Oregon daily EMERALD Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the Emerald and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the ASUO or the University. However, the Enierald does present on this page columnists and letter writers whose opinions reflect those of our diverse readership and not those of the Emerald Itself. RON EACHUS, Editor Associate Editors John Anderson Cindy Boydstun Rick Fitch f!hrls HoiiPlum till jonnson Linda Meierjurgen Steve Moore Doug Onvon Kon sayior Sally Schippers D. L. Sonnichsen Jaqi Thompson RICH JERNSTEDT Business Manager DOUG CRICHTON BARBARA STONE Advertising Manager National Advertising Manager University of Oregon, Eugene, Monday, November 25, 1968 Ililllllllllllllllllill Emerald Editor: lUUllililllJlL Correction Emerald Editor: Let me correct a few facts about the grape strike that were confused by two of Thursday’s letters concerning the grape strike. First, all of the large Califor nia wine producers and a large percentage of small producers have come to terms with the UFWOC (United Farm Workers Organizing Commit - tee). Specifically, they have agreed to bargain collectively with the union and have nego tiated contracts with it that give the worker a wage of from Public Education and the Public “We support the schools with our taxes; shouldn’t we have a say in how they’re run?” That cry is being heard more and more these days. Whenever student activists be come a little too active in the eyes of the public, you hear threats of cutting univer sity budgets and pleas for more public control. The truth is, the public does control to a great degree state institutions of higher learning. The State Board of Higher Edu cation is composed of six Oregon citizens appointed by the Governor and approved by the legislature. Each represents a cer tain region of the state, and all are access able to the public. Their meetings, too, are open to the public. It is this board and the state legislature which makes the final decisions regarding the state schools, particularly in fiscal mat ters. Whatever authority university officials have to make decisions has been delegated by the legislature. State legislators set the limits, which are often restrictive considering the oper ating budgets which university presidents must work with. They make general policy decisions, and leave refinement and admin istration of their policies to the individual universities. For practical reasons, most decisions af fecting each university are made by the institution’s president and staff. But all these decisions are answerable to the legis lature, and the legislature, supposedly, is answerable to the people. The public, then, holds at least as much control over education as it does over other areas in which its tax money is spent. In fact, the growing trend is to let the experts take over in many areas, such as law en forcement and the military. But in edu cation. it seems everyone is an expert. And not only does the average taxpayer have more power over public education, but he’s more likely to exercise that power. The annual expenditure of $30 billion on the Vietnam war is something in which Oregon taxpayers have almost no voice. But they can have a definite say in whether the University should receive its requested $30 million to operate. We believe the public would be better off worrying more about the money our federal government is spending on war, and less about how much our state govern ment is spending on education. It’s a little tougher to stop a national war machine, but it may also be necessary for our sur vival. And, in considering public education, one must consider another public: the stu dents. Student tuitions amount to nearly $10 million a year. They too are entitled to a strong voice in the decisions affecting the University, particularly so since those de cisions also affect their lives. Moreover, whatever affects their lives will produce ramifications in the rest of society. This University alone granted 2,798 degrees last year, including over 1,000 advanced degrees. State institutions are producing the backbone of today’s so ciety: engineers, scientists, doctors, and teachers. How well these graduates per form depends on the quality of the insti tution. So if the legislature has any plans for cutting higher education budgets, it would do well to take this point into considera tion. S2.75 to S3.25 per hour year round. Second, the UFWOC moved against the largest table grape grower, the Guimarra Corp., which holds 12,000 acres of land, in August of 1967. They have refused to recognize the union, so the union began its boycott grape campaign. Since that time the Guimarra Corpo ration has flooded the market with grapes, in violation of the advertising provisions of the Food and Drug Administration. Third, both small family far mers and field workers are at a competitive disadvantage vis a vis the huge agribusiness con cerns in selling their labor and their products. In California, for example, 10 per cent of the farms employ 80 per cent of the farm workers. The unioni zation of these gigantic farming operations will help the small farmer by making his voice and his own labor worth more. In fact, the National Farmers Or ganization has raised its voice in support of UFWOC’s de - mands for union recognition and the inclusion of farm work ers under the National Labor Relations Act. If the small far mer is worried about his in vestment, his best course of ac tion would thus be to recognize the farm workers union and thus protect his product from be ing boycotted. Roberta Hanna Political Science ❖ * * Grateful Emerald Editor: I am grateful to find that I am good at something. I believe that some students who are at tending the University to up grade their vocabulary should follow my interview in the Em erald. Charles Potterf 2685 Floral Hill Dr. Both Sides Emerald Editor: When I first saw the head line, “Let’s Hear the Other Side,” I wondered if I had made a mistake in uttering some ob scene words about the Emer ald. My curiosity was aroused. Was the Emerald going to say the ROTC students were something other than killers? Were some of the hippies in our local high schools going to get hair cuts? Was the Emerald go ing to urge eating grapes with every meal? Was Students for Determined Stupidity going to be condemned? After this surprise I decided to read the editorial and learn ed how the student side of the issues is not allowed to be heard due to biased journalism. Was this really appearing in the Emerald, a paper that has always championed printing both sides of the story on every issue, the paper that seeks out both sides of every issue? I take back all the obscenities I have said about the Emerald. It is nice to see that someone re spects unslanted, non - partial, straight-forward journalism. Tom Page Senior, MIT ‘Straight Jacket’ Emerald Editor: In reference to one point of Craig E. McKern’s fine article titled “Updating the Ivy” print ed in the Emerald on Nov. 20. For many years I have ad vised the President of the Uni versity to eliminate the straight jacket that the special schedul ing of finals week provides. As you may know the University does not require that a final examination be given. However, because of the special schedul ing of the finals week and the general attitude developed to ward the use of the week, this “out” cannot be fully utilized to advance learning. My position has been that the last week of the term be like any other week. Those profes sors or departments desiring to give special lengthy examina tions or one examination to a large number of sections would make special arrangements for suitable space in the evening or during other periods when the type of space needed is avail able. Richard W. Lindhom, Dean, Graduate School of Management and Business G - - Knows Emerald Editor: Just to express my enormous gratitude and congratulations to the Emerald for presenting the interview with Mr. Potterf. I hope it will become available to many people in the commun ity who would be equally grate ful for its insights into a critic of note in Eugene. G- knows that for us who may disagree with Mr. Potterf to b - - - s him and wish him w - - 1 is a test of our capacity to 1 - - e, we s - - 1 brothers. Robert M. Trotter D - - N, School of Music P.S. Key to the esoteric vo cabulary, perhaps acceptable for publication, perhaps unneces sary for some: God, bless, well, love, soul; the last term is un known to me; I hear it is used in certain circles freely, as a potent term, possessed of much mana. ■iiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiitiiiimmiiii! Jules Feiffer un He TUI'S tfORlOHlVS, OOP. snewctt. lVMi'hc.* Hall Jyndicat*