AG - Wednesday, December 16, 1981 -No: oré Néws Wileditorial page Fast Bucks Letters on the opposite page from Aldermen Stella Jo Dean and Frank Marcino give the detailed background to the opposing viewpoints on the Casano case. Its importance, lies in the principle in- volved, which could affect other property- owners in the future. _ When the 620 sq. ft. strip of land originally belonging to the Casano property was dedicated as a lane years ago, it passed, technically, into the possession of the Crown Provincial. This, however, did not alter the fact that the property-owners retained a “benefit” in the land — i.e. the benefit of a future lane for their use and enjoyment. City’s decision in 1976 not to proceed with the lane meant that this anticipated benefit was withdrawn. It is therefore arguable, as a matter of natural justice, that the property- owners at that point were actually entitled to compensation for the loss of the benefit. This interpretation of the situation seems con- firmed by the requirement that the City had to obtain the permission of the property- owners before it could assur legal title to the strip of land. Had_ the owners refused that permission, as was their right, the land would have remained with the Crown Provincial and the City would have had no title to the morsel of real estate for which it is now asking the Casanos $10,000. Whether the Casanos were fully advised of their benefit rights is not clear. But in the event they surrendered those rights without compensation and the City added a fast ten grand to its paper assets. Food for thought by any property-owner in a similar position. - Down into the glue Federal Finance Minister MacEachen and his provincial counterparts hurled insults and accusations at one another at their Monday meeting on the plight of the economy. As they furiously passed the buck to and fro, they clearly forgot the only person genuinely entitled to blaze with anger. The taxpayer whom ALL levels of government milk dry before dragging him and themselves down into the glue. 2 : om os wanday ee news narth shore 1139 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, B.C V7M 2H4 news (604) 985-2131 ADVERTISING NEWS 980-0511 CLASSIFIED 2131 986-6222 985- CIRCULATION 066-1337 Publisher Peter Speck Associate Publisher Editor-in-Chief Robert Graham Noe! Wright Managing Editor Advertising Director Eric Cardwell News Editor Andy Fraser Chris Uoyd Generai Manage Creative Administration Olrector Berm Hithard Production Director Rick Stonehouse Tim Francis Photography Ellsworth Oickhson Accounting Supervisor Circulation Director Purchaser Barbara Keen Bnan A Ells faye McCrae North Shore News, tovundod mn 1069 as an Independent Community Aewopaper and quaiifted under Schedise Hh Pant I Paragraph Wh of the txcine Tax Act is putttshed cach Wednesday and Sunday by North Snore Freo Preas Lid) and cAstitated to overy door on tte North Shore Second Class Mat Rogistrston Number 3666 Gubecriptions $20 per year Entire contents | 1861 North Shore Free Prees Lid All rights reserved No ronpoenibdity accopted for cate ade rtesed Manne pts and pectin whet afwonadd bre ac acktonsed anvetope evvanbere tan tee hoary Cocpevagpearviesed Poy a petaartag vend VERIIEO CIRCULATION 93,349 Wednesday 67 5406 Sundey ye ao y SN THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE There’s always a slight . edge - taken off the season of peace on earth and good will toward men around Parliament Hill. Every year about the time of the annual Christmas recess, the government finds legislation that it considers vital. , Opposition MPs scream with rage and issue diatribes More taxis are You're invited to a Christmas party and you decide to play it safe — so, an hour or two ahead, you order a cab for 7 p.m. After cooling your heels until 7:25 you phone to ask what's hap- pened. When you finally penetrate the busy signal, the dispatcher tells you it will be another half hour. “Heck,” you say, “we'll take the car or we'll never make it.” The stones [ve heard from a good many North Shore people indicate that this kind of ecxpenence 1s commonplace. especially dunng busy social seasons lke the next three weeks. The root of the problem ts that North Shore taxi customers are in the grip of a monopoly. If the authoritics are serous about kecping drinking drivers off the road. an carnest talk wyth = the Combines Investigation Branch might lead to sur prising dividends Aside from the three velucles operated by tiny Deep Cove Cabs the 140.000 odd residents — of North and West Vancouver arc cntircly dependent on North Shore Tanai. the North Van firm winch swallowed up West Van's Crown (Cabs ina merger (wo ycars ago North Shore Pax operates Stocabs Throw in the Deep Cove firms you Ket a taho of approximately once cab for 1 oo) thiee and every North Shore resadents In Vancouver