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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-04-07, Page 4• PAGE 4—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7,1982 DAVE SYKES We re you the victim of a vicious April Fool prank last week? Not this fella. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to put one over on this heads up guy. Do you think I fell for the gag when management explained my position in the company was superfluous and; my suspect talents. expendable. Ha, ha. Makin some guys would fall for that line but not an unsuspecting idiot like myself. No doubt pranks and generally foolery abounded last Thursday and let's be honest, there are fools to be found. People with a dim light on upstairs, so to speak To be more kind in the general assessment, some people are simply more gullible than others, more trusting of others. In London, England the daily newspaper The Daily Mail tried to pull off a prank that, if successful, would have had thousands of r-- women removing and shaking their bras to eliminate television interference. In the April 1 edition, a story in The Daily Mail claimed that metal used in over 10,000 bras was causing television interference. The article appropriately bore the headline "Do not adjust your set4t could be your bra!" and women readers were ad- vised of a simple test to determine if their undercup siviring was being playfully michievous with the television signals. The paper advised Women that after wearing their bras for over half an hour, they were to take the culprit off and shake it. a few inches above the television. The ar- ticle also included a visual aid, in the form of , a picture of a model shaking her bra in demonstrative fashion. I would give anything to know how many lwomen actually unclasped in front of the television set and shook their bras = to eliminatethat nRsty interference. And right now I am hinri-uag great difficulty avoiding Doily ira1%on jokes that cane to mind. A radio station in British Columbia A BLUE RIBBON AWARD Second class moil registration number -0716 SINCE 1848 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH .& DISTRICT Founded In 1845 and published every Wednesday et Roderick, Ontario. Member of the CCNA and OWNA. Adver- tising rates on reyuebt. Subscriptions payable In advents •15.S* In Caned','N.W to U.S.A.. °N.M to .n other coun- tries. single copies SS'. Olsplay advertising rates available on request. please ash for Rate Card No. 11 effective Oc- tober 1, 11181. Second dims mall Registration Number r71S. Advertising 1s ecceptd on the condition that In the event of typoosephlcal error, the .dvertslno space occupied by the erroneous Item. together with reasonable allowance for signature, will nbt be charged for but that balance of the edvertlsement will ite paid far at the ap- plicable rate. In the event of a typographlcel error advertising gods or services at a wrong price. goods or services may not be sold- Advertising 1s merely en offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Sl$nal-Star is not responsible for the lou or damage of unsolicited manuscvlpts. photos or other materials used for reproducing pur- poses. PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER-President and Publisher DONALD M. HUBICK-Advertising Manager DAVID SYKES:Editor P.Q. BOX 220, HUCKINS ST, INDUSTRIAL PARK GODERICH N7A 486 received hundreds of calls from listeners on metric conversion. A purpose purported to be a government official was interviewed on the federal government proposal to convert to metric time. The alleged official said there were 10 daytime kiloframs and 10 nlghtlme kiloframs In the standard 24-hour day. Listeners, already fuming at the govern- ment's imposition of metric measures, flooded the phone lines with calls. The stories offer evidence that people are basically trustworthy , which is refreshing in this day, but it can lead to trouble. Which brings to mind a story involving an aunt of mine who was the victim of a harmless prank. While listening to the radio and doing housework one April 1 morning, my aunt's attention was grabbed when the anrfouncer urgently relayed an important message fromtthe cable televison company. The announcer claimed that the cable company had asked the radio station to air the important public service message to reach as many subscribers as possible. The bulletin claimed that the cable company was experiencing difficulty with water in the television lines. So the company was going to flush the lines and all subscribers were asked to disconnect the cable from the back of the television set and place it in a pail to catch any excess water. - When my uncle returned from work, the television cable was still sitting in a pail behind the set. The poor lady had difficulty explaining that the company was flushing the lines while her husband was wiping tears .. from his eyes. There's a fool<born every minute. Right now I have to go and buy new un- derwear. I heard my old brand gives off toxic fumes and could be dangerous to my health. FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES please phone (S19) 544-8311 How much power? How much power has the federal government vested in its civil servants? A recent situation in thecity of London has to make Canadians crnder who ,calls the shots within the various government agencies. ° . The situation -concerned the Ontario regional tax officeri, in London, Ontario an office that was set upthere in 1978. pa,, The office was under the charge of Jack Morrison, • assistant deputy -minister, who just 'recently announced • his retirement. Morrinen'c SUiccessop wa . s_,io be_don • Brooks, wbo.is currently working in Ottawa as director of the verifieation, and collections division. But Brooks had developed the ' type of lifestyle he wanted in Ottawa and was more than reluctant to make a =With London. . It, was revealed in the daily press that• Brook's reluc- tance to make a move had prompted talk of relocating the regional office in Ottawa. Merely to accommodate • Brook's wishes, it seems. The civil servant, claimed he had nothing against London but was unwilling to move 'because of financial concerns and a family commitment. At