Lv (LES) CAMPBELL, 1912+ 1877
Publisher from Aug. 7, 1947 to Feb. 15, 1973
BURT CAMPSELL, Publisher * RYON GUEDES, Editor » TIM MESSENGER, Advert. Mor, 4
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Wemipapers and
iN ree santngh at

GPU 10 eau letters ne interest ot Brew

i (‘@ let the press the people's

: 1 Cc 0 MM ENT ‘Thursday Morning, February 8, 1979

Shattered Assumption

There are certain things you come to
expect.

You expect that when the red light
turns green the driver of the car behind
yours will push his horn before your foot hits
the accelerator, that the price of ground beef
will always Increase at a faster rate than

during Its by the

city has been subject to extensive naifonal

nows media scrutiny—much of which we

owe to the efforts of Brisco—which has

undoubtedly made officials more cautious in
thelr choice of a contractor. :

+ The warning In last month's tender

your Income, that
politicians will always champion the prinel-
ple of private enterprise.

One of these assumptlons—unfortu-
nately, not the one concerning ground
beef—was shattered recently by Kootenay
West MP Bob Brisco. In a commentary
published by several mn: pers In the
region, Brisco asserted nis “strong disap-
proval’’ of the plannad assignment to a
third-party contractor of the management of
Castlegar Alrport, a task he sald the federal
transport ministry could do more safely and
cost-effectively.

Noting that the results of the previous
airport management contracts between the
ministry and third-party contractors have

r that “the lowest or any
tender not necessarily accepted,’’ as well as
the ministry's most recent move to
by one week the deadline for submission of
tenders, supports the notion that the
selection process will be a sultably meticu-

lous one.

{tts hls past criticism of the way the
ministry runs small airports that makes
Brisco’s statements on ‘‘safe and effictent
service’’ by the federal government al! the
more confusing. Even at the beginning of
his release, the member from Kootenay
West quite justifiably clted the ministry's
Past and present ‘Intermittent neglect’’ of
Castlegar Alrport. Only thres weeks ago he
was expounding on the Inadequactes of the

been “less than Imp!

fue by fedoral transport

his
tary cited the cases of the f th alrports
In Frobisher Bay ‘and Resolute Bay as
examples of how the federal government
failed to save money while operation,
and safety slipped.

Aturther problem, Brisco sald, was the
fate’ of the present Castlegar Airport

after the contract Is
awarded to the successful bidder. After
years of work at the facility, personnel face
possible dismissal, pay and benefit cuts and
another bout of uncertainty In three years
when the third party’s contract expires. As
well, with the departure of afrport firalighter
Bernie Van Rasse! for another Job after the
City of Castlegar’s March 31 withdrawal
from operation of the facility, there Is no
guarantee that someone of similar profes-
sional calibre will be hired to replace him,
the commentary sald.

Stressing his distaste for Injecting
partisan politics into such an Issue, the
Kootenay West MP offered his hypothesis
that the decision to go to tender on the
operation of Castlegar Airport ts ‘another

ig runway crash or fire
sites after nie snowfall.

The concern Brisco: showed about the
threatened Jobs of the alrport workers was
no doubt sincere, but he falled to mention
that a transport ministry takeover of the
facility would almost certainly subject them
to .normal bureaucratic procedures for
federal public sector hiring. Their years of
experience servicing the alrport and their
places In the community would probably be
ignored among the vast shower of applica-
tlons a civil service competition would
Involve.

in the planned third-party management
of the alrport the employees have been
assured of one thing: the contractor will be
required at least to consider retaining them
for the maintenance of the alrport. And at
least one of the parties actually planning to
submit a bid for the facility’s operation—
Adastra Aviation, already operating a flying
school, charter service. and full. concession
atthe alrport—has publicly committed itself
to ensuring the job security of the Present

of ‘this
and misplaced policies."”

“On the one hand It has stuck its nose
into areas where the private sector obviously
Is much more competent and as a result has
thrown a monkey wrench Into an economy
already buffetted by the Ill winds of weak
{International trade and Inflation,” Brisco
said in the release.

“On the other hand, where the govern-

ment in the past has provided a very high
degree of safe and efficiant service [airport
management), it now wants to turn this over
to private firms whose service record has
failed to match the competence and dedica-
tlon of MoT employees.’’
. The Keotenay West MP's position was
startling In two respects. First, that a Tory
MP would espouse the cause of government
operation over private management. Se-
cond, that Brisco himself would ‘laud the
virtues of management by the transport
minlstry after belng so stern a critic of the
manner In which It has run small airports.

