Alberni Valley Times from Alberni, British Columbia, Canada • 27

13 HOME OF BUDDHA SPECTRUM nation "Now you see WFP aid so important here. Hind 'aid. There are four WFP pro-lect- in operation Nepal All of them include commodities contributed by Canada Four have been completed and two more are "in the pipeline The 10 have a total value of some S6 million, plus the Nepali government coun- i-rp. r' con' nr-u-ion hich i ai-es 'he total con-idi The resources available to WFP since its inception 1963 stood at S753 007.734 as of February. 1972 Canada, an original supporter of the idea of using food, usually but not always surplus commodities, is 'h second 1 contributor WFP fer Unr-rd States C.

n. d. c- n'h pledged S34 million for the 1973-74 biennium an increase of S4 million over its pledge for 1971-72 an exotic uses food as investment for development But Nepal is "real." all right. You have only to visit the country to see that. For you will find as much misery as mystery, as much squalor as splendor.

Nepal mav sound like Paradise Lost to the tourist. but to its li million citizens it is a different matter. "Nepal, unfortunately, is one of the poorest nations on earth. Hind continued "The government has done a great deal over the past years. But a staggering amount remains to be done." The national literacy rate is eight per cent.

Per capita income is among the lowest in' the world. As consumption of animal protein is below 10 grams per person a day. malnutrition is rife. Over the most rugged terrain in the orld, there run just 400 miles of roads. The sole railway stretches a mere 29 miles.

YOUNG ACTRESS Cindy Williams got lost in a TV series role in The Funny Side. She feels her luck is better with the movie part of Toolie in Graham Greene's "Travels With Iv Aunt. Nepal KATMANDU (CP) In popular imagination there are few nations more exotic than Nepal. The the world's mightiest mountain chain and rumored home of the Abominable Snowman, cover 65 per cent of the country's 54.362 square miles. No less than 23 peaks, capped by Mount Everest.

the world highest mountain. soar above 23,000 feet. Along the border with Tibet there is a high pass called Changri-La that may have inspired James Hilton to write his famous novel. Lost Horizon. It was in Nepal that 26 centuries ago the Hindu prince Siddhatta Gottama was born, sought an answer to human 'lilfering.

attained enllght-menl. and became the Buddha. Thus, though it is today the world's only officially Hindu kingdom. Nepal gave the world one of its great religions. Both the pagoda and the stupa, the rounded-dome Buddhist shrine usually adorned with the painted all-seeing eyes of Lord Buddha came from this remote mountain kingdom.

Nepal is also the home of the Gurkhas, the renowned hillmen-soldiers whose curved kukri knives, crack marksmanship. courage, and devotion to duty are as much a reassuring comfort to their allies as a source of terror to their enemies. About 500.000 Gurkhas have served in the British and Indian armies. They have won more decorations. including 26 Victoria Crosses, than any troops on earth.

And then there is the capital city. Katmandu. For generations. the name has flashed mental images of mystery and splendor. The Katmandu Valley is the most populated and richest area of the country.

Within its 230 square miles the valley boats 2.733 Hindu and Buddhist shrines and temples. "To outsiders Nepal is more a vision than a country, more of a romance than a reality." said Peter Hind, the officer in charge of the World ood Program (WFP) for Nepal, a joint effort of the United Nations and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, that dear to a Iride heart i COMMUNITY COMMENTARY Good taste needn't be -e Or Invtaton re proves ins cs ebs'e pope's, type aces cmd v. D-io-c'-s'-b vc. cc.c i- feaures T-e-'T'o-E'-g-cv -a -asec -g eeac- gi me fines' c-Gsnc-s- a cos ng sc Co-e see our unusua1 seect-o" One to two weehs delivery I Alberni Valley Times Phone 723-8171 310 Napier Sf. Por A berm Pollution seems to be a popular subject these days.

Not too long ago we set a week aside as environment week. More recently, I understand, the local TV program dealt with local pollution problems. A few weeks ago. The Times carried pictures of garbage dumped along the roadways. No one would argue with the need for reasonable pollution control, but reasonable means many things to many people.

As Canadians and British Columbians, we could probably agree that anything less than almost perfect protection against oil pollution of the coastline is reasonable. As members of the world community we might agree that we need greater control of the possibility of radiation pollution. As Port Albernians, we probably often feel that present control of air pollution by industry is not yet to the point we would call reasonable control. Fisherman and boaters feel the same way, at times, about water pollution. Residents of both sides of Roger Creek object to the pollution created by the garbage dump, and residents near the proposed landfill site are not anxious to see this project go forw ard.

Many of us are not happy about the landscape pollution, particularly in the areas of schools and commercial activity. We don't like to see broken bottles and litter on the streets near our homes, or tossed on our lawns and gardens. There is one common denominator of all these objections we just don't like pollution in any form if it is caused by someone else. So who causes pollution? Everybody can't be the other fellow. Someone dropped that cigarette package, bag.

candy rapper or pop tot tie. if each of us. as individuals, is so concerned about pollution, we must first examine our own activities. When we can honestly say that we do not pollute the air. through smoking, car exhaust, nor the land, by improper disposal of cartons, bottles, nor the water by various means, then we can feel justified in saying to the Harbour Board "Clean up the harbour and keep it clean" to industry "Clean up your pollution problems" to the city "Clean up the sand left on the street last winter for snow removal" to the petroleum industry "Safeguard our env ironmont by removal of the risk of oil pollution on our shores and to our neighbours, and their dogs "For goodness sake.

I am trying to keep my place clean, so please help me." It seems that we are all interested in pollution But only the pollution caused by others. If the work of school students during environment week meant only cleaning up the mess created previously, it was a failure. If the producers of the TV program contribute to pollution in any way. are they being hypocritical0 If the Times reporter smokes or contributes to landscape pollution, how seriously do we take his message? Certainly. I am not pure, but I hope I realize that environmental control begins with me.

and I hope you will begin to realize the Thunderbird Swimming Pools Comes to Port Alberni By Roger Boiler) FUNNY BUSINESS AVAILABLE IN: 14' 28' S3, 595. 00 installed 18' 36' installed 16' 32' S3, 695 00 installed 20' 40' installed. ALBERNI VALLEY INTRODUCTORY OFFER Installation of FREE DIVING BOARD on first 5 Pools Sold For More Information Call: Paul Kempling at Tyee Village Motet, Unit 29. Phone 723-8133. V..