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Citizen comment It's the only way Honesty is the best and only policy for anewspaper Reports in this newspaper may be in error, they may be unclear, but they can never be deliberately distorted for the purposes of political expediency or any other cause. Mistakes in a story can be corrected in the following issues of the paper. Hazy reports can be made clear. But the deliberate distortion of an event amounts to dishonesty and that is something that will not be tolerated in any reputable newspaper -- certainly not this one. This paper does not have to apologize for deliberately distorting news The possibility of distorted reporting for the purpose of political expediency was raised by Mayor Vince Moreau following Monday night's council meeting The matter was mentioned by Mayor Moreau, not as an attack on the press but only in the interests of fair and clear reporting He said he did not want to make an issue of the matter but because honesty is the best and only policy for a newspaper to follow, we are taking a detailed look into the newspaper report which has been called into question. Moreau claims that press reports following May's town council meeting were interpreted by some people to mean_ that Penetanguishene's town council as a whole was after Midland's town council to release the salaries of Midland's municipal em- ployees. Moreau granted that some members of Penetanguishene's town council had in- dicated concern over the fact that the press had in the past published salaries of Penetanguishene's municipal employees and not Midland's But he said these opinions were expressed after the May council meeting during the traditional question and answer period allowed after a council meeting for the benefit of the press. As such Moreau claims that these opinions were those of individual members of council and not Penetanguishene's council as a whole. The Mayor is correct. We have no quarrel with his position that opinions expressed after a council meeting do not amount to council's policy. They are simply the opinions of individual members of council And that is how they were reported in the May 28 issue of this newspaper. But ap- parently that is not how they were read by some people. Yet the report in the May 28 issue of the Citizen specifically stated, 'In a discussion following the council meeting Mayor Vince Moreau informed the press that the exact salary figures for all municipal (Penetanguishene town) employees would be released by the clerk...' The Citizen's report went on to state that "'some" members of council were against the Penetanguishene Citizen Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations Page 4, Wednesday, June 18, 1975 printing of salaries of municipal employees in the newspaper. The word "some"' was specifically used to indicate that not all of the members of Penetanguishene's town council expressed that opinion. The May 28 report then states that town clerk Yvon Gagne said that he was concerned that the salaries of Penetanguishene's municipal employees had been printed in newspapers in the past, but not those of neighbouring municipalities, such as Midland and Tiny Township Immediately following the statement by Gagne the May 28 newsstory states "other members of council expressed the same sentiments...." The word "other" was specifically used to indicate that not all members of Penetanguishene's town council expressed those sentiments. At various points in the May 28 report in- dividuals are credited with specific opinions in regards to reporting salaries. They are: Reeve Lionel Dion, Mayor Vince Moreau, councillors; Francais St. Amant and Clarence Lomas. Only Reeve Lionel Dion was specifically credited with the statement that if the press didn't report the salaries of municipal employees from neighbouring municipalities, it shouldn't make public the salaries of Penetanguishene's employees In order for the May 28 report in the Citizen to make it look like Penetanguishene's town council, as a whole, was formally pressuring Midland to release the salaries of its municipal employees, the report would have had to have stated that a resolution or a motion to that effect was passed by Penetanguishene's town council At no point in the Citizens May 28 report is the statement made that Penetanguishene's town council formally passed such a motion or resolution. Instead all statements which Mayor Moreau indicated may have been misinterpreted as council's policy