It Is not Ilkely that even the fedéral
transport ministry would repeat the mis-
takes It made In awarding management
contracts for the Frobisher Bay and Resolute
Bay alrports. The ministry's fallure to
flnance, Insure and equip Caatlegar Alrport

as’ well as a high
level of service. It fs not unreasonable to
assume other serious bidder on the contract
will be forced to set similarly high standards
in their tenders.

It is difficult to understand why the
member from Kootenay West was splitting
hairs over appropriate use of private

and urging councils

-and residents throughout the region to

oppose third-party management. Surely any
serious bldders hoping for acceptance by the
communities they serve would expect to
offer a high level of service without the
cutbacks to which far too many government:
tun facilities already fall prey.

The question Brisco, as a Progressive
Conservative, must ask himself is whether
he actually wants to see an Increase In the
number of federal public servants.

We suggest the Kootenay West MP
take a look at his own ‘misdirected and
misplaced priorities.’ Perhaps, rather than
fighting a process already set into motion,
he should concentrate his efforts on helping’
to ensure-that the contract Is awarded to the
party which will do the mast for the regton
the airport serves.

That Is the sort of effort we have come
to expect from our representative In Ottawa.

By JOAN COHEN

(The author wrote this

article for Southam News Ser-
vice.)
“PAIR COMMENT... 1S
the technical name... given to
the right of every citizen to
comment on matters of rune
interest...

“People are entitled to shold
and to express freely on mat-
ters of public interest strong
views, views which some of
you, or indeed all of you, may
think are exaggerated, obsti-
nate or prejudiced, provided —
and this is the important thing
— that they are views which
they honestly hold.

“The basis of our public life
is that the crank, the enthu-
siast, my say what he honestly
thinks .

THIS COMMENT IN 1958,
by a British judge, described in
a nutshell the “letters to the
editor" columns as we know
them across the land. °

Beneath the beefs and
opinions that rage back and
forth is this legal underpinning
of “fair comment?” It seemed to
guarantee the public the right
to. express its views on public
issues without reprisal and
offer newspapers the legal
sanction to publish them.

A decision to widen a road
is short-sighted, or the minister
of whatever-you-liké is stupid
and accident-prone. The public
makes ils judgments and the
“letters” column is there to let
them be heard _by a news:

Judge's Ruling Mokes Newspa

The Supreme Court judg-
ment came virtually unherald-
ed. It began with a little-noted
libel action launched five years
ago by a Saskatoon alderman
against Amradale Publishers
Limited, publisher of the Saska-
toon Star-Phoenix and its edi-
tor, Sterling King.

IN MARCH 20, 1973,
the paper carried a letter from
two law students. They criti-
cized the alderman for his role
in the city council's decision to
close down an alcoholic rehabi-
litation home for native.people
pending a study of zoning laws.

The home was located in 2
residential neighborhood and a
54-signature petition submitted
to council by local residents
opposed it,

The letter’ writers said
they were appalled at the.posi-
tion the alderman had taken
and accused him — a lawyer —
of taking an approach un-
becoming a member of his pro-

LOOK SHOE WE
CAN'T PRINT THIS LETER—
CHEFK OUT THE LANGUASE,

fession. ‘The letter referred to
“racist resistance” against the
project.

* IN COURT LATER, THE
trial judge ruled — as did the
Supreme Court recently — that
there was “no evidence” that
those (the Ietter's) words ex-
press the honest opinion éf
anyone, either the writers of
the letter or of anyone’ on‘ the
editorial staff of the Star-
Phoenix or its publisher.

, Since this evidence was
missing, the Judge wouldn't let
the newspaper's defence of

pers fore Vulnerable to ubel Salts

—Fair Comment’ No Longer a "Defence

pierre

rr

fsontee

hearings and had left the pro-
vince when the trial occurred.

THE JURY WAS LEFT
to find the aldermen's reputa-
tion had been damaged by the
criticism and that the letter
was therefore, libellous.

The trial judge ‘had noted
that if the newspaper had
honestly-held the view stated in
the letter it would have had a
defence against the libel action.
But when the case went to the

Saskatchewan Appeal Court a -

judge on the majority side gave
the newspaper .wider protec-
tion than that. He said it was

“fair
discussion of a public issue — go
before the jury.

In fact, the publisher's
representative and editor King
adknowledged they didn’t hold
this view. They spoke favorably
of the alderman. The letter
writers, for reasons never ex-
plained, were not allowed, to
participate

in the pre-trial».

ufficient- Uhal the

honestly believed the letter
represented the real opinion of
the writers, The Appeal Court
overturned the’ trial judge's
ruling.

