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Show RRfminiimmnmmnninnmTnnimnnnnifliflnmnnmHnmmjTtmiTnflmftB DESERET NEWS SALT LAKE CITY, ' Before f our cellmate was sprung he promised to smuggle us a hacksaw ' LETTERS iiiiimiitiiiitimiimiiiimiitimiiiiiiiiriiiiHiiuimiiiiiiimiHiiimimiimiummitiii UTAH Hunt Lists County Pluses We Stand For the Constitution Of The United States As Having Been Divinely Inspired 18 A EDITORIAL PAGE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, We noted and express our appreciation for your editorial on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 1970, entitled, How Salt Lake County Can Improve Its Operation. We do feel that your editorial should have noted that in spite of the fact that Salt Lake County has not, as of the immediate date, moved to a county executive for continuity of government, 1970 Divided Government we have, without that added help, accomplished the following improvements in government over the past two or three years, including all of those items you noted in Maricopa County: We have established a merit system or employes which has virtually eliminated political patronage. We believe it is tighter and more effective than in Maricopa County, Arizona. Mustn't Be Deadlocked Two years ago when President Nixon announced the members cf his cabinet, this page observed that the cabinet would have been stronger had it included at least one Demo- have centralized purchasing and personnel the systems and now have absolutely established procedure that no one in Salt Lake County government can make a purchase of any kind without and going through the purchasing department to the county value the possible highest assuring for the least possible dollars. All Hiring with the county is done through the Personnel Department and Merit System. Our efforts and hopes are to extend the Merit System to cover even more of the countys profesWe crat. just We recognized that Mr. Nixon himself had sought to do that, only to be turned down by at least two prominent Democrats. As a result, the transition between administrations was a little less smooth than it might have been, and an opportunity was missed in improving relations between the White House and the Democratic - controlled Congress and in healing some of the divisions within this country. That opportunity has now been grasped, however, with the selection of John Connally as Secretary of the Txeasury, replacing David M. Kennedy, who becomes an ambassador at large dealing with international finance. As the former Democratic governor of Texas, Mr. has the confidence of the majority leadership in Congress and a rapport with governors across the country. That should be a distinct asset as the Nixon administration seeks Congressional approval of revenue sharing, the Family Assistance Program, and other programs concerning the states. As spokesmen for the administration portray t, the Connally appointment signals a shift to greater emphasis on domestic legislation but no change in the Nixon game plan for dialing with inflation. Certainly it demonstrates a desire on the part of the White House to make sure that divided government with the executive and legislative branches controlled by different political parties doesnt become deadlocked government. As for Secretary Kennedys getting kicked upstairs, there are those who will see it as an effort to placate the d dissatisfaction shown in the recent congressional elections with the way the economy is behaving. Whether Mr. Kennedy jumped from the Treasury post or was pushed really isnt of overriding importance. With no background in politics, he came to the job at a most difficult time in the economic affairs of this country and at no little sacrifice to himself and his family. What is important is that at an age when most men are thinking of retirement, he answered his countrys call to public service, did so diligently, and will continue to do so as a roving economic ambassador. Indeed, Mr. Kennedy already has performed in that capacity during his trip last month to five European capitals. During that trip he is said to have earned confidence and respect that the U.S. can draw upon as it strives to get Britain admitted to the European Common Market, to get more developed countries to assist less fortunate nations, and to resist the pressures prodding the U.S. toward protectionism. A White House spokesman explained that the administration has long needed a man knowledgeable and skilld in international finance. Mr. Kennedy was chosen to fill that need. His new post is one held previously by Averill Harriman; thats a measure of the importance of the job and of the pride Utahns take in this native son. Meanwhile, lets hope Congress was listening carefully when, in announcing the cabinet changes, President Nixon observed : We have a Republican President and a Democratic Congress, but the problems we have are American problems. We need to approach them in a bipartisan manner. Con-ual- SST Defeat A Victory For Man ly Is not often, sad to say, that mankind wins a round in the unending strug- It gle to preserve a decent quality of life. But the Senates