Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 7, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press tuesday. March 7, 1978 water rate freeze proposed transit fare decision put off by John a it in by John Sullivan civic works and operations committee has recommended a freeze on water rates this year but postponed a decision on increasing transit fares for two weeks. The committee accepted a no increase recommendation by works commissioner Nick Diakiw monday on the basis of a slim surplus generated by the City water works Utility last j ear. Origi Nally budgeted for a deficit the department now has retained earnings of million owing to much higher water sales during last sum Mer s drought. A proposal by the City s Board of commissioners to increase adult transit fares by 10 cents a ride april 1 received Brief consideration before being deferred until a special works policy session March 20. Diakiw said the commissioners had already axed million from transit spend ing estimates but a Mil lion projected deficit was still left for this year up 13 per cent Over 1977. The prov Ince covers about rail lion of this under a Cost Shar ing agreement. Summarizing the Board s Case for a fare increase the commissioner said Winni Peg s 25-cent fee is tied with Saskatoon As the lowest in Canada. Toronto and Ottawa Ottawa s social services funding ideas could Cost provinces More Sherman social development minis ter l. R. Bud Sherman of Manitoba indicated monday his concern that the Federal government s proposal for Block funding of social ser vices could end up costing the provinces More Money. In his opening statement to the Federal provincial Wel fare ministers conference in Ottawa Sherman said he agreed with the principle of flexibility allowing the prov inces to achieve improved efficiency and rationalization. However in a statement released in Winnipeg he out lined three major concerns the levelling process built into the formula could mean Federal contributions would grow More slowly than those of the majority of prov inces. There is a substantial number of regulations pro posed for what is to be a simple fiscal Transfer even though the first ministers have agreed to study the huge Cost of Over regulation billion needed for Energy available Ottawa up the Federal Energy department says the billion needed in the next 12 years to finance new Energy projects can be raised without creating too great a Strain on the Economy. The department says a new analysis of investment needs indicates possible financing problems for some specific Energy projects but fears of a widespread capital crunch Are it forecasts a reshuffling of financial priorities in the country with Energy Indus tries becoming larger borrowers than they have in the past. Much of this financial shift will be facilitated by declining demands in other sectors which will be brought about by Normal structural changes in the Economy As Well As by appropriate Energy pricing the study says. It would seem therefore that there is unlikely to be an absolute shortage of although some individual projects might face financing problems. The Energy projects Range from pipelines to Hydro electric dams development of Oil Sands plants to construction of nuclear Power stations. Government says full scale development is needed to make the country self reliant in Energy by the mid-1980s, when it forecasts world Oil demand will outstrip supplies. That would make it difficult for Canada to get supplies if it still is relying on Large volumes of imported Oil. The analysis says somewhere Between billion and billion of foreign capital must come into the country Over a 15-year period to help finance the projects. That would work out to about billion a year about half the billion borrowed abroad by the country in 1972. The study says that although the Money will be available for the Energy projects the investment must be carefully controlled to avoid inflation and major production and red tape. The decision to defer until 1979-80 the addition of per capita to provincial payments throws uncertainty Over the entire proposal. Sherman said that if the new financing scheme is approved he would want Assur ances that there would be no cutback in Federal support for native services through the Federal health and Wel fare and Indian affairs departments and no off loading of responsibilities from the Federal to the provincial level. Further the Manitoba minister said it should be clearly agreed that no new Federal income Security initiatives which could have an Impact on provincial Bud gets arc introduced without full consultation with the provinces. Fares Are More than twice this amount owing to an on Tario government policy that users should pay about 65 per cent of transit costs he said. A 10-cent increase would raise the user share of operating costs to about 45 per cent from about 35 per cent Diakiw said. It would also boost Revenue in the last nine months of this year by million and Cut the City s half share of the Utility s deficit from Mil lion to million. Diakiw s Call for Council action on the deficit through a fare increase ser vice and spending cuts or both was loudly seconded by councillor Harold Piercy and committee chairman Gary Filmon Independent citizens election commit