PAGE 4, THE HERALD, Wednesday. April 12, 1978

EDITORIAL
What’s $11.5 Billion?

Government, in a democracy, is said to be a
“Servant of the People’. Contradictorily,
government is also expected to “‘lead’’. This
paradox is supposedly resolved by the ex-
planation that we, the ‘people’ are expected to
elect “leaders” who will ‘“‘serve” us. °

Inthe process, it amounts to something akin to
children electing their own parents, and then
paying them handsomely for parenting them,

with the Stipulation that the minute they.

disapprove of the parenting job, they will kick
them out, stop their high salaries, and choose
another set of parents who will please them
more. Even though the elected, salaried parents
may know what is best for the children, if it
means displeasing them they would not dare
insist upon it for fear of being “fired” — and
losing their high incomes. ’

Monday ‘night’s budget contains deficit
spending amounting to $11.5 billion dollars. It is
almsot impossible to comprehend what a figure
of that size really is in relationship to the in-
dividual taxpaying citizen.

$11.5 billion dollars, according to Monday.

night’s ‘news, is more than the entire budget
amounted to when Prime Minister Trudeau took
office ten years ago. Another “statistic” handed
out was that ten years ago, the per capita
national debt amounted to $40 per .Canadian.
Now (hefore this new debt) it is around $800 per
person. By our reckoning (without a calculator)
Monday’s budget adds an extra amount of over
$500 that will be owed by every man woman and
child in this once prosperous land, for a total of
over $1300. And that is just to the federal
government. Additionally there is th per capita
debt owed to the provincial government, and the
per capita debt owed to the local government.

What is the answer — if there IS any answer?

Well, for one thing perhaps is is not too late to
demand a halt to uncontrolled deficit spending.
No government should be allowed to pile up
increased debt upon debt for future generations
to have to repay.A maximum figure should be
set beyond which the national debt is not allowed
to rise — and we should force the government to
stick to it. ~ ;

The cabinet post of “Minister of Finance”
should not be a “political plum” to handed out at
whim by a prime minister.

It should be a full time, permanent post to be
filled only by the most highly qualified “‘financial
wizard”, with an impeccable record, that the
country can find. And there should be constant
checking on his hartdling of the nation’s finances
by the Auditor General — whose annual report
should be given far more serious attention than it

‘gets at present.

Perhaps, though — equally important, is the
fact — the necessity, rather, that Canada, as a
nation, stop looking to the federal budget as an
annual “giveaway program”, whereby those
proups with the biggest “clout” get the biggest
handout in order to keep the politicians who
make up the government, in power, -

“Gimme, Gimme — or I won’t vote for you’’ is.

all too.often the voter’s chant to the politicians,
every time election time draws near. And the
politicians, nervous over their job security, give
more and more handouts — until the “pot” is
empty. Worse still, the same fear prevents them
from admitting “THE POT IS EMPTY” — so
much so for years now, they have continued to
hand out largesse by borrowing, heavily, more
and more, until we are dangerously near the
point where the interest on the national debt will
surpass the national income, and a state of
national bankruptcy will have to be declared. |

To sum up. The national (and provincial and
federal) budgets are ‘“‘serioys business’’, af-
fecting our taxes — and those our children and
grandchildren will be forced to pay for,

We should not allow budgets to be used as
political expedients. Budgets should be taken out

of the hands of the politicians and given into the P°

untouchable possession of skilled fiananciers
who can say to the politicians — ‘'Here’s how
much money you may safely spend this year;
you cannot spend any more — no matter what!”
We must also be more mature in our thinking.
Politicians should be chosen on their ability to
govern well, NOT on their popularity. Elections.
are too much like Hollywood awards — with
politicians getting elected because of their good
acting performance and P.R., rather than their
common sense, academic training, and proven
ability. But then — would that be Utopia?
Well, we've got a federal election coming up, it

seems, any time now. With the looks of it, .

perhaps a provincial election too, Here, then are
two opportunities we will have to do better than
we have done in the past. Let’s go!

TERRACE/KITIMAT

daily herald

General Olfice - 635-6357 *
Circutation - 635-6357

Published by
Sterling Publishers .

PUBLISHER...Don Cromack .

MANAGING EDITOR...Ernest Senior
REPORTERS...Donna Vallieres (Terrace- Thornhill)
REPORTERS...Scott Browes (Kithmat-Kitamaat)

Published every weekday at 3212 Kalum St., Terrace,
§ 68.C. A member of Varified Circulation. Authorized as. §

second class mail, Registration number 1201. Postage
paid In cash, return postage guaranteed.

NOTE OF COPYRIGHT

The Herald retains full, complete and sole copyright
In any advertisement produced and-or any editorial or
photographic content published in the Herald.
Reproduction Is not permitied without the written
permission of the Publisher.

Letter to
the Editor

Thornhill
trying for
S.P.C.A,

For those of you who
are interested in the
welfare of the abused
Irish Setter who was
chained day and night on
Mark Avenue, the
S.P.C.A. representative
(after several futile at-
tempts at locating the
owners) seized the dog
and placed her in a foster
home, The former owner
was very abusive
towards the S.P.C.A.

representative and also |

towards some neighbours
whom he wrongly sur-
mized had reported the
dog. That, at: least, is one
happy ending.

