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Show Review Editorials Challenge Methinks Brack Protests Challenge is a Review feature which explores our times and our community through the views of citizens liying here. Its purpose Is to stimulate thought and, hopefully, action on vital issues. The views expressed may or may not be those of the editors of the Review. This week's cantributor is Clarence L. Palmer, field representative for the National CIO. A native of West Jordan, Mr. Palmer Is former president of Utah CIO unions and former CIO director. He has been active in labor union leadership since 1947. He served six years He is married to the former Pearl In the Utah House of Representatives. Jensen, Riverton, and now resides at 621 N. 12th West I There appear to be powerful and selfish interests in Salt Lake City determined to muzzle the voice of Commissioner James L. Barker Jr. Possibly at no time in recent years has a single dedicated public official deserved and needed the support of the public to which he is unselfishly dedicated, as does Jim Barker in the present commission controversy. Strangely enough, Jim Barker's most vigorous threat comes from that political comer to which he has looked the office of Mayor J. Bracken for political inspiration L66 Two simple terms have so shattered Brack Lee's equilibrium that we wonder on what foundation the Mayors from his authority. Brack had not accommodated Jim Barker on the union question, but he was about ready to let live on issues outside me union issue until. . . . . . . .Until the phrase one man grand jury." Does Bratk fear another grand jury? Even an unofficial one-m- an grand jury under a man stripped of his police Is Brack aware of something somewhere that force? should cause him to toss tantrums louder even than he did at the mention of unions? Jim Barker, to those who know him well, is a healthy, wholesome citizen of the community in which he was raised. He resides here with his family and is dedicated to law. Hes that simple. To Jim Barker, the Law is the communitys Integrity. Its the woof and the web of social continuity. Its the breath of life of stable government. Its the very language through which he communicates with those he loves, as well as those he serves. To Jim Barker, law is the voice of the community, the voice of the' Society of Man, 'and the voice of his God. To shackle Jim Barker in this moment cf our community development would be to purposely violate the responsibility of good government. The people. . . .not just a few selfish interests whose pride has been punctured. . . .the People chose Jim Barker, a; lawyer, to, help restore efficiency and reality to governmeafethrough-th- e framework of law, In Labor unions, Mr. Barker seeks only to protect the interests of city employees, including police and firemen, within the framework of law. . . .a specific law created and still strongly endorsed by the haters of labor unions. Jim Barker has uttered no statements opposing change of that law. As to Jim Barkers reference to the one man grand jury," the law not only places restrictions and responsibilities upon the shoulders of citycommissioners. . . .it gives them authority and opportunity to adapt to change. Operating as a "one man grand jury," Jim Barker has threatened to do alone what the city commission already has authorized the University of Utah to do; . . .study the citys operations and make suggestions for approval. Such a threat by one man can have ominous meaning, it seems clear, rally to those who have something to fear from one man. Music Hall and the University Theater? If these projects fail for lack of support how can we hope to make a and many workers do not belong to labor success of the new Civic Center? Is It because Utah citizens do not like unions; thus new employers expect a work lower than the Average sports, music or drama? These are some force at 21 of the things that will make the Civic wages in the west Utah workers do not get a reduction Center successful. I for one believe that on the prices of consumer goats they our citizens would support good entertainment and be as enthused and appbuy. The cost of living makes no al- reciative of it as citizens in other states lowance for low wage states. We pay a if they could afford the cost competitive price for cars, radios, teleI believe that the citizens of Utah visions; in feet, all other products. So, are being taken for a ride and we are after we purchase the necessities we do not have the money to go out on the losing one of our richest assets simply because we haven't the will to fight town. The Free Port Committee is right for ourselves. Too many are content to say, So what We live in Utah. We The employers have stolen 21 of our pay cant expect to get wages that compare in the form of low wages and in many with other states." cases the Company or employer is an . Lets look at our position. According absentee owned corporation. There goes to the Readers Digest 1966 Almanac, our entertainment money!! Utah ranks 33rd in the nation in per This makes other problems for our