6 - Friday, July 26, 1985 - North Shore News Editorial Page idwives provide an invaluable service to millions of women around the : world. But the Canadian medical establishment doesn’t want their experience to benefit pregnant women in this country. And this. has driven the midwifery movement underground to the detriment of mothers and professionals alike. / The rame of the game is compromise. Doctors must learn to work in professional cooperation .with midwives. Midwives offer services, at a lower cost to women who want ence. Health care fees’for maternity cases will decrease. And new moms will benefit from the special care of a midwife in com- bination with the sophisticated care facilities of a hospital. The battle lines were drawn once again in two incidents on both sides of the country. Midwives were investigated after the death of at least one infant in Vancouver and another last October in Ontario. In doth. cases the parents of::the dead child defended their choice of midwives. _ The Ontario court recommended a gov- erning bedy for midwives and ‘cooperation by doctors, nurses and midwives in pre- and post-natal care and deliveries. This is a sensible compromise that must be ‘looked at seriously by all sides. The medical establishment is hiding its collective head in the. sand if it thinks that by refusing to grant midwives any kind of status, they’ll go away. Women today want more say in the birth experience and this means the use of mid- “both.” ve Better not ask! There's a price to pay, it’s been revealed, for exercising your rights under tite Ac- Display. ‘Advertising Newsroom - 985-2131. - Circulation ' 986-1337 Subscriptions 985-2131 1139 Lons ate Ave., North ‘Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 sublisher Peter Speck - Gonerai Manager Roger McAlee a "Operations Manager Berni Hilliard .* Wiairke! 9 Director © Advertising Director - Sales “Bob Graham : Dave Jenneson ' Circulation Director Advertising Director « Admin. ‘Bill McGown : Mike Goodsell roduction Dirvetor Editor-In-Chief Chris Johnson “ Noet Wright Classified Manager hotography Managor Val Stephenson “Terry Peters ~ 2s North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban +. Aewspaper and qualified under Schedule ili, Part tll, Paragraph It of ihe “ €xcise Tax‘Act, is published each Wednesday. Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every door on the North Shore.-Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885: Entire contents © 1985 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. . . Subscriptions, North and West Vancouver, $25. per year. Mailing rates available on request. | No... responsibility. accepted for unsolicited maternal including manuscripts and piciures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Member of the B.C. Press Council 56,245 (average. Wednesday Friday & Sunday) SN"s SDA DIVISION THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE Midwives needed @ more intimate, personalized birth experi- ° wives and a safe environment. They can n have cess to’ Information Act or the Privacy — op Act. AE saad seek information from oes 980-0511 | Classified Advertising. 988-6222 . Mailbox Dear Editor: An editorial in the North Shore News of Sunday, July 14 concerning. an in-camera hearing ‘of the Press Council is worthy of comment. It is - only once in a while that someone raises a protest, in print. or in . conversation, against some hearing before - a Board or. Tribunal, - re. ‘Human. Rights or. whatever, held behind closed doors. ““Ht-is ‘not: right,” says the “ someone. “‘It-is contrary to ‘the principles © of |: British Justice to hold sectet-trials.”” One. fears however.. that . many Canadians will ask, or will silently wonder: ‘This is Canada... British Justice, what's that?”’ The answer: The holding’ _ of public trials of alleged of- fences of every nature is vital ‘if we are'to retain,:or indeed if we.are to win back, the liberties of. our citizens. The principle and the practice of open trials was accepted and Quit the Dear Editor: Thank you for adding that new TV Guide to your Fri- day edition. This addition has finally released me from being required to buy the Friday Vancouver Soleil every week just for their TV guide, And now that Les Bewley is being set up for the axe just like Doug Collins was some time ago by the same Vancouver Soleil editors, aided. by the professional screaming Left, the time must be ripe 1 am sure to obtain the good Judge’s col- umn also..I am sure that you cannot but help agree that adopted from the then prevailing laws of England by the United’ States over 200 years ago and faithfully ‘followed since. It has been a vital part of all the laws of all British’ Commonwealth jurisdictions since their for- mation (not so faithfully followed by some of them in recent years, including B.C.) It is British Justice. That’ 3) what. Said'a Lord Chief. Justice of England, ‘some 50 odd years ago, quoting from Bentham, a renowned English philosopher and jurist of the early 19th cen- . tu ry: . “‘In the darkness of secrecy sinister interest and | evil in every shape has full swing. Only in proportion as publicity has place can any of the checks’ applicable,’ to judicial injustice operate. Where there is no publicity there is no justice. Publicity is the very soul of justice. It the Vancouver Soleils’ sacri- ficial editorial of July 13, 1985 will end Les Bewleys career with that fine left- wing garbage wrapper! If 1 still have your atten- ‘tion would you please editorialize the REAL reason why the North Shore News continues to remain associated with the B.C. Peace Council (that should read ‘Press’). it is beyond my comprehension as it must be with many of your readers why you continue your masochistic member- ship with an organization so dedicated to pandering to the Left. With the lines so clearly drawn by your stance Press Council! ANY ACTION AGAINST. TERRORISM HAS 1) BE WITHIN THE: BONDS OF CMLIZED CONDI... keeps the judge . himself, while trying, under trial."’ And, quoting. from Haillan, a celebrated authori- ty on Constitutional Law: . “Civil: liberty. in this kingdom has two direct guarantees: the open ad- ministration of justice ac- cording to known laws truly interpreted, and fair con- structions of evidence: and the right of Parliament, ‘without let or interruption, to inquire into, and obtain rédress of, public grievances. Of these, the first is by far the most indispensable, nor can the subjects of any State’ ‘be reckoned to enjoy a real freedom where this condi- tion is not found both in its judicial institutions and in their constant exercise.”’ In the name of human rights, or ‘‘doing good’? or. economy. or expediency, abetted by the ignorance or indifference. .of- our legislators and the apathy of for honest journalism it is ridiculous for your paper to remain a member. It is rather like being a member of the Conservative or Liberal Party(s) and believ- ing that they are not iden- tical in intent with the NDP or like ilk. If you are waiting to be guided by your readers then ] would like to be the first to recommend that you withdraw from the B.C. Peace (darn, did it again — should read Press) Council and leave it to the screaming Left. They deserve it, we don’t. Geoff Fenton North Vancouver Justi ce can't be ; secret those not, yet affected, we are being deprived of the - British Justice we thought we: were defending in two Great Wars. David I. Mathieson West Vancouver Independent candidate — says thanks : Dear Editor: I would :like to thank my friends who-supported me in my campaign for election to the Board of Directors of the. Hospital Society,’ with special thanks to Maria George for her assistance. Although 1 received far fewer votes than the other candidates, this. was. not unexpected. Labelled as an independent candidate, it was obvious, and in hind- sight predictable, that votes from supporters of pro- choice or pro-life would not de available to me. I have no complaint with this, and in a democratic society such as ours, this is as it should be. 1 would like to offer my con- gratulations to the four win- ning candidates and look forward to their future con- tributions to the success of our hospital. Finally, all members of the Society, and the citizens of the North Shore, should be thankful for, and ap- preciative of, the four former Society Directors who, for the past 3 years, have freely given their time and energy to Lions Gate Hospital. Ruby Schulstad, R.N. North Vancouver kind