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What is Davis really like by Hartley Coles Recently Toronto I ran a caricature on the front page showing Ontario Progressive Conservative premier reeling on ring ropes entitled of an Embattled Premier Inside the sympathetic article touched on the problems of the province premier suggesting Mr Davis was a pure man who figure Mr Davis out They ve had reporter photographer team following Mr Davis recently trying to pigeon hole the man an enigma to many and yet received one of theTargest majorities ever accorded a government In the province We doubt they II ever really record on paper what Bill Davis is really like because they are looking for something very complex In a man who may bo complicated and sincere Who knows Well the premier or his aides decided it was time some of the weekly editors and publishers of the province had an to talk informally with Mr Davis and point out to him just where he has gone wrong The tetc with eight editors and publishers took place In a Royal hotel room in Hamilton Friday night In between some of the frequent appearances the premier making lately suggesting an election Is soon in the offing was one of those who attended the discussion which flirted wllh Mr Davis arriving slightly late and shaking hands and Introducing himself to each person individually It was a warm hand shake unlike a previous one the premier bestowed in the frenzy of a convention where this scribbler thought he was much like the eye in a hurricane calm and unhurried He lit up cigar and invited everyone to around a iabc with him and he problems peculiar to their own area It I take long for the editors speak up Mr Davis said the publisher of the German Canadian weekly Der you looked and acted like a strong leader when you were first elected but that image has disappeared What happened He suggested the premier should pay less attention to the professional opinion makers who he felt had diminished his profile and make more decisions of his own We are longing for strong leadership the publisher of said with con vlctlon A lady editor In the group Mr Davis noted all the inadequacies in the Government were eventually laid at his doorstep m where the buck stops he acknowledged Phil of the Grimsby Independent said It was his feeling that lifetime Conservatives haven t been happy with the Government performance out perhaps former Premier John was a hard act to follow and Mr Davis was not cut from the same kind of cloth Mr Davis relit his cigar took deep breath and noted the political climate was much different from the times in which Roberts was premier of all the people and comparisons were apt The German Canadian publisher per In insisting the Government s decisions were toolltllo and too late with regard to the land speculation lax which was designed to take the heat out of escalating housing prices Mr Davis said he might have a point but felt there were many pressures Ihere which maybe he publisher had not considered He acknowledged hit blocks of houses had been bought by speculators in new sub divisions and then sold a few weeks later at profits of from per unit but then hunched into a strong defense of the government s land speculation tax and the problem of inadequate housing starts Our greatest trouble is with municipalities They are refusing to operate with Government schemes to relieve housing shortage the premier replied He said the government has of fered reasonable grants considered all Ihe alternatives including septic tank which experience showed piid a toll later and came to the conclusion the system of grants Incentives was the only feasible way to gel going The market was overheated he admitted Did he think the grant offered first time house buyers would Improve the market or as leader Divid Lewis charged just drive house prices up higher I asked I vidcntc already at Queen Park suggest tint the is going to improve market but it would be a few months before the results showed he claimed t the decision on the Parkway the Niagara slow down growth thit be laid at the feet of the Government Growth the premier mused relighting the stub of his No one his ever been able calculate the price of growth He wondered aloud if growth for growth sake fooling ourselves We are trying to look he said defending the governments decision We dan the problems Buffalo Detroit Chicago and other American cities have encountered with lack of municipal He insisted that if the government t taken strong position of lowing down Iht market in some irons the piper would have to be paid Inter But it is to show the tangible benefits he admitted He suggested the eight newsmen around the table should look at Metro Toronto the of oil regional governments as a model for the new form of government Regional government he said practiced in Ontario was admired in other countries In fact a recent visit to Italy was to be returned by officials from Milan coming to study our form of regional government We should have had regional govern ment 10 years ago he insisted pointing to Brampton an example a town of ago and now hitting the mark It gives us a for better chance to preserve some quality in development He got arguments Hut you taking decision miking power from the gross roots with regional government t it In stltutcd to give some of the powers back to the municipalities that formerly had been the business of Queens Park Mr Dsvis evaded hat question He also acknowledged here now was a moratorium on regional governments in Ontario not because It wasn t working but because the Government felt the hot spot areas of lie province had been covered There are very few areas of the province left pressures that Two tier or one tier lhat was the question Mr acknowledged Metro Toronto operated well on two tier Well then why was Allan Mass on regional of niton charging round region preaching one tier government for Hilton I asked There was no Government blessing for Mr thoughts on the subject Mr said They arc entirely his own Regional government he