tffer-s-
of goverznnent"""`td-•'e plan, ,even
indicatively, have never ,been out of stocks: Their actioris-
succe>ful, except in those fields being based ort . even more
where ..an•`"--irrrpr d order is, decisive 'hu•man actions as . the
practicable. , Recall how often tides., 'of tear, and 'peace;
government has been wrong." Government efforts to fight
_4
Recall ho�'c con ussy inflation, or'supin Z el� to allow
government bludgeons'Industry the inions to price the Industry
for:•: Pollution -and, -how haltingly of the Country -out of the export
• it approaches the' problem rot -_.market. + ;
•ihighwayrand snowmobile deaths.. A d m i.t t e d 1 y t h e
self-regulating order is careless of
' THE SELF-REGULATING the • individual units. comprising
it, as careless as nature herself,
instance, to appear in the
grocer's shop in convenient sizes,
•
with blends and flavours suited
to the• • varying tastes of the
housewife, • and matched' to the
length pf her purse;:an. operation
that is carried out so smoothly
that. its .complexity is not even
suspected,'.' • [Above all, it entails
• -no legion • of civil, servants!
'There is no time-lag; no fudging
of the e!idence. The process is_
cc ntinuotius ani the, '.resttlts are
inu iediate, and ,as accurate, as
"The' flexibility of the
self-regulating order. [means" that'
if responds Automatically to
changes, in 'envrironnlent, even
before" they are generally
recognised, while it' is far easier
to modify than an order which is
imposed,. , . Such an 'Greyer• is
inconceivable without petsonal
freedom, ` and 'in particular,
without' freedom of choice. The
Socialist dream, on the other
' hand, 'depends for its realisation
upon the limitation of the •
freedom, of ..the individual and
the dilution' of his- sense , of
•resporisibility for his own acts,"
• This• "Order" is the very -
essence of the.' "Market -Place,"
'wherein 'the 'trend is decided b'y
the integration of supply with .
"'demand from billions•of human
beings. It isif you wish, nature's,
computer;-• and ••since it • is,
actuated by human desires,. it is
infinitely more sophisticated in •
itg7 results than the computer of
carred- memory! The Stock
•Mafket is a miniaturised
' example, too, in which hum
beings . with all. their .emotions
deci - ab
patting money into.. or taking it ,
•,.
4:1,R'
social engineering upon the
infinitely more complex and
baffling orga'nisatism, human
society? ,
"Intellectual humility is the
politician's mos_t....prized gttality,
and as an essential precondition
for the • practice of his art; the
statesr,an must realise that he is
neither -ebmniscient .nor
omnipotent; that he knows very....
little of the material that,' he has
cho n.tp wcirl;•'in. that�Ire can ill
judge..in their tortalit`!v the effiect
This credo. of a lifelong
English Cortserv..,ativre reaches a . --
most receptive audience in
Canada, where we are treated,
on occasion, to a mixt�i re. of .
arrogance and condescension,
both • federall_y, and provincially,
while the effect - of such
treatment on those whose •
experience • entitles them' to
react, is invariably that, the
attitude is one More step 'on•the
road—to dictatorship and the--
assumption of the right of
government ' to, perform , every
action for the callow citizen,.
Such politicians are so doubtful
of • ,the efficacy -of their
brainwaves", .that they have to
push. them through,. with a
minimum of discussion, or of
.explanation, .or of reasoning, as .
;though the end of•the world was
imminent;," that somehow ,they'
'must- chalk • up some form of
encirmity before they + are_
mercifully supe eded by the
common vote. ..Coleraine quotes a...� Bream
recorded • by Mark Rutherford,'
whqj. once dreamt that he --was - -air-\1/4h.
.. i ,--ire ,- anis -4n the
--
City. of.London. "I pictured to •
myself the Cathedral .. full, and
myself in. the pulpit. I-• was
.excited when I imagined the
"op.portunity' offered .me, •• of
delivering somm
e essage .to three
or for thousanderso in such
'a building. But in a minute or,
two I discovered that ms- sermon •_.
'nearly -as be very •nrly`as follows ,
Dear ,Friends, I know' no more
than you •know; •w'e had. better
go hanme, Unhappily this is not
the kind of-rream-•that"lig."likely•
to disturb the slum o rs•.•'•o•. _ r.
