* Ian Mahood of Nanoose is one of six contractors
Karl Friedm:

and service em-
ployees |who allegedly re-
fused to orders from the

fire chief.

However, the picketing by
the Canadian Union of Public
Employees failed to halt
operations at the airport.

QUALITY ... tb.

fiw $929

Management personnel
were handling emergency
services. However, the union
maintained the airport was
not safe and said travellers
should make other arrange
ments.

CENTR

TANG
FRUIT DRINKS
meat

FOODS

2717 Columbia Ave

ASTLEGAR

Flights were not being af-
fected and Pacific Western
Airlines said it planned to
continvéits regular service.

Airline employees were
told by their union, the
Canadian Airline Employees
Association, that it was up to
individuals to decide whether
or not to cross the CUPE pic-
ket lines.

But Al Brownlee, a spokes.
man for the airline employees
association, said it appeared
that most PWA employees
want to continue working.

AL

OF

LUELLA ANDREASHUK
218-11th Avenue, Castlegar, B.C.
h. 6658

Bookkeeping Income Tax Preparation
Independent NEC Authorized Dealer

Inquire for office related services

OPEN 10 A.M. TO 5 P.M.

FICE AID

lost between $4.5

ling.
Mahood, who claims to have lost $550,000 in one year,

said Friday Waterland told him in a letter to go to the RCMP

if he had-evidence' of a

conspiracy.
Waterland is also reported to have made a similar
remark in a meeting to discuss scaling problems with the

ELECTION ANNIVERSARY

Trudeau in no

OTTAWA (CP) — Four
years ago today, Prime Min-
ister Pierre Trudeau trium-
phantly led his Liberals back
from the political wilderness
where they had languished
for nine months during Joe
Clark's Conservative govern-
ment.

It’s an anniversary the
Liberals would prefer to ig-
nore, if the Conservatives

Pagan
to stand
trial

Dr. Robert Terence Pagan,
suspended director of the
Selkirk Health Unit in Nelson
will stand trial June 13 in
Nelson provincial court on
sexual assault charges.

Pagan, 52, has elected trial
by judge.

He is charged with sex-
ually assaulting three chil-
dren under the age of 12 be-
tween September 1982 and
July 1983.

would only let them. ‘

But with their current high
standing in the opinion polls
— the latest Tory support
pegged at 52 per cent, com-
pared with 32 per cent for the
Liberals — the Conservatives
are spoiling for an election.

“It is the practice and cus-
tom in this country to allow
the people of Canada to
either reaffirm or change
their government every four
years,” says Conservative
House Leader Erik Nielsen,
echoing the words of his
leader, Brian Mulroney.
Nielsen asserts that Cana-
dians are as anxious as the
Conservatives for an elec-
tion.

However, Trudeau ap-
pears to be in no hurry.
Asked Friday when he would
announce a date, the prime
minister laughed, and said in
French the waiting will con-
tinue. He continued his poetic
answer, saying the period
could be “days, weeks,

sorting grounds
1978 and 1981 without the company paying for it.
USED ELSEWHERE

Similar inadequate sealing methods were used at five
other major facilities,. Friedmann said, but he has been
unable to find out how much timber went unscaled.

hurry

months —fruit, flowers, per-
haps roses.”

He has said he would not
run in another election. And
several cabinet ministers and
other prominent Liberals are
gearing for a leadership cam-
paign in anticipation that
Trudeau will retire, as ex-

While Trudeau amused
himself and reporters with
his fanciful response, the
Conservatives aren't laugh-
ing.

They ‘are  peppering
speeches in the House of
Commons with calls for the
Liberals to resign, and at
every opportunity are re-
midning the public it is Can-
adian custom ‘to hold elec-
tions every four years, even
though governments have a
five-year mandate.

‘BALDERDASH’

Constitutional expert
Eugene Forsey calls the Tory
allegations “balderdash and
utter nonsense.”

Pita te 2
Aine Hughie oh

meer aye

interest.”

Ministry,
“such 8 concern to be nice or kind or whatever the
the majors; they have lost

sealing.
privatizing the
government and

the ability to protect the public

scaling
industry by two-thirds:

IMPROVED YEAR

continued from tront page
me doubt that the gains this year will
come quite up to the national average.”