prophesied soon Hark at as the unified school hoards he introduced when Minister of tducation I the of the county school boards a rigger that unleashed the permissiveness thai now exists in Ontario schools No way said the premier The system is the reflection of our own society We cm lay the blame on the school system for that He suggested students who sec as many is IB killings on TV for Instance are building a tolerance of attitudes we would never have accepted years ago He said his not only reflected in the children but in adults as well who developed tolerance for ideas thought abhorrent few ago But Ihc German Cinadian newsman t soothed He said the government should be leading the way with marc discipline In his opinion the Conservatives were really liberals In of their decisions He defined his thoughts of a liberal as someone who stands for per mlssiveness Mr Davis lit he of his again and spouted figures which to his satisfaction proved the schools Job today Consider he said the per retention factor of and Ihe per tut retention factor today for students Tliis administration is as it can gel he replied to the German Canadian publisher who slid he felt Canadians were looking for discipline and order in tin Ir society At this in Mil discussion Mr Davis aides became nervously premier was soon due at a speaking engagement In him with handshakes ail around Hie room Somehow Mr Davis missed me The newsmen were left with a full bar and sandwiches to eat instead of questions had no lime lo Neveriheless the premier took the Unit lo weeklies purposely leaving he dallies out of the picture so total concerns tould be distusscd Obviously he had been well briefed on local problems he appeared were glad of the opportunity to speak to premier without the usual commotion and lurmoil surrounding a public figure There was really no lime io discuss such important Issues such as ihe oil price hike and inflationary pressures which ire everyday meat for lie daily press but Mr Davis the neckltci were doing an excellent job of conveying gritty local issues lo peoplt Buttering up eh And what Is Bill Davis really like asked a friend Ihc lies like Bill Davis I replied non here s an eke ion ind Mr Davis is gelling to be gadfly about Ihe explaining his Government position If here wasn I election in offing would you have received in to speak with him Not likely Hut remember neither or Bob Nixon is sfforded s similar opportunity J The Acton Free Press Wed April 16 5 Study could cost Regions HI be spent best Committee is considering transportation study thai will outline Ihe direction for transportation within the region over the next vurs Planner Ross Shepherd told the committee the region wilt he investing millions and It lutly if ducted will become irl of the official plan for the region Seven were critical of up to Councillor Watson asked would to know where the money the rtglon fall if we Not enough for 35 jump 11 ilton he Don I Ins concern ibout tint increase In Children Aid budget 197j He told the regions minimi stratinnemnnnllcclhc region Ind until April to accept or he budget istmnto He told the meeting involving Admlnlsir Officer I rule Gordon id I planned to pel the budget estimate Committee members I rikscn and Im MtKcnle both indicated 11 be unless the could offer proof the need Mr inner told tin there just across province withstand per dldn do his sludy I see axes soaring out of range People won tie able to go out tin roads Planner Dick Moskal said here a lot of things we can do without Die earth turns on an axis and so does development We hove to keep on a path and these are tools we need hurwoman Mary she Convinced the study be done In the bouse by he Region staff and added that she didn see the need fi r a comprehensive study such as Ihe one suggested by Transportation Associates Keep children away swollen ponds and rnms this spring THE ACTON FREE PRESS Authorized as Second Class Mall Number HS HOLDEN OPTOMETRIST Cork SI Eail GUELPH 822 7160 ARC INDUSTRIES STEELES AVENUE HORNBY Invites you to attend THURSDAY APRIL 2 pm until 5 pm 6 pm until pm Visit our ceramic gift store and see our trainees at work Ideal for shower gifts etc Rec Dept moves The Hills recreation department will move Into offices in the new arena in Georgetown with the blessing of the administration com mitlee but still must the blessing of Hills council Councillor Booth emphasized he had never questioned the need lo get the recreation offices out of the cramped space at Cedar vale but simply the administration committee had never been informed of the proposed Recreation Director Doug explained the offices were dcsignaied in the plans so he assumed council Booth said the plans ssid directors office which at the time Interpreted as the arena manager and per arena staff I Superintendent claimed Ihc move would be more for the town The Haitort Board of Education NOTICE TO PARENTS 1 1 HI For those not previously registered for September 1975 In North Public Schools will lake place In the school which serves the attendance area in which the child resides on Friday April belween hours of a m and noon p and Public School supporters may register their children who will have attained the age years on or before Ihe last day of February Proof Public School support will bo accepted In the form of the fax bill or assessment notice or a declaration from the Municipal Clerk office A or baptismal certificate will be acceptable as prool of age For further information call the school principal or the North Education Centre B78 Mrs J Alexander Acton Chamber of Commerce 1975 CITIZEN OF THE YEAR DINNER DANCE HONOURING Acton Detachment OPP Saturday April 26 AT ACTON MEADOWS GOLF CLUB Cocktails 15pm Dinnei p in DANCING TO MARX Tickets 50 per person TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM NIELSENS CLOTHING MIKE BILL ANDERSON 853 let AIR CONDITION YOUR HOME NOW AN SAVE Cool this Summer at the advantages if you buy now Large Cjih Sav rigs Small Down payment No 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