PAGE 41
HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falls, Oregon , Sunday, November 10, 19M
Lawmakers Hunt Tax Defeat Meaning
A Departing Citizen
Thousands of people cross through the
Klamath Basin every, year.
The population shift in this area Is
probably even more accented than in many
other communities.
Each of these passing people leaves a
mark, to some degree, on the community.
Occasionally, one among them stands
out like a giant in one field or another, mak
ing an indelible mark on the community and
leaving a big vacancy on departure.
Such a man is William B. Sweelland,
Herald and News publisher, who recently
left to take over a similar post in Chester,
Pa.
He arrived in the community in 1960
and in just over three years compressed as
much civic activity as most men engage in
during a lifetime in a community.
A dynamo of community activity, much
of Sweetland's effort was unrecognized. He
wished it this way.
One of the more publicized posts he
held was as a member of the Slate Constitu
tional Revision Committee. In this vital role,
he lent conservative support to the effort
to rewrite the constitution and produce a
document that would maintain the orderly
and conservative course of government in
this slate. Much of the conservative work,
however, was lost in the swirl of liberalism
that shrouded much of the group's activity.
This, however, was just one of his ac
tivities. The list of accomplishments and serv
ice is long. He served as a director of the
Klamath County Chamber of Commerce,
and was a member of the chamber's hospital
committee, later serving as a member of the
board of directors of the Intercommunity
Hospital.
He also was a member of the directors
of the Community Concert Association, and
was instrumental in the organization of a
local symphony group.
His interests ranged afar to include rec
reation. He was a member of the Recreation
Advisory Board of the Forest Service with
particular attention during the last year to
the future status of the Waldo Lake area.
And there were many more activities
beneath the surface of community life that
contributed greatly to progress.
Among other projects he envisioned
and launched with newspaper sponsorship
was the annual Christmas parade and the
Christmas party for the Klamath County
Nursing Home.
A dedicated newspaper executive,
Swcctland was also a dedicated community
interest man.
His departure leaves a big vacancy and
the community loses an enthusiastic sup
porter. Our loss is Chester's gain.
Meaning Is Clear
The first special session of the Ore
gon Legislature since 1957 convenes tomor
row in Salem to face up to a financial crisis.
. Any Legislator who maintains that he
does not know what the people want, and
doesn't understand the vote at the special
election, has no business going to Salem.
He's out of touch with the people he
represents!
X In our opinion, the mandate of the
people was vividly clear when they over
whelmingly, defeated the proposed tax in
crease measure at the special election.
In big bold letters they spelled out
their demand for "ECONOMY IN GOVERN
MENT." We don't believe they were necessarily
striking at any segment of tax supported
institutions or programs, but were simply
rebelling against the steadily increasing
cost of maintaining these institutions and
programs in the light of very small popula
tion growth and even smaller industrial
growth in the slate.
They indicated, also overwhelmingly,
that while they did not want the entire $B0
million cut out of the budget, they wanted
a big chunk of it cut out, and if additional
funds were needed to meet the balance, they
want some sort of new tax program that
will provide some type of cigarette tax and
general sales lax.
While we will not attempt to detail
such a program to the special session, there
are some things we feel need special at
tention. Among them we would suggest that any
cuts in budgets should most certainly in
clude slicing the salaries of Legislators
back to $150 a month. Also, any cutting
program should include a sizeable cut in
welfare funds in addition to cuts in the
basic school support fund.
Beyond this, we would urge that the
Legislators have the fortitude to propose a
constitutional amendment changing the sta
tus of some of the "earmarked" funds that
the state spends.
Today, these earmarked funds amount
to almost two-thirds of the total stale budg
et. The general fund, which totalled about
$400 million, represents only one-third of
the total state budget. The total budget ex
ceeds the $1 billion mark.
Yet, two-thirds of this is beyond reach
of the Legislature, the Governor or any
other elected bodies.
To give you an example of what this
amounts to, we might cite the fact that the
amount earmarked to be spent for highways
and parks alone in the 1903-65 budget was
equal to the total amount to be spent for
education. The amount earmarked from
liquor revenues to be spent for stale liquor
stores operations, administration, plus per
centages given to cities and counties, is
just about equal to the amount in the gen
eral fund budget to pay for government op
erations and public health expenses.
