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( i , 12 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, December 3,1986 Section Two Efje Canabtan Statesman 623-3303 Durham County's Great Family Journal Established 132 years ago In 1854. Also Incorporating The Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second class mall registration number 1561 Produced every Wednesday by THE JAMES PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED 62-66 King SL W., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 JOHN M. JAMES Editor--Publisher GEO. P. MORRIS Business Mgr. RICHARD A. JAMES Assistant Publisher BRIAN PURDY Advertising Mgr. PETER PARROTT Associate Editor DONALD BISHOP Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees of The Canadian Statesman, The Newcastle Independent and The James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and must not be reproduced without permission of the publishers. pubii foreign--$55.00 a year $17.00 a year--6 months $9.00 strictly In advance Although every precaution will be taken lo avoid error, The Canadian Statesman accepts advertising in ils columns on the understanding that it will not be liable lor any error in the advertisement published hereunder unless a proof ol such advertisement i? requested in writing by the advertiser and returned to The Canadian Statesman business office duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted in writing thereon, and in that case if any error so noted is not corrected by The Canadian Statesman its liability shall not exceed such a portion of the entire cost of such advertisement as Ihe space occupied by the noted error bears to Ihe whole space occupied by such advertisement. Same Rules for Snowmobiles Drinking and driving kills. And according according to statistics from last year, that's equally true when the driver is behind the controls of a snowmobile. Perhaps the danger is compounded by the combination of alcohol and snow vehicles. Today, it's no longer considered moral or responsible to drive cars or trucks after drinking. Snowmobiles, however, tend to be regarded regarded as off-road recreational vehicles vehicles and therefore there may be a tendency tendency to drive them carelessly. In fact, statistics indicate that about 70 per cent of all drivers involved involved in fatal motorized snow vehicle vehicle accidents last year were impaired. impaired. "Of the 17 fatalities, 12 of the snow vehicle drivers were described as "ability impaired" or "had been drinking," said Ontario's Minister of Transportation and Communications, Communications, Ed Fulton. "The statistics prove that, whether it be an automobile or a snowmobile, driving while impaired kills," Mr. Fulton added in a recent news release release from the Ministry of Transportation. Transportation. The minister went on to note that it's imperative to work towards low ering the figures next year. He added that one of the keys to the safer hse of snow vehicles is a healthy respect for these machines. The public public should realize that the snow vehicle vehicle is not a toy. Their operation is no less important and no less dangerous than the operation of automobiles and the regulations governing their use must be strictly followed at all times. It's interesting to note that a number number of last season's snowmobile accidents accidents involved under-age drivers -- further proof that some members of the driving public tend to view snowmobiles snowmobiles as toys rather than vehicles. Seventeen per cent of snow vehicle drivers involved in on-highway accidents accidents did not hold a valid driver's licence licence or a licence for a motorized snow vehicle. Eighteen of them were under the age of 16 and, sadly enough, five of them were under age five. Merely obeying the rules concerning concerning the age of drivers would undoubtedly undoubtedly result in fewer accidents. And a heathier respect for snow vehicles in general would also help prevent some of the accidents, injuries injuries and deaths. Easy does it! Blame it on the Computer The advantage to computers is not the fact that they can multiply and divide astronomical numbers at the blink of an eyelash. Nor is it the fact that they can store and retrieve more information than most of us have ever seen in a lifetime. The really big advantage to computers computers is the fact that they are a high- tech, micro chip scapegoat. In other words, whén all else fails, blame the computer. This kind of excuse is lightyears ahead of those encountered just a few decades ago. Accountants couldn't blame their quill pens and blotting paper for mistakes in the books. They had to resort to phrases such as "I forgot" or "That's funny, I thought we did that already" or "Oops". Today, it's not unusual to go into a bank and discover that the computers are "down" which means that your bank balance will remain known only to a brain full of small wires and micro-chips. It's the kind of excuse which is instantly instantly accepted. You can't rant and rave at the manager or the staff. The computers are "down". If you want to complain, take it up with a microchip. We've heard of one instance in which a store computer system went "down" and automatically locked all the entrances and exits so that the shoppers couldn't get out. If a store manager did something like that, we'd have every right to give him a piece of our mind. But