capita Income yet we live in the richest people. We want good schools, good polstate In natural resources. We also rank ice protection, good roads etc.; so we have to double our tax load to provide among the top of the states in the number of people employed In missile plants and , the money. Yes! Utahs tax load Is more than government lnstallatlonspercapitawise. Utah is no longer a farm or agricultural double that of California. Utah cannot afford to continue as a state but is rather weU industrialized. If we could raise Utahs per capita inlow wage state. Its richest asset is Its come to the nationalaverage our ciUzens people, and they live in a competitive would have three hundred and seventy-si- x economy. The wage should also be commillion dollars ($376,000,000.00) petitive. This is not unfair to industry. more in their pay checks. What would Utah workers must have a fair wage for this do for our economy? And to be their services. Utah workers are not really well off. If our per capita in- r treated fcirly when wages are 21 below. come was as high as Californias (700 the western states average. miles away) we would have $911000, The answer seems to be collective 00.00 extra In our pay checks. Think bargaining by the employees in unions what this would do if spent for con- . of their choice. Industry is Interested sumer goods up and down the main in profits and they are weU organized, streets of our cities. so if Utah workers want a fair wage they will have to get It the same way it Why should we be so far behind? Maybe the answer is contained in a recent , was obtained in our sister states. It is well to note that union plants sign placed in the Salt Lake Airport in Utah are not 21 below the western building by the Free Port Committee, an employer group, which stated that states average. , I s ual From time to time weve been less than inspired by the effort of the Salt Lake Comity Bar Association to expand a favorable public image of Itself. It's almost traditional that none but lawyers are competent to understand the legal profession, including that portion of the profession which retains unto Itself exclusive participation in the judicial branch of the American system of representative government' A plan which climaxed last Friday revealed the extent to which the legal profession holds Itself as the sole critic of the legal mind. It was a plan by which the County Bar informed the public of the popularity status of candidates to the Utah Supreme Court and Third District Court To say the least die popularity poll left us less inspired than heretofore. It was not & new idea. It was contained last general election in a big political advertisement in which a majority of lawyers told how they were behind Pratt Kesler. . . .all the way. The idea, as applied by the County Bar, lacks in more than originality. Perhaps lawyers feel that because they must argue law before a judge they have inherent particular exclusive qualification for selecting judges. weve observed, must stand accused and judged before judges. Perhaps we would best permit the accused tiie convicted and the acquitted; those ruled for and those ruled against to select all candidates for tie bench. . . . and they can be polled and tie tally cahJ be published to Influence an Ignorant public. Non-lawye- rs, Let George Do It Some lawyers take cases in behalf of clients who must be adequately represented in areas of law which reflect weighty and unbalanced significance in tie community. . . .such areas as liquor law compliance. Has George BridweU performed to hipest standards of tie legal concept in his frequent service to defendant in that white collar offense? Im convinced he has. Some lawyers, too, are convinced that he has. . . .but not all persons are so convinced. ga I am equally convinced that Jim reflects tie highest standards of ethics tie public has a right to expect of any professional within his profession. . . but not all will agree with me. Incumbent Judge Merrill C. Faux, Pm convinced, has qualities which I favor far above those of other judges on tie District Court bench. . . And he seems to lack, only to a degree, other qualities reflected in greater degree by his colleagues. Te what extent I must know now if I am to be judicious when I mark my ballot . . .to what extent has Judge Faux dedicated his life and his effort and his mind to promotion of a legal concept untarnished by influences we believe should remain alien to legal, judicial decisions? The Political Cauldron Mit-suna- By its survey of the choice of judges and justices through a poll of some 800 lawyers, we believe, the county bar plunged tin judicial selection process verily into the politics. One of the most amateurish techniques, of politics, perpetuated by the news media to arouse factions to renewed action, is to let people know what Gallup think the think. . . It) procedure for ex (dont yon posing the mass emotion. . . A procedure for letting the total weight of tans of human flesh, educated and uneducated, concerned or unconcerned, thoughtful or determine the future thoughtless character of the