Not all earmarked funds are bad, but
when they begin to consume two-thirds of
the total amount of money available for
state operation, it is time to put them in their
proper perspective.
It's about time that a responsible Leg
islature begins to take a look at tomorrow's
needs and ceases trying to patch something
together that might last another two years.
The citizens will be keeping a sharp eye
on Salem and awaiting the results of this
special session.
Boom In Private Schools
By 1.KROY POPE
'. NEW YOKK (L'PI) - Civil
lights, juvenile delinquency and
a bis birth rale are making Ihe
private school in this country
an excellent business (or teach
ers. The Federal Welfare Depart
ment says the numlier of pri
vate schools, including paro
chial schools, has jumped from
Root) to 17,(ioo in the past de
cade. About 6.9 million children
or 14.3 per cent of the total
grade school and high school
population are In these schools
this year.
The demand for teachers has
hrcn booming for years, accord
ing to the National Association
of Teaching Agencies.
The boom in tcucher demand
bus pushed salaries lip sharply.
Tlia biggest raises have been
in tin boarding schools. Five
years ago, a young college
graduate was lucky to get I
i smarting alary of 11,800 to
$2,000 plus mm and boafd In
a good private school. Today lie
can get $.1,1100.
Juvenile delinquency is caus
ing many teachers to change
jobs leaving (lie "problem
schools" in the hearts of the big
cities for private schools or pul
lic schools in the better sub-
urbs.
The private school room np
ears to lie based largely on
the desire of parents to est aie
juvenile delinquency and the
conflicts attendant on racial in
tegration but not entirely so.
The Catholic church is expand
ing its parochial school building
rapidly, particularly in new sub
urban areas. A large part of all
private schools are under reli
gious auspices and the Catholic
church operates the lion's share
ol these.
The new private nondenomi
national day schools being cre
ated frankly to escape juvenile
delinquency and racial conflict
usually are called "parents'
schools."
The greatest number of these
"parents' schools" is in the
South bul they aie being creat
ed on the Irmges of northern
industrial cities loo.
Many of the new private
schools arc not ouculcd merely
at dodging juvenile delinquency
and racial contlict. Some are
guided by a desire lor sharp
curriculum reform; tliey start
leaching languages in the pri
mary grades, lor example.
Some were founded and are
run by parents' committees and
teachers who are Irankly hos
tile to "progressive education";
lor example, they return to the
alphabetic method of teaching
trading in vogue sixty years
ago.
Tlie parents' schools succeed
in luring teachers away from
public schools without offering
higher wages; in the private
schools, as a rule, teachers
needn't fear hulking lads with
switchblade knives. Also, class
es are smaller, 10 to 11 pupils
against 20 to 40 in public
schools. -t
By ZAN STARK
SALEM (L'PI I There appears
to be an almost fanatical re
fusal on the part of some of
the states leaders to admit that
the Oct. 15 tax defeat meant
STOP SPENDING.
Many lawmakers and state of
ficials are frantically scurrying
about in search for the "true
meaning" of t h e referendum
election.
Sales lax proponents inlerpret
the vote as a mandate to in
troduce a new tax to Oregon.
Friends of education claim
tlie voters support education,
but didn't like the legislature's
lax increase bill.
Some lawmakers privately
want to retaliate against the
voters by enacting a scries of
nuisance taxes.
Gov. Mark Hatfield has called
for re-passage of the one - shot
speedup of withholding collec
tions to bting in $12 million this
biennium a part of the tax
bill tlie voters rejected.
But few indeed are the
state's leaders who suggest the
Oct. 13 vote was a demand for
economy.
It would be difficult to im
agine two men with more di
vergent philosophies than Sec
retary of State Howell Appling
Jr., and Senate President Ben
Musa.
Yet they agree on one thing.
They feel the Oct. 15 vote WAS
a mandate to stop spending.
There are many reasons to '
believe they are right.
The loudest pre-election cry
was that a "No" vote would be
a vote against education. Edu
cators felt the public would re
spond. They did they voted 3 1-2 to
1 to defeat the measure.
It now appears three major
blocks of opinion will emerge
at the special sessions begin
ning next Monday.
The Musa bloc opposes re
enactment of the one-shot bill,
or any other new revenue
source, including a sales tax.
This group wants general state
economy, with the biggest cuts
to come out of basic school
support. Basic school cuts can
be offset at the local level by
increased property taxes, and
this group feels the local school
district voters should be free to
make their own choice about
how much they want to pay for
education.
