AG - Sunday, September 25, 1983 - North Shore News

There’ sa good ‘deal more to the Social Credit government’s restraint program than merely saving 1983 dollars. Its opponents are probably right in asserting that the net cash_ savings this year from the 27-bill package now being pressed into law will be minimal. -

Much more significant for the long haul is the underlying Socred goal of ‘‘restraining’’ overall government: operations as such, and reducing their impact on the livés of individual citizens. What Premier Bennett and his col- leagues are really saying is that government now does too many things we could and should do for ourselves — ultimately at less cost and with greater personal satisfaction.

The medicare crisis is just one example of how social service expenditures funded by government can mushroom out of control in direct ratio to.demand, regardless of the tax- payer’s ability to foot the bill. The same is true

of welfare, education, human rights and many other forms of. government involvement in society’s activities.

Socialists believe such involvement — and therefore the taxes to support it — should be limitless. Socreds hold that the wealth needed for essential social services can be generated only by individual initiative and hard work, free from excessive interference by the state or any other power group. This, they maintain, is the mandate they received in the May 5 election.

Today’s. bitter confrontation isn’t about details. it’s about fundamental philosophy . — and, until we change the system, the right of a democratically ‘elected: government to govern.

Fair enough

The return of compulsory provincial exams for grade 12 academic. subjects is to be welcomed. They will account for.50% of a student’s final standing, the other 50% being based on his or her school record.

In- a competitive world that makes sense. The promise shown by a person remains im- portant. But in the battle of life it’s ACHIEVEMENT that ultimately counts.

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THIS PAPER IS RECYCLABLE

LOSING A FUR COAT is bad enough under any cir- cumstances. But to lose one - like Diane Upton of West Van - merely because you’re half an hour late for a date can be agonizing.

Diane’s ‘‘date’’ on this oc- casion was her and hubby Glen Upton’s first child, Caroline Elizabeth, born in Lions Gate Hospital at 5:45 p-m. last Monday and weighing in at 8 Ib. 14 oz. But first we must backtrack a lit- tle - to Diane’s dad-in-law, Cliffe Upton, likewise of

West Van. Cliffe’s hobby is collecting grandchildren. He already

boasted eight out wanted more. So some time back he organized a trophy race bet- ween the younger generation of mothers and wives in his family to produce another one for him.

In the end it turned out to be a photo-finish. Also last Monday, Linda Upton of North Van, wife of Glen’s brother Rodger, went into labor. She and Diane slugged it out neck-and-neck at LGH until supper time. Finally, it was Linda who flashed across the finish line first by deliver- ing her own ‘‘number one’’, 8 Ib Tor Jessica Laura, at

precisely 5:15 p.m.

And that’s how a trifling matter of 30 minutes lost Diane - technically, at any rate - the coveted prize. You guessed: a fur coat.

But there may still be a happy ending all round. Con- gratulating Cliffe on his dou- ble win in the grandchildren stakes, we asked him what was going to happen about the mink (or whatever).

Cautious pause. Then, “‘Oh well, I guess I'll have to

be fair to both of them...’” ; ‘eee North: Van Kiwanis’ Ernie Earnshaw is rattling his col- lecting -can:for funds to erect a statue. of ‘Set. Henry Larsen at Lonsdale Quay, a project Officially blessed by the City. The RCMP hero, you’ll recall, was Captain of the fabled ‘‘St. Roch’’, which between 1940 and 1942 became the first ship ever to sail from the Pacific to the Atlantic via’ th

them (1 to'r): instructor Hilary

cident.two years ago.

Passage.- Why a ‘statue at Lonsdale Quay? Because the “St. Roch”’ was built at Bur- rard Dry dock in 1928 and set forth on its epic voyage from a North Van wharf. Allin all, the Kiwanis need $60,000 for their tribute to the man who demonstrated Canada’s sovereignty in the Artic. And, as the bee said to the bluebell, every little helps...

GOVERNMENTS sooner or later will have to bite the bullet and restrain welfare expenditures which

represent both the largest and most rapidly growing component of their outlays.

By HERBERT G..GRUBEL

Between 1965 and 1977 alone welfare spending in Canada rose from 4.5 to 10.5 per cent of GNP. In Sweden

it has reached over SO per cent. The BC. government's

1983 budget was hailed by some as a courageous symbol of restraint and condemned by others as an attack against humanitarianism. Thos budget raised welfare expen ditures by 9 per cent.