state judiciary cm a squishy foundation of the public pot- . IX. Open Pandoras Box pount Opinion, Please? Like LBJ, the County Bar will presume Why cannot the County Bar throwback to roll a candidate into office on contie Ud to Pandoras Box and release census. . . And whats worse, not even answers to these buggy questions that a concensus of the people; only a con- are In tie minds of voters? census of fewer than 800 lawyers. At State Supreme Court level; Whos Among those 800 lawyers ire bigots jhis fellow Tuckett? Hes incumbent among tietn 4 .kwed fo, what? ,. Ive been messing around Kajocratiwhi , weft, know which tiuutah courts for almost 20 years and the ,v re) .Demoqat ,in .only thing I can tell you about Tuckett icandidtC Is that hes incumbent. political con' And how about the justices who go in Among them are Republican lawyers, who know equally well tie political for another 10 years and we have no philosophies (critical in many court Idea what kind of justices they are. decisions) of To what extent does the Utah voter and justice. know of the character and caliber of decisions written by the reinstated Supreme Court Justice Henrold? Do tie ng decisions he writes stand as real them are lawyers who may be tributions to the massive, accumulative as Ignorant of, or as misinformed about legal mind of tte Utah body politic? Or the character and qualifications of each of the candidates as is tie man on the street about tie miscellaneous complicalet tions of Nam s y.ir- - QUESTION: IN CASH? WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF SOMEONE GAVE YOU xff yiig ao-ne- ld " wc f erti ni llil .i $ v con-Amo- lnflation-recesslon-V- etc. Surely, a Gallup poll on tie victory-defe- at potential of a field of candidates as amongst fellow lawyers Is tie least neutral approach the bar could under- take. -2. Karl Christensen Flrstrdquitmy job! Then Id figure out how to avoid paying taxes on it and buy a golf 1. Susanna Naylor I would buy a home closer to work and bank tis rest. course. by Norman Rosenblatt sys- This isnt idle imagination..... It has happened. The parties like tie new system. It saves them tie touble of canvassing districts to find out who their political friends are. This particular reason doesnt outweigh the drawbacks, but its just possible that tie er first reason - might eliminating tie cross-ovIt's interesting to note that reports from inside tie, Sheriffs department indicate that some deputies favoring Ferris Andrus wont vote in toe primary for fear of being tagged Republicans if tie Democrats win. The whole idea behind toe party registration system is that in tie general election tie people are presented with party choice. With the open primary tie choice isnt a party choice - but tem. a scattered Jim Baldwin In- dustrious workers, who are available to industry for wages 21 below the western states average. This is due. to the fact that Utah has a Right To Work Law, Valiev Rather Fight Than Switch Vote? on .by Utah has the most productive and is Utah having trouble supporting projects such as Triple A Baseball, Why political comment hardly tie intent of tie democratic For Whom The Bar Polls by Clarence L. Palmer fears rest. First, Jim Barker looked into the law and found that under statutes signed by Brack Lee as governor, all city employees enjoy the right to turn to organized labor unions as their representatives in employment matters. . . .Just as labor unions, from time to time, turn to police for protection in police matters. Secondly, Jim Barker made token use of the term "one man grand jury to describe an area of function which, it appears, a dissenting city commission could not remove As a trickle of Utah voters trek to tie polls next week most will be aware of tie new law which requires party reguistraticn. Some will be sur- - . prised when tie registrar asks "What party?, and particularly surprised when they reply "Independent and find they cant vote unless they name a party. The law has been almost universally condemned by toe average non --affiliated citizen - and only weakly defended by toe parties. ' It was apparently "tounked up rather rapidly - and passed both houses of tie last legislature quickly and with little fanfare. But tie predictions of its repeal in tie next session come hot and heavy now. The party registration isnt unique or new; after all, it exists to many states, and there really are two sides to tie question. First consider tie negative side. Party registration puts tie independent voter at a disadvantage. It may even in-some of his basic rights, tie reason for such an outcry against party registration in Utah is toe high number of independent voters. It is possible to switch every two years - but it isnt easy. A voter cant just go up to tie primary polls every time and change. Once he has committed he must on prescribed registration dates. The new' System removes an independents choice. In effect, under this procedure, tie primary election becomes less of a public metter - and more of a private convention for toe parties. On tie positive side - our old system permitted toe cross