Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 30, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 4 Winnipeg free press thursday april 30, 1981 insulation ban Sparks Call for Aid Ottawa up two progressive conservative maps today called on the Federal government to provide compensation for homeowners having problems with urea formaldehyde foam insulation. Health critic James Mcgrath and consumer critic Geoff Scott said in a joint news release that removing the insulation from a Home could Cost up wards of this is an intolerable Burden to place on the average Homeowner Sim ply because one of government did protest disrupts . Trains new York Apas a protest snarled Rush hour trains in new York and Philadelphia thousands of angry rail workers converged on Washington in a demonstration against proposed cuts in government subsidized Amtrak and Conrail systems. About of Conrail s employees in new York forced cancellation of 15 of 74 morning Rush trains on the Hudson and Harlem lines yesterday. In the Philadelphia area a Conrail spokesman said trains ran normally into Reading terminal yesterday but were delayed at two other stations. Service returned to Normal by 7 . Not Al Cio president Lane Kirkland addressing a rally of More than rail workers in Washington called for Strong government support of the rail system. He objected to administration proposals to sell off profit making sections of the Conrail system to private rail roads and abandon lines operating at a loss. Conrail a private for profit corporation was set up by Congress in 1976 to reorganize and consolidate six bankrupt Northeast railroads. The administration also has proposed a reduced budget for Amtrak. Amtrak was set up by Congress in 19.70 to take Over inter City passenger operations from railroads that wanted to drop Pas Senger service. Auto train makes its last run to Florida from suburban Washington to night after years of financial troubles created largely because of Competition from Cut rate air fares. A Federal bankruptcy judge ruled last Friday that the corporation could discontinue carrying passengers and their cars Between Lorton va., and Sanford Fla. On May 1. If president Reagan s proposals Are carried out Amtrak and Conrail will be Kirkland said. Thou Sands of workers will be thrown out of jobs and the rail worker retirement system will be in Chicago Thomas Fitzgibbon International vice president of the brotherhood of railway airline and steam ship a crowd of 700 that the cuts would eliminate Amtrak service to 36 states and 500 cities across Ameri Ca. A photo not know what the other was they said. The insulation was approved by can Ada mortgage and housing corp. In september 1977, for use under the Canadian Home insulation program a Federal program of Grants of up to for re insulating older housing units. The government decided last week to continue indefinitely a ban on further use of the insulation because of possible health problems. Outside experts commissioned by Ottawa concluded that the foam tends to break Down after installation and releases formaldehyde vapor into Homes. Health minister Monique begin has said the government is not prepared to compensate those who used the insula Tion before the ban. Mcgrath and Scott took Issue with that position today and also criticized the government for not Banning the foam sooner. The ban was first imposed dec. 17 following an interim report from the outside experts but maps said that report was almost identical to an internal report produced by the health department last june. In effect the government has been doing studies of studies and in the meantime allowing canadians with government assistance to install this potentially dangerous product in their Scott said. Mcgrath and Scott said the govern ment was aware years ago that urea formaldehyde foam insulation could cause health problems. People should think quite carefully before installing this product in their Viau was quoted As saying. Formaldehyde is a very irritating chemical and exposure can Lead to headaches allergies and a whole Gamut of other the final report of the outside experts completed earlier this month agreed with that View. It also warned that prolonged exposure to formaldehyde May cause cancer severe attacks of asthma and genetic mutation although it conceded that studies of the effects of the chemical on humans Are far from conclusive. Saskatchewan gets . Air link Regina up a 20-year-old dream will become reality tomorrow when a Frontier airlines Boeing 737 Jet lands in Saskatchewan to begin the first daily scheduled air service linking the province with the United states. Establishing a Frontier operation in Saskatchewan has t been easy for the Denver based airline. The company first indicated it had plans to add the province to its flight schedule in 1961. Last fall the Canad an transport commission finally granted a temporary two year licence. The regular flight departs from Sas Katoon at . Cost daily picks up passengers in Regina departs at ., Landing in Minot n.d., 43 minutes later. There everyone has to go through . Customs with their Luggage and get Back on the plane which departs for Denver colo., 45 minutes later the flight ends in Phoe Nix Ariz. All in the family mrs. Jimmie Bosley left sits in a Dallas Hospital with her daughter sue Duncan. Both Mother and daughter gave birth to daughters this week making mrs. Bosley a grandmother for the first time As Well As the Mother of a sixth child. Journalists