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Oat Wed Mwch THE ERA Serving York County Since DAVID HASKELL C E DONALD JOHN Dont pay them a pittance for their day in court Elsewhere on this page is a letter from a woman whose husband has received two summons to appear in court as a witness to a minor traffic accident The letter pinpoints the dilemma which faces many of us should we perform our civic duty and own up to a policeman that we were witness to a crime or accident or should we say we didnt see a thing If we agree to be a witness we could a days pay or more as well as suffer If we dont agree to be a witness we could subvert the administration of justice That is an accused person might not have an unbiased witness to prove his innocence or guilt Canada and Ontario have taken giant strides in recent years to see that justice is not only done but appears to be done To name only two the Bill of Rights in Canada and the Legal Aid system in Ontario In recent years too judges attor ney and policemen have received their salaries But the witness is still being paid a pittance It seems a shame that the witness who in many cases is the most important person at a trial should be paid the least It seems a shame that the witness should not only suffer inconvenience but a hardship Surely something could be worked out by the province to insure that a man doesnt lose a days wages just because hes doing hia duty Spare us the frills until the bills come in THE Readers ERA York Regions first health and social services department budget will come in well over the million mark committee mem bers have aid and they predict the other new regional departments are shooting for similar increases Last year the countys welfare committee the health and social services committees predecessor authorized expenditures of about million and that was about over budget Newmarket Mayor Bob a mem ber of the health committee in warning his town council to brace itself for these high estimates termed the situation scary He pointed out the departmental estimates are coming to council before the Region even knows how much of the budget will be sub sidized by provincial grants If the thought is scary for a regional councillor it is positively paralyzing for a York taxpayer York Council is obviously feeling its way through this first budget without much idea of what the final figures will be and yet a number of new cost projects are on the drawing boards For instance the same health and social services department which is laying the groundwork for a 4 million budget this year is also talking about starting a number of new services such as a mobile dental clinic and day care centres across the region These are worthwhile efforts but not in our estimation nearly us worthwhile as holding spending down until it is firmly established that we can afford them Day care centres in particular would be an unnecessary burden to the taxpayer at this time It is true they provide a needed service for single parents who must work but they are also much in demand as babysitters by parents who can well afford to buy the same service in the private sector We hope we will be spared day care centres and similar frills for this year at least By next year well know if we can afford them or not White Owls Indian creed Dear Editor I thought your NEWSROOM NOTES The Indians and Vietnamese a parallel plight John lott A few years back Hollywood script writers would taken a man like British Columbias Oeorge and given him of inane to recite before with a liberal quantity of ughs and other guUeral grunts reserved for the movie Indian But now Hollywood in typical fashion has decided to humanize lie American Indian on the screen Ms most successful foray into this area came with the release of Little Big Man in which Chief Dan is superb actor primarily because Hes an Indian chief playing He has already won the New York film critics award as the years best supporting actor and hes being touted for an Academy Award which may be more tokenism than true recognition of his cinematic talents Time magazines reviewer intoned solemnly chief Within two davs last week I Ooorge twice once in Little Big Man and gain on the Sunday night series The At age just seven years after lie first faced the cameras the silver- haired chieftain radiates an honesty and humanity unique to the acting profession and simultaneously gives his viewers a new perspective on the plight of the Indian Georges lack of stoicism fit Little Big Mi Far fiom the unemotional Indian patriarch of films past he showed that these creatures of traditional societal and cinematic derision are indeed human beings His eyes twinkled and the deepetched lines at the corners of his mouth turned upward when he joked and some of his jokes were of the genre hat would wrinkle the brow of he puritan By showing he could chuckle in the face of adversity his gnawing sadness became infinitely more credible And if Utile Big Man proved anything It was that the American Indians life was one of Incredible sadness Throughout the movie I was constantly reminded of a parallel between the Indian saga of the 19th century and the maelstrom of Southeast Asia today General Custer and his troops regarded She Indian as less than human Treat lights and reservation con tracts were worthless In one scene shot in the snows of Alberta Custer and company stormed onto Chief Dan Georges reserve and massacred men women and children includ ing a teenage mother and her newborn son In Southeast Asia a century later the while man continues his horrid slaughter of people whoso skin is differently colored peo ple whom he as less than human people whose philosophies ho disngn urn to our inherited na tive culture before we arc completely destroyed 3 I believe Hie only thing that will keep our to us the importance of retaining our son chants dances medi cine ceremony I believe those are the things that tench us how to respect all life