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I am being neither cynical or sarcastic when I applaud Premier Davis of Ontario's suggestion of May as Family Month. If they can designate weeks to eat fish, take a chicken to lunch, give blood or be fit, then a month seems not too long to devote to the cause Of the family. Some family activities have been suggested which fit around the suggested Family Month slogan - "Rediscover each other". Picnics and barbecues and family reunions sound like sensible suggestions. It has also been men- tioned that families should write their family history and pack it, with photographs and typical children's toys in a box which would then be buried or hidden in a safe place. Our mother's basements have yielded lots of family memorabilia - pictures and letters and old Teddy Bears. Now they're all buried in Our basement. Who will retrieve them from the vault? Will any of the four kids care? After May, they might. Families have changed. Now it's cool to have 1.3 kids per family. (When I see that stat, I squirm. Is there somewhere a poor woman, perpetually one-third gravid to whom people keep saying, '"My gosh. Are YOU still Bill Smiley Some people grow benevolent and kindly as they get older. I just get more violent. I hope I turn out to be an Angry Old Man. And I know I will, if I can just hang on long enough to get old. It's a world to turn anyone, even a gentle, sweet chap like myself, a bit savage. Don't think that I'm just getting crotchety. I've been crotchety for years. You hear people going around all over Canada saying, "My, isn't that Smiley crotchety?" And others replying; "Yes, crotchety is the word. If there's a word for it, it's crotchety." Mind you, I love the world around me, and up to half a dozen people, and I laugh like a mental case at some Of the things I see. But there is a limit to the amount of garbage I can stand being thrown in my face day after day in the year 1984 A.D. That makes me just like the Prime Minister. For instance. We have so much surplus wheat that we have a national hernia, trying to lift it from here to there. Politicians go around?") We were married in the days of beehive hairdos and Kennedys in the White House. Families were bigger then. Four was the statistical average, and we, being exactly average, had exactly that many. We were in good company. Hamstrung with small kids, single salaries and tem- permental appliances, we formed close friendships with others in the same boat. We'd get together on weekends--with kids or without -- and sing, cook and eat together, play cards Or just act silly. We were six couples. Amongst us were 23 children, six mortgages, a fleet of rusty station wagons and Volkswagens, five cats and two dogs. Our furniture was sturdy and washable, with a few precious pine antiques. None of the women worked outside the home although each Of us was university educated. But we'd all read Betty Friedan and Simone de Beauvoir and between diapers and blender applesauce, we allowed Ourselves to dream. We've moved away from the community where we spent those early days, but the Christmas card network keeps us posted. Today, two couples have celebrated silver In the family way wedding anniversaries. Two marriages ended in divorce. Two were devastated by death. One of the bereft married again, briefly and disastrously. The 23 kids are scattered in California. Florida, Washington D.C., England, France, Austria and Canada. They were raised in tough years. Remember when everything was peace and love and permissiveness? Remember when anyone Over thirty wasn't to be trusted? Remember when everybody under thirty was hairy, barefoot and chained to a guitar? The kids are all grown now, and most of them are well educated with straight teeth and kind hearts. They are whole decent kids - - the kind who phone home sometimes even if they don't need money; who sometimes remember birthdays and anniversaries; who plan surprise parties for each other, visit each other, love their grandparents and 0c- casiOnally put gas in the family car after they've used it On the weekend. Our Own four seem fond Of this loosely knit (but tight at the centre)bunch of bananas called the Whittingtons. They borrow money from each other out of trade clothes and in- sults, help each other out of jams (most of which I will never, thank God, know about) have terrible shouting matches and buy each Other breakfast at McDonald's. every so often. . I suspect the otner kids from the other. five families are the same-- iiterate, loving ; !ovely young people. But here's the funny thing. Out of the 23 sprogs mentioned earlier, Only two have married that I know about. They aren't big