6 - Friday, January 16, 1987 - North Shore News Publisher: Patar Snecs Editor-in-Chiet Managing Editor Advertising Director ene ab Display Advertising 980-0511 Classitied Advertising 986-6222 Newsroom 985-2131 Distribution | 986-1337 Subscriptions 986-1337 SNonh Shore Naws, ed Pi tae tee + /PeIDAY as . 1139 Lonsdale Ave. we North Vanvouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Out Gaby t Nore Wragnt Barrett Fister Linda Stewvart News Viewpoint ] Fired up N THE wake of a potentially disasterous propane fire at a local gas station Sept. 25, city council's planned restrictions on the fuel are commendable. But as with all restrictions it is easy to get fired up and go too far. Quickly imposing incomplete, ineffec- live regulations is not the answer. The propane fire that gutted the gas station il- lustrated the potential hazards when something goes inp jaeusian an wrong. Although no one was injured, next time it Vg might be different. . But moving al! propane sales outlets to an industrial area, aS has been suggested, is perhaps going too far. Propane and other alternate fuels are here to stay and such a move would unfairly hamper the consumers’ access to the product, Public safety is paramount and the recent fire has just demonstrated that some changes are needed. A minimum distance from residential areas is one way for council to tackle the plan. But if council is determined to impose restrictions on alternate fuels, then expert opinion is needed. Council must not be so proud as to assume city staff members, knowledgeable though they are, know all about alter- nate fuels. Any restrictions should be developed in concert With the appropriate bodies that are already in the process of regulating propane and natural ‘gas fuels. But perhaps council could channel its energies into another avenue to see public safety is maintained. It seems the restrictions ensuring that all staff members dispensing alternate fuels are trained need to be tightened. New rules are needed, but council should not try to overstep its expertise. Entre contents 1986 North Shore Free Press Lid All tights reserved 58,287 tavetage READER URGES FIGHT AGAINST APARTHEID vote. And he dismisses clear final resort of the world’s worst tainees are at least 256 children ag- _ provide a half million dollar grant Dear Editor: Doug Collins attacked the In- ternational Defence and Aid Fund in a recent column, condemning former Supreme Court Justice Tom Berger and myself, among others, for our work with that organization. The column was based on the combination of racism and blind- ness that we have come to expect from Collins over the years. Collins believes that it is all right for the white minority to oppress the black majority in South Africa. evidence of economic exploitation, with the income of whites being many times that of blacks. But that is not sufficiently outrageous for him. He claims that “the South African press is the on- ly free press in Southern Africa.’’ This is the same press that is so heavily censored that even state- ments by elected members of parliament must be approved be- fore they can be printed. The cen- sorship is so heavy that the Southern Africa Society of Jour- dictatorship.’’ Collins refuses to be concerned about mass detentions by the gov- ernment. He ignores the move than 20,000 arrested since the declara- tion of the ‘‘state of emergency” in June. He is unconcerned about the head of the teachers’ union, for example, a 65-year-old man held in solitary confinement in’an unheated cell for 41 winter days. And he blusters about other “evil regimes’’ rather than facing up to the South African official ed 15 and younger. Collins’ racism blinds him to the plight of black people in South Africa. International Defence and Aid, on the other hand, has been werking for 25 years to provide funding for legal defence for the victims of apartheid who end up in South African courts. And it has given financial support to families and dependents of those detained and imprisoned. The Canadian government has been sufficiently impressed with for its activities in South Africa. Canadians who wish to help out with their own personal donations can send them to International Defence and Aid, P.O. Box 1034, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario KIP The best answer to Collins? diseased defence of the racist South African regime is to provide assistance to those fighting the battle against apartheid. Larry Kuelin, Board Member International Defence and Aid He excuses blacks from the right to nalists has described it as ‘“‘the . admission that among the de- READER DISILLUSIONED by 5 Dear Editor: Recently the News ran an item under the heading ‘“*Expo Film Shown’’. The Lynn Valley Library would present this film on Dec. 9 which, according to the item, promised ‘‘one last look at Expo through the eyes of dozens of photographers whose works were selected for the official retrospective The Expo Cele- bration. A video of the many slides submitied, etc. ... A subsequent item would now be appropriate under a typical News headline such as Expo Film a Bust. During a ‘considerable delay in getting started, the editor and producer gave informal chats on the pro- duction of the book which would have been an inter- esting introduction had the main attraction lived up to what was promised. Instead, the audience was treated to a short video (1 doubt it lasted more than five minutes) which was obviously made as a sales promo- tion for the book, The film in no way met the expec- tations aroused by the item in the News. Following this we were given a lengthy discourse by the publisher on the risks of book publishing in Canada. | am sure the audience was disillusioned, some to the point of annoyance, at being taken in by a sales pitch. I do not fault the hardworking dedicated staff of the library for this fiasco except to say that, in this in- stance, the ‘‘homework’’ could have been more - thorough. Nor is the News to blame — it only printed in good faith that which it was given in an attempt to publicize the work of the library. 1 think the library, the News and certainly the au- dience deserve an apology from the producers of this “show’’ for misrepresentation as to what it was all about. D.H. Mapleton North Vancouver. the work of the organization to Fund (Canada) Vancouver ICIAL Dear Editor: With reference to Doug Collins’ column Dec. 17, 1986. I too am a native born son, although I am of the easicrn variety who has benefitted from the bilingual and bicultural experience. To- day I, as with most Canadians am continuing to learn from and to grow with the multicultural policies of our land. : We here in Canada smugly and perhaps naively believe in and prac- tise a multicultural immigration policy in what is becoming an in- creasingly insular world and despite bigoted elements among us. We should perhaps all take note of the Christmas greeting to all Canadians from our Secretary of State for Multiculturalism, the Honorable David Crombie which I quote in part: “«.,.in Canada, we share a special sense of family and community, particularly at this time of year...’’ Allan V. Burgesse North Vancouver