Its not a secret that
Thornhill has a dog
problem. You can see
dogs running in packs
nearly: everywhere you
go? Probably the most
frequented areas are the
schools. Dogs: love kids,
or more to the point, the
food kids eat. Lf a child
isn't willing to share with
the hungry animal, well,
who knows what the dog
might do? Dogs who are
left running breed mgre
dogs who will also be left
running and from there
you have trouble. When
the dogs are hungry
they’ll attack nearly
anything. That includes
YOUR kids and YOUR
livestock.

The S.P.C.A. is run by
one man, strictly on a
volunteer basis. This mar
holds down a full-ime

’ job, so his time to spend

with the abused and free-
running animals is
greatly limited. His
Territory covers from
Kitimat to Hazleton and
nearly.to Prince Rupert,
plus all the outlying areas
in between. He has no
facilities for holding and
earing for animalsnor
has he the manpower
needed for ‘pursuing
animals, So now we see
why Thornhill has such a
problem, -. oo
There is a very strong
possibility that the
S.P.C,A. will help
financially to open up a
branch in| Thornhill,
However, this means
some interest from the
public. For anyone who is
interested in seeing an
S.P.C.A. building here
please phone 635-2750 or
635-9680. From there we
will arrange a meetin
with the S:P.C.A. and ai

interested parties will be -

asked to attend, and offer
whatever suggestions are
needed to insure that we
have some contro] over
dogs and other animals in
the Terrace. area: This
community has a terrible
reputation for gettin
excited over an issue an
then dropping it. Lets
really get to gether on
this issue that is so im-
rtant to so many of us
and see it through to the
end. , . .

TODAY IN HISTORY
By THE CANADIAN
PRESS
Anti-Communist
volunteers landed in
Cuba at the Bay of Pigs 17
years ago today—in
1961—in an attempt to
overthrow the Castro
government,
reports were optimistic,
but survivors of the force
of 1,-200 men surrendered

within a few.days and

were ransomed a year
‘later for medical and in-
dustrial supplies. The
failure of the operation
broke up the united front
of the revolutionary
council in the U.S. and
ended the dominance of
the CIA over -Cuban
refugees. In Cuba, politi-
eal arrests increased,
and all political parties
were amalgamated into
one state organization.
1524—Giovanni da
Verrazano discovered
New York Harbor,
1790—Benjamin
Franklin, U.S, statesman
and inventor, died.
'1918—William . Holden,
actor, was born.
1942—Sqn. Lar. J. D.
Nettleton led an RAF

bomber raid . on’

Augsberg, Germany and
won a Victoria Cross,
1970—The __ troubled
Apollo 13 spacecraft
landed in the Pacific.

Early:

One swallow doth not a Summer make, nor one
swan upon one lake. Nor one robin make a
Spring-But GEESE-now tats a different thing!

ae,

Four Canada Goose flying over Highway 16 by
West End grocery store, Monday morning.

Letters to
the Editor

Dear Cliff: .

I would like to take this
opportunity to tell you
how much we enjoyed
having the Terrace Pup
Reps participate in gur
Qsoyoos Pup Fiesta
Tournament,

As: we indicated in our
closing ceremonies, they
definately became the
Cinderella team in our
tournament. The
behaviour of the boys and
parents was excellent
and everyone commented
on the orderly manner
and composure the'hoys
had anywhere they wen
in our town.

The town is still talking
about their presence and
1 would like to pass their

‘edmments on to you what °

wonderful ambassadors

: they were for the Terrace

area, We were very proud

to have them in the town..

I am also enclosing a
clipping from our paper
which I am sure you
would like for your
records.

Yours very truly,
Paul Hisenhut,
Tournament Director.
P.S. Also I would ap-
preciate if if you would
put this letter into your
paper. I would write them
direct but I do not know
the name of your paper
nor their address. I feel
that this praise is
warranted and feel that
your towns people should
know how much we ap-
preciated having them
participate ‘in cur tour-
nament, , :
Paul,

Briefs

MAN KILLED
LYTTON (CP) —
RCMP said Monday a
man was, killed early

Sunday when the car he
was riding in left the

road, and plunged down a_

20-metre cliff, has been
identified as Robert
Munro, 27, of Toronto,
Police said Munro was a
passenger ina car driven
by Bruce Fergusson of
Edmonton. Fergusson is
in good¥condition in
hospital."

MAN IDENTIFIED
ESQUIMALT (CP) —A
scuba diver .who died
Sunday after. diving near
Pender Harbor on the
Sechelt Peninsula was
identified ‘Monday as
Allan Nichols, 39, of
North Vancouver,

George and Janet Conclusion

A couple'of days ago we told a true story of

_ George and Janet. .