on kids either. As far as I know, not one of that Original bunch is a grandparent. That's Okay by me. I'm due to retire from parenting any day now. I don't need grand- parenting -- not yet. But I do intend to observe Family Month in May with great gusto. First we'll have a picnic, Or a barbecue. We'll rediscover One another, just like the slogan: says. We'll pull all the family stuff out of the basement -- the old letters and pictures and Teddy Bears -- and we'll pore Over them together. We will most assuredly celebrate our joy and good fortune in being part of a family. That's One thing about being in the family way. It can last for a lifetime. white trying to. Why don't we give it away? I don't mean the farmer. I mean Canada. Pay the going rate to people who are starving. Up go the taxes. So what? They gO up anyway. For instance. Our educational system caters to the mediocre, to mass-production of the mediocre, just like big industry. The in- tellectual elite among our kids are starved to death, that is, bored to death, and the kids who are below average are swept under the rug. This means Our schools are full of fat, lazy kids who are there only because they don't want to face the lean, cold world. I'd turf out on his or her tail, at 16, every kid who wasn't interested. And I'd let him back in, with generous help, when he became interested. For instance. Daily newspapers lie daily. Not downright lies. They merely slant, distort and color the "news," depending on their 'policy and politics. However, it's a free -cOuntry, and I guess they're free to lie. It's all garbage For instance. Television could be a tremendous force for spreading peace and love in the world. What it does is spread jam On cake, and viOlence On ignorance. With a few notable exceptions, it serves its patrons garbage in a fancy wrapper. Its entertainment does not entertain. Its news seeks Out the sensational or the silly. Its commercials are aimed at a world of morons. Do you really believe, for example, that a certain brand of beer is making Canada , famous throughout the world? Or that you can get clothes cleaner in cold water than in hot? Or that you'll nevet make it if your armpits sweat? And for all this obscenity the three big U.S. networks last year split over two billion dollars in profits. The CBC, which give us the same refuse, generally, came up with its usual deficit. This shows the superiority of Canadian television. Somehow. For instance. There are two laws. One for the rich and one for the rest of us. And any lawyer and anypOliceman knows it.If you're a dumb kid from Newfie, or an Indian who got drunk, you can rot in jail for a month or two before your case is even heard. If you're a middle-class doctor Or businessman, and you have the money and the right connections, you're home free and everything is hushed up. For instance. Poverty. Twenty million people living in One of the biggest countries in the world, with enormous natural resources. And millions living in sordid, squalid proverty. For instance. The Church. Again with a few notable exceptions, it does not face life. It wrings its hands, or washes them, Pilate- fashion. YOu don't see many preachers charging into a finance company and bran- dishing a whip these days, do you? For instance. This column is about gar- bage. And I just remembered this is garbage day and I forgot to put mine out, Travel news, views = by CAROL MERKLEY Adventure Tours has released its 1984 spring and summer brochure which features Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Packages are 14 days in duration, while an air only programme which Offers stays of from One to eight weeks is also available. The Spain programme is priced from $899 and features Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Torremolinos and Granada. Iberia is the carrier in the programme. A combination package, priced from $949 is available to Spain and Portugal and features Madrid, Avila, Salamanea, Coimbra, Lisbon, Algarve, Seville and Granada. Spain is also offered in combination with Morocco priced from $1,199. EURAILPASS CELEBRATES ITS 25TH The Eurailpass, which millions have used to see the continent economically, celebrates its 25th year in 1984. The Eurailpass Executive Committee has issued this year's brochure and prices have been held to 1983 levels. The silver brochure contains all vital in- formation in booklet form. Among the points covered are sample distances between cities and train running times, conditions of ticket use, a schematic map Of the integrated rail system, prices for the five Eurailpasses and two Eurail Youthpass tickets and a list of the advantages Of travelling with a Eurailpass. Eurailpasses