Observing that it is not uncommon in
B.C. to experience wide swings in bus-
iness activity, Kavanagh said both pre-
vious recessions — in 1970 and 1974-75
— were worse in B.C. than elsewhere
in Canada, and yet the subsequent re-
bound was much larger than else-
where.

“If history had repeated itself last
year, B.C. should have enjoyed a good
year of growth but the recovery was
distinctly lacklustre.”

B.C.'s economic decline in 1982 of 6.5
per cent was the largest of any of
Canada’s provinces in that year. The
1983 reeovery in B.C. of less than two
per cent compared with the national
average of 2.3 per cent, Kavanagh told
chamber members.

Kavanagh also gave outlooks for
North America.

He said 1984 will likely mark the
beginning of a new era of stability in
North America — one characterized by
progressive gains in P
healthy rates of capital formation, and

e Food-price increases will add
modestly to inflation. The Consumer
Price Index increase is expected to av-
erage five per cent in Canada and about
four per cent in the U.S.

‘ Consumer spending in real terms
will advance at about four per cent,
with Canada’s rise slightly stronger
than the United States’. Durable goods
consumption will lead, though it will
grow at a slower pace than in 1983.

e A mixed investment picture is
foreseen, with inventory accumulation
a source of strength, but not a dramatic
source of strength due to continuing
comparatively high interest rates, and
improved inventory management.

Relatively high interest rates will
also limit the housing recovery. Hous-
ing starts are expected*to remain es-
sentially unchanged, on average, from
the 1983 rate.

No significant improvement in the
federal budget deficit of either country
is expected, although both countries’
deficits will be marginally smaller than
in 1983. The U.S. federal budget deficit
will weigh in at $185 billion in fiscal
1984.

a rebound in p
growth and living standards.

“This forecast is based on the
assumption that the Federal Reserve
Board and the Bank of Canada will

Police file

tinue to foster a paced
recovery to preserve the gains made on
the inflation front,” he said.

NOW OPEN

THE PLANT PARLOUR
Tropical Plants
and Supplies.

Chahko-Mika Mall

who has been liriked to sev-

George Roberts was fined
$50 after pleading guilty to a
charge of being a minor in
possession of alcohol.

eral car break-ins which took
place at the Recreation Com-
plex Feb. 13.

Police have recovered
some stolen car stereos and
cassette-tapes. The suspect's
name has not been released.

. «

Phillip Sahlstrom, 20, of

his bicycle hit'a legally park-
ed B.C. Telephone truck
parked in the 1600 block Col-

umbia Ave. about noon
Thursday.
Police say the truck's

warning cones were visible.
Sahistrom suffered no ser-
ious injury.

MONDAY TO FRIDAY Other outlooks were:
© Growth should be led by consumer
. -— cep ik di inventory i! and
: ss astlegar RCMP have Castleger has been busi fixed Canada’s
Oi e> EVE te Court news identifica a suspect Thursday from Castlegar Hospital after declining-trade surplus and the United

States’ increasing trade deficit will
exert some drag on their recoveries.

«@ Employment should rise by about
2.5 in Canada and 2 per cent in the
United States. The unemployment rate
for Canada is forecast to be about 10.6
per cent, and for the United States
about 8 per cent in the final quarter of
1964.

’ US: prithe rémaining Yetweér 10 per

ially, U.S. interest rates are
expected to stay near current levels, or
to decline somewhat, particularly in
the first half of 1984. Kavanagh gave
three reasons for this.

Inflation is not likely to accelerate
sharply, the U.S. Federal Reserve
Board clearly does not intend to slow
economic activity, and this is an elec-
tion year.

Short term interest rates will likely
trade in a very narrow range, with

cent and 11 per cent and the Canadian
Prime between 10.5 per cent to 11.5
per cent, he said.

As well, the Bank of Canada is ex-
pected to permit a small positive
spread to open between Canadian and
U.S. short rates to keep the Canadian
dollar in the 79.5 to 81.5 U.S. trading
range in 1984.

