A6 - Wedmesday, April 21, 1982 - North Shore News No cheering yet Considering the Constitution has been elevated simce 1980 to the political equivalent of motherhood, there was remarkably little cheering and excitement in this neck of the woods on Patriation Day. To some TV viewers, indeed, the sudden clap of thunder and torrential downpour at the very climax of the Ottawa ceremony may have seemed vaguely symbolic. Sound instincts lie behind the lack of public jubilation. It’s certainly good, at long last, to have a constitution we can hen- ceforth play around with in our own backyard. But to bill Saturday's extravagant media event as “cutting the last ties of colonialism” was utter nonsense. Those ties were severed 51 years ago when Britain enacted the Statute of Westminster which formally confirmed the complete independence of the Commonwealth nations. Australia and New Zealand happily accepted jurisdiction over their own con- stitutions. Only Canada declined to take over ours, on the grounds that Ottawa and the provinces couldn't agree on an amending formula. That alone is why the Canadian constitution remained for the next half century in Britain (much to the latter’s embarrassment), waiting for us to pick it up. Now we've belatedly claimed it, major problems still lie ahead. Notably, its rejection in French Canada, one quarter of the population, and by the native peoples. Plus the question of whether lawyers will guard our written rights as effectively as Parliament has so far guarded our unwritten ones. Reasons for hope -- maybe. But not just yet for cheering. FALKLANDS COUNTDOWN The perils of appeasement By Francis M.L. Barthropp (... a West Vancouver observer of polincs and history) Big guns were last fired in anger at The Falklands just after 9:00 a.m. December 8, 1914 when HMS Canopus from her anchorage in Stanley Harbour lobbed a salvo of 850 Ib. 12 in. shells at the marauding German cruiser Gneisenau just over 11,000 yds. away and bent on annexing the Falklands for Germany’s use. FALKLAND ISLANDS o wolh6UltehlU]UlUFO lf MULES For the Germans, the en- suing fiect battle ended disastrously a few hours later and that country was denied capture and use of this remarkably positioned South abounds with well-protected natural harbours far from eyes. ; Is the Falkland base im- portant today? Why don't the Brits let the Argies take it over? Such thoughts must be very tempting to a new generation of British ap- Seiwa peasers — and perhaps even more so to those of the same stamp in Washington. But pray God the appeasers fail to carry the day, for imagine what might happen if, for the sake of peace, the base were surrendered to Argentina. British inhabitants (probably compensated as part of an agreement) would fly away, leaving only an Argentine garrison to huddle in the relative warmth of Port Stanley's shuttered homes. For sure, the islands’ inescapable hard living would not attract replace- ment settlers from the warm mainland, where vast areas of fertile land are still open for settlement by Argentine citizens. In return for Russian sup- port on trade matters and of Buenos Aires’ breath-taking Antarctic claims, Argentina would give tacit permission for Russia’s so-called kmrill- gathering fleet to operate what the Kremlin would most dearly like to have, a secure undercover. sub- marine base in the Falklands. Possession of such logistical aid would gain the Russians a tremendous dou- ble advantage: greater dispersion of missile sub- marines threatening US. and Western Canadian targets, and having its sub- marine force astride Cape Horn to constitute a threateningly fatal stranglehold on the free world’s vital maritime traffic in moments of crisis. British first and last Sto: v on Page A7 First, good news | Usury will not solve our woes The latest West Van Municipal News, now enroute to all Tiddlycove homes, carries a front page headline “Total tax picture takes on brighter look”. Unfortunately, it was being printed last week on the very day Victoria cut its annual grant to West Van by a net $830,000 -- equivalent to $75 for every household. Which explains, Your Worship, why good-news-only newspapers never survive in the real-life world. sunday . news Display Advertising 980-0511 north shore Classified Advertising 986-6222 news Newsroom 985-2131 Circulation 986-1337 1139 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver 8 C V/M 2H4 Publisher Peter Sopa k Associate Publisher Robert Car ahan Editorin Chiet Advertising Director Noel Wright bre Cea dwell General Manage: . Croative Administration & Personnel Otroctor Mrs) Berry tila c Torry Fortarye as Circutation Otrector Production Otroctur HHnian A Et ths Parc Soto or vert ae reaver North Shore