action last week in halting further development ot a U.S. supersonic transport plan, is a victory that warms the heart. With rrgret for the economic hardship the Senates decision will cause in certain areas, it has to be said that the Senate acted wisely. One further step should be d off-sho- well-bein- Better Self , Too will ourselves those we those we merit. to behave kindly toward do not love even toward do not like, which is the real Not only were the authors of the Bible not psychologically naive, they even anticipated the sages and philosophers of later times, in many of the precepts they handed down to us, which we misunderstand. Why, for instance, are w e commanded to act lovingly toward our neighbors and our enemies? Not just because God wants us to, or because it will help us but because it will enter Heaven, benefit us as well as them, and because it teaches us what love is. Virtue, as Aristotle wrote long betore the Bible, is a habit of the will. Just as, our we exercise physically, when muscles get stronger, so when we exercise our will in virtuous ways, we strengthen our character. And if we act lovingly long enough, we begin to feel lovingly. Just try taking care of goldfish for a couple of months, much less a person, and you will recognize the emotional truth of this. As long as love your neighbor is regarded as some pious injunction, or as some impossibly Utopian prescription of the future, it remains an inert truth mumbled by people on Sundays and forgotten the rest of the time. Once it is understood as a dynamic psychological axiom that can open up a life as the coming of a summer opens up a flower, then it becomes a living force that can be stronger than any other element in our social life. The Bible has for too long been captured by the wrong people, for their own narrow or If purposes. todays young people were equipped to read it as it was written, it would prove to their spirits than more liberating any of the modern slogans they cling to so desperately. If you want to learn w'hai love is, thats where to go. Washing s No Job For Dropout Such an approach could encourage business to invest in equipment rather than by government edict. Some of the cost would he recovered through the 20 percent tax credit, and more of it through the amortization deduction in the following years. Certainly Uncle Sam should hold out a carrot as well as wielding a stick in prodding Americans to clean up their environment and keep it clean. vol-unta- ry anti-polluti- The utility room these days is no place for a high school dropout. During the last 21 years, I have seen evolve from a simple process of throwing the 'tuff in the washer and w atching it slosh to a com- laundry plicated. uecisun-makin- g ritual entire our eiology hangs wiieie All Aboard The Ark? in Die balance. Hot or cold i If youre wondering what to stuff into a Christmas stockthe man who has everything, how about a Noahs Ark for ing in Dallas? to the department stores listing, its for the According man who plans for any eventuality. It sleeps eight passenand that doesnt even include gers as well as four crewmen a French chef, Swedish masseur, German hair stylist, English valet, French maid, Italian couturier, English curator-librariaPark Avenue physician and Texas A&M veterinarian. Its a bargain at only $588,247. The animal deck, claims the offering, accommodates 92 mammals, 10 reptiles, 26 birds, 14 fish and 38 insects. The stores president, Edward Marcus, says this years Christmas cat.iogue in which the ark is advertised was a conscious effort on our part to ask ourselves whether we weie offeiing anything that was too ostentatious in a recession would have brought? year. We wonder what going But then, thats Texas Actually the department stores .sell few if any such flamboyant offerings. They're mom 81 publicity stunts. A rival Houston store. Sakowitzs, offered million worth of paintings last year and had no takers. This year its offering a clear plastic geodesic dome t put over the owners house as protection against air pollution for a paltry $322,500. Again, it expects no takers. But then you never Know. As one store spokesman said; if sorrit one ordered it, wed have o deliver it. Neiman-Marcu- s n, 1 But the greater significance of the SSTs demise lies in the hope this action has generated. Perhaps tiie quiet question will now be asked in other fields. Will the drilling of particular oil wells, or thn construction of particular polluting factories, truly contribute to the g of America? What of the marvelous computers and the data systems that invade our privacy? Are these necessary: Really necessary? Maybe, just maybe, the Senates vote marks a turning point. For a long time now, we Americans have been running lip the escalator, frantically seeking more speed, more power, more noise, more trash, more smog, more gadgets, but in terms of the quality of our life we have little to show for it. We dont have to go back to the horse and buggy, but surely we can get along for a while with the jumbo jet. sional personnel. Commencing on Jan. 1 of next year, he countys ii. house computer will do the bookkeeping and .ccouuting