Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 13, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press thursday april 13, 1978 leadership 1 working liberals . ,1 1whp Hadekel it Xebec the Quebec Liberal party took a Calcut it waiting almost a year and a half after the election Victory to choose a successor to Ai More than delegates gather or the leadership this weekend be Gamble appears to have Early saturday evening the delegates will to tact either Claude Kyat or Raymond Garneau As party Miter at. A time when the parti quebecois government Hihi Amtrak. My the liberals have surged ahead for the Tatjie to the Porte opinion polls. Ryall the Clear favorite going into the convention with a estimated Lead of any where from 500 to 800 delegates. But Ike Gant Caa organization has mounted a it tit uck to the three month Campaign Leav Tail me awol bitty of an upset liberals Are counting on the massive television Carenge of the convention to boost their improving Public ill Ike Early months of the pm administration the lib was ton by internal Stolfe Over the election wiped net the huge parliamentary major d. Levesque die interim party Leader chosen former Premier Robert Bourassa was no match Premier read Levesque. The 26 member Liberal oppose eau he the Utka Al Assembly was a dispirited and ineffective As the Quebec Economy worsened and Public of a when political Independence for Quebec failed to Ifor Tsih the pm government began to lose momentum by sem lit a change Iii the political wind the liberals Hegaas signing up thousands of new members and prepare die leadership Campaign with renewed ent Nusi Campaign has lacked the spice of a race bogged Down at times Over its to Fth duration. The candidates spent most of their attacking the parti quebecois rather than each other. Last month dirty tricks and Low blows have tit Fott Nurto Hoth campaigns and some liberals Are open about developing in party ranks. The support of 13 Liberal Mas compared for. Yarneau and Ryan s Campaign Organiza if a better Job of electing slates of convention Dulc hmm to their candidate. But the Ryan Campaign have peaked too soon and Gar Cau organizers Are wort log Bard to reclaim votes especially from youth Dele the trill cast one third of the ballots. A the Mem ate will face the delegates in a question sad answer session Friday afternoon before delivering if ctr saturday afternoon As a prelude to the Woods resigns As chairman by Scott Edmonds Woods of Mcgil University in Montreal the top labor relations experts in Canada a resigned As chairman of the Manitoba labor management review committee which he has headed since its inception 15 letter to labor minister Norma Price of Manito Woods cites facts surrounding the firing of Deputy mar minister Jim Goodison As Well As mrs. Price s own respond to a request for a meeting As Rea i Lepej Hooe interview wednesday from new Brunswick otters Woods is serving As a labor consultant to Premier re hard be said he regretted leaving the position. He Sam he had already intended to assess his continued of the Woods committee As it is Newn unofficially because of a number of factors the the new labor minister triggered an immediate Ampf Tatum. To the mrs. Price Woods said he Learned of the7. Reasons for Good son s dismissal was his a despite the government s freeze on travel of visit to Winnipeg for a committee Woods Sam the trip was necessary because the com Mittee required to present a report each year to the and committee rules require committee a to Clatton at a meeting of the report prepared by the us assistants. To emphasize that the former Deputy Man Istatt placed i a difficult position. I believe you were Artel the country and consequently he was forced to Ataklt a Woods told mrs. Price in the letter Aime from this unfortunate episode i would remind Yini teat instruction fron the committee i had request you. I was advised that you would not of taif like until sometime around the first of february. M h the Middle of March and i have had no indication mend to meet with me or he added. Eire stances i have decided to resign As of the Manitoba labor management review com a firefighter in St Eustache quo., Points to the remains of a pump station destroyed by an explosion. Sewer blasts forces exodus r of More than 100 families St. Eustache que. Up More than 100 families will spend two or three Days in hotels and a local Home for the elderly after two explosions caused by a mysterious gasoline leak forced evacuation of a five Block area of this Community wednesday. Guy Bilisle mayor of of just Northeast of Montreal said that although he feels there is no danger of further explosions the area will remain evacuated until the source of this leak is officials said there was no truth to Early reports that a fire at a Junior College in the neighbouring town of Deus montage is was caused by Gaso line leaking into that town s sewage system from St. Eustache. The towns have separate sewage systems. The cause of that fire which Des troyed a Wing of the College and was still burning fiercely late wednesday is still unknown. Officials of both St. Eustache and the Quebec departments of Environ ment and natural resources have known for some time about gasoline leaking into the sewage system Here and they have been working since Early january trying to Trace the source of the leak. It is Felt the leak May have origin ated from a storage tank under one of the Many Gas stations in the heart of the town. A police report that an explosion had occurred at one Gas station and ruptured its storage tanks was later denied. Nevertheless Gallons of red or super gasoline have been pumped out of the sewer system in recent weeks. Frequent Rains have accelerated the Normal Spring thaw and have apparently spread More Gas through the sewer system. The town sought permission earlier this week from the environment department to Drain the entire sewage system into a nearby River to flush the gasoline out. This permission was Only Given wednesday. When a electrician and two Public works employees began diverting the sewage into the River at a