News founded mm APE a cae berg rerevedesent oo corriericsnety neowapaper and Qualified Godan Ochecdiie I tant ll Parageapt Woot the becine Tan Act in Qrithahed oat Wedneonday and Sunday by North Obeore free Brann Ct and dintatrated to every hoor on the Noctt Shore Second Class Mall Hoyint ation Nurntber 144% Entire contents 1082 North Shore Free Presse iid All rights reserved “vealome eiprbecoren Nie th aed Warst va creer pre yer Mentha, cates ovatlatie on ap rent Ne Pep eset aber, Wey te ny ee eVeeMe eae FTP OEN parcel pte Poe eee wie | Aree ee grewroee ed ft Camera } AD red cee ru erte ag ne VEU LC URAL AT RON 93 Pt Wedreweday 313 404 Dundee, SIN" THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE FOR DOGGED DETERMINATION (don't bother with the envelope, thank you!) the first place award has to be shared by Finance Minister Allan MacEachen and Bank of Canada Governor Gerald Bouey — now belheved to be the only two remaining Canadians who still belheve usunous interest rates can beat inflation. After caghteen months of loan and mortgage charges which would have carmed bank and trust’ company directors a yail term only 15 years ago, one thing ts clear to virtually all other Canadians Interest rates in Unc 18 22 per cent bracket dont work They don't bring down hving costs They don't boost cxaports. They don't (quite naturally) siop massive wage demands by organized labor They do send uncm ployment soanng They do bankrupt record numbers of businesses and = threaten thousands of ohomcowncn with mortgage foreclosures They do swell government dcheits leading to further inflaton as a result’ of ever higher taxcs As stars and directon of a depression Machbachen mMeovic Mess and = Boucy could safely count oon oa couple Oscars apicec with Prime Minister Pacesie Prudeau nominated fos best Su prpreor Chang ane tare By now we all howe thee Wdtsenal secnarnte by heart TRE ORDERS Pacetoutant mnterest rates they preneh wilheaut bach on bow towing It amd people busnesses stup borrowing. the cconomy will “cool off. as businesses go belly-up and uncmployment soars. When those two things happen to cnough peopic. pnces will drop and vosda inflaton will have been wresticd to the ground Just am case’ those argumcats don't makc scnsc. Allan and Gerald add a dire threat: if Canadian tntercst rates sink below those of thc US. capatal will flee the country. the Canadian dollar will plummet to 70) cents US) of lower, prices of all imports - from Cabforma oranges to Japanese Datsuns will skyrocket and in fNanon will be wome than cver Great theoncsa But all the long suffcring audicncc keows ts that 18 22 perccot interest rates the msachves arc cicarty) adding morc and more already to the coat of cverything, whaic reducing — the alnity to rapidly individual 5 pay tor at The ultamate step in thal proccss of Course being the chmination of his pob carth diudiowe manage to pronp]er soo moch before 1960/0 when the bank rate was bimmcd bv law to sia por cent’ How oon how an beasecns docs Settrertland pet by nama Noel Wright with virtually no resources cacept scenery and people. and infinitely dependent: on more world trade than Canada? Right into the 1980's) Switzerland s rate remained around four to five per cent almost tow bank with inflation smallooota be measurcd CONSUMER CONTROLS On one paint eves theless Messrs Mach aches aad Boucy are rope Reduced borrowing poimanty reduced borrows by consumers for graahic ation personal as distinc t from borrowing by business an! tndastey for ce coments on pansion - would be « powerful = inflation-fightung tool. But usury 1s not the way to do it Credit’ controls, such as large down payments and short repayment penods for consumer goods other than housing, would work much better True direct credit controls might alsa 9 con tribute to short term unemployment as domestic purchases declined temporarily though hardly more so than tn the current purchasing slump by interest rates In compensation however, business and in dustry would once morc have access to capital at reasonable rates for ocx pansion and yob The controls on credit would boning down inflabon to the point where individual purchasers would Imposed ArTcation CONnSUumMet soon have increased disposable income enabling them te resume spending even under control requirements And that in tarn would create rn) teonewed mn ternatonal confidence in the Canodian como y calculated be pretect tte valuc of our holhar far rreone surely than Cscerald Bowe ys tush aol strategy of Kee pony Comat raterest tates oa prorat adware these Pre how the beostides Posen tocods Pre nnny sty aes Copeetn es n awn Oe es congrete thee be Youre Pras vs voce Pevsera tds sw ortbee Saeed ee fos tho AO Sr ry 2 berg Wes Ae Se