procedures for the county under th tightest and most effective financial control package that we have been able to discover anywhere in local or state government. We believe that this financial control package is one of the great steps made toward saving our tax dollars and the forcing of financial control which could possibly have beeu achieved. We hope that you will continue to supDort the appointment of a county executive officer to assure continuity of government and to assist the process of relieving commissioners of administrative duties to allow more adequate planning, legislative activities and control at the departmental level. -R- OYAL K. HUNT County Commissioner Yule Date Not Important to my door to tell me This morning a lady that Christmas is a pagan holiday, and that God is displeased that we celebrate this day. I dont believe God is ever displeased when we do good for others, regardless of the date. I truly believe that many, many people help others throughout the year, but this is a time to go the extra mile. I remember, when I was young, that my mother was always helpful to people wherever and wherever there was need. But the lesson of being kind to others was most forcibly brought to my attention during the Christmas holidays. Most important of all this is the season when we truly remember Christ ari the important mission He performed upon this earth. The date is not as important as the honor we pay to Him who died upon the cross for all. December 23th was not celebrated as Christmas until the Fourth Century A.D., and then that date was chosen for convenience because no one knew the true date. It was already a national holiday celebrating the birth of the Roman god Sol. Many people have never heard of him. To all of them December 23th is Christmas Day; they do not celebrate for this Woman god. What better way to bring uie year to a close than by worship services, and doing little extras for others! -JUANITA ADKINSON long-forgott- lowed. k. What wa, involved in the prospect of Noise, for one thing noise of the this plane on landing and takeoff. And despite the frantic rash of denials, regulations and amendments, senators could look down the road to the economic necessity of permitting flights over land at supersonic speeds; they could see millions of Americans subjected to the annoyance and the property damage caused by recurring sonic booms. All this, so that a relatively few air travelers could gain the convenience of additional Thy Neighbor can you command people to love? the college student asked me. The Bible commands us to love our neighbors, or love our enemies, but everybody knows that you cant love on it has to originate on the inside, order as a feeling. "It conies from a poor translation, I said. Do you imagine the wise men who wrote the Bible were so psychologically naive that they imagined anyone could be commanded to love, even if God orders it? There is a Hebrew construction that can only be rendered archaically in English as love to your neighbor, and which means act lovingly toward him.' And that is the commandment. Obviously, it is not within our power to love or not love; but it is within our power to be kind or not kind, to art charitably or uncharitably. Love, as we commonly understand it, is an emotion, and emotions cannot be legislated; but loving acts proceed from the will, and we can anti-polluti- big-tal- fij How As most authorities see it, the job is so big that ever, big at least not government cant take it on without taking decades to accomplish what should be done in a few years. To stimulate more efforts by the private sector of the economy, Congressman William Minshall of Ohio wruts to hold out the lure of tax incentives. Under a bill he has introduced, the federal government would provide a credit against the income tax equal to 20 percent of the cost of the equipment involved in curbing pollution. Moreover, the cost could be amortized as a business expense over five years instead of the longer period now al- ut become dependent for spare parts upon Communist whim. Important elements cf public opinion in both France and Great Britain have begun to demand a cessation of the Concorde development. Yet these were not the issues on which the battle turned. In the end, the the factor that dominant consideration caused an astonishing 18 senators to reverse their own positions within a year was the quiet question that so seldom is asked: Would this project improve the quality of our life? The answer, plainly was no. speed. It never made seme. With the Senates action, it may now be possible for the airline industry to concentrate upon quieting and perfecting the present generation of subsonic aircraft. Perhaps the Congress, as it studies the whole problem of transportation, may now direct its attention to moie urgent needs, benefiting far more taxpayers, here on our crowded earth. By SYDNEY J. HARRIS the bill? all-o- I love JAMES J. KILPATRICK a supersonic transport plane? Mr. Vi Kilpatrick The arguments in favor of continuing the project were persuasive, but they were never convincing. On close examination, none ot them held up. There never