Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 18, 1980, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free March 1980 Winnipeg free press Freedom of Trade Equality of civil rights Liberty of religion Days a week at 300 Carlton Winnipeg fc3c 3c1 by newspapers limited Telephone 9439331 second class mall registration number 0286 Donald Nicol publisher Walenc chairman John Dafoe editorial Page editor Murray Burt managing Edl Toi Peter Mclintock editor emeritus danger at Macgregor forum 0flwim in Sharp criticism of the most visible elected official involved environment minister Warner the fact that the main Burden of responsibility must be shared by Federal in on whose track the derailment and Dow chemical which was shipping the deadly substance East in in tank How could the Federal government and Dow chemical have taken such a relaxed attitude to the Macgregor spill so soon after the major crisis at Why were obviously unprepared provincial authorities left for several Days without the information about the nature and threat of Vinyl Chloride that would have caused them to handle it with far More respect would any alarm Bells have been set off had not an american expert on the dangers of the chemical been visiting Winnipeg and willing to express her concern at the Way the incident was being handled the Call by employment and immigration minister Lloyd Axworthy for a Federal review of the methods of transporting dangerous substances is appropriate but a Little what happened at Mississauga was enough justification for such a review there is no further excuse for any More the immediate need is for accelerated action to get rid of the continuing danger at the spill it is More than a week since Gallons of Vinyl Chloride leaked from one car through a valve damaged in the a second car has a puncture in a dozen other cars full of Vinyl Chloride Are still at the experts say the chemical May cause especially to the to is to deadly that it was used in Poison Gaa during the pint world the greatest danger is that the Vinyl Chloride can turn into vapor and be the Point at which it turns into vapor is said to be 13 a temperature that occurs now almost every this Means that the original idea of spreading the contaminated Snow to let the chemical evaporate cannot be considered and it is disturbing to learn that Jorgenson has said that the idea is Only shelved and May yet be what must happen instead is a gathering up of All the affected Snow into a sealed the Vinyl Chloride in the derailed cars must be swiftly transferred to other tank cars and taken away from the when the immediate danger is searching questions Are going to have to be asked about Federal standards regarding Vinyl monitoring at the site has shown vapor concentrations of five parts per million according to he has been told by Federal experts that this is he has also been told that the safety Standard of environment Canada has been moved in from 900 parts per million to five in the United according to Jeanne Stellman of Columbia who advises the government on such Federal government regulations require regular medical examinations for workers Over an eight hour Day in a 40hour Are exposed to Only one part per million concentration of Vinyl but As both Stellman and Jorgenson have pointed the Only truly Safe level of exposure is Carter fights inflation they May not do much to enhance his political but the Tough ant inflation measures announced by president Carter have won a vote of Confidence from one unbiased and coldblooded source world Money mar when markets opened yesterday the International value of the Dollar Rose and the Price of Gold dropped that represents the expectation of some hardheaded and realistic people that the Carter proposals for a stiff increase in Oil strict controls Over budget High interest rates and jaw boning against excessive Price and wage increases will get the country inflation under con whether it will or not is something that is not entirely in the presidents the presidents budget proposals have to get through the Congress and applying bitter Medicine in an election year will not be but with inflation in the United states running at a rate of 18 per cent a year Tough measures Are clearly must Hope they inflation in this country at the a Good Deal less than it is in the United that fact helps keep Canadian interest rates below but canadians know very Well that their Economy cannot be effectively insulated from that of their economic troubles in the inevitably produce similar in and if president Carter can effectively Cope with his Domestic his Success will make it that much easier for Canadian politicians to solve the problem a blow for Thatcher the fact that the conservative candidate in a by election held in one of the safest tory strongholds in Britain came within a whisker of defeat prompts speculation that Public support is weakening for prime minister Margaret thatchers stringent economic these based on tight Money restricted government Public sector manpower lowered personal income tax Levels and stiff taxation on discretionary have led to higher unemployment and inflation of per cent and unemployment of million Are regarded by Thatcher As part of the Price that must be paid to get the Economy moving in a new her aim has been to increase growth by releasing entrepreneurial energies that she feels were bottled up by the excessive taxes imposed by previous conservative As Well As part of the strategy was the abolition of Exchange whose first effect was an outflow of funds to new this natural reaction of capital holders Long accustomed to Tough restrictions was tempered by rising interest rates in Britain that attracted Back some of that fast rising interest rates in the United states will at least temporarily halt that flow Back to another part of the strategy was an increase to 15 per cent in value added a kind of sales tax on retail thatchers View was that her tax cuts would give Consumers the right to decide whether to spend but that if they did the Treasury would recoup some of the lost income tax her policy is Long Range and it is a for there can be no certainty that her particular measures will achieve the changes she seeks in the British her comfortable majority in parliament Means that she need not alter her strategy because of opposition from the other political what has been unclear is the level of support in the country and among conservative voters for her strategy this is Why the by election in Southend East is of More than local the result indicates cause for Thatcher to the incumbent who died had held the seat since 1950 with substantial majorities Over in the 