death of a baby boy.

practices here.

old practice of midwifery.

Dear Editor:

As a woman involved in the
trade union movement in Van-
couver I am appalled by the wages
paid to homemakers in Vancouver.

This morning | talked with a
homemaker who works 400 hours
per month and receives $1,000.
This works out to $2.20 an hour.
She cares for two elderly people
who otherwise would have to go
into hospital or institutional care
which would, of course, cost the
taxpayer much more money.

In a country and province that
will boast about the good life, this
is a disgrace. 1 want to see these
women get into the trade move-

Midwife crisis

IDWIFERY should be repulated.
This was the much lauded comment by
county court Judge Jane Godfrey at
conclusion of a trial of two Vancouver women.

The women, who conducted themselves as midwives,
were convicted of criminal negligence in the May 1985

sentences, and three years’ probation.

The judge also ruled the women should not attend at
childbirths, but she added hopefully by the time the
probation order expires there will be some form of
legislative order to regulate midwifery.

For years women acting as midwives in the province
have urged the B.C. government to define midwifery

But their efforts seem to have gone unheeded.

Perhaps action will be taken, now that a judge has
spoken out publicly for the need of Jegislation.

it should be noted, Canada is the only developed
country in the world which does not recognize the age

In the United States and England, for instance, doc-
tors and midwives have been working together for a
number of years to assist women in giving birth.
Regulating midwives and making them a valuable part
of the obstetrics team has only served to improve ser-
vices to women in these countries.

Isn’t it about time Canada followed suit?

the

Both received suspended

ment and, despite all the fear of
unions, where else can we ever in-
crease these wages to a living con-
dition and mere to a dignified
reward for caring for the elderly
and the sick?

In B.C. we have 4,000 domestics
workers, all women, who are living
on the welfare income. They don’t
pay rent but they have to work
many hours and are tied to a fami-
ly for two years completely at the
mercy of the employers good will.
Why, it is next to slavery.

The immigration authorities’
dangling carrot is that if you work
for two years as a domestic you
earn your reward to stay in

THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER
zy —s

SUNDAY + WEDNESDAY « FFIDAY
1139 Lonsdale Ave.
North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4

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Canada as a full-time resident.
You can not win. If you're a Ca-
nadian and are being offered $600
a month to work as a maid you are
not going to get anywhere finan-
cially. The people who shout about
the high state of unemployment
should think about this.

The professionals are the ones
who are exploiting women. Im-
migration helps keep the
unemployment rates high because
they bring in 4,000 maids to work
for less than minimum wage.

I don’t have figures for the
number of homemakers that work
in the province, | work part-time
in the field. I get $44 for 20 hours

Premier Vander Zalm has

4

‘FIGHT BEFORE MILK BECOMES SOUR’

Joman wants to unionize homemakers

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work, By my sums the is under
the minimum wage, too,

The agency says that | am asleep
for part of that time. But is it not
still work. I am away from my
home. if anything happens to the
client I have to deal with it ~~ it is
still my time. Does a border guard
only get paid for the time he
checks cars across the border or
the fireman for the fires that he
fights or the policeman for the
traffic tickets he writes?

I am determined to see this in-
credible injustice overthrown, I
want to hear from women who
work down these mines of human
endeavor, They contribute as much

to the society, they keep the elderly
in their homes to die surrounded
by the things they love. They keep
them near to their loved ones, and
for doing work that they like and
are good at they get paid crumbs.

[ realize that the unions are busy
keeping their heads above water. 1
admire them all in their struggle to
rid our world of the Peter Pocki-
ingtons.

This is Canada — the land of
milk and honey. Women get out
there and fight otherwise the milk
becomes sour and the honey ran-
cid.

Sile Simpson-McGowan
Vancouver

Chiropractor
defends integrity

Dear Editor:

As a former chiropractor of Manitoba, I would like to provide your
readers with some facts regarding Mr. Collins’ article of Dec. 5.

In 1985 the NDP government of Manitoba decided in its wisdom to
cut back on chiropractic coverage for families. The public uproar that
ensued caused the government to not only reverse its position but to
increase the number of chiropractic treatments from 11 to 16 per year.
All this occurred in less than 10 days from the first announcement.

In an effort to detract public attention from himself, Mr. Desjar-
dins released to the media what in any other association would have
been an internal disciplinary matter, the fact that a chiropractor actu-
ally saw 158 people in one day. Mr. Desjardins ensured that the story
was on the top of the front page of the only major newspaper in
Manitoba without even notifying the chiropractic association.

One such situation does not mar the professional integrity of a pro-
fession but continual misrepresentation by media figures will only
serve to harm those people who need care the most. I caution your
readers not to heed the words of Mr. Collins who is neither a medical
doctor nor a chiropractor.

The chiropractic profession enjoys an enviable safety record, an
historical record for cost containment and widespread public accep-
tance. Mr. Collins’ frequent attacks are most unworthy.

Dr. Frank Martin, DC
West Vancouver

ourage’ regarding S.A.

Dear Editor:

Premier Vander Zalm indeed has courage!

He is saying what many thinking people believe
about the South African situation. Only he and great
leaders like Reagan and Thatcher have the guts to tell
it as it is.

“How could the whole world’s attention be focused
on South Africa alone ignoring dozens of more hor-
rible situations (Russia, Poland, Afghanistan, Cuba,
Uganda, et al} if it weren’t masterminded by some
superpower which stands to gain. It’s not necessary to
point out which that might be.

Why ban South African wines unless we ban Rus-
sian Vodka? Is the Russian’s guilt any less than the
guilt of apartheid in South Africa? Talk about pre-
judice!

We should be helping our friends, not our enemies.
Let us not sell down the river those who stood side by

side with us in the Second World War, against the
menace of German world conquest and who are today
in the front lines defending us against the threat of
another greater threat of world conquest through
subversion.

If South Africa goes, so does the Cape of Good
Hope, and control of the oil supply routes to the
western world. We'd all be well advised to buy very
small cars if this nonsense continues, not to mention
the strategic minerals for which we are dependent on
South Africa.

‘Lastly, why are thousands and thousands of blacks
struggling to get to South Africa? It can only mean
that conditions elsewhere are worse.

Keep up the good work, Mr. Premier. The majority
are thinking people and they will follow you! ;
Frank Bernard
Vancouver