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Show NICE Friday. 13 1978. THK HERALD Provo." Utah-pa- rtoscoe Drummond fLJbj rA...EiS On Repairing A Blunder . . . 35 (!e - Comments Urged WASHINGTON President Carter is setting out to repair the worst political blunder of his first 20 months in the White House. It was a mistake which, if unrepaired, could lose him If corrected, it could help insure him a second term. The blunder is that, after campaigning as a fiscal conservative and candidate, he allowed himself to be deflected from his commitments. Soon after taking office he became an advocate of larger social welfare spending programs which almost totally blurred the image with which he had previously identified himself. His own party in Congress, responding to the traditional Democratic alliance of organized labor, blacks and ideological liberals, pushed Carter in a direction he did not wish to go. He yielded, but he is now reversing gears. Fiscal conservatism is his natural stance and he never intended to get away from it. He sees the tide of 13 anti-bi- g Surface Mining Rules Since this state has abundant minerals that can be surfaced-mineit is important that interested Utahns take advantage of the opportunity to offer input on proposed surface mining regulad, tions. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, who this week called attention to recent publication of the draft environmental impact statement on the proposed regulations, said public hearings will be held in the near future. He encouraged interested persons to get their com- ments in early. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) published the draft statement in connection with its proposed required by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. Public comments on the environmental statement must be rule-makin- g, V, Room 270, Post Office Building. 1823 Stout Denver, Colo. 80205. Street, to Sen. Hatch, the hearing closest to Utah will be in Denver Nov. 2 at 9 a.m., at the OSM's office. Other hearings will be in Indianapolis. Inc. Nov. 1 and in Washington D.C. Oct. 31. OSM wants particularly to know of any omissions or errors and if the proposed regulations ignore According worse. The United States actually ranks 10th among major nations in the severity of the personal income tax bite, according to a study by The Conference Board. At the top of the list are Denmark, Sweden and Britain, where the average figures are respectively 28, 23 and 16 percent of personal income. Low men on the tax pole are France and Italy, at 5 percent each. That is not the entire tax story, It's promised that the agency will respond to all comments received before Nov. 17. That means minors, lease holders, and other interested citizens should Social insurance levie however, increase the burden in all countries and in some cases exceed direct taxes. In the Netherlands, employer-employe- e contributions hit a high of 18 percent of income and in France, 15 percent, three times the direct tax. West Germany with 13 percent and Belgium with 12 percent are also high in this category, while the United States is in ninth place with 8 percent. This is one international comparison where it pays individually to be an also-ra- n nationally. Off the Beat The Poems of H.R. Merrill By N. LAVERL CHRISTENSEN This is both Poetry Week and Newspaper Week a good time to honor the memory of a revered poet, journalist, and BYU profes- sor. Harrison R. Merrill has heen gone a long time. He died unexpectedly back in 1938 at 53 of complications from surgery. He was a much-love- d figure, attested by the fact that more than 1000 attended his funeral in the Provo Tabernacle. Anybody who knew him will remember him still and he will never be forgotten as long as people read his poems and other literary works. "H.R." was a true "son of the West," his family having helped pioneer the Cub River country near Preston, Ida. He loved the mountains, the outdoors, the West. He wrote of lofty peaks, desert roads, autumn leaves, sagebrush, apple blossoms, bucking broncos, the lure of the summit, and the Oregon Trail. My favorite among his poems is a classic one entitled "Let This Be Heaven," which was quoted at his funeral: Oh, God, Let this be heaven I do not ask for golden streets Or long for jasper walls, Nor do I sigh for pearly shores Where twilight never falls; Just leave me here beside these peaks. In this rough western land. I love this dear old world of Thine Dear God, You understand. O, God, Let this be heaven I do not crave white, stainless robes, I'll keep these marked by toil; Instead of stra'ght and narrow walks I love trails soft with soil; I have been healed by crystal streams, d But these from peaks Where dawn burns incense to the day And paints the sky in streaks. snow-crowne- Dear God, let this be heaven I do not ask for angel wings Just leave that old peak there And let me climb 'til comes the night I wfcnt no golden stair. Then, when I say my last adieu And all farewells are given Just leave my spirit here somewhere Oh God, let this be heaven! his poems and other writings a great tribute to him and a valuable addition to Utah