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EDITORIAL PAGE
LA GRANDE OBSERVER
Tuesday, November 3, 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
DREW PEARSON SAYS:
Choice Between Luxuries, Education
Yesterday, in this spuce, we discussed
the possibility Americans are truing to
1 have to give up some luxuries re
duce our standard of living, to put it
another way to provide very much
more aid to education.
Granted that a better education sys
tem is a demrable thinir, is there any
alternative?.
Yes.
But it, too, might be somewhat un
pleasant. The Russian education system is held
up as a model. Admiral Hyman (I. Kick
over, who recently returned from a tour
of Russia, told reporters that a Russian
tenth gTade student knows more alout
science and mathematics than tin- av
erage American college graduate.
And this may well be true.
Why is it so?
Many educators have not Inx-n too
happy with the path of American school
systems, from kindergarten through col
lege. But education has become a status
symbol in this country, a measure of
social standing and prestige.
Where did we get the idea that every
one W'ith the mental ability should go
to college and that the work in some
regards should be made progressively
easier over the years so more and more
students would be able to graduate?
For one thing, this idea comes from
the natural desire of parents to give
, their children a better life than the
parents have enjoyed. No one can argue
with this.
But the push for compulsory educa
tion through a certain age level came
from a desire of certain parts of our
culture to remove these students from
the labor market. This is not so high a
purpose.
These things in themselves would not
be so bad excepting as they have caused
the tremendous growth in an education
system which has not been able to keep
up with that growth.
The growth has caused a shortage of
teachers with any qualifications at all,
when we already were short of really
good teachers.
The growth has also, in part, boen
caused by a set of phony figures.
Most everyone has heard that a col
lege education is worth a large sum of
money to the possessor of a college de
gree. The figures used range from $.".
000 to 1150,000 over the lifetime of the
individual.
But, and here's the rub, these figures
were obtained from people who gradu
ated from college in the early 1900s, not
today. In the early 1900s not nearly so
many students attended college. College
was saved, by economic pressure, main
ly, for the top five per cent of a high
school graduating class.
Now, more than one-fourth of this
age group attend college. And it only
stands to reason that the average brain
power in the top fourth of our popula
tion is not as strong as the average
brainpower in the top twentieth of the
population.
And, of course, it's not the top fourth
which goes to college. The top students
get there. Others who go to college
come from families which can afford
the expense. AncJ the availability of
mouey is not limited by any particular
intellectual capacity, thank goodness.
College means prestige. For many
young men it's a pleasant interlude be
fore he has to go to work.
The vaunted Russian and Kuropean
systems oerate quite differently.
College there is not for the many. For
less than ten per cent of the Russian
population goes to college.
Rut, it's a highly selected few. All
youngsters with the necessary mental
capacity and physcal health go to col
lege. And they jolly well work at it
while there.
The alternative to giving up tail fins,
then, would be a highly selective system
of allowing a student to go to college.
Some American schools already operate
this way. Others seek ways to cut
down the enrollment.
In Russia the mechanic's daughter
gets to college ahead of the doctor's
daughter, if she has the necessary men
tal capacity. Unfortunately in some in
stances, this is not the case here.
Are Americans going to be any more
ready to make their colleges more highly
selective in the future than they are to
give up a new car every other year or
so?
Perhaps not, but such a system would
make our colleges better colleges. And
they would force high schools and ele
mentary schools to improve at the same
time, to adequately prepare a brighter
generation of college students.
Perhaps neither is the answer, may
be a combination of the two will come
about.
Hut in either case this generation of
Americans, the sons and daughters of
those who had "a date with destiny",
have a basic decision to make regarding
the future of their children and their
country.
sucoem Russian play
MOSCOW UPH American
novelist Erskine Caldwell suggest
ed Tharsday night that a play on
Russian We by a Soviet writer
should be staged In the United
States. Caldwell, who wrote "To
bacco Road,' said writers should
travel more than diplomats.
