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About La Grande observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1959-1968 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1959)
Back Seat Driver EDITORIAL PAGE LA GRANDE OBSERVER Monday, November 1959 "Without or with friend or foe, we print your daily world as it goes" Byron. RILEY ALLEN, publisher Grady Pannell, managing editor ' George Challis, advertising director Tom Humes, circulation manager Uncle Sam Castro's Whipping Boy What Castro is doing in Cuba is dis gusting as well as disillusioning. Most Americans last spring were willing to consider him as a conquering hero who had rescued his country from a cruel dictatorship. But now look at him. When he gets in trouble, he closes down busi ness and industry for a day and bids all to assemble so he can give a Hitler type harangue. Such performances require a villain on whom the troubles can be blamed. Since it is always popular among Latin Ameri cans to blame the United States for just about anything, Uncle Sam is set up as the straw man for Castro to mow down. Anti-Castro leaflets are dropped on Hav ana by disgruntled Cubans who flew over from Florida. This constitutes a U.S. plot, of course. Worse than this is the rabble rousing tactics used by Castro. He endeavors to whip up enthusiasm for his strife-ridden regime by suggesting that tire firing squads be brought back. The crowd yells in glee. I.ast time some 800 persons were shot by the firing squads. The people loved it. Shades of the Inquisi tion ! Last week a crowd of Cubans shouted demands for the death of an American news correspondent as he emerged from a telegraph office. He was the same correspondent who wrote a laud atory biography of Castro earlier this year. Now he has fallen into disfavor. It is difficult to see any ultimate good for Cuba in leadership by a man who pursues such a course. DREW PEARSON SAYS: Secret Meetings Revealed TV Quiz Show 'Riggings' WASHINGTON Secret minut es kept by the high command of the $64,000 quiz shows reveal that the question of ringing was rais ed on opening night. After the first performance of the (64,000 Question," granddaddy of all big-money shows, the ad vertising representative conceded that "a little bit of rigging" might be necessary on opening night but warned that the reaction would be bad if the public sus pected "trickery" behind the scenes. This prophetic advice came from Albert Ward of the B. B. D, & O. advertising agency who recorded what happened at the brainstorm sessions where the $64,000 shows were planned. His brief notes were typed on B. B. D. & o. stationery and marked "confidential." After keeping minutes of the weekly meetings for two years. however, Ward was abruptly or dered to stop after he put in writ ing that Revlon, the sponsor, wanted certain contestants knock ed off the shows. Revlon's Martin Revson, who presided over the meetings, ob jected that such a document might be damaging if the public got hold of it. Actually Revlon did not advocate rigging the $64, 000 programs, except to use tougher questions to eliminate contestants without audience appeal. Ward s notes were locked in the B. B. D. 4e O. safe, and no more minutes were taken. How ever, the early minutes have now been exhumed from the safe and examined by this column. Among them w a memo, writ ten by Ward and dated June 8. 1955, criticizing the first- stM.cuo show. . Warm Against Tricks "The two contestants were pos sibly a little too good looking and a little too right for the real good of the show," he wrote. 'Granted, an opening night may need a little bit of rigging to make it come off properly, but we have to realize that we are getting an awful close look on the home screen and nothing will make Revlon look worse than if the public thinks there is some kind of trickery going on behind the scenes. Ward also didn't like bringing the questions to the show under armed guard from the vaults of the Manufacturers Trust Com pany. "I think the business of having the manager of a New York bank flanked by two of New York's finest has the slight ring of a plugged nickel," he protested. "I would say," he added "that advertisers and show business are getting to sound too rich and maybe a little offensive in their wealth." But Ward agreed the show was heading for high ratings. "As usual," he wrote, " I have carped maybe too much ... I would like to end by saying I think the show has wonderful show elements. I am sure it will have a big public and has all the earmarks of ratings well up in the 30's. I would think the op portunities for promoting this are as great as it was when Phil Baker used to play his accordion and he was giving away hairpins. As I heard Lou Cowan say af ter the show, when he completed a phone call, 'Fellows, we're in' " (CBS-TV President Lou Cowan was the original producer and owner of the $64,000 shows. His wife reportedly still holds stock in the production firm, Entertain ment Productions, Inc.) Ward's confidential minutes are full of references indicating that some control was kept on contes tants. "It was decided there was a de