Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 25, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 6 Winnipeg free press. Thursday. June Winnipeg free press Freedom of Trade Equality of civil rights Liberty of religion published and printed Days a week at 300 Carlton Street. Winnipeg r3c 301 by Canadian newspapers company limited Telephone 943-9331 Donald Nicol John Dafoe Edilo fial Page Edilow Murray Burt managing editor editorials crumbs for communists although it May not sit Well with either France s allies or its financial circles president Francois Mitterrand s Deci Sion to admit communist ministers to his Cabinet was almost inevitable. His reasoning appears to have been that it is better to have the communists in the government sharing the responsibility for its decisions than outside free to cause As much disruption As they please. Or. Mitterrand does not need communist support in the National Assembly. In the presidential elections in april communist Leader Georges Marchais was humiliated receiving the smallest percentage of the vote for a communist candidate in Many years. Last weekend s National Assembly elections gave the socialists a Strong majority and left the communists battered and bleeding. Or. Mitterrand May have been inspired to Welcome the communists into the government by several things. One is a kind of political debt. Communist support in the Assembly elections helped to make the socialist Victory possible although that support was More probably prompted by a recognition of the inevitability of or. Mitterrand s sweep than by any attachment to the so called Union of the left. Another is the size of or. Mitterrand s majority the second largest in France in this Century. The president will not be Able to do As his predecessors have done and blame his failures on divisions in the nov eminent the presence of communists in the Cabinet spreads responsibility around with no risk that credit for successes will go to any one but the socialists. Most important however is that the communists control France s largest Trade Union. In the presidential elections or. Marchais threatened strikes and labor troubles if communists were not included in any socialist government. Now that they have been included it is More difficult for them to oppose the government or to set up a left Wing opposition to the socialists. Or. Mitterrand did not really give the communists much Junior posts and the ministry of transport. None of them is considered a policy making position and in none of them should a minister have Access to either French or nato military secrets. To get even the Little that they did however the communists had to agree to follow the socialist party line curb their fierce appetite for nationalization and reverse their own policies on the soviet invasion of afghanis Tan and the situation in Poland although this last was done somewhat ambiguously. The reaction of France s allies has so far been muted. West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt has said that he does not foresee problems but the americans Are certain to be unhappy about the presence of communists i the govern ment of a major european Power. Perhaps the greatest worry after the fear of the possibility of communists gaining Access to Western european defence secrets is that mr.1 Mitterrand May have set a precedent that will facilitate the entry of communists into other european governments particularly in Italy. The most interesting question to speculate on right now however is How Long the communists will be satisfied with the scraps Given to ii Iem by the presided. Trie answer probably is not Long. It is Likely that they will sooner or later ask for More and then if they get it for More and More. Their Power now lies not in the polls or Junior Cabinet seats but in the labor movement. There they can create great difficulties for or. Mitterrand which leaves him in a dilemma he does not want the communists outside the government causing trouble but neither can he afford to let them too far in. Ensuring cleaner kitchens Winni Eggers and visitors can now Dine out with More Confidence than Ever in the cleanliness of restaurant kitchens and food handling practices but Only within the limits of the old City of Winnipeg. Within that territory restaurateurs have been bending Over backwards to satisfy City health inspectors rather than risk having their names publicly posted As health bylaw violators. Diners in suburban restaurants do not enjoy the same Protection because those establishments Are inspected by the provincial health department which has not yet made up its mind to follow suit. The provincial inspectors still do their work and whistle Down abuses they find. But they do it privately. A provincially inspected restaurant s reputation is not on the line until the department takes the extreme step of closing it. The province hesitates to copy the City s policy though consumer affairs minister Gary Filmon has expressed a willingness to do so for fear it might some Day publish a notice erroneously accusing a clean restaurant of being unclean. The City has been advised that it would not face Legal liability in such a Case within its own jurisdiction so Long As the inspectors acted in Good Faith and without malice. But the province is still thinking about it. The province s thinking should be helped by the City s experience with the publication system. City