Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 26, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 6 Winnipeg free october 1981 Winnipeg free press Freedom of Trade Equality of civil rights Liberty of religion published six Days a week at 300 Carlton Winnipeg r3c 3c1 by Canadian newspapers company limited Telephone 9439331 Winnipeg free press 1872 Winnipeg Tribune 1890 hiding the City plan the City of Winnipeg is going to extraordinary lengths to prevent Lively debate on its development the plan was not published until last years municipal election was safely out of the which ensured that it could not be debated by candidates in that the City has deferred two of its local Public meetings on the plan to ensure that the Sharp Edge of partisan election debate will not intrude into consideration of the the crowds drawn to meetings on the development plan so far have been but since no crowd is too Small to attract politicians at election it is entirely possible that provincial candidates and their supporters would have appeared at the development plan they might have used the occasion to Praise or blame the Lyon governments in which Case it would fall to the chairman to Call them to they might have related the mind numbing technical details of the development plan to wider Public which is one of the functions of political they might even have found compelling reasons Why the Winnipeg Public should begin to take an interest in the development which is More than the City itself has been Able to despite the prodigious efforts of the planners and the councillors insistence on the plans vital importance Tor the future of the the Public response has been a stifled like All such this one is already slightly out of Date for it anticipates construction of the Sherbrook Mcgregor overpass which the Council has the plans proposals Are significant Only insofar As they affect the volume of traffic on a particular the value of a particular piec6 of land or the attractiveness and livability of a particular each land use or Public works project suggested in the plan will have to be judged on its merits As it comes the plan itself is pretty until such As an electioneering starts finding and announcing the plans human implications for one Corner of the City or Public indifference is in future the Public will be told that one project or another should or should not be accepted because it is or is not in the development but the plan can Only be As authoritative As the informed Public consent leading to its a plan that can stand up to the Roughan Tumble of an election Campaign is Worth a plan that is too too delicate or too abstract to be debated on the hustings will not carry much Green recycles judging from Sid greens policy he changes party labels with greater ease than he changes he has announced that the progressive party if establish a provincial Agency to provide interest free dollars Orzollar financing for business the Agency would not hand out tax Money for in return it would become a a part owner in whatever business accepted its the businessman Borrower could regain full ownership by buying out the paying whatever the Agency share was Worth at the rather charging the Public return would be like that of an investor redeeming his Manitoban have heard similar proposals from Green in the under the government of which he was a the Manitoba development which had been set up to lend businesses was changed to the Manitoba development which advanced Public Money to business and took an equity position in Green often argued that he was advocating that the government act As an with one of the benefits being while government Loans Are always shown on financial statements As outstanding share capital is listed As an the difference of that shareholders have no guarantee on their they profit when the business and lose when the business the experience of the Manitoba develop ment corporation As an investor was not much better than that of Thev Manitoba development fund As a Green will probably produce figures to support a different but he would be better to explain what happens when a in which the government is a loses there is a tendency As there was when Green was in a position to do something about to interfere with the usual Laws of economics in any business in which government is such businesses Are not usually allowed to because of the resultant bad publicity for the politicians concerning lost lost investment and the stigma of failure More businesses that have talked their Way into government support Are Likely to find that looming bankruptcy is a virtual guarantee of More government support to the Point where governments May take Over uneconomic operations to maintain jobs and to support political Green is not known for his willingness to support failing but Green is by a political there is no reason to believe that Green cannot be outvoted by his present supporters just As he was outvoted before by former the likeliest Prospect for greens plan is that the government would be left As an investor in All the losing deals while the owners would happily buy out the government share of those that succeed a bargain on Bonds the average Canadian probably has mixed feelings when it comes to Canada savings if the Bonds Are a bad Deal for him As an they Are most Likely to be tolerable to him when he wears his taxpayers if the Bonds Are an excellent initial such As they Are this they Are bound to be a bad Deal for the the bureaucrats who must manage Canadas financial affairs must also have a love hate relationship with Canada savings they Are forced to in time to prepare an annual advertising what interest rate is necessary in order to sell the or at least to persuade people who own older series to convert them into the current Issue what interest rate will hold up for a year in a volatile Market place at the same what interest rate will not Cost the Public Treasury More than it can reasonably Canada savings which at present represent about 20 per cent of the Federal governments total Are too big a Tiger to be even if the Only hold on the beast is by the the Only Way to maintain the hold is to have the current Issue offer interest rates that will persuade the canadians who hold them