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P~AG[E.~lE1A. AI>RlI1. 15. 198WIIiYFRFE PIRSS whiby w h itPublished evern Wednesday byv M.HB.M. PubIli shI Îing and I Photography inc. Pjhone 669-6111 The Free Press Buildin Volco of the County Town Michael Ian Burgess, Publisher - Managing Editor Lî131 rock Street North, Tle only Whitby newspaper independenti towned and operated h Whithv residents for Whitby residents. P.O. Box 206. Whitby. 01 Michael J. Knoll Community Editor Marjorie A. Burgess Production Manager Karen Thompson Advertising Manager Malling Permit No 480 Member of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce g, )nt. ANCHORMAN FOR GLOBAL NEWS BEIST oFev PETER A weekly news commentary from one of Canada's outstanding news personalities A U.S.Marine Corps general has summoned up his courage and declared flatly that women do not have the physical or emotional stamina to handle the rigors of the battlefield. Look out, general. If there's any justice, you'll have to run a gauntlet of swinging handbags and flailing umbrellas all the way from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. The general did admit that female marines could be counted on to do battle in an emergency, just.as pioneer women helped to defend the wagon trains from the Indians. But I think the general misses the point about women. If they have avoided war historically, it's not because they haven't got the stomach for it, but because they are afflicted by common sense. Unlike men, they have always been able to see clearly and unmistake- ably that war is one of mankind's most rationalized idio- cies. I see it too, but God help me, I am a male. And for most men, the rule goes something like this. Avoid war as long as it is honorably possible, with the accent on the honorably, and when it is unavoidable, prosecute it to the fullest. I have had a taste or two of war as a correspondent. I have been rocketed, mortared and otherwise abused several times in my career. I've seen young men snuffed out and I've walked through the battlefields and the grave- yards that are the temples of military history. I've talked to war's widows and to its refugees. And I have no doubt that war is blind and merèiless, that it punishes the innocent usually well before the guilty. But I still sit up to watch "Patton" when it comes back to my television screen. My wife, who like the rest of her sex, knows that war is unthinkable, wears a faint smile of tolerance, and goes to sleep. That's not news, but that too is reality. Board "procedure"defended Dear Sir: I am writing in response to your column in the April 1 issue re The Durham Board of Education's Hugh gives congratulations Dear Sir: May I extend, via your letters' page, my warmest appreciation to the many hundreds of workers and over 6,000 voters who sup- ported me in the March 19th Provincial election campaign. I would also like to repeat*my election- night acknowledge- ment of the decisive win by George Ashe and my congratulations to him. To Liberal candidate, Norman Wei, I would express my regard for his graciousness and liveliness during what was otherwise a very dull-campaign. Despite the sharp loss of votes for the NDP both in Durham West and across the province (which I hope will warrant further analysis in your pages. our team waged a cam- paign that was both visible and vigorous. The party will rebuild and continue to offer an effective alternative to the two old parties in power. I predict that in the more typical majority government make-up of Jaycettes say thanks Dear Sir: We, the Whitby Jaycettes, wish to ex- press our sincere ap- preciation to you, the media, for the support you have given our organization through- out the past year. It has been a pleasure working with you and we look for- ward to the con- tinuation in the future of this well established rapport. Sincerely, Charlotte Buchan President the new Legislature, the NDP caucus will regain much of its assertiveness and policy identity which was masked by. the need of the past four years "to make minority government work". Locally I intend to work with the many new friends and long- standing supporters to enlarge the role which the NDP can play in the political life of this region. In closing may I also express my thanks to your newspaper not only for its news coverage but for its generous allocation of space to the can- didates on an equal basis both before and during the campaign period. This was an essential medium of communicating the issues to the public. Sincerely, Hugh Peacock Durham West NDP " p r o c e d u r e " o n releasing preliminary budget information. It is not my intention to comment on your viewpoint on the "procedure" since this is a board practice and can only be changed by a majority decision of the twenty trustees, not by any one in- dividual. However, I do feel that any viewpoint should be based on fact, and it is my inten- tion to establish the facts in quotes at- tributed to me in your column and referred to in your editorial. Fact (1): I do not know when this prac- tice was begun or if it was ever otherwise. Fact (2): Since I have not heard this discussed during my four years and four months on the Board, I cannot say what reasons, if any, were given when the prac- tice was begun. I do not interpret these two statements as "I really couldn't tell why that is" as stated by you. Fact (3): As I stated above, this practîce would only be changed if the finance commit- tee studied it and made a recommendation to board and if the board approved the recom- mendation. Again, I do not interpret this as "something that the (finance) committee should consider." You also stated that "he did indicate that the Board was not planning to introduce any new programs or hire additional staff ex- cept to replace those that resign or retire. My statement was that the Board is not likely to introduce new programs or hire ad- ditional personnel if they wish to keep the tax increase at an ac- ceptable level. I cannot guarantee that my statements above are accurate quotes of what I said to you, but they do state the opinions which I gave to you much more accurately than your "interpretations" do. In addition, I would also like to inform you that our Superinten- dent of Business is not Jim Backus (star of Gilligan's Island), but is J. Ross Backus. I hope that the above correct ion s an d clarifications will give a more accurate account of my statements and that you will convey them to your readers and staff. Yours truly, Arthur S. Winter, Chairman, The Durham Board of Education. EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Backus has our apologies for our in- correctly stating his name. Mr. Winter did, indeed, give the writer the statements men- tioned above. It is interesting to note that Mr. Winter still cannot tell us why the board's budget process is not open to the public. For us, this is the issue at hand, not the substance of the budget itself. Address letters to the editor to P.O. Box 206, Whitby -...d