literature. Prof. Merrill's poems are easy to unders- tand, sometimes homey, sometimes humorous always rich in language and with a message that reaches the heart, This one, called "My Boy," was set to music by a professor friend on the BYU music faculty. William F. Hanson, and was sung at the Merrill funeral: I sit and fondle the tuuseled head That lies in the crook of my arm And kiss the cheek that is burned brick red By hot days on the farm; I draw him close as his sleepy lids Droop over his eyes of blue And I thrill how I thrill as he softly croons . "My papa, I love you!" Here's a wee small chap with a touseled head And a stocking out at knee And a rose-bu- d mouth as rich and red As a rose-bumouth can be; I draw him close as shadows fall On the wings of the sparkling dew And I catch my breath as I hear his call "My daddy. I love you!" And I sit and dream in the old arm chair His head in the crook of my arm And I feel his heart against my heart And the clasp of his fingers warm; And I see down the years a stalwart man A man that is clean and true And I pray how I pray that he will and can Say, "Father, I love you!" Fond memories of Harrison R. Merrill are deep in my own heart. He encouraged me in journalism at BYU ... took me "under his wing" as he did with so many. He taught, encouraged, occasionally prodded (in a kindly way), helped me to find opportunity with the Herald and other newspapers. Many times I've contemplated on the monumental legacy in literature Prof. Merrill could have left had he been permitted to live out his full life span. As it was, his accomplishments were outstanding. There's "In space here for one more of his poems Autumn": d hills surround my home Above, a cobalt sky Stretched smooth as silk from peak to peak Ascends before the eye; Day's golden ball describes an arch Strange gods I cannot see From well beyond the earth's far rim Are signalling to me. Pan-velv- Harrison R. Merrill was a big man in stature and soul. I'd say he was at least as tall as his brother, Dr. Madison W. Merrill, retired Provo dentist, but broader and much heavier. Seemed to me he was "big league" in as teacher, head of the whatever he did BYU journalism department and director of the extension division, as managing editor of the Improvement Era. as member of the general board ... as a writer and lecturer. We regarded him as an honorary member of the Herald staff and his advice and literary contributions were always welcome. He was a great friend of the late former Herald editor, Ernest R Rasmuson. His poems appear in three small volumes. One, called "Rimes of the Rockies," was published in 1918. "Poems of the West" published in 1925 features poetry by both him and Dr. Lowry Nelson. In 1938, after his death, the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts .and Letter published a memorial volume of - YM-MI- g technologies. read the draft statement and make their opinions known to OSM without delay. The apple trees around my house Are decked with colored gems; A hedge of gaudy shrubs The lawn and pathway hems; The fields are rich with fruits of toil. brown and wear, The corn-rowLike khakied troops with cross-lik- e plumes In straight long files appear. frost-nippe- d s, The pumpkins smile upon the ground, Like storied fruits of old That glistened in the Hesperides Great apples of pure gold. I walk among the autumn wealth And sip the autumn air, And wonder if Celestial Fields Could really be more fair. g spending, anti-bigovernment as evidence that he was right in the first place and should never have changed course. He is convinced that the future of the Democratic Party depends on its responsiveness to the new. more conservative will of the voters. The President is responding to the kind of warning issued by the late Sen. Paul Douglas, a Democratic liberal by instinct and an economist by profession. In his book published in the late Forties, Sen. Douglas asserted: "A liberal doesn't have to be a wastrel." That is the message voters are sending to Washington and it is evident that Carter is listening. The President is telling liberal Democrats that they will be endangering themselves and the nation if they fail to heed the conservative trend and help him respond to it with support from Congress. g Speaking before a Democratic dinner here recently the President put it this any new information or Misery Has Company Taxes may be a painful subject for Americans, but it could be budget-balancin- received by OSM no later than Nov. 17. Copies of ths statement are available from OSM Region it "i Paul Harvey spend-and-spen- d Rights and Wrongs A civilian airliner was shot down in Rhodesia by black nationalist guerrillas using missiles furnished them by Soviet Russia. Then after the airliner was shot down the survivors were massacred including women and children. These are the black nationalist guerrillas who have been demanding their "rights." President Carter probably had no idea that his protestations concerning "human rights" would boomerang. It seemed so safe and so politically useful at home to divert world attention to the suppression of "human rights" in southern Africa. What the President