A6 - Wednesday, October 26, 1983 - North Shore News GE editorial page Moral molehill Point-of-principle purists are having a hey- day of moral indignation over those B.C. Hydro bill stuffers promoting Beautiful B.C. magazine, which was recently sold by the government to a private owner. In this part- icular case we suggest the purists are making a mountain out of a molehill. The critics of the deal argue that Jim Pat- tison’s Mainland Magazine Ltd., the new owner of the prestigious publication which contributes so much to the B.C. tourist in- dustry, should not enjoy a free promotional ride — estimated to save it about $200,000 a year — on the coat tails of a government agency. If Mainland can have this privilege, they say, why can’t any other magazine — or any other advertiser, for that matter — send out promotional inserts with Hydro’s 920,000 electricity and gas bills? Because, we suggest, Beautiful B.C. is a one-time ‘‘special case.’’ Firstly, its transfer to the private sector does not diminish in any way its public value as an important tool of our third largest industry. Secondly, Hydro has been carrying the once-yearly inserts for a long time at no extra cost to Hydro customers. Obviously, the practice should not now continue indefinitely. But if this modest bonus during the immediate transition period can help establish the economic viability of the magazine under its new owner — without penalizing taxpayers or energy users — it ~ hardly seems unreasonable. ; The survival of Beautiful B.C. is as much in the interest of every British Columbian as of Mr. Pattison himself. Legal slump? One can’t help feeling a trifle suspicious about the $75,000 fund-raising drive launched by the B.C. Trial Lawyers Association to fight a proposed no-fault auto insurance scheme which, they say, would eliminate 80 per cent of all lawsuits for bodily injury. Whatever the other merits of their case, that IS an awfully big chunk of business to risk losing! eve VOCOR OF swUETT 6 AreD WEBT YAROUWER sunday news Diaplay Advertising 980-0511 AURA eee Classified Advertising 986-6222 news Newsroom 965-2131 Circulation 986.1337 1139 Lonsdale Ave . North Vancouver,BC V7M 2H4 Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publishe: Robert Graham Editor in-chiet Noel Wright Advertising Director Tin francs Personnel Director Berry tHilbard Classified Direc tor Vsaabrerthe descr y taesars At thes Production Director Coes dot vevesc oe: Oftice Manage: Doonan Caran Terry Peters Y North Shore News bo uided io VOU ao ar UNMeEpeEndanl omierniety Cw my engvere anne) cae settebrescd canveder Soe trescteste UN boat I ba anya ATL tte tncine Tae Act in puthiabed each Wodnendiany and Svaday by Nott Store Heee Proan itd ane dhateitated too every dee on Me Mott Shore Second (lane Mall Haguatiation Number 166° Entire contente 1983 North Shore Free Presse Ltd All rights reserved Swubocciyatione North and Weat varcinsve: $.'* per ye Maiti Ww raloo avatiatio oA coqueat No. a> tag ne re vesetoelity Ae empha ton GLE Se es CT | CC Create ame ctpet aesed pote Epaperm whee ft bed Ce ake cerig pear reer bey a bene ig esd AHH Cree reared eve ete ng ns Member of the BC Press Council bed 64 700 a. erage a MUNA Wodnaaday A cwiedn, Poe —h, Kay SINS THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE Circulation Director Photography Manage: Government bailouts scam THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT blew a cool $34-million in an unsuccessful effort to bail out Maislin Transport. By W. ROGER WORTH There were further hun- dreds of mithons for the auto industry and the likes of Massey-Ferguson. Then there’s the granddad- dy of them all, a $1.4 billion write-off on Crown-owned Canadair, with another few hundred million needed to keep the company afloat. With all this government The road from HlGH NOON in B.C. may arrive just seven days trom now If at does, British Columbians are likely to find life distinctly unpleasant for as long as the shoot-out lasts How anyone's guess lh what ts fashionable these days to call the “worst ease scenario) you Could find yourself next week upable to geet oa vehicle licence, oa drivers een on a martiage thence, unable to sellor pur unable to cross by ferry to the Psbana, chase a house unable to take home a bottle ot any aboobole refreshment If vou happen to be oon wellare you comb Sand yourself «hequeless Shortly after that the buses Could disappear 1CBe res comld shul down frown the streets cdaim cen Phone and The kids closed Hospitals could be coduced (pardon the oniappy pun) to skeleton ser Supermarkets mistallatioos Prepares could ocase se bveoool could be yee Could have peoblems im keeping ap their food storks With 4? shopping days let to C hrastesas thousands of British Columbians lucky chough to be working thas week could suddenly fire themsclyey without a pay pachet Weve tathuig about a full Seatle sttuke by cisah servants and