least 15 people were scheduledto make the move to Ottawa: If the office had been moved to Ottawa, it would have most unfair to the other employees m the regional tax. office. They probably would have had little choice but to make the move. And yet it seems that Brooks was afforded the luxury of a choice or at least the means to control his own destiny. Everyone can sympathize with the man and his problem. ''lZS, family was comfortably settled in Ottawa and no kilibt he was a dutiful civil servant, who performed -his job well. But it is ludicrous that the government would con- template moving an entire: office and staff to ac- commodate the wisnea of on man Who ObV1OUS1y liilfda -some clout. Many Canadians have been forced to relocate in search of employment, and arguably at a much less salary than Brooks is commanding from the government. Those people do not have the luxury of a choice. If Brooks doesn't want the job, find a capable person who does and keep Brooksand his family in Ottawa. Fortunately the office will not be moved but it would have been a heinous crime to ask Canadians to pay the bill of moving 15 people and relocating them in Ottawa because one civil servant was comfortable in his present situation. It's ludicrous the move was contemplated in the first place. D.S. Share_the wealth Canadians may have noticed a gradual shift in lifestyle over the past few years, resulting from bullish interest rates and an unstable employment market. ' We have been told by our government to gear down our lifestyle expectations. Expect less, improve productivity. Unemployment has plagued many Canadians but it s interesting to follow the federal government's quick band aid approach to the problem each time new layoffs are announced • in major industries. One of the short-term solutions offered by the government, a work -sharing program, has been semi -successful in keeping people on the job and subsequently the budget for the program is being extended to $60 million. Employment Minister Lloyd Axworthy announced that budget for the three -month-old program will be doubled and it may well extend past the May 28 termination date. The funds are being pumped into the work -sharing con- • cept and the life of the program may be extended because industry has jumped at the offerings. Under the work -sharing 'program, employees agree to work a shorter work week to avoid layoffs and receive 90 per cent of their pay plus unemployment benefits for the time off. The program took off as soon as it was introduced and 534 ' applications were approved to March 31 covering 29,105 workers. There is speculation that the program has averted over 12,000 layoffs in Canada. The government is understandably excited about the success of the program and the impetus it has provided in delaying or avoiding layoff situations. Naturally, there are opponents to the program claiming that the approach merely masks the problem by sub- sidizing unemployment in Canada. In fact,- the program does subsidize a shorter work week and keeps some i numbers off the unemployment rolls. The program' has support and industry supports it because skilled,workers are retained and some people are making as much money as if they were working a full week. Others have kept jobs they might have lost. But some business and industrial leaders are claiming that the program is just delaying the inevitable, unem- ployment. Unless the economy is turned around and in- terest rates are lowered, those people on the program will lose their jobs anyway. The program is doing a lot of good in keeping people at work but in many cases it is just delaying the problem of unemployment. Surely some of that $60 million can be spent on a more positive and long term approach to unemployment. Short-term approaches to problems apply short-term solutions. Canada can use a measure of that right now but let's not put all our money in one program. The program will, in effect, subsidize short work weeks for some people but only for the time being. Axworthy's approach is not 'the solution on a long-term basis. D.S. Homeowner tax is alarming news One of the more alarming stories to leak out of Ottawa last week was based on a rumor that the government was making plans to tax homeowners throughout the nation on the income they would derive if their property was oc- cupied by other than the owners themselves. Now that's enough to scare the pants off almost anybody who has been scraping up the cash to pay exorbitant mortgage interest, let alone a few bucks now and again on the principal. Finance Minister Allan MacEachen, of course, denied the rumor. "1 state categorically that no plans whatsoever exist to tax imputed rent, now or in the future," he said. However, the Toronto Globe and Mail comments that theiderrof taxingly homeovwnerfor potential rent (on -the theory that he is avoiding a tax on a sourceof income by, in effect,,renting the house to himself) is not a new one. According to The Globe, imputed Rent was taxed in Britain until 1962. In Canada the tax was mentioned in the Carter Commission's great search for tax equity back in the 1960s. It was mentioned again in federal budgets in 1979 and 1981. In 1979 it was estimated that such a tax would net the government about $3.7 billion - a sum large enough to tempt governments even less tax -greedy than the present one. One of the insurance companies was so alarmed at the bare possibility of such a tax that it issued a warning letter to its policy holders: The prompt denial by the finance minister isn't all that reassuring. The "leak" may well have been a little stone tossed out to test the waters. Living with a budget that one of his fellow -ministers, Robert Kaplan,has described as "politically disastrous", MacEachen may have become a bit more cautious in his approach to the next rip-off of Canadian taxpayers. (Wingham Advance -Times) Anticipation By Dave Sykes • DEAR READERS SHIRLEY KELLER Just recently I was attempting to plan a holi- day triRto Florida. It's long past the traditional winter season, I told myself. People in Canada are worrying about inflation, unemployment, the value of the Canadian dollar. No one will be budging for a luxury like a holiday