since the problem was a computer malfunction, malfunction, we just grin and bear it. After all, it was nobody's fault. Probably the mishap was caused by a hiccup in the electrical system -- a flicker of the lights. And who wants to argue with an electronic hiccup. Now the friends of the computer will leap to the defence of the machine by claiming that computers don't make mistakes. People do. And it is correct that somewhere in the chain of command there has probably probably been a human hand in the error. But it is also safe to say that computers computers have created a whole new generation generation of mistakes which were never before encountered. Take this business business of writing editorials or news stories. When you used the old system of typewriters and paper, it was virtually virtually impossible to lose a story. Even if you inadvertently pitched it in the garbage, it was generally possible to retrieve it by rummaging among the banana peels and crumpled paper. Not so with a computer. When a story disappears from the computer screen, it goes into that twilight zone of all lost computer information. information. Chances of getting it back are less than zero. That's when one tends to blame the computer. Perhaps, it's time to introduce a new word in the language to describe a computerized foul-up. What about a word like "Compuse" which is a combination between computer and excuse. Therefore, it would be a compuse to say "the computer ate my news story" or "you can't get a bank balance balance today because the computer is down". It may be possible that with a little bit of fast-talking and a lot of "com- puses", the world will be able to shift all of the blame for malfunctions to- computers. This will leave human beings beings totally innocent and free of worries. worries. Of course, such a dream is impossible. impossible. They say that within 10 years or so, computers will have a kind of artificial artificial intelligence which will allow them to reason and speak and probably probably stand up for themselves. They'll blame people. Sign of Things to Come r B ylin 6 • # • by Peter Parrott ( X ^ I must admit that I've never been a great fan of the sport of hunting. We grew up on a farm, so you'd think that hunting hunting would be a way of life. But that's not nqçqs- sarily the.case.;:., , âjjj V. In fact, we never hadia gun on the farm. Ever. The thinking was that if you wanted meat for the table, it was far better to raise it on the hoof and fatten it up in the barn than to pursue it over hill and dale. It's a philosophy I tend to agree with. But that doesn't mean I'd go so far as to oppose the other guy's right to hunt. However, I think the public should insist that hunters follow guidelines such as not" trespassing,,,not r , mixing alcohol) L an(l, : firearms, and'.abidiiigfoi the rules,, which wiUiguarantee the survival of wildlife for future generations. <> Nor do I see anything; intrinsically 1 ' immoral about shooting animals. To my way of thinking there's not much difference difference between killing the beast in the wild or doing away with a domestic animal in a slaughterhouse. Only vegetarians have any right to protest slaughter on moral grounds. It does appear, however, however, that hunters are like many hobbyists in that they love the gadgetry of their avocation avocation and take it very seriously. seriously. Some photographers photographers are like that, too. So are a wide number number of hobbyists. So I couldn't help smile when I came across the following excerpt excerpt from a hunting and fishing magazine. The subject is the hunting of wild turkeys. It seems as though the, birds have recently been introduced to southern Ontario and hunting enthusiasts enthusiasts are hoping that by this spring sportsmen may enj oy a turkey hunt. However, hunting the wild gobblers is no easy task. And the following paragraph describes exactly what the well- equipped, turkey hunter will be carrying this year. The article says you will need all of the following: following: full choke shotgun shotgun with carrying strap (completely camouflaged) camouflaged) 3" magnum shot- shells (#4,5, or 6); camouflage hat, face mask or face paint, coat, pants, gloves and socks, turkey calls, topographical topographical maps, cushion, camera, camera, binoculars, knife, compass, insect repellent, repellent, back pack, matches (waterproof), candle, waterproof plastic bag, (to store calls in), and blaze orange vest (worn while walking in and out of the woods.) I estimate that there's more than 20 items in that turkey hunter's list. I fully realize that true hunters will see the logic of all the above equipment. equipment. But to the layman, the list brings a chuckle. It tends to indicate that in the battle between between man and turkey, the odds are roughly even. Yes, you could go to the woods with your camouflaged shotgun, your face painted black, your topographical map, camera, cushion, and compass. And it you don't get a turkey, you'll at least be guaranteed a hernia from toting all that equipment. Then, again, you could always wait until there's a special at the local supermarket. Letters to the Editor Dear Sir, According to Finance Minister Michael Wilson his government's economic policies are working well, (Wilson Says Policies Work-- November 19, 1986), but for whom are they working? In his recent speech to the Bowmanville Chamber of Commerce, Wilson