A6 - Friday, May 25, 1984 - North Shore News GE editorial page Winds of change hipbuilding, a major North Van in- dustry, is suffering worse than most in the present state of the economy. Only about one in three of the 760 unionized ship- yard carpenters and joiners on the North Shore is currently working. Overall in the Lower Mainland, 85% of the shipbuilding work force are jobless. Frequently cited reasons for the industry’s woes are the loss of shipbuilding contracts to such neo-industrial countries as Japan, Taiwan and Brazil, and the virtual disap- pearance of the Canadian merchant marine -- in 1946 the world’s third largest. But with all due sympathy for the individual workers affected, it’s difficult to avoid the conclusion that the REAL cause of the problem is the cost of built-in-Canada vessels. In short, that the unions in this labor-intensive industry have priced themselves out of the market. Presumably Macmillan Bloedel, for example, would not be having three bulk carriers currently built in Japan if the job could be done in B.C. yards at an equivalent or lower cost. The union argument that foreign ship- | \ \ . builders are heavily subsidized by their Ys CYL WHT) governments is hardly helpful. Government Wd YW Y YW Yj subsidies can only come from the taxpayers’ pockets and in Canada, with a crushing federal deficit of $30 billion, there’s ob- viously no leeway in that area for the foreseeable future. It looks like the same basic problem as that of the increasingly non-competitive construction unions. In both cases there may be no early relief unless the unions volun- tarily trim their sails to the winds of change. FOR SMALL BUSINESS A breath of fresh OMEHOW, MANY CANADIANS discount small business. They tend to think of the little reason: a study by the 64,000-member Canadian the detrimental effects of payroll and other taxes on White gold he elegant white cruise ships thal pass in and out of the harbor daily during the bringing pleasure and more than a little envy to thousands of summer season — watching North Shore residents -— lack only one thing: the right color, The 175,000 cruise visitors they brought here last year enriched $00 the Vancouver area by an_ estimated million. When the time for a repaint job ar- rives, we'd like lo suggest a metallic gold! Teed WOTLE OF ODETTE ANG WEST VANCOUVER sunday Display Advertising 980-0511 news Classified Advertising 986-6222 north shore 4 Newsroom 985.2131 news Circulation 986. 1337 Subscriptions 980-2707 1138 Lonsdale Ave . North Vancouver. B« V7M 2H4 Publisher eter ‘poec kh Editor-in-Chiet Noel Wrgtt Dats be ygtae ue Associate Publisher oben) tarahan Personnel Director Classified Manager therrrss FAM Vid obeap ober scoes PATE MAG ate Productton Otrector Photography Manager Pere diesen Vesey Vertes North Shore Newe toed 5 SPO aa cee deapresrectere cate bae: Set eh seagrass aah t peated sides oe Heepe Wade Vy Vmeangpe eagot CEL thes te one Tae Ae ok pratt nat Wadena, oda aad Saaneday bey Bare Th totvcr ee breve Beas VoD mrad fered thas leved torte ye eo Thie Paar Shoe Second tans Mac beget ation Noite itt Entire Contents 1964 North Shore Froe Prees (td All rights reserved Saab bts pte IM ae Wee “ e Le ta Ma avarilatnte oor Oop eet Ne Bry ge . Oye eVsme tee CHIEN eed yet o at ahd teen) eevee ag re Member of the BC 2 HDA CHviioe SR SOO ce eye We doe tae y% Gu SN'% THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE Press Council Advertising Director Circulation Director compamies and individuals that produce, buy, sell, import, export and market products as being small timers. Nothing could be farther By W. ROGER SMITH trom the truth A few well chosen thoughts may help dispel such drivel Maishin Transport and a eThe mayor department gical many other con store chaimms have been laying glomerates casily accepted off emplovees, downgrading subsidies and support to offset huge losses Indeed, many of the government sebetee amd Cutling Casts as they dlfempt Tey Han tan Com profit devels or dimnit bosses pames actually fought for the The reason?) Stadler firms taxpaver dollars with topmoteh service have Meanwhile. stnatler firs been openly Competing wath that