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PAGE 4, WEONESDAY <1CTIRFR 19, 1983, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby wr Voice of the County Town ilshed every Wednesday Michael'Ian Burgess, I The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby Pulihe -Managing Edi torj v resiuerus for Wnlwby resillents. bY M.B.M. Publishing and Photography Ime. Phone68-6 111 The Free Press Building, 1:11 Brock Street North, P.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. rIMoTHY BAINES Communlty Editor ANDY THOMSON Advertising Manager Second lass Mail Registrat ion No, 5351 Smal Business Loa'ns a success by W. ROGER WORTH-' The federal government blew a cool $34-million ln an unsuccessful effort to bail our Maislin Tran- sport. There.were further hundreds 0f millions for the auto industry, the computer industry and the likes of Massey-Ferguson. Then theres the gran- ddaddy of them ail, a $1.4-billion write-off on Crown-owned Canadair, with another few hundred million needed to keep the company afloat. With ail this government largesse beîng spread, around like-confetti, It is perhaps notable that last year's losses under the federal government's Smail Business Loans Act have been reported as "staggering." The amount of money Invoived: $1 1.7-million. There's more. The story that appeared ln many of the country's newspapers informed Canadians that losses on the boan guarantee program, which was designed to encourage smaller firms to ex- pand and create badly-needed.jobs, were "1almost double" the prevlous year's bosses, 0f $6.8-million-. In fact, losses were only 72 percent hîgher. What's sad about the story is that Canadians may believe certain headllnes, such as the one ln' the Windsor Star that screamed: "Bad boans to business bad deal for taxpayers." Nothlng could be f urther f rom the-truth. I wish that ail the people who have an image of gun cailectors as bîoodthirsty bahunks could have been at the Airport Hilton near Toronto International recentiy. The occasion was the second annual Brampton Arms Fair, and I had been bamboozbed by a friend of mine into giving out the prizes. 1 like guns, sa he didn't ex- actîy have to twist my arm. It was a show for anyone who is oid-fashioned enough ta appreciate fine craft- smanship, whether they happen ta approve of guns or not. As a matter of fact, the best of the aid gunmakers - someof those who operated in Landon in the earby 1800's for exampie - weren't just craftsmen, they were artists. Joseph Manton, for example, made box- ed pairs of duelling pistais in London at that time. The attentionta detail, the engraving, the flowing ines of the weapons overail means they would be equally at home in a museum af fine arts. One of the men I talk- ed ta refused $ 9,000 for a pair of Mantons he had dispiayed and, 1 can understand why. 1 suppose those Mantons coutd be fired, but seriaus colectors wouldn't dreamn of it. As a matter of fact, what.callectors prize most, is a gun that hasn't been fired at ail. As far as its awner knows, the gun that wan.the best in show had neyer had a charge in it. It was an incredibly beautiful double elephant rifle, 10 Bore, percussion ig- nition, made by John Blanch and Son of London samnetime early in the fast century. It was made and boxed for a British officer serving in India. There were several black powder target rifles, with their heavy oc- tagonal barrels, elaborate sights, and surrealistic metal but-pbates, designed ta fit the shoulder of the marksman. They toa can be works of art, althaugh they tend ta be plainer than some of the sporting rifles. But there is an austere beauty toa in any tool made loving- ly ta, do a specific job. The people 1 met at the arms fair-don't fit the mabd that the man on the street and the federal governmient seem ta have in mmnd when the phrase "gun collector" is uttered. These people were avid amateur historians, and art loyers. Any move ta eradicate them could only-be described as uncivilized. The fact is, the country's smiler firms are even now creating the vast maJority of Canada's new jobs. While larger companies have been laying off employees and reducin'g employment, small and mediurri-slzed -entreprises have picked Up at least some of the slack. lt's-true, bankruptcies, receiverships and other business, failures have been at near-record levels during the past couple of years (hence the ln- crease ln losses ln. Ottawa's program), yet 150,000 entrepreneurs started new companies ln 1982 alone. What's more, the Canadian Federation of In- dependent Business estimates there will be another 200,000 start-ups thisyear. This Is a remarkable feat, partlcularly ln mid- recession, and at a time when the nation's banks are maintainung higher than normal Canadian- In- terest rates, partially to cover bosses on overseas boans. What's reaily significant about the Smail Business Loans story, perhaps, is that during the past 21 years, Ottawa has guaranteed boans worth $2.4-billion to 117,000 businesses and lost only $28.1 million, or 1'.17 percent of the total. Compared with the federal government's billion dollar big business bailouts, that's, a drop ln the bucket. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thanks from J.O. Ruddy auxiliary Dear Editor, 1On behaif of the awdiliary to the Dr. J.O.- Ruddy .General Hospital, I would 111w to thank you for your coverage of our recent fashion show. the support of our community newspapers is extremely important to our work in the hospital because it in- creases our funds and keeps. our residents aware of 'our various services, activities, and needs for active volun- teers. Your continuing icoverage of our events is indeed to be admired. I would be grateful if, you would also pass along through your paper our thanks to the Brooklin Vilage Shoppe for their many hours spent on, our behaif in' preparation for and durlng the show and to Jay Tra's Florist and Gif t Shop for a splendid setting for our models. We would also like to extend our appreciation ta Exclusive Hair Design and Wilma Tan- ner' of Mar Kay Cosmetics for their generous donations of time and effort for this very worthwhile cause. Our financial concer- ns have been con- siderably lightened by the thoughtfulness of these individuals and businesses and we are mnost grateful. Elizabeth Ranson Reynolds St. Whitby Reader praises Attersley's efforts Dear Editor, I noticed a letter published by your paper recently which, I thought, was unfair to the Mayor of Whitby. I have known Bobby Attersley for a long time. I don't forget what he did. with bis team mates many years ago when he brought honor to Whitby and Canada as a whole by defeating the Russians in Europe. Every Canadian was proud that the cham- pionship o~f the world in amateur hockey was brought home to Whit- I know that Bobby and Tom Edwards and the other members of coun- cil work bard for Whit- by.1 Anyway to get back to the. letter, would the writer rather have a murderer brought out of jail to cut the ribbons and open new enter- prises? Keep it up Bob, you are doing great tbings for Whitby and its image'!becomes better every day. John D. Powell Oshawa, - e,-. ~ ~'* - - Y~~/Y4'or? /L~P >u/L~p 77/E UbIDEJ?/VE5%f"