said his goal is "to get government off the backs of Canadians" and to press for tax reform. But if that is the case, then why are personal income taxes plus federal sales and excise taxes, at their highest rates since the Second World War? Both of these measures, income tax and the "hidden" taxes, sales and excise, reduce consumer spending and hurt those who can least afford it. The Conservatives' idea of tax reform is . to continue taxing the wrong people, ordinary, working Canadians who are paying a disproportionate disproportionate share of the tax burden. Rather, the government should be looking at closing existing tax loopholes loopholes which allowed 70,000 profitable corporations to avoid paying income tax in 1983. For instance, that year the Royal Bank of Canada, a $98 billion institution, paid no tax, yet, a teller employed by the Royal Bank and earning about $15,000 paid tax. Where is the fairness in such a system? The minister claims that 600,000 new jobs have been created in Canada since 1984, but with an unemployment " rate of 9.5 per cent, one of the highest of any industrialized Western society, the Tory performance in this area is not acceptable. It's fine to have a target for reducing the deficit, but what about some job targets Mr, Wilson? New Democrats believe that with more Canadians working and contributing to the economy, and more Canadians paying their fair share of taxes, deficit reduction can be achieved and economic recovery a reality. Sincerely, Marg Wilbur Durham East Nèw Democrats (416) 985-2444 Weekend Beatings in Football and Po litics Altogether, it was not a good weekend for football spectators or for political spectators. It was a disappointment to those who were seeking high drama and excitement excitement at either the Grey Cup or the federal Liberal convention. Instead, it turned out to be a cakewalk for both John Turner and the Hamilton Tiger Cats. And, ironically, ironically, the contests had been portrayed portrayed in the news media as potential heart-stoppers. All of this makes us wonder about the national news media's vested interest interest in giving every event the color and drama required to boost ratings. In other words, the drama is provided, provided, it seems, whether the story rates it or not. Sports broadcasts have always dramatized events. You never hear the commentator say something like: "Well, this is going to be no contest because Team A has won every game this year and Team B has lost every game it played." Instead, the commentator will say something like this: "Team A may have won every game this year but that's got to have made the players a little tired and they're certainly not as sharp as they were at the beginning of the year. On the other hand, Team B has gone so long without a win that they're really up for this game. And it's bound to be an interesting contest." contest." Well, all too often the game isn't that close, In sports or in politics, anything anything is possible. And that's why both "games" have such spectator appeal. But all too often the expected happens. happens. The underdog doesn't win and the contest was really in the imagination imagination of the commentators and pundits. pundits. It seems to us that something similar similar has happened in the case of the Liberal annual convention. The event was turned into a leadership leadership competition by a very small minority of party members, and conference conference delegates, and a majority of the media, To listen lo the events leading up to the contest, one might get the impression impression that a major drama was about to unfold. The final results were not that exciting. Mr. Turner garnered a total of just over 76 per cent of the votes. And that's not a bad showing considering the fact that Pierre Trudeau once had 20 per cent of the delegates vote against him on the leadership review ballot. In other words, it's not surprising to find 10 to 20 per cent of any organization organization dissatisfied with the way things are. It's probably a healthy trend. Moreover, the leadership controversy controversy gave the opposition leader a chance to show skills under pressure. pressure. The criticism gave Turner a chance to rise to the occasion and by most accounts, lie gave some of the best presentations of his political career. But where was the Liberal leadership leadership contest? It existed in the minds of the commentators commentators and reporters who were bent on turning the Liberal convention convention into dramatic battle between the leader and his critics. It existed more in the Liberal convention coverage than in fact. But, of course, this perception was not entirely the fault of the media. There were a number of high profile party members calling for a review and it's only natural that their opinions opinions made the front pages. In retrospect, the 76 per cent victory victory by John Turner is hardly surprising. surprising. Aside from the opposition leader's track record and his performance performance at the convention, there was also the simple fact that no clear-cut alternative to the leader was obvious. And in the absence of an alternative, the voters could be expected to remain remain with their current head of the party. It's not that anyone did anything wrong here. The Liberal party members members who wanted a review made their voices known and the media recorded recorded their