Bentson. or of Mr Davis,'still less •
'those of Mr. ,Darcy :_llcKeough.
all of whom have shown an
unmistakeable predilection for
dictation. ' • , '
tte
• But there is no reason why the
.A self-regulating Order, in the major cost c f economic "change
economic field . does' not should. fall' upon' the
depend, on + the. supposed wage-earner.' There are ways of
infallibility of •a few, individuals helping him Which will not
at •the centre .. It is created impairthe economic efficiency:
sand sustainer by the It is not possible to protect the;.
self-regardng aetir`,rities •.of an businessman who goes bankrupt
almost. , infinite number of in the same way, but there is
"-individuals,.. each of whomis, in more justification than is '
cotnmzmieation" with only a`very realised for the', rewards that
small number of •others. Each ' 'balance the hazards which the,
one of these is linked in turn to entrepreneur must accept. ^
others again. Thus the needs and • ,"The 'dangerous and,
Ideas' of a single person can be' demeaning delusion • that man
communicated through an can properly be regarded as raw'
endless,_cliain to 'those utter.) ,material for the sociologist, to
remote from hixri, of whose very mould as he thinksfit, has.
existence he may be':: unaware':.. "it% plications a: Absurd ---as they '
e. c ai
and everyoli - in the hn 1s free r,�: are terrifying.,,Lo one can say
to respond to the h'nforination ,what' will be. --the effect of the
reaching him in : any. • way. he • most „care„fully considered
pleases; or not mond at all. It 's - tqm of educatibn" upon a
is this -process; infinitely 'child. dory then can .' it be
complex in '' its operation, but Possible .AQ. predict with any.
•- infallible in Its,,,effects, which'' assurance at• `• all, the
causes • -packets of . tea. s for consequences of this .kind . of
but the enjoyment of investment
income is a kind of moral
leperosy. • `
"Thus the idea of , party
diluted and the 'clash of party
warfare becomes more hollow which gets its own supporters to
and unreal. Parliament itself falls ' the polls" •
in public esteem , and cynicism "The sealth for a ' middle
about politicians and political ground' is, questionable because it .
discussion . itself grows. The leads to an: unacknowledged
:'facile, shibboleths of prbgressive censorship, supported by both
tliotight tre 'repeated; the .parties, who • agree.-. "tp, stifle -
pretence''..th.at word, are • niore' discussion: There.. -are other
imporimportant .` ` th,ah )facts tvh lea it pli atioita as: for
tant
'm!iLN .¢L3Atct .�»a.am4l k�`".: 1r
• am.e nog . called. • moral.
'influencer is posed as .an
-effective -substitute, for power
Always it iso the middle of the
'road' which is focused.; searching
always ,,for the one'•'st;er that
repenteth and always forgetting
the ninety and nine who.have.sno
need of repentance, but who
'manage somehow to keep the
wheels• turning,
opinion, - based on general
election tesults, concludes that
the "uncommitted " voter is
sufficiently rare- to be
unimportant; that the party wins
•
4.
w
that- -the only' • function. of . a'...
political party is to,,,governii, aid,
its only duty to gain 'power,
, 'irrespective ;of the uses to' which
power is tO.be .put. Opposition is' •
'''eaarded as a springboard from .` Il ` ",. "
which to lea into office once ii,..� °. �..,":°,'n ��.,
more.,
•` "This'^is'not the -case. It is thug
duty, of, a parliamentary party to•
accept, , t oresponsibility • of .•
4; influeneingJile' social climate by -
THE MIDDLEE expressing itsOwn philosophy in
GROUND MYTH `, a coherent and consistent form.
"A' new science has arisen, There arises fess and less excuse •
perhaps mystery would ; be a for the niggling criticism in,
better word; that of, analysirtg_ which the Opposition revels. For
election .results. Voting, trends example. the. recent.. introduction •r
tete r 'd Oa ,
are ant'icipated,''"it is -true, but of a ,C,apit sins tax by a "�
that is ,the extent of the Conservative Chancellor in the Pension increases from two to` nminiimum of $2,100 a year will
forecasters power Over the • United -King om, served only too per cent for 7 4'00 .Ontario be contiritied for .those whose
future,. He- can nno More say what i n't e h si f y the egalitarian
causes the voter' o react in one ,school teachers who retired prier -- pensions `remain below that
t atmosphere which it is ,.,.the to 1970 were announced last
way,, rather than another to a lhurpose of Socialism to create • amount after recalculation under
political stimulus- than -"the week by Minister of Education, the new allowances: In the ,case.
and to 'facilmtate 'the melt step William G. Davis. of widows and de endents who
pathologist- is able by an towards a ._ restrictive and p
'examination of the organs of a repressive equa:iity.", And it is ' The increases will become now receive• half the $2,100
corpse to pronounce on -the state clear that.Mr.'Benson aims at the effective January, 1971. minimum the increases will be
„Teachers who retired. in 1950 based on the date of the
of mind of the poisoner :• . self seine end with his White h''contributor's
Neverthel a whole system of Pipe%, which is -.not "reform" or. earlier will receive a 50 per, :, retirement.
generalisations has grown up but ""'change," a very different cent pension i'ncrease..Teacher , -Teachers'. pensions will continue
which'' is supposed to.• giv= ; ..the-•••._-th.ing • ` This - deference to a
wh retired' in 1969 will receive , to be integrated With the Canada
• 5 • •a two per cent'hike. . . • ' Pension Plan.
-pt�`cian~^-�=fallible>.;�r�ance� ,in--�:. ._ . .