But the Supreme Court,
turning to precedents, says the
trial judge was right.

IT’S NOT THAT “A
newspaper, cannot publish let

paper's

BUT RECENTLY IN
what is cerlain to become one of
its most controversial rulings of
recent times, the Supreme
Court of Canada told news-
papers they can't allow this free
and open expression of public
opinion where public figures
are involved.

According to this judg-
ment, newspapers mustn't as-
sume their readers are being
honest in the views they pour
into their letters. In publishing
criticism of public figures they
now leave themselves open to
libel action. In fact, the court
judgment goes on to rule,
papers are only protected when
they themselves hold these
same views.

. The. position has been

powerfully rejected by a minor-
ity of the court as an assaull on
the freedom of public discussion
fundamental to a democratic
society. “The right of persons
to make public their thoughts
on the conduct of public offi-
cials, in terms usually critical
and’ often caustic,” that minor-
ily view stated, “goes back to

earliest times in Greece and

Rome.”

“IF EDITORS ARE FACED
with the choice of publishing
only those letters which es-
pouse their own ideology, or
being without defence is sued
for defamation, democratic dia-
logue will be stifled.”

But that’ argument didn't
prevail when the six-man ma-
jority of the Supreme Court —
including Chief Justice Bora
Laskin — brought down its
judgment recently. And that
judgment, now the law of the
land, will affect every news-
paper office in the country.

far The Bierman Bite

Dismissal Violated His Right
To:-Play the Fool, Not Music

(An editorial in the London
(Eng.) Sunday Times.)

IS THIS A FREE COUN-
try or is it not?

‘The right of an orchestral
player to pull faces at” his
colleagues, to drop his instru-
ment, purposely to produce
wrong notes and generally to
play the fool instead of the
music should surely be inalien-
able, part of the timeless En-
Blish tradition of flippancy used
‘as.a cover for professionalism.

YET BECAUSE ALLAN
Turner, the principal cellist in
the Northern Sinfonia Orches-
tra, carried on in rehearsal in
just this way—he is even said to
have taken a swig at a whisky
bottle during a rehearsal—he
was dismissed. An industrial
tribunal’ ruled, after solemn
consideration, that his dismis-
sal was wrongful.

As a result he is now
rehabilitated, sent forth into

“the world with, presumably, a

licence to play’A-flat when its

should be A-sharp, authorized
to stick out his tongue and
wiggle his ears until the young
lady on the harp collapses with
laughter or alarm, and per-
mitted to sip creme de cassis
while practising Carmen.
THANK GOODNESS

there are some people with |

right values still around. Ac-
tually being required to sit still,
look.at the score and play the
tight notes is an intolerable
interference with man's crea-
tive genius, .

‘available — including that of

ters’ expressing, views with
which it ‘may ‘strongly. dis-
agree," "says Mr. Justice Roland
Ritchie writing for the majority
of the court,

What it does mean, said

the judgment, “is that a news-

‘paper cannot publish a libellous
letter. and then disclaim any.
responsibility by saying that it
was published as fair comment
on a matter of public interest
but it does not represent the
honest opinion of the news-
paper.”

THE JUDGMENT SUG-
gests that-if the writers of the
letter had been sued they could
defend themselves by showing
they honestly believéd the
criticism they stated, But this |.
would be no defence for the
newspaper, whose only pro-
tection would be that it, too,
shared this view.

What now? The comments |"
of Mr. Justice Dickson, writing
eloquently for the court minor-
ity, forecast that an unaccus-
tomed, unhappy claim will take
over, in the once boisterous
letters corner of the nation's
papers.

The simple test of a de-
famatory statement, Dickson
suggests, is that the words
used would lower the plaintiff
in the estimation of right think-
ing members of society gener-
ally. And™a great dea! of what
is printed in the letters to the
editors columns unquestionably
has this effect.” It doesn't take
heavy criticism to do so,

THIS MEANS IT’S OF
“crucial importance” that news-
papers be able to defend them-
selves with the few devices

“fair comment” on a matter of
public interest.

Join Us In
Christina
Lake For
Dining &
Disco
Dancing

On the Weekends

ime 8 Place

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Zerilth 2877

‘| Ph. 447-9572 - Reservations

Specializing in

ran 2”/
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Closed Wednesdays

When in Nelson ENJOY
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447-9515

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You may win a

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Unscramble the Scramble Below.

$40 Family Dinner

Congratulations to last week's winner, Mrs.
C. Pepper of Castlegar, B.C.

