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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31,1979, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby Vole@ of the County Town Michael fan Burgess, flue.oly Whltby newspaper Independently ovwned and operated by WbIl Publlshed every Wedpesday » Production Manl by M.B.M. Publlshing Print & Proml iand IPhotography mcn. Manager Classiliod Ad Phone 6684111 circulation Mani r- 'flué Free Press Building, M Publisher - Manaolng Editor11 Brock Stret North, Better Busini tby resldents for Whltby residents. P.O. Box 2%, Whitby, Ont. WhItbyCtN Dear Sir: We are fast approach- ing the ti-me of the annuai seal- hunt which takes place off the coast of Newfoundtand. And we are about to be subjected to a large amount of publicity by groups such as Green Peace and other conser- vationist groups, who tell us that we are commit- ting a crime against humnanity by killing these seals. The United States Government has con-, ,demned the seal hunt,' along wlth -a lot of other we1l known people around the worid. The govern- ment of Newfoundland has defended the hunt wlth a lot of zeal and the Canadian fishery Depart- >ment has also defended the hunt as a way of life for some. With ail the pubiicity 'we wiil have groups ýstanding up in protest of the hunt. But 1 think as humnans' we have our priorities ail wrong we worry more about the killing of baby seals then we do about humnan babi es belng killed. "Yes 1 am talking about abortlons' We have a big upraislng at the thought of a animal being killed, but we soon clam up when the sublect of abortion is brought up. There seemns to be a bel lef that 1life on ly begins wi.'th blrth. But 1 cannot findi anything In the event of birth that makes any difference In a baby except its location, no friends. A baby is a person long before birth and birth'is only an event of life. Life 1 think begins with conception. The f irst thing formed after con- ception is the heart and if starts beatîng right away and the, last thing that happens in life is the heart stops. In' a time when every- one knows about birth control in this country or should, we sf111 have people not uslng the brains that God gave them and, getting preg- nant and then wanting an abortion. Theè. -United States supremne court has ruted that a doctor can not be held criminally respon- sible for late abortions, so now you get situations when there's a so-called abortion being carried to the incinerator whiie stili crying. And i arn sure that Canada will soon follow their example. . .In th is The Year. of the Child- we hear of peopâle getting abortions for rea- sons such as "unwanted child" or "It wouid inter- fere with a vacation In Florida, 1 may neyer get, a chance to go again#e. I1 also hear of a seventeen- ,year-old, girl having, her ,4hlrd abortion because it might ruin her future. 1 .would like to present this ýas a case for ail you women who are thinking »of having an abortion. When we had capital punishment in this coun- jtry even the condemned man had a chance to speak for himself, this unborn child can not speak for himself as'can the condemned -man. When God gave us this worid to live in Ihe gave us control over the animnais and if we blow it with the animais we alone are the losers. J ùst remnember that you are making a life and deathý decision for which God wiii require an answer. God did not give us the right totake a human 1life, he knew that we did not. have the wisdomn to do it and 1 guess that we've proven that he is right. 1 arn cailing on ail you people who are against abortions to, like these conservationilsts, make our case known. Let us fol low their examples and stand up and be counted, IN THE YEAR 0F THE CHILD LET'S GEl OUR ACT together. Carl Dewey R. R. 1 Brookiln, Ont. Repo0rt frorn Q 'Cueen 's Park By George Aile, MP. I think education has -probably become the most highly visible sign of just how much our society is changing. Almost every community across the Province (except in high growth areas like Durham West Riding) is experiencing declining student enrolments in sehools, and as a resuit are finding' themselves academically over-staffed and over-equipped. Employers are demanding skills'that traditionally have flot been emphasized in our education system, so students are turning to the technical/trade institutions and leaving even more- empty spaces in our universities. The challenge for the Government of Ontario in education is to meet the changing demands while.attempting to keep the cost ofeducation in line with declining student enrolments. Because of current meetings being held, it is a littie premature for me.to address, the situation .as, it stands in Durham West Riding at the grade and high school level. I hope to be in a position to comment on this within the next'few weeks. However, 1 would like to clarify for my constituents the action being taken by the Provincial Government at the post-secondary school level. Earlier this month, the Honourable Bette Stephenson M.D., Minister of Education, Colleges and Universities announced that the total operating grants to post-secondary institutions will be increased by 5 per cent for 1979-8b. 0f this total, colleges will receive an increase of 5.2 per cent over last year's grant, and universities will receive arn increase of 4.95 per cent over last year. This division reflects the shift in fuil-time enrolment patterns. Universities may, at, their dîscretion, increase fees to students by 5. per.cernt. This means tÈthe annu'al-tuitionfee for a*general arts student, for example, could go fromn $685 to $720 per year. It is important to remember here that even with this increase, the average university tuition fee would only meet about 13 per cent of the total operating cost per student. The rest of the money cornes from general tax dollars. .In addition, Dr. Stephenson announced that. fees at the colleges will be increased by $10 per term. This means that the fee for a typical two-term college academic year will go from $325 to $345. And tuition fees at community colleges only meet approximately 12 per cent of the total operating cost per student, with the balance coming from tax dollars. As well, the Ontario Student Assistance Programi, which provides grants and subsidized boans to needy students, will be adjusted to accommodate the fee increase. This will ensure that students who might suifer most by the relatively modest increase will be able to pay for'it. 1 There is no doubt that a lower percentage of dollars -from the total Provincial purse are beèing directed towards post- secondary education.. Times and needs have» changed. In the past, when grants were larger, a significant portion of that money went to finance expansion. With the needs of Ontario students being met by the present network of university and college campuses, money for the expansion of physical campuses becom es less of a priority. This re-establishing of education priorities is certainily not popular in ail quarters. But particularly in these timnes of restraint, politically unattractive measures must sometimes by taken. We have reached that point in time when all sectors receiving funding from provincial tax dollars must recognize that the public purse is not a bottomless pit, and the taxpayiers, you and I, who fund the provincial coffers are not prepared to dig into our purses/pockets much, if any, deeper. Letters to the Edîtor Box 206 Whitby. LIN 5S1 Abortions worse than killing ba'by seals