was solid evidence that the airlines themselves were in any mad rush to buy the SST. It always was a doubtful proposition that Western carriers would invest in Soviet-buil- t aircraft, and thus Everyones for fighting pollution, but whos going to foot from in will collapse. Carrot And Stick - takn, the form of legislaall tion barring foreign - built SSTs from the use of American airports. When that is done, this whole unfortunate misadventure wide-sprea- single-hande- TO THE EDITOR wafer? Heavy or conditioner? A presoaker? Special spins for synthetics? Dont mix the soaker with the detergent or the bleach with the soaker or the soaker with the bleach. (Not to mention the puiple football socks with the white underwear). Check for the percentage of phosphates that are nutrients which will af- - light load? Water ERMA BOMBECK feet algae and eventually cause dying arid decaying of plant life, which eventually uses up the oxygen in the water, causing death to aquatic life. Whats the answer? As a housewife. I have always felt this country was too clean. If we continue on this antiseptic path we will certainly destroy ourselves. 1 dont say this because there is lint sticking to my refrigerator and the house is being condemned. I say this because history will bear me out. Women nowadays are developing a downright compulsion about cleanliness. Check your supermarket. Look at the aisle with the cleaning items. You will find it occupies twice the space as the cookie aisle. What kind of a society is it that puts cleanliness before calories? I wash every three hours a week, and frankly I dont seven days know why. The houses are scrubbed and waxed, the schools are polished and deodorized, the cars are vacuumed and cleaned, the streets are swept and hosed, and grass is sprayed and manicured, the shopping centers are buffed and polished. There is no more coal dust, mounds of dirt to play in, dumps to explore or alleys and gutters to frolic in. I told my family the other day that laundry would be kept to a minimum. No more wearing a pair of jeans after school and stuffing them in the clothes hamper by bedtime. No more changing blouses in the middle of dinner and putting them on the washer. Whats that smpll? asked my hus- band. It is your sons gym shoes, I said. In the interest of water pollution I am not going to wash them until the end of the week. In the interest of air pollution, youd better wasn them now, he said. Theres always something. 3362 Los Altos Don't Cut Educational TV In a recent telegram, Pres. Holmes of Educational Television Stations alerted officials of NET stations that funds already appropriated by Congress for National Educational Television are in danger of being reduced by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Educational television is helping America solve her problems. Who can number the children touched by Sesame Street or Misterogers? Programs like these broaden the perspectives of our by teaching everything from how to count or spell or read to how to show you like somebody. They teach young people to understand their fellowmen, b'ack or white or brown or red or yellow'. What about the Forsyte series of documentaries carried over KUED? Would HEW have us replace culture with comedy? Former Secretary of HEW John Gardner once commented that America and Americans would be much better off if we could spend more of our time and money encouraging programs to improve mans behavior instead of promoting antagonism. --GERRIT M. STEENBLIK 619 Colorado St. POW Mail It was exrtting to read your recent report of the two tons of protests delivered to the North Vietnamese Peace Delegation in Paris. The number of letters, 370,000, is outs landing. We are encouraged by the concern of Americans for the men bring held prisoner of war in Southeast Asia. These letters from North Carolina evidence that concern. g The project undertaken in this state by the Arnold Air Society at BYU is abo making excellent progress. We urge your readers to write directly to the North Vietnamese Peace Delegation, (c-- o POW, Provo, Utah 84601), and to courteously demand their compliance to the Geneva Convention of 1957 to W'hich North Vietnam agreed. The terms of that convention include the immediate release of all names of prisoners, humane treatment of prisoners (full mail privileges, adequate food, and proper medical treatment), impar-tiinspections of camps, and release of seriously sick and wounded. Donations to the Arnold Air Society to help cover the costa of the project would also be approletter-writin- al priate. Ihe small society bv Briekman - KEN AND JODY SMITH Provo State Should Stop ' Doctor ' This is a reply to Mrs. L. N. Popes letter (Dec. 2). The man she defends as a doctor is no doctor at all. There is no record by the State of Utah Department of Business Regulation that he is licensed for any healing arts. How long can he treat patients for cancer ai.d take good money from them while he is not licensed for any healing profession and ..annot diagnose? How long will tlie state government let this go on? Surely somebody should protect the public from him. -- MRS. J. M. NIELSON , Oi em |