WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28. 1976, PAGE 5 on.. OTTAWA - I do not profess to be an expert on economic matters, but one thing is clear to me: Canada's economic system is not working and something must be done to get it back on the rails. Here in Ottawa, where talk is cheap, people are still discussing Trudeau's recent remarks about the Canadian economy where he had suggested that either people-mostly big business andlabor - change their attitudes or the government comes in with new regulations. In his lengthy address to a Canadian Club meeting, our Prime Minister made these points: a) the economy is out of joint and, most likely, will get worse if we do not make adjustments to the present system; b) labor and business should join forces to fight inflation and other economic ills; c) if they (labor and business) cannot solve the problems, then the Government will step in and try to correct the badly sinking econoimic situation; d) the free market system, in the true sense of that phrase, does not exist in Canada. All this said, it is clear to me, that the Prime Minister is taking a gloves-off attitude towards the two most powerful public sectors-labor and big business. For the first time Trudeau is saying what ought to have been said three or four years ago. We are kidding ourselves about the so-called free enterprise. If the enterprise is truly free, how cone all big oilcompanies are selling gas at approxi- mately the sarne price. Is this just a coincidence that gasoline and oil prices are kept at the same high level? How corne construction companies often corne up with the same estinates when public buildings are out for tenders? How come milk prices are the same? And, finally, how come even airlines "compete". for your travel dollar, advertising identical package deals. I agree with Trudeau one hundred per cent that there is no free enterprise system, no sir, not here in Canada. When financial hardships abound, everyone should exercise restraints. So far, I have noticed that big business has not done anything to relinquish some of the excess profits. I have also noticed that-labor unions have not toned down their wage demands. All in all, the never-ending greed for rmoney, coupled with a highly irresponsible attitude, is damaging the Canadian economy to the extent that no longer will we be able to enjoy our lives without govern- ment controls or other mandatory restrictions. After Ttudeau's speech, the majority . of Canadian editorial writers snarled at PM's New Society. Here is one comniment: "It is ironie that President Ford is taking a course opposite to Trudeau's. The U.S. is encouraging tle people, as individuals, Trudeau is threatening the peole with more bureaucracy". This type of observation in print, just adds more fue! to the already irresponsible labor-business attitude. It is high time that we all understand that no controls would have been introduced had we taken a more positive view towards national economy. I am convinced that Trudeau is not happy at all that his Government should solve economic problems caused by people who think that this country must be one big gold mine with endless supplies of goods and raw materials. The economic principle is 'quite simple: one must put something into the economy before anything can be taken out of it. Lately, Canadians have been bigger takers than givers. We have been. producing less, but asking for more money. What Trudeau is really saying.is this: such business practises should be stopped at once. And, above all, we should stop wasting timel looking for villians. However, as expected,'the Prime Minister'sspeegh drew adverse reaction from business big-wigs and labor leaders. One newspaper used this headline: "Speech turns just about everyone off'. Everyone? Corne on! Well, here is one Canadian who welcomes Trudeau's speech. I say, bettei late than never. In fact, I feel Trudeau did not hit hard enough at those corporate bums and union bosses. It was about time to drop an economic bombshell. Perhaps, this will do some good for the nation as a whole. Have you heard?? There's a sale on downtown. Which store?? Well, it doesn't really matter, just pick any one and they probably have a sale. The fact of the matter is that it's almost impossible to find any store at any time that doesn't have some kind of a sale going on. As I remember it, sales were originally confined to the start of the four seasons and maybe a few extras like Christmas and inventory. The prices were truly marked down and the regular price was marked on the tags as well. In fact now that I think of it the prices were almost always marked on the goods and if they weren't the checkout girl knew the prices anyway. Boy have things changed! Now, if y u're foolish enough to take an item to the checkout that isn't marked you'll suddenly find yourself temporarily deafened by a cashier yelling, "Price check!!!" and, while you're recover- ing from the verbal .blast, you attempt to look very inconspicuous as the people behind you try to melt you away with their burning eyes. From the back of the line you can hear the grumbling of discontent as the natives get restless and it's not uncommon to hear such renarks as, "Whose the dumrnmy that caused this screwup??" or, "They must have let him out of the home for the weekend". Of course ail this happens during a sale which probably isn't truly a sale at ail but just another false alarm. To my mind, a store owner would have a sale if he had a supply of goods that were moving too slowly and he wanted to clear out that line, or perhaps he made a good bulk buy on a certain product and he wanted to pass the savings on to his customers. It might even be that business was generally poor so he decided to reduce prices on most items in the MIDWINTER SALE PERMA POLISH FLOORING 12' WIDTH COLOURS $5. 