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About Eugene register-guard. (Eugene, Or.) 1930-1983 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1955)
UM tOW HON! NWIMm AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER ALTON F. BAKER Publisher ALTON F. BAKER JR. Editor ROBERT B. FRAZIER Associate Editor SERVICES Full Associated Press, United Press, .Audit Bureau of Circulations. The Register-Guard's policy is the complete and impartial publication in its news pages of all news and statements on news. On this page the editors of the Register Guard offer their opinions on events of the day and matters of importance to the community, endeavoring to be candid but fair and helpful in the development of con structive community policy. A newspaper is A CITIZEN OF ITS COMMUNITY. Entered at the Post Office at Eugene, Oregon, as second-class matter. We're Getting More Mileage Than We Used To 8A EUGENE, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1955 include Us Out' of S.B. No. 6. Paul Harvey, the AP's stalehouse man, reports that Lane County will like ly be left out of Senate Bill No. 6, if the bill passes. That's fine. It's a good law for somebody else, but not for us. It's a bill which would create "legislative subdistricts" in Lane, Marion and Mult nomah Counties. It breaks the counties into smaller districts for the election of members of the House of Representa tives. Authority for the legislature to pass such a bill was given last fall at the general election. This newspaper last fall recom mended approval of the permissive law. We still think it's a good idea. The time may come when we need it here. But that time is not yet. In Multnomah County the situation is different. There voters elect 16 members of the House. That means they pick from 32 candi dates. It's nearly impossible for a voter to be thoroughly informed upon the qualifications of that many. The ballot is just too long; ' Here the situation is different. We send five men to the House. We're con fronted with, the names of 10 hopefuls each election. That's not too many for the average voter to know about. Marion County sends four. Senate Bill No. 6 does not subdistrict the Senate. It applies only to the House. In Lane County it would set up two sub districts. The first would consist of Eugene and nearby precincts (the Santa Claras, the Davises, Bethel, College Crest, Friendly, Judkins, Garden Way, Willakenzie, Norkenzie, Willagillespie, River Road and part of Glenwood). That .TV A Full-Time Job ' We see no reason why (he Legislature should reject a bill which would offer a full-time salary to a man hired for what ought to be a full-time job. We refer to Earl Hill's proposal allowing counties to add to the salary of a district attorney. The D.A., thereupon, would be forbid den to accept private clients. Considering what a lawyer can make in private practice, the salaries paid dis trict attorneys are ridiculous. To make up for the small salaries, the state lets the D.A. accept private business on the side. District attorneys of Lane and Marion counties are paid $5,800 a year. The state pays one deputy $3,600. The county hires three more deputies at $4,500. All of them add to this money by private practice. Tuesday the county bar association went on record as favoring a change. The bar approved the recommendation of a special committee (A. T. Goodwin, Douglas Spencer, Keith Rodman) that the county add to the salaries and that private practice be prohibited. Their re port pointed out that this is the system now followed in Multnomah County, where 10 deputy district attorneys make more salary than the district attorneys of Lane or Marion County. The report argued for the advantages of having a full-time man looking after the legal business of the stale and county. The Legislature ought to view this bill favorably, especially since it won't cost the state anything. The extra money will come from the counties. Of Men and Mountains This doctor the other day was talking about tension, that awful condition that strikes men in the best years of their lives, cutting their efficiency, ruining their dispositions, and sometimes lead ing to changes of wives, frequent trips to the liquor store and an early grave. Tension, this doctor estimated, accounts for more loss of manpower than indus trial accidents, for more broken homes than strong drink, and for more untimely deaths than polii It is rooted in fear and jealousy, which are practically the same thing. The fear is fear of the man on the rung below, fear he will take your spot on the ladder before you can step onto the rung above. So wc fell to talking about the child hood game "king of the mountain." Two basic motivations are displayed by the child who strives to get to the top of the knoll and who then tries to keep others from replacing him as "king." On the way up he is motivated by am bition. He wants to get to the top. Once he has reached tho summit, he stops climbing. Then ho is motivated by new emotions jealousy and fear. Jealous of district would elect two representatives. The second subdistrict would consist of the remainder of the county and would elect three. We may as well point