WORKERS STILL OFF

Lawyers argue

¥

axe

354-4979

MATERNITY WEAR toes
att 25% oft a
ALL SLEEPWEAR 20% on
Bore. ie 5 % aon
& Nursing Gowns © on em

Buy one at the regular

ALL TOPS

Price and pay only ma | .00

For the second.

BIG BLUE JEANS & CORDS

continued from front page

major work for us,” Thornton said. The
contractors, who were from Van-
couver, have since left Ci

picketing an adjacent sawmill in Mac-
kenzie. The LRB said the secondary
pickets were legal.
However, Thornton said the Celgar
is diffe

Meantime, Thornton said BC Timber
is meeting with its lawyers to consider
another appeal to the LRB to lift the
PPWC pickets.

“We're not sure which way we're
going to go,” Thornton said. He said
the company is in “limbo” while it waits
for developments in the pulp bargain-
ing sessions.

Last week the LRB ruled in favor of
locked out pulp workers who were

‘

in a number of
respects. He said a major difference is
that the pulpmill and sawmill in
Mackenzie shared maintenance shops.

The Celgar pulp and sawmills do not
share any worksites, he said.

Still, Thornton said it will likely be
some time before the labor dispute is
settled, though he couldn't say when.

“I don’t have any idea at all when
Celgar lumber will get back underw:
I think it’s going to be a while yet

Rates Guaranteed for the Term!

1 YEAR — 994%
2-4 YEARS — 10'2
5 YEARS — 10

Fixed Rate Plan — $500 Minimum
(Rotes subject to change without notice)

lq

Kootenay Savings

Credit Union eaguons

e

for more money

TERRACE (CP) — The
first meeting of the provin-
cial tour of the attorney gen-
eral’s committee on public
legal services featured law-
yers arguing for more money
and the public demanding
more services.

Seven members of the
Terrace Bar Association told
the task force they wanted
more money paid more quick-
ly for legal aid.

Prosecutor Vern Frolick
said judges often either ac-
quit or give lighter sentences
to those defending them-
selves, when they would be
convicted if they used law-
yers.

Anna Lee Davis of K'san
House for Battered Women,
one of 35 such operations in

British Columbia, said hus-
bands should be financially
responsible for their wives
and that battered women
need legal help in custody,
divorce and maintenance

cases.

Keith Alford, of the labor
council in this northwest B.C.
community, told the attorney
general's representatives
that cuts in legal aid services
are creating a class of victims
or legal slaves, and re-
minded the panel the law it-
self must be judged by stan-
dards. of justice.

Duncon Irvine, of the mu-
nicipality’s family court com-
mittee, said the city believes
legal aid in family court is an
essential service, especially
since the caseload has tripled
in the past year and a half.

Fred Nagel was born in
Saskatchewan and later
moved to Trail where.
lived for nearly 30 years.
Fred worked in the real
estate business in Trail
prior to coming to Cen-
tury 21 Mountainview
Agencies Ltd. He and his
wite Margaret have two
married daughters and
are now residing in
Castlegar. Fred's hobbies
include golfing, fishing
and skiing. For all your
real estate needs, give
Fred a call at 365-2969 or
365-2111.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Grime, aah AGENCIES LTD.

968-2111

By

The Bank of Montreal this
week announced the estab-
lishment of a commercial
banking unit for the West
Kootenays, to be located in
Castlegar.

District vice-president Ron
Leslie of Kelowna made the
announcement to about 80
Castlegar Chamber of Com-
merce members Thursday at
a luncheon.

The new branch will be lo-
cated in a 5,000 sq. ft. space
in the Columbia Building and

is expected to be in operation
by July 23.
Leslie explained that

Castlegar was chosen be-
cause of the central location
between the bank's area
branches which stretch from
Kaslo to Grand Forks.

The commercial banking
group in the area will be led
by Andy Patterson, who has
had extensive experience in
commercial centres.

Castlegar branch manager

“We will be adding to them.”
The commercial centre will
handle independent business
with less than $2 million in
annual sales and who employ
fewer. than 60 people. The
centre will focus on
mid‘size businesses with be-
tween $2 million and $100
million in annual sales.

