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Home Newspaper of Helton Hills THE HERALD Wednesday January A Division of Canadian Newspapers Company Limited Main Georgetown Ontario WILLIAM EVDOKIMOFF Publisher MICHAEL Editor PHONE Class Mall Number Hospital cuts inexcusable Its a good thing that US Senator Edward Kennedy came to viatt Ontario in 1977 to study this provinces highly touted public health system as a model for a similar American plan that he advocating If he came this year he wouldn be as impressed Since Senator Kennedy visited Ontario the government has at tempted to jack up OHIP rates to per single person per month Finally bowing to public pressure the government had to settle for a five dollar hike to per month At the same time the govern has been steadily reducing mints to Ontario hospitals by increasing operating grants at a level that Tails well below the in flatlon rate The governments cut happy policies came to a ludicrous peak Friday when minister of health Dennis Timbrell announced that despite years of steady cuts the province funding to hospitals would once again fall below the inflation rate Perhaps the most distasteful aspect of Mr Timbrell Friday announcement was the govern ment decision to begin levelling a IS per day levy to chronic care and psychiatric patients who are hospitalized for more than days Considering that chronic care and psychiatric patients can sometimes be hospitalized for a matter of years the families of the patients or the patients themselves could be saddled with thousands of dollars in medical expenses Surely Ontario s public health system was designed to avoid just this type of burden While the government insists the cost will not be forced upon those families who cannot afford ft only those on family allowance and welfare are mentioned in this category Mr Timbrell makes no allowance for those low and middle income earners who would be pushed to the brink of financial ruin if forced to pay almost a month to keep an ailing relative in the hospital In discussing the sad state of Ontario s health care program Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital administrator Fred Morris says that the money to pay for higher funding should be found within the ministry or by in creasing user costs of Ontario s health system Ontario residents already pay enough in direct cost for health care through their OHIP payments The cost of keeping Ontario hospitals in line with inflation should be covered from within general government revenue including money raised through taxes raised from businesses corporations and Ontario s government is also guilty of farming out their fiscal restraint While hospitals are forced to operate with funding below the inflation rate salanes of minister like Mr Timbrell and top level bureaucrats continue to stay healthily ahead of We wonder haw financially responsible the provincial government is when they waste in one day ferrying in hospital administrators from across Ontario to Toronto only to be told in that they must tighten their own belts Fifteen chronic care patients could have been hospitalized for a year without having to pay their at about the same cost as Mr one day information session We shudder to think how mnay other less obvious cases of fiscal irresponsibility the government is guilty of The solution to Ontario s health discrace is not for hospital ad to again pull out the knife and cut back local services to a point where some hospital staff are predicting danger to patients And the solution is not to increase direct costs to system users Instead Ontario hospital staff users and administrators alike must stand up and demand that the government retain reasonable health service as a budget priority Local Liberal MP like opposition From the way Georgetown federal member of parliament Liberal Ross Milne spoke at his town hall meeting last Thursday night one would almost think he was campaigning for the Progressive Conservatives or the New Democratic Party Mr Milne is a thoughtful man and should be congratulated for his town hall meetings program However as a thoughtful man he was unable to try and dupe his audience and pretend that the many problems facing this country do not exist In so doing Mr Milne began to sound like an opposition candidate He detailed the country economic woes problems with developing industry and failure to develop new foreign markets for Canadian products Only instead of wrapping up his speech with an and so ladies and gentlemen this Is why I think you should dump the Liberals in he urged his audience not to dwell on the negative aspects of the country and instead have faith in his vague solutions to the problems his party has helped create Canadians have endured Mr Milne s party for more than 15 years and quite simply it is the Liberal Party which must now bear a large amount of the responsibility for the mess this country is now in If as he said in his speech Thursday night Mr Milne thinks Canada has tailed to aggressively pursue foreign markets then it is his parry which is responsbilc They have had the opportunity to ensure these markets were pur sued Why t The same goes or the failure to develop Canada manufac hiring industry the decrease in Canadian research and many of the other problems Mr Milne outlined with a detached concern on Thursday Since the Liberals have been in power or more than years they have been a position to see many of the problems the country is currently facing in advance and even attempt to head them off However they have failed Mr Milne almost sounded surprised on Thursday night when he explained that Canada is in the bottom per cent of countries in the world for research How can he be surprised when it was his own Liberal government that gave foreign corporations almost carte blanche permission to develop ment Canada s industry hack in the Sixties and earlier Surely Mr Milne is not now surprised that these same companies prefer to conduct research under the auspices of their own head offices back in their home countries Mr Milne is again correct when he says that Canada has become too dependent on the sale of raw resources for exports He says that there is also a desperate lack of manufactu in Canada It s ironic that the refinement of Canada s natural resources do create manufacturing jobs Unfortunately these Jobs are Norway the United States and Japan where our foreign owned