A6 - Sunday, June 20, 1982 - North Shore News EE editorial page Ee Act fast, or... This month’s property tax notices are putting scores of small North Shore businesses into a_ financial bind that threatens a growing number of closures. In many cases the businesses face in- creases of anywhere from 50% to 200%. In North Vancouver they are being clobbered by the 1982 assessment formula that council chose six months ago to bring some tax relief to homeowners by shifting more of the burden on to the commercial and industrial sector. And under the new school financing formula Victoria is hitting them for a con- tribution to province-wide school costs, not merely those in their own community. Such tax hikes would be bad enough in normal times. Today — battling usurious interest rates and an economy plummeting towards depression levels — many small merchants are already hardly able to stay afloat. This could be the bombshell that finally sinks them. It’s not enough for councils and Victoria to argue that, because 1982 budgets are already being implemented, nothing can be done for another 12 months. That will be far too late for a significant number of small businesses which, unlike their big corporate brothers, cannot simply pass on increased costs to customers. Extraordinary times demand ex- traordinary measures. Every small business that fails and is not replaced deepens the recession, adds to unemployment and reduces the tax revenue anyhow. Small business is the economic lifeblood of the community. Somehow, councils and Victoria must tackle the threat to small business which they have created. Boldly and swiftly. Not this year. This MONTH. Now we know A Dalhousie University study of 2,600 Canadians has discovered the national identity at last: RELAXED. We spend some 119 hours a week on personal needs and leisure, and 49 hours — the lowest of 30 countries and three or four less than the Americans — working at our job and at home. Nice to solve at least one riddle as the economy crumbles! news Display Advertising 980-0511 Allee llamas Classified Advertising 966-6222 news Nowsroom 985 2131 Circulation 986 1337 1139 Lonsdale Ave North Vancouver 6 ( VIM 2H4 Publisher lute Opec h Associate Publisher Robert Caatan Editor in Chiet Noel Wright AdQvortising Uteor tur Tiers begat am General Manage: Administration & Porsonno!l Mrs Berry } 4iltearct Ctreutation Director Produc ton Otro tur tartans AE thes PAR Se reresticreace North Shore Newea foumdodt my SO an a cheng rere sehen ol ent, vere Sap rengp rere meu) cqusestttiesd) casschere Coe Frechiabo UW Fart ih far aye age WW the facume ban Act in quutolintverdd each Woeleonclaay and Ssaeday try Now tt abv breve beresma Lobel carecd feeste ttrestered be. axversy bene Uhre Neo tt SWrore Senco ¢ lans Maal Heo yiotration Nurnitrer $60. Entire contenta 1962 North Shore Free Prese ltd All rights :eserved Syetomc riprtionin Neoeth ard Want ware cnsvern bob pre yan Matte, atoan avaiiatote of ecpros! Na og reel patet , eo eget on Pere ee ere Cay: Ets Te) Oe CC So addr ennad anvathope VE PSE AC Ae SS BES Wed woday > 3 404 Mende,