hot cr tts heeds a peonetal stork by other unteosns hos Seapeprenet Ctrean CMICAEN C,AME T teat os whit thre hae long that would be is Goverament bimployees Limion the Solidarity Coal tion and the BC bederation of Labor have promised their fcllow citizens af the govern ment lays off a single one ol ws 1.600 workers scheduled tor the axc next Monday Past Thursday Premucr Beaett hinted that his layott timetable might be modified ietalks with the union proved frusthul by October Vl But with tess than six days of talk how remaining the question iso how far etther side can back off conceding meanthngtully without publicly dcteal If an the end, neiwher side yields oon this paine of the November bo col appears inevitable with you and bt crushed bet ween the two juggernauts chicken hisvon Ome the gencral strik« stage was reached, things could getlooeven rougher Canada’s last general strike OF years ago in) Winnipeg wound up after six weeks with poloe clubs and guns two dead and JO injured Victorias cumorcd to have plans ready fo call an tthe ROMP and troupes if Hecessany foe orpeatentantn thre avulbority ot the clected Rkexcrpment Which bervangs as tan Ma Bennett s second largesse being spread around like confetti, it is perhaps notable that last year’s losses under the federal govern- ment’s Small Business Loans Act have been reported as “‘staggering.’’ The amount of money involved: $11.7 million. There’s more. The story that appeared in many of the country’s mewspapers in- formed Canadians that losses on .the loan guarantee pro- gram, which was designed to encourage smaller firms to expand and create badly- needed jobs, were ‘‘almost double’’ the previous year’s of the slack. It’s true, bankruptcies, receiverships and other business failures have been at near-record levels during the past couple of years (hence the increase in losses on Ot- tawa’s program), yet 150,000 entrepreneurs started new companies in 1982 alone. What’s more, the Cana- dian Federation of Indepen- dent Business estimates there will be another 200,000 start- ups this year. This is a remarkable feat, particularly in mid-recession, and at a time when the na- tion’s banks are maintaining Mainstream Canada losses of $6.8 million. In fact, losses were only 72 percent higher. What’s sad about the story is that Canadians may believe certain headlines, such as the one in the Windsor Star that screamed: ‘‘Bad loans to business bad deal for tax- payers.’’ Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is, the country’s smaller firms are even now creating the vast majority of Canada’s new jobs. While larger companies have been laying off employees and reducing employment, small and medium-sized entreprises have picked up at least some focus Noel Wright option vf talking Carts A snap clection on the single issuc Of who runs Bo The umions? Solidarity? OF the provinces democratically clected representatives” Thats ceally the put issuac today NAKED FORGE May “ HC Bennet a tion man boast gave Mr Vanlens date for a restrame progeam Phone denying the need tor Such oa peomtanms at all ace preethy cdearty in the smaanmority Pecn Be leader Net Ped and Sotidariy hoube Support resteatnt tn poenetal chatms ota Meanwhile (puote iv higher than norma! Canadian interest rates, partially to cover losses on overseas loans. What’s really significant about the Small Business Loans story, perhaps, is that during the past 21 years, Ot- tawa has guaranteed loans worth $2.4 billion to 117,000 businesses and lost only $28.1 million, or 1.17 percent of the total. Compared with the federal government’s billion dollar big business bailouts, that’s a drop in the bucket. (CFIB Feature Service) B.C. to Beirut number of British) Colum bians have questioned certain details oof Mr Bennett's restraint package They've spoken oul loud and clear, as is their might They've very definitely been heard and already, up to a pom, they've been heeded By Hallowe'en it’s possible may be hegdgd even That's one of the um principles on which our system of parlamentary works Hut ultimately i works on a stall more vital principle they more portant democracy The principle that only the Rovermiment chosen by the electorate has the right to gesecrn and that only the cles torate has the right to prevent Wotrom governing, by firing it at the polls Any spectal interest groups thal try on them own to pre vent a duly clected govern ment from governing by the use of naked force to dtsrupr othe lives and live lihhoods oof therm fellow ellison are oto pull very blunth, cnemiecs of parha mentary democracy At the ch of that toad le destina trons tike Berrut and Corcnacda Regardless of sSpecitn issucs and Che ments of those tn Comat over them.) ites tine this polarized province faced up to the meaning of pachamcntary democracy It bfigh Noon is the best answer nent Pucsday brings a December clection west mas be the only sane way to finda bretlee conve