Leslie also said there will
be a “full and growing range”
of non-credit services, which
will be dealt with by a com-
mercial services managers.

“The major changes we see
for personal banking cus-
tomers are: very few,” he
said.

He also noted that mana.
gers in domestic banks will
be freed from the tasks of
commercial banking in order

16 up 2. to devote more time to per-
‘sonal banking §

customers.

Personal loans will be han-
dled through ‘the personal
loans officers. Commercial
accounts will be handled
through the accounts man-
ager and accounts managers
will spend more time mana-
ging and advising clients.

There are close to 100 units
or regions of commercial
banking units across the
country in or near existing
branch cores accessible in
high density business areas,”
Leslie said. “The bank han-
dies half a million accounts
for small businesses across
Canada.

He said the establishment
of a commercial branch in the
West Kootenay will give
autonomy to the region in
that the bank will make up to
90 per cent of the decisions
being made in the region, as
opposed to many decisions
now being sent to Vancouver.

“We will have steno

KRISTIANSEN COMMENTS

RON LESLIE
Bank of Montreal

graphic and clerical staff
supporting people, but there
will be no radical change in
staffing, particularly in Nel-
son and Trail,” he said.

“The focus will be on ser-
vicing customers and estab-
lishing a better link of com-
munication.”

Budget offers little help

By CasNews Staff
Except for two $25-a-month increases scheduled this
year for old-age pension supplements, Kootenay West MP
Lyle Kristiansen said there will be “very little” help for most
Kootenay residents in the new federal budget.

The pension supplement

increases, to kick in on July 1

and Dee. 1, “will be of help to a large number of pensioners
_. . who are well below the poverty line,” said Kristiansen
Thursday in a telephone interview from Ottawa.

But “it’s really the only positive help the lower-to-

middle income people will ge
added.

t out of the whole budget,” he

‘The new $97 million budget, introduced Wednesday by
Finance Minister Marc Lalonde, offers modest tax breaks for

business, promises to end

mandatory wage controls on

federal workers, increases import car tariffs by $200, and

LETTER SENT
TO FRASER

By CasNews Staff
and News Services

The Castlegar Chamber of
Commerce has joined other
community groups and
thrown its support behind
the continued operation of
the Castlegar ferry

The chamber has written
to Highways Minister Alex
Fraser urging him to retain
the ferry.

In a Feb. 14 letter, the
chamber says it is “very con-
cerned about the closure of
the Castlegar-Robson ferry.”

The letter says the cham-

ber feels the ferry is used
more than is “generally
realized.”

“There are 356,000 people
a year who use its services,”
the letter says. “Included in
this number are residents of
a senior citizens home that is
close to the ferry landing.”

The chamber points out
that residents use the ferry
to cross from Robson to
Castlegar to shop and reach
recreation facilities and other

amenities.

“As there is no bus service
in Castlegar, the closfire
would put an undue burden_
on these people in the form of
excessive taxi fares,” the
chamber says.

Fraser, meanwhile, an
nounced this week that his
ministry will fire 357 em
ployees before April 1.

The employees will
notified by Feb. 27 and given
options, which include offers
of other jobs in government
service.

Fraser said the cuts will be
across the ministry and
throughout the province.

He said the cuts will enable
his ministry to meet the goal
imposed by cabinet of cutting
staff by 25 per cent by April
1

Fraser said there will be no
further cuts in his ministry
and he will not try to meet
the 30-per-cent goal imposed
on most ministries by Pro-
vincial Secretary Jim
Chabot.

Pensioners
lobby Thatcher

LONDON (CP) — The
Thatcher government is be-
ing lobbied to provide a bet-
ter deal for the 41,000 British
pensioners living in Canada
on frozen pensions.

“We feel deeply for the old
couple now approaching 80
years of age living on a
pension that would hardly
keep a dog alive for a week,”
says Ralph Brown, president
of the British Pensioners in
Canada Association.

Brown of Toronto heads 8
delegation of four which is in
London until the end of next
week to press the case for in
dexed pensions.

The delegation met this
week with British pension
groups, backbench MPs,
trade union pension officials,
and.Don Jamieson, Canada’s
high commissioner.