overlooked was that "human rights" by his definition "freedom for self - determination" are not allowed in most of the countries of the world. And from one after another of the family of nations our President is being told to shut up and mind his own business. Argentina's president for one. Nicaragua's Somoza for another. President Somoza has brought decades of stability to Nicaragua. Recently his rule was threatened by student demonstrations and agitation for a general strike. President Somoza believes that our President's protests about "human rights" brought on this revolt by giving unrealistic encouragement to the troublemakers. Somoza says he is "fed up" with our Presiabout "human rights" dent's for people who have not yet learned respect for the rights of others. Somoza told the Phoenix, Ariz., Republic that he is battling Castro Communists for control of his country, that their ultimate objective is the conquest of all South America and so he will continue to round up and imprison agitators. Somoza says he will allow orderly elections in 1981 if by then there is sufficient stability in his country to assure an orderly election process. At Camp David I understand both Egyptian fund-raisin- President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin let our President know that allowing all of the human freedoms which he espouses is presently inappropriate in their countries. From its beginning the United States has offered itself as a refuge for the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." Yet government of. by and for the people is a good idea only if we are good people. From the headlines it is beginning to appear that self - determination may not be workable even here. President Carter, inevitably a product of his back - country Georgia upbringing, tends to equate human rights with the wholesale suppression of a minority. More frequently, in many countries, a vicious, militant minority, in the name of "rights." commits bad wrones! way: "I would like to caution you Democrats that we here in Washington must set an example. We cannot pass legislation that is identifiably wasteful ... This is the future of our Democratic Party, a future in which we maintain our vision while governing with a prudence and responsibility that builds the confidence of our people in us." Carter is pressing his conservative views on his party at the right moment because Democratic voters in two of the most liberal Democratic states have recently rejected leading Democratic liberals in favor of conservative Democratic opponents. Rep. Donald Fraser lost his bid for the Democratic Senate nomination in Wisconsin and Gov. Michael Dukakis was overthrown by a Democratic conservative for renomination as governor of Massachusetts. Barbs Analysis An recalls when roadside produce stands were stocked with goods from the nearby farm, rather than stuff trucked from the city market. Licking the postal problem would be much more palatable if they'd put better-tastin- g glue on the old-tim- What Remains In Mideast Negotiations? Family ties are admirable, but ties from the family are almost invariably something else, again. employed is to first try and do the job yourself. I make tentative agreements you can't make up your mind. A By JIM ANDERSON Almost all of the WASHINGTON (UPI) settlenegotiating in the Egyptian-Israement was completed at Camp David, but it takes longer and is far more difficult to end a war than to start one. American officials expect there will be an agreement in about three weeks, but do not consider the treaty an accomplished fact. Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin said 98 percent of the problems are solved, an assessment American officials accept. But nobody will sign anything until the other 2 percent is wrapped up, and the remaining problems have a potential for creating mischief. The largest issue hanging over the talks is specifically, how the Egyptian-Israelinkage agreement relates to the wider issue of the Middle East framework for peace, and the future of the West Bank and Gaza. The Israelis say the frameworks are separate and have no direct relationship. The Egyptians say there is a connection, if only as a sign of Israel's intention to live up to both Camp David agreements. President Carter tried to play it right down the middle with a delicately worded answer to a news conference question: "Legally, he said, "but they're not there was no doubt in the minds of myself, President (Anwar) Sadat (of Egypt) and Prime Minister Begin that the issues are in- - Best way to keep home repairmen li Add to your collection of collective nouns: jaws of loan sharks. When an elderly couple holds bands, either they're still in love or he wants to keep his wallet. Letter to Editor li Citizen Questions the Advisability Of Provo Library Plan; Cites Cost Editor Herald: Citzens of Provo will soon have the opportunity to increase their taxes bv voting on the $4,000,000 new library bond. All governmental agencies can see justification to increase their facilities, personnel, and salaries. I think someone interested in our tax burdens should analyze the picture so that all voters