are available for varying lengths of time from 15 days to three months. The 15-day pass costs U.S. $330. The one month Youthpass (for those under 26 years of age) costs U.S. $290. Eurailpasses are valid for unlimited mileage On 16 national railways. About 200,000 North American travellers purchased Eurailpasses last year. An adventure in Europe WALKING TOURS IN THE ALPS Two 10-day walking tours of Switzerland and Italy are being offered during the sum- mer Of 1984. Departures are available in May, September and October and itineraries feature the Swiss Italian Lakes and Interlaken to Engelberg. The Swiss Italian Lakes programme departs May 17 to 26 and October 4 to 13 (a September 20 to 29 departure is already sold Out) and features visits to Milan, Stresa, Luino, Lavena, Ponte Tresa, Lugano, Lanzo, Porlessa and Bellagio. On the other itinerary which departs Sept. 7 to 16 from Interlaken to Engelberg, there are visits to Zurich, Lucerne, Wengen, Kleine Scheideggm Grindewald, Crosse Scheidegg, Meiringen, Engstlenalp and Engelberg. Participants on these tours carry nothing with them during their daily walking ex- cursiOns except their lunches. Luggage is transported by van to the next hotel each day. Daily walks can be completed in three hours and tours are priced at $1,285 per person plus airfare. IRELAND PROGRAMME FROM SUNQUEST Sunquest has introduced a series of packages and ABC's to Ireland in 1984. Charter flights to Ireland will be offered from Toronto every weekend from May through October. Flights will be aboard Air Canada B-747's. One and two-week escorted coach tours of Ireland will be available. There will also be packages with unlimited bus and/or rail travel, throughout the country, with ac- commodation at private homes featuring full Irish breakfast daily. Driving holidays with pre-booked hotel accommodation, private homes (bed and breakfast) Or farm stays will also be available. Finally, car rental and hotel ac- commodation can be arranged through Sunquest. Toward a new class of owner-citizens by FRANK S. MILLER Ontario Minister ofIndusty and Trade way to Obtain real economic growth and stability is to share the In the continuing search for ways to improve the produc- tivity of Canadian in- dustry, I believe more cOmpanies should consider setting up employee stock Ownership or profit- sharing plans. In recent months I have spoken in favor of such programs before groups such as the Investment Dealers Association and I was delighted to see that Iseeit,they help create think like Owners, competing not with the have made an im- Finance Minister Mare a new class of Owner- there's a real im- companies halfway portant step towards Lalonde embraced the citizens. People who do provement in com- across town, but with changing the distine- idea in February's' more than simply work munication between manufacturers halfway tions between managers federal budget. for their company. labor,and management. round the world. HOw and workers, towards The proposed That's because they And that's a big plus, can we hope to succeed _ lessening internal strife registered employee haveareal stake inthe because one of the in the world market- that accomplishes profit-sharing plans future of the business, biggest problems placeif at home we are nothing. would allow companies to distribute profits as cash, stock or in any other way to employees. Both employer and employee will receive a tax credit. What's the advantage of employee _ stock Ownership and_profit- sharing plans? Well, as and share the same benefits and protection in good times and in bad. : Several research studies have found that companies with these plans are more productive and profitable. When' employees Canadian business and industry face today is a lack of any real part- nership and co- Operation between these two groups. And in the new global economy, this lack of common goals is a serious matter. After all, Our businesses are bogged down by Old- fashioned _confrontat- ional labour / mana- gement relations? Obviously employee profit participation plans aren't the magic cure-all for all Our economic ills. But the company which establishes One will I believe that the best benefits, the respon- sibilities and the risks Of Ownership with many more Of Our people. It's time to put our ideals about free enterprise to the test. HURONIA CALENDAR March 15 welcome. The Midland-Pene- March 10 tang Field Naturalists' Midland District Club meets 'in the Wye Marsh Centre at 7:30 p.m. Members share their interests and activities. Visitors are Singles Club Carribean Night dance, 8 p.m. in the Wyebridge Com- munity Centre. No jeans, 25 years or older. Wednesday, akon March 7, 1984, Page 5