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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 1963)
PAGB -A HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falli. Oregon Thursdf, Majr t, MM EDSON IN WASHINGTON fcdihfdaL (paqsL Right-Wingers Gain Stature Militant rightists in this country are not troubled over the argument that they consti tute a very small minority ot the voting popu lation. They believe, with good reason, that they have a lot going for them. From the past record, few could doubt that they have ample money resources. But a rather startling prediction that right-wingers will spend more in 1964 than both major party national committees com bined may cast the right-wing effort in a somewhat new light. The forecast comes from Wesley Mc Cune of Group Research, Inc., an agency that keeps tab on rightist activity. It is notable, too, that right-wing money evidently is being spent these days with more concentrated effect than before. There are persistent reports that powerful assaults are being leveled against a number of moderate .o liberal politicians in the Mountain states where a dollar may go a long way. Furthermore, the rightist movement is attracting more "prestige" leadership than ever In its history. Ezra Taft Benson, former secretary of agriculture under Dwight Eisen hower, leads an organization called "We, the People!" Benson's son, Reed, is active in the John Birch Society In western areas. Retired generals and admirals are joining up in larg er numbers. Rightists often have been concerned over a public image given some of them as "freaks and oddities." In recent months they have managed more and more to dispel this image by gaining audiences among business and pro fessional groups of long standing, farm bureaus, and the like. Robert Welch, head of the Birch Society, who labels Eisenhower a Communist or a Red dupe, won warm response from a top business club in Chicago. Nor is the right-wing discouraged by talk it is a fly-by-night thing which took severe lickings in 1962 voting and is declining. Four John Birch candidates for Congress lost in 1962. But two got more than 45 per cent of the vote and all got at least 40 per cent. If New York's new Conservative party could duplicate later the 141,000 votes it got for governor last year, it could decide a close election. Researcher McCune points out also that aggressive rightist activity did not start with President Kennedy's election in 1960. A whole host of organizations trace their history back to the 1940s and even 1930s. Even Gerald L. K. Smith is still flourishing in the field. Right-wingers may be on the "fringe" in terms of relative numbers. But by a good many other measures, they are right in the thick of the nation's political combat. Gas Tax, Highway Bonds (Oregon Statesman, Salam) A new wrinkle has been injected ln the drive In the Legislature for selling more high way bonds to finance construction. Two bills are ln committees: one ln the House for $37 million in bonds to finance work in Tillamook County on U.S. 101, and other roads; another, in the Senate, for $17 million to reconstruct U.S. 20 from Corvallls to Newport. The gim mick is to authorize an increase in the gas tax of one-half cent to finance this bond pro gram. Whatever way you slice it, it is more taxes and more bonds. With the Legislature busy devising ways to extract some $60 mil lion more from the state'a taxpayers for gen eral fund purposes, to add a one-half cent gas tax to the present six-cent state tax will be oppressive. As for the bonds, It's time to call a halt to selling highway bonds to expedite construc tion; and time to have the Legislature quit picking out roads and bridges to build, cither by designation of use of bond proceeds, or by the "gentlemen's agreement" route. The people know that we'll never be through building roads. We should stay on a pay-as-we-build basis. This is the more im portant since we already owe nearly $70 mil lion in highway bonds, which last year called for payment of $6,800, principal and $1,838, 700 interest. True, the people had the roads the money built; but the debt service forces other communities to wait longer for their improvements. The Statesman endorses the stand of the Benton County highway committee which opposes sale of more road bonds, though its section of U.S. 20 is one which would get a share of the bond money proposed. Letters To The Editor Candidate Lct'i continue the discussion of reorganisation. At ttatea in I prcvioui letter. I prefer the metro-county district!, with the pur pose that it would achieve I Jun ior high tystem. ln the junior hiph ayitem gradei aeven, tight and nine, the atudenta have the opportunity to adjust to the fu ture problems of the senior high. These age groups are in the grnwing-up stage, and have a lcttcr opportunity to mature to gether for Die senior high. The education at planned for Ilia junior high Mould prepare tlx atiidont f o r better education through the tenlor high. Allhough I do favor the junior high tytlem with a metro-county district, I am not In favor of building additional buildings un til va decide which type of edu cational system we want, to that our future building plant can be sensibly organized. In the past week, a tingle dit to ict organization has presented petition to the county board nd District No. 1, to force an election for a single school dis trict. We should say a county school district, as there shall he one board from the county lo govern all school grades one to 12. The main reason for this dis trict is for tax purposes, at I'm sure there has been given little thought to what