Small pumping station wednesday they started a motor that caused a spark and an explosion. The three men and the Young son of one of them were injured and taken to Hospital with Burns to the hands and face. Their condition was not thought to be serious and three of the four were later released from Hospital. Evacuation of the five Block area of old St. Eustache had already begun earlier wednesday following a Small explosion tuesday night in the base ment of a private House. That explosion sent manhole covers flying eight feet into the air. It was sparked when pensioner Ovid Martel was using a welding Torch in the basement of a neighbor s Home to connect a new washing machine to the House s sewage system. Mrs. Martel 67, who was evacuated with her husband to a nearby Motel said i Don t know How he s alive. Everybody on the Street heard the noise. I ran out into the Street and saw smoke billowing from one of the Man holes. The manhole cover was five feet mrs. Martel said she and her neigh Bors had been smelling gasoline on and off for the last three weeks but she thought nothing of it. Police were keeping a strict Vigil on the five Block area and were not All lowing reporters to enter. Mayor Bilisle said the smell of gasoline was noticed by merchants at a downtown shopping Centre last dec. 29. The Quebec government was immediately notified and workers began trying to find the leak. Early in january a deep Hole was dug and workmen began trying to pump out Gas and water from the sewage system. Those evacuated from their Homes will be fed by the City but the mayor vowed that if the source of the leak is found whoever is guilty will have to pick up the Tab for moving food and other expenses incurred by the the City is currently testing Levels of gasoline in the sewer system every 15 minutes to Sec if it is growing and local Gas stations Are being checked. A private company equipped with powerful pumps is attempting to flush the system of All toxic matter. It is Uncertain How much Gas has escaped into the system. Inflation rate in March highest since controls were introduced Ottawa up Cost of living took its biggest jump in March since the introduction of pay and Price controls but finance minister Jean Chretien indicated wednesday he expects the 1978 inflation rate will still meet the govern ment s revised target of seven per cent. Chretien said in the commons the Marci inflation rate of 1.1 per cent was a Little bit higher than predicted by Federal officials but some provision had been expected for a substantial increase in consumer prices for the month. The March increase released by statistics Canada just two Days before the government is to Start dismantling pay and Price controls is the largest one month Rise since july 1975. The mandatory controls were imposed in october 1975. The 12-month increase in prices was 8.8 per cent with higher food gasoline and Home heating fuel Oil costs leading the Way. Government inflation targets for 1978 have already been revised twice. Officials had originally hoped for four per cent this year but that was later revised to six per cent. The inflation figures from statistics Canada came a Day after the government revealed that unemployment reached a record actual jobless last month for a seasonally adjusted rate of 8.6 per cent worst since the 1930s. Reports of the consumer Price figures sparked heavy trading against the Canadian Dollar in new York wednes Day with the Dollar falling rapidly toward the 87-cents . Level. James Mcgrath pc John s East said Price in creases were bearing heaviest on Low income and unemployed persons who could least afford it. De Broadbent new democratic party Leader said Cost of living statistics Are making liars out of the government. Typical canadians will lose about of their incomes to inflation this year he added. The inflation figures were released As the commons began debate on Chretien s first full budget which featured a temporary reduction in provincial retail sales taxes aimed at stimulating economic growth through consumer spending. Chretien said in his budget speech monday that the sales tax cuts would chop about one percentage Point off 1978 inflation. Defending his budget wednesday Chretien told opposition critics he had chosen to press the provinces for sales tax cuts because everyone would Benefit including those who did not earn enough income to pay personal income taxes. Both the conservatives and the nip had called for reduced income taxes to encourage consumer demand and the Economy. Joe Morris Canadian labor Congress president said the latest Cost of living figures showed that wage increases had not been the cause of inflation. Controls had been the wrong policy he said. The anti inflation Board in a news release said the consumer Price Index Chi figures appeared to show a temporary reversal in the downward trend in prices in the non food sector. The 12-month increase in the prices of non food items was seven per cent. Higher prices for fresh fruit fresh vegetables beef and pork were major contributors to an Over All 1.4-per-cent increase in food prices during March. The 12-month Rise for food consumed at Home was 16.1 per cent. The Index in March was 170.8, compared with 168.9 in february and 157 in March 1977. That Means goods and services costing in March 1977, and in february would be priced at last month. Police in b. C. Smash major cocaine ring up police said wednesday that one major cocaine rings has been broken up Matt tag Supply of the South american drug a i omd by the business communal began arrests of 16 Vancou of them Well to do businessmen on the smuggling of at least 41 kilo Canada to the last two years. T the appear i court today charged with ocame me Canada and with cons Lra Hewry Jensen us a news 41-Fchagram Seu nire of drugs Worth More was Only a Small pan of drug from Central and South he refused to state the total amount of cocaine Tran sported. The shipments were investigated for the last 18 months by police in Canada the United states and Vari Ous Central and South american countries. Jensen said that in the last 18 