1979 general Many of the voters Are businessmen who commute daily to London they Are Well informed about thatchers policies Aims and the result was a win for the but with a majority of Only some extra votes went to the second place labor candidate but far More went to the third place which is a traditional pattern for dissatisfied conservative voters when a conservative government is in a fair number of the were caused by conservatives staying away from the the turnout was per Down from the 70 per cent of in the kind of constituency whose conservative voters regard it As a duty to turn no matter what the election is about the conclusion must be that a significant number of conservative party in the solidly tory Southeast Corner of Are not convinced of the Efficacy of mrs thatchers economic this does not signify immedi ate political danger for her but it does indicate a need either to better explain her policies or to adjust them to secure stronger Public popping off the remarks made by Manitoba lieutenant governor Jobin As he opened the annual convention of the Manitoba association of school trustees Are not As serious a breach of the unwritten rules of his office As were those he delivered earlier when he prorogued a session of the since they dealt with a matter that was under debate in the legislature education policy were an unacceptable intrusion into the political As refreshing As it May be to have someone in the lieutenant governors office who is not it is important that there should be no suspicion that he is attempting to influence the political Jobin has apologized for the timing of the but not for the remarks that having been it May be easy to dismiss the latest incident As one typical of the but the danger is that every such incident chips albeit in minute at the dignity of the dignity is about the Only foundation on which the office a constitutional monarchy can work Only if the or the representative of the remains completely aloof from politics at any Industrial plan while i am not in the habit of responding to newspaper the utter stupidity of your remarks on March 12 about Lloyd Axworthy has made it necessary for me to comment on this you claim that Axworthy was not sure what he was saying in his suggestion that provinces might have to surrender some Powers to allow the Federal government to implement a National Industrial Strate it is obvious that your newspaper is ignorant of the facts pertaining to in in this modern age All great Industrial countries have relied on an Industrial strategy which is developed by taking advantage of its own natural advantages and coordinating them so As to become efficient and competitive in the world in order to become Tloyd Axworthy competitive on a world basis this must be done on a National and if this Means that the parochial interests of provincialism Are somewhat Circum then so be you Are Correct in your claim that the previous Liberal administration did not make a National Industrial strategy a i do not that Axworthy should be indicted for some progressive and it is unfair to blame him for the previous Liberal governments let us give Axworthy a fair Chance and i am sure his comments will become less baffling to Brad Martin Winnipeg aversion to truth now that our Federal elections Are and the Canadian people have once again demonstrated their aver Sion to the it is time for us All to take a very and hard look at our it has once again been proven that our Federal government is elected by Quebec and and As Long As they get what they the rest of our country and its people can take a by my Way of is a very sad commentary for a country that has Only been a confederation for a Little Over 100 our country has become far too de pendent and accustomed to Pierre tru Deaus buy now later we Are becoming a country of Para living on credit with no Hope of Ever relieving that letters John Crosbie budget was the first that i can remember in a Long that was truly As Joe Clark has said on Many it is time that the Canadian people Learned to live within their it is not an easy Road for our country that Joe Clark had chosen but it was and is the Only realistic it would have been a Tough Row to Hoe to go from a debt Laden society to a Deb free so or a reasonable How much better it would have been for our children and their children the results of this Federal election Bode ill for our Peter Lough eed of Alberta has already come out with some very Strong statements about Oil and Gas he states that he will not accept any lesser Deal from than got from Joe and should Trudeau decide Alberta has i also do not believe that Trudeau will treat either Alberta or the rest of Western Canada he has not for the last 11 years and there is no reason to think that he will Trudeau has also shown this coun try that he Speaks with a forked 1 sincerely doubt that Trudeau will resign during the next four As most people seem to he is far too Power hungry and this generation will live to a time to Tell the truth by Ottawa with the election Campaign Well in the background now and the responsibility for serious National problems on their members of this latest Trudeau government would do Well not to attempt to delude the Canadian Bank of Canada governor Gerald bogeys decision to link Canadian inter est rates to the weekly Treasury Bill yield has led to some very cynical reactions but the most cynical of All probably was the statement of the minister of finance that it will permit made in Canada interest phoney nothing could be a More totally phoney departure from Canad an rates As they continue to reflect this country own International concern for the value of its capital interest rates in the rest of the Industrial world most especially the United and the general condition of the International financial any other basis of setting our rates would be a betrayal of this country real inter ests and it would be so much better if men in Allan Maceachen position of leadership and Public would just be totally Frank with the they could accept to attempt to mis Lead them into believing thai there Are easy and painless ways out of our present difficulties is an act of cruelty because it makes it much harder for Ordinary who Are not experts in these to accept with whatever fortitude they can the developments imposed on us by our current difficult there Are compelling examples of the ability of Ordinary people to accept hard truths when their leaders Are Frank with them and equally forceful examples of How badly things Are Likely the winning free press welcomes letters trom writers must give their name and the author s name will be used and letters Are subject to