Ao - Wednesday, October 5, 1983 - North Shore News BE editorial Not all black The ‘‘tenants’ blacklist’’ planned by a Mis- sion entrepreneur to help landlords in qualify- ing rental applicants is clearly unacceptable in its present form. But the basic idea is not en- tirely without merit. There are bad tenants as well as bad landlords. It is hardly unfair to suggest that a good landlord should have the same right to acquaint himself with the past performance of a prospective renter as any merchant has to run a credit check on an unknown customer. Moreover, in the landlord’s case, a prospec- tive tenant’s record (if any) in respect of damage to property or activities obnoxious to neighbors is just as important as the ability to pay. With an irresponsible, destructive or unruly tenant the landlord may risk much greater financial loss than the rent itself. The flaw in the scheme, as originally pro- posed, is that tenants would have no access to their files and, therefore, no chance of correc- ting false information about themselves. This obviously leaves the system wide open to abuse. Victoria is wisely insisting on some govern- ment regulation of such schemes, especially as regards access by individuals to their own files. We suggest three other conditions. Firstly, as with credit bureaus, list GOOD tenants as well as bad. Secondly, destroy the records of bad tenants who later mend their ways. Finally, include data on good and bad landlords. Properly regulated, an operation like that might provide a valuable service to both par- ties — with the advantage over the Ren- talsman of saving much grief in advance. Enter laughing Walking on Brighton beach shortly before the British Labor Party overwhelmingly chose him as its new leader last weekend, smiling Welsh orator Neil Kinnock fell into the sea. ‘‘Damn tide came in. I bet it wouldn't happen to Maggie,”’ he grinned, wringing his sodden clothes. We like the sound of him. What's needed most today is more politicians capable of laughing at themselves. 118 VOCE OF COUNTY ase” WERT VANCOUVER sunday news north shore news 1139 Lonsdale Ave . North Vancouver BC V7M 2H4 Display Advertising Classified Advertising Newsroom 980-0511 986-6222 985-2131 Circulation 986-1337 Publisher Peter Spec Associate Publisher Aobert Graham Editor in-chiet Noel Wrigint Advertising Director Tarn ber earvcs Personne! Director Mrs Berm Hillard Classified Diroctor Ussaaboerttes derrvcui gs Circulation Director Bian A Eths Production Dtrector CoNets Jobrersscote Office Manage: (orien Caramiedy Photography Manago: Terry Petors North Shore News founded ie FC UOH an ar idepecdent oonencanntty Hew sypeageen and) cpaatifiesrd andor Sy techie WM bart We bear age mage thf tthe Pecime Tan Act on puta each Wercituanciany sweck Soanedeny try Neo tt ‘etree Fee Heese cll carved Meeste avated les ervey tener ce the Noel Shore Second (inns Mall Hoygitiation Number 3445 Entice contents 1083 North Shove Free Preae Ltd Ali rightea reserved Subecriptons Nott and Weel van ouve: $.5% por yoa Mating tates avallatlic oa co quest Ne TOT Mg oe eed abet y we ep bered) Hoge ach. these! cuvaptess et tee Fee Mey Pe ae Cag eee gone He spete abun Foote bed Loe ae eetip rene eesed fo, a ateserygoesst WHT ON ED Ce wert apse Member of the BC Press Council coat | 94 700 iaveraye Wodnenday & ortay: Ke Gu ly THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE MAINSTREAM CANADA A Thanksgiving ‘turkey’ By W. ROGER WORTH THE BUREAUCRATIC con game goes on. The latest ina long list of learned reports, surveys, analyses and other multi-million dollar govern- ment marvels that purport to tell ordinary Canadians what we should be doing or how we should be living, is given - ve, something called ‘‘Part-time Work in Canada - Report of the Commisssion of Inquiry into Part-time Work.’’ A former federal Labor Minister, Charles Caccia, says in the introduction: ‘‘The views and recommen- dations expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of Labor Canada’’ (or, hopefully, the government of Canada). Nevertheless, it was the federal government that ap- pointed a lady named Joan Wallace to lead this multi- million dollar investigation into the state of the nation’s part-time workers. While Ms Wallace’s title of Commissioner is impressive, the 218-page report is such a turkey that, with proper basting, it would make a nice centrepiece for the Thanksgiving repast. The basic problem, and it is fundamental indeed: neither Ms Wallace nor the highty paid academics, pro- fessionals and other experts she hired to produce the ponderous tome have any real understanding of