PAGE A2, THE HERALD, Thursday, May 12, 1977 P.C. Conference d TORONTO (CP) — Governments at. various levels came under attack Wednesday when critics from the public and private sectors set out to analyse ‘Canada’s economic ills. Nearly 30 speakers from across Canada and abroad presented their views at group discussions and “in speeches at a one-day economic conference titled Window On Tomorrow and sponsored by the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. W, 0. Twaits, former chairman of Imperial Oli Lid., said government bureaucracies complicate economic issues, He said Canadians have been increasingly reminded they are living beyond their means, but a more realistic description would be that governments at all levels “have been living beyond the means of Canadians.” Noting that Canada has the largest foreign debt— $48.5 billion—of any coun- try, Twaits said taxpayers are faced with enormous rates of repayments. “This is a debt that requires the repayment in principle and. interest charges of nine-to 10-per- cent a year. “At these rates, for every $100 borrowed, you are paying back $200 in interest and principle over the normal term.” Neil Reimer, national director of the Oil, Chemical OVER PIPELINE _and Atomic Workers in- ‘ ternational Union, said it is a national disgrace that one million people in Canada are unemployed. Reimer, chairman of the Canadian Labor Congress, said the public has become critical of institutions that normally are relied upon to provide jobs, He said a particular concern’ of the labor movement is the slow growth in spending on housing. He also criticized the government for not setting up a national energy policy which he described as the corner stone to producing jobs. “The federal government has failed dismally—as Gas Companies Clash WHITEHORSE, Yukon (CP) — The two companies competing for federal permission to build a nor- thern natural gas pipeline clashed Wednesday at the opening of a public inquiry into the proposed Alaska Highway line. Jack Marshall, Canadian Aretic Gas Pipeline Ltd. lawyer, immediately jumped on a Foothills Pine Lines Ltd. statement that it has applied to construct only one express pipeline through the Yukon. He suggested that Foothills might be planning two lines and said its. in- tentions should be clarified before the three person inquiry, established by Ottawa last month to study the social and economic aspects of the line, proceeds any farther. would follow the route of the Alaska Highway. Marshall said there is evi- dence that Foothills might wish to connect this line. with one from the Mackenzie Delta as an alternative to building a. Mackenzie Valley line. Such a line would traverse a large part of the Yuken and would follow the yet-to-be-completed Dempster Highway that eventually will connect Whitehorse with Inuvik in the Northwest Territories. ONE APPLICATION: Alan Hollingworth, Foothilis lawyer, said the company has only one ap- plication before the energy board and has no intention of applying for connecting lines, There was nothing to be gained at the inquiry by speculating what lines might be considered in the Arctic Gas has applied to future, the National Energy Board te build a Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline that would have an Alaskan gas connection through the northern Yukon. That plan received a set- back Monday when the Ber- Zer,.. Mackenzie Valley pipeline inquiry recom- mended no construction in the northern Yukon and said the valley line should be delayed 10 years. Foothills has proposed a Mackenzie Valley line with no Alaska connection and a separate line to carry Alaskan gas south via the southern Yukon. The latter CANADA | NO DUMP LONDON (CP) — Canada, is determined not to become the nuclear garbage dump of the world, says External Affairs Minister Don Jamieson. . Jamieson told reporters’ Wednesday that some countries have suggested the wide open spaces of Canada and the U.S. would be “a nice place to bury” atomic wastes that might otherwise be used‘ to produce explosives. He did not name the countries which had made the suggestion. On the general question of Canadian uranium exports, Jamieson said he wants to obtain interim safeguard agreements with Britain, West Germany, Italy and Japan to ensure that such shipments will not be used to produce nuclear weapons. The interim arrangements would cover the period until such time as the seven-country summit leaders can agree on per: manent _noen-proliferation controls. +] Elections VANCOUVER (CP) — Elections held by a province-wide mail ballot have named three Van- couver nurses to top offices of the 19,000-member Regis- tered Nurses’ Association of British Columbia. Holding office for two years will be: president Sue Rothwell, a University of B.C. assistant professor of nursing; first vicepresident Stephany Grasset, a Van- couver public health nurse; and second vice-president Lois Blais, a head nurse at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. He said he might well ask if Arctic Gas is planning any new proposals considering its “recent setbacks.” Inguiry lawyer Stephen Gondge said it is relevant for the inquiry to get what -evidence it' IN QUEBEC Even the paving done in QUEBEC (CP) — The Quebec human rights _ commission has rapped the provincial government and Transport Minister Lucien Lessard for issuing a di- rective requiring that road workers huve a knowledge of French. In a scatement Wed- nesday, the commission said the language order was discriminatory because the ‘jobs involved generally do not require that a person speak French. The order, issued last month by Lessard, affects 7,500 summer employees who cut hay, fill potholes, paint signs and perform dozens of other maintenance tasks along the province's highways. . “As drafted, the directive may be applied in such a way that Quebecers of different ethnic origin¢ and immigrants not speaking French can find themselves denied jobs for which knowledge of French is not essential,” the commission said. ; Lessard had said it was normal for a government to demand that its employees speak the language of the majority— French. FOR CERTAIN JOBS The seven-member rights. commission said it accepts that ‘people