companies send Canada resources to be manufactured it was Mr Milne s Liberal government that has allowed this no strings attached exploitation of Canada s natural resources by foreign companies Now we are paying the price see- e tha Mr Milne Liberal Parry done their job pioperly in the first place during the last years they have been in power they would not now be in the position of desperately trying to come up with solutions for problems they created or allowed to develop Whether Mr Milne likes it or not an incumbent government must run on its record And for the Liberals even based on Mr Milne own statements the record has not been that good History From the Heralds files was tiny perfect but has large flaws as MP By Stewart MacLeod majority of support a rcferen for such negotiations Perhaps any federal prime minister would be forced to sit down for talks in such an eventuality considering it not something you agree to while It s still hyopthotical purposes the ClarkCrom bie statements don t slack up well against Prime Minister Trudeau s that the future of Canada ts not able ATEbt EARS Ottawa Bureau Of The Herald David Crombie might have been the tiny perfect mayor of Toronto in striving for similar perfection in federal politics he must learn to be more evasive about hypothetical questions There he was on national television tellingus in effect that a federal government would negotiate with Queb- Premier Rene on his proposed sovereigntyassociation I think anyone who refuses to negotiate Is silly said the Tory MP from Toronto And this forthright declaration came just a few weeks alter Party Leader Joe Clark slipped into hot water for making a similar comment He was quoted as saying If they Quebecolst win with more cent of the votes and If the question permits a certain flexibility 1 negotiate Despite party claims that the Clark statement was taken out of context the fact Is he has expressed some willingness to sit down with and talk about sovereignly association should a But Crombie went on at great length during his television interview to argue that just about anything Is negotiable I have no doubt that the are interested in separating from Canada said But you have remember Quebec Is still I and bound to the rest of the country It not going lo sink into the Atlantic Ocean There still has to be relationships or jobs for example the province of Ontario we have a For we have worked out forms and for someone to say that because they call what they want lo happen by a label we ought not to talk about it I think lhals wrong In fact I think its trading illusions and creates unnecessary fear What is also does is give the Trudeau government just the kind of ammunition it wonts as it cranks up toward a general election campaign based on national unity There is little that Trudeau and his ministers will be portraying the Liberals as the only party committed to unity the only party able to up to Rene the only parly capable of holding the country together And bv agreeing to hypothetic- negotiations the Tory spokesmen are play into Liberal hands Justice Minister Marc has been particularly active In tilling Quebecers that neither the federal government nor the provinces will be willing to negotiate any form of sovereignty association I have the impression that the strength of English Canadian cohesion has always been und in Quebec he has said He has also warned lhat the collective bargaining strength of the nine provinces leave an Independent Quebec In a less favorable economic position The adjust problems for Quebec would be The entire thrust of the Liberal mess Is that would vote for sovereignty association at their peril that o goodwill should be expected from Ottawa or other provinces if they decide to bend the bonds of Confederation As a result of approach Quebec Finance Minister Jacques has accused Lalondc of being an economic terrorist accusations have been directed toward the federal Conservatives who will tell you are soft on Ism This Is a perception Clark Tories must change if they hope for any k of breakthrough in Quebec where virtually all federalists votes have toward Liberals And it will be very difficult long as MPs like David Crombie are going on national television to indicate a willingness negotiate gnty association with Rene newest rising star may be Torontos Ed Philip quern Park Bureau Of The Herald TORONTO In Its life in Oniario the has had four leaders Ted Don Stephen Lewis and now Michael Cassidy the first three was able to lead the party into power though in 1M3 came close when in a seat house he won seats against Ihe government s And lo dale at least it seems Cassidy won do any belter Now here obvious question Is the party In Ontario always to be an alsoran PARTY There is every temptation to believe this is so The New Democratic Parly as of now is a without any striking identity It is for labor under any and all circumstances it Is for the little mon and his causes pretty well every little man and every cause It Is against the big man and its wisdoms arc hose of class war its intellect has mostly deve loped no farther than demagoguery It Is against many things and really not maturely and solidly for anything Which would be a rather dismal situation if it that by contrast with the other two major parties the t come off too badly For they don really stand for all that much either A LEADER Which brings us to Ed Philip ToronloEtobicoke an and rather an unusual one Now he has been in the house since 1975 and slowly has been becoming one of Ihe more respected back benchers of his party But perhaps not the most respected by his caucus far he is not and has not been a conformist lie has been on active member of the since its formation in the early sixties but he has never been an lip servant as art so many Again as with so many in the NDP his early nclinatlon was towards education and he took his master degree But he dldn go Into the class room he ended up with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture as an organizer and then director of leadership training When he politics in was prctly well a one man show He was running against a silting Liberal and the party t give him much hope and no support He won handily and in the vote walked home As a member he has come across as reasonable and assured Above all In no He himself would probably say his party would never elect him leader Quite likely he would