were fotced ante bank the conglomictates on pried, rupley of pecemvcrship poe dit tle KOVCEAINOREN quality and service e the Support ft roaun ation so bip mane facturers have for veats been Suddenly, though, over the panmy staff and clomimiating fast yearoor sao the Canadian cmployiment. pat bureaucrats: and poltictans who tad diade Gane for small business have been torced to tuoulacly ducing the cecesstan Yet bip companies such as Chrysler Massey berguson, change therm ways T bic LETTER OF THE DAY New group to [eat boditeot Grate Defense lays out bis es PCHICH CH OF AARNE tag npr st banks and other fimanctal on SELOU CEOS Oyver the past year | traye met and talked wath bundreds of people and prastdes an who ape oor were coonmonme analysts whieh 1 factny hardships at the hatveds believe could be the sohutions of Canada s financial vastita we need ta get Chis country TOs Procrbratels thre reseast synth se CbVe MAE OHNE Oe Conveeeta es colightentng experience of all depreesstan and present these iocetinges took place Seerithad hegre ssi. ana thre within the last few day: when fratuire > tone teases Happened 1 supporty nheathes (Yo Pormet Nthers Wolter capetalistn Qt sernctalisin rs (i) Norse Noa er writton ahtGarty atid cts tee Drasime ss ow tet. sont woth Comsidertable Honest Mi vayp precypbe arid bores res faeces Wilford stork wall iy ottay thie Noatrotal © cede bootie: ey SY SS ot Navcore tation whee teas covet tad a probbeun Nf Wilford i yooh a ied wath oa berth Vhs a prered wart been aed pure siden hide Varecagete oe Mas ever wend red Catan Poatin as what ante bee darter abecruet Oboe \ Cus batted Hi ree Se a wot ded res eS 0 Oe M1: Federation of Independent Business indicated that a// the country’s net new jobs were being created by smaller fms The information was backed by respected economists and other business orgamizalions Phe effect of the new information? Pohticmans ask ed bureaucrats whether i was truc, and the mandarins were forced to Concur So pradualls the started to ask for polmies that politicrans would let them spend money on the stnall business job creators. father than bathing out theme big business counterparts ela ats latest budget, New foundland vingial lowered the pro corporate tax of sthaller firms to PO per cent trom b2 per cent ebritish © obumbra has set pod Cask force ta mivestig ate fight Wilford biamself is a delight to be with and has a tremendous wealth of experiene in Tig tetucrg Deaths As -oonet and tatked wath more and aioe NV aneourver arca business people over the past weeh oas cach of these Dursine ss people Cob ame of six or seven mane whe iar bas cing peoblems hee prt thoeus coomo mn heads above water wre che ardrenge worth trasshy ane anreascniabde dertrated) torn the banks Poocaatune ten the roabasaticry tye ttre vide pre in Nem province and protatly oe thas brssimess sector ont thes eounNtEy TS om the edge oof ollapsye ~~ bovecry Puasiness whieh a cs bre ne ‘ ‘ ! roy a small companies. eln Ontario, the govern- ment continues 1s corporate tax holiday for smaller firms eIn Nova Scotua, a sector: al study outlines the pro blems faced by smaller firms, and assistance will hopefully be forthcoming ein Alberta major tar there are no increases for the scChor ethe federal povernment also seems to have gone oul of its way to be more even handed wath che mathon os more firms that are involved eWhat's more important than anything, perhaps, is the fact that How NOTE LOVETAMCAS scam CoO recognize that out stnaller Companies are pot only important, but the key tooa MMO PrOSPerous, full cmiployment future banks barb upto y oor cquaretly «bases WS doors means fewer yortys for (terse of uss would tahoe to work foe a diving The whe bathing must be system brouphe to reality very quack Ivor we cam en pest Chenavas ror on the hole Prccovacdereg assastanns ¢ be those facing problem wath recdit atv Drtrvgetig ator tre change necessary to prevent Fubire cocoon ocrlbapese oc Noatioial Asser bate | thre eral vif ity buh weoulid toe setece sted? iy bee ust Correct Veg Prose readers wher rasp te Pike ter see a bee ad braver te ort Uhre assenaastiony set ug. boas be ceached at Sh KVY Larry Whaley Nanaia