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the HERALD Peterson takes on role of Pontius Pilate Home Newspaper of Hills- Established 1866 A Division of Canadian Newspapers Company Limited Guelph Street Georgetown 3Z6 Ontario DAVID A Publisher and General Manager DAN TAYLOR Advertising Manager Phone 877 Till 198a Mind the crosswalks Crosswalks have become a commonplace fixture in everyday life But there are still some motorists and some pedestrians who need reeducation Sometimes motorists in their haste to make it home after a long day s work aren t as wary as they should be when approaching crosswalk areas At night in particular there are motorists who don seem to be able to distinguish between the flashing amber crosswalk lights and regular streetlights And of course with the Christmas decorations it becomes even harder to distinguish the flashing lights of a crosswalk That means motorists have to take extra care and familiarize themselves with the locations of crosswalks so that checking for pedestrians becomes second nature At the same time pedestrians have to be aware of the proper use of crosswalks And they also have to be aware of what determines a pedestrian crosswalk Adults sometimes use poor judgement when crossing roadways And the worst error they can possible make is to mistake a few while lines painted on the roadway for a crosswalk All pedestritin crosswalks are well marked and easily identif i or most part motorists will respect crosswalks But when both parties get careless tragedy looms Let be dear about what Premier David Peterson is arguing when he speaks of adjustments to free trade He suggests firs I that because the freetrade agreement with the US Is a ffdirul government policy anything connected with it la entire ly Ottawa responsibility That means a company requires help to restructure Itself to meet the demands of free trade the Ontario government won help Or employees are to be laid off because a company can compete under free trade this loo is none of Ontario s business No money and no intervention from us is the Liberal line in the legislature But what about the reverse a company expands Its Invest ment and Ufa its soles because of easier access to the US market has Ontario decided to the tional corporate tuxes thai will be generated If more employees are hired and jobs created because of free trade has Ontario decided to allow people who fill these new positions to opt out of provincial income tax The answer to both questions Stop it now The festive season is upon us again and proud homeowners are decorating their residences in bright Christmas splendor Unfortunately though there are those who see fit to spoil the hard work and pride of others by stealing Christmas lights from displays The reasons for this vandalism is beyond the com prehension of most of us What sort of enjoyment could these people be deriving from such acts The time to stop this is now If you see anything that looks suspicious at any time call the police immediately Forget unique Editors Notebook We ve still got close to three weeks until Christmas so hopefully this message will gel through before it too late It intended to reach all those peo ple who are going crazy over what to buy someone or Christmas They re the ones who are leafing through catalogues browsing In stores and In general going nuts To them all 1 can soy is stop tor luring yourself Through personal experience 1 vc found that the gifts that are most anguished over somehow miss their So give yourself a break and for that matter give that special so meone a break too The whole problem with buying gifts is that people tend to over think They seem to feci they have to come up with the moat bizarre idea possible to make someone happy Well I can tell you this simply the case The odds are very long that you be able to come up with something in a gift that is both unique and useful So why try One of the best Rifts 1 ever got one Christmas was a boring old of a dozen golf balls Not many people think about golf when the ground Is covered with snow but maybe it time more I was thrilled For one thing ihey were certainty a more expensive ball than I have been accustomed to buying And to have someone else present me with an entire week s supply of golf balls was more than I could have asked for On the other hand some of the worst gifts I ve given were ones I took the greatest amount of time to I far sooner have someone open a gift from me and say Well I can always use another one of these than have them open a gift and say Where on earth did you ever find this You know they re actually thinking WHY on earth did you ever find this This of year a lot of people i under a lot of pressure and why the target when you re buy a gift for someone You can keep trying but why go to such extremes After all next Christmas you 11 just have to outdo yourself anyway Market force with us Your Business Diane Thomson Strvict Now that the elections are over In Canada and the United States those mysterious things known as market forces are back to their favorite pastime forcing interest rates higher When they heard George Bush would be the next US president financial markets slumped had Michael Dukakis won they would have plunged As It was the American dollar slipped on interna tlonal currency markets and In teres rates started creeping higher The tumult on financial markets finally thrust Itself Into the open earlier this week when American bankers raided the prime business lending rate by half a percentage point to per cent That s the highest the American prime has been In years The Canadian prime by