7 A6 - Wednesday, March 28, 1984 - North Shore News GEM editorial page LGH abortions he lawsuit launched by two former Lions Gate Hospital directors against the hospital’s Therapeutic Abortion Committee shouldn’t be dismissed as a mere Pro Life ‘‘nuisance’’ exercise. The plaintiffs claim the 1978-81 abortion rate at LGH was 52.3 for every 100 live births, compared to a B.C. average of 32.8% and a national! average of 17.8%. If these figures are correct, they appear to indicate a special and serious situation on the North Shore. Under present federal law a hospital’s TAC can authorize an abortion in cases where birth would threaten the mother’s health. The plaintiffs allege that ‘‘health’’ is, in practice, being interpreted by the committee to include ‘‘social and economic well-being’’. They sug- gest too many abortions are being allowed on grounds of convenience rather than for strictly medical reasons. The implied charge that LGH doctors are conniving at abortion as a simple alternative to contraception or old-fashioned chastity can’t be ignored. In light of the statistics it is clearly a matter of public concern. The Court, of course, will rule in accor- dance with the federal law, whose definition of ‘‘health’’ is seen by many as loose and am- biguous. But unless the whole explanation of the figures is easy availability, the SOCIAL issue will remain: why are North Shore abor- tions over three times the national average and nearly one-third higher than the provincial average? A task force inquiry, perhaps sponsored jointly by the three municipalities, may be the only way to answer this disturbing community question. Tough choice ictoria is between a rock and a hard place in the seven-week-old pulp workers lockout. If an industry sur- render allowed them to ‘‘leapfrog’’ the in- dustry’s IWA contract, the stage would be set for further major labor unrest. If both sides hang tough, the provincial economy will con- tinue to bleed by millions a week. If ever there was a case for government to intervene in the interests of ALL B.C. citizens, this seems to be it. ‘Veen VONCE OF SIT ares WEET VANCOUVER sunday news north shore Display Advertising Classified Advertising 960-0511 986-6222 Newsroom 985-2131 ri ews Circutation 986-1337 ™ Subacriptions 980.7081 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, 8 C V7M 2H4 Publisher Pete: Speck Editor-in-Chief Noel Wright Classified Manager Val Stephenson Associate Publisher Advertising Director Robert Graham Tim francis Personne! Director Circulation Director Berni Hilhard Bi McGow:: Production Director (hes dotinpon Photography Manager lernry Peters North Shore Newa bed + “YOU at ae erdeprercdent Cormega: ty HEwapape: AND Quathed wooden oc hedule tH Part th Paragragty Ut ot ite tacipe Tar Act 10 pubtished each Wednenday and Sunday ty Neel! Shore foe Presse Ll and dintiibuled lo every door or the Nort. Store Second (lans Mat Aagitrahon Nucibe: itt Entire contents ¢ 4054 North Ghore Free Prees Ltd All rights reserved Nolen pions Nett and Weal Vaneoive bo * Pe Qas peer yous Maite, ate: av antatote oor Code OM) SL ac mygilens he seus ntee Pew! vatles Nea ete pa AOD Bn Berk wt Eb bre a pe ree bene ap ene! AD OONOU AOVetope Member of the B.C Press Council e SOA DIViOnN 64 TOO cave a ype Woudte wha, Mon day sm G& THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE PEE y yr, NO FARES. WONDER WHAT SORT OF JOB ACTION THE SARS AHA PLS SES AAT NE DRIVERS ARE GOING TO TAKE NEXT? pe, NO UNIFORMS, How to soothe inflation pains ORRIED about the ever-rising cost of liv- ing? Worry no more. Financial Post writer Catherine Harris, in collaboration with Statistics Canada, has revealed a sure-fire for- mula for keeping pace. It may mean a few harmless adjustments in your lifestyle, of course. For example: e Get a bicycle — and a job close to home. e Rent your accommoda- uon, don’t buy it. « Cut out chocolate bars, bananas and coffee. Confine your protein to pork, liver and eggs. ¢ Watch TV and listen to your stereo a lot — dressed warmly. In the 10 years 1973-1983 the overall Consumer Price Index soared by nearly 150 per cent, an average of almost !5 per cent a year. With the Canadian dollar now sagging and _ interest tates cdging up once more there’s no guarantee against a replay over the next few years. However, Ms Harris points out that not all items increased in cost cqually She lists 15 that rose an average 295 per cent (29 5 per cent a year) and another 15 where the average increase was only 63 per cent (6.3 per cent a year). For a happy life you ob- viously steer clear of the former and concentrate on the latter. WHAT TO AVOID Among the average 295 per cent group were fuel oil and gas (up 486 and 373 per cent respectively), chocolate bars (up 307 per cent), gasoline (up 290 per cent), bananas (up 285 per cent), coffee (up 248 per cent) and air fares (up 240 per cent). Divide by 10 to get the average annual hike. In the low group over the 10-year period came pork shoulder culs (up a mere 79 per cent), bicycles and home recreauion equipment (up 76 per cent), eggs (up 72 per cent), omons (up 65 _ per cent), liver (up 24 per sent) and TV sets (up an almos visible six per cent). Also among the more modest increases was rental LETTER OF THE WEEK by Noel Wright accommodation at 77 per cent. By comparison, the cost of owning your own home spiralled by 157 per cent — thanks largely to the usurious mortgage tases of 1981-1982 Tobacco and alcohol, of course, were wreaking havoc on your pocket as well as your internal organs, with price increases of 168 and 148 per cent respectively. Travelling, whether a few miles or a few thousands, made another big infla- tionary hole in Your wallet. Aside from the giant leap in air fares, rail travel was up 204 per cent, intercity buses 158 per cent and local transit a whopping 190 per cent. CHEERING THOUGHT There are a couple of bright spots, however, should the 1973-1983 pattern repeat itself. Clothing prices increased by only 95 per cent, the smallest rise of any major category and only a little over half the 162 per cent jump in food. Moreover, with the possi- ble exception of TV-viewing, all the economies indicated are obviously excellent for your health. With the 138 per cent hike in health care costs, that alone should cheer you up as you cycle home in the rain to your rented pad, cat a liver and-onions dinner, wrap up well and settle down to another instalment of 7tc Tac Dough Thanks, the ups! Ms. Harris, tor Smokers’ rights in peril Dear k-ditor What ois smoke that this fixation on Alderman Segal seems to have attempt to prevent refuse burning inthe backyard now she wants lo prevent smokers from feeling comfortable in Pirst ut was an publ buildings they paid for What comes next a bylaw making the official salutation ano counet chambers “Heil Scpal (7 There are fan to miaeny people in our society whe spend too much tune telling others how to act, and not cnough crxamining ther own behavior Over the years | have heard ciected people, Alderman Segal included, be- moaning the poor interest level of the electorate in the day to day operation of local government It is a very scrious when those same people propose to take an action which will inhibit a Mmatier segment oof that electorate from attending pubftre Meetings in a public place donor smoke but allofa sudden | am developing a craving for a cigar to steady my nerves and help my facil ty of expression when I rise to speak in public | am also developing a need to express myself at every public hear ing, and to ask questions at every council mecting The more council acts lke ‘Big Brother’, the worse my herves are going fo get I would ask all members of council to consider what ther actions will be when, if the proposed bylaw is passed 1 find it necessary to smoke a cigar tO COMpose when | face them Do nn political representatives scniously propose to restrict my might of expression? Am 1 to be left without even the night to nde inthe back of the bus? mysclf Use some common sense! People who smoke are cnutl ed to the same as those whe doo not when it public facihttes Peter CD Powell North Vancouver Comes to