out now that we know this might mean a heavier Democratic representation from Lane County. If you cut out Eugene, this is a Democratic County. Last fall there was a majority here of 1,397 Republican voters. But, with Eugene cut out, there would havo been a Democratic majority of 2,824. However, it is not upon that ground that we oppose this bill, as writ ten We were against it even before we cast a gerrymandering eye upon the way the county had been divided. If Eugene is to have a district of its own, so should Springfield, which is one of the largest cities in Oregon and which is still growing. Furthermore, the 10 names now on the ballot are no problem. For the county outside Eugene the bill would provide a reduction of only four names. That's not enough to make it worth while. Most important is the fact that Lane County delegations to the legislature work as a team, without thought of which part of the county a man "repre sents." And, because of the realities of politics, there is usually what amounts to subdistricting anyhow. We now have one man from the coast, one from Cot tage Grove, one from Creswell and two from Eugene. We don't need this new law. We can't speak for Marion and Multnomah Counties. If they want it, they should be allowed to have it. But we'd just as soon be "included out." In his position as "king," he is fearful of the children on the bank below, fearful lest he lose his hard-won title. But now suppose, we asked this doc - tor, that the mountain were endless, that it stretched on and on? Suppose the king were not on the top, but just nearest the top? Suppose he didn't have to fight off the man below, because he knew there was plenty of room above? Then would not his motivation again be ambition rather than fear? Take a case history. Take the case of Uncle Sam, a favorite relative who struggled hard to get to the top, and who is now jittery lest somebody place him as "king." Uncle Sam has ulcer and he hasn't been sleeping well. He broods and talks to himself. He shops around for patent medicines. He's even permitted himself to think about killing off those who are struggling for his spot on the mountain. He's thought those thoughts out loud a time or two and they have embarrassed him and made him feel guilty. He's on the way to becoming a ndrvous wreck, all be cause he's jealous of his position on top of. the mountain. Uncle Sam ought to take a calmer look around. He'd see that he is not on top. He's high man, true enough, but there is a long way to go before he can say, "Look. Here I stand, king of the mountain, on the highest pinnacle that can be reached by man." If Uncle Sam would look around, he'd see that there was still more of the mountain to be climbed. His ulcer would wijher away and he'd start sleeping better. He'd stop snapping at his nieces and nephews, who really love him, and he'd dismiss thoughts of taking cure-all drugs. He'd be happy again, showing everybody he could still climb as he once did, back in the old days when he attained the highest peak ever reached by man a peak that is a long way from the very, very top of the mountain. The War's Over The war must be over. Tucked away in the news is the information that the German government is starting what amounts to a little Point IV program of its own. West German technicians are starting out for far points to spread their technical information into the undevel oped areas of the world. ' Remember the German technician? He was in South America and in the Near East and in Africa before World War I and again before World War II. He was a great, technician, too, although sometimes he brought with him ideas that were more political than technical. All we can do now is wish the techni cian wejl, and hope for his sake, and otijs, that his sense of humor is better than it used to bcand that his mission this time is who?5- technical. MARQUIS CHILDS . , , Former Senator Scrutinizes Federal Security System '4 WASHINGTON This capital is still reacting to the remarkable -speech made the other day by former Sen. Harry P. Cain of Washington in which he sub jected the whole system of em ployee security in the federal gov ernment to the most - searching scrutiny. He said in conclusion that if the security! system had un dermined c o n f i dence in the good1 nv7 faith of the Am- Childs PAUL W. HARVEY JR. Governor Not Worried Over Tax Program SALEM W-Gov. Paul Patter son doesn't feel too bad about the cool reception that Republican legislators are giving his tax pro gram. His attitude is that if the Legis lature can come up with a better answer to the state's critical fi nancial position, it can go right ahead. The governor wants a state property tax, and wants to boost state income taxes by taking away the deduction for federal income taxes. "I reached that conclusion after long and careful study," the gov ernor said. "I'm not trying to shove anything down the Legisla ture's throat. If it can find a better way to maintain needed state services, that would-be fine. HIGHER RATES "There still is another answer, though. That would be to in crease income taxes right down the line ,by providing higher rates." Naturally, people who own lots of