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Editorial Page

6 - Wednesday, August 7, 1985 - North Shore News

Food challenge

he theory that private enterprise can do

‘almost anything better than govern-

. ment isn’t getting much support at the moment from B.C.’s food banks.

Many of the food banks are already in a crisis situation. More and more applicants are leaving empty-handed when supplies run out. A Victoria food bank has begun to turn away single men. Others are opening less often. Some will likely close altogether within a year.

Up to a point the food banks may be vic- tims of their own early success. The fact that they were needed at all in our affluent society initially shocked the public into generosity. But now interest is dwindling and donations are increasingly falling short of demand.

Meanwhile, publicity has also endowed the grocery handouts with a certain degree of respectability. Lining up in public for a free bag of food no longer carries quite the same personal stigma that it once did. And no doubt the lineups now include some who could, and would, fend for themselves if an easier solution were aot available.

That said, however, the fact remains that the great majority of food bank recipients — families with young children, single women parents and old age pensioners — would otherwise go hungry. If our society is not prepared to tolerate that in the midst of plen- ty, we must either pay more taxes for ‘‘ineffi- cient’? government to feed them or else do the job properly ourselves.

The challenge to every foed shopper who can afford an extra can of beans or box of cereal each week, or an occasional small che- que, is to prove individually that private enter- prise is both efficient AND compassionate.

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recent poll of over 400 North Shore ; households asked respondents how : they preferred to receive advertising flyers. Less than 1.5% liked petting them by mail, while a shopping 71% preferred to receive them in the community newspaper. ‘That’s hardly surprising because advertising flyers themselves ARE news — often the best _ news in the paper — which is good news for advertisers too!

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ishing over for RevCan?

‘“*GONE . FISHIN’’”’ signs are gathering dust at Revenue Canada.

The department, under new management, has reduced the number of angl- ing expeditions it used to launch in search of delin- quent big and small fry in the taxpayer pond.

That is all to the good.

Under the previous owners, RevCan officials developed a rather negative public image thanks to their much-publicized quota system, intimidation tactics and unreasonable deniands.

But in the last 10 months, to its credit, the department has completed an about-face that has won widespread praise. No longer are tax- payers guilty until proven innocent. No longer must taxpayers foot the bill for successful appeals of assessments. No longer do

investigators probe without evidence in hopes of netting transgressors who might otherwise slip through the nets.

All of this is a tribute largely to the work of Reve- nue Minister Perrin Beatty who has followed through on many of the recommen- dations for change he made while in opposition.

But while things are runn- ing smoothly now, there is a nagging concern that such may not always be the case.

That worry is based on the fact that tax collectors still have more powers of search and seizure than do police under the Criminal Code.

Under the law, RevCan officials can obtain a war- rant to search a home or of- fice ‘when an offence has been committed or is likely to be committed.’’

Not only that, but they may seize any documents

they choose, even if not related to a tax investigation, and they can compel a citi- zen to produce books or re- cords or face prosecution. -

Any search warrant issued under the Criminal Code demands that police produce evidence that an offence has already been committed. It also limits police to sear- ching specified places and seizing only evidence that relates to the alleged crime.

These differences in the powers of police and Rev- Can officers are the subject of a lengthy study by two law professors prepared for the Law Reform commission of Canada. They recom- mend that RevCan’s powers be brought into line with those of police investigating criminal matters.

They also suggest that RevCan searches be limited to daylight hour, unless there are exceptional cir-

cumstances.

Why the fuss? Well, for starters the Charter of Rights and Freedoms con- tains a guarantee against un-

“reasonable search and

seizure.

How reasonable is a search when someone ‘suspects an offence might be committed and wants to look for evidence to support that? .

There is no suggestion that RevCan is engaged in this type of operation any more.

But surely, in a land where we are ruled by law, not by the whims of men, we should have the protection in legislation against some future administration using the letter of the law against us.

RevCan has mothballed its “Gone Fishin’”’ signs. Let's make sure they don’t reap- pear.

CFIB Feature Service

Moving plea from campus!

Dear Mom and Dad:

Please send bread.

I'm OK for money, brs the stuff they serve you kerr to spread butter on wouldn’t nourish a gerbil.

It’s white bread — not the healthy whole wheat kind

“you serve, Mom. | want to

make certain I get all the nutrients of the wheat plus the right amount of fibre.

So please send me a few loaves of that 100% whole wheat bread with no preser- vatives that comes in the modern ceHophane wrapping with the old-fashioned script letteving on it and mock daguerrotype ‘of a grand- mother that’s supposed to make you think the bread

inside is just as wholesome as they baked it in 1897.

Te: gout combination of dif- cerent types

-cellulose, hemi-celiulose and

lignin because there’s bran plus some pectin because they’ve thrown in some orange peel. | wish some- body made a bread like that with oatmeal in it too, so we could get the gum fibre. We're studying fibre right now in Digestion 101 (it’s a

gut course — ha ha). Some scientists think Canadians would reduce their rate of heart and colon disease and diabetes by eating more fibre, the indigestible parts of certain foods that help speed up the digestive pro- cess.

The faster your digestive system can move food through you, the less time the body has to absorb un- wanted fats, Fibres might also mop up all the in-

NOEL WRIGHT

on holiday

dustrial chemicals and insec- ticides we have to consume.

I think fibre also absorbs a lot of water which makes bowel movements easier but we don’t get that till next term. Studying it, I mean.

Anyway, Mom and Dad, I've met a girl. You'd like her, Dad, because she’s just as beautiful and warm as Mom — which is why you’d like her, too, Mom, °

So, please would you mid sending along some home- made cookies, as well?

The unhealthy kind with all the sugar?

Thanks and love. Russ Kirby is President of PARTICIPaction, the Ca-

nadian movement for per- sonal fitness.