95yd. MITCHELL BROTHERS Building Supplies Ltd. 'in -m 655-4991 store with hopes of generating new business. But store owners seem to fell that they can't really tell you why they are having a sale so they make up reasons instead. Such crazy sales as, "I finally married off my daughter so we're having a sale", or "The accountant took off for Rio last week with most of our money so we're haviIng a sale to get in some more funds to keep the bank manager happy", or "My mother-in-law's plane is stranded in Australia and I'm happy l'm having a sale" or "The government found out I keep two sets of books so we're having a sale to raise bail money". Sales are so frequent it's difficult to find a store or a day when there isn't a sale. Towers department stores finally called an ace an ace and now advertise that the end of one sale is the beginning of the next. The food stores are getting a little more cautious about their sale items because the government rapped a few of them for advertising goods on sale when in fact the price was the same or higher than competitive stores. In all this sale madness there are a few things that I for one have never seen on sale. For instance, the liquor store has never put my favourite rum on sale, and as a matter of fact, I suspect the price has gone up just because somebody knows how much I like it. I've never been able to get insurance at a bargain price and, except for the usual cut rate gas stations, there hasn't been a real sale on gasoline in years. Services like hydro, phone, cable tv and fuel oil or gas. never go on sale to regular users and many of the companies thank you for your regular patronage by threatening to cut you off when you get a couple of payments behind. Now that I think of it l'Il have to admit that I can't ever remnember newspapers having a half off sale for a day either. It's difficult if not impossible to find a true bargain when buying a new or older home. And if vou do find a new house on sale you have to check to see why in caset it's either located in Port Hope or else the builder hasn't told you that he built on reclaimed swamp land. And when was the last time the courthouse offered to have a half off sale on parking or speeding tickets? A sale like that might be very handy because just about the time you read this the speed limit will have been drepped to 60 mph. And, likely as not I'l probably have the distinction of being the first one caugh t. TOWN OF WHITBY 1976 DOG LICENCES Members of the First Whitby Resolute Rangers will be conducting a door-to-door sale of dog licences on behalf of the Town of Whitby during January, February and March. The cost of a 1976 dog licence is $15.00. Dog licences may also be obtained at the Municipal Office, 405 Dundas Street West, Whitby. R.A. CLARINGBOLD, Deputy Treasurer, Town of Whitby. W' <E7 T I3J'EST IN SIGIT TIE OPTICAL ;BOUT 1DE 13 KING STREET WEST KARL A. BLAKOLMER OSHAWA, ONTARIO ELFI KROHN PHONE 579-1242 DISPENSING OPTICIANS WPH House Five is one year old On Tuesday, House Five, in the adolescent unit of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital celebrated its first anniversary with high hopes for its future. The hospital reports that 41 exceedingly troubled young people we:·e assisted at House Five dùring the past year to discover their capabil- ities and their weaknesses. House Five is unique in that it is a single locked unit for treating adolescents in crisis. It provides high security and intense treatnent programming on a 24-hour admission basis. Its capacity is seven adolescents ranging in age fron 12 to 17. AIl are invol- ved in a detailed daily pro- gram of goal setting in a modified therapeutic coin- munity. They attend school, play, eat and study in House Five. Flouse Five was originated to provide the psychiatric hospital back up service of the Four Phase System for treating adolescents from eastern Metropolitant Toron- to and Durham Region who have severe mental and e notional difficulties. Dr. James Ricks, the director of the hospital's adolescent unit says his staff have met with considerable success, and have served many adolescents in crisis who were later able to move to more open-treatment living situa- tions. One major problem, he said, has been an insufficient number of staff to serve the adolescents who require treat- ment. "We have only been able to handle 60 per cent of all referrals which corne from East Metro Children and Youth Services, and would have liked to have been able to take them all", he said. "Our staff, headed by House Leader Nancy J. Bridges have found their work very stressful, but all are pleased with the progress of the program and its -effect on the adolescents in our care". "Agencies in the commun- ity have expressed satisfaction with the treatment provided by our team", said Dr. Ricks. "Agecy involvenent is very intense since the adolescents are not expected to stay longer than necessary and dis- charge planning usually be- gins upon admission". HIS & HER'S HALRSTYLINGI 4 DAY SPECIAL with this coupon FREEshampoo & style: with every haircut Mon - Thurs Business Hours: Monday- Wednesday 9-6 p.m. Thursday & Friday 9-9p.m. Saturday 9-6 p.m. TONY'S HAIRSTYLING Blair Park Plaza 668 m 5441