finite need for the '$64,000 Ques tion' to have more losers," declare the minutes on March 15, 1957. Again on March 28, the min utes report: "Mr. Abrams (George Abrams, then in charge of Rev lon's advertising) ta.lked about the necessity of our having los ers in the lower categories." A notation on March 1 urges: "There are many reasons why it is necessary for both shows to have women contestants. . It was agreed that, as an unwritten rule, there will be a woman on each and every 'Question' and 'Chal lenge' show." A later note adds: "Decided that children are needed on show." More specifically, the March 21 . DIVERS REPORT FIND V1CKSBUKG. Miss. (UPI) -Two skindivers said Friday they have discovered remains of a federal gunboat scuttled 97 years ago on the Yazto River near here. Ken Parks and Jim Hart said they brought up two steel spikes from the "Cairo," believed sunk Jan. 12, ia2. minutes declare: "It was not de cided as to how much longer Ted dy Nadler (memory expert) would continue on the 'Chal lenge'." Also on March 7 "there was ex tended discussion of the probab ility of having Robert Strom (youthful science expert) go for the second and possibly the third plateau." This column is satisfied frfom interviewing participants in these secret brainstorm sessions, how ever, that neither the sponsors nor advertisers had any idea ad vance answers were fed to con testants. This was done by the producers, Entertainment Prod uctions, which gave winning ans wers to some contestants on the $64,000 Challenge" when the rat ings began to drop. Made It Tough For the most part, undesirable contestants were eliminated by asking questions too difficult for them. This was determined from their preliminary test which pro bed their knowledge exhaustiv ely before they were allowed on the show. The system failed in the case of Dr. Joyce Brothers, first wo man to win $64,000, who appear ed as an expert on boxing. The high command decided she lack ed audience appeal and tried to get rid of her by asking ques tions she wasn't expected to be able to answer. But she had boned up on box ing more than the producers real ized. When they asked her for the names of referees in several almost-forgotten fights, she rat tled off the correct answers and went on to win the top prize. Two years later, she was unable to remember the same answers when she was called in for ques tioning by the New York dis trict attorney's office. I have a mental eraser," she explained. "I can erase things from my mind that I no longer wish to remember." The congressional committee investigating the scandal-scuttled quiz shows intends to find out next week how many other con testants have "mental erasers." REMEMBER WHEN ... 25 years ago, Bill Bunch suffered painful injuries at the Perkins Motor Co. when a jack slipped and the auto he was working under fell on his arm. Dr. and Mrs. James llaun hosted a dinner dance at Hot Lake. Guests present were the Rev. and Mrs. Clarence A. Kopp. Dr. and Mrs. F. L. Ralston, Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Gregory and Mr and Mrs. Francis Greulich. Mrs. Charles Ward hosted a meeting of the Lutheran women at her home, 2112 Cedar St. Mrs. Piper was in charge of the pro gram. ... 15 years ago, local fireman Logan Thompson was injured fighting a fire when he sustain ed a serious cut on the hand from broken glass. A gift of a $1,000 Series G war bond was made to Eastern Ore gon College by L. L. McKennon, The donation was gladly received by EOO President Dr. Roben J Maaske. A mixed choir from La Grande High School entertained the Ro tary Club. LeRoy Darling di rected the young singers who (in cluded Patty Jacobson, Barbara Green, Phyllis McLaughlin, with 0. P. Weigel accompanying them QUOTES IN THE NEWS ) United Press International United Press International MEMPHIS. Tenn. Shelby Foote, author of "Follow Me Down," after 15 American Legion members halted plans to burn his book in public because they were reminded that book-burning was how Hitler got started: "It's a sad and strange thing that men can go off to fight a war against something and 15 years later be guilty of the same thing themselves.',' PEBBLE BEACH. Calif. - Commerce Secretary Frederick II. Mueller, indicating that the gov ernment might move into the steel dispute if the strike broke out again at the end of the Taft-Hartley injunction now being sought: "The interests of this country its economy, public health and safety cannot stand resumption of the strike." OBITS JERUSALEM (UPD Gershon Agron. 