property and who have large incomes don't like the governor's program. It would hit them hard. There are numerous people in this economic class in the Legis lature, and they would rather have a sales tax. People who own little or no property, and who have small incomes, like the governor's plan. It would not hurt them much. AU of which proves the old saying: The best tax is the one that soaks the other guy. Four years ago, then - Gov. Douglas McKay suggested re moval of the federal tax deduc tion. This idea didn't get any place. But. when the showdown came, this wasn't needed, be cause the Legislature found enough surplus income tax funds to balance the budget. SALES TAX Up to now, a sales tax bill could be passed easily through the Legislature. This time, it's a toss up, because of opposition from the governor and the Democrats. Of the 25 Democrats in the House, 22 probably would vote' against a sales tax. If only eight Republicans supported the gov ernor, a sales tax would be block ed. The Legislature doesn't have floor leaders for .each parly, as Congress and most legislatures do. But there are a few lawmakers who serve the same purpose, and it's already possible lo tell who the Legislature's leaders are. The Republican leader in the House Is Rep. Loran L. Stewart, Cottage Grove lumberman. Speak er Ed Geary has made Stewart his chief lieutenant, as welt as chairman of the Tax Committee. DEMOCRATIC LEADERS The Democratic leaders in the House are Reps. Maurine Neuber ger and Alfred H. Corbett, both of Portland. In the Senate, the biggest Re publican wheels are Sens. Paul Geddes, Roseburg; Howard C. Belton, Canby; and Warren Gill, Lebanon. Ranking close behind them are Sens. Gene Brown, Grants Pass, and John Merri field, Portland. The man who appears to run the Democratic strategy in the upper House is Sen. Monroe Sweetland, Milwaukic. He's Democratic na tional committeeman. erican people, then a "whole cli que of spies" could not do greater damage. . What made this speech so re markable was that in the Sen ate Cain was one of the extrem ists linked with the McCarthy-Jenner-Welker trio. As he said in his address to Republicans at Spokane, he has come to a reali zation of the threat to freedom inherent in the present security system as a result of two years of sitting, listening and thinking. After his defeat for re-election in 1952, Cain was appointed by President Eisenhower to be a member of the Subversive Activ ities Control board. This board has responsibility for determin ing whether the attorney general is correct in listing organizations as dominated, controlled and di rected by the Communist Party and therefore subversive. The board holds extensive hearings and it has generally been rated as conscientious and thorough. CONFERRED WITH OFFICIALS What was not known when Cain made his speech was that be had conferred with White House Officials about what he was going to say well in advance. This .was in no sense to get approval of his proposed criticisms of the security system. But he wanted those most immediately con cerned with the problem to know the line of reasoning he had reached. Remembering Cain for his of ten wild-eyed statements about the Communist danger, the cyn ics were inclined to look for a political motive in the speech. But those close to Cain reject this cynical interpretation. They say for many months he has been quietly discussing his doubts of the system now in force and the injustices it has caused. They believe this has been a genuine process of soul-searching by one who has been observing the loyalty-security operation at first hand. Cain quoted President Eisen hower's statement of more than a year ago as follows: "In this country i someone ac cuses you, he must confront you; he cannot assassinate you or your character from behind without suffering the penalties an out raged citizenry will impose." TOO MUCH TERRITORY If a security system is to work without endangering freedom, the "outraged citizenry" must cry but in indignation whenever the citizen encounters or uncov ers an act of injustice. He added the hope that "Republican lead ers will begin to acknowledge the criticisms more rapidly and move more swiftly in correcting mistakes in judgment or pro cedure when they occur." The former senator acknowledged that in years in the Senate he often tried to cover too much territory. In his speech Cain cited three instances in which he said the 'internal security apparatus had failed completely in one respect or another to balance the re quirements of freedom with the demands of security. The first was the case of Wolf Ladejin sky, former agricultural attache in Tokyo, which received wide publicity when the Department . of Agriculture denied him clear ance and then he was cleared and given a job by the Foreign Operations Administration. The second case, that of Victor Havris of Detroit, is less well known. A master sergeant in the Air Force with 14 years service behind him, Havris was found to be a security risk because when he was 12 years old his father took him to a Communist meet ing. The Mavris case is being re viewed at a higher1 level. VERDICT OVERRULED The third case, that of Milo