com prison stood at 1L75 per cent on Tuesday although market watchers feared the pressure on US rates soon would spread to Canada Of all the many interest rates the prime Is among the last to move It Is a benchmark rate he one bankers quote for loans to their moat creditworthy customers although some big corporate borrowers pay less WATCHING NUMBERS How much further interest rates will rise depends on US employment numbers for November which ant scheduled to be released Friday If the number of Jobs grows and the unemployment rate shrinks interest raies will leap higher as central bankers struggle to quell Inflation As well the US dollar has been under pressure on world financial markets and some market watchers believe the rate Increase was design to keep it from going Into a Whatever the case It seems likely that high rates will slow economic growth before long The difference between Canadian and American rates Is greater than normal and our dollar is stronger than li has been for years Even so those mysterious market forces may force our rates higher still If markets arc surprised by weak US economic numbers on Friday we will be spared for the time being More likely interest rates will climb another onehalf to one percentage point worrying borrowers and even tualy slowing the economy HARD TO PLAN it not unusual In an election year for Interest rates to leap soon after the elections are over This Is because politicians have been lean Ing on central bankers to restrain themselves Once the government has been elected the politicians relax and let market forces prevail Rather than trying to stave off recession dans would rather It come early In election rolls around The unusual length of the current boom makes financial planning Logically growth should begin to slow soon yet the good economic numbers Just keep rolling in The current prosperity could en dure for years to come with Inter being mild and relatively short lived It all depends on interest rates the higher they rise the deeper the slowdown will be Our fate Is In the Invisible hands of those mysterious entities known market forces Its enough to make you nervous Queens Park Derek Nelson Thornton Quebec Premier Robert reporters here during his kiss- and makeup visit with Peterson that the Gillette closing had nothing trade Peterson playing his usual game of walking both sides of the street dldn say It i wasn t but did In fact the sheer absurdity of Petersons position Is such thai It has many observers at Queen Park wondering why he is indulging In it Companies and plants open and close all the often for more than one reason or some people for example the closing of the Gillette manufacturing facility In Montreal makes that company the first victim of free trade For others Gillette Is obviously much more a victim of a tax system thai favors corporate financing through debt rather than equity The blame In cose should rest with governments rather than business who simply react to the lax rules laid down by government beginning of the industrialization of Canada But Peterson knows better than that His own Premier Council blue- ribbon collection of academics business and labor leaders has already documented the decline In many traditional Ontario industries The council suggested lhat what free trade would likely do is eel crate that trend CHANCLORDIF In short Ontario economy is go ing to have to change and adapt or die regardless of free trade With no tariffs and somewhat more secure access than before to the riches market in the world On tario should be able to benefit great from free trade But to hear Peterson tell it none of this has anything to do with his government Even when the province has an nounced adjustment assistance as to the grape growers It hides its in tent by saying It is reacting to a ruling rolher than free trade even though the effects of will be Identical to whatever pain free trade brings to the grape and wine Industry It Is hard to see the political plus of sticking one head in the sand and saying that because the rules of the sandbox hove been changed he Ian going to play After ail Petersons prime objec tion to the freetrade agreement wasn t even economic Instead he saw It as on unacceptable dilution of Canadian sovereignty And even then he saw the changes as in the long term rather than mediately Yet he already posturing over plants being closed while simultaneously washing his hands of the consequences One has to wonder if It really Is in the best Interests of Ontario to have Its premier play Pontius Pilate In a gloom and doom scenario of the Citizens forum Disapproves of election practices Now that the elections are behind 1 feel compelled to point Out two situations lhat irritated me during our recent municipal election believe thai councillors particularly those who arc acclaimed should not represent a candidate in their of capacity us town councillors This should apply to federal elections councillors are entitled to their opt in oris then wen some on lhal can be done on elections behind the scenes to render support to the of their In my councillors wire wrong to use status to the I also disapprove of the press ting letters to the editor in support of candidate again there lwu urn some from both sides While discussion of issues road con taxes development etc welcome I like John because letters could simply be viewed cheap advertising or a contest to who entice the most friends to write letters Where exactly do freedom of the press obligation to print letter written to the editor and good taste fil in this process since letters arc often unsolicited by can the