educational stan dards will prevail, or what sys tem of education we will have. I assume from my point of view lh.it those interested people want two large high schools, one at KU and the other at Henley, or can there be another reason? Will we benefit from lax re duction! or education in one uni fied district? There ii only one advantage and that'a education. Each atudent by hii equal ihare of the tax burden ihould have the equal type of educaUon no matter where he livei in the county- Let's list the disadvantages. I. Ai a county unit the school board is elected by population. Of court there. will be represen tation from the rural area. As the population it concentrated in the Klamath Falls area, three director! would hat to come from the metro area, the other two from the rural area, and when representation is finally es tablished, one director would come from the immediate area of Klamath Falls. Can these directors from the city area cope with the problems of tlie rural school and vice versa? One thing sure every school must be on an equal basis, and these director! will find them, lelvei in a very unworkable sit uation. 2 Will we save taxes? How can we? It seems like we just have to build new buildings. So this is what happens. Pressure hss to be taken from KU. Ad ditional buildings must be built at Henley at once. In addition to the annual serial levy In effect by the county, we will heve tn get inlo an immediate building program. One must remember that we are all paying equal taxes. The Henley School must be equipped just like KU. Additional taxes must be levied to meet all of these requirements. Next, here we have two large high schools, and all equipment hat to be maintained with higher budgets. Rut wait, we're only talking about Henley. Those students at Merrill. Malm. Bly. Bonanza. Gilchrist, etc. are entitled to the same advantages as the metro area schools. You should insist that they have equal opportunity. Why should they suf fer? So as these conditions arise, higher taxes have to be levied for this expansion. S. How about teachers. Will the same high caliber teacher in the city area school be in the rural school? Will there be an acute problem to obtain rural school teachers? Will the pay scale be the same for every teacher, whether he teaches in the rural area or the city area' Ask the administration of the coun ty district If any such problems would arise. As I have always maintained, our school problem it a metro politan problem, and must be met by the people in this area If we expect top-notch education we're not going to get It for peanuts. We need to unite our ele mentary schools In the city with the suburban area. We must have the high caliber education found in metropolitan schools. Why must we always involve those taxpayers In the county with our headaches ot the metro area? Klamath Falls is the huh of our county. If we are to at tract Industry or other business es, our school system hat lo be a prime consideration of those in terested concerns. I cannot be lieve that a single county district will solve any of our school pro blems. This Is a summary of my posi tion It l most important that the budget be defeated. I know it can be greatly reduced without impairing the quality of educa tion. If it is passed, it is your Indication that you approve of the conditions that now prevail at KU. I definitely oppose the split schedule or any modification of it. I would carefully assess the existing conditions to determine strengths and shortcomings, and with the cooperative endeavor plus the utilization of the intel lectual and professional resources of our high school, would strive lo upgrade our academic policies. The participation of the class room teacher is helping to evolve plans and policies is very impor tant, particularly if It affects the teachers and their professional responsibilities. Every board member must prevail with the highest moral standards, as his responsibility is lo the parent, and lo the com munity. I would work for good salary schedules for our teachers. If e are to employ excellent teachers, we must be in a position tn offer a salary commensurate with their ability. The voters should have the utmost confidence in the integrity of their school board members. What I have said in this and every letter sent to the editor it my sincere beliefs. I urge you to demonstrate your en thusiasm at the school election May s. The decisions are in your hands. Boo Fredrickson. Candidate for School Board No 2 Change Sought In Foreign Aid Status By PETER EDSON Washington Correspondent Newspaper Enterprise Assn. WASHINGTON (NEA) Endors ing recommendations of the Presi dent's Committee to Strengthen the Security of the Free World, headed by Gen. Lucius D. Clay, a private research organization here has called for greater em phasis on private enterprise in foreign aid by both giving and receiving nations. Promoting this proposal is the International Economic Policy Association, whose president, N. R. Danielian. is former head of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Association. Supporting the new organiza tion are such big companies as Alcoa, Chrysler, Ford Interna tional, International Telephone and Telegraph, Hoppers, Monsan to, Pfizer. Owens Corning, Ow ens Illinois and others. Their recommendations, to be made to Senate and House com mittees considering next year's foreign aid program, include: Strengthen t h e Hickcnlnnp cr amendment, which denies U.S. property without compensation. Extend U.S. investment guar antee programs to more countries. Reorganize U.S. Agency for In ternational Development AID to give private investment