rather than an individual's viewpoint were made after the phrase, "In a discussion following the council meeting..." What this newspaper will concede is that the May 28 story could be misread because the phrase, "In a discussion following the council meeting.." was not tacked in front of every statement by this newsaper of opinions expressed by members following the meeting. We thought it was enough to make the above statement once and then report the discussion that followed. Apparently it wasn't. We regret that fact and any misunderstanding due to the May 28 report. But we absolutely reject any suggestion that the report was deliberately distorted or, unless proven otherwise, fac- tually incorrect 75 Main Street TELEPHONE 549-2012 Andrew Markle Publisher Victor Wilson General Manager Tom Grand Editor Member of the Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association Mail Subscription $7.50 yearly in Canada $9.00 in USA Audit Bureau of Circulations regulations require that subscriptions be paid in advance. Second Class Mail Registration Number.2327 Sugar & Spice I know my readers have been waiting with bated breath for Smiley, who seems to be against most things, to launch his expected fiery attack on federal MPs for giving themselves a magnificent pay increase. Sorry, chaps, I'll just have to disappoint you this time, for a couple of reasons. First of all, I could speak with the tongue of angels, or devils, and the boys in the Big House would ignore it. If they wouldn't pay any attention to John Diefenbaker, who speaks in such tongues, they certainly wouldn't to Bill Smiley Second of all, and the main reason I have not erupted, is that I think our federal elected members should have enough money so that they will be free from temptation, and so that the position does not become one only for wealthy people who can afford to be an MP, because they have other income. I know, and it is true, that MPs have some other perks: free mailing, travel privileges, meal and accommodation payments while on government business, allowances for offices and secretaries. In cash, their income, at $34,600, is worth more than $40,000 because a good chunk of it is tax-free. That's a pretty fair income, even with inflation. But it's not wild luxury. It's not exactly Arabian Nights. It's not the sort of loot on which you are going to have orgies or get rich. Pay, perks and MPs I don't have to tell you -- because they will tell you themselves, at inordinate length -- that an MP has extraordinary expenses. You've heard it all: giving up his business or profession; keeping two homes; being ex- pected to contribute to every cause in his riding, however trivial; being expected to entertain when Homer and Emily drop in on him at Ottawa; having to buy a raffle ticket on anything going, and so on. It's a lot of chickenfeed that builds up into a pile of dollars. If somebody asks me to give a donation to the South Northumberland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Pregnant Cats, I can tell him to get stuffed, drop dead, or blow it by Bill Smiley -- out his ears. The MP for that riding must smile gamely, and hawk upa five. And so it goes. This is no apology for MPs. They are the ones who should be apologizing. Not for the increase. But for the incredible ineptness of the timing. Out of one side of their mouths, they are supporting a program of restraint for business and labor. Out of the other side they are muttering a shame-faced "Aye," or absenting themselves for the vote, when it comes to giving themselves an increase japat is 92 per cent over what they were making in 1970. I admired those MPs who bluntly said they needed the increase and would vote for it. I have nothing but contempt for those who snuck in on their braver brothers' and sisters' coattails. Nor do I have much time for people like Diefenbaker, who made a grandstand play out of it by pointing the finger of scorn at others. At his age, and withno family andno political future, he doesn't need it. He's got a fat pension, plus the old-age pension, waiting for him. But his leader, Robert Stanfield the millionaire, doesn't need it either, and he voted for the increase, for the sake of others, who do need it. It seems like a lot of money, but it forces some questions. Is an MP with all his extra expenses, worth more than a letter carrier -- five times more, in cash? Should an MP be worth about the same as two and a half high school teachers? Is he worth less, from an income point