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(No one can be sure of our economic future, \but Peat Marwick isn‘t about to hide from it The annual fundâ€"raising event started in 1977, raising $1,600. The Bus "Push" is actually more of a ""pull" â€" student engineers, profesâ€" sors, and local celebrities pull a Kitchener Transit bus from the University of Waterloo to the Kitchener Farmer‘s Market. Waâ€" terloo Mayor Marjorie Carroll and University Viceâ€"President Tom Brzustowski are pulling with the engineers, along with other comâ€" munity figures. The engineers collect pledges and contributions from the Kitchâ€" enerâ€"Waterloo community, which amounted to $3,600 last year. The 1983 Peat Marwick Survey of Economic Expectations pools the information and documents in consensus format the results of the survey of 25 leading institutions in an attempt to accurately gauge this country‘s economic future. The goal for Bus Push 1983 is $5,000 said Chris Carter, chairman of the Bus Push Organizing Comâ€" mittee. He feels the goal will be easily surpassed, given the initiaâ€" tive shown by the engineers so far in the Bus Push pledge campaign. Practically synonymous in Waâ€" terloo with the coming of spring is that crazy UW Engineer ritual â€" the Bus Push for Big Sisters, and it is happening again Saturday. just as it has for the last five years. It is viewed by some as a wild and crazy idea â€" but it is certainly worth it, over the long haul. Sorting it out Their machines may not exactly be built for BMX racing, but the tricycles presented to Kâ€"W and Area Big Sisters by University of Waterloo Engineering Society B will be cherished by the Little Sisters who receive them, says Cathy Williams (top left), Big Sisters fundâ€"raising coâ€"ordinaâ€" tor. On hand to present the trikes were front (Iâ€"r) James Etienne, Liz Fritsch (Soc B secretary and herself a Big Sister), Brian Kenmir and top right, Eng Soc B viceâ€"presiâ€" dent Chris Carter. Eng Soc B will continue in their support of the Big Sisters organization this weekend with the Bus Push leaving from the campus at 10:15 @.M. Rick campbell photo Bus Push set for Saturday The Big Sisters of Kitchenerâ€"Waâ€" terloo and Area is the largest Big Sister agency in Ontario, assisting girls five to 16 who are experiencâ€" ing emotional difficulty from probâ€" lems in the home or family. The agency matches each girl with a carefully screened and trained mature female volunteer. Starting time is 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 19 at the Univerâ€" sity of Waterloo. The Bus Push is scheduled to end at the Farmer‘s Market at approximately noon. Two stops are planned: the first at Waterloo Square and the second at the MacDonald‘s Restaurant on King Street in Kitchener for reâ€" freshments. The official Mascot of the Engiâ€" neering Society, The Ridgid Tool, will lead the parade â€" THE TOOL is a chromeâ€"plated 60â€"inch heavy duty pipe wrench. CHYM‘s radio van will be accompanying the procession, along with the publiciâ€" ty van from Carling O‘Keefe. Rumour has it that Lady Godiva the goddess of all engineers â€" will be riding her iron horse, a Ford Modelâ€"T . Anyone wishing copies of the 1983 Peat Marwick Survey of Economic Expectations may obtain one by dropping by or calling their office at Allen Square at 745â€"1500. Participants in the survey also feel the Dow Jones Industrial Average will show a significant upward trend through the projection period. Of more immediate concern, investor confidence should swell with the anticipation that the total return on the Toronto Stock Exchange 300 index will be about 15 per cent this year. An indication that the economy will be slow in getting back to its feet however, is witnessed in the personal disposable income area, which over the next 20 years, is expected to grow about two per cent more rapidly than the rate of inflaâ€" tion. But if that‘s not money in the bank, at least it is wisdom. **People have been taking such a terrible bath in terms of profit the last couple of years, there‘s been a lot of treeâ€"trimming, cutting expenses, cutting staff â€" moves that are necessary for survival," said McCauley. "The increase in profit (as a result) has to be there. Even though the dollar amounts may not be large, or even acceptable, the turnaround is there." The light at the end of the tunnel appears to be in corporate afterâ€"tax profits, which are expectâ€" ed to grow by more than 17 per cent this year and are likely to outperform Gross National Product figures during the.remainder of the deâ€" cade. From 1984â€"2000, the gloom lessens somewhat. The predicted growth rate of the economy is likely to stay at about three per cent annually, while productivity is expected to increase by only one per cent, and unemployment should drop but remain well above levels considered attainable in the 1960‘s, at an average of seven per cent. Inflation is expected to settle down at around six per cent a year over the longer term. Although certain parameters, such as average total unemployment rate, were somewhat difâ€" fering in actual result weighed against Peat Marwick‘s 1982 survey, trends were realized to a significant extent. For those craving insight into the immediate future, included among