a greater role. Define specifically the areas in which governmcnt-to-government financing for public enterprises should be limited so that the pri vate sector can be developed more fully. Encourage all forms of invest ment by private, public and coop erative sources in accordance with the political and economic system of each country, so as to get multiplicity of ownership and maximum economic growth. These recommendations are based on a finding that there is not enough capital available from all forms of saving and taxation to meet the demands of the devel oping countries. It is concluded that the United States has over-extended itself in trying to meet too much of this demand. About one-third of the U.S. na tional debt of $303 billion is at tributed lo post-World War II for eign aid programs. Of this, about $66 billion has been in grants and $34 billion in loans, some ol which now are being repaid. From 1U50 through 1962 the U.S. balance of payments deficits has totaled $26 billion. Of this, $3. billion has been in U.S. gold ex ports and $18 billion in liquid liabilities now held by foreign governments who could demand payment in gold. While it is frequently claimed that SO per cent of the foreign aid dollars are spent in the Unit ed States, tlvs includes eight per cent for military aid and eight per cent for sales of U.S. agri cultural supluses for foreign cur rencies. Also, the 20 per cent of foreign aid dollars spent abroad add to the balance of payments deficit. Another drain comes from the sale of foreign securities in the United States. Totaling $5.5 bil lion from 1930 through 1301. these flotations were $1 billion in 1962 and are running at the same rate so far this year. .The U.S. Foreign trade posi tion also has been shifting to America's disadvantage. While the volume of U S. exports has been rising, exports of other countries have been rising, too. And U.S. exports as a percentage of world exports have been de clining. U.S. imports also have been in creasing. While this country used to be a net exporter of iron and steel, petroleum and even autos, it now imports more than it ex ports. International Economic Pol icy Association estimates that the U.S. would need $9 billion increase in exports to balance its trade position. ' In summary, the association's analysis shows a tremendous Millions of Dollars 1945-1961 U. S. LOANS AND GRANT i ECONOMIC AND MILITARY S,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 ; I WESTERN EUROPE ' OTHER COUNTRIES -I 1 1 1 vi l 1 1 f m Less Than One Million Dollars 3,000 : ; WESTERN EUROPE OTHER COUNTRIES 2,000 ; '1 V 1,000 ' zzr v Sif1" MILITARY ""-n. tJ ol PNlt-4-Jn i i i i i i i i nu FOREIGN LOANS AND GRANTS Newschart shows the net loans and grants made by the United States since 1945 in the economic and military categories. They are shown as going to western European countries and other nations of the free world. The economic chart shows the shift of U. S. aid since 1954 from the developed countries of western Europe to the less developed. Data: Department of Commerce. change in free world economic patterns. After World War II, the Ameri can aid effort was directed to putting U.S. dollars in foreign hands for their recovery. The process may have been carried too far. It is now necessary to ask Eur ope, Japan and other countries to pay a larger share of develop ment costs. While direct American private investments overseas have risen from $11.8 billion in 1950 to $34.7 billion in 1961, there is need for more, ft is believed they can be", a source of increased return to the U.S., if proper incentives are ' given. Of the $3.7 billion earnings from foreign investments in 1961, $1 billion was reinvested abroad and $2.7 billion returned to the U.S. 'Can't You Read?--Get Lost!" STRICTLY PERSONAL By SYDNEY J. HARRIS Purely Personal Prejudices To achieve self-honesty, we should approach with mistrust all those "principles" we uphold th.it co incide so neatly with our profit and self-interest: It is only when we hold to a principle lh.it does not benefit us land may. indeed, injure us in a material way that we may feel reasonably con fident of its truth. From many writers, we learn something; from a lew writers, we become something; only the latter are ultimately ol any value. The men who make revolu tion are usually the first oes to he unseated by it. as the Old Bolsheviks were swiftly executed in Russia: and Hie 'sial flaw in all revolutionary doctrines is that they provide no pattern of steady succession, and simply cre ate an atmosphere for their own overthrow. It is a sincular train in Anglo Saxon society that brilliance in conversation is the surest way tn evoke suspicion in the compa nv; unlike the Latins, who appre ciate and admire verbal dexterity, we and the English instinctively suspect any man who speaks llu enlly and amusingly of being ei ther 'slippery'- or "not quite sound." No laborer works as hard for his necessities as the executive does lor his luxuries; and till Is the Inony el modern-day alftu ence. as compared with the pov erty of bygone eras that what used In he called the "leisure class" Is now the coronary class. The psychological reason that it is necessary to respect excel lence was shrewdly put by Goe the, when he observed. ' There is no delense against someone else's superiority except love." Xo superstition of the ignorant is half as damaging u the chief superstition of the educated which consists in the erroneous belief that knowing the proper words for something signifies that we comprehend It and are in con trol ol it. Men nf similar vices band to gether, not for company but for camnufhge; for when the birds are all of a feather, the peculiar striping of earn does not stand out mi much. The conscious search for sereni ty is one of the main sources of continual agitation and perpetual unfulfilment. The real reason that It is pro roundly immoral to live by the ru that "the ends justify the means" is that nobody can know what the ends will be isn often are they cnti ary to our best in tentions1, and ail we can regulate are the means we use: and if Urse are cruel or evil, they in themselves pervert and deflect the ends we aim at. BILLIONS OF dollars DIRECT. PRIVATE INVESTMENT 347 EARNINGS BILLIONS ,' OF 37 DOLLARS REPATRIATED M ,7 REPATRIATED 11 ' I I ' ' I 11.8 1950 1961 9.1 n 77 '4.6 . 