Next week, meetings are
set up with the all-party par-
liamentary committee on
pensions and at the Health

and Social Security Depart-
ment.

Discussions on a social sec-
urity agreement between
Canada and Britain have
dragged on for 25 years,
Brown said in an interview
Friday.

And until agreement is
reathed, British pensioners
in Canada will be forced to
live on frozen pensions while
those in other countries will
have the benefit of indexed
pensions.

Brown said the British
government maintains it can-
not afford to give indexed
pensions to British citizens in
Canada.

Meanwhile, he said, some
British pensioners are get-
ting as little as 7.76 pounds a
week, about $14 Canadian.

British citizens have to live
in Canada for 10 years before
they are eligible for a Can-
adian pension, added Brown.

enable homeowners to buy mortgage rate insurance against

rising interest rates.

No mention is made of help for fisheries and forests —
which hasn't gone unnoticed by Kristiansen.

“I was sitting in on a meeting of the Fisheries and
Forestry Commission (Thursday) . . . and I asked whether a
total lack of mention of the forestry in this budget indicates a
withdrawal of the government on their previous commit-
ment of reforestation in the industry,” he said.

And a $150 million boost to the youth employment
program is “really a dribble compared to the real need,”

said Kristiansen.

He said changes to the pension system and a plan to
offer tax credits to businesses and employees if they engage
in profit-sharing plans are among the “valid” items in the

budget.

But some of these promised changes have to be adopted
by Parliament, and since a federal election appears to be
imminent, they are “left dangling as a carrot,” said Kris-

tiansen.

“The option is there for the government to say, ‘If you
don't elect me, you may not get these things.’ ”

While tax breaks for the wealthy left over from the last
federal budget have been retained, Kristiansen said $1.4
billion in consumer taxes passed from the previous budget
take effect this year, “which will hurt consumer spending
ang further harm the economy.”

—~“" Lalonde also announced that, beginning next January,
family allowance and old-age security payments, public

service pensions, and income

tax brackets and deductions

will again be allowed to increase at the same rate as the

inflation rate.

The budget also includes a $200 million cut in funds to
provincial health and higher education.

And the new deficit figure is $31.5 billion this year — up
from the $31.3 billion predicted in the budget last April.

HEROIN CHARGE

Kennedy confesses

RADPID CITY, 8.D. (AP)
— Robert Kennedy Jr. has
admitted that he had heroin
with him when he became ill
on an airplane last fall, but
the felony won't necessarily
prevent him from practising
law in his home state of New
York.

Pennington County state's
attorney Rod Lefholz read
the charge Friday to the
30-year-old son of the late
senator Robert Kennedy.

About 50 people, including
sketch artists and reporters
from television networks,
packed the heavily guarded
courtroom as Kennedy en-
tered, accompanied by two
lawyers and his wife, Emily.

During the 25-minute hear-
ing on the felony charge of

Young ordered Kennedy to
return to Rapid City for sen-
tencing March 16. A pro-
bation officer is to perform a

z \)
:

highways crews will erect

p-m.

aman bars te
MOE a Le,

hei

NEW SIGNS. . . Kootenay West MP Lyle Kristiansen
and Area Customs Manager George Profili shake
hands over their successtul joint effort to have bet-
ter information signs posted before and at the

New signs at border

Better information signs are being posted at and
several miles ahead of the Waneta border crossing
following efforts by Kootenay West MP Lyle Kristiansen
and Area Customs Manager George Profili.

As soon as frost is out of the ground, American

the Canadian signs on two

roads well before travellers coming to Canada arrive at
the border. At Waneta itself, a cleared warning tells the
facts about crossing the border after hours.

“Before this, citizens might drive miles north to the
border at Waneta only to find it closed,” Kristiansen said
this week at the customs building.

“When these signs are installed, drivers will know
ahead of time that Waneta closes at 5 p.m., and that
longer hours are available at three other crossing points.”