under fire Hospital workers remove associated press photographer Joa Quin Zuniga of san Salvador from ambulance after he was wounded in the thigh by gunfire near the salvadoran capital. An american journalist was wounded in the shoulder and his salvadoran interpreter killed in the same incident. Source of the gunfire is unclear. Good things came out of fed continued from Page 1 in a serious Way to discuss problems relative to our provincial and Western regional Economy and then Send Valen it is our obligation and our responsibility As a Check and balance in the Canadian system to respond to Otta Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed added. All four premiers noted at their final press conference that they Are working towards More co operation on common concerns. Inevitably it May Lead to a greater Unity in dealing with and criticizing the Federal government they said. Premier Sterling Lyon cited the Pur Chase of Hopper cars by Saskatchewan and Alberta and the More rapid development of the port of Prince Rupert As examples of successful provincial initiatives. These and other successes started with provincial criticism of Federal inaction he added. Knee Jerk term it May Start off to use the knee Jerk term As fed bashing but by Golly Good things came out of that fed Lyon said. Negligible growth experienced in Canada As a whole last year would have been considerably worse if it was not for the positive contribution of major Western resource the pre Miers said. They called the Western resource industries the most important impetus for economic growth in in that regard they expressed con Cern Over the Federal government s National Energy program which they said completely disregarded provincial ownership rights of resources. They were Adamant that the program must be significantly changed. The seven Public communiques is sued during the closed meeting vowed greater co operation Between the prov inces on such matters As agriculture assistance programs drought Relief and labor Market problems. The premiers also said they wanted to ensure that the West realizes the maximum possible Long term economic and Industrial benefits from major Cap ital projects being planned in the re Gion. Premiers want guarantee of Grain for Churchill port Thompson the four Western premiers yesterday urged the Federal government to set a quota ensuring at least three per cent of All Grain exports pass through the port of Churchill. In a statement at their annual Confer ence the premiers also called on the government to upgrade the Canadian National railway s line to the Hudson Bay port extend the shipping season and examine the possibility of Winter loading of the terminal to maximize throughput. Premier Sterling Lyon said he was pleased with the support of the other provinces in calling for full utilization of Churchill for Grain shipping. To Don t know of any country in tie world that has Ever closed Down or tried to diminish the use of a Salt water said Lyon. That almost seems to be the policy in the premiers agreement follows a similar recommendation made by Prairie agriculture ministers in March. The proposal also has the full support of the port of Churchill development Board. The premiers also said they want problems relating to Grain transportation to Churchill from car rail sorted out As Well. A meeting will be held in june be tween different Levels of government and organizations to further discuss the Churchill proposal. The premiers also called for develop ment of an adequate port at Prince Rupert to handle vast Western Canad an Coal reserves. Provinces also should be Given a say in any new Federal ports legislation and the planning and management of ports they said. An important matter of co operation Between three of the provinces involves the proposed Western Power Grid but the meeting failed to produce an agree ment or significant headway on the plan. This is complicated matter both in technical terms and in financial terms and All studies which will be necessary to give a definitive answer have not been completed and Ana Saskatchewan Premier Allan Blakeney said. He said it still has not been decided whether the Deal will involve a straight Purchase of Power by Alberta and Saskatchewan from Manitoba or a dedication of All the Power that a particular project he said the proposal if terms can be worked out May allow Saskatchewan to defer construction of its next Thermal generating Plant. Manitoba Power Blakeney ruled out the possibility that Saskatchewan would want to make a profit on transporting Manitoba Power to Alberta. The current plan envisages each province owning its portion of the Grid s transmission line and Saskatchewan would seek compensation on a full Cost but no More All the premiers said the Lack of an agreement at this time should not be viewed As a setback and agreed a few More months consideration could be required before a final decision becomes critical. Supreme court termed Constitution guardian continued from Page 1 Irving also placed Quebec s Faith in the supreme court. He said the Federal government if it succeeds will get away with All the things it clearly cannot do by legislative action. This court is your lordships Are the ultimate guardians of the Irving said. The Federal proposal encroaches upon the Federal nature of Canada he said. The provinces have contended since the Start of the historic Case that the nation is a Union of provinces and the Federal and provincial governments reflect