A7 - Wednesday, April 14, 1982 - North Shore News

Pe rane ox EE

School board should heed restraints

Dear Editor:

School Trustee Kilian
refers to a “tight budget”,
whatever that might mean,
when he describes the 1982
North Vancouver School
Board budget. The increase
in the operating budget of
the school board for 1982 is
in excess of 16% while the
drop in student enrolment is
almost 8%. This amounts to
an increase in cost of
educating each pupil of
almost 25% at a time when

inflation is running at 14%.
A few years ago the school
board recognised that’ an
attainable guideline for an
increase in budget was the
increase in the consumer
price index plus 1.6%. Had
the board kept the guidelines
for this year the taxpayer
would have been saved three
million dollars.

Mr. ihan, an educator
himself, and his fellow
trustees saw fit to award

their teaching staff an in-

Bonfires don’t
REALLY pollute

Dear Editor:

Your paper carried an
article about some person
appearing before District
council to complain about
outdoor burnings, stating
that children and. older
people have difficulty in
breathing on such days.
What sheer nonsense.

I have tended bonfires for
over 60 years. It's an ex-
cellent way to dispose of
cuttings from rose bushes.
fruit trees and ornamentals.
The ashes provide a bonus in
the form of potash which is
good for your garden soil.

If this person 1s really
concened about pollution,
she should devote her energy

to arousing attention to the
fact that pollution comes
from automobiles, trucks,
boats, planes, oil and gas
burning furnaces, fireplaces,
chemical plants, factories,
pulp mills (what a horrible
stench), oil  refinieries,
smelters, etc. etc. and etc.
That’s just into the air.
Consider also how our water
and land is being poisoned.
It won't be too long before

everybody will have = dif-
ficulty breathing.
Forget about the = in-

finitesimal amount of smoke
from a bonfire. Be con-
cerned about real pollution.
K. Hutcheson

North Vancouver

Doctors can choose

Dear Editor: a

Concerning Dr. Marlene
Hunter's letter of March 24,
delayed abortions are the
patients’ fault. She states
that the only reason abor
tions are done late in a
pregnancy 1S because
abortions are “requested”
late (after 12 weeks) in a
pregnancy Does this mean
that there 1s) abortion on
demand. early or late, at
LGH” Are the doctors not
pro chorce? Cant they
choose not to do fate
abortions”

P_A. Clarke
North Vancouver

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crease of 17%. How many
other unions outside of the
schools, colleges and
universities can claim to
have won awards of this
magnitude for their mem-
bers this year? As well as
awarding very generous
wage settlements to the
teachers, these same trustees
have also seen fit to continue
to reduce the pupil/teacher
ratio in the school system,
thus employing more
teachers for less pupils. The

North Vancouver. School
system now suffers from a
surfeit of teaching staff and
large bonuses of up to one
full year salary plus five
years fringe benefits are
being offered to those taking
early retirement, in order to
bring the numbers back to
respectability.

The government restraint
program condemned by Mr.
Kilian allows an increase of
12% for his school board
budget for this year. In-

Garbage volunteer?

Dear Editor:

I agree with Alderman
John Lakes that a five-man
delegation to a World
Conference on Garbage
Disposal is redundant.

If the Municipal Engineer
attends, a justifiable ex-
pense, and needs company |
suggest he call for a

volunteer to also attend this
unpleasant trip and effect a
saving of $10,000. This will
show us, the taxpayers, that
council

undertands’ the
words restraint and fiscal
responsiblity.

Brenda Davie
North Vancouver

flation is expected to run at
about 12% and the decline
in enrolment is expected to
continue. If the government
restraints program is to
affect the future school
board budget to the degree
thought possible by Mr.

Kihan, the taxpayers of
North Vancouver are in sore
need of such restraints on
the proposed ex-
travaganees) of the North
Vancouver School Board.
Ernie Sarshield

North Vancouver

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