Kristiansen said the effort started when locals were
confronted by the RCMP for crossing at Waneta after 5

“These are innocent people who simply didn't know
the facts because there were no warning signs. One was
such a good citizen that he called the RCMP to report in
when he arrived home. That, however, does not satisfy

Waneta border crossing. The signs are an interim

measure while Kristiansen

longer open haurs at Waneta and sumer-time 24-

hour crossing at Paterson

the requirement to report before crossing.”
Kristiansen added, “The new signs should save
people time and trouble, allowing them to detour to other

crossings if they won't make

“Of course, what we really want is extension of
Waneta’s hours to match our other local crossings, which
are all open until nine each day.”

Kristiansen said he recently approached the minister
responsible for customs a second time for an extension
hours, pointing out that innocent people have been
charged recently for crossing after 5 p.m.
ble to have three

“It just isn't

continues his fight for

Waneta before it closes.

area open 8 a.m.-to-midnight hours, and one in between
closing at dinner time,” Kristiansen said.

“['ve asked time and again for longer hours, and for a
24-hour crossing for at least the summer months.

“With upwards of 35,000 people crossing at Paterson
during August of each year, I think we can justify the
cost of 24-hour operation. If people agree with these
demands, they should write the minister, and send me a
copy of their letters. We have to push for this until we get

it.”

ings in an

Budget that will never be?

CP News Analysis
By Gord Mcintosh

TORONTO (CP) — The
1981 budget was considered
by many to be a failure.
1983's edition was a political
success. In this the budget
that will never be?

That's the question making
the rounds in financial circles
as everybody from tax ex
pert to private citizen sifts
through the entrails of what
appears to be a curious mix
ture of white paper and
promise in Mare Lalonde’s
latest budget brought down

pr

Kennedy passed the New
York State bar examination
last July on his third try.
New York laws contain no
prohibition against admitting
people to the bar after they
have been charged or con-
vieted of a felony or mis-
demeanor, but the admission
must be approved by the
state Supreme Court Appel-
late Division's Committee on
Character and Fitness, said
Robert Keegan, who heads
the committee.

Lefholz said he had not
recommended a sentence for

heroin possession, Circuit Kennedy, adding: “It's in the
Judge Marshall Young asked judge's hands.
Kernedy what happened _ After the arrest, Kennedy

when he arrived in Rapid
City on a Republic Airlines
plane Sept. 11.

“At that time I had two
tenths of a gram (of heroin) in
my possession,” replied Ken-
nedy, who said in answer to
another question that his
guilty plea was voluntary.

Defence lawyer John Fitz-
gerald said Kennedy had
been “coming to South Dat-

released a statement saying:
“With the best medical help I
can find, I am determined to
beat this problem.”

He admitted himself to a
New Jersey drug treatment
centre Sept. 13 and was dis-
charged Feb. 7 with no trace
of drugs in his -body, Fitz-
gerald told the court.

Kennedy is undergoing six
months of post-release treat-

ota for 4
he had a (drug) problem.”

Kennedy was released on
his own recognizance.

South Dakota laws allow a
maximum penalty of two
years in jail and a $2,000 fine
for the charge, but Lefholz
said a first-time offence usu-
ally results in a suspended
sentence.

ment, F said, and is
“working for a national re-
source fund, basically a legal
fund devoted to environmen-
tal concerns of the citizens of
New York” as a volunteer.
Prior to his arrest, Ken-
nedy worked for the Man-
hattan district attorney's of-
fice in New York. He re-
signed after the arrest.

So much of it comes into
effect after 1985 with three-
year phase-in periods and
every major measure requir-
ing accompanying legislation
that tax experts have started
to advise their clients the
meat of the 1984 budget may;
never become reality;

In addition, key pon-
ents such as the pension
proposals will require co-op-
eration of the provinces.

“Most of what we're talk
ing about is in the if cate-
gory,” says Lyman MacInnis,
a Toronto chartered accoun-
tant. “It’s a budget that wil!
hurt absolutely no one
because most of it becomes
effective in 1985 when the
government may no longer
be in power.”

Tax experts complained
after going over the budget
in detail they didn't under
stand many of the key com
ponents because details on
implementation are absent.

PAPER FORM

The budget's simplified tax
measures for small business
is in white paper form, Mac-
Innis says. Some tax experts
are wondering how Revenue
Canada will keep track of
what taxpayers can legally
contribute to tax-assisted re-
tirement savings plans. And
no one is sure how the
profit-sharing plans will
work.

