PAGE 4, THE HERALD, Thursday, September 14, 1978 TERRACE/KITIMAT _ daily herald General Office - 635-6357 Circulation - 635-5357 PUBLISHER - Laurie Mallet GEN. MANAGER - Knox Coupiand CIRCULATION - TERRACE - Andy Wightman KITIMAT - Pat Zelinski KITIMAT OF FICE 632-2747 Published every weekday at 3212 alum Street. Terrace, B.C. A member of Varitied Circulation. Authorized as second class mail, Registration number 1201. Postage pald in cash, relurn postage quaranieed. Published by Sterling Publishers NOTE OF COPYRIGHT The Herald retains full, complete ancl sole copyright In any advertisement produced and-or any editorial or photographic content published in the Herald. Reproduction is not permitted without the written permission af ihe Publisher. Ottawa Offbeat by Richard Jackson Ottawa - Assume that the federal govern- ment’s cost-cutting intentions are genuine and that it Intends putting them through Parliament as It must before they can become law. Assume the restraint program’s sincerity and it is still valid to wonder whether they can be put into actual working practice. Given approval all down the line, from Treasury Board through Cabinet and Parliament - not an easy process - the spending cuts in the various departments and agencies can only be made if the determined and skilful apposition of the public service is overcome. Each department has a vested interest in its programs - prestige and especially jobs are at . stake - so it is inevitable that strenuous efforts canbe expected within the public service to blunt the cutting edge of the government's spending axe. This can easiest be accomplished - as former Prime Minister Pearson once recalled from his days as a departmental deputy - by diverting the money saved into different spending channels. Alwaysquick fo react in its own protection, the public service may even now have started this rechannelling. For example, in Vancouver, where a square- block $100 million project was planned, indefinite delay or even cancellation, in the name of restraint, is possible if not probable. In such a likely eventuality, officials of some federal department branches on the west coast are reported to be quietly scouting for alter- native - improved and therefore most costly - accommodation in the private rental market. That way, the Public Works Department gets to took good by saving the $100 million on the projected office complex it now may not build. But the reverse side of the coin is That ’sincé the federal staff must be accommodated somewhere, then other departments which were to have occupied the Public Works bullding will be putting uut for rental money. A short-term saving, perhaps, but rent over a perlod of years, as the government discovered in Ottawa, can mount up rapidly. , That is why the accommadation policy was changed some years ago from renting federal office space to having the Public Works Department bulid the accommodation. Public Works construction now delayed, ~ without argument, brings an apparent im- mediate saving, but would cost more later. The fasiest and most éfficient way to stice government spending is to reduce the public service. And It can be done practically without pain. Some 20,000 retire or leave the public service annually. , So it should be easy to reduce the ranks sub- stantially without resort to heavy dismissals or even layoffs. _ This is so since the largest figure so far mentioned in the shrinkage of the public service ts 5,000 jobs, and those spread over ihe next two years. This is so since the largest figure so far mentioned in the shrinkage of the public service is 5,000 jobs, and those spread over the next two years. Government spending cuts currently are assumed to be in popular _—— favor. But more than the public service has a vested interest in government funding. included in those with a stake in the federal treasury are influential groups in education, the arts, medical, cultural, socia! and research fields. Cut off or reduce the federal funding in any of these and some other similar activities, and immediately there are some very influential forces behind-the-scenes at work to water down - or wash out - the projected saving. The government apparatus has become so vast with so many interlocking interests, real restraint or even control Is difficult. So don‘t lock for miracles. Construction booming — The value of building permits issued to date within the District of Terrace was reported to council at $6,357,302 up some $1,826,000 over last year's figures. Of course the largest permit (actually permits) issued was to the new Skeena Mall, however the value of dwelling units so far this year is listed as $2,141,732 as compared with a figure of $452,000 at this time last yeer, which would indicated that Terrace is growing quickly in populalion and many more private family dwellings are being built. The figures are actually a little skewed since the construction of the B.C. Hydro plant and offices accounted for almost $4,000,000 of last year's figures. ; There have been 161 building permits issued (his year, compared with 107 al the same lime last year. ¢ ¢} Eomanton SOURNAL . THOSE Two ceurenir WARM UP To Ente OTHER \f THEY WERE CREMATED TOGETHER _ we so oestnt FOspieiL pc ‘ial “They’re fighting over which one wants peace more. ” Trudeau could delay election CALGARY (CP) — Prime Minister Trudeau could legally delay an_ election until July, 1980, but that would only happen “if the government took leave of its senses,’ says Senator Eugene Forsey. An election at that time would be held a year later than most Canadians expect. . The last federal election was held July 8, 1974. Elections traditionally are’ held every