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THINKING OUT LOUD . The present Government that rules in Ottawa makes no secret of the fact it likes free enterprise; a market driven economy where the strong survive and the weak get they have really been good boys and girls, to the Senate. The Government has pushed ahead with free trade; a lot of Crown Corps. have been sold off; sev- eral important industries have been "de-regulated," and the GST is supposed to help make our products more competitive at home and abroad by dumping the present 13.5 per cent MST. If free enterprise is so great (and I'm not arguing against it) how come we can't have an interest rate policy that is "market driven." How come for one of the most critical and crucial aspects of a nation's economy (interest rates) individ- uals and industry looking to borrow money are told what rate they will pay by the Bank of Canada. Why can't the market-place dictate interest rates? There are any number of lending houses with all kinds of dough on deposit. Why can't they com- pole in a free market for the business of lending mon- ey" And by this | mean that age-old pillar of free en- terprise of providing better (lower) interest rates than the guy down the road. What a break for consumers, business and in- dustry, if there was true competition when it comes to the cost of borrowing. Interest rates are centrally controlled, yet the price of just about everything else is driven by the market-place. It's a peculiar double standard in this country, one that baffles me somewhat, considering pointments to federal agencies, or, if, roney and Michael Wilson like nothing better than to champion the cause of free enterprise. Tell that to your banker when you're called in to renew a mortgage. . THE MARITIMES With the country going through a national debate and crisis over Meech Lake, one continues to hear and read speculation about what might happen should Quebec decide to separate. And one suggestion often put forward is that the Maritimes, cut off and isolated from the rest of Cana- da, would have no choice but to join the United States. | don't understand that line of thinking. The Mari- times, aligned in nationhood with what is left of Cana- da, could function quite nicely as a country. After all, there are numerdus small nations in this world that are very successful, despite lack of size and/or natu- ral resources. Switzerland and Denmark come to mind. And besides, with all this speculation of the Mari- times joining the US, has anybody asked the Ameri- cans if they want the Maritimes as the 51st state? Has anybody asked the Maritimers? If | was a Maritimer and Quebec opted to get out of Confederation, | wouldn't even be thinking about joining the USofA. I'd much prefer to throw my lot with the rest of Canada, or, "go it alone," if necessary. Of course, we all hope that dreadful hypothesis will never come to pass. But sadly, what used to be the "unthinkable" (the break p of Canada) is on the minds and lips of more and thore Canadians as we lurch down this rocky road. Personally, | would feel & sense of tremendous Quebec wants, the rest of the country can't keep Quebec in Confederation by twisting arms or making wild promises. And let's face it, a quick glance at the history of the last 100 years or so, when nation-states began to emerge from the ruins of monarchic or religious em- pires, shows quite clearly. that language is the most powerful bond that ties people to their nation-state. | don't care what anyone says. Quebec is differ- ent from the rest of Canada. And those who think oth- erwise are wearing historical blinkers. What we are seeing in Quebec today is the cul- mination of a "revolution" that started 30 years ago when the people of Quebec finally got out from under the repression of Duplessis. Almost all revolutions in history started, not at the bottom among the masses, but rather from within the intellectual class who expressed their anger first in literature, art, theatre and film. Historically, revolutions almost never take place when people are totally dominated. Instead, they oc- cur after a period of gradually rising expectations eco- nomically and socially, bolstered by an out-pouring of artistic expression and fervor. The flash point of a revolution is when those expectations are suddenly dashed, and the resulting anger and frustration turns to action. Witness Quebec today. For a generation (three decades) expectations have been on the rise, pro- pelled by economic improvements and fuelled by the incredibly vibrant statements made through film, thea- tre and literature. If the failure of Meech is perceived as the dash- ing of Quebec expectations, the next step in the "rev- olutionary" process is exactly what men