inspectors found a remarkable spirit of cooperation among restaurateurs As the Date for starting publication of Manda tory food orders approached. Before publication was mooted the City was issuing 30 or notices a month. When publication was seriously proposed compliance with the health bylaws improved so that the number of orders dropped to about half a dozen a month. Since the City s publication policy took effect june 4, just two of the 500 restaurants the City inspects have been the subjects of published orders. The primary purpose of publishing clean up orders is to let the Public know in serious cases what the inspectors found when they peered into the kitchens. But experience shows that an even better purpose has been achieved inner City restaurants Are now cleaner and better managed than they were before. The province should resolve its doubts and fail into line in fairness to suburban restaurants. They Are in danger of losing business to their downtown competitors now that diners know inner City restaurants Are subject to More effective control. Quebec s great Indian raid political Park control natural resources minister Harry Enns decision to reject the provincial Parks department proposal for an assignment tax on cottages and to remove proposed Park fees from the White Shell development plan should allow for a More reasonable discussion of other equally important issues concerning Manitoba s most popular recreation area. In addition or. Enns has done much to establish in the minds of regular users of the Park that their elected representatives Are in firm control of the Park s future. Many were frightened lest the real control be in the hands of the bureaucracy. Or. Enns actions on fees Are similar to those of his predecessor Brian Ransom who established the mechanism for a thorough review of Park plans and policies but who at the same time made it Clear that future policies would favor no particular form of Park use. Or. Ransom suggested that Manitoba which already had two and one half acres of Parkland for every resident of the province had sufficient to allow the Pursuit of a variety of recreational activities. The White Shell master plan prepared at or. Ransom s direction represents an Effort to accommodate the stated wishes of the minister that Parks Are not Only for the Birds bees and Bushes but for people As Well. The Forest Point in the plan centred on the bureaucracy s obvious attempt to penalize the captive customers the cottage owners in order to finance development of facilities that had no direct Benefit to those being charged for them. The most odious part of the proposed fee Structure was an assignment tax that would require the payment of 50 per cent of the increased value of a cottage if the ownership changed even if that change was from Parent to offspring. Although it was called an assignment fee it was instantly recognized As a death tax of the kind that the present provincial government had eliminated with much drum beating from Manitoba. The fact that or. Enns has rejected this proposal before it has even officially reached his desk will help Calm the outrage that was building in the minds of those Likely to be subject to it. By deciding that fees in the White Shell will be determined at Public meetings and in consultation with those to be charged or. Enns has taken a step that should allow the remainder of the plan to proceed with a minimum of confrontation. There Are areas within the plan that require More consultation with people who May be affected but the removal of fees from the plan itself should satisfy most of those concerned that any changes will be made by the politicians who Are subject to Public censure rather than by the bureaucrats who Are not. Battle Stamps the Royal philatelic society of Canada and canadians generally will Welcome the decision by postmaster general Andre Ouellet to change the guidelines under which Canadian events can be commemorated in new stamp issues. Under the old guidelines wars and Battles in which canadians took part were excluded from subjects that could be depicted on Stamps. The society quite correctly objected to this restriction arguing that while wars could not be condoned they did take place and did form a part of Canadian history. The new guidelines no longer prohibit the commemoration of military events in this country. They follow the practice in Many other countries where the presence of the military is an accepted fact. By Frank Walker special to the free press Montreal riot squads Are not normally drawn from the ranks of the most sensitive policemen. The nature of the Job requires a certain Macho attitude with Force As the ultimate and quite natural end to a dispute. It does not require a very Active imagination therefore to envisage what has been happening in the darkness and isolation of the micmac reservation at the Mouth of the rest Gouche River. Rough stuff there has been some very rough stuff accompanied by some unpleasant and racist gestures such As urinating in front of Indian women since 250 riot equipped provincial police were sent to the scene earlier this month with instructions from fish and game minis Ter Lucien Lessard to remove Indian fishing nets in the area. No one is disputing the right of the indians to fish. They have had that right for centuries. What is in dispute is the amount of fish being taken under various quota agreements Between the band