3.6 2.5 36 1950 1961 1930 1961 1950 1961 1950 1961 1950 1961 1950 1961 TOTAL CANADA tfwCk EUROPE ASIA oTHERs" FOREIGN INVESTMENT PICTURE Newschart shows how investments abroad bv private U. S. interests have almost tripled between 1951 (SU.8 billion) and 1961 ($34.7 billion). The inset shows earnings and repatriation of the invest ments. The $2 billion earned on the 1950 investment rep resents a 17 per cent return. In 1961 earnings were $3.7 billion, an 11 per cent return. Letters To The Editor Constructive l have read with interest the letters published recently in your paper which pertain to our school problems. I was especially in terested in those from two of the candidates for the position being vacated by Mr. .lohn Voth of the K.L'.H.S. Board. One of the candidates. Mr. Fredrickson. proposes that we adopt a metro-county plan of re organization. This plan would solve the long-range problems, does not split the suburban ares, and does away with overlapping district boundaries. However, he does not tell us how to finance this plan. Hud he continued tn attend the meetings of the Citizens' Com mittee with the Klamath School Board Association, he would have known that this plan could not he realized. Without enabling leg islation, which it is impossible to obtain at this time, there can be no equalization nf educational funds. Without this equalization, millage rates would be affected in the following way City up e .lfi mills. Suburbs up 15.16 mills, County down 10.0 mills. Mr. Fred rickson cannot seem to under stand that the suburban people will never vote in favor of this excessive tax raise. As each affected area has veto power, it would he a waste of time and money to present this plan to the voters. Let us be realistic in our approach. When this candidate says that reorganization has In be accomplished now. I agree with him. but I do not see that he has proposed an acceptable method for doing so. Mr. Hyde, the second candidal! who has written to you. does not propose to close K.l'. or vote down the budget as a means of protesting tlie split schedule as does Mr. Fredrickson. Rather, he wisely urges support of the budg ets. I feel that it is unfortunate that Mr Hyde did not choose to be come interested in our school problems until recently. Had he been meeting with tlie Citizens' Committee and with the tchool hoards, he would know that his plan of reorganization was consid ered by them and received little support. This plan was known as the gerrymander plan, and was thoucht to be unwise, as it would not solve long-ranje edu cational problems, would divide the sutvirbs, and would cause an inequitable tax shift in certain areas Millar would he affected as follows City up 3 16 mills. South Suburbs down 5 1 mills. North Suburbs up 11 96 mills in one area and N.66 mills In another area, and County down 2.4 mills. Millagcs are based on this year's operating budgets and would be subject lo change. Be cause suburban representation on the County School Board is inade quate, the 13.000 voters in this area know they must stand to gether to see that our interests in education are made known. The gerrymander plan is not the an swer tn our problems. A perfect solution will not be found, as there are unforeseen problems in every situation. I do Ihink. however, that there is one plan which provides us with a workable solution. This is reor ganization into a single county unit. This plan would enable us to care for future population growth as it would do away with overlapping districts. Administra tion could he more effective. It would be flexible in that build ings, teachers, and facilities could he used interchangeably as needed for the education of our youth. All the children in the county would have a basic standard edu cation with "frills" added by lo cal area interest groups as need ed. Under a single county unit plan we can make our education what we want it to he. We have not yet heard from the third candidate (or this position on the hoard. I am hoping that he too will express his views in a letter to the editor. Mr. C. O. Borstmg has served previously on the K.l'.H S. Board and is well acquainted with our problems. His thinking will be hacd on studies made by the K.U. Board, the Citizens' Committee, and the Klamath School Board Associa tion, as he has beer, working with these people throughout the year. Our great ailing is our lac k of information. Frequently we make decisions from ignorance and mis reformation. We operate on hear say and propaganda because w-e are usually too busy to take the time to investigate and base our opinions on all the facts. We must learn tn evaluate and then re spond with strength and intelli gence, ln this way. we will have a better community and inev lahly a better world. Beth Binfnrd. XiU AKa Avenue. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Cr-Who u the last writing tuner e-f the Derlaritwa of In epen ee? A-Charle Cairo '
