Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 26, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press Friday. June 7 focus new textile plan hard to believe Ottawa a new policy for can Ada s ailing textile and clothing Indus tries was announced last week and passed almost unnoticed. The problem obviously is that so Many new policies have been announced All designed to restructure the clothing and textile industries and make them mow viable and competitive that people have become cynical. Back in 1970 the government announced a new policy thrust for textiles and clothing. Not much has happened. Textiles and clothing generally speak ing remain weak Sisters in the Canad an Industrial Community. Employment in textile and clothing manufacture has declined Only fractionally in the past 11 years the value of production has increased but Only slightly More than the rate of inflation and textiles and clothing remain among the most highly protected industries in Canada. Naturally there is a great Deal of scepticism that the new policy will change the situation now. In theory however there is much to commend the three pronged program set out by Industry Trade and com Merce minister Herb Gray. It involves the re allocation of million Over five years to establish new employment in communities affected by Industrial adjustment help displaced workers take advantage of new employment opportunities and assist the modernization of viable firms in the textile Aliu Ciuti Iii in Puusti i65. To protect the industries during the transition period the government will attempt to renew bilateral agreements with major exporting countries where by they will restrict exports to Canada. It is this latter Point that rouses the cynics. The program announced in 1970 was supposed to bring about the Transi Tion. Now High Levels of Protection Are being carried far into the 1980s. It should be recognized however that the textile and clothing industries present some particular problems both sociological and political. Most textile plants Are located in Small towns and in Many cases they Are the Only major employer. There fore a Plant closing is viewed As a major calamity and it is difficult to entice replacement industries to locate in such non metropolitan areas. Politically it must be recognized that clothing and textile industries Are concentrated in Ontario and Quebec. Any suggestion n of reduced Protection for the industries is met with Strong objections from Ontario and Quebec members of parliament ones who keep the government in office. It is estimated that 42 per cent of Canada s textile plants Are located in Quebec and 41 per cent in Ontario. For clothing 69 per cent of establish ments Are in Quebec and 22 per cent in Ontario. Quebec accounts for 49 per cent and Ontario for 45 per cent of employment in the textile Industry. For clothing 62 per cent of the employment is in Quebec and 26 per cent in Ontario. Manitoba runs a Distant third in textile and clothing establishments and employment. In 1980, according to background papers released by Gray Canada s textile Industry employed peo decline of 0.2 per cent a year during the 1970s. Statistics Canada however reported Only people Peter Thomson Ottawa editor employed in the textile Industry in 1970. Despite the reduction in employ ment shipments increased annually by an average of 10.5 per cent in Tex tiles in the 1970s. In the clothing Industry the Back ground paper reported an annual 0.4 reduction in employment and a 9.9 per cent increase in value of shipments in the 1970s. There were people employed in the clothing Industry in 1980. The implication is that there has been some increase in productivity even when the inflation effect on prices is taken into account. However the gains were made with the help of stringent import controls especially in the last few years when exporters accepted quotas on ship ments to Canada. It is estimated that in 1980 imports accounted for 26.4 per cent of the apparent Canadian Market for textiles and 16.5 per cent of the apparent Cana Dian Market for clothing. The exporter restraint program is to continue for at least five years and possibly 10, during the adjustment period 01 the View policy. Approximately half of the Mil lion is to be allocated to generate employment opportunities in communities that depend heavily on vulnerable clothing and textile emphasis will be placed on attract ing industries including resource based which will have a comparative advantage in the Economy of the late 1980s High productivity High technology industries in which Canada is becoming increasingly com states Gray. The spending program will include a major labor adjustment component to help displaced workers take advantage of new Job opportunities. In addition the adjustment Assis Tance Benefit program will provide Early retirement benefits to affected workers with lengthy work records in the textile and clothing industries. Additional measures such As portable wage subsidies will be provided to help textile and clothing workers making the transition to alternative employ ment. The fund will also assist manufacturers to restructure and improve their efficiency so that Reliance on import quotas can be reduced. Consulting Grants will be available for audit and feasibility studies to help Industry prepare modernization plans. Funding will also be provided for equipment purchases for Plant layout changes or to consolidate activities or services. In addition Low interest rate Loans will be made available for mergers and acquisitions. Assistance will generally be directed to companies already in the Industry and will incorporate expansion Only when it arises As a byproduct of a modernization project and is required to achieve economies of scale. The import control program will allow for gradual increases in the Quantity and variety of Low Cost