the findings for 1983 are that Canadians can expect a lower rate of inflation of about 8.5%, slow economic growth at about two per cent in real terms, and continued high unemployment at about 12 per cent. The survey, printed in factual, inâ€"depth tabular and bar graph form, was initially printed in 1982 as a response, as McCauley indicated, to chaotic fluctuations in both the Canadian and world economic markets. They recently released their second annual financial survey The 1983 Peat Marwick Survey of Economic Expectations, designed to be of assistance to individuals involved in investment management and economic planning over both long and short term. As many as 25 participants, including charâ€" tered banks, trust companies, insurance compaâ€" nies, investment managers and other consulâ€" tants contributed to the 22â€"parameter survey, establishing it as a qualitative extension of the "two heads are better than one" theory intended by its creators. "It (survey) is something our clients seem to require, particularly our business clients as opposed to our individual tax clients," said Tom McCauley, managing general partner of Peat Marwick‘s Allen Square branch office. "It‘s a good thing to have in making decisions, in that it gives some guidance, you often hear reports of the Royal Bank saying this, another bank saying that, well here‘s what 25 (institutions) have to say. Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co. is a Canaâ€" dianâ€"owned partnership providing accounting, auditing, tax and management consulting serâ€" vices through 24 offices across Canada, includâ€" ing one at Allen Square here in Waterloo. That explains why the survey is broken down into three time frames, the year 1983, 1984â€"89 and 1990â€"2000. At least one company though has taken steps to bring all the data of many of these reputable institutions under one roof â€" for their own benefit as well as Joe Citizen‘s. One minute, our economy is written off, doomed to total disaster. Next headline we read, it is darkness before the dawn. And then the dawn is upon ... While statements of this nature are generally wellâ€"intentioned, individually they do little to bring order to the financial chaos of these early 1980‘s. Rick Campbell Chronicle Staff Ever noticed that, like so much dust in the wind, the economic future of Canadians is incessantly bandied about, a plaything for institutions to shape to their whim and fancy? mmediate r 1983 are r rate of growth at continued ‘nt. omewhat. WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY Last year taxes for municipal services in Waterloo jumped 14.6 per cent. Monday the finance advisory committee heard grant requests from 14 volunteer organizations which asked for a total of $96,835. In 1982 the city approved grants to nonâ€"profit groups totalling just more than Transit costs are expected: to jump to $1,237,900, up 18.19 per cent from 1982 and as much as $107,000 will be spent this year on industrial and civic development, as comâ€" pared to $44,576 last year. Projects being considered this year by the city include the $2.5 million community services and public work facility in the Dearborn industrial area, and the extension of services to the Northland industrial area at a cost of almost $500,000. Waterloo‘s share of the ‘83 tax bill will be approximately 24 per cent. The region of Waterloo last week approved a budget which would produce a 10.5 per cent increase in the region‘s tax levy. Elementary and secondary school budgets have not yet been set by Waterloo County‘s school boards. Projected expenditures outlined in the preliminary report will be reviewed by the city‘s finance committee April 5 in an attempt to cut city spending and reduce the tax inâ€" crease. The preliminary budget released late last week calls for city expenditures totalling $15.3 million that would produce a 9.32 per cent increase in taxes for municipal purposes. This translates to a rise of about $21 for a home assessed at $60,000. Chronicle Staff It appears Waterloo taxpayers won‘t be getting any breaks with their 1983 tax bills. Erb wins OYC award Erb will be honored by Jaycees at a banquet Monday, March 21 at Waterloo In 1974, Erb, who is married with two sons, was named Wellesley citizen of the year in a vote of citizens at large in and around the community. When asked what he considered to be his biggest personal achievement, Erb pointed to helping his Little Brother Rudy "through many crisis in the past 10 years." Inn. Erb, a partner in the Edward Good Funeral Home in addition to his position on council, was born and raised in Wellesley and currently resides at 158 Belmont St. in Waterloo. He graduated from the Canadian School of Embalming (University of Toronâ€" to) in 1968 and has been associated with the Good Funeral Home for the past 14 years. In addition to his active association with Big Brothers for the past 10 years, Erb has been a member of Waterloo Lions and has topped the aldermanic polls in the two most recent municipal elections. Ald. Jim Erb, respected not only on city council but throughout the entire communiâ€" ty, has reaped an award for his tireless dedication by being named Waterloo Jayâ€" cees 1982 Outstanding Young Citizen of the Year. Jim Erb Photo by Belair