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Home of Halton Hills Established A Division of Canadian Newspapers Company Limited Guelph Street Georgetown Ontario PAUL J TAYLOR Publisher and General Malta BOB LIGHT BOURN Advertising Manager PHONE pageTSBcrHHir A THE HERALD Tuesday December The view from the top of the molehill The Herald doesnt count itself among the media chastised recently by Mayor Pete Pomeroy for making a mountain out of a molehill regarding the interest council has shown in a future site for a proposed municipal complex Our editorial comment on the placing of a deposit on the selected parcel of land Questionable town decision Nov 24 preceded the feisty news articles and angry editorials seen in Halton HUls other printed media And while we expressed concern at that time over the nature and timing of councils decision we tend to side with the mayor on what has taken place in the media since We will not dwell on dif ferences in editorial perspec tive that is for the discerning reader to decide Our current concern involves a petition cir culating in Acton and area in which more than citizens have expressed opposition to the municipal complex decision Council as we see it must learn two things from what has transpired since election day first that major decisions in volving obviously sensitive matters and especially a large expenditure must be made with considerable fanfare before and after to avoid giving people the impression that something going on Second because of these stringent economic times and the fact that the average weeks news has gone from bad to horrifying in content citizens are especially recep tive to newspaper prompting regardless of whether editorial bias is displayed in the coverage itself Thus sizeable trouble might be brewing in Acton over an issue still very much in its infancy This could have been avoided with all senators and other annoyed citizens across town kept passively in formed watchful but calm Instead thanks to a flurry of action behind the scenes and a general attitude of overcon fident cliquishness on councils part many voters have missed the important point that the project is at a very preliminary stage not unlike dozens of other municipal proposals which require thousands of dollars seed money before producing first if any fruit The public will not trust council until council becomes even more openly accountable Dont dangle surprises before hungry journalists yearning for their own Watergate mystery to solve Its snow fair It seems especially fitting that this hemisphere should be blanketed with snow as each year draws to a close the glum news seems to pile up correspondingly with the white stuff The prime ministers cocky promises for the new year not withstanding its worthwhile for the average voter to con sider his current governments while gazing through frosty windows at the falling snow Just think for every limousine ride our Cabinet ministers take one less sides treet gets plowed clear For every private jet flight our premier enjoys one less social service finds its deser ving recipient For every suite still not booked at Minaki Lodge one less school improvement program gets past the budget committee forced to implement Bill For every copy of magazine Workmens Com pensation Board Report and any other glossy little bulletin and sales pitch published at Queens Park or Ontario Hydro one less health care plan gets off the ground By way of New Years resolutions heres one suggestion I will no longer blame the local school board or municipal council for shor tcomings foisted upon it by the provincial and federal gover nments Something to think about when youre waiting for the Over past of years Halton firefighters ban bean to which have taken the toy from Christmas of many famflks Otto hare been prevented by and extra attention to hazards In home fotknrtai suggestions are In hopes that all our may enjoy a Mia happy festive s an For who ante esthetic Sect of an evergreen a law simple potential trans watch not haw branches la a meat nWfarabrtagtagatrtehatoywtocna la a fcaap water over ok dura parted the tree to a Hart the bolt Auditor finds civil service looking better all the time Ottawa Report By Stewart Ottawa Bureau of The Herald I didnt come to work today the Idea of writing about the lateat report of AuditorGeneral Kenneth Dye In fact nothing could have been further from my mind But In thumbing through the weighty document I stumbled across a couple of surveys undertaken by the auditorgeneral and now I not only want to write about them I am also tempted to apply for a job in the public service Its looking better all toe time I always knew there were some fairly attractive sinecures In the public service and that a few enterprising employees were able to cash cheques having done a minimum of work But until this latest auditorgenerals report came out I had no Idea It was possible to work in government without knowing what you were supposed to be But apparently It has been this way all along because when Dyes officials took a survey of public servants they found in effect that 30 per cent of them didnt know what was expected of them No not three per cent but 3D per cent And In a majestic burst of under statement the auditorgeneral expressed the view that they should know what their task is That on the face of it teems fair ANOTHER STUDY Then there Is the second survey which perhaps Is not meant lo be studied In context with the first one but for my peculiar purpose strikes me as complementary It tells us that a survey of seven departments establish ed the fact that only one per cent of employees were deemed to be unsatisfactory Okay means that per cent of all employees ore deemed to be satisfactory a figure which in itself is remarkable But lets not forget that 30 per cent of these apparently dont seem to know what theyre supposed to be doing The equation If 99 per cent of employees perform adequately when only per cent know what they ore supposed to be doing what would the adequacy percentage be If everyone knew what they were supposed to be doing I was never good In math but Is It any wonder that the public service looks appealing In this new light The trouble for me and I suspect for most of us is that I know what I am supposed to be doing Its lust that I have trouble doing it Imagine how much less frustra ting It would be if you didnt know what you were supposed to be doing In the first place Why you could blissfully surpass all expectati ons after creating them yourself SERIOUS SITUATION I guess I should mention a third survey It indicates that per cent of public servants feel that their annual performance review by their superiors has little or no effect on the way they do their Jobs Now when you stack the results of that survey on top of the other two It would add up to the Inescapable conclusion that even If you dont know what youre doing there is a per cent chance you will be judged satisfactory and even If you not you can be confident per cent of the time that the subsequent assessment wont effect your future There was this revealing comment During our interviews managers indicated that they do not want to affect the morale motivation and careers of employees by recording weaknesses This is perhaps why out of a total of 215643 public servants only were actually fired last year But then how you fire someone from performing