Canada’s pension system is

te

currently a patchwork of
federal and provincial regu-
lation amid layer after layer
of different retirement plans.
What the budget proposes
make things even murkier.

For example, while en-
hanced pensions and regis-
tered retirement savings
plans would be governed by
an amended Pension Benefits
Standards Act, the newly-
created registered pension
accounts would require sep-
arate legislation.

“The only thing of real
substance with what looks
like an effective date is the
mortgage insurance scheme,
but here again there is a lot
of legislation that will have to
be debated and that will take
a lot of time,” MacInnis says.

And even the mortgage
protection plan is questioned
by some tax experts who
wonder if there is any real
benefit because the first two
percentage points of any
mortgage increase are deduc-
tible.

The plan kicks in after a

rise of two percentage points
above the expired mortgage
rate and would only pay for
75 per cent of the actual
monthly increase.
CALLED MIRROR WORK
John Ing, a vice-president
of the Toronto investment
firm of Pitfield Mackay Ross
Ltd., has labelled the budget
“mirror work” because noth-
ing is quite what it first ap-
peared to be in this budget.
While the budget seems to
favor the wealthy at first
glance with generous addi-
tions to the money-purchase
retirement plans, further ex-
amination reveals that the

well-heeled stand to lose
some perks.
A loophole allowing

wealthy Canadians to set up
dummy corpdrations in tax
havens like the Cayman Is-
lands or the Bahamas and
convert investment income
to capital gains, of which only
50 per cent is taxable, will be
plugged.

With the establishment of
a $60,000 income ceiling on all

tax assisted retirement
plans, the few Canadians who
could have retired with in-
come of more than that from
a combination of employer
pensions
purchase plans will lose out.

and money-

Ing says that by time the
tax experts have worked out
all the qualifiers and prov
isos, it may be apparent very
few Canadians will benefit
from the pension reforms.

The budget also appears to
stand still on fiscal policy.
Although the deficit is pro-
jected to be $2 billion less at
$29.6 billion, it is still consid-
erably larger in proportion to
that of the U.S. On a per
capita basis the deficit is
about $1,200 in Canada, com-
pared with about $700 in the
US.

“This may be the budget
that never was,” says Mac-
Innis. “Or on the other hand,
it may be Brian Mulroney's

‘irst.”

Guard gets six years

LONDON (AP) — A sec-
urity guard who confessed to
helping robbers get away
with $36 million in gold, di.
amonds and other valuables
has been sentenced to six
years in prison for conspiring
in the biggest robbery in
British history.

In sentencing Anthony
John Black on Friday, Judge
David Tudor Price com-
mended him for having the
courage to give evidence
against three others still to
be tried, and said a long de-
terrent sentence was not
necessary.

But the judge warned
Black: “Never in your life will
you feel safe. You and your
family will forever be fugi-
tives from those whom you so

stupidly and
helped.”

Black, 31, was under heavy
guard in the Old Bailey
criminal court. He stood be-
tween two prison officers in
the dock and there were
other policemen in the court.
room.

None of the loot from the
Nov. 26 robbery has been re-
covered.

Police say they believe il
licit gold and jewelry. mar
kets around the world prob-
ably have taken in the three
tonnes of gold in 6,800 small
bars, plus 22 kilograms of
platinum, about 1,000 carats
of rough and polished di-,
amonds, $250,000 of travel-
ler's cheques and small
amounts of other precious
metals.

wickedly

The huge haul was taken
from a Brinks-Mat security
warehouse where Black
worked as a security guard.
The robbers, believed to
number six, struck early one
Saturday morning as guards
arrived to prepare the valu-
ables for shipments from
Gatwick Airport to Tokyo,
Dubai, Frankfurt, the United
States, Hong Kong and
Johannesburg.

Prosecutor Timothy Cas-
sell said Black “gave infor-
mation to persons whom he
knew and gave those persons
every assistance, enabling
them to enter the premises
god i) his fellow em-
ploy of the’®enormous
amount ‘of gold, bullion and