The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

* ' ' Orono Weeklÿ Times; Jyne 9, 1976 - 9 oTTAWA and Small Business Labour lacks responsibility \ By KENNETH MCDONALD Respite an outward show of . solidarity, the Canadian Labour Congress is badly divided. While the leadership demands' "an equal share with business and Government in economic economic and social decision- qiaking", militant mcm- • bers are trying to tear society apart. The CLC represents only one-fifth of the Canadian Canadian work force and one- quarter of its members are civil servants whose jobs are threatened by cutbacks on government spending because of inflation. The militancy of civil service unions was illustrated at the recent CLC conference. conference. A spokesman for the Canadian Union of Public Employees said it "would take all its mem- ' ers out on strike and keep em out to change the law "and society". • e w Regarding its claim that the AIB can more easily control wages than prices, the CLC has a legitimate point. The AIB can monitor monitor costs and prices of domestic companies. But multi-national corporations corporations can beat the system by assigning arbitrarily, higher costs to items sold to Canadian subsidiaries, hese higher costs can --men be used to justify higher prices. But when the CLC speaks of labour's "losses incurred in the control period" it sets up a straw man. In February, March and April this year, union wage increases on new contracts averaged 14 per cent higher in annual base pay. But the Consumer Price Index for the same three months was only 9 per cent above last year. If anyone's falling behind it isn't the unions. It's not the workers who are . threatened, but the leaders in their struggle with union militants. When the CLC calls for a general strike, for political political action and for more union power, it threatens the majority : 55 to 60 per cent of Canadian workers' neither belong to unions, nor work for big com- . panics or for the government. government. If the public and the government allow themselves themselves to be blackmailed by political strikes, the democratic process will be destroyed. This could lead to similar action by others, for example a tax strike by the small business community, community, as in Belgium and France. Many members 1 of the Canadian Federation Federation of Independent Business have pointed to successful militant action by small business in other countries as means to relieve relieve their harassment by * unions and governments. Organized labour has too much power already. What it lacks is responsibility. r YOU Mm • WI L MANOR MOTORS Auto sales & service AUTO AIRCONDITIONING Taunton Road and Liberty St. R.R. 5 JBOWMANVILLe' 263-8371 Hrs. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.. Mon.- Sal. NOTICE OF MEETING The Commission to Review Proposals for Property Tax Reform in Ontario A public meeting for residents of Durham Region will be held on June 29 and 30, 1976 at 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m. to 9^30 p.m., at Eastdal Collegiate Cafeteria, Harmony Road, Oshawa, to receive submissions, both ora and written, from local government representatives, property taxpayers and a other interested parties, concerning the proposals that have been put forward by the Government of Ontario as a means of establishing a new system of property taxation based on market value assessment. \ . , This meeting is one of a series which the Commission is conducting throughout Ontario this summer and tall, before submitting its recommendations o e 9over m Qp| . The proposals, originally published in the 1976 Ontario Budget, Budget Paper E, entitled Reform of Property Taxation in Ontario, are as follows: , 4. 7 Residences in Ontario, collectively, will bear a reduced share of property taxes. Residential property will be redefined to include only residences and a reasonable amount of land. ' The present practice of levying different different mill rates on residential and commercial properties will be discontinued. discontinued. Farmland, farm buildings, managed forests and farm residences will be assessed at market value. Farmland, farm buildings and managed forests will be taxed at 100 percent of market, value and the taxes will be paid by.the. Province. Farm residences will be taxed as an other residences at 50 percent percent of market value and the taxes, will be paid- by the owner. There will' be provision to recover taxes paid by the- Province if the property changes use. All real property used for the purpose ■ of a business including government administrative facilities will.be subject • to an additional assessment of 50 percent percent of market value for business taxes. All public property except residences will be subject to payments in lieu of taxes equal to full taxes at 100 percent of market value. Public residences will 1 be subject to payments in lieu of taxes equivalent to full taxes at 50 percent of market value. Public utilities will be subject to business assessment at 50 percent of market value. : As is the present, case, churches, . ' cemeteries, and property held'in trust for a band or body of Indians will be exempt: All other presently exempt property will be taxed at 100 percent of market value, except, residences which will be taxed at 50 percent of market value. 8. A uniform method of phaping-in the new tax system over a period of up to five years will be available to prevent abrupt'tax changes. .91 Assessment rolls will be returned and enumeration will be performed every two' years to coincide with local government elections. 10. .Assessment on provincial government r property will be pooled and assigned ' between the public and separate elementary elementary schools in the same proportion proportion as the taxable assessment assigned assigned by the owners and occupants • of residences. 11. Costs shared among municipalities will be' shared on the basis of the assessment on; which taxes and payments payments in' lieu of taxes are based. 12'. Where* assessment is to be used to determine the grant to be paid'to a municipality, the assessment used will be the assessment on which taxes and -payments in lieu of taxes are based. _ The provisions of The Assessment Act will apply to the assessment:of all real property in jDntario, including areas without municipal organizations. ■ Public bodies which receive provincial grants, such as school boards, will be allowed to include their property tax payments as allowable -expenses for . grant purposes. , , 15. Ontario's property tax credits which relate property taxes to The ability to pay will, if necessary, be strengthened upon ' implementation of the new system. 13. 14 Copies of Budget Paper E containing background and explanatory information, in addition addition to the proposals themselves, may be obtained., free of charge, from regional assessment offices or from Mr. Lawrence' Close, Executive Secretary, Commission on Property Tax Reform, Fifth Floor, Frost Building South, Queen's Park, Toronto -M7A 1Y7, telephone (416) 965-1671. If you plan to appear and present a written or oral submission, submission, please notify Mr. Close in advance, by letter or .telephone. We would also appreciate appreciate receiving one copy of any written submission, prior to the meeting. Since the purpose of thesegreetings is to help ensure that the, new taxation system is implemented in an efficient and equitable manner,. the Commission'hopes that all Ontario residents with opinions apci suggestions to offer will manage to make their representations to us. ,* , * m Willis L. Blair ' Chairman Ontario