CONGRATULATE POET
MOSCOW iVPD The I'nion
of Soviet Writers, which expelled
Russian author Boris Pasternak
when he won last year's Nohol
Pme for Literature, tud.ty ired
its congratulations to l-ft mg
Italian poet Salvatore Quasimodo,
this year's winner.
High Command Of TV Quiz
Shows Alarmed At Ratings
While Drw Pearson Is in
the west hit column is being
written by hit associate. Jack
Anderson.)
WASHINGTON One of the
early stars of the $4.000 qui
shows was a S50-a week supply
clerk named Teddy Nadler who
pitted his hrains against experts
in several fields
The idea of having him take on
all comers was discussed at the
ecret, weekly meetings of adver
tisers, sponsors, and producers on
Jan. 31. 1!57.
Tiie confidential minutes, now
available to this column, report
There was a discussion of the
possibility of having Nadler be
the champion through the entire
proceedings of as many shows
js possible having questions
hurled at him continuously
throughout the half hour by var
ious contestants in the various
categories chosen."
This was followed in the March
21 minutes with another cryptic
notation: "It was not decided as
to how much longer Teddy Nad
ler would continue on 'Chal
lenge'." Those who planned Nadler's ap
pearance have assured this col
umn, however, that it was never
intended to feed him advance ans
wers. Popular contestants were
kept on the show by asking them
questions w hich preliminary tests
indicated they should be able to
answer.
Unknown to the sponsors and
advertisers, however, the produc
ers later slipped winning answers
to some contestants. This was
done in at least two cases by En
tertainment . Productions, Inc.,
which owned and produced the
$64,000 shows. The company was
controlled by CBS TV President
Leu Cowan who ostensibly gave
up his holdings, although bis wife
reportedly still has stock.
The Jan. 31 minutes also dis
close that the program planners
toyed with the idea of having
Nadler challenge Charles Van
Doren, big-money winner on the
rival "Twenty-One" show.
Expert vs. Expert
"For publicity purposes," the
notes state, "it was agreed that
it would be a good idea to have
Theodore Nadler publicly chal
lenge Charles Van Doren -of '21'
to a contest."
But the idea was abandoned at
the Feb. 21 weekly meeting.
Nadier performed such spec
tacular memory feats that the
Emil Mogul advertising agency
privately offered him a $10,000
a year job to do memory work.
He agreed to consider the offer
and call back.
When he failed to return the
call. Mogul asked George Abrams,
then advertising director for the
SS4 0OO shows' sponsor, Revlon,
to speak to Nadler.
"I forsot Mogul's telephone
number," explained the memory'
expert. (He didn't get the job.)
The confidential minutes re-(
veal that the $64,000 high com
mand also considered FBI direc-.
tor J. Kdgar Hoover and the lord
mayor of Dublin as possible
contestants.
The idea of using big name
contestants led to an inner strug
gle between the producers and
advertisers. The producers pre
ferred ordinary people with whom
the audience could identify
themselves. But the B. B. D. &
O. advertising agency insisted up
on going after prominent contestants.
When the ratings began to
slip, the Jan. 31 minutes report:
There was an extended discus
sion about the necessity of re
instating into the 'Question' and
Challenge' shows the kind of
contestant with whom the audi-
ncc could identify itself. This
would be given major consider
ation in the choosing of contest
ants in the future."
YOU
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Also
Dr. Sertoli's Foot Aids
Dog Supplies
Shoe A Boot Finding
Metalwork Accessories
For Western Wear
The friction between advertls
ers and producers bubbled to
the surface again in the form of
a needling letter which Albert
Ward of B. B. D. 4 0. wrote on
July 16. 1957, to Mert Koplin of
Entertainment Productions.
"Our main impression here,"
VYaid complained, "is that BBDO
mail to you people concerning
contestants and categories ends
up in the wastebasket file. My
only reason for making this state-
men is that we like to nave a
piece of paper to prove all the
work we do for that IS per cent
(commission)."
Interest Lags
As the rating continued to
skid, the minutes reflect grow
ing concern.