and the province. Last year the indians exceeded their kilogram Salmon quota by about kilo Grams which the province says is beyond the safety limits for proper conservation. Locals Tell other stories. At wholesale there is a flourishing Black and White Market on Salmon not for consumption by the indians but for Sale in Quebec restau rants. Salmon Are one of the few sources of real income for the indians. Though the micmac Are a Federal responsibility an agreement with que Bec handed jurisdiction Over fishing to that government. This is where the conflict has Arisen. There is no doubt the micmac Are fishing beyond their own needs there is Little doubt that the nets cover wider areas than they once did and there is no doubt at All that the catch is heavy. Nothing Here however justifies the attitude of the Quebec government and the Gestapo like tactics of the riot police who have used tear Gas and rubber bullets against the indians. A state of siege has been mounted Over the reservation on the Flatland of the Estuary. Relations Between the native Peoples and successive Quebec governments have been bad historically though they discredit the Indian population on the eve of serious negotiations involving Indian land claims. Or. Lessard could see nothing wrong with the Large Quebec provincial police Force contingent brought in to Deal with the nobody was wounded shot in the Caughnawaga Reserve the police officer involved was acquitted and the failure or what the indians regard As the failure of the govern ment to provide agreed health facilities in the James Bay area. Now we have this heavy handed approach demonstrated on the rest Gouche. It is difficult to know the facts since the police Are not encouraging journalists and what information is available comes from highly subjective sources. But Indian affairs minister John Munro who has visited the Reserve did urge the Indian leaders to keep their Cool despite what he described As tactics that May not be All that Admi seeks agreement or. Munro is now trying to reach some agreement with the Quebec authorities but his last attempt which had elicited a Promise of no More raids by the police on the Reserve broke Down in a few hours. The rest Gouche is a Salmon River of world reputation. It was for generations the private preserve of the very Rich. The exclusive nature of fishing on the rest Gouche and other Rivers has now been partially dismantled. It is a big thing in tourist terms. The micmac want the right to fish for six nights a week the Quebec government is Only offering 72 consecutive hours. Six nights seems like far too much if one considers Only the needs of the indians but there is an argument against 72 consecutive hours since Daylight hours Are of Little value the Salmon tending to run mostly at night. More than 100 nets have so far been seized 12 people arrested and 11 charged. Rene Savard a University of Montreal professor who has written several books about native Peoples in Quebec suggests the current move on Indian fishing rights looks very much like a planned concerted action to Jiu Ulra Llla. 11 Pic Lisl us u1c Validity of a police action is the number wounded or killed in or. Lessard s View one can also sense in those crude words an unfeeling attitude towards native Peoples. Federal abdication the micmac for their part cling to an anglophone tradition and do not appreciate the establishment of the provincial coordinating body on Indian affairs. They do not wish to come under this authority and there is no reason Why they should except for the tendency of the Federal authorities to abdicate their own responsibilities. The situation at the Mouth of the rest Gouche one of the loveliest of Canadian Rivers is even at this Dis Tance unsettling and demeaning. There is something about this brute Force attitude that reflects badly on the provincial government. Indian rights Are fragile enough without the rather ugly presence of Large numbers of armed police accompanied by ambulances helicopters and armed boats. Quebec is doing very Little to lift the dispute on to a less primitive level. There Are indians on the re serve including Many women and children the Salmon should be con served but not because they Are an asset to the tourist Industry. Or. Munro is going to ask the Quebec authorities to withdraw the police while the Indian leaders put together a new by Law covering fishing practices. What is needed is a change in attitude by the authorities including the police and some Means of providing a reason Able income for reservation indians. If it is a question of tourist dollars or the livelihood of the indians Indian rights should take precedence. As Long As the indians Are among the poorest of canadians and second class citizens in Al most every respect the temptation to Over fish and Bootleg the surplus is not going to be removed. Call a vote we the citizens of Wolseley appreciate your editorial support for an Early Resolution to the unfortunate situation which has caused us to be unrepresented in the legislature. While i acknowledge my personal and party interest in an Early by election that is not the Issue. There Are special circumstances in this Case that make the declaration of the vacancy in the Wolseley constituency from june a Gross miscarriage of Justice. D Bob Wilson was first arrested in september 1979 nearly two years ago. His ability to effectively represent Wolseley was seriously