AO - Sunday, January 23, 1983 - North Shore News EEE editorial pagc Se | ) Porn logic Last week's uproar over Playboy porn on pay-TV, with nationwide demonstrations by outraged women’s groups, raises some in- teresting questions about democracy and “censorship”. First Choice, one of the three pay-TV channels starting in February, plans to offer its purchasers late-night weekend skin flicks. The channel says there is some significant demand for such programs, and that nobody needs to watch them who doesn't want to or -tsu't paying for them. First Choice’s logic sounds fair enough — up to a point. degradation of women on the tube is okay provided it costs $16 a month to view is open to other forms of logic. Many people — probably a majority — regard such material as liable to encourage real-life sexual abuse and cruelty on the part of certain sexual deviates who may take pleasure in it. If they are right, the matter becomes one of the public interest, which in tarn poses the question of whether video porn, whether on pay-TV or cassettes, should be classified with other criminal aberrations. The obvious parallel would be drugs, on which most countries crack down with severe penalties to safeguard the public imterest--against. the -dangers. of widespread usage. It makes no difference that addicts pay for their drugs. The fact is that any civilized society has to protect its majority with rules that some of its minority dislike. To what extent can the growing cult ‘of video pom claim to be exempt from this principle? Proud West Van Education Minister Vander Zalm’s “report card” on school districts puts West Van students of all grades right at the top of the class. It speaks volumes, too, for West Van teachers. That won't ease the tough problems presently afflicting the school system. But at least it gives West Van trustees, taxpayers and teachers a reason for proud cooperation, rather than frontation, in tackling those problems. con- sunday news Display Advertising 980-0511 whe wishes to . ren a oOnyMous comes Mis north shore Classified Advertising 966-6222 larcwell to Roberta Read: Newsroom 985-213) "A famol f eebeheas ; cep ps ohar gure rT -_ a os Se coes Son sdald a! Avenuc” oberta’ hens her 1139 Lonsdate Ave North Vancouver 6 C V7M 2H4 highly decorated black Publisher Peter Sood h Associate Publisher Rober Graham Editor in-chiet Noe! Wright Advertising Director Tam berancis Personne! Director Mis) Barn Hilhard Circutation Director faaan A bE ths Production Directo: Office Manago: Photography Manager Cin Johoson Donne Cae analy Terry Peters North Shove News fonmaod mn 1 WO as an ide peandent oC Oonmensceuty, everwvtgpenpver carved cqacsiftevd) canadien Soc Prechute I beat MM Paragraph Wot the taciwe lan Act om puthisthed cach Wednesany and tnmdny by Nortt Swe Fee Brome Ltd aed cnetettsted too every Chor On Me Nott Shore Second Class Mal Reqyiotratian Nurmte: (445 Entire contents 1082 North Shore Free Proses Lid All rights -eserved Sutacnptions North and West Varennes 8 prere yore Mahi fates ovalalto of rocuiast Ne ao capt re vel vabst We ap etesst bon ee er TANTO a ee ee ey sete bap fee THEE WT OST te oe Tae Te ER sarge f meter tae gta age VE PP OE Ch 1b LA ATION 64 9043 Wednesday %4 09) Sunday SIN: THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE Nevertheless, the contention that sexnal - By MICHAEL WALKER T.S. ELIOT in his famous poem, “The Wasteland” reminds us that the world ends with a bang and not with a whimper. It has always struck me that this was a very profound insight not only on the human condition but also on the general development of human institutions. Thus it ts that fundamental ehanges tn society often occur in gradual minute Slices rather than a way. A recent development in Ontario is a profound movement of this sort which has received much less attention than it deserves. The Ontario Labour Relations Board in a majority decision has ruled that political campaigning by trade unions in the work- place is not protected under the Ontario provincial law.- In other words, employers will be able to prevent union members from canvassing for pohtical purposes in the workplace. This is a major block to a canvassing plan launched by the Canadian Labour Congress as one of the key elements in the trade union campaign to support the New Democratic Party. The history of the in- volvement of the labour movement with politics has not been a@ good one and, in my view, is one which will not serve either the interests ONE OF A’ KIND: January 3. iness, On after a lengthy one of the North Shore's most colorful residents passed over the Great Divide 1 use the term with respect because I have a feelhng the lady heracit would have approved of i From a North Van neighbor cowboy hat and furtnmmed coat in open tocd sandals no matter what the weather. with cnormous plastic clutched tp Mnged hands unforgetable sight “She got a huge chuckle about the folks who would atop and stare oat ber and hkhed to tell of the young man who stopped dead in his tracks on seeing her ap proach and toudly caclatmed Are you for real? But was oa and tree spit who dressed to please he mcif bags her much be wits an ahe tare and not to attract attention Witha great love for animats and the out-of-doors she could be seen dathy walking ber dogs in Mabon Park Its Quaint lady an hes cocentre chothes with oa booming vote that belied her slight franc wasn fheonest gentle aod ¢aeving person She was in lady of keeol