Piercy Independent Henderson argued a do nothing approach by the City would be Plain lunacy and economic on the decision to postpone any water rate increase for at least a year Diakiw praised the waterworks Utility s recovery from dire financial straights Over the past two years when rates climbed a total of 65 per cent. City officials had initially predicted yearly 15-per-cent increases would be needed for 10 to 15 years to get the Utility out of the red. A related proposal to in crease sewer rates five per cent april 1 was deferred to thursday when works committee will enter its fifth Day of budget reviews aimed at paring the City s Mil lion operating budget for 1978. In a seven hour session monday the committee continued its unprecedented rough Justice scrutiny of the budget slicing another off. The new surgery brings the committee s four Day budget cutting total to More than million about 000 Short of its goal a full one Mill reduction in the 8.854-Mill property tax in crease envisaged in preliminary spending estimates. The committee pared the transit and streets and transportation department spend ing by almost the principal Cut was in the allocation for bus Driver salaries and benefits of which the City s share is half. Also deleted were funds for two vacant administrative positions with salaries total Ling about and a re quest for four additional transit maintenance workers at a Cost of in a move almost sure to be controversial the com Mittee also axed two of three proposed signal Light instal lations on St. Anne s Road after streets and transportation director Harry Burns said traffic flow at the inter sections was Only 39 per cent of the Standard City require ment for lights. Rejecting a request by coun. Bob Bockstael ice Tach to scrap Only one of the installations the com Mittee vetoed new lights at St. Anne s and Havelock Avenue and at Hindley Avenue. A signal at St. Anne s and Nia Kwa Road was approved. Councillors also questioned but left intact a 000 Reserve to pay for an unknown number of employee reclassification and salary increases stemming from reorganization of the City s Parks department. A 30-per-cent increase in projected bus maintenance costs prompted More com Mittee groans especially after transit chief Roy Church said the City could expect More next year. Correction the advertisement for the Winnipeg symphony orchestra headed choral Power Beauty which ran on saturday March 4 should have read Reserve seats available from All locations. Only 4 Days left in our fabulous Sale March 7pf 1 at a decor 8 locations off on All wallpaper Book orders you re bound to find a pattern you la like at a Price you la like off on 3ll Premium no Rcd Interior paints not while but also in Latex alkyd and enamel our Best paint go ont claw with Norco me decors paint 1 wallpaper 2 Donald at Gertrude 47s-s103 970 Nairn pm 667-b83b 3135 Portage pm Oofl-923b the am Gremlin custom 2-liter. Value Economy of operation 5 c i Highway is transport Canada fuel Economy ratings indicate that the 78 custom 2-liter with 4 Speed manual transmission delivers Highway City. Then there s the 1978 am buyer Protection plan the guarantee that continues to set a Standard for the automotive could save you plenty should something go wrong. And Don t forget that extensive network of american motors dealers across North America. In t ii reassuring to know you la never be far from am parts and service thai s the kind of value that pays off in the Long run t transport Canada fuel Economy flan Nijs should to used for comparisons Between various Mokes and motels Only Tim Vitiel Economy you obtain wit vary depending upon such factors As the Type of driving done weight of the car. Options tilled to me Cut Road and weather conditions How Hje vehicle is maintained. And the or iwo s individual driving style. When in comes to front seat head and hip room front and rear shoulder room a wide front and rear track and Overall Width the 78 Gremlin custom 2-liter does t take a Back seat to its Competition in its Price Range. And when you fold that rear seat Down you get a total of 26.5 cubic feet of cargo space. style 166.6v71.1" wheelbase 96.0" 58.2v57.5" front seat room the 1978 Gremlin custom 2-liter has a base Price of included in that Low Price Are such practical features As a Peppy 2-liter 4-Cylinder engine with 4-Speed manual transmission am push Button radio soft feel bucket seats full carpeting special body trim full wheel covers White Wall tires front disc brakes electronic ignition and More. That s in the pocket Book see your am dealer for details. Manufacturers suggested retail puce dealers May set Tor less freight. Dealer provincial sales Wes gasoline Anil other options my Macri Gremlin the value canadians size Canada needs. Regency am i pan am motors 1978 Ltd. 1430 Ellice Avenue Winnipeg 204 786-3891 North end Royality 437 Tupper Street n. Portage la Prairie 204 857-4971 Regency am 1004 Nairn ave. Winnipeg 204 669-3574 Ptarmigan Auto sales Ltd 161 Hayes Road Thompson 204 677-2369 Peters Auto sales 197 main Street Steinbach 204 475-2571 Hollier s service 306 Green Street flin flon 204 687-4222 Queen s Park motors 300 main Streel Selkirk 204 482-6034 Midtown motor sales Kenora limited Highway West Kenora 807 468-5123 8 la pan am motors ;