imports to the Canadian Market. Canadian Consumers will Benefit from the development of a Strong and internationally competitive textile and clothing Industry in Accord ing to Gray s statement. It sounds encouraging the implied reduction in import restraints rationalization of the Industry assistance for workers to shift to other employ ment. But will it work sceptics might Well Point to the High minded pronouncements of 11 years ago and ask what went wrong. Obviously the 1970 policy had limited Success or we would not heed a rebirth now. There Are two major impediments to restructuring Industry particularly the textile and clothing industries. One is the political resistance As mentioned above. The other is a natural reluctance of Industry executives to concede their operation would operate More efficiently if merged in a secondary role with another. The latter problem can be overcome Only by putting economic pressure on the Industry and thus forcing the weaker to join the stronger the tendency of the government in the past has been to protect both the weak and the stronger. As for the political problem Gray should have been More definitive As to there Nave been so Many the extent that imports will be Ai plans for textile Industry Lowed to increase and How quickly. Then Consumers would have some firm targets in maintain Zafiu politicians would have to explain Why they were falling Short of the Mark. As things stand it sounds like a great program but it has t much credibility. That Herb Gray s new one fines not inspire Confidence. Indian Ocean treaty Hopes dying by Jeff Endrst special to the free press United nations new York Long nurtured Hope to keep super Power rivalry out of the Indian Ocean Region has been frustrated and made inoperable by the soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. The desire of the littoral and Hinter land Indian Ocean countries to turn the Region into a zone of peace alive and May have even assumed a greater urgency in their capitals. But the West in general and the United states in particular insist that the idea is not realistic in the present Circum stances. China holds a similar View. The soviet Union originally As reluctant As the United states and other major maritime or military Powers concerned about possible restrictions placed on them i the Region in the name of Security is now a staunch advocate of an International conference to discuss the Issue. Post War Lull the rudimentary principles of an Indian Ocean peace zone were enunciated by countries in the Region in 1971 when it was relatively quiet. Following the Vietnam War the countries hoped to capitalize on the Post War Lull in military activities there. They also wanted to give meaning to their aspirations of non alignment by having the United nations write a treaty which would have kept the United states and the soviet Union from coming to blows directly or by proxy in their Back Yard. With such a scenario in View the in general Assembly i 1979 adopted a Resolution calling for an International conference on the de militarization of the Indian Ocean by mid-1981. Sri Lanka then offered Colombo As the conference site. There were Many areas of disagree ment in the proposed treaty. The zone of peace had never been defined Geo graphically. There were unanswered questions about the right of collective self defence under the in charter and How this right could be adversely affected by rules for the zone. Would the air space of the zone be included and How would the zone principles Square with the Cardinal principle of the open seas All these concerns were pushed into the background by the soviet military presence in Afghanistan a non aligned Indian Ocean hinterland country. The West and China argued that there is no sense talking about demilitarization of the Region As Long As soviet armies Are poised on foreign soil and within strik ing distance from the Indian Ocean. For the countries of the Region the new situation represents a profound dilemma. Many of them have condemned the soviet occupation of Afghanistan. But they Are increasingly concerned about the growing soviet american military build up in the Region As a direct consequence of events in Afghanistan and to a lesser degree also in Iran Cambodia and the Middle East. They therefore argue that the proposed conference is now More urgent and necessary than Ever be fore. But they had to recognize that with out the United states and its allies there is no use holding an International conference designed to agree to a revolutionary zonal concept in the in Dian Ocean. There simply will not be such a conference in Colombo this year. Vastly different but is the idea of a peace zone itself dead nobody says so openly. The United states comes closest to such an interpretation by urging the third world sponsors of the peace zone to rethink its viability in the current and from Washington s viewpoint vastly different circumstances. The . And its allies say that there must first be a consensus by All concerned on the exact nature of the zone and the specific obligations and rights countries would have in it. These countries including Canada would have a in preparatory committee on this subject continue in 1982 its efforts to harmonize the views of those who live in the Region and those who use the Indian Ocean As a vital commercial and military life line. But they would not plan any conference As yet. The non aligned countries have pro posed that a conference be convened not later than the first half of 1983. The soviet Union and its allies say they Are ready to meet this year Al though they do not say what they would be prepared to agree to. They do oppose what they term any negative link they argue with straight faces that Afghanistan is no problem and that others should Stop supporting the undeclared War against Afghanistan by afghan rebels. China