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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-06-13, Page 18Lzehrs, fine markets... of fine foods ICJ P tger4:—Crossroads--June 13, 1984 Mainstream Canada Telephone idea has a bad ring By W. Roger Worth Canada's telephone com- panies, it seems, want us to start paying for every call we make, regardless of whether the call is local or long distance. The new scheme, already being heavily promoted by the telephone firms that pro- vide service in Quebec, On- tario and British Columbia, is called Local Measured Service. That's another way of saying Canadians will pay for each and every call they make on a cents -per -call basis. The companies claim about 60 per cent of us will pay less for service than we do now, mainly because we don't make many calls. Heavy users will pick up the slack. Indeed, the companies claim the new system will be fairer. In addition, they con- tend the overall change won't cost any more, sug- gesting that telephone com- pany profits will remain about the same. Somehow, though, .the tele- phone companies have con- veniently forgotten that it is expected to cost tens of mil- lions of dollars to place what amounts to a pay telephone in everyone's house and business. If customers won't have to pay°that changeover cost, who will? In addition, the telephone companies have yet to ex- plain how the billing system would work. One can envi- sion, for example, getting a' telephone bill that resembles a bank statement with 200 to 300 entries outlining the date, time and cost of each local call. Providing such infor- mation would be' costly, as would the additional postal charges resulting from over- weight bills sent to heavy . users. To muddy the argument even further, the phone com- panies claim that revenues from people using long-dis- tance services now subsidize the cost of local telephone service. The phone com- panies want that changed. Essentially, though, the companies have been using the fairness argument to promote the pay -per -,call system. But credibility is lacking. • In a recent vote among 69;000 members of the Cana- dian Federation cif Indepen- . dent. Business. tor example. a full 72 per cent of respond- ents rejected user -pay phones, opting to maintain the present flat rate billing system. It's little wonder they vot- ed as they did. For years, the telephone companies have been billing the country's smallest firms at double or triple the residential phone ' • rate. even though the busi- ness phone may be rarely used. Organizations like the CFIB have pointed out this inequity to the phone com- panies afnd."the Canadian Radio -Television and Tele- communications Commis- sion. hut the unfair charges remain. Rather than spend tens of millions of dollars on pay - per -call billing system, the companies would .be better off using the money to over- come the small business pro- blem. ` 1C'iVMOlY, LET'S SEE WHAT THIS OLD HEAP WILL DO." What it may "do" is pu ou in a wh ,,"r for life. Drive with care. ar)11 CANADIAN PARAPLEGIC ASSOCIATION FRIM BLADE STE K GRADE 'A' REEF FOR THE RAR -BO /kg SPECIAL PRICES IN EFFECT FROM WED. JUNE 13 UNTIL CLOSING SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Ib. GRADEFROM GRADE `A' BEEF SHORT RIB ROAST BLADE BONE REMOVED Ib. MAPLE LEAF WEEK LESS THAN AL t . REGULAR, BEEF OR BARBECUE WIENERS HOT DOGS 450 g PKG. BONELESS BLADE ROAST oa STEAK 4.17,, 9 Ib.Ib. CROSS CUT RIB ROAST „R STEAK 4.37'.98 BONELESS GOLDEN FRY SAUSAGE 500 g PKG. OUR REG. 3.19 J Maple LeaF 8 VARIETIES MAPLE LEAF MEAT STICKS 250 g 89 MaPLe LeaF. FULLY COOKED MAPLE LEAF HAM STEAK 1758 Maple LeaF REGULAR, BEEF, GARLIC OR THICK BOLOGNA 500 g PKG. SLICED REGULAR, THICK OR HINT OF MAPLE SIDE BACON 500 g PKG. SWEET PICKLED PORK BUTT BONELESS COTTAGE ROLL 4.3/94.99 Ib. +-1," mane LeaF FROZEN MAPLE LEAF BEEF BURGERS 750 g 79 CROSS CUT RIB ROAST 5%49 g 2.49 MAPLE LEAF BONELESS SMOKED PICNIC PORK SHOULDER 4.83 92.19 Z&W BRAND PORK & BEEF BREAKFAST LINK SAUSAGE 3•7/k3g 1.69 IL/ COUNTRY OVEN IN - ARE BAKERY PKG. OF 8 HAMBURG OR HOT DOG ROLLS FRESH BAKED CROISSANTS FRESH BAKED BRAN BREAD MAPLE LEAF SLICED COOKED HAM 5.69kg2058b. MAPLE LEAF SLICED CHICKEN LOAF 4.37kg1.98,.e MAPLE LEAF REG. BOLOGNA 3.28,.9f.49, SHOPSY'S POTATO 6 EGG OR MIXED BEAN SALADS 73i.69.,o MAPLE LEAF SWEET PICKLED REG. OR MINI CORNED BEEF BRISKET MAPLE LEAF VEAL STEAKETTES MAPLE LEAF ENGLISH STYLE SLICED BACK BACON 5.93,k92.69th. „09 3.79 175.g 2.49 MACARONI K& DCHEESE1.39 375 g NO NAME SMOKED OR POLISH SAUSAGE LINK STYLE COUNTRY GOLD FULLY COOKED ROUND DINNER HAM 4.39,.s1.99, 6.57k2. 98e Offer expires Saturday, June 16 Registered TM of Canadas Wonderland Ltd buy one get one free with every s40 order sneak preview ass o coupon Details at the Store 0