patter os City the 1 100 In Rie hmond one to | 250) En New Westminstcr about 900 Two TO THREE DAYS Shore one te onc to North Taar s manager George Hankinson doesn't deny that his fleet cannot keep pace, umewise. during busy periods In fact, he says. the only way to be sure an evening cab will arnve punctually is to use the “pre-date service” for both outward ands return trips How far ahead should you order? “Two to three days.” he rephed “And tell them the tame you want a cab to come home. too ” Mr Hankinson tells a good story but unfortunately is concerned entirely with Ais problems. those of his stranded Customers (they after all nowhere clye to per not hase Ihe caplains North has only Shore he "2S hotel Van heote) rooms compared to 14 O00 are CoOuverns and vital for oa company s 24 Fons fans bows health NO the Caen myths mention orf com pensating bonper hauls ood higher unit fares generated by the North Shore s rasher of bacon peography Then again theyre converting to propane fuclin order to cul costs by 20 per cont Me Hankinson did not claborate on whether this is brusy i mas closure season here Canadian Comment | BY PETER WARD to the media every year, but that never alters govenrment Strategy. Any piece of legislation that the top position doesn’t like is always being debated under an artificial time limit in mid to late December. The government then tells Parliament that there will be no Christmas recess until the. odious bill, which the op- position opposes, is passed through the process of lawmaking. We call it Christmas closure on the Hill. And no matter how. badly the opposition wants to block the legislation being pushed through = on Christmas closure, in- variably the opposition caves in to the government will, ‘ allowing it to pass. The Senate, which must also approve such legislation, always com- plains that important legislation is held up in the Commons until the last minute, allowing virtually no time for senators to examine the law in question. Every year, however, the senators manage to do their stuff with blinding speed, passing the legislation forwarded to them in time for Christmas holidays. This year there will be a fuller than usual ration of legislation being pushed through parliament with Christmas closure, hence the screens of protest are likely to be louder and more diverse. The game plan is to end this session. of parliament when the Christmas recess begins, then re-open with a Throne Speech and a new session in mid to late January. Insiders claim that legislation to be outlined in the Throne Speech will contain the thrust of in- tentions for a new govern- ment, including far more attention to the economy, and an industrial strategy, which has been promised for more than 10 years. All of this makes one think that the scene may be set for Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to make the an- nouncement of his retirement again. There are legions of Canadians in the west, hundreds of politicians in parliament, and more than a few members of the Liberal party who would consider such an = an- nouncement to be the best Christmas present ever. bad for you! Noel Wright designed primarily to beneti the customers, the drivers or the company But the proe tag is over $120 0000 which Joes not Suggest that the latter is suffering too much pain “THE PUBLIC INTERESE Meanwhile North Shore Paaris tighting hard te tepel the threat of ay ompebtonr ia ts ducrative market Poe the past year Rac hard Hughes of West Van strugphioag oto hot yet thensed Cabs on the road n “white plhove with © adiflacs dover who ring haaas been getoohies Sunshine Planned as setvie and bonded vornrr Vewort bell and help you in and out for a dime extra a mile — Sunshine Cabs would start by adding 25 taxis to the North Shore total, thereby improving the cab- population ratio here by about 30 per cent. Yesterday the Motor Carrier Commission com- pleted its public hearing into Hughes’ application and will give him the green or red light by the end of the month His bid was sup ported at the heanng by all three North Shore mayors. by North Van-Seymour MLA Jack Davis and by other prominent community and business represen tatives lt was vigorously opposed of course, by North Shore Taxi which argued that the proposed competion would cat drivers livehhoods and could bnng about fare increases “The granting at loence apphed for adversely bo its the would scnousthy affect exiting North Shore tant services and hence the public anterest 9 the North Shore Tani submiaussion declared Meanwhile North Shore drivers who are allergie to troadbbouks will have to resign themschyes for one more Cbhostmas ta busy sStynals and lengthy waits Phose of them who agree that having 2S catra cabs around would yeopardize the pubhe interest probably still beheve the carth is flat and the moon is made of green cheese