ARGYLE < Diof's Popularity... Is Flagging Faced with rebellion within Rs party and rejection at the polls in two recent federal by- elections, Conservative party “Meader John Diefenbaker naw appears to be fighting his last parliamentary battle. The signs are there for ali but the most partisan and loyal of Mr. Diefenbaker’s followers. The core of the dilemma now - faced by Mr. Diefenbaker and the Conservatives is the flag de- ibe: Several events last week pointed the way to Mr. Diefen- baker’s ultimate retirement «s Opposition party ieader. First, the split between the Quebec and English Canadian wings of the party. Leon Balcer, ‘ MP for Three’ Rivers and Mr. Diefenbaker’s deputy in that province, publicly. declared ‘for the maple leaf flag-and an-" ~ nounced his Quebec bloc. in the Tory. ranks’ would support: the flag committee repert. arrived’ in London, ' Eng, and terrible‘ peasoup:fogs of TA ‘SMOG PROTECTOR. | These ese 0 European chimps had heard about the 0 chances on that efty. Taking \n good ‘breathing, Freddie, right, fits a smog souk on his chins) Rascal, ip chum, - Mr. ‘Diefenbaker’s assault on’) 2°05" Prime Minister Pearson's ‘‘co- operative’: federalism”? :ran into ~ another setback |-when ° former. “justice... minister “D: Full *< repudiated ‘his chief’s ‘attack. the Liberal government! plan ‘to revise the British: North America act. oe The plan, sald Mr.. Fal was no different from the.one he authored {n 1961 for the then ‘Tory .goyernment.. ‘This -was a direct slap in the. face: to’ Mr. :. Diefenbaker, .who -has been # , charging the government with . ‘ "? Canada by. its >. plan to repatriate the Canadian : *3. constitution. . +. Then came the by-elections of +: Waterloo South in Ontarfo where ~-the NDP won a long-time Con- = -servative seat, and. Westmore- land tn.New Brunswick where a the. “Liberais easily. ‘retained = “Follow John” slogan declared that Mr. Diefenbaker has to go! It is the flag issue, however, 2» ‘The Conservative posi * been ‘to filibuster the debate. by. -) bringing in» countlesa' +\ and additional‘ amendments, = with the -result “of “depriving members of: Parliament: of an opportunity of voting’on the ‘gov “ ernment’s proposal. _ Hightfully i ‘- tempt for such parliamentary” ‘ shenanigans. This has been Mr... Diefenbaker’s strategy — to-ge' “tually turn ‘against. the, govern- ment which brought’ up. the matter in‘ the’ first place. The strategy hasn't worked. Because it is well known that * 1. a majority of MP’s will vote in favor of a maple leaf flag if they” ever get a chance-to declare ‘themselves, the sentiment . is now running against the Conser- eis vative position. The latest opin- ion survey, for instance, shows. fifty one per cent. in favor of the new flag compared to only * 35 per cent. six months ago. ‘The latest signs are that Mr. : Diefenbaker’ is’ softening’ his - ~ position on the debate and'might < finally allow the matter’ to: be brought to a-vote in the: Honse i “of Commons, 3 * Parliament, meanwhiley. ee “S\much urgent business. The gov- bill, new labor ‘standards. ‘and Separinental spending esti- mates, Pi amentary observers. that Mr. Dictenhakers will ‘not willingly his, post.-It is doubtful if. . even ‘a party convention: would be able to accomplish this, with- rst € “go avold tangled thrésd;“ab ? =: ““waya use the end’ that.comes in the business world, I. simply ; .arrange festive cardboard {plates of home-haked goodies — getting ‘ crowds of. shoppers... Not too! + ,hard on the budget, and always c apprecia tes Marumy, Taha does LOVE yo shortnin? bread! 3. ¥) “Dear Susanna: 2 My. engagement ‘slctures’ them ‘over on one Condition. 1 was not to go. out the evening 2 dinn “to. bed early, ‘early, early!«: ‘That did it! The second set of Ipomoea Tease ‘material. It photographs far be! ter than Plaids, stripes or" ‘prints. He prefers a dark suit and dark tle for a.man, and advise, yhim NOT; to have‘his hair cut: “{mmediately before an appoint. ment. » GRACE B . especially it his name fs SAMPSON! Dear Susanna: It would suit me fine if 1 never “had to ‘sew another stitch, since my whole family seem from the spool when you thread :: edie. c : os When working ‘on: light, det- cate fabrics, have a cake of . ‘ba. garments, simply run what you have through the © wax. This pro- ‘jumping: ‘competition. BOB: ae HOPE SPECIAL (CBC), i Speak French And Be. ‘Slapped Do you! think those separatists | in Quebec might shut up about °- tthe Shale thing if all the rest of us “learned to French Auently: ‘enough to give them a good ‘cussing out in ther native tongue?.”