the small business sector, which is the sector that will be af- fected most if any of the report’s recommendations are accepted. Indeed, these smaller com- panies that are even now pro- ducing most of the country’s new jobs, are also the firms that make the greatest use of part-time workers. Yet time after time, the Commission studies use Statistics and averages that relate to large firms and organizations. The writers, researchers and Ms Wallace herself seem to care less about the problems their recommendations will create for tiny manufacturers with 8 to 10 employees, or even the couple that scrimped and sav- ed to operate a corner store, page ee with the help of part-timers. So it is understandable that smaller firms and the people they employ are going to suf- fer badly if any government legislates the report’s recommendations. For example: © Administration costs for smaller firms will rocket if Ms Wallace has her way. The amount of red tape and paper-burden will grow dramatically as companies are forced to comply with new government rules and regulations. ® The principle of equal pay for work of equal value, which Ms Wallace supports, may seem reasonable to an academic. But in practice, who decides what jobs are equal, or unequal? Should a part-time clerk filling in for an employee with 10 or 15 years of service to a small business receive the same rate of pay for the several weeks he or she may be needed? Ms Wallace con- tends such decisions would be made by some form of ‘‘auditor.’’ Another expen- sive bureaucrat to oversee what the rest of us are doing. Nevertheless, Ms Wallace’s report includes one good sug- gestion: ‘‘The federal govern- ment... should do away with mandatory retirement to enable older workers to work part-time.”’ Such a suggestion is a move in the right direction, and it’s about the only good thing in the whole report. 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His aim: an annual compila.- tion of all natural events of significance on carth and in the heavens. That's still the backbone of the book, though today with much more added In monumental detatl the Calendar pages and astron omical sections record the predictable dathy movements of the sun, the moon, the planets and stars, the tides and even metcors -- together with special days, holidays, religious feast days and the annivetsanes of every major happening in modern history The Almanac’s hottest feature, however. is its long range weather forccasting which now, tn a special sup plement. covers Canada voast tO coast as well as the tos Admittedly. the publishers hedge then bets by describing thelr weather predictions as being of the “lkely to hap pen tgpe, based on ‘a vareful observation of nature s ways a human subject to cetrror, oof whatoits interpretation, human real Nevertheless with ka viroament Canada regularly windisg up with cag on its focus Noel Wright face in less than 12 hours, one cannot help adaucing the chutzpah owith which — the confidently forecasts a hot spell the third week of next July in southern B ¢ with Aimana, temperatures otherwise about 1 5) degrees € above normal and little fain cxpected Its worth buying the venerable ycllow pocketbook just for the fun of keeping fabooon tts meteorological score month by month REQUIRED READING Aside from that, the sced planting tables and the mass of farmyard tore, the Almanac offers wit) and wisdom galore for just about everybody. Among scores of other items it teaches new uses for soap and everyday trash. It advises how to battle headaches) (including the hangover variety). It explains why we're still breathing the same air as Christ and Plato, what milkweed will do in your garden next spring and how to make your own stove top oven You'll learn the probable sex of babies born on January 14, 1984 The best ume to go fishing in May off the Massachusetts coast’) And why. on a clear day, the far thest you can see is 3 2 miles You'll be warned about laws still in force that fegulate) your kissing = a tivities, require a husband to have written permisson from his spouse to buy a bottle of lquor and entitle your wite to kek you off the bed without giving reasons You'll be cautioned about ways to increase your chance ot death by one in a mulbon (try 40) tablespoontuls of peanut butter) And regaled with the story of the dog that picked seven Kentucky Derby winners in a row For a mere $175 1 don't see how anyone can afford to face TYR4 without the Almanac out owas made required treading by all those bigshots messing around with our lives, | suspect 99 per cent of our problems would be solv ed overnight