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4 NORSHORE SENTINEL Thursday, April 20, 1961 KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION HAS CANADIAN FLAVOR A complaint often heard in Canada when the talk gets around to friction with the United States is that Americans either don’t understand us or don’t care. This sort of remark is most often aimed at the executive and legislative branches of government in Washington. The feeling has been that, for the most part, they know relatively little about Canada and, in any case, are so wrapped up in their own problems that they pay little attention to problems involving relations with their friendly neighbor to the north. These problems haven’t been solved, by any means. Canadians are still concerned about U.S. projects to dispose of farm surpluses. Some doubts have been raised about the usefulness of Canada’s continuing participation in North American Air Defence. There is a feeling that we’re not getting a fair shake on defence contracts and government officials are having a tough time convincing the Americans to buy Canadian made aircraft. But there seems to be. a sign of hope that, if ignorance is at the root of past friction between the two countries, it will cease to be a major contributing factor. For one thing, in sending Livingston Merchant to Ottawa as ambassador, the administration of John F. Kennedy has picked one of its best diplomats and a man who knows Canada intimately, having travelled to every part of the country. Another reason for hope is that the Kennedy administration has a sprinkling of Canada represented in it. It's true that most of the members who were born or lived in Canada haven’t been residents of this country for years. But they should at least be aware of our existence. John Kenneth Galbraith a Kennedy brain-truster who has been appointed ambassador to India, is a native of Iona Station, Ont., with relatives in many parts of Canada. White House aides Frank D. Reeves and Claude J. Desautels and U.S. Treasurer Mrs. Elizabeth Rudel were born in Montreal. Pierre Salinger, Kennedy’s press secretary, lived in Toronto as a youngster, and Brig.-Gen. Chester V. Clifton Jr,, a military aide, was born in Edmonton. Clifton will probably accompany Kennedy when he visits Ottawa in June for talks with Prime Minister Diefenbaker which many hope will contribute to generally improved relations between the two nations. LACOMBE GOOD HOSTS Two titles were won over the weekend in the tiny western community of Lacombe. The new western intermediate hockey champions, Lacombe Rockets won their title with a hard-fought but evidently well-deserved victory over our own Terrace Bay Superiors, champions of the north Shore. The second title was evidently just as ’hard-earned' and just as deserving. It must go to the good townspeople of Lacombe as the most hospitable in the friendly West. The Terrace Bay team arrived home this week full of praise for the tremendous reception they were accorded in the tiny community, a never-ending reception that went from a giant welcome at the train by half the town; to dinners; to trips to Banff; to welcome signs on all the store windows of the town. Surely a town could not create better publicity for itself than this sincere effort to make a stranger feel at home. It oozes of the down-to-earth friendliness that is lost in a big metropolis and even in so many small communities today. As an example, would your town have done as much? Would you have taken part in helping welcome strangers in your midst? If not, is Lacombe wrong or are you? It’s something to ponder over. Terrace Bay Superiors meanwhile deserve high credit for their showing in Lacombe both on and off the ice. They were true goodwill ambassadors for Terrace Bay and the North Shore and won the hearts and even the support of many Lacombe fans by their plucky spirit and honest effort. WATCH THOSE FIRES The first forest fire of the season has been reported already, it. occurred near Terrace Bay two weeks ago, a grim reminder that the danger season is upon us. The warm, bright windy weather of late has served to dry out most of the surface ’fuel’ to a point where it will ignite readily and spread rapidly. The burning index is becoming critical and extreme care with the use of fire is necessary on the part of everyone. Many of the serious fires at this time of year are grass fires that have burned out of control. Many times they have been started by children. Just as often, an adult was responsible. The same adults should set the examply, by such things as burning at night when the wind has died down and the cooler air makes the fire easier to control. Few do. Readers are reminded that it is illegal to set a fire in the forest or iti the country for any purpose whatsoever without first securing a burning permit. Persons convicted under the Forest Fire Prevention Act face heavy penalty. Such permits can be obtained by contacting your local township Fire Warden who has been appointed by your local council for general fire control work. For those living outside a municipality, in some instances, local residents have been appointed as fire wardens for your convenience or you can contact your local Forest Ranger or nearest Department of Lands and Forests chief Headquarters. Let us all resolve to make this a ’green’ summer. Use common sense and preserve our forests. HORSHORE SENTINEL The Norshore Sentinel is printed and published every Wednesday in Nipigon. The Sentinel Office is located on 3rd St., in Nipigon,, box 279, phone 360. Authorized as second class mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa. Charles D. McOuat, editor and publisher. Donald F. McOuat, advertising manager. THE WEEK AT OTTAWA CANADA'S RAILROADS BEHIND THE REPORT S06DESTS TAPERING SODS Specially Written for The Norshore Sentinel By ALEX MORIN * Canadian Press Staff Writer OTTAWA, April (CP) - Last week, while Russia’s space-bounding astronaut made history, earth-bound Canadians were taking a close look at one of their traditional means of transportation -trains. And after 23 months of study and 141 submissions that amounted to 22,666 pages of official transcript, the MacPherson Royal Commission reported that Canada’s, major railways were behind the times. The main symptom was enormous annual losses in operating expenses. These would continue to drain the public pocket book, said the commission, because of antiquated laws and regulations that were put in effect when rails were an essential link in preserving national unity and the only line of supply between far-flung areas., Under this governmental wing, the railways had become rigid institutions that lived in a vacuum oblivious to the advent of cars, trucks, planes and pipelines. STATUS QUO Yet despite what the annual deficit figures showed, the railways maintained the same physical plant while business was taken over by other services and operating costs went up. The six-man commission’s answer was to put the CNR and CPR into perspective, withdraw government restrictions and let the railways become a flexible, businesslike operation. Since the transformation couldn’t come overnight, the commission recommended it be induced with an extra transfusion of funds that will taper off as the plan progresses. The initial subsidy for this year would be $97,300,000â€"about $5,000,000 less than ft costs the two railways, to operate for a month. SUGGESTED ALLOTMENTS To adjust prices and services to the new competitive framework the following allotments would be made. 1. $62,01)0,000 in 1961 for upkeep of unprofitable passenger services. This would shrink to $12,400,000 over the next five years and be accompanied by a swift cut in passenger trains that don’t pay their way. 2. $13,000,000 a year for 15 years for main-training uneconomical branch lines while the industries and" communities along these lines prepare for their -adandonment. 3. $22,300,000 a year to cover railway out-of-pocket losses and contribute to overhead costs on the shipment of Western Canada's export grain traffic. 4. Statutory free transportation granted to MPs, senators and certain other public officials would be paid out of federal funds in the neighborhood of $3,000,000. Linked with the subsidies on unprofitable passenger and branchline service was a commission recommendation that present laws be changed to give the railways greater freedom to abandon any lines that are unnecessary. When Prime Minister Diefenbaker tabled the 93-page report in the commons, the opposition tried unsuccessfully to find out whether the government intends to follow the recommendations. CCF leader Hazen Argue said Saturday the report vindicated his party's view that the CPR and CNR should be amalgamated under public ownership. He said the CCF would campaign during the present sea lie ownership of the CPR. STRIKE SCHEDULED Although the report does not mention .the strike scheduled for May 16, its recommendations would put the railways in a position where the raises asked by the 111,000 non-operating railwaymen last year would now become The strike was postponed by the government last Dec. 3 after the unions refused “to accept the companies’ lack of funds as a reason for denying the increases. One good reason for the prime minister to make sure there is no mid-May strike is the effect a nation-wide rail tieup would have on the four byelections he has calleo The ridings involved are: Esquimalt-Saanich on Vancouver Island; Leeds, on the Ontario shore of the St. Lawrence; "Restigouche-Madawaska,. in northern New Brunswick; and Kings in Prince Edward Island. The by-elections will be ring stick for what the government might expect in a general, Election. Since all four ridings were previously, Conservative, a loss in all four would probably mean postponement of a general election for as soon as possible in order to let the party forces regroup strength. MACMILLAN VISIT Prime Minister Macmillan of Britain got the week off to a flying start with heavy rounds of talks and social engagements He and Lady Dorothy were guests of Governor-General Vanier at Goven One of the British prime minister's main points of discussion with Mr. Diefenbaker concerned trade relations. Mr. Macmillan was emphatic in saying that a British wing toward European trade groups would not be allowed to interfere with commonwealth trade preference'. Rather, it would be arranged so Canada could benefit from any new arrangement in equal measure with its commonwealth partner. CROP INSURANCE In the Commons, the government's clop insurance program launched two years ago was described by CCF leader Hazen Argue as a ’’half- baked flop.” Mr. Argue said during the 10th day of debate on the agriculture department estimates that the program is of "very little value” and would have to be overhauled before being of any use for farmers in high-risk areas of western Canada. There are some 235,000 farmers with wheat board permits, said Mr. Argue, but fewer than 3,000 are taking part in the plan. Agriculture minister Hamilton, whose 1961-62 estimates of $172,181,953 were passed, said every province would take advantage of the plan by the end of the decade.