comments. Since the possible threat to Turner's leadership leadership was the hottest possible story, it received the greatest attention. And the voters rendered the verdict they felt to be most practical. They proved that despite the speculation speculation on Mr. Turner's future, the rank and file party members took an independent decision. They were not manipulated or motivated by the advance advance publicity. And, in the end, the unexpected never happened. Dear Johnny: A week ago we had a very athletic day. In the afternoon afternoon we watched the Blue Bombers play the Lions and I said I thought it would be a good, close game. I thought the Bombers could win which they didn't quite do. In the evening we watched the Leafs vs. Red Wings. I said not to expect too much as these were not the greatest teams. The fighting started four seconds seconds after the face off. The cause was undetermined -- I imagine one player had morning breath and breathed in the other guy's face. Anyway, the fighting went on more or less continuously continuously until the game finally finally wound up around 11 o'clock. I thought it was one of the worst games I had ever seen and was a little surprised when Cherry announced announced it was a dandy -- real old-fashioned hockey. Now I am a bit older than Cherry so what I think of as old fashioned hockey could be quite a bit different than that which Cherry recalls. That would be one reason for the different reactions -- the other being Cherry doesn't know what lie is talking about. Now wifey agreed agreed with me rather than Cherry but she was always worried that one of the "boys" was going to be hurl. I tried to explain that with all the pads they wear, one might gel a black eye or a boody nose, but to not much avail. So, to gel away from till this nonsense, I have figured figured out how lo slop most of the fighting. A percent of the fans (perhaps 25%) appear appear lo enjoy these squabbles, squabbles, To change their thinking thinking the officials would not stop any fights unless there was a real danger of someone someone gelling hurl - such as having someone's head banged on the ice. For the time being the games might even be longer but after sitting sitting for 3 1/2 hours, say, to see 60 minutes of hockey, I think the spectators might come to their senses. The way it is now, when the gladiators have done their bit they are escorted to the penalty box where they bask in the glory for five minutes while someone fills in for them on the ice. I would give no penalties. After the "wrestling match" came to an end as it surely would, the game would start again with the "fighters" having to play the next two minutes. As our players are only supposed to be in action action for a minute or so at a time, after a "fight" and two minutes' ice time, they would just about have lo be carried off. And the "athletes" would soon decide decide fighting just isn't worth it. And in about six weeks or so all these shenanigans would disappear from the game. In mid September wo stopped to get some spring water N.E, of Tyrone only to find it was signed "unfit for human consumption." so I was interested in reading about P. Parrott's spring in the Uxbridge vicinity. Our daughter was down the other day and said a friend of hors in the Uxbridge area uses a spring on his properly properly which he has tested periodically. Apparently the test range is from one lo 100 and this spring we are talking about always tested in the 0,7, or II range which is very, very good, The last time it was tested it was in (lie ninclys which is very, very bail. The explanation given was that the heavy rains of last summer hud finally finally got the acids etc, into the spring waters. Hopefully Hopefully it will correct itself in time though apparently this was not mentioned in this case. Peter, maybe you should have "your spring" tested. Morgan Dear Sir: In 1983, the Committee of Clarke Constituents for the Environment, Inc,, fought an application by Regional Reclaimers Reclaimers Ltd., to expand its landfill site in Concession 3 of Clarke Township. This expansion expansion was not granted then because of many concerns expressed expressed by both private citizens citizens and government agencies. agencies. We have no reason to believe believe that any of these concerns concerns have been addressed in Regional Reclaimers' current application for a landfill site of approximately 116 acres. We are now, as we were in 1983, opposed to this expansion. A landfill site of the proposed proportions will have a harmful harmful effect on the immediate environment, on the water system between the site and Lake Ontario and on the surrounding surrounding roadways because of the greatly increased heavy truck traffic. In fact, in 1983, the Commissioner's Report No. :3-147 (Region of Durham) stated that if the expansion were granted it would result in large garbage trucks passing on cither side of the site every 1.8 minutes. We urge you to support the Committee of Clarke Constituent's Constituent's stand against the present application by writing a letter, before December 5, 1980 stating your objection to this application by Regional Reclaimers to amend the Durham Regional Official Plan, File No. 80-77/ D Address letter to : Dr, M. Michael Commissioner of Planning 105 Consumers Drive Whitby, Ontario LIN 0A3 Yours truly, Committee of Clarke Contltuenls for the Environment, Inc.