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._..__...._.._..__ Cosmos dump Blizzard New York Cosmos showed why they are the number one team in the North American Soccer League Thursday beating the Toron- to Blizzard 3-1 at Exhibition Stadium. The wtn gave Cosmos a 1--0 lead in the two-game play off series. In local action, Starr Electric resumed its charge for the championship beating Barrie C00}: 107 in Barrie and District In- termediate Fastball League semi--final playoffs. In the other game of the night anfield Furniture beat Mr. Transmission 1. See story and pictures on today's Sports Page- Coping with loneliness With 40 per cent of marriage ending in divorce these days, Collier Street United Church members in Barrie have started a group for previously married singles wh want to help coping with feelings of loneliness and fear after marriage breakdown. For story, see today's Lifestyle Page- gle. (AP Photo) 'Pill' workers complain WINDSOR. Ont, iCPi i The Ontario labor ministry has ordered a Windsor plant that manufactures birth-control pills to improve its ventilation system following complaints of sexual and medical problems by workers. Ministry spokesman Andy Paul said Wyeth Ltd. was sent a report Wednesday ordering improvements in its tablet press area. where birth--control pills are made He said the ventilation problems are not major and are easy to remedy. The investigation. prompted by com' plaints from a male worker who developed enlarged breasts and two female workers who reported irregular menstrual periods. continues. Paul said the ministry believes the women's problems are not related to their work at Wyeth. A company spokesman said Thursday the company had not received the report Halifax firemen out HALIFAX iCPl -- This city's 271 firemen went on strike today, the first firefighters walkout in the midyear history of Halifax. Off'duty firemen who packed the local fighters club applauded. pulled out picket signs and went to man the picket lines as Greg Smith. president of international Fire Fighters Association local 268. declared the strike was on. Smith reiterated that the firemen w ill not fight any fire. even a major outbreak. during the strike. "Thereis no point in our withholding our services and then telling the public we will fight a fire." he said in answer to a reporter's question. "We will not respond to any fire fighting situation " Airfare boost asked MONTREAL lt'Pt 7 Air Canada has applied for permission to raise domesiic fares effective Oct. 1, the airline announced Thursday V Blaming rising fuel and operating costs for its decision. Air Canada said it has asked the Canadian transport commission for the right to increase fares by ap» proximately 2*: per cent on long-haul flights and 5' ; per cent on shorter trips In its submission to the commission, the national airline said rising fuel prices will drive its operating costs up by site million over its forecast figure for 1979 The fare increases are expected to generate an addi- tional $6 4 million this year. it said Come home to The Examiner. can 7'26-6537 for ma delivery. inside story Verdict sparks demonstration Mrs. Margaret Warren, mother of Cornell Warren, 20, who was shot and killed by a Philadelphia police officer while handcuffed last Sept. 23, screams at cameras as her daughter shakes a fist after a jury returned ac- quittal verdict in trial of officer Thomas S. Bowe, Jr., Thursday. Bowe had testified the shooting was an accident when his gun went off during a strug. 'And all that jazz' Al Mote has good news for young jazz- oriented musicians in the Barrie area -- he's organizing the first Georgian Bay Stage Band Festival to be held next March. Mote. a jazz trumpeter and leader of the Barrie Stage Band. says the festival will help promote and develop stage bands in Simcoe County and points further north. See story on today's Entertainment page. Residents concerned Penetang-Midland Coach Lines wants to build a bus garage on Seaforth Avenue, but local residents are concerned about traffic and noise problems that could result. For story, see the Today page. index today 7 lifestyle 6 entertainment 8, 9 sports ' 10 comics-tv guide 12 classified 14-18 L a an « was»; we -utdw Cost rate lower OTTAWA ICPI -- The cost of living rose last month at an annual rate of 8.1 per cent, the lowest 12-month inflation rate since December. 1979. iovernment figures released today show- ed the annual inflation rate for July dropped from the June figure of 8.9 per cent in spite of a sharp increase in food prices and traiismrtation costs. Happy suspect? This young man, seen being led in- to the FBI office in Miami, Fla, allegedly tried to hijack an Eastern Airlines plane bound for Miami from Guatemala to land in Cuba. He identified himself as Allah Roland Kagan of Holyoke. Mass. to the FBI and was charged with air piracy. Further details of the hijack are not yet fully known. (AP Laser- photo' vveather Mostly cloudy today Showers by evening Cloudy Saturday with a few showers Highs both days 2i to 23. Lows tonight lOto i3 Public opinion 'the problem' By DENNIS LANTHIER Of The Examiner The Canadian post office is running at a 95 per cent proficiency rate, says A] Secor, co- ordinator of priority services for the Ontario postal region. Secor, in Barrie Thursday for a Rotary Club of Barrie meeting, told The Examiner more than 