A6 - Sunday, August 29, 1982 - North Shore News Pro conscience This Wednesday (Sept. 1) the annual meeting of the Hospital Society will highlight once again the ongoing abortion battle between Pro Life and Pro Choice supporters to elect directors of their own persuasion to the Lions Gate Hospital board. Both sides present strong, well reasoned arguments which thoughtful society members planning to vote on Wednesday should weigh as objectively as possible. In view of the large number of abortions carried out at LGH and the fact that ap- plications are rarely, if ever, rejected, it's hard to refute the Pro Life contention that the existing law virtually assures “abortion on demand” there. Given today's permissive attitude towards sex, especially among young people, it might even be said that abortion is becoming a substitute for con- traception. There's also the moral question of the sanctity of life: if a developed fetus can be destroyed because it'sa nuisance, what about euthanasia for the ailing aged who become nuisances? Pro Choice adherents, on the other hand, insist on a woman's right to decide what happens to her own body. In a world rapidly becoming overcrowded they question the morality -- and even the humaneness -- of producing unwanted infants, conceived in lust as opposed to parental love and possibly doomed to a childhood of deprivation or suffering. Moreover, they argue, {Mlegal kitchen-table abortion would always con- tinue anyhow, often at grave risk to the ‘mother's life. - We respect both viewpoints and are certain of only one thing: abortion is not an issue to he settled by politicking -- but solely by the conscience of each individual voter. Poor? What, you? Think you're hard up? Better check. Latest StatsCan figures show only one in seven Canadians officially living in poverty. In the city that’s now set at $8,970 a year or less for singles, $11,835 or less for couples and $18,243 or less for families of four. If you belong anywhere in the other 85%, cheer ap -- Ottawa says you CAN'T be poor! sunday news north shore news 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver,.8.C V7M 2H4 Display Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom Circulation 980-0511 986-6222 985-2131 986-1337 Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Robert Graham Edittor-in-Chiet Noel Wright Advertising Director Tam francis General Manage. Administration & Personne! Mrs Bern: Hillard Circutation Director @nan A Eths Production Director Rich Stonehouse North Shore News, founded m '968 as an Independent Community newspaper and qualified under Schedute M@ Par it Paragraph Mm of the Excise Tax Act i published each Wednesday and Sunday by North Store Free Presa Ltd and distrfnited to every door on the North Shore Second Class Mal Registration Number 3886 Entire contents 1082 North Shore Free Press Lid All rights reserved. Subecriptions North and Weat Vancouver $270 per yom Matling ratos avaliatito on request No reaponaittity accepted tor unaided maternal mi tiding Mmanuecepts and pi tures with ahiondad be accompanied by a stamped ackd eased envetope VERTED CART ULATION 63 8985 Wedneeday 63 404 Sunday aN THIS PAPER 1S RECYCLABLE Postal ‘service’ - it is to laugh By W. ROGER WORTH There's little wonder Canada's beleaguered smaller firms (and many larger companies) are angry about the country’s postal system. Consider what's hap- pening. While virtually every small business has been forced to lay off valuable employees, Canada _ Post continues to operate as if the economy wasn't in trouble at all. Few posties have been laid off, even if the volume of mail going through the system has plummeted. Simply put, there doesn't appear to be anyone with even a midocum of common sense at Canada Post. Postal rates were in- creased from 17 cents to 30 cents per letter (to pay for high wage settlements and benefits the posties received as a result of being given the right to strike), yet no one considered that mail volume might drop. It did. The reason: people found it cheaper to deliver their own bills. When that happened, Post Office President Warren and his management minions stepped in with new regulations. Now, a new Mainstream Canada What's more, postal workers are undoubtedly the highest paid semi-skilled laborers in the country, at least a cool $23,000 per year, which is more than a lot of en- trepreneurs earn in a mediocre year. This year, though, a great many smaller operators will lose money, if they aren't bankrupt or in receivership. Meanwhile, Canada Post President Michael Warren (a steal, they say, at $150,000 per year), ts frittering away $200,000 an advertisements telling the public how great the postal service is getting. It is to laugh. OPEN SEASON for local polidcans has started carly this year, launched in North Van District by Mayor Don Bells confirmation of his early retirement two months before the November municipal elections, with Ald. Baker im- mediately emerging as front runner for his job. Marilyn. who is personally cndorsed by Don, topped the alder- manic poll last ycar when she returned to the civic scene after a two-ycar sabbatical partially spent sailing the Greck isles -- a tribute to her carlier four years on council. The fact that she's also scooped community movcr-and-sha- ker Derek Immapm to be her campaign manager shouldn't hurt, cither. Sim Ball is still pondcring whether to challenge her. if so, whether to do it as an independent or as o banncr bearer for the emergent right. wing Taxpayers Association for Good Goverment (TAGG). 