in Florida. There will be no + trouble getting flights and accommodation for a quick trip to the Sunshine State. That's what I thought. Boy, was I wrong. I've been going to Florida for a few days every winter for several years now. This is the very - first time I've had so much trouble arranging it. Seems like everyone is travelling. Hotels are over -booked. Airways • are jammed. Florida businessmen are reporting record numbers of tourists from°Canada. At the very time when there's purported to be more misery and poverty here than since The Great Depression, more people. than usual are actually finding the cash to go on a vacation. It just doesn't make sense. Or does it? Could it be that this recession is a figment of the imagination of some over -zealous sickees who haveput up a smoke screen to hide the truth : the truth that people really are better off than ever before in recent memory but are too greedy and too selfish to admit it? Not lonago a friend of mine asked how I could remain so optimistic in the face of all this uncer- tainty. I responded honestly that I am probably more optimistic than the average Canadian because I shield myself from the senseless sen- sationalism that is all around us. I don't trust the hype... or the experts who spit it out in triplicate daily. The false slant dished out by the statisticians can, depress and disturb. There's no better way to attain a defeated attitude than to regurgitate the latest hike in the inflation rate which is based on some ridiculous package of consumer goods. It's a real downer to 'hear only the up-to-date slide in ,the employment figures and forget to consider the 90 percent or so of working Cana- dians who are making more money and have more security than ever before in history. 1 like this slogan that some positive thinkers use: "I've heard there's a recession going on but I refuse to participate." What in the world is wrong with people? Do they really want to exist in this shroud of gloom and doom? Or are there some out there who want to cast off the blues and get on with the excite- ment of some powerful, purposeful action. For what they are worth, here are my eight suggestions for getting back on track toward suc- cess: 1. It all starts with you. You may be a small cog in a, large national wheel, but in your own home, your own job, your own neighborhood, you have a tremendous influence on those around you. Be an influence for good. 2. Be positive. It builds on what's solid; it grows and spreads into successful results which in turn grow and spread into more successful results and so on. Take the lead toward positive thinking. Others will follow because it will feel so good. 3. Be realistic and responsible about your own personal finances. it is as unwise to hoard your resources as it is to over -extend them. Show your faith and your good sense by buying those things you need and/or want when you can afford to do so. 4. Be reasonable about your demands. It is im- portant to understand that absolutely nothing is a free ride. Government isn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Employers don't owe, you more than you earn. What you ask for and receive must be paid for by someone - maybe you - so it's in your best interests to be sensible about your income. Your benefits as well as your salary. 5. Be prepared to work harder. It's true that while our prices have skyrocketed, our produc- tivity as a nation has,fallen off. Do your part where you are to help put that right.` 6. Be prepared to work more diligently. There's no doubt that as competition from out- side Canadian borders gets' tougher, Canadians must turn out better quality merchandise or suf- fer the consequences of lost jobs and reduced dignity. That requires the co-operation of every worker during every hour on the job. Your in- dividual performance counts. 7. Support the support systems. Whether it's health care services or unemployment insurance or welfare payments, understand their intended value and use them as they were intended to be used. There's nothing wrong with government giveaways if the people who receive them are worthy recipients. 8. Stand firm for Canada. There is strength in unity. This country needs citizens who will pull together unselfishly in bad times as well as the good times. It needs the dedication of willing tax- - payers and informed voters who cornprehend what government should and should not do for the people. Sound idealistic? Maybe a little. But then, ideals are a personal matter aren't they? We set our own ideals. If we could ever agree on these ideals as a nation - and dig in to protect them - what a thriving, progressive coun- try this would be. What a place to stand up and be counted! How long will Canada remain loyal to Crown? Dear Editor, Recent developments in Canada are causing widespread apprehension about the future of the most basic and valuable element of our political system, the Constitutional Monarchy. The attempt to remove the Queen's picture from postage stamps, the confu- sion about recent statements by the Governor General and the whole nrocess of Con - LETTERS stitutional patriation have raised fresh fears about how long Canada will continue to remain loyal to the Crown: Whatever its other con- tents, Canadians may be happy that' the . new Con- stitution entrenches the Monarchy, making it im- 'possible for the Queen ito be removed as Head of State without the consent of all ten provinces; Equally, the in- sertion into the Act of a reference to the supremacy of God reinforces the Queen's title "Defender of the Faith" and her authority "by the Grace of God". It is now imperative for Canadians to educate afresh themselves, their families, neighbors and friends in the workings of the Monarchy. It must be preserved not mere- ly on the basis of sentiment, but by an informed citizenry who, for instance, will understand the dangers of allowing the Governor General's high office to over- shadow the Sovereign's and develop thereby an 'effectively-presidentialfortn of government. To assist in this process of education, the. Monarchist League of Canada has printed a special number of its magazine, Monarchy Canada. It contains a Turn to page 5