30,000 pieces of mail have been put in the system across the country for testing. Results of those tests show the 95 per cent proficiency, said Secor. Proficiency is judged by how long a letter takes to get from one point to another. The standard norm is two days for across--country mail, said Secor. Mail sent from Barrie to Simcoe County points should take a day to arrive, said the former Barrie postmaster. Mail sent to 115th year -- No. 1 94 -- Friday, August 1 7, 1 979 the examiner w§ervin9 berrieqndsimcoe scanty Toronto from Barrie should take two days, and mail sent to Vancouver from here should also take a con le of days he said. There is real y no problems with mail f low. but there are problems with how the public perceives the service, he said. DELIVERED ON SCHEDULE If the public would look at mail received over a 10-day period it would see most of the mail was being delivered on schedule. he said. "It's usually an important piece of mail, such as a personal cheque, which has taken longer than usual to arrive that people remember, Secor said. One small mistake. however. can create a diversion in mail service, he said. One letter can be a "needle in a haystack" in a standard bag of 2,000 pieces of mail. he 1 5° Per Copy . PC 'running at 95% proficiency rate said. All a clerk has to do is put a wrong label on it. and all the mail can end up in the wrong city, said Secor. Few problems are being encountered with persons using the postal code system, Secor said. Across the country, 75 per cent of mail has postal code on it, enough to make the system work, he said. During his address. Secor said the past few 'ears had not been an easy period for anyone. ecause of Post Office Act restrictions. the post office is not permitted to do anything "lucrative," he said. An example is the inability of the post of- fice to negotiate special rates for large scale customers, he said. V Conflicts arise because post offices respon- sibilities are divided among different depart- ments. he said. Staff, PM POY respeds ' Carrier Home Delivery 95° Weekly I . blc works department is responsible for facilities, and the public services commis- sion takes care of em loyees. he said. Despite these problems, three major labor contracts were negotiated this year without interruption of service, he said. A new postal service is telepost, where messages can be tel~exed anywhere in Canada, he said. Next day delivery service is guaranteed for any message received before 8 pm. he said. Mailing of letters is still a good bargain for Canadians, Secor said. The average Cana- dian only has to work a minute to afford the price of a first class stamp, he said. Residents in Australia would have to work three minutes and 15 seconds for such a stamp. while those in France would need to work two minutes and 50 seconds. ~. :i- «gs my as Dief lies in state OTTAWA (CP) -- Prime Minister Joe Clark bowed his head and said a prayer today over the body of John Diefenbaker, who died Thursday. Clark and his wife Maureen McTeer stood in front of Diefenbaker's open casket, lying in state in the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings. for a couple of minutes before moving away and expressing their con- dolences to Diefenbaker's step-daughter Carolyn Weir and her family. The prime minister was preceded by Gov.- Gen. Ed Schreyer. the Queen's represen- tative in Canada, and Mrs. Schreyer. As the official mourning began, armed forces representatives set up a guard of honor around the casket. But before the official state ceremony began today, House of Commons janitors and security guards -- the common people -- paid their final respects. Security guards saluted and janitors filed past. The Commons staff members had come to know Diefenbaker well over his 40 years in Parliament. Mrs. Weir, the daughter of Diefenbaker's second wife Olive, arrived at 9 am. EDT with her husband and children for the first official visit to the casket of Diefenbaker, who was Progressive Conservative prime minister between 1957 and 1963. He died of a heart at tack at the age of 83, still holding some parliamentary papers he had been working on. Diefenbaker made the extensive prepara- tions for his own funeral. He will lie in state in the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings until Sunday afternoon, when there will be a funeral service at Ottawa's Christ Church Cathedral. Then, a special train provided by Via Rail will take the political warrior to Saskatoon with whistle stops at Capreol. Ont., Winnipeg and Prince Albert, Sask. The entrance to the Commons was draped in black and the crowd gathered outside. Members of Parliament elected in the May 22 election, which saw Clark form the first Con- servative government since the Diefenbaker era. waited their turn to pay respects to the grand old man, were escorted to the casket by Commons Speaker James Jerome and Senate Speaker Renaude Lapointe. In the tributes from old friends and foes, Diefenbaker was praised as a man with a sommon touch and a great concern for Cana- ians. Man killed in 400 crash A 69~year-old Ohio man was killed early to day after the car in which he was a passenger went out of control on Highway 400 about 16 km south of Barrie and skidded backwards into a guard rail. Dead is James Hessin of Cleveland. The driver. leyearold David Scott Dickerhoff and another passenger.