months there has been a rising demand in British Columbia for cocaine and cur rent Street prices Range up to a Gram. Two deaths have been linked with cocaine use in ., he said. Jensen said Vancouver is the primary distribution Centre for cocaine destined for Eastern Canada and Points. He said the same Pound of cocaine that Sells for in Bolivia will sell for on the Sleets of Vancou ver. The 41-kilogram shipment which originated in Bolivia was found at Vancouver International Airport last month. Montford Arthur Burney 27, now being sought by police was charged with Possession of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking in connection with that shipment. Chief supt. Tom Herdman of Vancouver City police said those charged include William Faulder Robertson 50, of West Vancouver Ido Paul Zama 45, Brian Robert Jef Feries 32, Frank Raymond Ferron 42, Marwood Clif Ford Brown 53, Allan Toyoshi Oda and Robert John Mcclel Lan 35, All of Vancouver Cyril Nathan Andrews 52, of North Vancouver Peter Allan Perry 35, and William Thomas George Layman 29, both of no fixed address. Jensen said warrants also have also been issued for the arrest of bumpy for whom no address was Given Richard Henry Bengert 38, and Steven Ponak 48, both of Vancouver Gary h. Alkons 28, of Surrey George William Garthwaite 48, no address and Oldrich Vaclavik 57, of West Vancouver. Lyon predicts agreement on budget continued however he said he had t had a Chance to discuss the matter at length with premiers Allan Blakeney of Saskatchewan Peter Lougheed of Alberta and Bill Bennett of British Columbia. In his budget address finance minister Donald Craik of Manitoba criticized the Federal government plan to subsidize the reduction of provincial Sale taxes As too hastily negotiated and an intrusion into provincial constitutional and fiscal authority. Lyon said wednesday the Federal government s move showed a Lack of the spirit of True co operative Federal especially when one of the major problems facing the country is the Unity he said it gave Quebec Premier Rene Levesque some thing to run with in the province of adding that the Federal government should be More concerned about avoiding the situation than with gaining Short term political advantages. Less que has called the proposals in the Federal Bud get a shameless rape of provincial jurisdiction and a Clear indication of the re concocted federalism that will be preached by the Trudeau government in the forthcoming election Campaign. Regarding Ether items on the conference Agenda Lyon said it would be mainly an Exchange of information and some ideas others have and we might the premiers arc expected to discuss Trade agriculture transportation and other matters under the general heading Economy in a closed door session today. Premier Lough eed will Lead the discussions on Trade and transportation while Premier Blakeney will Lead the agriculture talks. Friday Premier Bennett will Lead a discussion on the second report of the Western premiers task Force on constitutional trends. The first report presented at a con Ference in Brandon last year identified a number of areas of intrusion into provincial jurisdictions. Premier Lyon who is attending his first Western pre Miers conference is scheduled to chair the session on regional Energy co operation Friday. Discussions arc expected to focus on a Western Grid system of Energy Exchange and possibilities for coordinating research and development in the Energy Field. Also on Friday Premier Blakeney will lend the Dis Cussion on Western provincial co operation in policy plan Ning and research. Lyon is accompanied at the meeting by agriculture minister Jim Downey and several government officials. Craik will join them before the Energy talks Friday. Weather hits flood Battle East grand Forks Minn. A winds of 72 Kilometres an hour rain and Snow aggravated the prob lems of fighting floods in the red River Valley on wednes Day and military units began evacuating farm families North of grand Forks . The . Air Force set up a Mobile command Post about 32 Kilometres North of grand Forks and provided buses. The National guard provided an amphibious vehicle and boats the . Coast guard two boats with Crews. Eight families were evacuated in North Dakota s Walsh county by late afternoon and taken to a red Cross shelter in grand Forks. Officials said 28 families in Walsh county and 3.1 families in grand Forks will be Given the Chance to leave. Some elected to stay however. Officials coordinating the evacuation said no lives appeared in danger. Some livestock might be lost they said. The River had stopped rising at grand Forks and its sister City of East grand Forks Minn., on wednesday and the winds were blowing against the current there. The winds coupled with Snow and rain convinced a number of families to abandon their farms said Mike Vorachek a flood coordinator at grand works. Court punishes Grain violations continued led Canada s worldwide reputation it is now the policy of the Canadian Grain commission and the Federal department of Justice to Lay charges on a truckload basis. That Means if Farmers misrepresent the Grade or Type of Grain they too will charged. Any elevator manager involved would also face charges. The charges against Manitoba Pool and United Grain growers resulted from infractions Between june 13 and july 15 last year. In each Case Farmers were allowed to sell to the companies truckloads of number 1 Canadian Western red Spring wheat As number 1 Canadian Utility wheat. At the time the Farmers quota had been reached for the red Spring variety but not the Utility Grade which was Selling at a lower Price. Williamson said the Farmers sold their red Spring wheat As Utility at 20 to 25 cents a Bushel less than the red Spring Price to be rid of it. The Grain companies then sold the wheat As red Spring at the higher Price. Counsel for the companies Vern Simmons and Tim scr Nohan said the Grain companies had not misrepresented the Grain Grade when they sold it and had put red Spring wheat in bins for that Grade after paying the Utility Grade Price to the Farmers ;