D>
pp

TOPNOG

NRCWI

Unscramble the letters and

“write the name of the restau-

rant on the line provided.

Entry forms must be in by

Saturday noon each week.

« The voucher Is valid for one

~ visit toa selected restaurant
within 14 days of its issue |
date.

¢ Winners are also required
to select the restaurant of
their choice within 10, days
of notification of winning.

° Winners will receive a $40
dinner from the regular
menu at the restaurant of
their choice, selected from
the Castlegar News/Mid-
Week Mirror Restaurant
Guide.

Enter as many times as you”
wish

Winners under 16 years of
age must be accompanied

to the selected restaurant by

at least one adult.

Send in your entry form today to:

Castlegar News
Restaurant Guida
P.O. Drawer 3007
Castlegar, B.C.
VIN 3H4 :

Please enter my name for the $40 Dinner
Voucher Draw as outlined above.

Name

Address

Chiy. Postal Code_-

Phone

{Please print)

the Norman’ s

WARFIELD
INN

© Great Service

© Great Food

© Great People

© Great Place
for your party

For one of the best
marinated steaks between
Vancouver and Calgary.

*, Seafood * Escargot

_ Closed Mondays

Every Friday
Saturday & Sunday at the
Crown Point Restaurant

Fisherman's
Breakfast..... $3°°
‘Farmer’s 7 ;
Breakfast.....92” y

Tues. — Sat.
Sto10p.m,
Sundays

5to9p.m.+

uber.

= >).

Prices effective: Tuesday, February 6 to Saturday,
February 10 in all SuperValu: stores ‘in Trail,

:. Waneta Plaza, Rossland, Castlegar, Nelson and

Grand Forks. :

T-Bone

or Wing
Steak, Ib, oa
Sirloin

Beef Loin, Ib. ..........20.

Beef Rib $

Dee Sree re, esac cones

Round Steak
gaat 52,49
BeefRound $9.98

‘Blade Steak : $4 89

Boneless, Ib.

OVEN ROAST

ne 2S |

Roast,

Boneless, Ib; .

sition Tip Roast $4.98
Boneless, Ib. $4 98

Boneless, tb,

Pork Butt. Steaks

Pork Shoulder. Gov't.-
inspected. Bone in, Ib.............

1,09

Ready to eat.
j Whole or 4.1.
‘Shank, Ib." . ss

Sliced oe

1607. package

wenahaes :2, 28

HAMS.

Biade Roast
= SAUSAGE

SEAFOODS
Cod Fillets $2. 19

Smoked, tb.

; DINBER: SAUSAGE...
Meteora =‘ 3
peter

1 29

ith Cakes ‘98°
landom weights, Ib.

‘ BREASTS

Frying. Frozen. Poly bag, Ib. .

Sun Brite.

128 floz.jug ............4

Telly Powders
Sherriff’s. Assorted.
varieties. 3 oz. pkg. ......

Sockeye Salmon

Robin Red Minced. 7.75 fl. oz. tin.

Ground Coffee ¢
Chase & Sanborn.
Albebag ....5........

Vegetable Oil

Gardentand. 128 tI. oz. tin

HUNTS me
Tomato Paste

Tomato Sauce.

Hunt's,
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Tomato Sauce

Hunt's,
14fl oz. tin

Whole Tomatoes

2811. oz. tin

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Spaghetti
OF R.C. Macaroni.
Splendor. 2kg.bOx ....0......006 ees

Spaghetti Sauce

| a oz. jar

Tetiey Tea Bags
Hot Chocolate

Carnation regular, marshmallow,
milk. 12—1 oz. packages ..

E Nabisco Shreddies
Nabob Waffie Syrup -

750 mi
bette sees

E. D. Smith Pie Fillers

Apple or Raisin.
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Health and Ti Aids.

‘3. 49 Mouthwash | $

Scope. 750 ml. bottle ..........
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STRAWBERRY JAM

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Cake Mixes

Duncan Hines. Assorted °
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Large Eggs
‘ Foremost.
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Grapefruit

Juice

York Pink,
48 fl oz. tin

Fish & Chips aaa
Fraser Vale.
Frozen. 20 oz. pkg.

3 ||Tomatoes Bc

POTATOES

15....99°

Gelery Stak $4

19°

Squash

Washington Marble, Ib.

Carrots.

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Taps 29"
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Unsliced Bread 5. al 19

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ABOVE ARE INSTORE BAKERY fault
Hamburger Buns 73°

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Black Magic Chocolates $5.99

52,49

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