involved in public administration needed to know French but argued that ‘for certain jobs, the use of a language is not essential or = even necessary.” But it is usually sufficient to understand signs to execute raad jobs, the commission said. The commission also _ noted that 14.5 per cent of Quebec residents use English on a daily basis and another five per cent use neither English nor French, including many ' native ople. “The state must therefore make sure that immigrants, Quebecers of different ethnic origins and native French people have access to mporary jobs where the French language is not es- sential or even necessary... BE DISCRIMINATORY “To proceed otherwise would be to practise discrimination against an important part of Quebec’s population.” Lessard’s directive has caused anxiety among Englishspeaking Quebecers in the Gaspe and western regions of -the province where men who had worked for years on road gangs have been denied jobs: he- cause they did not speak French. The commission said it is. pursuing inquiries into particular cases referred to it. Commission vice- president Maurice Cham- pagne has already criticized the government for exempting the proposed lan- guage charter from sections of the provincia! human rights charter banning discrimination according to nationality, race and language. turn te. TURN TO US - WITH CONFIDENCE MacKays Funeral Home Pheéne 435.2444 Terrace, B.C. Serving Kitimat - Association oy SHOE HUT SHOE HUT SHo VANCOUVER (CP) — Dr, Bob Evans of the British Co- lumbia Energy Commission says that schools and colleges offer a “great potential area for energy conservation in B.C. be- cause they account for a third of the commercial floor space in the province. Evans told the Northwest Prospectors and Developers convention Tuesday that many studies had shown energy savings of 20 per cent or $15 million annually are possible simply by changing the way in which school and college heating systems are operated. pil HUT. OHS SHOE HUT its patchwork SHOE HUT of provincial and sectional agreements, may be faced politically that existing separate tructures of regional economic association could developmentare inadequate be developed which would meet the needs of all with no real problems.” 8 and the approaches are not coherent.’ He said particular efforts f ire Quebec wants to go its own separate way in its own interests, an Nothing could be further should be directecd toward from the truth, he said. . the ‘Atlantic provinces and “In my opinion, we should eastern’ Quebec, where start from the simple economic conditions are premise that there will be no relatively weak. John Robarts, former winner in this game,” Robarts said Quebec’s Ontario premier, said he was committed intention to disheartened by, such - separation means that suggestions and by what he Canada will never be the had heard recently about sameagain, as various sides minimizing the economic bargain for better positions, results of Quebee’s proposed “There is no turning separation from Canada. back,’ he said. ‘We arenow “Tt must say that I am committed to some form of somewhat appalled by the different Canada than we easy assumption that if have known so far.” NATIONALLY Socreds split. OTTAWA (CP) — Social Credit Leader Andre Fortin reports suggesting h tried to dispell impressions Wednesday that his party is split on the estion of Quehec independence. The party's 10 MPs, all from Quebec, believe in preserving Confederation, Fortin said at a news con- ference. | However, he conceded for Bellechasse, said news negotiating with the Liberals to join that party were false. ASKS FOR RULE n Lambert asked Commons Speaker James Jerome to rule on a motion asking the government-owned CBC to clarify its news reports on Lambert’s alleged Liberal that Rene Matte, member for courtship. Champlain, believes that Quebec should he in- dependent. Fortin said he respected Matte’s views but at the same time said separatists could not be part of the Social Credit party. Matte’s views have been known for several years, Fortin said. He said the party believed the current constitution is unacceptable and must be changed. The party would Jerome promised to rule on the motion later. Other Social Credit MPs have also denied reports .they want to join the Libera: party because of Fortin's alleged move towards pro- separatist sentiments. Jean-Pierre Goyer, supply and services minister, said Tuesday tha half of the Social Credit members had approached the Liberal party. ; Fortin said he asked his remain in Parliament to work colleagues about their towards that goal. WOULD VOTE YES Earlier this week Fortin said he favored a sovereign Quebec in economic union -with .Canada. and that -he ‘would “vote “yes”’ in” the Quebec government’s prom- ised referendsm on in- dependence unless a more attractive alternative than the status quo is offered to Quebec. Speaking Wednesday, ‘Fortin said he hopes Quebec is not placed. in the position of choosing between the status quo and in- dependence. But he refused to clarify his position on what action should be taken if only those two alter- natives were before the Quebec people. Fortin said his position is the same as former leader Real Caouette, who died last December. Caouette sought seif- determination for all provinces within a federalist system, Fortin said. . Earlier in the Commons Wednesday, Adrian Lam- bert, Social Credit member SHOE HUT SHOF possible defection and they all said they planned to remain in the Social Credit rty. Leonel Beaudoin, member : fer Richmond, said he plans t stay in the party although about half of the members: do not share his federalist views. . ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CP) — Dr. Yves Brunelle, a St. Francis Xavier University professor, has translated an _anthology of French- Canadianliterature that will be published next fall, He has edited, translated and written the Introduction for French Canadian Prose- Masters: The Nineteenth Century. The edition is com- posed of 20 selections by 15 authors, ‘WESTERN HOME FURNISHINGS 4501 LAKELSE AVE. TERRACE will be closed Mondays until further notice. abs IMHIOHS LNH-JOHS 1 and pick up your FREE SKATEBOARD ENTRY FORM some eeni =! eek