6 - Wediesday, April 15, 1987 ~ North Shore News Privatized booze eighing the pros and cons of privatizating li- quor sales in B.C. is a major question now before the Liquor Policy Review Board. Would it boost alcohol consumption? Why treat wine and beer differently from spirits? How would it affect prices? What form should privatization take? Theoretically, the more outlets, the more liquor sold — but in practice this is open to question. Booze beside the bread in food markets would be a welcome CONVENIENCE to many shoppers, women in par- ticular. But given the high, ever rising cost of tippling, our guess is that most folk would buy, at different places, ihe same total quantity as now. A jigger of spirits, 4 oz. of wine and a bottle of beer all have about the same alcoholic effect. There seems to be no scientific reason for distinguishing between them. Prices under privatization would likely follow much the same pattern as today. Victoria won't forego its $400 million liquor profit and would have to milk private outlets to maintain it. Free enterprise is often praised for its cost-cutting smarts, but the present Li- quor Distribution branch is also reputed to be a model of bottom-line marketing efficiency. Nevertheless, competition is always healthy. One way to test it for a trial period might be for the LDB to compete against a single private corporation operating its own oxtlets, together with concessions in existing stores. . Through licensing, this could mean some continued government control over the social side-effects of li- quor, plus convenience and maybe — but only maybe! — afew modest price breaks for consumers. Noel Wright @ wednesday world ® DAMNED IF SHE DOES, damn- ed if she docsn’t — that’s the _ dilemma of Capilano MP Mary Coliius over her famous’ opinion poll on capital punishment (70 per cent said bring it back). - She also collected quite a lot of flack — in letters to the News — for running the quiz at all. The burden of most was that we elect MPs and MLAs to do the MARY COILINS...did it right. right thing on our behalf, not to come running back to us every time they’re trying to decide whether to go to the washroom. Then, at the next election, if we don’t like their track record, we can fire them. Ninety-nine per cent of the time that’s the way it’s supposed to be in .a parliamentary democracy, which is based on choosing PHILIP BARTER...Japan fan. LETTER OF THE DAY Capital punishment ‘humane way to deal with murderer ‘ment position THE VOICE OF MONTH AND WEST VANCOUVER Display Advertising Classified Advertising 986-6222 Newsroom Distribution Subscriptions SUNDAY + WEDNESDAY - FDAY 1139 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 58,287 (average, Wednesday Friday & Sunday) SDA DIVIGION Ip hoped-for LEADERS — not mere followers and consensus-seekers — and disposing of them later if they flunk. Personally, your humble scribe believes C.P. is among the one per cent of exceptions to the rule. On such gut issues as the noose too many folk feel too strongly, both ways, for MPs to fly solely by the seat of the pants (or skirt). When it’s a matter of enshrining'a basic, lasting value of society, they’d bet- ter heed society” s wishes — or be prepared to quit. That’s why, this time, Mary did it right. soe i NEW BOSS MEDIC of the’ North Shore Union Board of Health, 42-year-old Dr. Brian O'Connor, definitely sounds like a mover and shaker according to. North. Van District Alderman’ Murray Dykeman, NSUBH chairman, who quotes him as telling ‘the selection panel: “If you want somebody to direct the status quo, don’t hire me!” Dr. O’Connor starts his new job here in July after three years as director of health promotion and protection programs for the Alber- ta government, involvement in a national program to combat heart diseases and a stint as C.O. of field ambulances with Canadian Forces in Europe. see POSTSCRIPTS: The grapevine news that Danger Bay star BDonnel- ly Rhodes — who’s also involved in the Airwolf production at the Park & Tilford location — has bought a waterfront house in Deep Dear Editor: Recently, a number of members of Parliament have made state- ments to the effect that those who are in support of the re-introduc- tion of capital punishment, are be- ing led by their emotions, not their heads. Letters to the editors of this and other papers have made the same pious assertions. I must disagree with this hypo- critical and frankly dishonest assumption. It is my experience that quite the reverse is true. I have defended ‘the pro-capital punish- in a number of 980-0511 985-2131 986-1337 986-1337 Cove and plans to move here shortly from Los Angeles could be a happy portent for our burgeon- ing local film industry.” Seems Donnelly is mad about boats (hence his Deep Cove purchase) and what’s better for sailing fever than a mere 10-minute drive to and from work each day? ... Elected president of the 300-member Canada-Japan Society of Van- couver at its recent a.g.m. was Philip Barter of North Van, senior practice partner of Price Waterhouse and prominent in a number of Canadian and interna- tional] organizations'the succeeds outgoing president Maurice Fellis of West Van. Re-elected for an 18th term as secretary-treasurer was PR consultant Dean Miller of . West Van ... You can’t keep a good Mom down, as witness Mary Jo Van Bergen, full-time Cap Col- lege student and winner of a $300 Publisher. Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor _. Advertising Director... North Shore Nees, founded 11 1909 ag an ndingeigent sudurtan new. gape and Qualihert under Gcteekule tH, Paragtaph lib of the Lacese Tar Act, 33 pubteited fech Wis inmadey, f icdey anid Sunday by North Shore Free Pins Lid and disit@uted to every doo on The Poet Share Second Class Mail Hagesitaton MumGe 2885 Subscapiuns Hoth tnd Wrst Vanco, $25 pet yal Mali, tates arvaitabie OF. toques: Submissions ate venicorme ful vet Cannot accept tespontdadity hor ursoboited material inctuding manuscrines ane pcos whe! pend, cand Peter Speck . Noel Wright Barrett Fisher Linda Stewart Entire contents © 1987 North Shore Free Press Lid. All rights reserved. faculty association bursary for her ‘achievements over the past year. They include courses in math and English, registering in the Acceler- ated Business Management pro- gram, maintaining a 3.458 grade point average throughout and, during the Christmas break, giving birth to her: first child ... And if you noticed how much tidier John Lawson Park in West Van was looking last. week, say thank you to St. Stephen’s Cubs who descen- ded on it in force armed with gar- bage bags as big as themselves and gave it a thorough clean-up — part of their Cub Pack project for the World Conservation Badge. eee WRIGHT OR WRONG: Home is the one place you can say anything you like. No one will be listening anyway. Phato ‘submitted SPRING CLEANERS...St. Stephen’s Cubs Gregory Mascoe (I) and Matthew Emmings get to work on the garbage in John Lawson Park. private and a few not so private debates. In my opinion, the quick and. painless executions of murderers and terrorists makes good sense. The purpose of C.P. is net revenge. It is to protect society from the exorbitant social, human, and economic costs of maintaining and guarding violent criminals, until such time as they are allowed out, to resume their brutal careers. The rate of repeat offense is very high. - There is no such thing as a real life sentence in Canada. Even if there were, the cost would be stag- gering and escape is not an un- common event. In the end analysis, C.P. is the humane and cost effective method of dealing with the murderers. As for the emotional aspects of this debate, such discussion has frequently ended with a red faced, would-be humanitarian, literally screaming abuse and ill considered accusations of immorality. Truly, I have met only a few lib-' erals (small L) who could think beyond his or her gut emotion and blindly moralistic positions on any question. Thomas McCay Vancouver