not to take advantage of the instant Cash ability that is often touted As a big advantage of the for reasons known Only to the higher circles of Ottawa Public finance this years interest rate was fixed at a rather lavish per perhaps the rate was chosen when the prime rate was Well above the going rate of investment return in the markets that compete with such As the mortgage cannot keep what the government has by deciding months ago to pay per cent interest on Canada savings Bonds this is virtually to fix investment rates at this level for the coming no one will invest in other ventures even desirable ventures such As Home at lower since they Are instantly can be converted if other rates unfortunately for the and the taxpayers of the once cannot be the realizing the bind it is has already lowered the limit any individual is allowed to the government will have to exercise its one remaining limited course of it will probably end the Sale of the Bonds at the earliest possible is november it is a Safe bet that much of the the deadline for which May have been responsible for the monumental misjudgment on May never see the Light of Day this Donald Nicol publisher John Dafoe editorial Page editor Murray Burt managing editor Rudy Redekop controller editorials my congratulations to the new Canada Post for the unbelievably fast delivery to us of an inaugural first letter addressed to a 24 Sussex getting along with the by Anthony Westell special to the free press Ottawa were talking quite a lot these Days about our image in the United said the Cabinet minis Ter i happened to meet last week on a flight to he explained that he and his colleagues Are concerned not so much about official relations with the government As with the Way in which Canada is viewed from Wall the Well taken his Point was Well after we can negotiate with the govern ment through established diplomatic channels and be reasonably sure of getting a sophisticated and even sym pathetic its not so easy to Deal with an unfavourable image lodged in the mind of a banker who has to decide whether or not to invest in or to influence a congressman who figures that he is protecting his constituents against some damaging policy announced in flying on from Toronto to a Confer ence in the United i found myself seated at dinner next to a senior official from the White natural we chatted about rela and i remarked that As president Ronald Reagan had come to office pledged to improve relations with his Continental he must be sur prised to find that relations with Canada were now widely reported to be in a state of he replied politely Ameri Are the pol test people on Earth that we in Canada had per haps not Given much he was thinking about the National Energy the foreign investment review Agency and so but his answer soon became an Earnest query whats gone wrong and How can we get Back on track the conversations with the Canadian minister and the official gave me an Opportunity to air an idea i Deve loped while spending last year in new York talking and writing about it is commonly agreed that the rules and forms of politics have changed enormously Over the past 10 or 15 under the influence of the mass the growth of lobbies and other attempts at participatory democracy which invite interest groups to join the decision making politicians and governments have adapted to the new rules changed the rules and forms of relations Between countries have changed but governments have been slow to we still depend to a great extent on the channels of quiet and private linking prime minister to external affairs minister to Secretary of Federal department to Federal but1 in much of the relation ship is being conducted in the Media where images Are in groups and lobbies organized to promote Pri vate and in the Legislatures where the foreign policies of govern ments Are debated and May even be than governments Are forced to respond to these outside influences As they conduct relations with foreign but the for eign governments have Little Opportunity to join the Public decision making Here in we debate our relations with the United states and urge Ottawa to follow this or that in the United they debate relations with Canada and put pressure on Wash but the two National debates Are carried on almost in two Soli forum lacking in the conduct of foreign relations Between countries has become More like but we Lack a forum in which to carry on the open Exchange of opinions which is the essence of democratic canadians need a better Public forum in which to explain their Case to americans when a dispute occurs americans need a better forum in which to argue their Case to my idea is that parliament and con Gress should form a joint committee to meet once or twice a or As to examine issues Between our two take evidence and debate such a committee could of make decisions or write nor would it be expected to reach unanimous because the vital interests of the two countries Are not always the same or even susceptible to the purpose of the joint committee would be largely to educate the Media and the because our worst rows arise not from honest differences of National interest but from the minister and the official were interested in the idea they both thought Given the it would be easy to explain to the other the tightness of their Case about the Fira and the id love to see them in losing i would like to respond to a common misconception regarding the years when wage controls were in its latest expression is found in a letter to the editor by Clarence he challenged Csc Vic president Shirley and her opposition to wage with the claim when the ant inflation Board was in her members real in come increased about two per cent a while one must approach criticizing the widely esteemed Barber with some respect and i would like to dispute that Little data is available on the wages of unionized workers alone but what i have been Able to find does not support bar Bers labor Canada publishes a table called Index numbers of base rates under major collective bargaining when this data is adjusted for using the consumer Price it measures How much greater the real purchasing these workers pay cheques was com pared to the numbers Are per cent per cent per cent per cent per