The Hatfield plan calls for en
actment of the one-shot meas
ure, general state economy, and
a less severe cut in basic school
funds.
Then there are the sales tax
people, who insist the voters
on Oct. 15 were demanding a
new form of taxation, not budg
et cuts. The agricultural bloc
seems solidly behind the sales
tax as a method of easing the
local property tax burden. Most
of the sales tax bills proposed
to date have included provision
for a property tax offset. Farm
ers want lower property taxes.
They also want feed, seed and
fertilizer exempted from the
sales tax.
Oregon voters have rejected
sales taxes five times in the
past 30 years.
There also is some support
or a cigarette tax. Voters have
rejected this idea six times
since 1826.
The length of the special ses
sion may depend on how firmly
the Musa bloc stands for no
new revenue.
The session cannot end until
the House adopts a plan the
Senate will approve.
IN WASHINGTON . . .
'We Didn't Agree To Stop Testing You"'
Moon Race Is Phony
By KALPH de TOLEDANO
Perhaps the saddest commen
tary on our times is the insist
ence of our political leaders to
discuss the "moon race" in
terms of Nikita Khrushchev's
intentions. No one seems really
to care whether or not a land
ing on the moon will serve the
cause of science, whether it will
Iwnefit the nation that first
plants its flag on those far-off
dusly acres.
Vet this is precisely what
should be on the minds of our
scientists and our legislators.
Science did not become a politi
cal game until the end of World
War II when the men who
made the bomb suddenly decid
ed to remake the world in their
own misguided image. They de
scended on Congress with a li
brary of wild ideas and half
baked notions and having come
to dinner, they have never de
parted. Now we are debating the
moon landing in the same zany
terms. Comrade Khrushchev
says he isn't going to race us.
Thereupon, one group of politi
cians and scientists argues that
we shouldn't believe him but
plunge ahead with our crash
program. Another group says
he's talking true, therefore let's
slow down. '
The simple fact is that the
moon race was a phony from
the start. If the United States is
seeking scientific information, it
can do much bcltch- by landing
a capsule on the face of the
moon and exposing its unbeliev
ably sensitive and knowing in
struments to the treasure trove
there available. To put a man
on the moon will make many
headlines, but it will not ad
vance space science much if at
all.
On Ihe other hand, if we pour
billions into the project, we
shall be forced to scrimp on
what should be our major ob
jectivethe security of the Unit
ed States. At present, our space
program is geared almost en
tirely to "peaceful" research.
Military space investigations
have slowly been squeezed out
by the civilians. As a result,
this country has liegun to lag in
military space technology.
What Comrade Khrushchev's
ultimate intentions in space
may be is a mailer for the
careful scrutiny of the Nation
al Security Council. But this
country's Intelligence agencies
are well aware that be is not
kidding when lie talks of the
great agricultural shortages or
the heavy cost of nuclear pres
tige. The half-billion dollars in
wheat purchases are no joke to
the Kremlin, nor can they be
explained away as if they were
some vast cold-war gambit.
Comrade Khrushchev is in se
rious economic troubles from
which we are trying to bail him
out. He cannot support a race
competition in the nuclear field.
He must retrench and hope that
his Communist panaceas will
rescue the Soviet Union and its
system of captive nations. He
has. moreover, gotten just
about all the propaganda value
he can out of the space race. If
he continues to challenge us. he
will be forced into second place,
right before the entire world.
On the side of the world, a
crash program makes not much
more sense. It skyrockets costs
and compels our scientists to
try tremendously expensive par
allel courses in experimentation.
By delaying our schedule, we
not only save money but we ad
vance with firmer steps.
Therefore, the words of Rep
resentative Louis C. Wyman of
New Hampshire are of consid
erable significance. Speaking as
the chairman of a Republican
Space Task Force, he asserts
that "we should recontract, re
negotiate, and redefine our
space program to assure U.S.
tactical mobility and superiority
in inner space. The more we
think about it, the less reason
there is for manned lunar land
ings whether or not the Soviet
Union has such a program."
And, Mr. Wyman underlines:
"Tens of billions of borrowed
dollars added to tlie national
debt for a program to put a hu
man being in a place where
there is no atmosphere, no life,
and little but moon dust is not
justified at this lime." I suspect
that most Americans concur.