diminished from that moment. Bob Wilson d after his conviction in november 1980 or. Wilson was not allowed to take his seat when he appeared for the december session and the government presented legislation to bar him from the House. While the government would not declare the seat vacant pending appeals the legislation effectively did just that. D there is a special urgency for the people of Wolseley. This is the fourth vacancy in the last decade and a half. We live in an area of transition. We need the Opportunity to take advantage of the Core area initiative through forceful efforts by our elected representatives. We understand the tradition that by elections Are called at the convenience of governments but we have suffered the convenience of government for nearly two years. Surely the Funda mental rights of the democratic pro Cess should not be frustrated. There must be an election Call in septem not for the province then certainly for Wolseley. . Lauchlan Liberal Leader Winnipeg not televised the red River sex Parade was not televised this year due to the Csc strike. I have no beef about them going on strike. However i am sorry for All the children at St. Amant Centre who assembled in the to room at St. Amant to watch the Parade. Laura Lowry Hall Winnipeg letters the Winnipeg free press welcomes letters from readers. Writers must give their name and address. The author s name will be used and letters Are subject to editing. Student Job Centre it is my opinion that the Canada employment Centre for students has in the past and is to Date providing a valuable service to students seeking employment during the summer months. Throughout my career As a student at both the High school and University level Miave successfully utilized the resources made available to me by the Centre in finding a summer Job. Many of my friends have had similarly beneficial experiences with the Centre. Those who work at the Centre make every Effort to familiarize themselves with each individual s Case. In this Way the student placement officers Are Able to find appropriate acceptable if not preferred jobs for so Many. The Centre has the formidable task of handling roughly students each summer. It goes without saying that due to unlucky timing the Frame of mind of the Job seeker or simply the Centre s being inundated by Job re quests some individuals Are unable to find employment. However such cases Are hardly As common As Manfred Jager would have us believe in his article of june 15. Already this year regular and 500 casual jobs have been found for University and High school students. These figures exceed statistics for the same period of time last year. The value and necessity of the Stu Dent employment Centre should not be underestimated. There really is no Rea son to do so Given the integrity and record of the Centre and its employees. Michael Wroniak Winnipeg disgusting this letter is to draw attention to the Ever increasing deplorable appearance of our City. Recently the second time in less than a week there has been human fees deposited in the main Street stairwell exit of our newest business and shopping Complex Winnipeg Square. This being the Peak of the tourist season and Portage and main being a tourist attraction what kind of an impression will this leave our City fathers propose to spend our tax dollars on a Park for the North Side of Portage Avenue to increase shopping and tourism. If a disgusting problem like this can occur in Broad Daylight in a High Rise Security controlled modern office building what conditions will prevail in the proposed Park b. Stannard and 10 other signatures Winnipeg armed forces in Many areas the department of National defence is doing an excellent Job of Energy conservation not flying Arctic patrols keeping ships tied up Etc. However there Are a number of areas where Little if anything has been done areas where a great Deal could be done with Little or no inconvenience. On a recent trip to various Points across the country i found d general officers abound. More Are being promoted to general officer rank. We need 110 generals in and like i need another Hole in my head. D base commanders and general officers Are driven to and from their work in chauffeur driven staff cars. If this practice was Cut out there would be a Large saving in fuel and in the need for a Large number of staff cars. The lesser ranks who can ill afford the expense have to provide their own transportation. When a new general moved to a posting in Winnipeg the first instruction was new carpet and wallpaper for his subsidized House. Needless transfers of armed forces personal about every three years Are expensive. Children s schooling is disrupted. Most military jobs can be done without moving people for the Sake of a move. Many military people Are leaving the service because they cannot afford to move and often see no sense in it. K. Mcfee Sioux Lookout ont. Peru hell Hole i am writing to express my support of the article Quebe cers Tell of Peru hell Hole free press june i found this article shocking. After Reading about How inhumanely canadians were treated in Peru i feel the Canadian government Grants Are not appreciated. I fully support Patrick Mailhot the que Becer who spent h months in a peruvian prison and his intention to petition the Canadian government. Diane Kornell Winnipeg As chairman i am delighted to inform you that planned Cut backs will not affect me. How ;