J. Radulovich, an Air Force first lieutenant pronounced a secur ity risk because of his sister's alleged pro-Communist activities, was resolved in Radulovich's fav- ' or when Air Force Secretary Harold Talbott overruled secur ity officers. Out of his experience of the past two years Cain lists what be believes to be the major defects of the present security system. One,' which has been frequently cited, is that there is no unifor mity of standards between the departments and bureaus and no top review board. Another major defect is that security officers are so often inexperienced, naive and ignorant. One gathers from Cain's speech that his own prescription two years of sit ting, listening, and thinking would do a great deal for those who administer the security pro gram. Certainly, it has worked an extraordinary transformation in Cain's own case. (Distributed by United Fea-'t' ture Syndicate, Inc.) FREDERICK C. OTHMAN A lobbyist is suggesting that the Oregon Legislature could save a lot of time by having electronic voting systems. In the House, it takes about three minutes to call the roll of 60 names. Late in the session, when there are- 30 or 40 rollcalls, it would save at least two hours a day. Let's Have a High Tariff For Us Clothespin Makers IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG The Eagle EUGENE (To the Editor) How many readers of the Sat. Eve. Post noticed the caricature of The American Eagle on the cover page of the Jan. 15th num ' ber, that annual number dedi cated to the memory of the Great American, Benjamin Franklin? The bald eagle, indigenous to North America, and possessing qualities typifying the aims and aspirations' of the new Republic, was chosen as a National Em blem. As a National Emblem the American Eagle represents our government. In this connection it is of historical importance to note that Benjamin Franklin bit terly opposed the adoption of the eagle as the National Emblem on account of its habit of robbing other more agile smaller birds of the prey they had secured. Now we see both Benjamin and the American Eagle adorning the cover page of The Post in ap parent partnership. The American Eagle, as a Na tional Emblem, looks to his right, facing the foe. Holds an olive branch in his right talon, signi fying the U. S. as a peaceful na tion. In his left talon he holds arrows, proclaiming to the world our ability and readiness to go to war when our efforts for an hon orable peace fail. rtow, take another look at the eagle as used by the Post. In terpret the meaning as used in this fashion. This is an annual offense committed by The Post. Jan. 16th. '54 the eagle was much larger, but the same caricature. There were about six letters passed between me and the Art Editor of The Post. He was told where he ould obtain authentic information. He ordered a copy of "So Proudly We Hail," a code treaties on our National Em blems, approved by the 77th Con gress. When wc read the discourse on page 3, This Week's Cover, we find sentimeift worthy our best Americans. Could the Art Editor have written those words? My correspondence with him may get under way again. Instead of calling his attention to lift error i e this year, I have sent a letter to LETTERS in The Post which I hope will be published. The average Joe on the street will say, "What's the difference"? Really, perhaps not much. Just the difference between right and wrong. Just the difference be tween right and left. W. E. BUCHANAN. P.D.C., Dept. Oregon USWV., 1158 High St. On Zoos EUGENE (To the Editor) A letter is in my possession and I pass it on to Mrs. Jenke, Mr. Dudeck and others interested. "ST. LOUIS ZOOLOGICAL PARK Under the management of the Zoological Board of Control St. Louis 10, Mo. January 13, 1955 Mr. Edgar Zehrung 448 W. 8th, Apt. 6 Eugene, Oregon. Dear Mr. Zehrung: Under separate cover we are sending you a copy of our guide book, which shows our layout and type of operation. However, you must remember that St. Louis has a population which approaches one million people, with a metropolitan area of twice that, and that our type of installation probably would not be suitable for a small com munity. Your verv trulv, ZOOLOGICAL BOARD OF CONTROL By H. CONWAY Administrative Assistant" This is the first of 22 replies I expect to receive from various zoos and zoological gardens in the USA and other countries. I ?ust wonder if this Emerald Empire will ever reach the one million mar Didn't realize St Louis was so large. Any of you readers ever been to thfir zoo? If so. why not grab a pen and describe some of the attractions to me. I' answer! Perhaps they have i extra hippopotami. who ants to manage a hipr.' EV9XU ZEHRUNG 6 448 West 8th, Apt8 Wire-Tapping SALEM (To the Editor) This is in reference to your editorial of last week commenting on the re cent opinion by this office render ed to Senator Don Husband rela tive to the admissibility of evid ence obtained by the means of wire-tapping. Your editorial quite correctly points out that the func tion and authority of the Attorney general's office is to interpret existing law, not to make it. Personally, I am opposed to wire-tapping except in cases of espionage or subversive activities (only after court permission has been obtained as in the case of search warrants), but my own views are entirely beside the point and do not give me authority to change the law to conform with my personal views. As stated in concluding my opinion: "While the interception of mes sages is undoubtedly an invasion of the right of privacy and a civil remedy for damages may be available, wire-tapping is not a criminal act in Oregon. To rectify this situation the matter should be brought to the attention of the legislature, but it cannot be cor rected by expanding, liberalizing or placing a strained construction upon exisUng legislation." ROBERT Y. THORNTON Attorney General. In the Mud EUGENE (To the Editor) Just recently I parked on East Park facing the City Park (Not trying to be funny). I found my self and others walking in mud to use the meters. Having oc casion to wait there a few min utes in my car I watched these other people picking their way in and out in their act of being legal and wondered why some of the fai from these premium rated meters should not be spent for some fine crushed rock to m&e a decent path for the bene fit of these parking customers. FRANK BRAUVORD Box 241, Route 2 WASHINGTON The manufac turers of wrist watches, bicycles, dinner plates, briar pipes, plas tic clothespins, baby shoes, paper clips, and a few hundred other items are about to descend upon the House Ways and Means Com mittee to complain that foreign competition is ruining them. They'll have figures to prove this and I am sure they will be sincere. Many of them will say that they believe firmly in the principles of free trade, but that exceptions should be made in their own desperate cases. This won't be funny insofar as they are concerned, but it begins to sound that way when repeated about items ranging from albums, photo, to zithers, mahogany. But this is a new year and some things are changed. Even the sanctum of the Committee looks different. For years I en joyed mentioning the gold-draped chamber of the gentlemen in charge of the money bags; this somehow" seemed appropriate. Now the golden damask is gone; replaced by a coat of peculiarly vivid green paint. TARIFF CUTS And there's President Eisen hower, asking of Congress again the right to reduce tariffs for the next three years. Last year his own Republican Party wouldn't go along with him. Now Demo crats are in charge and the tone of their questioning indicates that they agree Eisenhower has a good idea. As of now I'd say the chances arc better for the tax on imported clothespins (and numerous other things) going down instead of up. The first witnesses on the President's side were his own secretaries of state, defense, and treasury, all of whom agreed that freer trade meant n$re trade. I missed hearing them on account of other events that seemed more interesting at the time, but I did spend about three hours listen ing to Harold E. Stassen. You remember him. He ran for president once and I recall plcas urably that he passed out free sandwiches to press and politi cian alike at his Philadelphia campaign headquarters. Now he's director of the Foreign Opera tions Administration. And I must report that he made an especially, persuasive witness. If ,we won't' buy stuff from the folki in Europe, he said, then we've got to give 'em relief money. It is that simple, he said. Now, he continued, our flow of billions to Europe has been reduced to a mere trickle and this is because the Europeans, themselves, are back on their feet in a business way. They're buying almost as much from us as we're selling to them and they are enjoying their greatest pros perity in history. "What they can buy from us is limited in large measure by W what we can buy from them," he said. "It is neither sound nor wise to try to substitute an aid program for what trade ought to be doing." He agreed with Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson that we'd be smart to start trading with Russia, if we could swap our surplus butter for their manga nese. The butter might help fat ten up some hungry Ruskies, but we'd be ahead of the game if we got their manganese to go into our steel. Some of the congress men were concern about the pos sibilities of trading with the Reds, on the theory, apparently, that they'd skunk us. FIRST-CLASS TRADER "It has been my experience that the American businessman is a first-class trader," Stassen said. About the only complaint I have about Stassen as a witness concerns his pile of charts and red and yellow spots on 'em, as j well as green stripes and also pale green stripes. These made sense to him, but most of the committeemen never did figure 'em out. They asked for copies so they could study the pictures. I'd say that Stassen would have done better without his easel, but that's the way it is with top men in government. They've got to have their graphs to giv 'em confidence. SO THEY SAY The Soviets have got the H bomb. There is no douift about it AEC Chairman Strauss. Our own nation makes itson tribution to the peaceful settle- ment of these issues (prisoner dealings with Red China) by heed? ing the Biblical injunction to "be slow to anger." Secretary of State Dulles.