EDSON IN WASHINGTON
Powell Maneuvers
For Role In Revolt
By PETEIl EDSON
Washington Correspondent
Newsiaper Enterprise Assn.
WASHINGTON (NEA) An
attempt by Rep. Clayton Pow
ell to become the big man in
what he calls an American
"black revolution" is seen here
in his rccenl call for a "sum
mit meeting"' of all Negro or
ganization leaders to work for
civil rights.
In this connection it is re
called that last March Powell
told a Black Muslim meeting at
Madison Square Garden in
New .York: "Boycott all civil
rights organizations not totally
controlled by us."
At this meeting he praised
Malcolm X. Muslim leader.
In recent weeks Powell has
been predicting that no civil
rights legislation would be
passed by Congress this year.
Some civil rights leaders see
such a development as Pow
ell's opportunity to lay the
groundwork for a new effort to
be led by him next year. They
fear that this might be a divi
sive influence, hurting the civil
rights cause.
Other civil rights champions,
admitting Powell's state
ment that 90 per cent of t h e
American Negroes are uncom
mitted and inactive in the civil
rights drive, endorse bis sum
mit meeting. They hope it will
develop more financial support
and personal effort in the fi'turc.
Invitations sent to 50 Negro
organizations by Powell said
this meeting would be off the
record and closed. But the day
before it convened he called a
press conference in the House
Education and Labor Committee
room to announce its 'pro
gram and 45 acceptances.
The meeting, held in this
same Room 42!) of the old
House Office Building, raised
some questions on the propriety
BERRY'S ' WORLD
of organizing a lobby in con
gressional quarters. But since
Powell is committee, chairman,
he gets away with it.
During the current civil rights
fight Chairman Powell forced a
broad fair employment practic
es bill through his committee.
Its main provisions were incor
porated in the revised bill just
reported out hy the House Ju
diciary Committee.
Aside from this, however,
Powell has not been too active
in this year's fight. And he was
not too active in the 11)57 and
liKiO civil rights legislation bat
tles. Powell took part in Ihe march
on Washington for jobs and
freedom last August. But he sat
w ith the other congressmen and
was not invited to speak by
leaders of "the Big Six."
The "Big Six" are the Na
tional Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People,
Committee on Racial Equality,
Southern Christian Leadership,
Student Non-violent Co-ordinating
Committee, Urban League
and Negro American Labor
Council. They organized the
march, later becoming "Ihe Big
Ten" by inclusion of integrated
church groups.
Powell insisted at his press
conference that the new Negro
summit was not being organized
in opposition to the Big Six.
which arc already committed
to civil rights.
His aim is to got the uncom
mitted organizations working to
complement the efforts of 1 h c
Big Six. He said getting the
Big Six to work with his organ
ization might be its second step.
Curiously enough. 10 of the
organizations sending delegates
to the Powell summit confer
ence already are working with
the Big Six and about 50 other
while and integrated groups in
the leadership conference on
civil rights. This is the big lob
hy which has done the most ef
fective work in pushing for more
comprehensive legislation this
year.
The 50 organizations invited to
send delegates to the Powell
summit meeting are said to
have a total membership of 12
million. Even with many Ni
grocs belonging to two or more
groups, unduplicated member
ship is put at seven million.
Organizations listed by Pow
ell for his summit include ifi
business and prolessional
groups, 15 fraternities and so
rorilies. seven church groups,
seven hxkes and unions.
"It Jeein't
have to be
matter
done ,
bow many there are, they ZI
like the Rusiiant in Cuba!"
QUESTIONS
AND
ANSWERS
) When did Ihe most bril
liant meteoric shower on record
take place?
A-On Nov. 11, 18.U.
U-Ythal is Madder?
A A Eurasian herb, of which
tlie roots are used as dyestuff.
Q lit what slate )s there a
monument tn Ihe apple?
A Cornelia. Ga.
Q For what is lemon verbena
used?
A A sedaUve. a curative (or
fevexs and a perfume.
ftUM VR L- O
WASHINGTON REPORT . . .
Rocky Has Vetoed
Debate Offer, Too
By FULTON LEWIS JK.
WASHINGTON If Governor
Nelson Rockefeller is piqued
that Senator Barry Goldwater
turned thumbs down on his pro
posal for an "air-clearing pub
lic debate," he now knows
how Robert Morgentliau felt a
year ago.