onus must be on the paper to review all letters 1 am not trying to pass Judgement on what well individuals did but I am questioning the Fair play aspect of both these issues and their effect on future elections Sincerely lois sidesi but there is plenty of work Red Cross received great support Dear Sir The Christmas parade unites our community in officially celebrating the advent of Christmas Many groups and organisations which pro vide essential community services throughout the year may on this en si on participate In an event which brings delight to our children and pleasure to all who participate The Georgetown and District Red Cross Gingerbread House float Mike Hamilton Construe Co for use of his truck and flatbed Lena Johnston Zander Marlon Richardson and Jovre for making ginger cookie costumes Georgetown Fabrics Appliances Paper Electric CO OP Reaver Lumber Canadian Tire Educational Materials The Cellar Florists St Claire Paint and Wallpaper Georgetown Decorating Center and Your World for materials used and the A and Zellers Miracle Shoppers Drug Mart Valdl and Del rex Smoke Shop or pro viding candy for children along the With the help and generosity of these donors and Cross volunteers we were able lo par In this very successful and event Sincerely Leslie Am Ison Chairman Public Relations Georgetown and District Red Cross A great firsttime effort The Halton Hills Toy Lending Library entered its very first float In the Lions Santa Claus Parade this year and the Fxecutlvt Board would like to say congratulations and lhankyou the float committee who worked so hard and did such a wonderful Job on our entry Thank you ladies The float committee would like to thank the following companies for their contributions Up Up and Away Balloons Georgetown Decorating Centre Mai Dodge Suburban Realty St Clair and Kay and Roth for the the trailer and Ray for the trailer hitch Thank you to all the float members families who for such a small group did such a wonderful job on our float Thank you I Special thankyous arc In order for Leillc who got the float started Rltn and Manfred Sincerely Hnlton Hills Toy Lending Library Georgetown Board of Haltons History from our files And the band played on years ago With Council big three heading the polls for a second jear Monday s municipal election saw only one change in the council when Councillor Alfred SyVes lost his seat to newcomer Mrs Al In her second bid or office Mrs Cumc luflied votes and fifth In the standing to become the list lady ever elected to a govern mental seat in Georgetown history Coun John registered the highest number of votes or the second year In a row Garfield McGllvray beat Coun Em Hyde by 13 votes to place The Georgetown Herald takes a major step in its development on Jan when Thomson Newspapers limited becomes its publishers Sale of the ffivtar old will be announced today by Walter Biehn publisher and editor since he pur chased the Herald from the J M Moore in March 1M0 Prior to Mr Moore the late R Warren had owned the business for many years Rev Alex Calder opened the Knox Church Christmas Fair on Friday afternoon which was sponsored by the Women association Knox Ladies Auxiliary the choir and the CG1T The choir was in charge of the afternoon tea and the Women s Association looked after the hot sup per church rooms were decorated for Chris I mas and the tea tables wire very gay with their pastel green cloths and red candle centerpieces 15 years ago George l own police chief Floyd has been named staff En for the administration of the new Hal Ion Police force His ap pointment became effective Man day Dec but the new regional force does not begin its operation til Jan with headquarters in Oakville and detachments in Georgetown Milton and Burlington Six winners of the Fire Prevention Bureau s 1973 fire Ere vent Ion poster competition were at an awards night In Milton last week Desk pen sets and of achievement were presented patty Jo Cutrara of Georgetown and Richard Noma of Speyside top boy and girt in the Bureau annual county wide contest for grade five students was guest speaker at the annual dinner of the directors of the Georgetown Agricultural Society which sponsors the Tall fair Speaking on hypnotism as related to the medical profession gave a very in formative and amusing presentation on the subject lie was Introduced by Robert and the thanks for the gathering was given by Sam 10 years ago The Georgetown Raiders defeated the Port Sailors Friday night at Arena without needing to hit full stride Both teams appeared to bo going through the motions as neither played anything close to what could be called good all round hockey Kris Barber and Kelly Johnson look First place in the Junior dance pairs competition the Central On tario Sectional Figure Skating Championships held at Community Centre on the weekend Barber of Glen Williams and Johnson of Toronto led on every Judge card for each of the three competitions 5 years ago After five years Of holding the post as mayor Pete will not be going out of office as an unknown or a mayor with little to his credit years spent with the Hills council have certain goals In the town which will be synonymous with his name always be remembered for the Cultural Centre the Stevens property Coun Pom Sheldon said And should be remembered as the mayor with a strong commitment to the rural Dale Wood was beaming Saturday night He was proud very and Justifiably so The Georgetown Choral Society and the Cantante Singers were doing him proud Con ductor for the two choirs It was Dale s night to shine as he showed off the musical talents of the two choral groups