Oregon daily emerald., January 15, 1963, Page Two, Image 2

Political Realities
Conservative Legislature, Fiscal Problems
Should Not Water Dow n Our Principles
Political realities, unpleasant as they are,
must at times be taken philosophically. It
is such a political reality that tuition at
state institutions of higher education in
Oregon is due for another increase, by at
least as much as the $25 per term Governor
Mark O. Hatfield has recommended.
The sorry aspect of the situation is that
the State Board of Higher Education, and
perhaps even the University's student lobby
group, will support the tuition increase.
The Oregon State Legislature, because
it includes representatives from those areas
that are not aware of or don't particularly
care about students at state schools, will
undoubtedly not see fit to increase the tax
burden of the people of this state just to
take some of the load off the student. They
claim there is not enough money to do so.
even if they wanted to.
The stand that is being taken by such
people as Arthur S. Flemming, members
of the State Board, and the students on the
lobbying committee, is that because the
Board has requested an increase in the
entire education budget, the student should
be expected to pay his part of the increase.
They add that loan and scholarship funds
must be made available along with this
tuition increase in order that capable stu
dents will not be refused a college educa
tion because of financial difficulties. Most
important, they point out that if tuition is
not increased, the State System of Higher
Education will be out approximately $4
million of operating funds.
To these people, we ask how long tui
tion will continue to rise. The student ap
pears to already be paying more than his
own share. It is time for either the State
Board of Higher Education or the Legis
lature to make a definitive study in the
area of tuition to determine the present
and future ability of students of this state
to pay their own way, and to come to some
definite conclusions on what is an equitable
share of the financial load for the student
to bear. Definite standards for setting tui
tion would end the patchwork inefficiency
of the present practice of raising tuition
whenever more money is needed.
We also believe that the student lobbying
group, and those representing higher edu
cation at the legislature, should realize that
just because tuition goes up, there is no
guarantee that loans and scholarships will
immediately become more abundant. There
is also no guarantee that even if funds do
become more abundant that they will be
plentiful enough to enable all capable but
poor students to attend state colleges.
We feel that because of political realities,
the student lobbying committee should not
take a strong and loud stand at the legis
lature against a tuition raise. If asked, how
ever, we believe that students should speak
out. on principle, against a raise in tuition
at this time.
The political reality of a conservative
legislature which faces fiscal problems
should not water down the principle of pro
viding a higher education on the basis of
ability-fo-learn, rather than on the basis
of ability-to-pay.
Fireworks Due
This Thursday night the ASUO Senate
meeting should see some real fireworks.
If a two-thirds majority is managed,
the advocates of USNSA could bring mem
bership in the organization before the Sen
ate for discussion. The controversial stu
dent development fund drive will come
up. and there may be discussion as to who
should set priorities for funds in years to
come. Dennis Lynch will present a motion
to establish an ad hoc student-faculty
committee to study the academic potential
in the dormitory area and to evaluate the
need to bring the dormitory system into
line with the academic objectives of the
University. And Phil Shelburne may pre
sent a proposal on the lobbying group’s
stand on tuition (see editorial above).
Although not earth-shaking, these issues
may bring about some thoughtful debate,
which would be the first such action by the
Senate since the first meeting of the year.
Senators should, we believe, come to the
Thursday meeting prepared to discuss the
issues in an informed fashion. This, in most
cases, would be an innovation, if one can
infer from past quiet that this means a
lack of information on the part of Senators.
We are not in favor of action for action’s
sake. nor discussion for discussion's sake,
but it is time that the ASUO Senate came
to grips during its meetings with some of
the problems that^now face student gov
ernment and this University.
Besides those issues that will come up
Thursday night, the Senate should also
consider soon, action on our out dated
ASUO constitution, and the archaic elec
tion system it perpetuates; the possibility
of establishing a position in which an ASUO
Senator would attend city-council meetings
and keep the Senate informed on student
community relations and needs; the
need for study in the areas of student as
sistance on curriculum; and student respon
sibilities in the area of University athletics
including the upcoming stadium proposal.
We would also like to encourage the
Senate to continue its study on fire insur
ance, student wages, a Senate procedures
bill, teaching appraisal forms, and mar
ried student athletic tickets.
But more than anything else, we would
like the Senate to overcome some of its
inhibitions and take some thoughtful and
informed stands on those issues which now
confront it. It is on this basis that the
efforts of the 1962-63 ASUO Senate should
be judged.
NOW I WONt>e-R WtfKVy IN IT. "•
ASUO Foriegn Student Rep.
On Student Travel in Europe
The follow ini' column was
written by Wolfgang link
bcincr, ASl’O Senate foreign
student representative, and we
print it thinking it may be of
interest to those interested in
traveling in Kurope. The autli
or is from Stuttgart, Germany,
and has spent much of the last
seven years traveling in Ku
rope.