I believe those arc the Unit us to live in harmony with earth Creed is the only great power or spirit force that wo have left which will help lis to unite as of our tribal origin 10 I believe it will be The Indian Voice speaking out from all the surrounding area totalled This be used to maintain the many services for the registered blind in this District of the known thai luted earth and waters and all its hires and all its of life I Have Spoken Witnesses need fairer taws A recent regarding the Hig owl t believe those arc lhd to live as brothers muter the fellowship of the In- driv made Dear Editor On behalf of Newmarket ami district Advisory Ioiumilliv in t Canadian Institute for the Itlitul wish to our ap ple alio in ibis compels me to ess my thoughts In May my Iceman on duty took the details Later at 6 pm one evening a served a subpoena for sheriff served another subpoena time to appear on March in Toronto will mean similar consequences as before and for thU he will receiTe a meager In summary a is demanded to appear as if he is a cri minal at a specific time is smart net to admit to witnessing an accident even if the Innocent party is helped by his testi mony If my husband lost this much by wit nessing a very small ac cident what would a per ns who in response have St ilk employer was caus ed Inconvenience by ins trips all times ami places try Contributions King a senior driver For appearing in court he received plus ravelling expense The defendant was MORE LETTERS Newmarket PAGE terror with the only defence short of sub mission retaliatory terror And like the Indian their plight Is not of their own milking The Indians are not a bloodthirsty people nisi ravages like he history textbooks like to relate Dan George BILL GAMBLES TOWN CRIER WOMEN are better waiters BILL SUGAR AND SPICE Too many brains not enough hearts Between the length and the depth of this winter the depressing unemployment picture stud the A new taxes perhaps a chap has a right to he a bit gloomy these days Weve had about feet of snow so far Today I saw a ehap up tin a snowbank about snow back enough so that hed have Home- where to put the next deluge And when it hasnt been belting down the white stuff its been freezing rain or could enough to freeze the brain of brans Despite some slat is ticJuggling at Ottawa paper I bit to home theyre hi sober intelligent workers foremen and not jiHl the transient or the unskilled Worker who is laid off I have friends industrious management who have worked their way tip through sheer guts and determination and are now suddenly in limbo drawing unemployment insurance Alter searching desperately for a jolt they become bitter and one cant blame them Will mortgage and insurance payments to meet and Just enough money coming in to tut fooil on the table Ihey feel cheated After a decade or two of hard work just when theyre beginning to see daylight financially they are tossed aside through no fault of their with figures convinced the lop brains lint they could halt inflation A finscol rates are still crippling The cost banks or the credit companies Theyre doing all right Auk small business man or the skilled worker whoso unemployment Insurance run out Hell toll you They are merely readjustments whatever the boys want to call them You move ho much money from here to there and youre not Increasing taxes merely the wealth One of these gimmicks is taking away the family allowance from those malting more than That used to be the fabulous figure we all thought wed never make Do probably takes homo about after nil people are human beings Im using my talent Instead of a weapon The Indian an misnomer from the early while settlers theyre not Indians at all but original North Americans still cherishes his landbused heritage still sees in the glorification of life on Ibis page While Owl an Indian from Keswick writes thai the Indian philosophy could eventually save our badly polluted earth and all its and all creatures and all its glory of life It is creed we whiles would do well lo This column was originally intended to tin final dale for obtaining registration plates but 1 guess ring lb following with an honest of us in need of having slackened on see almost everyone is l iV 1 am Wo live too fast fast and nibble Ai ii I mi I i person who always lias In have in bis too fast And when we are advised to do the one thing that will reniiilv he complaint relux tin that ton fust 1 dont know about you bid Im so used to being tense theso days Dial hows that pulling In about a year In baby bonuses every nickel of it education or something Tin government has just taxed him call it what you like doesnt bother me My kids are past the age Hut it hits some families like a sledge- Now theres another sneaker in Die off The federal government lias specifically stated its Intent lo tax another very huge group made up of school teachers and other people who have not paid It plans lo bit them for this will bo several millions of dollars no I to I got a lesson In economics today A student said Why do wo have to worry about nil this When we graduate therell bo fixed minimal I have to work anyway Maybe hes right Belles York By Robert Whit oilier called a taxi then walked back and lb In the window a hundred limes during the 10 minutes It took to got there And ouch time you got to the window didnt von conceal yourself the drapes fingering them all Of course did And you were lv relaxed too werent you were for that like Custer walling for the Indians lint hoi that mi to lie able to master Wo belter long long lime mill If you want to dispute from pretty close range On he side wore three men rabbits One had a in hi mouth between finger and fishing for hi lighter The In Hie He selected It copies of Look Magazine I ho smorgasbord on the able and went rigid Ihrougb Ihe lot in thro tlv hoped would magically disappear It was his turn All three of them consulted their watch es for a total of times just no good at It