66, mayor of Jerusalem since 1906, died Suii'lay alter a lengthy illness. PITTSBURGH UPH Carl B. Pollock, 64, vice president of the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp. and nationally known authority on steelmaking, died of a heart at tack Saturday night. MADISON. N. J. (UPI) Mrs. Mildred Whittlesey MeGraw, wid ow of the founder of the MeGraw Hill Publishing Co., died at her home Saturday. SUMMIT, N. J. (UPI) Funer al services were scheduled today "for Robert R. Lane, a retired Washington correspondent and editorial writer for the Newark, X. J Evening News. Lane, 74, died at his home Saturday. Complete Acetylene WELDING OUTFIT Ideal for farmers, small shop operators and home workshops! INCLUDES HOSE, 2 REGULATORS, 5 TIPS AND 2 CUTTING TIPS This is an ideal cutting and welding outfit for the small operator REG. 132.00 .00 Sale Special ..99 CAM - . T frr INDUSTRIAL Machinery & Supply 1410 Adams WO 34623 More School Money Americans are wonderful people, other Americans think. Actually, in much of the world, others think Americans are nice people. One of the things we do to keep impressing ourselves that we are nice people is to utter a lot of pious platitudes at every opportunity. We reach decisions, we attach blame, too quickly, and particularly if our de cision can be wrapped up in a short sentence or capsuled in a catchy slogan. Thus it was that shortly after Sput nik I it was fashionable to blame our system of education for the fact that Russia beat us into outer space. But educators, led by the National Education Association, its various state members and their handmaidens, the PTAs, were quick to counterattack. The problem, they said, was the lack of federal financial aid to primary and secondary education. Spill a little fed eral dough into the coffers, they cried, and all our troubles w ill be ended. Our American system of education is peculiarly American, particularly since the degree of education has been a status symbol since the beginning of the Re public. It is doubtful that any faults in our present system, and they do exist, ' will be cured by money alone. Before any substantial increase can be made in our national expenditure for education purposes, we are going to have to make a basic decision. This is true whether we ask for more funds from local property taxes, from state income taxes or from the federal treasury. First, we can obtain more money for education from only two sources either from increase in the national product or by taking away something we now have. Over one-fourth of our national pro duct, for example, is spent on automo biles, cigaretts and liquor. But are we ready, as a nation, to fojv Means Tough Decisions go some of this expenditure and put the money into education? . Well, the person who doesn't drive, smoke or drink might think this idea worthwhile. Hut he's in the minority. To better finance education from an increase in the national economy would mean that a disproportionate by to day's standards amount of the increase would go to this use. And what's going to happen to the person who wants better food, better housing, better medical care or even a new fishing boat in this case. He'll holler, and holler loudly, no doubt about it. . Before people are willing to sacrifice more on top of what they already feel are major sacrifices for ' education, they're going to have to be persuaded to do so. They're going to have to make up their minds to give up something pretty specific. Thin is where the aid-to-education peo ple have failed. This is where their job must be done, if they are to attain their objectives. Barbs Doctors advise against taking medi cine1 that really isn't needed. Ix;t well enough, alone! r . -i ' Any wife will tell you that woman's w ork is never dono by husbands. There are times when puppy love fin ally leads to leading a dog's life. Fish, being brain food, sure develops the imagination of some of the men who catch them. Modern homes are said to resist heat, cold and about every thing except high utility bills. Fall is right for this time of year as fur as the loaves are concerned. 7 You're Never Too Old To Learn! IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT OUR 7 JOURNEYMEN MECHANICS AND BODY MEN HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THE TRADE FOR A TOTAL OF 141 YEARS - AN AVERAGE OF 20 YEARS PER MAN - THEY STILL GO TO SCHOOL! Our mechanics . . . body men . . . parts men and salesmen are given periodic training at the General Motors Training Center at Tigard, Ore gon. The Center is pictured above. General Motors furnishes the schooling at this modern day schoolhouse for GM dealer personnel free of charge. Gettings-Lynch Motor Company pays wages, transportation and board and room while our men are at school. Why Do We Do This? Gettingi-Lynch Motor Company insists that its service people keep abreast of developments in the field through periodic refresher training because today's serviceman must be a speciaKst to take care of the needs of a highly specialized industry. Our auto mechanics, for instance, must know tuneup, power steer ing, power brakes, automatic transmissions, air conditioning, front end alignment. He must be a first class electrician. He must know how all the accessories work, and how to properly adjust and re pair them. Our body men must know how to work with and apply the new type paints and plastics; how to make all adjustments on Fisher bodies; how to repair electrically operated windows and other power conveniences. Our Service Men Don'l Guess When You Bring Your Car Here For Repairs-Tney KNOW What To Do! GETTINGS-LYNCH MOTOR CO. Ponliac . . . Buick . . . Cadillac Adams & Hemlock, La Grande You get a better deal from a Quality Dealer.