Welfare spending is a sacred cow that no one dare touch. One cannot speak about it rationally in public without attracting hateful questioning of one's morality or motives. Only) holy language about the unfilled needs and moral mghts of the

wretched of out soctety will do

But this has to change. We have to discuss freely and ob- jectively why there never ap- pears to be an end to the hordes of needy that our social workers and concerned humanitarians can find. In recent years, Canadian governments have increased thetr spending on welfare to keep pace with the growth in population, the elderly, infla- tion and real output. Then they have added 50 per cent.

Where is all this moncy go- ing? It goes for good causes There is no denying this. Our social workers work con- scientiously and hard to help only the needy.

But this correct and popularly held view requires amendment. The concept of necd 15 ill-defined. It cannot be measured like temperature and given a unique reference point like sero degrees Celsius when water turns to lce. The degree of need is in the cyes of the beholder,

by Noel Wright

Those six students who manned the tourist informa-

popular Dr. Bob Collier, director of development and deputy municipal manager departs permanently on being

‘named administrator of

Delta municipality ... Senior planner Steve Nicholls moves up to Colli¢r’ s job -as West

tion centre for the North Vane Van’s watchdog over

Chamber. of Commerce had a busy summer. From May 30 jabor: Day they helped 37,541’ visitors: (19,693: Cana- dians, 9;986 Americans and 7,862 from overseas). Averages gout at over 40 per hour...- | oF *s 2 HITHER AND YON: Two top “West Van mandarins ‘this fall for pastures

program.coordinator:-Eva Hall. The award’ ‘commemorates the late Miss Yzerman who died tragically in a boating ac-

new. Ed Carlin, schools superintendent for the past nine years takes a 12-month leave of absence to become the first Resident Fellow in UBC’s Department of Ad- ministrative, Adult and Higher Education ... While he’s gone, Ron Fenwick will be looking after the store as acting superintendent

Over at municipal hall

The social workers on the battle line in the fight for a more humane society are biased to find need by their temperament and psychological make-up, which made them choose their profession. Some bias may also stem from the fact that their income and status in society depend on assuring a large flow of funds from the government to the needy — through them.

Whether a person should take a job offered or be allowed to wait for a better one is a. subjective decision which determines uncmploy- ment insurance spending. Whether a young woman may be expected to pay for birth control measures or receive them free is up to the case worker. Whether a single mother is cxpected to leave her child with relatives or friends and work for a liv- ing or whether she receives public aid is up to the civil servants. Social workers decide whether a needy fami- ly is eligible for checks for Christmas gifts and summer camp for their children.

All social) welfare pro-

developers 1... The hall also welcomes Greg. Betts, newly appointed assistant to municipal clerk Doug Allan .... Distinguished visitor to St. Christopher’s, West Van, this coming Wednesday will be Archbishop Douglas Hambidge, whose day-long tour of hte parish winds up with a pot-luck supper for-all parishoners ... Isobel Kelly, B.C.’s deputy minister of labor, was on familiar turf when she addressed the North’ Van Chamber of Com- merce Thursday - the attrac-

tive mother of four is a ‘former North Shore resident

... Welcome figure at. the packed luncheon meeting was _ Ed Cotton, twice president of the Chamber, now retired and enjoyng life in 100 Mile House ... Congrats to Roy

' , Street, g.m. of North “Van’s ‘Mohawk Lubricants, elected

president of the Canadjan

“Association of Re-Refiners

... The same again to William

' Perrault of North Van, nam- ed vice-president’ of the Cer- tified General Accountants Association of Canada:.... West Van Lion Bill. Thomp- son is -back home’ after his stint in hospital and. ap- preciates visitors ... And Isobel Colpitts reminds you of the West Van’ Legion’s special blood donor clinic, 3 to 8 p.m. next Thursday (Sept. 29) on the South Mall of Park Royal, gallery level near The Bay...

oo &

WRIGHT OR WRONG: Confucius say those who shun all fools doomed to lead very lonely life.

Unholy words on welfare

grams leave their front-line workers much room for the establishment of cligibility. This has to be because no law can be formulated to cover all possible conditions. And it wouldn't be a humane law if it tried to.

Because of these charac: teristics of the concept of need and the subsequent right to welfare benefits, govern- ment spending in this field must be limited deliberately and courageously. If this is done, social workers and their friends in the media will bombard us with daily stories about how the restraint fore- ced misery upon the single mother with six small children whose husband died in an industrial accident and other extreme cases of need for public assistance.

We must stecl ourselves against such techniques. If social workers are the con- cerned professionals they claim to be, they will respond to the reduced availability of funds by cutting support for the least necdy (Dr. Grubel is professor of economics at Stmon Fraser University)