The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

* PAGE 2. WEDNESDAY, MAY 21. 19 80, WHITBY FREE PRESS *Motion passed by narrow margin, 14-11 ]Region acepts worlk for welf are By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff By a narrow margin, and wîthout the full support of the social services commit- tee, Durham Regional Council has accepted a work for welfare motion. The motion, the brain- child of Oshawa Mayor Jim Potticary, would have, if it receives the approval of the Association of Municipaliies of Ontario (AMO) and the provincial government, "able bodied, employable, healthy people" drawing welfare conscripted into service bat- talions to do a nuniber of public works under the supervision of the militia. Potticary's motion was tabled on Mardi 19 pending a report from the social ser- vices committee and when that committee presented its report it recommended ac- ceptance, although the chairman did flot support it. Regional Coundillor John DeHart (Oshawa), chair- -----WATER BEDS UNLIMITED ---- I Wholesale & Rotail Distribution of Waterbeds & Accessorieà. Discount1 1 B For ALL residents in 1 the Durham Région 1 A. Complete chesterfleld and chair ut o rutto fti d as shown. Folds out to Quen B.d Other Modess vellableI 8. Comple. package as shown lnclud. eif@ing et $220»0O lngl14 y.ar mattress guarantee. IHater, headboardaend frame $9 A L N TM pedestal, liner ansd liner lock. 39IA L N TM 1Toronto, 2124 Bloor St. W. 769-4596 VIA c L ~Brampton, 239Queen St. 457-5984j man of the committee told council that they had voted 3 - 2 to recommend acceptan- ce of Potticary's motion and that he was one of, the dissenters. "I didn't support it in committee," DeHart said, "and I won't support it here. " However, DeHart in- dicated that lie was not op- posed to a work for welfare seheme, lie believed that the one proposed would flot work. "I don't think this is the riglit way tolgo, " he said. The long-Urne municipal politician also told his fellow members of council that the social services department was overworked and that they did not have the resour- ces or the people to run the program. "We do not have the staff or the money in the budget to carry out t he program, " DeHart said. "We just don't have the money. " He said that the operating costs of such a program would lie higli as the region would have to purchase work clothes and boots as well as the equipment that those in the program would need. In his report to the com- mittee, Social Services Commissioner Doug Johns said that the Ontario Regiment, the only militia unit in the region, does not have the equipment for a work for welfare program and before they could par- ticipate, they would need the permission of the federal government. In defending his motion, Potticary told regional coundil that it was Urne that the region told some action to the region took somne action to give people in welfare the chance to return to the working community. He also said that it was their duty to nudge the province into changing the legislation to allow those drawing welfare to work for it. "«It is time that the legislation was changed," Potticary said. "The politicians should be nudged." The Mayor of Oshawa cold council in his emotional statement that Canada was in the middle of "an economic wvar" and that people should be earning a living. "Let's allow these people to get in the streamn of the working community," Pot- ticary said, claiming that if they did not find work now they could still be on welfare 20 years fromn now and then their children would be on the systemn as well. "'If they have jobs to go to they will lie better members of the community," Pot- ticary said. "It's about time they were paid for working. " Some . councillors questioned the legality of a work for welfare scheme because the act that provides benefits states that people must be actively seeking work to draw welfare and that their 2DAYSONLY' a#sf "i mnd Mi "%ýý1 iai a e FREE PHOTO 0F 14e lime"f YOUR CHILD " NO ADOITIONAL CHARGE FOR GROUPS " PROFESSIONAL CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPH ER " NO AGE LIMIT " WOODEN PLAQUES AVAILABLE " CHOOSE FROM FINISHED PRINTS " ADDITIONAL PRINTS AVAILABLE AT AFFORDABLE PRICES BAILEYID PHARMACY &AM SYPtt RMACY LUX LOCATED IN SAFEWAY PLAZA WED. MAY 21 lOam - 7pm THURS MAY 22 lOam - 7PM names must be held ln con- fidence by the reglon. Following this train of thought, DeHart told council that "we can't force people to work. " The motion was passed on a recorded vote of 14 to il with five regional council members absent. It will now be sent to the AMO for endorsement and then to the provincial gover- nent for approval. Without that approval Pot- ticary's work for welfare scheme will not corne into beinÊ. Must stay up says F ennel Communications net- works linked by satellites will give industry the means to branch out into smaller communities sucli as Whitby said MP Scott Fennel (PC - Ontario). At a recent meeting of the Whitby Chamber of Com- merce, Fennell said that Whitby should be luring high-teclinology industry to the town instead of being dependent on the auto in- dustry. He attributed the larger manufacturers' want to move to the rising cost of real estate in large metropolitan areas and the advances being made in the electronics industry. These advances, accor- ding the Fenneli, will take away the need for downtown cores in big North American cities. He warned that in ten years micro-processor technology would change our lives in much the same way that electricity changed the lives of Our predecessors. With the further onset of technology, tedious jobs could be performed by machine le.aving displaced workers free to be retrained to fit into the electronic technology, lie said. Whitby, according to Fen- nell, would fit into the new way as a service center. He said tliat Canada lias the electronic know-how yet we do nothing with that knowledge. Japanese technology is rapidly overtaking that of Canada because of this lack of direction in our industry. "We've got to stay up with these people," warned Fen- nell. Is fitness Important? Ask any body. -J T*~