� 5 n��ne�'�•'-opintt�n-, -mar. of.: �.'''''''A''''' ,r__ �,--.... ____ ,.. _ �
•elision- sii_
his . bid for election, but it offending it • `difficult to p a . pan `aQ`e
' '� • introduced in November 1969 w Mr• Davispaid tribute to the
amounts •to no mare than this, justify on, democratic or any; pensionsh
There is , -a number of voters._who other grounds', ' •r that , raised to a provinces retired teachers who,
he said had grade ap invaluable
can , be yelled ,upon• to 'Support ..You••• -.do not, disarm ,four ,
,one of the• tW;so, p.art,les 'and 'a enemy by pretending .to agree • "Correction
' number. more .or less. .equal; with -hint; ,you• only dishearten.,,
which will su ort ' he other
,, . ..... pp t other!, and ,,demoralise your own,Side.•
«h•il0 a third : ,group, le. Conviction,. not the desire . to With regard to -one of the
numerous than either, tips" the i please, creates' support: As Lord. .photographs contained. in : the,,.,.
balance. 'and dec_ides�the issue. Salisbury -"put' iti,as• a question of pictorial on Goderieh in'the last a
These are the knows,- ' electoral arithmetic, you may issue= -of the Signal -Star we have
who figure to ignominioUsly at say that they cani'tiorvote against beet) advised that trip local We are:tn a position to offer you`
the bottom 'of the opinion polls_ • •ou, but they •wont trouble to representative for Imperial Oil"" "Group Life Insurance: as well as
"" Weekly Sickness Disability'I ncome ,
The theory is that_,the party vote for .you- ,and ' -they won't company, the . corn•pa-try that is . •'
w me ' can attract' this. floatitrg -cc-ark for you, and you'll find it
vote will win•the day. , - 'all out at.thepolis"
"This is a plausible • . arid,.' For Conservatives Only. by
• attractive theor . It assumes, that ' Lord .`Co eraine •PP. 158: Publd: We have also been advised the
in ' a ' demperatic ` society,. •• Tbm•'Stace'' ` •• , tanks are still in usekalthougli no •
decisions are • normally .men by Foil' ,is -,being delivered by water.. '•
. a • small minority •- of tho.e � • t'ast'. year `' council- was.
concerned. The restit rs . that' 'b•IVE •,,,.. so,pore will live: informed • the.-.-taan'ki were to be
policies which, alight -lip be 'the, ,-`" removed' and •made.enquaries of a•
sub' ct of public d bate are to
lee. . h EARTFUNO-London • real estate company,'
be suppressed for fear ,of concerning the land..
'repelling, the minority onw'ho.se •
support office is - fhpi`tght to -
depend. Why don:14'6e "Don't--.
Knows" "i now - last of them ..
because they'don't care. while .a ,
• percentage of- them go to make -
up „those who just don t:bother._
tc3°-xto Are we really -justified in
'thinking ,,these � are a -.-body; Of ,
public-spirited '-citizens.;
'balancing the advantages and.
disadvantages? Ahd. are they all , •
.motivatedby the same
considetatio'n,s,so that -they will
•
be 'attracted or. offended .by the '
same , policies? " .Statistical
Mrs, E. J. 'Canis shown saying good-bye to Captain R. P.
18 years in the Public Service at Canadian Forces Base
secretary with Dominion Roads Machinery, 'God'eri.ch.
Rebekah Lodge, Mrs. Carr resides at 56 Newgate Street.
Russell, Base Administrative Officer after
Clinton. Mrs. Carr is now employed as a
A Past Noble Grand with the Goderich
Pension. increases
• THE;Cfi'RSE`OF
THE CONSENSUS
"Both A parties. CQ,nsersatives r,
and Liberals,' have come to hold
certain beliefs in ,cotmen. For
'cexaifi'li that the • raising of the
material standard of life must be
an 'absolute , and overriding
Objective of governrrient policy..
That if `there is" a ".surplus : of
spendirkg' power :it should be '
xercised.:-b -tim goyernrraent ane'
behalf of ihe citizen and NOT,',
-by t•he.. citizen fox himself;
short .-tick .'TAX CL TS; ;that ..
equalit}• is an absolute.,good •and
that class -••-distinct tins --•of, parry •
r.
•. kindtsol.. are an aute'',evii; • that
the winning of a. lottery is a,
-piece of..srerited 'good fortune,
•
contribution to the students of
Ontario. The, government, he
said, ' will continue to work in .,
co-4'operation with.
representatwes of the.' Ontario
,• Teachers' Federation to seek a
formula that could provide for '
possible future pension ,
increases. ,
The increases are the result of
"a nt stud by a
governme - n o • Teachers'
Federation committee, Mr. Davis,„„,
.said.the,.lynch”-of-the-soa nit a;;.
d `__,_greatly
assisted : the
government ' hr - reaching a
.decision ori the matter:"
A ee
r
Employers of 4
or More People
usin%. the tanks at the harbour,/
has no knowledge 'of `any : plans' "•
for demolition 'of the tanks,
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