like Lucien that the present Government, and certainly Brian Mul- devastation if Quebec opted for sovereignty. But | have also come to the conclusion that if that is what Bouchard are predicting: separation. Remember . When? ~/ 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, May 31, 1945 On Scugog, the new church is coming along. The stripping is now ready for the lath, which cannot be delivered for a while yet. The furnace is set up in place with the pipes all up. It looks fine. Mr. J.E. Jackson was in Brampton on Wednesday assisting at the Annual Auction Sale of the National Holstein Association. Congratulations to Pte. Jack Cook and his bride on their mar- riage on Saturday afternoon, May 26. Mr. and Mrs. Jim Harrison of Detroit, visited with Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Harrison for a few days. Sgmn. Gordon MacMaster, RCCS of Vimy Camp is spending his two weeks furlough with his mother, Mrs. J.D. MacMaster. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, June 2, 1955 At the Annual Carp Derby, there were well over fifty anglers entered in the derby and among them, they caught a total of 75 fish. A Toronto man, A. Silverburg, caught the largest fish. The big feature at the Port Perry High School annual Cadet Inspection was when they were presented with their colours by the Scugog Chapter of the 1.0.D.E. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, June 2, 1960 In July, Brian Simpson, one of our Boy Scouts, will journey to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to represent Canada at the American Scout Jamboree. The W.A. of the Prince Albert U.C. donated new choir gowns to the choir. We are grateful to Mrs. A. Martyn, who contributed much in making the gift possible. 25 YEARS AGO ~~ Thursday, June 3, 1965 uo Commanding Officer of the Ontario Regiment, Col. Wm. Paynter, who was present to view and inspect the Port Perry High School Cadets last Friday, was very generous in his praise of the almost flawless performance. Congratulations to Dr. David Steward Milne, on his gradua- tion from the University of Toronto, where he was the youngest member of the 1965 class in Dentistry. Leaving Port Perry High School, Dr. Milne had a record of five years perfect attendance with a well-rounded academic, athletic and extra-curricular program. Bon Voyage to Bonnie Wallace, who left Tuesday for France, (Tum to page 10) Lelters io the editor Wake up Port Perry, it's a treasure To the Editor: I was saddened but not surpris- ed to see that Dr. Tom Millar has resigned as director of the Scugog Choral Society. Ever since the presentation of "Oliver" I have wondered how he could carry the load of the two groups. More importantly, I wish to take my hat off to him and all the Editorial put views in a nutshell To the Editor: Regarding your editorial of May 23, you put it in a nutshell, and I would now wish to add my voice also to some letters in your paper of that date. a) To A. Grant's attempt to sup- port Ross Stevenson M.P. there is no supporting evidence. Our reading of Hansard - the official record of parliament's daily ac- tivities appears to be void of any argument or comment by Steven- son and we have checked a. number of copies received by very close friends. He is not recorded for having said or done anything for we who voted for him. We also have another P.C. named Cureatz. Where is he, where does he stand? I don't think I can ever vote again for anyone using the P.C. name. Carmen and Ethel Kris, Durham, P.S. A veteran who now wonders why we let this happen. (Prisoner of war). Scugog Choral Society and Millar Lights for their excellent perfor- mances of whatever they do. How they can present such a 'high quality of acting in such a small space and limited working area is a miracle. The sets are remarkably well done. Should Port Perry lose the productions of the Scugog Choral Society or of the Millar Lights it will make Port Perry a much less interesting place to be. I have been here three years and have been to most produc- tions. How I wish either my children or I had had an oppor- tunity to perform before such an appreciative audience. Wake up Port Perry - don't let council forget it has a respon- sibility to your 1873 Hall. It's a treasure and needs to be used pro- fitably. How the choral groups make ends meet with the faciliti they have is nothing short of miraculous. Perhaps instead of a new Recreation Complex you should turn your sights to better- ing what you already have. Carry on Dr. Millar - and good luck to your musical talents. Port Perry Council get on track. Do something about making your old Town Hall a viable and useable structure. We all need a live theatre presence in our community. Respectfully, Elizabeth Passmore, R.R. 4, Port Perry