You may remember it. George, a highly
skilled technician, because of a wrong
prescription had suffered irreparable kidney
damage. He and his wife Janet learned to
operate a home dialysis machine at St. Paul’s
Hospital, Vancouver, which they installed in

their fifth-wheel trailer in Prince Rupert and he :

was able to resume his employment. They then
returned to Montreal. Later, while on dialysis,
George suffered a stroke, which paralyzed one
half of his body. He was learning to cope with this
double disability when, a few months ago, he had
a heart attack, followed by two more. Despite
this, George, faithfully and lovingly cared for by
his wife still was able to “live with it”, bravely
and cheerfully, a

Then, last weekend, we learned from Janet the
doctors had just informed her George had bowel
cancer.

“That'’, Janet had said, “Just about does it,
With kidneys, there was always the chance of a
successful transplant that would enable George
to lead a normal life. Physiotherapy was helping
to adjust his life style to the the stroke damage;
his heart attacks — George could even learn to
live with his heart condition by following doctors

Report From Ottawa

QUESTiUN ON A FEDERAL ELECTION

Federal election speculation isso evident these
days, it overshadows day-to-day responsibilities
of Parliament. Rumours circulate and dates are
circled and opposition parties chafe and balk in
greater measure. ;

One person and one person only knows the date
of the next federal election. He is the Prime
Minister. He will call the people to the polls as is
his sole perogative, .

Since the press and public are convinced of an
upcoming election, I think it is timely to discuss
certain aspects of a campaign that will affect us
|| - ‘

-The Prime Minister will dissolve Parliament
and an “election writ” will be issued. The
election will be held sixty days after the writ is
issued. oo . .

-During the campaign, constituency problems
will be handled by my office in Terrace at suite
305, 4722, Lakelse Avenue, 635-0139. Mr. Peter
Jones is my assistant at that office.

-My constituency office in Terrace, it must be

noted, is not a campaign office. If. you wish to
become involved in any campaign, please ‘
consult local political party headquarters.
_ -Radio, television and newspapers will be filled
with political advertising, now very carefully
monitored, in the case of candidates, through the
provision of the Election expenses Act, -

-This act will also ensure equal spending
between political parties (roughly 30 cents per
constituent).

’ -As a result of redistribution, there will be 282
ridings to be contested in Canada -— up from 264.
The four Western provinces gain nine seats in
this new arrangement, providing 77 seats alloted
to “the west” as compared with 75 in the
province of Quebec, clearly. an indication of the
changing population bases in western provinces.

-As a result of redistribution, the riding of
Skeena becomes a little smaller. Is eastern

orders. But bowel cancer?... there's nothing we

can do but wait.”

Well, we learned this morning (Tuesday) that
George and Janet’s wait had ended, Sunday, in
Montreal, when cancer claimed yet another
victim, os

We are not telling this story just to be morbid,
newspapers. :

April is Cancer Month; the month the
Canadian Cancer Society makes its annual
appeal for funds. As we said in Monday’s Herald,
when the Cancer Drive comes to your door,.. or
office, give as much as you can. More than that
~— encourage your sons and daughters, husbands
and wives, friends and relatives ~— to get into
Cancer research — to help come up with that
much needed cure. “Nothin is more urgently
needed,

Russia is launching one new nuclear sub-
marine every 60 days; the U.S. has been spen-
ding billions on neutron bombs — all this costing
hundreds of billions of dollars — on destructive
weapons capable of killing millions... like cancer
does. Perhaps Canadians can spare a few
millions on reversing the process. Finding a cure
for the most dreaded killer of them all. Cancer
Next to mankind. that is.

am

boundary is flow roughly 10 miles east of
Smithers. A number- of communities including
Topley Landing, Telkwa, houston, Burns Lake,
Fraser Lake, Fort Fraser, Vanderhoof and
Prince George will beome part of a new riding
called Prince George-Bulkley’ Valley.

FEDERAL BUDGET PROPOSED

At time of writing, the new federal budget has
been announced for Monday, April 10. I will be
speaking to many of you in the coming weeks
about items in the budget which will affect you,
and will gladly supply material on new tax and
spending proposals. -

The last federal budget was presented on
March 31, 1977, and contained major tax breaks
for corporations and provided increased funds
for. make-work programs.

If you have. any questions on the above or any
other matters, please feel free to write to me.
Also, in the comin, y weeks I expect to see many of

you, and we can discuss various matters at that
AmMe..

TENDERS CALLED FOR WIAH POINT

. FLOATS

Tenders have been called by the federal
government for the renewal of the float at Wiah
Point. The project involves replacement of
existing log floats used as a refuse harbour, and
work is expected to take about five months.

When completed, the new floats will measure |

974 square metres. Existing dolphin pilings,

shore anchors and chains will secure the “-

structure in position. Tenders close April 13 and
it is my hope that local businesses will benefit by
successful bidding on this - project.

These arejust a few of Central Mortgage and’

Housing Corporations very helpful programs to
get you started this spring. Please feel free to

write to your nearest CMHC office for further -

details and help-with yourparticular housing
situation.

ort" appeal, to ‘bleeding Hearts| or ‘to:sell