of view, than an Air Canada pilot, who flies a maximum of 75 hours a month, for just over $50,000? Is the MP as valuable, in cash terms, as about three steelworkers? If your answer to these questions is no, then you are either a letter carrier, a school teacher, a pilot, a steelworker, or a damfool. When an MP received $10,000 a year for about five months work, and was able to keep his own business or profession going, he was rich. Today, how many first-rate professional men, who have worked hard to build a practice that is bringing in $50,000 a year, are going to throw it up for the hazards of a political career, where it might be here today and gone tomorrow? At the other end of the financial scale, the bright able young man or woman who has:a low income and could not possibly finance a run for parliament, will be encouraged to take a shot at it. There's no point in saying: 'Pay them what they're worth." Some MPs would be in the bread-line and others would be millionaires. But there is some point in giving the office some dignity, economically as well as socially and politically. Despite what you may think, there is precious little corruption in Canada at the MP level. All the big money in corruption is at a different level. Let's keep it that way. Pay a Member of Parliament enough so that: a) he is not tempted into nefarious practices to male living; b) he or she does not have to' wealthy to make a run at it. This way, we'll get the most for our money. But that pension plan for MPs is another matter. I haven't space here to comment on it. All I can do is weep bitter tears and suggest that never in the field of human endeavor will so few have been paid so much for so little. Remembering the past .... ...workers at Beatty Bros. Many of the men and women who lined up for this picture of the Spencer Division of Beatty Bros. Limited are still around this area today. But the Beatty Bros. Company, which used to manufacture electric stoves and dryers is gone. The plant was closed in 1962. It used to be located at the site of Penetanguishene Marine Service on Fox Street next to Huronia Park. A long list of names follows, so let's jump right to it. In the front row from left to right are: Freddy Chevrette, Andy DeVillers, Ed Patenaude, Fred DeVillers, Emery St. Amant,...blank....., Bill Cordes, Clarence Day, Anita (Gravelle) Mrs. Robert Lamoureux, Helen Gauthier, Miss Lalonde, Marion McCauley, A.L. Fitzgerald, Margaret Hale, Alf Atkins, Bob Davidson, Archie Cote, Cliff Allen, Ernie Caughey, Archie Symons, Jack Piitz, John Houle and Leger Bellehumeur. In the second row from left to right are: Len Ladouceur, Heb Hurdle, Omer Ladouceur, Art Lizotte, Joe Lapensee, Clem Lamoureux, Harvey Beauchamp, Sandy McQuaig, Herman St. Amant, Alec Lamoureux, Oliver Ladouceur, Lionel Lacroix, .....Duval, Frank Lacroix, Ernie Marion, Fred Patterson, Oliver LaPensee, Jack Sibbald, Xavier Ladouceur, Earl Vivian, Marcel Duquette and Godfrey Trilsbeck. In the third row from left to right are: Marcel Hamelin, Charlie Gendron, Pat Pilon, Jack Robbins, Willy Trilsbeck, Jack Amos, Gilbert St. Amant, Sid Grenier, Luke Marion, Dick Dupuis, Roy Har- tley,.....blank...., Rob Rodney, Bill Cordes Jr., George Windrum, Jack Sherdian, fe, Mayer, ......Kennedy, Cee Switzer, Gus Belcourt, Herman Pilon, Roy Harper, Harry Hale Sr., Ed Stewart and Morris Leblanc. In the fourth row from left to right are: Jack Russell, Clarence Sinclair, Jim Herring, Fred Beausoleil, .....Beausoleil, Joe Hale, Ed Brooks, Bob Crippin, Fred Pilon, ....blank..., Bert Hartley, Cleo Lacroix, Tony Ladouceur, Harry Hale Jr., George Beaudoin, George Ward, Marcel DeVillers, Charlie Ellis, Roy Patenaude, Ed Champion, ..-blank.... Bert Trace, Frank Taylor, Lorne Perrault, Xavier Longlade and D'Arcy Legault. ' In the back row from left to right are: William McDermott, Doug Harris, Walley Farnell, Bob Maheu, Cliff Moreau, Alfi Beauchamp, Leon Tessier, Joe Klug, P| Dusome.,.....blank Paul Pilon, Oliver Dupuis, Louis Duval,....blank..., ..... blank...., Ron Hartley, ..... Kennedy, ..... Grozelle, Lawrence Lafreniere, Art Bonnin and Dave Curry. And that folks, just about sums it up except for the blank spaces where either a first name or the whole name is missing. If you can identify the people whose names we missed drop us a line. With a little bit of luck we'll be able to fill in all the missing names and print them next week. That way everyone will be identified. _Thanks to Bob Crippin for submitting this picture.