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*t Long early morning lineâ€"ups at the licence bureau Friday and Saturday dispersed in the afternoon to the dismay of eayly birds who tried to beat the rush. Smith lashes out at Ont. hospital closings By Mary Stupart KITCHENER â€" Ont ario Liberal leader Stuart Smith accused the provincial govâ€" ernment of closing hosâ€" pitals to cover up mistakes in health care planning when he spoke to 350 Waâ€" terlooâ€"Wellington â€" Liberals Wednesday at Bingeman Park. In the first major politiâ€" cal speech since he was elected party leader Jan. 25, Mr. Smith said the govâ€" etnment is pretending to close hospitals in the name of financial restraint but the real reason is to cover up bungled health care planning. *‘Planning in the deâ€" partment of health has been virtually nonâ€"existent. Hospitals were built for political reasons to curry political favour...irrespectâ€" ful of the need for reâ€" straint, â€" the â€" government would have had to cut beds because there are too many‘. Mr. Smith called the government‘s financial reâ€" straint _ justification _ ~a fraud. a fake.. The govâ€" ernment is closing hospiâ€" tals in the name of finâ€" ancial â€" restraint because this issue is popular with most voters. he said. f ‘~It‘s obvious that the government is playing the issue for all it‘s worth... Frank Miller is getting a lot of public sympathy closing hospitals in the name of restraint. . This bothers me because these are the people that bungled the health system in the first place.~ Mr. Smith sarid he agrees that cutbacks in hospital beds are necessary but the _ government _ should cut back large hospitals instead of closing small. community hospitals ‘‘They should close beds at Hanover hospital inâ€" stead of closing down Durâ€" 121st Year No. 9 | | r I Wed ‘ ' } 1976 i I l , 7. Waterioo, Ontario Hâ€"-â€""â€"'rfi pearson * """‘é 10 Cents } ham and Chesley... Hanâ€" ‘"‘This is the most inâ€" over has been overbuilt humane kind of manageâ€" as a tribute to Eric Winkler. . ment, the most insensiâ€" This has made Chesley â€" tive treatment of people." and Durham hospitals reâ€" Mr. Smith said the govâ€" dundant." ernment has also failed The Liberal leader also criticized the way health minister Frank Miller has imposed hospital closings without prior discussions with hospital staff. ‘"Not one single world of _ consultation â€" occurred with the staff of these hospitals before closing... Most of them are in Lib eral ridings. To the rest of the province this looked very courageous so he decided to drag it out to make it more visible."" On a trip to Goderich psychiatric hospital, Mr. Smith said he found hosâ€" pital employees in tears because they didn‘t underâ€" stand why the governâ€" ment was closing their hospital. The political fortunes of the Ontario Lib erals may be at a low ebb, but the party faithful are still willing to reach into their pocket books to support the party. About 350 Wateriooâ€"Wellington Liberals paid $25 a plate last Wednesday to meet the new Liberal leader, Stuart Smith. and munch on goldenâ€"brown rock cornish hens at Bingeman Park ballroom in Kitchener. In addition to the hens, the Liberals got free bar tickets, a fourâ€"course dinner and generous servings of imported white wine for their money. They also got a chance to bid on two etchâ€" ings by Waterloo artist, Peter Etril Snyder, that were auctioned by Clint Jantzi, an area auctioneer. The paintings added nearly an extra $300 to the party‘s coffers. The area Liberals might need this money sooner than they think. Mr. Smith predicted an election may be held as early as the fall of 1976. Party is eating well Mr. Smith said the govâ€" ernment has also failed to take into consideration the â€" economic _ repercusâ€" sions of closing commuâ€" nity hospitals like Chesley and Durham. The closure of a public health laboratory in Kenâ€" ora will only save the salâ€" ary of one secretary but it will increase the hostilâ€" ity and resentment of the people who feel they are left out of government spending programs. ‘"All it‘s going to take is one case of a poisoned family in Kenora and all the government‘s savings will be gone." The savings that will accrue from closing Woodâ€" stock laboratory are also nonâ€"existent. . The governâ€" ment could save money in a less crucial area by eliminating a â€" course in dental technology at North Bay that duplicates one in Sudbury, he said. The Liberal leader said he expects to have his own policy paper on health care prepared and reâ€" leased in the next few days. It will contain alâ€" ternate programs for cutâ€" ting costs in the health ministry. . C Auctioneer Clint Jantzi sold two paintings by Waterioo artist Peter Etril Snyâ€" der Wednesday at the Liberal leader‘s dinner at Bingeman Park in Kitchener. The proceeds went to the Waterlooâ€"Wellington Liberal Association. Construction of mall in city‘s northâ€"end to start this fall Construction of a 61.9 acre major shopping centre in north end of Waterloo is exâ€" pected to begin this fall. Orlando Corporation of Mississauga and Cambridge Leaseholds Limited _ anâ€" nounced last week that they have formed a joint venture to build the plaza which will be located at Conestoga Parkway and Highway 85. The opening date. for the shopping centre, which will be of comparable size to Fairway Plaza, Kitchener, is set for October 1977. The first phase is to be approxiâ€" mately 275,000 square feet and in about five years, the second phase of 125,000 square feet is expected to be built. The plaza will accomâ€" modate ‘"gross _ retail" stores. No major tenants have been decided upon and probably won‘t be for anothâ€" er few months, according to Orlando Corporation â€" presiâ€" dent Orey Fidani. Since the two developers have formed the joint proâ€" ject, the development will proceed without a hearing of the Ontario Municipal Board which might have meant months of delay. Letter from MP In order that all his constituents will be fully aware of his stand on the controversial issue of capital punishment and his reasons for it, Max Saltsman, MP, has written a letter to the editor this week. It appears on Page 5. Prior to the formation of the joint venture, the project was directed by Select Propâ€" erties Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Orlando Corporation. Construction of the project will be handled by Orlando, Official plan while Cambridge will be responsible for the leasing and management of the shopâ€" ping plaza on behalf of the joint venture. The importance of preâ€" serving the environment, maintaining good agriculâ€" tural land, retaining a sense of community and encourâ€" aging neighborhood develâ€" opment are the main goals of the City of Waterloo‘s draft version of its official plan. A copy of the plan is inâ€" cluded in this week‘s issue on pages 11 to 15 inclusive. The plan also features a boundary â€" limiting â€" urban growth in the municipality, a strengthened business disâ€" trict and no new shopping centres, (with the exception of the northâ€"end mall to be built by next fall. )