hat he is too conservative Bul this ignores Tact that though a leader is very important the party behind him Is also very And this is particularly so in the case of the which until now has been relatively unformed A CHANGE And If It is to get anywhere it obviously is going lo have to change and If it is to have general appeal probably get more conservative One can see the day when it will be seeking man such as Philip As for his personal at present within the party It really is not of much significance A lesson of political life is that our really good leaders have seldom reached popularity In tad most of the ones have tended to be loners It is normally only parties in disarray such as our Liberals were here in Ontario for so long who have sought and voted for what they thought was ma And lost with it Keep on eye out for Phil p He might turn out to be a hall mark In our political development At this stage he appears as a person public might have faith in And that Is the real test of winning politics In leader WILLIAM EVDOKIMOFF Publisher General Manager MICHAEL Manas no Editor BETTER CHURCH FACILITIES THIRTY YEARS AGO The Annual Congregational Meeting of the George town United Church was held on Monday evening The meeting accepted the re commendation of the Building Committee that in view of present and urgent need for enlarged and improved facilities that ihechurch proceed with Its building plans The committment for palls for the building of a new Sunday School Hall and the division of the present hall into suitable classrooms Georgetown Fire Brigade were called lo Brampton last Saturday morning to help fight a serious fire on Main Street The fire gutted the premises of the Green Lantern Restaurant and fire and smoke caused extensive damage to the adjoining McKUlops Furniture Store Three of apartments over the stores escap ed before the flames and smoke reached their height With over raised for church purposes In a record financial year was reported at the annual meeting of the Norval United Church held January John Bingham was chosen chairman of the board of trustees of Esqueslng School Area when the board met in Georgetown on January at the office of the secretary treasurer Miss Ruth Evans NQBLfc BUYS DAIRY The Georgetown Dairy owned and operated for the past three years by Riley Brclhour changed hands on Monday when Mr sold the business to Irwin Noble of Hanover Mr came here from Hespeler purchasing the business from B who in turn purchased Farm TWENTY YEARS AGO Mechan ization town business office wlthan machine as the first step was proposed by Mayor Armstrong council first business meeting of the year last Thursday The mayor estimated that up to could be spent In equipment needed by a town this size which Is becoming imperative for efficient handling of water and tax accounts This would Include a billing machine Ing the present typing and handwriting of accounts At the last meeting of the Kinsmen Club it was decided that the club would be responsible for the transportation of child to the Sunshine School for Mentally Retarded Children in Millon dally A resolution which Woodstock council forwarded to Georgetown council was ordered filed It dealt with inflation due to wage increases claiming this adversely affects Canada position In the world market and expressed this concern in a letter the federal government Mayor Jack Armstrong said he docs not consider It a local council s place to advise a higher government no mailer how sincere the request might be CONN SMYTHE VISITS Ifall gocswcll Club Midtown will have a visitor Friday In the person of Conn Mr Smylhe will be here in connection with a proposed TEN Judge John walked out of a Halton County Board of Eduction meeting In Milton Thursday resignation in protest over the salary hike given new top administrators The judge a member of the Georgetown District High School Board recently appointed lo a continuing committee by the board the Herald he would make his resignation official at Georgetown council meeting this coming Monday AUDITION final approval from the Oniario Municipal Board is the only hurdle to be cleared before construction starts on the long awaited Centennial School addition an addition four times larger than the existing school Condition of washroom sinks In County jail was cited as a health hazard by the Grand Jury Wednesday In a report to Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Heating piping electrical wiring and the spiral staircase arc In very poor condition and there is very poor ventilation and very low humidity throughout the building the report sold At the first meeting of the Municipal Safely Committee this year Chairman Colin Blight charged lhat regulations governing the fencing of open excavations were being flagrantly ignored by build contractors and town works depart ment alike committee to lake necessary steps lo ensure that existing regulations are obey by harassing the town building inspector safety officer and town council Georgetown new water commission Is already at work and on Monday asked council to seek Ontario Municipal Board approval for a debenture issue for capital works planned this year The debenture would include for explo ration and woik on No water well for a planned No swell relocating walerllnes in the Main Street bridge reconstruction or rcconst ruction on Maple Avenue and for waterlincson Road South FOR ACTION ONE YEAH AGO Financial mation from elected officials which would Indicate whether Acton is better off under regional government is not being supplied to the for Acton the Ontario liberal caucus on regional government was told Wednesday Norm Elliot spoke sman for the 18monthoId group of Acton residents said it is not opposed to regional government but wants to make clear Acton situation in regional government Halton separate school teachers have requested a final vote on latest contract proposals from the separate school board a move interpreted by board chief Hartley trustee for Hills disputes the position of the teachers bargaining unit which says several other options exist still including further negotiation arbitration and final offer selection by the Education Relations Commission Attempts to set up a hostel for battered wives in Halton moved forward a step last week with the setting up of subcommittees to define the exact ion of hostel and the extent of the need for it well a meant of funding it