can understand it. When someone proposes that the people of Provo spend $4,000,000 for a library he is saying that every man, woman, and child must spend almost $80 (based on a population of about 50.000 exclusive unless he of BYU students) is saying that we don't have the money and must bond ourselves to pay for it. In that case, we are spending $150 for every man. woman, and child, and the deferred cost may resemble $7,000,000, the way I figure it. Then, when we know that every man, woman and child he is will not pay his share saying that the real taxpayers could spend over $700 each to pay for the library. Proponents of the library say that the library will additionally increase its books 300 from 70,000 to 210.000 books. A total of 140.000 new books, plus the other facilities proposed and needed to fill this large building, could cost another million or so. In that more to the case, add 25 above figures, and expect the deferred cost to exceed $8,000,000. Then there is the - i continuing cost ot increased personnel and maintenance. Much property on the site has already been purchased, but additional costly properties must also be purchased (and also removed from the tax rolls) at continuing cost to the taxpayers. At this time taxpayers who pay the bills) should frankly review Provo's real need for this large and expensive facility. In the past 20 years I have visited the library about twice weekly. It appears to me that the library can always accommodate three times the clientele. I recommend an observation visit by all readers to our existing library. The school board reports that each Provo school has its own library and does not depend on the public library. of Provo taxes Over 66 to support the go already public schools and their 14 libraries. Most of the people of Provo have a financial interest in the BYU. The BYU has the largest library in the State of Utah, and is open to all visitors at no cost. It is open 96 hours weekly (to 56 for I Provo) and it contains 1.400,000 volumes plus another 500.000 on microfilms. For $5 per year one may purchase a library card to take out books for home study. Provo could purchase library cards at BYU for every person in Prove for less than the annual interest cost on the library bonds. Fewer than 1 percent of the people in Provo patronize the BYU library even thougn it has more than 25 volumes for every volume in the Provo library. It is difficult to believe Provo needs a vastly expanded library! Proponents cite other "fringe" facilities, such as a "meeting room for community groups." Considering our present utilities building. Eldred Center, Ladies Clubhouse, all the churches, schools, and restaurants (plus the approved fabulous new hotel, and the $100,000,000 Four Seasons development on the east mountain) we are unlikely to need one in the library. Unbelievably the proposed library would cost the same as the present Municipal Center, which includes all the city offices, police station, fire department and the courts. Provo had a $1,000,000 surplus at that time, from the utilities department, so only bonded $3,000,000. The center is revenue-producing- . A library now would have to be totally bonded. It $4,000,000 would double our city indebtedness and would be perpetually revenue-consumin- Provo presently faces the imminent need to increase our power department with a substantial capital investment. This will require rate increases. Despite the fact that Provo is an education-minde- d com- munity, such an investment would be financial nonsense in my view. Sincerely, Dean E. Van Wagenen terrelated." There are other differences, including one of emphasis. The Israelis are expected to focus on their primary interest: the nature of the peace that will follow their withdrawal. The Egyptians are expected to concentrate on their chief desire: to see the Israelis pull out of the Sinai as quickly as possible. The Camp David framework is vague, specifying "two to three years." Still other matters to be resolved are details that were deliberately glossed over so the leaders could concentrate on the principles involved. They include specific timetables and maps of the final and interim withdrawals; and exactly how much the final lines should be adjusted to take care of Israel's "secure borders," a phrase included in U.N. Security Council resolution 242. The remnant of the last Egyptian-Israel- i agreement, the U.S. Sinai monitoring mission, is also to be npgotiated. The mission eventually will be surrounded by Egyptian territory and Egypt will presumably object to having a foreign presence there. It is also assumed the Israelis would like to system, keep a U.S. military just in case. The exact rules to establish free navigation by Israeli ships through the Suez Canal also must be negotiated. For example, will Israel be able to ship war material through the canal? And, if so, what will be the reaction of the other Arab states? and intention -tIt is the American hope settle these issues quickly and create a bandwagon effect in the Middle East, a momentum that would lead to a wider settlement including also the Jordanians and the early-warnin- g o Palestinians. - |