Morgcntih.au, Democratic gu
bernatorial candidate, invited
Rockefeller time and again to
debate the issues. Rocky s stan
dard reply: There is no reason
or such a confrontation.
Rockefeller aides explained
that tlie Governor, as front-runner,
had nothing to gain and
everything lo lose in any de
bate with his little known op
ponent. It was not the first time
Rocky had vetoed debate. In '
1058. as he drove toward the
GOP gubernatorial nomination.
Rockefeller received an invita
tion to debale from Leonard
Hall, his chief challenger. Then,
too. Rockefeller declined the in
vitation. Such a meeting, he
felt, would foster party disunity
and hamper GOP chances to
unseat the incumbent Democrat
ic Governor Averell Harriman.
A similar lune is now being
played by Goldwater, the front
runner who says he wishes to
concentrate his fire on Demo
crats, not Republicans.
Administration underlings
have violated Federal law, ac
cording to Comptroller General
Joseph Campbell, head of the
watchdog General Accounting
Office.
The statute in question is the
Foreign Aid Appropriation Act
of l'.XvS. Section !07b of that
law prohibits foreign aid to any
country which "sells, furnishes,
or permits any ships under its
registry to carry items of eco
nomic assistance to Cuba so
long as it is governed by the
Castro regime "
As late as Sept. 24. a Creek
ship, Apollon. arrived in Hava
na carrying goods from Novo
rossivk. USSR. Nevertheless, as
Rep. Melvin Laird notes, the
Greeks are receiving U.S. aid
The Lebanese are among the
worst offenders. Ships flying the
tahancse flag have in recent
months picked up material in
North Vietnam, the Soviet Un
ion. East Germany, and Poland
for delivery to Cuba. U.S. aid
continues lo Lebanon.
In a letter In the Comptrol
ler General. Rep. Laird de
manded to know whether such
aid was not a violation of the
law. In his reply dated Oct. Ifi.
Campbell agreed.
It is true that President Kon
nedv may aid nations trading
wKh CutM if he feels it is in
the best interests of this country.
In that event, however, the Ian
requires the President to pro
vide four committees of House
and Senate with individual re
ports explaining his move. No
such reports have been received.
What is the next step? Since
the administration lias been ad
judged in violation of the law,
according to Laird, the General
Accounting Office is required to
either ill recover the U.S. for
eign aid funds expended in vio
lation of the law, or (2) refer
tlie matter to the Justice De
partment for possible action
against the specific Administra
tion officials who ordered the
disbursement of funds.
Whether the Democratic-controlled
Justice Department will
take action against a Demo
cratic Administration, however,
is another matter.
Reports from Illinois indicate
new woes for President Ken
nedy, who carried the land of
Lincoln by a razor-thin 8.000
voles in 1950.
Heightening racial tensions
threaten the Democratic ma
chine of Chicago Mayor Richard
Daly, who faces an almost un
surmountable task of placating
both militant Negroes and ap
prehensive whites.
Recent surveys show increas
ing GOP strength in Cook Coun
ty (Chicago! which last fall
elected a Republican sheriff,
the county's top-ranking official.
A recent survey by tlie Chi
cago Tribune shows Barry Gold
water would delcat John Ken
nedy in Illinois by 300.000 votes
if the election were held today.
Anotlier survey, conducted for
the Cook County GOP cflairman.
Hayes Robertson, comes up
with the same margin of vic
tory. Robertson, an avowed Gold
water man, is running (or th
Republican gubernatorial nomi
nation. His survey, conducted
for him during September and
October, shows Kennedy would
carry Cook County by 171,318
votes. He beat Nixon there by
456.312 votes in 1W0.
An Associated Press report of
GOP county chairmen shows a
33-1 preference for Goldwater.
The one dissenter favored Rich
ard Nixon.
Almanac
By United Press International
Today is Sunday, Nov. 10. the
314th day of !!y with 51 lo
follow. I
The meon is approaching its
new phase.
The evening stars arc Jupiter
and Saturn.
Those born today include the
German Reformation leader,
Martin Lutlter, in 14KS.
On tils day in history:
In 1775, the U.S. Marine Corps
was authorized by the Continen
tal Congress, then meeting in
Philadelphia.
In 1910, the American Legion
held its first national convention
in Minneapolis.
I