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i 8 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 5, 1969 Letters ii. Cureatz continues fight for VIA EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a letter sent to M.P. Ross Stevenson from M.P.P. Sam Cureatz regarding VIA Rail service. Dear Ross: There are still a number of my constituents concerned about the cutback in Via Rail and the ser- vice that it has provided for my constituents. It is my understan- ding that the cost of Via Rail can actually be reduced by increasing the number of trains, not decreas- ing. The reason is that the cost is a reflection of the cost of the in- frastructure. If you run a freight train at 50 m.p.h. the track has to be maintained at a certain stan- dard, but if you run a passenger train at 70/80 m.p.h. the track has to be upgraded to handle the thrust of the trains on curves more especially, and the signal system has to be more sensitive for the higher speed train. The cost of this infrastructure is the same whether you run one or ten passenger trains a day, and there is no economy in reducing the number. The only economy would be to stop running any passenger trains whatever or en- couraging a larger number of trains and so decreasing the cost of maintenance per rider. While you are looking into this question of cost would you also make in- quiries as to what reduction of service has been made in the Ottawa-Montreal run and what reduction has been made in the province of Quebec generally. Not the least damage of this mistaken reduction is the reported and unnecessary loss of 1000 jobs, not to mention the human cost. Yours sincerely, Sam L. Cureatz, M.P.P. Durham East A serious message for Canadian youths To the Editor: Are you a Canadian youth? Do you know that you live in the finest country in God's green earth? Less than a month ago - on November 11th - you were asked to remember the sacrifices made by 100,000 Canadian young men in three world wars - guarantee to you - their inheritors - the many freedoms which you have. Millions of young people in other countries do not have those freedoms. Thousands of Canadian young men of previous; generations gave up their lives so that you could in- herit this beautiful country of Canada. Thousands more lost arms, legs, eyesight, hearing, their mobility, in order to guarantee your present freedoms. Many of you respond by STEALING CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS from your neighbours' properties. Are these the acts of responsi- ble Canadian young people, who know what Christmas is all about? : SURELY NOT! Yours truly, Frank Godley, Port Perry Life's Like That by Julia Ashton Cold weather has got me down -- Bah, hum bug! December is suppose to be a very happy time of year. Everyone is having festive par- ties, singing festive carols and dressing in fes- tive red outfits. Unfortunately, | feel as though | have gotten up oh the wrong side of the bed for the last week. Yes it's true. Christmas is just around the corner and I'm miserable. Doubly so, today. Could it be because my fingers froze to the door handle of my car this morning? Am | mis- erable because | lost 12 layers of skin from my fingertips while trying to remove them from the door handle? | just hate cold weather. And ever since that snap of cold weather hit us, I've been a bear to live with, speak to, work with, etc. So while I'm on this hateful tone, I'm going to tell you a few more things that make my hair to stand on end. | hate panty hose. Especially "one size fits all" panty hose. Who are ey trying to kid? Now, I'm not all that tall, and | have one heck of a time finding "one size fits all" panty hose that fits. Is it just me, or can anyone get the crotch of the panty hose higher than their knees? | hate people who have all their Christmas shopping done. Let's face it. Christmas shopping is only fun when it takes 45 minutes to find a parking spot. Christmas shopping increases in fun when you have to stand 12-deep at a check out counter. And the most fun you can have Christmas shopping is to break into a fight with another shopper over who gets the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle on the shelf. People who shop early never experience these joys. | hate drivers who don't signal. it's like hey figure every one else can read their minds. | also hate drivers who tailgate, brake while going up a hill, speed up and slow down for no apparent reason, etc. | hate recording machines. | despise leaving a message on an answer- ing machine. | can't talk to a machine. | get tongue-tied, my palms get all sweaty, and | break out in hives. As soon as | hear "Please leave your message at the sound of the tone" I hang up. On the same note, | hate Bell Canada's re- cordings. There's nothing like phoning directory as- sistance, talking to a real human voice and then being switched over to a computer which recites the telephone number you may or may not want. If it's not the number you're looking for, you can't simply tell the person on the oth- er end of the line. It takes another phone call to Bell Canada's directory service and costs another 60 cents. | hate people who are obsessed with which - way the toilet paper roll is put on the dispens- er. Who really cares whether they pull the toilet Pier from the top or from underneath, as ong as it does the Bo it's meant to. | hate Port Perry water. There's nothing like a glass of brown water to really quench your thirst. Experts say that there is nothing wrong with the water quality. I'd like to invite some of those experts to m home, and let them drink, bathe, and was dishes, clothes and teeth with that water. | hate people who head south for the Christ- mas holidays. People from the south think Santa wears Bermuda shorts and an Hawaiian shirt, does the rounds on a moped, and instead of milk and cookies, he likes a tall glass of ice tea. That's not a suitable Christmas. Christmas is snow and cold weather and carollers freez- ing their butts off while singing door to door. Isn't this weather grand! Viewpoint by J. B. McClelland | (From page 7) building a new road that is not needed when there is a vi- able and far cheaper alternative? When the council and a Ridgeland rep met November 27, both sides seemed to be digging in over this issue, and there were hints it could end up in front of the OMB or envi- ronmental assessment hearings, which would cost every- one concerned a pile of money. On this issue, | think the council is being unreasonable in insisting that Ridgeland spend a hugh chunk of dough to build a road that isn't necessary. Even the Township's con- sulting firm says the road is not needed. The Oak Hills development (the nine hole golf course and the luxury homes) has been a good one for Scugog, and there is no reason why the expansion - will not be equally beneficial for Scu 9 it would be a pity to see it de- layed or in front of the OMB, or scuttled altogether, over a costly road that would serve no purpose. By all means, | think council must take a tough stand when it comes to dealing with developers to protect the in- terests of the municipality and the people who live here. In this particular case, I'm not convinced the tough stand is warranted. WELCOME TO THE NINETIES 'Christmas is fast approaching, the final Christmas of- the decade. | feel a sense of foreboding that this wonderful country may not make it through the next decade. Canada, in its short history of just over 100 years has faced numerous cri- ses, the most critical being the Quebec referendum a few years ago. But | have this feeling the nation is drifting apart, and worse, there are some who really don't care, or would even welcome a split. The Meech Lake business has pitted prov- ince against province, the feds against some provinces and citizen against citizen. It is wearing us down as a nation | wonder seriously if we have the collective will to get through this crisis. There is a weariness in Canada these days, and | don't think I'm alone in wondering just how many more Christmases we will celebrate as a nation. The next decade may not be a happy one for Canada. IN CLOSING... Strange how quickly things change. Just a generation ago, Sapap and Germany were in shambles, defeated na- tions who had plunged the world into global conflict that cost 40 million lives. Today, Japan rules the economic world and German re-unification is a distinct reality. A lot of WW 2 vets must be wondering how and why. We SHALL CALLTHIS EXHBIT A." by Lynn Johnston --0Hr wie) | EMMERSON NOT DEALING A CRIMINAL OFFENSE | Fi WITH INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED 193 QUEEN ST., PORT PERRY, ONT. LOB 1NO S (416) 985-7306 ALL LINES OF GENERAL INSURANCE * » =» HOMEOWNERS - FARM - AUTO COMMERCIAL