in a job that has no performance level The auditorgeneral says Its all a very serious problem And with my luck hell probably change the whole system and be forced to spend the rest of my life painfully aware of what it la I am supposed to be doing Derek takes hot oil bath as abortion issues weighed Oueens I he Herald will publish this Thursday See you then A Christmas fire safety message water win keep your tree fresher and safer over the When decorating your tree use only well maintained CSA approved lighting and Be sura to keep lights and other sources of Ignition away from gifts wrapped In very combustible p pr Even a green tree will burn if Ignited by burning material around the base of the tree After friends are to celebrate the season be sura to check the and ash trays Or smouldering and dispose of them hi a Derek Nelson Queens Perk Herald Writing about abortion Is a little like willingly taking a bath In a vat of boiling oil No topic produces more shrill debate which might be expected of a subject where the definition of a human life is at stake But thanks to Dr Henry of Montreal it looks like the issue will be heating up in this province in a more public way than in the past has sold be Intends to sponsor an abortion clinic in Ontario similar to the one he operates in Quebec for which be was prosecuted under the Criminal Code The code says abortions con be Formed only In an accredited after on application has been screened by a threeperson therapeutic abortion committee But convinced three Quebec Juries be was innocent of performing illegal abortions although he did spend months In Jail when a higher court overturned the Jury verdict NOT EASY Now AttorneyGeneral Roy says he will prosecute should bis type of clinic although one suspects that most politicians he wishes the matter would Just go away It is a nowin situation for them caught as they are between the two vociferous groups that label themselv es prochoice proabortion and right- tolife antiabortion For more than a decade now rlghttolifera have been waging guerilla war against hospitals in Ontario that perform abortions with the avowed aim of ending them Of 231 hospitals Just 109 have therapeutic abortion clinics and It appears only 72 actually perform abortions currently Ontario had i the battery la your smoke detector has not worn out Before leaving home be sure all are off and the in solid fuel is out have a happy sal SANTAS MAILBAG Letters appear throughout Section C abortions In 1961 a slight decline hi the overoil rate from I960 and of those more than threequarters were under 13weeks gestation ARE LOSING The prochoice side claims the need for Morgenthalerstyle clinics on the grounds the righttolifers are making it more and more difficult obtain abortions and even where they are available the hospitals are needlessly endangering womens health by delaying operations longer than necessary In short the Criminal Code is already being circumvented So far as the legs side of the argument goes a prosecution by McHurtry and willing ness to fight it out to the courts eminently fair Let a Jury decide On the political side the right toIifers claim they can swing five per cent of the vote in some ridings election time and that they are already for the next provincial election Thats fine too DEEPER ISSUE But on the much deeper Issue of abortion Itself there can be no consen sus for the decision of what Is human and when Is killing Justified are not conclusions susceptible to easy Thankyou for writing Im told for example that the literal translation from the Greek of the Biblical commandment Shalt Not Kill is actually Thou Shalt Not Commit Murder which much more logical Is terminating a fetus the same at killing a Would executing Clifford Olson the childkiller be murder What of killing In self- defence or for the state as in war Are two cells a human being or does It require first movement 1Mb week or actual birth And so on Abortion is not like taking aspirin so perhaps it should not be easy obtain But neither do I want to ate a return to the backroom butcher or the victim of rope who must bear the product of bate and violence THIRTY YEARS AGOIts be a habit the way Georgetown Raid are losing hockey games If the boys dont smarten up we wont see any playoffs around here come springtime In Fergus last Wednesday Raiders were beaten by a nineman team It was the first win of the season for the Fergus club Besides winning the game the Thistles gave Raiders hi team spirit and the will to win which our team hasnt hod since- the first game played against Milton here Elmiras Polar Kings lost Intermediate B champs came to town Saturday and before the night was over they extended their winning streak to IS with no losses They showed the Georgetown fans why they ore champs knocking oft the Raiders In easy style and them 134 TWENTY YEARS high school has reached the where presentation of all academic awards Is not possible at the annual spring commencement A new system started Friday when at a musical evening featuring the school orchestra and choir Intermediate certificates were presented to 150 students who had successfully completed their Grade 10 studies School board secretary Ernest who assisted Principal JL Lambert in presenting certificates spoke to the audience stressing the Increasing importance of education He hopes to present higher to each of the students in future years he said TEN YEARS reeve Arthur Speights parting words to town council were of importance to next years council Mr Speight who did not seek reelection this year suggested that swampland on Princess Anne Drive be leased to the water commissi- on to safeguard a major source of Georgetowns water supply One of the towns deep wells is already located in this area and surveys have shown that there Is an excellent source of untapp ed water In the area Without water there can be no progress At present we have plenty of water for George- towns population and Industry but there Is no assurance this will continue particularly should large industries locate here restore the centuryold Acton town hall council decided Monday night By a recorded vote council rejected taxpayer participation In on extensive restoration proposal for the hall and at least temporarily halted fiveyear old efforts by community groups to preserve the building for the commoni- J historical posterity Another motion calling for the building to be sold In light of councils rejection of the restoration package suggested to a recent consultants study and adamantly endorsed by Mayor Pete Pomeroy two week ago was later withdrawn POETS CORNER Solitary Yon stand In the of my being sometimes coiling shadows larger than reality Gentle caress the boughs that have become the arras of my security Immovable you bold to this plane with a grip not easily released I grow in the shade of your love having yen there makes the way more fun By MARLOWE DICKSON RR Beaton Essence of Love We were together Alone thai last time Oar love was born to bleed like a superficial Yea Inflicted my expression With a warm and tender kiss We were young And yen died that way I left a part of seal Behind I grew elder Now I realise That flowers only Love ages time Became of Us ramie essence By HEATHER MACLEOD AHBstadeal Lately Lately have use Ice upon a a hi Jaw glass Year eyes which aace ansae warn with have frosted as a year coal wares sting embrace By DAHLIA