? ‘If this {s a solution, let's get ‘ cracking. But I don’t think » it cati be accomplished under our .” present “system of learning ibe 2.” language, We are gotting a / great many teachers ‘of'French ‘these ‘days who can. actually speak the language. But the sys- tem prevents them from passing it along to others. : \As a’ prominent educator sola tho! other day, ‘Wo take kids: trom”, immigrant families who speak ‘poor English. We teach: : ‘them French badly,- encourage them ‘to’ forget their native tongrie, whatever it {s, and wind up-with youngsters who are illl- terate in ‘hree languages.” I know from experience. My “ mother, had to go to a French- speaking schoo! as a child. She learned the language with the ease a children have in grasp- Ing. a: tongue. All her. llfe’she could” ratte it off. like a habi- tant. On ‘the other hand, I studled French’ for five years in: high school and four years in Univer. sity. Nine years. Enough time, you'd think, to learn to speak French backwards. And that {s exactly how I speak it. Perhaps the worst feature of the teaching of French‘ in: this is the fatse confidence it engenders after exposure to a few years of. it. You can splel ‘off.a couple of sentences without stumbling, and you be- gin to. think .you’re a regular Maurice ‘Chevaller. ;° I remember one time.in Brus- : sells, My young brother. was with me. ‘The ‘oxly, French he, : Imew : was crade,' useless’ stuff like, “Bebe, je t'aime” and “Voulez-vous de bully-beet jou “des nylons?) 0: ‘In ‘contrast;. I bad~a, solld -. French,“and had been living on the’ -eontinent for a couple, of months;‘speaking the real thing. So we met this young lady and afer frlend: She ‘her pal was beaucoup. This wes * my/chance, In my im Grade ,12: French,-I.atepped up ‘ to the doll and informed her of er-sald, ‘'Come on, babe", and away they’ marched arm in arm, 1 was left to follow with the fat A simfar experience caused - ame to ‘forswear French for life. "16, occurred . in Lille, France, soon after, the city had ‘been 1 berated from the Germans, It happened in’ a’’night ‘club. The. locals . were! very happy about liberation and the troops Were. very happy. about the Io- - .. Everyone: .was dancing with the French girls, even thele no boy friends were beam- I spotted a lulu, ark, charm. ing, intelligent enough to appre-’ clate the fact’ that I, almost ‘alone, ‘among the invaders, “spoke ‘fluent.-French, As I ap- proached the table, she smiled a welcome, and her escort, a : handsome French fad, jumped -Up, grinned, and: shook hands. ,_ So, In, my flawless French, t . asked her.for a dance. At east | Tl swear that’s what I asked her: She «turned. white and slapped my face, Her boy + friend simultaneously turned red and tried‘ to: kick me in the Tatil don’t know what I said to her, but I’ve never taken a ‘chance since. On the rare occa- ‘sions, ‘nowadays, when I have enough money to eat in a place where the menu Is in French, I. < study it carefully. for ten’ min- utes or so, then inform the wait- ver, , in .pure :Caradian English, ‘that? V'll Have: the ‘roast beef. t way, little boys will ‘avold -hav--.: °: grounding of- high * school ing. earthly reason. And. little. girls S . ‘their faces slapped for no. learn to say “Non” and will Oni and “Peutetre” in two acre é » Seated: vat the Castlegar ‘Atrport’ “PH. DAYS’ 365-7444 PH, NIGHTS 365-4871 | "SAVAGE SHOES “fot, children®* (Ga een Builders — and Suppliers ; se % . LINOS : “SASH AND DOOR “ALL SIZES OF GLASS © ‘RECOVERING — .CARPETING CUSTOM: Ley CRAFTSMAN! f Casttegar rei FI al AREA RM EBRNDRER REE EM Rea. a BSHTn Fe b a aE z F t BLeEyETE | me i # ‘ HY i t OOTENAY WE WELDING: & | Ly PAIRS *. “Across from the | Post, Office”. Phone 365-7243 GRAVEL “EXCAVATING {DITCHING oy Phone 365-7124 *General Construction :, All Work Guaranteed |< SP & G Construction Ltd. fi Phone 365-8151 from Rox 90 — Not: just’ another, place ‘to! “RINNAIRD TRANSFER: ‘New ‘Homes Remodelling é the Arena”, But the: place ‘to; eat another. Kootena: tay Welding’ &