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Reader's Viewpoint Dear Editor: Hospitals in many parts of the province are presently being made the scapegoats of an orchestrated attempt by the nurses' union (ONA) to discredit health care ser- vices. The union's original brief contained some rea- sonable recommendations to improve health services, particularly in. the areas of public health and preventive health care. Recent attacks by local union officers upon their own hospitals for the pur- pose of publicity, are quite another matter, Are these ONA representatives really speaking for the many thou- a sands of professional nurses ! working in our hospitals? There are some important points the public should bear in mind: 1. The ONA is neither a professional association nor a standard setting body. It is a certified trade union, with bargaining rights for RN's in some 120 hospitals in the province. The profes- sional organization of nurses in this province is the Regis- | 25 hk Iz EE - tered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO). The stan- 'dard-setting botly is the Col- lege of Nurses of Ontario, 2. The union is at this very time engaged in a crucial contract arbitration that could affect hospitals pro- vince-wide, - 3. A key issue in that arbi- tration is the union's effort to qbtain greater control over workload, and there- fore over the number of RN's that hospitals must employ. £ 4. Despite budget con- straints, and the fact that Ontario's RNs 'are among the highest-paid 'in the world, the most recent hos- pital statistics show no sig- nificant reduction in the ratio of overall nursing ser- _ vices to patients in 1976. Most of the allegations of '""mismanagement" and '""'waste'" made by the nurses' union actually tell a quite different- story of the efforts of hospitals and the people working in them, to adapt to the demands on their limited facilities. - If there are any "horror" Ra SALMA miley stories, I find them in a surprising lack 'of compas- sion shown by some of the nurses quoted, for people who look to their hospitals for help. There is no question that pressures upon active-treat- ment hospitals and staff 'would be eased by creation of more. alternative ser-! vices, particularly for long- term geriatric and home care patients, A word of warning, how- ever. The public must not be misled to expect drama- tic financial economies from such moves. The difference in average daily costs bears no relation to the money that might be saved by moving patients from acute-care to long-term hospitals. In fact, there is really no evidence that nursing a chronically-ill patient in an active-treat- ment hospital is more expensive than anywhere . else, The important con- sideration here is not mythi- cal dollar savings but the problem of placing patients in the settings best suited to their needs for treatment Claims hospitals made scapegoats byONA and rehabilitation, That's a tremendous challenge to any health care system in a constantly changing en- vironment, ' Some significant efforts to improve long-term care ar- rangements have been pro- mised by the government. Meanwhile, our public general hospitals remain on the front-line, coping with the needs of sick and ailing people. That's their job. At one point, the Minister of Health was quoted as saying that hospital employees may come to him anonymously with com-- plaints. Our association is glad to have received his assurance since, that he agrees with us that this would be both regrettable and unnecessary. If any hospital employee has sin- cere concerns about condit- ions in his or her hospital, there are internal channels available just as in any other workplace. The Minister, the public and hospital employees can have confidence in the ability and determination of PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, May 4, 1977 -- 5 Compliments the Star for its full value The Editor: Barry Morse, the actor, was about to catch a plane when he noticed the sign "Fresh, Orange Juice". He ordered "large, please!". When it came, it was orange in color and wet - that's about it. He summoned the manager. "It's a matter of description and evaluation etc." he explained. Yes. He put 10 cents down "but it's 50 cents said the manager. '"That's your evaluation, I have a right to mine". That is as near correct as I can remember . the recount of it. But I thought of the rip-offs all around. . The Port Perry Star, The hospital boards and execut- ives to continue managing their own operations fairly and in the best interest of the patients they serve. Yours