over concept. If you were Republican and you felt either of your candidates were of stature but tie Democrats had an excellent man running for tie office against a weaker man - you would vote for tie weaker man on tie assumption that either of your candidates would defeat him, where they might have difficulty defeating the top man. Thus in toe open primary voters are selecting men not because theyre hAct - hut because they're toe worst Double Take How To Fill A Civic Center Why Not Try Money? i Judge? Has if occurred to the county bar that excellence in contemplation of the human need in the area of law might well be more significant of George Brldwell than would be his standing in a popularity poll amongst 799 of his colleagues? Now, I know Mark Miner. Several of my acquaintances know him and of his service in tie legal community. But, many in tie Bar poll really know Mr. Miner and his potential as a judge? ... 800 Legal Digits. tie 800 legal digits in tie poll removed from partisan political in- fluences? Which have been exposed to a detailed accounting of performance or of incumbent Judge Merrill C. Faux? Lawyers are human animals with potentials and shortcomings.. Some of them are master craftsmen. Someof them are lousy misfits to tie profession. Some at tie best lawyers Ive known have lost a large majority of their cases because theyve had tie courage to give legal service to tie inevitable loser. Is this a characteristic of Jim Mltsunaga? Of George Brldwell? Of Mark Miner? Let tie county bar define these men for the voting public. What value Is a popularity contest among lawyers with lawyers as sole judges of who is best choice for judge? Which of one. The recent county mill levy has been unfortunately used as a political tool. On August 8 tie commission increased tie mill levy to 19.9 with only John Creer voting against the largest part of tie need for tie increase: funds for the Metropolitan Hall of Justice this year. Later on in August, a budget hearing was held at which Commissioner Larson voted to draw back to tie old budget, plus $58,000, apparently on toe basis of tie objections of assembled citizens. The following day Commissioner Creer voted to reduce tie levy which up until that time had nothing to do with tie budget The motion was left to die since tie commission wasnt sure they could do it On Tuesday Commissioner Larsen proposed that tie levy be reduced and It was, over Marv J ensons opposition. The contest seems to be who can be recognized as the hero. Bill Larson reacts to political pressure. John Creer tentatively Initiated, but both have looked carefully to tie political consequences of their acts. If you re confused over tie whole affair dont let it bother you so are they so am I. Perhaps 799 of tie 800 lawyers could have tivored selection of Jim Mltsunaga on tie district court bench. . . .but, did It not occur to the county bar that literally thousands of Utahns have never heard of Jim Mltsunaga? Have never heard of his excellent reputation In tie defense area 'public defender-crimin- al of law practice? Is tie criminal defense lawyer the most likely candidate for Tom Lynch Fd retire, pay my debts and be a traveling golf bum. t I would use some of It 4. Gail Anger to go to law school and save tie rest. . i What proportion of tie judiciary of Utah' Vould till at the myslde if Friday at sunrise the California system of re-h- is moval of the Incompetent, tie senile, the alcoholic, the absentee judge were adopted and in total effect? Perhaps the county bar. . . .perhaps even the state bar, concludes that such curiosities as mine must find relief in tie campaign speech, In tie campaign brochure, in the smile beaming down-ho- w ward from the billboards, or in other. avenues of communication open from If such is tie candidate to voter. conclusion of the county bar, its conclusion is reversible. Bearing in mind this broad Inquisltive-ar- e ness, Im convinced that for the County Bar to release results of a poll at lawyers as to their choice of candidates to tie District and Supreme Courts defied tie character of our judicial selection system. The technique at public education was cheap and shoddy. Release of tie poll was a disservice to each and all of tie I am convinced that such candidates. poll Information is a damaging influence upon tie voter who Is hopeful of making an intelligent and considered selection from tie ballot. We cannot but we should be able to look hopefully toward a County Bar that will stand forward with information that will enable a helplessly ignorant public to play a winning game of at election time. non-politi- cal Rocky Mountain REVIEW Pt&lisnea every Thursday by Great Western Neva, Inc. uttered as second class natter at the Post Office at Salt lake City, Utah under the act of March 9, 1878 2245 South West Temple, Salt Phone; 487-74- Late City. Utah 84115 Rosnblatt Td faintl Then Id 5. LaRue Poulson buy everything I want Fd hire a maid. : and Managing Editor Norman Rosenblatt i Subecrlptlon $8.20 per year Member: Utah State Prees Asaocl-atlrepresented by American Newspaper Representatives on |