sincerely regret the decision they made in returning Trudeau to Power and casting out one of the most dedicated and honest prime ministers that this country has Ever Joe Clark and his Cabinet Are to be respect not scorned they Are to be a not booed Western Canada can not Only be proud but that Joe Clark has entered the political Dennis Willows Winnipeg care Homes on March 3 the free press printed an article that stated that health min ister Bud Sherman said the Lakeshore health Board was evenly split with a final vote for Eriksdale cast by Board chairman the motion Sherman refers to was not for Eriksdale but to reject an alternate government proposal to build a freestanding care Home at lunar and one Ai Ashern attached to any existing Hospital contrary to the health boards majority contrary 10 previous statements that a 20bed free standing care Home is not economically feasible and would not be and contrary to original approval the specific motion for Eriksdale construction priority in 1979 was passed to go when leaders cannot Muster the courage to speak bluntly and Hon interest rates at current and predict Able Levels impose a hardship on Many individuals and they act As an undesirable Brake on economic reflect both that this country financial affairs have not been Well handled for at least the last five or six years and that the International monetary Structure is in something of a we cannot Stop the world and get any attempt to evade today realities would inevitably be Short term and it would bring with it a High unless interest rates Are set with real serious weakening of the currency would be inevitable and that would bring with it a fresh burst of carrying the current nine per cent rate of Price increases Well into the double digit not tied while Canadian interest rates cannot simply be made in it does not follow that they must inevitably be tied tightly to those established by the Federal Reserve Board in if great Energy developments Are undertaken in Canada during this As they certainly should much of the financing must be found on the International Money that flow will support the but to secure that the interest rates demanded by the International capital markets will have to be How much of the financing will have to be raised abroad depends to a sub Stantial degree upon How realistic we Are in pricing Oil products for Domestic if we accept the general approach demanded by the Alberta government and agreed to by the Short lived Clark huge capital flows will be created in Canada and we will be Able to do much of our own finance that would be entirely by the majority of the boar with Only one dissenting Sherman is again confusing Mut ters for political the govern ment asked the Board to set As Only one Home was going to be built in the reason the Board Eriksdale was because Eriksdale hos Pital roof leaked and architects plans embodied these repairs when the care Home was to be the clinics at lunar and Gypsum Volle were also included in the priority As this would be half the construction budget for Hie District according to the original proposal which was the basis that brought the health District into the Board also demanded a firm commitment from the authorities that Ashern care Home would be built in this they did not with the result that Ashern residents demanded the first care Home and when the government proposed a care Home at lunar and one at Ashern members supported lunar As they were getting the local government District of Gra Ham Dale has supported the health Board All the Way and has always demanded the two care Homes be built onto the hospitals at Eriksdale and Ashern As approved and agreed to in the original contract or on March Page the free press quoted me As saying care Homes Are a waste of my meaning was that to deviate from the original proposals and build a freestanding Home at lunar would certainly be a waste because one of the largest factors in our very serious International deficit is the amount of Money we now have to Send out of the country to meet interest and dividend the More Money we raise ourselves to finance vastly expensive Energy the More we avoid increasing a payments Burden that already is so great that our habitual Trade surplus never is Large enough to Cope with misleading people speak of a Trade deficit which is wrong and Canada normally has a healthy surplus in merchandise the International deficit arises from the so called ser vice the Money we pay abroad for ship travel and so there is virtually no Hope of meeting the Overall deficit simply by increasing our exports the Gap is too great for the solutions to our great few in number but very lie in the new Energy Marc should forget Campaign rhetoric and consider that the negotiating position which Premier Lough eed put before both former prime min ister Clark and Premier Davis of Ontario was actually Gen Erous and the Alberta position involved not just higher prices but heavy investment of provincial government funds in costly new not merely within the province but elsewhere in Canada As the offer for natural Gas pricing for Market expansion in Eastern Canada was fair and sufficiently so to make fuel substitution attractive to new Eastern tar Sands development would have been acce much of it at the Alberta governments investment those Are the sort of proposals with which a realistic Federal negotiator can come to terms readily it is Only if the Federal Side pursues a will o the Wisp that there will be of Money when Ashern and Eriksdale have spent nearly to acquire land and architect work has been done at both Eriksdale and Ashern also have payments on construction Loans of nearly common sense dictates that the most logical approach is to Complete the original plans As approved and get car Homes built on to if future surveys reveal further add or build at other it follows that if Eriksdale car Home can be moved to a freestanding unit at lunar Only 12 Miles then the same Wisdom should prevail and Ashern care Home should be cancelled and built 50 Miles North into the local government District of Gra Amdale where no facilities there is also a human Factor to who More than car Home patients will require a Hospital urgently is it not a traumatic experience have a car Home patient removed to Hospital a patient in the freestanding care who requires immediate Hospital has to be loaded on to an instead of moved Down a corridor to the there is a democratic principle involved in this whole matter which should be of concern to every citizen of the Manitoba and How can a democratic government ignore a democratic majority decision of a Board appointed by order Council Yaworski Reeve of ;