Most recent research done on
the '$64,000 Challenge' indicates
that interest is lagging in the two
shows. It seems to indicate that
loss of viewers is attributable to
this waning interest rather than
to the fact of their going to more
powerful compettion," report the
minutes.
Co-Producer Steve Carlin sug
gested a sweepstakes gimmick.
The March 1st minutes comment:
'After Steve Carlin presented a
unique device for introducing a
sweepstakes plan on the 'Ques
tion,' variations of this plan were
discussed. It was felt by many
present that the sweepstakes
plan might have a cheapening ef
fect on the entire show."
The following week, Revlon
executive Martin Revson proposed
using a roulette wheel.
"The last half of the meeting,"
the minutes declare, "was con
cerned with various ways in
which the '64' show, and more
specifically the 'Question' show,
could be improved. It was
Martin Revson's contention that
a totally new competitive device
should be inserted. By the end
of the meeting, -the device of the
roulette wheel seemed to have
gained much favor, and every
body during the coming week
will try to work out ways and
which it could be used to ad
vantage."
It was during this period of
alarm over ratings that associ
ate producer Shirley Bernstein
gave advance answers to contest
ant Wilton Springer.
"Mr. Martin Revson made a
point of mentioning Barbara Brit
ton's dress on last Tuesday's
show," say the minutes. "It must
be the agency's responsibility to
be sure that not only must the
dress be in good taste, but that
there are no embellishments or
accoutrements that are so out
REMEMBER WHEN
. . 25 years ago, war scares
had Europe jittery over the Saar
region vote. France threatened to
occupy the area despite stern Ger
man warnings.
Eastern Oregon Normal was
prepping for a grid game with
Whitman here, with Jiggs Burnett
named game captain by EON
Coach Bob Quinn.
The local Elks named their
Christmas Tree committee. They
were Jessee Andrews, chairman:
Claude Berry, Chester Thompson.
E. F. Walden. Layton Graham.
Robert Carey, exalted ruler, as
sisting.
. . 15 years ago, a big aeria'
battle raged over Germany, with
2,000 Allied planes conducting
raids. At least 117 Nazi planes
were shot down.
U.S. war casualties, hit new
high of 487,692, with the Army
suffering more than 417,000 of the
total.
The College Men's Club elected
officers here. They were Law
rence Leonard. La Grande, presi
dent; Steve Kinzel, La Grande,
vice president; Ray Johnson, On
tario, secretary-treasurer..
The first elk of the new season
was bagged by George Ambrose
standing that they detract from
or affect the commercials. It
might be a good idea for us to
get three or four well-designed
and good-looking dresses for our
spokeswoman."
But perhaps . the most appro
priate suggestion was offered on
Feb. 7 by Entertainment Produc
tions, which proposed a new
show to be called: "What's the
Use?"
Gef teady for fhe
Fseezfrf Season!
To get your car ready for winter, Phillips 66
Dealers offer guaranteed anti-freeze service. It
works like this:
Tell your Phillips 66 Dealer the degree of pro
tection you want (even down to SO below) and
he'll put in the proper amount of Phillips 66
Anti-Freeze permanent type. Then if at any
time this winter you need more anti-freeze to
maintain this level of protection, your Phillips 66
Dealer will add it with no additional charge.
Sounds like a fair proposition, doesn't it?
Come to your Phillips 66 Dealer for guaranteed
anti-freeze service. " ' '
STOVE OILJ LUBRICANTS! PHILLIP'S GASOLINE
W. C. LAIRD, Phillip's Consignee
East Adam Av La Grande
Phone WO 3-4621
TOURIST LURES
RABAT. Morocco il'pp Mo
rocco has decided to let tourists
enter without visas and ease cos
torus regulations on souvenirs
taken out of the country. A gov
ernment commission is studying
other measures to attract more
tourists.
Anderson's Shoe
& Leather Gocds
1407 ADAMS
6 Day Ad
2 Line Ad
$1.50
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