sincerely, J. W. Ostler, President, Ontario Hospital Association And now a grab bag Canadian Statesman, give full value. .In Toronto we. have the cheery Sun Tabloid the very proper Globe. & Mail and the Big Toronto Star. In fact it's so big often I can't lift it, in my weakened state. I keep thinking I'd like to make Yule logs or some- thing out of it. Anyway, I just wanted to say "The Port Perry Star IS "Fresh, ange Juice - full value. Mrs. R. Ford (Marion) 690 Cosburn Avenue Toronto, Ontario. TAILING IS DANGEROUS, SAYS IAPA In winter, treacherous road surfaces make tail- gating even more danger- - ous. Often, it results in an accident that delays hun- dreds of other road users, says the Industrial Accident Prevention Association. The IAPA urges drivers to be extra careful during the winter months and to avoid tailgating on treach- erous roads. There are 80 many things demanding my "Rene Levesque and his crowd have made their first big boo-boo. The edict about "French only" will return to haunt them. They are interfering with the right of m on Quebec than the federal people to say "merde" in their own langu- government could force bilingualism on age, whether it be English or Greek or Italian, and mark my words, it will boomer- ang. The edict, that is, nor the merde. Even worse, the pronunciamento will pro- missars when they achieve power, ever bably unite the rest of Canada, and all the 4 province (country?), attention this .week that faithful readers They were playing it pretty cool for a few (bless the eight of you)- will have to be months, but this one is a blunder of massive content with a grab-bag. Those who have proportions. They can no more force - no interest in sticking an eye into a grab-bag may turn over to the astrology column, or go out and buy a lottery ticket, Canada. or stick their finger in their ear, or When will these people, who in as « whatever turns them on. fervent idealists and turn into rigid com- First, let's get rid of the Quebec issue, which is fascinating the media and begin- learn that you can't force free people to do ning to bore everybody else. anything they don't want to do? You can' Them there crazies down in Quebec City shoot them or burn them, as state and have taken their first giant step toward a church have done in the past. But you can't dictatorship of sorts, with the announce- control their minds or spirits by force or 14 J ment that Quebec is to become a unilingual threats. 0 in appreciation of Brook- Ba. emember lin Combined Hockey Team, I Whe &3 10 YEARS AGO » an A . Nn. aan Thurs. May 4s 2957 " ls. now busy on ther The Hon. M. B. ape meme ( bmed, oo Ma, Wed. May Sth, 1917 A on was held in WE Dr. Donald Evans has the school on Friday in nomination for e ' honour of Mr. and Mrs. Ontario Provincial been promoted to the ; i Riding at Beaverton rank of Captain and is M. Edgerton and Mr. and Y Town Hall Monday night. v now in charge of a mili- Mrs. T. Stevens, newly About 250 filled tary hospital, somewhere ~~ weds, each couple was 3 %0U 50 PRISONS TU in France. presented with a clock. <8 a #4 gave Je Brown Dymond an unanimous PS A» of Port 20 YEARS AGO acclamation. : Perry. has. moved to Thurs. May 9th, 1957 Sunday, April 30th saw Vo Miss Nellie McGregor the official start to build- ancouyens i was honoured by the Bell ing the new Christian 1 ok: Latey tii Telephone employees Education Extension and Corps in yy 8 after 42 years of service renovating the present ps on, hax to the people of Port United Church in Port Me: Jon Ubsey s Perry and district. Perry. Among those pure from Ve IK Married in Port Perry participating were Rev. Stubbs; Manchester : recently, Miss Dorothy Alec G. Rice, Minister; ! ' Ann Graham to Mr. Gerald Nelson, chairman x 4 35 YEARS AGO Frederick Calvin DeNure of the Committee of Ste- Thurs. May 7, 1942 and Miss Marilyn Olga wards; Joseph Peel, old- Owing to scarcity of Brodie, Oshawa to Mr. est of honourary elders; meat, high prices, and Samuel Ross Jemison, and Gordon Reesor, delivery operations, Mr. Port Perry. . Clerk of the Church Ses- Wesley Boynton has The Port. Perry Teen sion. closed his butcher shop. © Town will have as an Eleanor Wood, proprie- : . Scugog Players will added feature at their tor of Eleanor's Flowers, present the play "The dance, The Bird Dog was unanimously elected Deferred Proposal", (Dick McFarland) of as President of the directed by Mrs, Geo. radio station C.F.0.R;. Chamber of Commerce Samells at Utica Hall. Orillia. for 1967. Congratulations to The Port Perry Cham- Congratulations to the Grant Franklin, Mac ber of Commerce have three Nestleton