Having talked to many stu
dents on this campus about the
pos; ibilities oi cheap travel m
Kurope, I realize ti'ai >. cry ft
have enough information anti
many give up th • idea he ■ iu ,e
of the expected hiyh costs Tra
veling with one «f the many
group trips may indeed cost as
much as $1200 for two months,
but there are fac'dities for indi
vidual or small group travel
Europe has more than 3500
youth hostels, where an over
night stay is !>•■'■•( -a 25 and 50
cents-, depending on the cotin
try. Most hostels have kitchen
facilities or provide mealv in
England, Holland. Germany anti
the Scandinavian countrie; you
will find a hostel in every small
market town. In Italy and
France there are hostels in the
medium and large size cities
Some have un to 1200 beds. I
have traveled during all my
summer vacations for seven
years in these countries, and
only twice have 1 not het*n able
to get a place. Arriving in the
afternoon and having your own
sleeping hag in case you arrive
late at night will almost always
secure you a place.
Entrance fees to museums and
other places of interest have re
duced prices for students, very
seldom more than 25 rents Even
if you eat a meal a day in a
restaurant, and this should !>•-•
done to become acquainted with
the special dishes, the costs for
a day will never be more than
$2.50. If you reserve $25 a month
for gifts and special occasions,
$100 a month is really enough
Letters to the Editor
The Only Shelter
Emerald Editor:
It is somewhat encouraging to
see after the almost instantane
ous appearance within the past
few weeks of so-called civil de
fense all around the town and
the university that someone has
finally acknowledged their exis
tence. For this the Emerald edi
tor deserves praise. Yet his
mildly dissenting editorial, as
the only published opinion from
both town and gown newspa
pers, is the only expression of
protest so far manifest. The sil
ence of the community on this
issue, as with its silence on Ken
nedy’s aggressive posture to
wards Cuba, seems symptomatic
of a total, uncritical, unchal
langeable, perhaps even undis
cussible acceptance of the war
tempting policies of our “lead
ers”. If nothing else this letter
hopes to encourage some form
of critical thinking about issues
which must be discussed by citi
zens of a relatively open society
if it is so to remain.
There are numerous telling
arguments against the govern
ment’s program on fall-out shel
ters. Interested individuals can
get a fairly accurate appraisal of
these from the literature of any
peace group Here, however, I
wish only to emphasize that ar
gument which seems to me most
cogent. To wit: the shelter pro
gram encourages the illusion
that we really can survive a
devastating nuclear attack, that
a nuclear war will leave us not
too badly off, that the conse
quences of such warfare are not
as horrifying as we immediately
(Continued on page 3)
for a pleasant trip In Southern
Italy anti Austria I often did it
for $40 and never starved.
There are various possibilities
for transportation People with
more money may buy a Volks
wagen or a Renault for $1000
$1250, or if they have less mon
ey. a scooter lint in my opinion,
hitchhiking is the best way to
meet different kinds of people,
and have a little adventure every
day. Alxiut f>0‘ of the boys who
stay in the youth hostels hitch
hike, many of them together
with their girl-friends You will
always find people who reject
this way of traveling, but I have
done it for years and I don’t
want to forget all the reminis
cences of funny and adventur
ous events that occurred to me.
You will always find a couple of
students at every town exit dur
ing the summer
There is a last possibility, a
first-class train ticket for all
countries, valid two months, is
only $150
I could write a long story
about all the little tricks of
youth-hostel traveling, but every
body will finrl it out after a
week, and the communications
at the hostels are oxcHlen’ So
ling together in the evening,
everybody tells about some spe
cial experiences People in the
hostels will mostly speak Eng
lish. but everybody should have
a small language guide to ask
for streets or to help them in
restaurants.
One last warning. Don't try to
sec all of the countries. Stop
along the road, look at a small
monastery or castle. There is a
place of interest to look at every
20 miles, almost. Don’t plan
more than an average of 100 120
miles a day, whether with your
own car or hitch-hiking Euro
pean roads and traffic are not
very fast You will have more
fun that way. and a reason to
return sooner or later.
OREGON DAILY EMERALD
The Oregon Daily I'me raid it published
seven lime* in September and five da." a
week during the school year, ex< ept dur
ing examination and vacation period* hy
the Student Publications Hoard of the
University rjf Oregon. Entered as "econd
class matter at the post office, Eugene,
Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per year;
$2 per trim.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page
ase those of The Kmerald and do not pre
tend to represent the opinion- of the
ASl’O or the University.
RON HU EL, Editor
MARTY KETEI.S, Husinexs Manager
TKD MAHAR, Managing Editor
EVERETTE DENNIS. News Editor
P1IIL COfiSWKLL,
Editorial Page Editor
LARKY WILLIAMS,
Advertising Manager
LARRY CRAVES, Sports Editor