PAGI -Spellings like "table*" have long bothered me. Why not write"tabei" or "1,and their plurals in "S.t he same applied to words ike apple, single, baffle. And why flot there, spellings: leavs, twelvs, news?' Much confusion exssre- the following: Since the slurred suffixes "ý-ant,--ance,-ancy" are pronounced like "-ent,-- ence,-ency"$, let us from now on' choose the latter spellings, which the-' De- partment of Education (but flot most teachers)- many years ago at ieast parialyif not wholely, -Dffln--Mike. Our thanks to your paper and staff for the coverage of the recent visit of J.C.l. World Vice- President, Eugenc Lee to the Canada Jaycees, and specificajly tci the Wbitby layces Your presence addcd to the'warm liospi- tality shown, and your The, affix "-ize" (Greek) is more common, chiefly in longer -words, th an those In 6"-ise" (French) The latter is* used, e.g., with verb stems ini "-vise, -mise, -prise,-vWse-guise, -vertîse. 'think, of suit- able "refixes. Tho I like etyrnology, I'd weed out English i-s dynamic, flot static, Its speiling depends mainly on general, public opinion. Why continue to be slaves',to man-made traditi ons? John lKnott 17 Quebec Street Osbawa,,Ont. to share Eugene Lee's visit with the Community. We appreciate you con- tinued support of -the Whitby Jaycees. Yours sincerely R:Multiculturalism When you look at Canada from coast to coast you look at Canadiansyou find- that they corne from ail backgrounds. A third of our people corne from backgrounds other titan Englisit or French. It is-.fundamental if we are to have a unified nation that we recognize this cultural diversity wîth- in Canada and we make sure that ail Canadians regardless of their language, regartlless of their history, their traditions, their values, feel equal1ý at home among their fellow Canadians. Ini our history, many of these people have conitributed equally to the building of titis nation. They may flot al have been treated with equal respect in the past, but they wili be in the future. In 1971 the Prime Mnister enunciated ini the House of Commons a formalgoverniment policycalled 'Muiticulturalism. It is an awareness by the Government that we are more than just a bilmngual country with two of- ficiai languages, English and French. Rhat policy arises frorn the realîty of our traditions,fromn our history, from our constitution and from the iaws of the land. But there is another dimension to Canada which is equally important and that is that while we are a bilingual country, we are not a bicuiturai country - we are a multicultural country. When someone cornes to Canada to maki-ttis their home they have corne to a land that is not oniy free, but to a land where they are perfectly entitled and indeed encouraged to retamn their cultural background. The new immigrants strive to become Canadians, but there is still room ini Canada for thc retention and preservation of ahl cultures of the worid, The intermix of those cultures, one with another, is very valuable on an individual and collective basis to the nation as a whole. The objcct of my role in the Govemnment of Canada as Minister of Multculturaiisrn is very simple: to sec that the intcrets of ail Canadians of etimocultural background are reflected iL .11Uichepolicies of the Govemnment.. Thtis applies cquallY to the areas of citizenship, immigra- tion, humnan riahts. oqucaionathrouith Ext=ral Affairs. '* Canadians who are flot from either Engiish or French back- grounds, it is my job to be their voice, in th@ Government of Canada. We in this countrycan be unified in our divers ity through understanding, appreciatiùn andi mutuai respect. If we can- flot do that in Canada, with ail of oui languages and cultures, flot oniy'wll this country be a failure but the whoie worid wili be one as well. With ail our inguistic, cultural and racial differences, this às fot oniy a challenge for Canada, it is a challenge throughout the worid. We have an opportu- nityto* set an example; to prove to ourselves and to the worid that those great principies of freedom and equaiity and respect are more titan just words, and that we in fact can put them into practice. Thiat is what Multicuituralism is ail about. Letters to the Editor I..,. e Box 206 Whtby 4, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15,1978, WHITBY FREE PRESS whi-tby Voice of. the Cou nty' Town, Michael lan Jaycee.s,.thank Free Press, for. coverage 1Of vice-mpresiden t's recent visit,