Guides Christie and Rudolph secured Doug Maxwell, who earned their Gold Goreski who were grant- well-known sports Cords recently - Dianne ' ° ed their entrance stand- = announcer, for their Taylor, Karen Campbell ings at Easter and are dinner meeting in May, and Bonnie Malcolm. non-French of Quebec, behind Pierre Trudeau, and we'll be stuck with another four or five years of insipid, inept and indifferent Liberal government. The only fate that could be more frightening would be the prospect of four or five years of Conservative. government. Fortunately, there is no possibility of the NDP, that optimistic _gnat_ straining to produce a giant, forming a federal government. Well, that settled the political situation for this week. Except for one squalid little item. As I write, there are rumours that Jack Horner, an ambitious Tory M.P. from Alberta, may bolt his party, stick his thumb in the big, fat Liberal pie, and emerge with a cabinet post on the end of it. Herewith some advice for Joe Clark. If Horner wants to go, wave goodbye and forget about him. One Paul Hellyer, once a power in the Liberal cabinet, the one who singlehandedly destroyed the morale of Canada's armed forces, crossed the floor in a huff when he didn't get his own way, joined the Tories, and has been Paul Who? eversince. Churchill got away with it and went on to lead his country. But, Jack Horner is no Churchill. Enough. Politics are sick-making. Another Westerner, Old Missus Trudeau, is still keeping the gossips speculating, as I write. Nobody seems to know where she is or what the hell is going on. Maybe by the time this appears in print, Jack Horner will have married Pierre Trudeau, and Mar- garet will pop up from New York, first- Class Air §anada, to take the wedding pictures. : I know Margaret has said no more of those dull, official functions for her, like cutting the ribbon on the brand new outdoor privies installed by Turkey Township in its fine new park. But I can't help wondering if she's going to pass up all those smashing glamour events to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee, which are undoubtedly being plan- ned right now in Ottawa, local matrons in fighting for invitations. g It's not fair, I know, but the comparison between Margaret and Queen Elizabeth thrusts itself at one. The Queen was crowned when she was younger than Mrs. T. She had about as many babies about as fast. But she did not then declare that she must fulfill herself, and allow herself to be pawed and pestered by smutty reporters avid to learn what was going on between "her and Philip. ) B Nope, she hung in there, through all the dreariness and calumny of what must be one of the most arduous jobs in the 'world. When there was a tough decision to be made, she made it and stuck to it, She did a pretty good job of raising her kids, it seems. She endured the sniping and the criticism. And she did it all with a grace and dignity that proclaimed the work ' "lady" at every step. It's a hard act to follow, and nobody can blame the Sinclair girl if she couldn't match it. But, while Pierre is an arrogant. mandarine, I'll bet the Duke of Edinburgh is no bargain either. She shoulda hung in there, the way the rest of us do. It's not easy, living for years with a complete stranger. But it goes with the territory. It doesn't get any easier, as the years go by, either. This morning I came down for breakfast at eight o'clock. At a quarter to nine I went out the door to work. During that 45-minutes, I spoke four times, each time saying either, '"Yes", or 'You're right". That took two seconds. The rest of the time my wife talked, and her voice followed me right out the door like a swarm of bees following a florist. That's not news, but that, too, is reality. The Argyle Syndicate Ltd. a 4 PORT PERRY STAR Company Limited Phone 985 7343 Sa, (il m); Serving Port Perry, Reach, Scugog and Cartwright Townships J. PETER HVIDSTEN, Publisher Advertising Manager John Gast, Editor Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association ~ and. Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association Published every Wednesday by the Por! Perry Star Co. LM, Port Perry, Ontario Authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, and for payment of postage in cash Second Class Mail Registration Number 0245 Subscription Rate: In Canada $0.09 per year Elsewhere $10.00 per year. Single copy Mc oe Ss ~ -- il nk is ot a--_-- a N, Er - to he TAS ke Sy "ud oe ---- es TEs = " a J hae 10 NLL > SCC ESOP Ay Are >) A NS] Ge ts 2 (La RA DAs 3 - - wy To . ~ Re ATE i TRH wl \ H f 5 » od : i: nt