cent per cent per the ant inflation Board came into being in late 1975 and did not really get rolling until in since Many of the unions involved were locked into two or three year the effects didst really begin to be Felt until 1977 in Many observe the there was an increase in real wage settlements be fore the which can be seen in the 1976 labor had been demanding that a fairer share of the fruits of our Economy go to those who do the that when the Aib began to take effect after real income took a downward turn which has continued to the present rather than a two percent yearly in there occurred More like a one percent decrease per at the recent National convention of the Canadian Union of Public employ Carr by the Middle of the real wage of Canad an workers had declined by an average of a week per in the corporate profits before taxes have increased by per More than twice the inflation rate of note that Carr was no speaking for her members her figures refer to the entire contrary to the image of a self oriented special interest organized labor Speaks out for the interests of All working whether unionized or Gary Russell researcher Manitoba federation of labor letters the Winnipeg free press welcomes letters from writers must give their name and names will be used and letters Are subject to direction needed we need Alcan in the More important we need a provincial government that could offer a Clear sense of direction to municipalities which have to Deal with the vast changes to be introduced by the establishment of the free press article of october 6 entitled Reeves say policy invites fails to emphasize the poor sense of direction offered to local government districts in dealing with tax Sale characteristics of Gourlay All directions policy surfaced through his initial support for the Sale of tax Sale land by development through his written approval for the Sale of Large holdings to Absentee land owners without the use of the tender system and through the cabinets rejection of the Sale by development the cd of Armstrong May be tend ering 170 Quarter sections of when Alcan May be situated so close ten Miles away Are we to offer Protection to the established farming units which extensively utilize and depend upon the tax Sale lands for grazing and haying purposes can we really say that Farmers in the District have a fair Chance of competing with speculators under the Cabinet policy the 400 Quarter sections of land to be sold directly to Farmers May be affected by inflated land yet the Cabinet policy would Force Farmers to pay these inflated there is need of a Clear sense of direction in dealing with cd tax Sale a sense of direction which would ensure that the existing fibres of our Community Are would ensure proper land use and ensure the development and Prosperity that Alcan May bring upon the on october the cd of Arm Strong passed the following Resolution whereas As it is in the Best interest of the District of Armstrong to promote economic and whereas incentives Are needed to stimulate this be it resolved that the cd of Armstrong is strongly opposed to the cabinets directive policy on the Sale of tax Sale the interest rate of one per cent above prime is excess the Sale of lands to the highest bidder invites speculators to outbid local residents and introduces unprecedented imprudent elements into the tendering further be it resolved that the prov Ince reconsider the District of Arm Strong land Sale which is based on Sale of land by development agree ment subject to waiving interest we need this land development just As much As we need but the Success and Prosperity this Community will enjoy will depend on How Well we accommodate ourselves to the expected Reeve William Halabura cd of wrong Hall contrary to what Burton Cummings told us at his recent Patter sons red barn was on Keewatin not on Mcphillips in future please stick to the Centennial concert the Arena did not do Justice to the wonder Ful sounds that have pervaded your other Sharon love Winnipeg housing costs to obtain More reasonable prices for Why Doest Manitoba add a 50percent to 100percent tax to the profits of such As exists in Ontario this would discourage the leeches who invade us from elsewhere and buy up 30 to 70 houses new Laws Are needed without Loop holes to prevent foreigners from buy ing up our the present sys tem helps the marxist advocacy of discouraging ownership of private new Brunswick offers free interest on second mortgages if one earns below in groups of ten couples Are encouraged and taught How to form which Are nonprofit thus lower interest mortgages can be had from More than houses were built there in this Way with few if any the future opportunities and rights of our children to buy houses and property must be not Cut Mackenzie Winnipeg bankruptcies with regard to the article eight month bankruptcies free september per is one of the richest coun tries in the a recent report shows during the first eight months of this approximately 000 businesses went this is an average of 625 per at a Cost of last year during the same businesses were going bankrupt at the rate of 540 per liabilities to tales approximately personal have increased by what disgraceful figures to have to i Chalk up in the annals of the Canadian on what Are we squandering our and where do we think we Are going every Small businessman has to set up a budget to calculate the Cost of his to make sure his revenues will More than cover his thus keeping his business a growing some time ago it was my privilege to talk to one of our provincial i asked when you became the Premier of your did you find the Job of managing government diff seeing you had no experience in that Field not at it naturally had to be run on a much larger scale than was necessary for my own per Sonal govern ment is run on the same principles As All honest business is was his Are the men we voted in to run our Federal affairs unable to oper ate on the same basis to make Cana Das business just and profitable to the Canadian people somewhere some thing has gone could it be or possibly something worse instead of ignoring these bankrupt cies let us get to the Bottom of things and do away with the callousness of inflicting them on our fellow Samuel Hoffman ;