9 or whether just to run for a further term in his aldcr manic pew Decisions decistons. decisions Meanwhile = also retiring Ald. Peter Powell winds up definition of a letter gives the Post Office a monopoly on virtually all written communications in the country. Even hand delivery of an invitation to a child's bir- thday is punishable. Indeed, Canada Post views are so stagnated that both management and union members seem to believe the rest of the country exists to keep them in the manner to which they have become accustomed. An innovative new product, for example, allows electricity meter readers to print out and deliver bills as they make their necessary rounds. Such a nifty item doubles productivity, allowing two jobs to be handled in one call. Yet Big Brother Michael Warren and his government supporters claim such productivity gains aren't allowed. The bill must be mailed. If Warren and _ highly- placed bureaucrats in other sunday brunch by Noel Wright in a blaze of instant glory as interim mayor for nine weeks after Don departs to tend the image of the store that has a little bit more. Over in West Van, where Mayor Derrick Humphreys is cxpected to seck a third term, the three aldcrmanic seats to be vacated by retiring council veterans Dos Lanskafl, Bob Hicks and John Humphries will be up for grabs and the rumor mill is already grinding in high gear Among likely contenders watch for British Propertics Homeowners president Doe Griffiths, former Hospital Socicty president Ken Brace and transplanted Burnaby ecxz- alderman Sim Merctler — and those are just for starters Stay tuncd At a more cxralted level, reputable crystal ball gazcra aco West Van's MLA, Ae tormey General Allan Williams, departing the political scence to don the robes of a fcderal judge. In which case don't be sur prised if school board chairman Mark Sager squarcs off against a local Liberal retread at a lively nominating convention by the West Van Socreds. Winning the Socred nomination in Tiddleycove, remember, automatically makes you an MLA at the next election... A SPECIAL BOUQUET to Mias North Shore. Kerry Hamma, on being chosen “Miss Congeniality” in last week's province-wide PNE beauty-n'-braina contest Kerry won the North Shore crown in June, competing in the Miss North Shore Pageant as Miss Westlynn Mall... And talking of bouquets, it was champagnoe- and-confetti day yesterday for former B.C. Liberal leader and North Van MLA Gortoa Gihron br. when he tied the knot with Kilby Day... FOLKTALES: New leader of BC ‘s 5,000 (whew!) Icgal beagics ta lawyer Merrill Leckie of West Van. clocted 1982-63 president of the Canadian Bar Association. BC Branch He picks up the gavel Sept! Only Canadian (among hundreds of applicants) to be selected to attend the United World College of the Adriatic Sca tn Elaime Kerr of Grade 11 at governme nt departments can't understand such money-saving propositions, . it’s perhaps significant. After all, the Posties, among other civil servants, have shunned such cost saving measures for years, even with their high salaries. It’s a pity. (W. Roger Worth is a feature writer for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.) Sutherland. financed at the institution — one of five UWC's which She'll be include Pearson College, Victoria — with a two-year scholarship valued at $10,000 p.a.... Still on the school beat, provincial government scholarships worth two grand apicce have been won by Andrew Cheng and Kevin Colbow of Sentinel, by Gaido Marziall of Argyle and by J8I Mitchell of Sutherland... Meanwhile, West Van education director Ron Feawick now parle francais comme un vrai Colombien Britannique after returning Wednacsday from a gruclling two-week French immersion course’ in Quebec, with instruction sometimes lasting up to 14 hours a day... Congrats to Diamme Keunedy of North Van on the two awards won by her “Westcoast Rhap sody” in the PNE Horse Show... Parcwell to Efleon Shockley, West Van's community health surse since 1978, who leaves next month -- the Seniors Centre hosts a thank-you tea for her Sept. 13. And get-well cards to West Van Legionnaires Dong Can- wright and Howard Firty, both back home after recent stinta at LGH WRIGHT OR WRONG, Tact is the art of building a fire under people without making their blood boil