defers to the wishes of the non aligned and backs proposals for a conference. While at the same time stressing that the idea is unrealistic As Long As the soviets remain in afghanis Tan and the vietnamese occupy Cam Bodia. The upshot of All these arguments is that the Indian Ocean peace zone has ceased to be a regional preoccupation and is now a full fledged strategic East West Issue marked by frenzied military activities rather than Prepa rations for de militarization of the Don t expect perfection for a 17-cent stamp one of the most refreshing experiences in these Days of soft sell and subliminal advertising is to find an executive in a Large organization who is willing to Tell the Story the Way it is. To find such an executive in a Public corporation such As the Post office is even More unusual. That is Why Winnipeg s collective hat should be tipped to Dave Wood the acting retail sales specialist for the Manitoba postal District of the Western postal Region. If Only because of his frankness the acting portion of his title should be made permanent immediately. While those who Are hired specifically to beat the Post office drum about prompt and efficient service Are relat ing stories that would do credit to the Brothers Grimm Dave Wood is telling the people on the firing line those clerks who sell Stamps How to provide the Public with service so Good they will feel forced to write Home about it. He pulls no punches. In a letter distributed last week to All postmas ters All postal stations and All sub postmasters he writes How Many times has a customer complained that a letter they sent took four six or even ten Days to reach its destination if we the Post office could indeed provide one or two Days delivery service for 17 cents we would truly be accomplishing miracles. What does the Mailer expect for 17 Fred Cleverley cents per cent reliability then he s using the wrong service. Right now we can provide an alter native to these complaints special delivery. Here s our Opportunity to up sell from 17 cents to special delivery. For More Well still be Able to beat our Competition and satisfy customer needs. We ask the Manitoba counter sales team to respond to customers who expect Quick service. Let s create an awareness of Spe Cial delivery satisfy customer needs and last but the Best boost our the letter puts to shame the 1980 annual report of the Post office which says nothing about the impossibility of delivering letters for 17 cents but describes Canada s first lass mail de livery service the 17-cent variety As the cheapest Way of getting a message or document to any Point in Canada or Only of course if it arrives. The letter puts the blame squarely where it belongs if letters Are delayed or lost. It is the customer s fault. After All what does anyone get for 17 cents these Days How could canadians be so callous As to expect perfection from a system that promises to deliver a letter for the cheapest rate in the world the annual report says it is the cheapest but it is the cheapest Only if our rate is adjusted As it is in the report to the value of the Canadian Dollar which puts the american first class rate at 18 cents Canadian rather than the 15 cents . That it is. As Frank As he is no one should expect Wood to Tell the exact truth about the product special delivery that he is Selling. He keeps harping on the 17 cents which is the visible Cost of mailing a letter. If the Post office deficit is taken into account a deficit that last year stood at More than million the actual Cost is rather More. If the whole deficit was added to the Price of first class mail then the vol ume of this mail would have required that we put 25-cent Stamps on each letter rather than the 17 that is so cheap that no organization can Guaran tee 100 per cent reliability. If the deficit were spread around equally to All mail including third class pieces which now take months to travel Between Winni Peg and grand Forks and parcels the Stamps would Cost 21 cents a figure darn close to what the Post office plans to charge us anyway. Neither does Wood Tell us about the shortcomings of the special delivery system. Anyone who pays the Post office an extra Dollar to get a letter delivered through a system that must be More reliable simply because it costs More runs the risk that the addressee May not be Home when the special delivery truck Rolls up to his door. If no answer is received then a card is left on the Doorknob and the More expensive letter is returned to the 17-cent delivery lottery. If the address be finds the card before the letter gets Back into the system he can either pick it up knowing for sure that it exists or he can get a special special delivery delivery by advising the Post office by Telephone and paying still another 25 cents when it arrives. Enough however of nitpicking. There exists in Winnipeg within the unfathomable Warrens of the Post of fice a Man who not Only perceives the shortcomings of his organization but is fearless in his willingness to get these shortcomings out into the open where he knows they cannot survive the Light of Public inspection. Such men deserve responsibility. Just think of the insight canadians would get into their Post office if men such As Dave Wood were put in charge of producing the annual report. There would be no need to hide behind such double meaning phrases As the Post office is perhaps the most talked about of our or those that skirt the main issues such As in Many communities the Post office with its Maple Leaf Flag is the clearest manifestation of our Federal the Dave Woods of the Post office could wipe out in one stroke the widespread impression that the manual cancelling hammers left in the organization Are used Only on parcels marked doonesbury mrosik Thoush we ii. Be Cunt rus. Containment of ural leftist in Costa what k amur in feel Prev of emf Paris has ;