ota aed wat anne of the labour movement or the development of effective political institutions in this country. The pnncipal evidence on this score anses from the Bntssh scene where the Trade Union Congress and the Labour Party have been intertwined for many years. The consequence of this inter-marmage has often been unfortunate and one of the offspring is undoubtedly the “British Disease’’. However they. may characterize their position in society, unions do _ not represent the total interests of the citizens of a country and, as a consequence, will often favour policies which are opposed to the public interest. AS Lady Barbara Wootton, a Labour Peer in the U.K. House of Lords, a a Q put it some years ago, “It is the business of a union to be anti-social, the members would have a just grievance if their officials and com- mittees ceased to put section interests first.” In other words, it is the business of unions to serve the specific interests of their members and not to serve the public interest. A particularly glaring example of the conflict between the pubhe interest and the union interest isto be found in the Labour Party's support for many years of 4 ; policy to underwrite the effects of labour’s attempts “to raise the wages of union members. Excessive wage demands which cannot be fulfilled are underwritten by an inflationary monetary policy to the general “Smoking, non-smoking or trying to quit?” sunday brunch by Noel Wright overwhelming generosity. A {mend to many restauran- teurs and shopkeepers in the central Lonsdale area, she will be sadly missed With her passing a little of the hghter, fun sade of hfe, a ude color, has been lost to the community .~ In other words, the world might be a micer place with a few more Roberta Reads around ROBERTA READ...a colorful lady A dchghtfal impeccable Paghsh from 19 year ofd fon Namiki who thanks Canada is 7 letter in avery nue country with beautiful Immense nature and would lowe to have some ( anadian pen pals ¢ age and sca dont matter) Bas hobbies hard pom hosed cc dane alo ruses reading sports bis address Motoohashs |} 1S 6G Lotsuaha ec ku, Yokohama, 247 JAPAN Your chance to plug in painlessly to BC's Pacific Rim future “PIPE DREAMS”, an exambu of tobacco and tts misguided users through the ages, opens Wednesday at the North Shore Museum, 209 West 4th, North Van, with free admission 1-4 p m wood doh thru Sunday “A a, Crea Sellar tol ob serve the Muse aan s NO) SMOKING notices HITHER AND YON: Employers Council preside at Bill Hamilton who mildly shodk the North Van Chamber of Commerce Thursday with his “Canada on the skids” speech predicts Joe Clark will win a 786-63 per cent leadership endor se iment thas week tn Lory elder Hamitton Winniperp statesman Dieflenbaker's piostmaste: general back tn the days of the flve cent stamp should know Lady lawycr Virginia Beirnes sy pone back to her ofd beat She was appointed bast week to the West Van basily © oust Committee having cartes been chatman of the tres ever famaly cont oc omimittio]) Also appotmted to the Committee wos Dia ne Pantages, wiiic Bevericy Hopkins. Herb Mc Donald. detriment to the society whereas union members benefit in the short term from sucha policy. ~ Similarly, legislation which serves to exacerbate the workplace monopoly enjoyed by unions has often been enacted by labour governments under pressure from trade union supporters to the detmment of workers in general. It is entirely un- derstandable why Mr. McDermott and the Canadian Labour Congress wish to become more ac- -because it would enhance their power and their ability to use general legislation to seek the specific and narrow interests of the labour movement. However, it is not a development which Canadians should welcome and, therefore, we should rejoice at this stopgap in the union movement's attempt to become officially engaged in political action. In the words of the On- tano Labour Relations Board Chairman George Adams, “A trade union should not be able to use its certified bargaining agent status to capture an audience for its political canvassing activities.” Let's hope other Labour Relations Boards have the good sense to follow this lead by the Ontario body. . (Dr. Michael Walker 1s Director of the Vancouver- based Fraser Insutute.). R.M. Kellog and Keith Duncan were named to the West Van Library Board ... Enjoy R. & B. and con- temporary music? Al Foreman and his tno are beating 1 out aightly for the next two wecks at Ron Slinger’s Queens Cross pub on Lonsdale _. Doff your fez to North Van's Ken Smith and Cecil Rees, ciccted Assistant Rabban and Recorder respectively of the Shnne 3 Gizeh Temple West Van songbird Jo Webster ts up to her high C's in preparation for the Sweet Adctines (Dogwood Chanter) dangg February 19 _ 4 may waaed “Surrey school principal Jock Smith's car wil be clocking up kilometres from now on the he's been named to the board of Capilano College Erskine Blackburn, who recites the toast to The Immortal Memory tin his sleep) will be performing once again acat Saturday VUanuary 29) at Unc West Van Legron’s Burns’ Naight dinncer A get well soon card to West Van Hector Legionnatire MecMectlar, from a broken hip And don't forget Uhe Red Crone blood donor cHnics at Lsoms recovering Grate Hospital tomorrow Ganuary Ar am tw 4pm. aad lucsday (Ganuary 25) 2 to 8 P m WRICLEHS OR WRONG, Then there was the lady descenbing her husband Hes the hind of man whe always hits the nail aghe on the thumt