four years and many erroneously believe that law requires the government to renew its mandate within five years of wirining office. “Nothing says they have to call an election then,” said John Forrester, an assistant to’ chief electoral officer JeanMare Hamel in a telephone interview from Ottawa. : The timing of federal elec- tions is regulated only by two sections of the British North America Act, Canada’s con- stitution. Section 20 reads; ‘There shall be a session of the Parliament of Canada once at least in every year, 50 that 12 months shall not intervene between thelast sitting of the Parliament in one session and its first sitting in the next session.” Section 50 reads: “Every -House of Commons. shall continue for five years from the day of the return of the writs for choosing the house (subject (o being sooner dissolved by the Governor- General), and no longer.” The writs referred to in section “50 are legal documents signed by the Governor-General which are sent to the returning officer in each constituency when an election is called. The writs instruct the returning officer in each riding to hold an election to choose a member of Parliament for the next uession. ’ TAKES THREE WEEKS. Tt normally takes about three weeks after election day for ballots lo be officially counted and the writs, showing the names of win- ning candidates, returned to the chief electoral officer. Writs for the July, 3, 1974, electio were received by July 3L, 1974, from all ridings. sThis means the current ses- rion af parliament will cease to exist July 31, 1979. Bul if Trudeau allows Parliament to sit until it expires on that date, he is not ‘tervene” legally required to call an election immediately. He is buund only by Section 20 of the BNA act which says “12 months shall nol in- : before the next session. An election may legally be held on any date, which would make it possible for the next parliament to sit by July 30, 1980, Allowing three weeks for the return of writs and 60 days needed to prepare for a vole, this means Trudeau could legally delay an election call until May, 1980. Forsey, a polilical scientist. and constitutional expert, said while delaying an election would be legal, it would not be likely, “It could happen if the fovernment look leave of its , Senses.” Competing in empire building | OTTAWA (CP) — Canada has little hope of pulling out of the current crisis of Confederation until some way is found to stop the federal and provincial gov- ernmments from competing in empire-building, the Senate- Commors committee on the constitution was told Wed- nesday. The federal government has failed to recagnize this problem in its constitutional reform package, Richard Simecn, a political scientist from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., said. Simeon said he doubts anything useful will come of the committee's debale as jong as senators and MPs focus on minor details, such as (he way Supreme Court justices are appointed, and ignore the fact that the whole polilical system has become unworkable. “Tt is essential that any constitutional revision directly ecancern itself with the relationships between governments,” he said. Simeon said the power and stalus of the federal govern- ment have declined since Confederation while that of the provincial governments, especially Quebec, have increased. This had led the federal government to struggle to convince people it is the country-builder and must be strengthened to maintain nalional unity. At the same ‘time, provincial governments were telling their con- stitutents they alone under- stood the complaints of the regions and the federal government’s efforts to intrude into their territory. should be resisled. He said the public sees only the lip of the iceberg of this conflict. “Deliberations tend to be secretive. Public ac- countability is rendered difficult.” He called on the govern- ment to scrap its present appruach to constilutional reform and abandon its announced intention to make certain changes in the . constitution over the ab- New method of thinking VANCOUVER (CP) {magine, for a moment—if you had a perfect memory, a limitless ability to con- centrate and could organize your time efficiently— just how much farther ahead you would be. Tony Bezan of Vancouver thought about it—all the way through = Kitsilano High School, the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University—and eventually developed a new method ... of thinking. Buzan wrote a book on his methods called Use Your Head, which has since been adapled as a_ regular television series of the same name in England. He now spends much uf his time travelling the world teaching his courses to executives in a wide variely of companies, inciuding Britlsh Petroleum, Barclays Bank and IBM. PRODUCTION IN- CREASED Although he says the benefits have been less tangible with the larger companies he has worked with, Buzan says executives’ efficiency increased up to 10 times under the influence of his thought methods, Buzan said in a recent interview here thal thinking , is just like swimming. “Once you've learned how you're ukay, but it’s easy to get oul uf shape,” he sald. Buzan’s methods include a number of techniques, one of which is a non-linear style of taking notes. The messiest holes, Lhe ones that are all over the page with arrows and drawings, are probably the most ‘“informationally- neat,’’ he says, “Why should you take linear noles when your mind is not thinking linearly,’’ he said. 7 The efficiency of our minds can be affected by many things, he says, such as fatigue, environment, Ume of day and biorhythms. Buzan said thal 95 per cent of what we knuw aboul the working of, the