two Levels of Power neither of which can limit the other without consent. Federal politicians frequently de scribe the country As a nation of individuals with1 a National government and provincial governments responsible for administering various Terri tories not equal partners. If the Federal principle is accepted. Parliament could convert Canada into a unitary Schmeiser said. Such action should not be Nova Scotia argued among other things that the amending formula pro posed by the Federal government gives Ontario and Quebec veto Power to change the new Constitution and Ren Ders two Western provinces and two Atlantic provinces irrelevant. The Federal amending formula re quires approval of Ontario Quebec the Federal government and any two of the four Western provinces and any two of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia Deputy attorney general Gordon Coles also argued that the present amending formula of unanimity among the governments on matters affecting provincial Powers works Well. He said it was by Choice that the Power to give final approval to changes in the British North America act was left to Britain. British Columbia and Prince Edward Island yesterday made Brief cases Sim Ilar to those of Manitoba and Quebec. Saskatchewan. Alberta Usu newfound land Are to continue the Case against the Federal government today and will be joined by Manitoba s four nations confederacy. The Federal Case is next followed by new Brunswick and Ontario which Are supporting Ottawa. Manitoba gets a final reply. Girl 13, hit by sniper s Bullet from the news services Montreal a girl 13, hit by a sniper s Bullet yesterday was reported out of medical danger after doctors removed what was believed to be a .22-Caiibre Rifle slug from her Abdo men. Chantal Ayotte was shot As she was walking towards her grandmother s lower Westmount Home with a group of friends relatives said. Police were unable to find a suspect weapon or anyone who heard the Shols Over the noise of traffic on a nearby elevated expressway. Strategy planned Brussels representatives of the North Atlantic treaty organization met yesterday to review tactics for the next round of the five month old euro Pean Security conference in Madrid focusing their discussions on How to bring the talks to a satisfactory close. The Madrid meeting is to resume May 5 after recess with no sign of Progress for detente Between East and West. Arrest reported Beirut an iranian general has been arrested in connection with the recent fraud in Paris a Laws Roundup an informed source in Tehran said yesterday. In Paris a French court froze the Bank account of a Black Market dealer accused of bilking the Irani an government out of the Money when Iran tried to Purchase weapons for its War against Iraq. The Tehran source readied by Tele phone from Beirut identified the Detainee Only As Gen. Farivar and said he had tried to make personal Piu ii from the swindle. Arson charge Laid White Plains . A former employee of the Stouffer s inn of West Chester was arrested yesterday and charged with setting the fire at the inn that killed 26 people sources close to the investigation said. The former employee s name was not immediately available but the sources said he was working As a waiter and Busboy in the conference Centre where the Blaze occurred on the morning of the fire. Politician slain Guatemala City unidentified gunmen killed a political Leader in his electrical appliance repair shop in Iso Kilometres East of Here police said yesterday. Berducido Quintanilla 35, Leader of the quetzal Venango office of the United front of the revolution was shot tuesday they said no group claimed responsibility but in the last year police have blamed right Wing groups for most attacks on moderate and leftist politicians. Botha suffers setback Johannesburg election re turns today continued the governing National party s stranglehold on the South african parliament but a Sharp drop in voter support gave prime min ister p. W. Botha the worst setback the party has suffered since coming to Power in 1948. Unofficial returns from the general election yesterday gave the conserva Tive nationalists 99 of the 165 seats in the lower House of parliament. The Liberal progressive Federal party had won 24, six More than they had in the last parliament the centrist new re Public party had five and 37 were undecided. The government television network predicted the nationalists will get 135 seats two fewer than they held when parliament was dissolved. Despite this overwhelming majority the it were gelling Only about 50 per cent of the popular vote compared with 65 per cell in the last general election in 1977. 2 feared trapped Newington . An empty underground Jet fuel tank exploded in flames yesterday injuring two Mem Bers of a cleaning Crew. Authorities said they feared two others were trapped underneath the caved in roof and tons of dirt. Authorities said they had Little Hope of finding the missing pair alive. The tank at new England tank Indus tries of new Hampshire inc., was used to store Jet fuel for a nearby air base. Suicide prevented Marina Del Rey Calif. A suicidal deaf teen Ager was talked off a sixth Storey ledge in sign language yesterday by a sheriff s Deputy whose own child is deaf authorities said. Randy Butcher 18, of los Angeles was perched at the Edge of the parking Structure at about 1 . When he was spotted by a Security guard said Deputy Merlyn Poppleton of the los Angeles county sheriff s department. I ;