brain has been discovered within the last 10 years and the knowledge we have about the different functions of the left and right side of the brain is an oeven =o more _—srecent discuvery. DRUNK ON CEREAL GENEVA (AFP) — Many Swiss tows have been drunk for two years as a result of the drought which affected Switzerland in 1976, the newspaper La Tribune de Geneve said Wednesday. Because of the drought, hundreds of cows were fed cereals, slocked in silos, which had fermented, Many af the cows often failed to walk straight. Understanding the brain's two sides can help to identify an embalance in ourselves, says Buzan, and will also help teachers encourage a jections of the provinces. He also advised government officials lo forgel the July, 1979. deadline announced in June for the enactment of changes to the Supreme Court, the Senate and the monarchy and the enshrine- ment of the proposed charter of human rights and freedoms, He recommended instead that the federal and provineial governments negotiate the ‘order of priorities for constitutional amendment. ; . The first order of business should be for the two levels of governments lo define the: “federal bargain’—-which governments are to have which powers, ‘ balanced development in students. Buzan’s course usually takes two or three days to complele, Preliminaries to | federal election OTTAWA (CP) — They are nothing more than preliminaries to a general election bout sometime during the next 10 months, but Oct. 16 byelections in 15 vacant federal ridings will likely be foughi by a full card of candidates. Political parlies have drawn teachers, ac- countants, mayors, engineers, businessmen, broadcasters and lawyers away from their jobs and inlo the ring to contest the seals. By Oct. 2, when nominalions close, Liberals, Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats expect to have a candidate in each riding, even though the seats will be reformed and Lhrown up for grabs again by next July when Prime Minister Trudeau must call a general election. When the 15 seals were last contested during the July 8, 1974, general election, Liberals took seven, Con- servalives captured six, the NDP and Social Credit each won one, But campaign sirategists say it is almost impossible to predict the oulcome of the byelections. Voters often change their polling-day tterns when they know their ballots can't defeat or elecl a government. Party planners say they expect thal to hold true this time. Trudeau could lose alt J5 byelections without sacrificing his majority in the 264-seat Commons. It is unlikely he would have gone ahead with the votes had he not been backed into them by his reluctance {to call a general election. He set the Oct. 16 date for eight of the byelections last Mareh 1, when he and his Liberal party were toying with plans for a summer general election. _.- - From the Opposition TORIA - The merger of Pacifle Stage Lines wive Vancouver Island Coach Lines will result in further deterioration of public transit in British Columbia, Charles Barber. New Democrat MLA Victoria, said recently. , ; tone merger, which will create anew company called Pacific Coach Lines was announced by Municipal Affairs Minister Hugh Curtis earlier is week. ' " Barber, the NDP transit critic, said, “The plan is objectionable on many counts, especially: In that It will result in the laying off of 145 people. Barber sald, “Mr. Curtis has fold these people they will be absorbed elsewhere. To be blunt, | don't believe him. No ane else does, elther. “A year ago, when the B.C. Buildings Cor- poration was set UP, employees of the Public . Works Ministry belleved Socred promises that they would be absorbed elsewhere in the system, Two demonstrations later, they now realize the Socreds have betrayed that promise.” Barber sald he does not belleve Social Credit claims that Vancouver Istand Coach Lines and Pacific Stage Lines do nothing but lose money. “There Is good reason to believe that the government has cooked the books,’’ he sald. “We suspect B.C. Hydro has done it with transit. lam informed that Cooper, Lybrand Accountants have now been hired to examine Hydro’s strange costing practises.” Barber said he suspects the government “has employed the same bookkeeping tricks to make the bus lines look as bad as possible.” Barber said Curtis ‘can’t pretend VICL and PSL charter and sightseeing operations are losers and at the same time try to sell them as good deals to business. Socred logic that attacks these operations as losers on the one hand and sells them as winners on the other Is simply fraudutent.”’ An independent audit of the two compantles should be made before operations are sold, Barber said. “The audit must examine costing and charging practises, particularly as they include overhead. The audit must cornapare these practises with similar procedures in private companies and must be made public.” Barber said the Opposition wants a written guarantee by Pacific Coach Lines of commuter services equivalent to those in operation today. “X| am deeply suspicious that merged service will mean reduced service and higher fares.” Barber said: § object to the double standard applied to Vancouver Island transit systems. If Mr. Curtis applied the same financial fests to a Rail, that system would be shut down in a jay. “4 believe that profits In charter and tourist service should be used to subsidize losses in commuter service. That was how the previous government saw it. That was the balance planned for. After the Socreds are finished, private transit will make all the Profits. Public transit will suffer al (the tosses.” _ Barber said, ‘1 condemn, the-government for selling off another public asseti