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Show A SI ip: DESERET NEWS A . H iHina .1 0 ,4 b d W u v SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH We Stand For the Constitution Of The United States As Having Been Divinely Inspired 6 A EDITORIAL PAGE SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1971 uk u u (President Nixon reaches the halfway mark of bis first term in office next Wednesday. Ilelen Thonfas, Ur i ted Press International reporter who has covered the White Ilouse since 1960, finds boih pluses and minuses in his performance thus far.) By HELEN THOMAS To Test The Schools, Test The Students llow sood are Utah's schools? How productive are their experimental programs? How effective are our teachers? How much are the students really learning? Those questions are hard to answer precisely, since schools arent evaluated by independent, outside studies and held accountable to the extent that other agencies are.. Thats why two bills have been introduced in the 39th n commission to see. Legislature for the creation of a that each cehool district in the state administers on the same day each year a uniform test to ascertain the educational achievement of its students. These bills are in line with President Nixons recommendation nearly a year ago that the nations school systems begin the responsible, open measurement of how well the educational process is working. As he observed, fine new school buildings, low ratios, and expensive equipment may not make as much difference as we all have been led to believe and arent nearly as important as how much the students actually learn. The two Utah bills are in line with a report submitted last summer to the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerces Education Committee which observed: We purchase no product about which we know less and more for than the learning produced by our formal educapay tional process. Few things are needed more than the evaluation of our educational system. . To make evaluations and comparisons among the school districts meaningful, students throughout Utah would take the same tests at about the same time. That objective makes sense; These bills should not be considered any reflection on Utah teachers. As the report to the Chamber of Commerce observed, We are blessed with an educational community consisting of a preponderance of dedicated, responsible, and effective professional people. Its just that holding the schools accountable through outside reviews can help make sure that public education is focused where it should be: On output, not input; on learning rather than teaching. As President Nixon has warned, unless local communities obtain dependable measures of just how well their school systems are performing for their children, the federal government will be asked to impose national testing standards that would undermine local control of education. The 39th Utah Legislature has an opportunity to strengthen local schools and local control of them. five-ma- pupil-teach- er . More Auto Haggling There should be a way to alert little old ladies in tennis shoes and youngsters out buying their first new car that they should dicker on the price. If dickering bothers any car buyers, they should know that in some countries businessmen feel cheated out of much of the fun of driving a good bargain if the customer pays the posted price. Now General Motors has suggested tacking on a note to the manufacturers invoice declaring that its only a suggested price guideline thus inviting more dickering. The suggestion comes at the insistence of the Federal Trade Commission that automakers and dealers do a more realistic job in posting invoice prices. Ford Motor Company, for example, has disclosed that car prices actually paid average a practice general 17 to 21 per cent below the sticker price the industry, throughout The FTC wants the car dealers to post prices within 3 per cent of a level at which substantial sales are actually made. Whatever the outcome, theres bound to be a great deal more hard bargaining in the auto showrooms now that the FTC has thrown the spotlight on auto pi'icing procedures. 'In God We Trust' How far is government required to go to keep the spirit of the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof? The issue is at stake because of a suit by several Salt Lake County residents seeking to force the city and county to remove the Ten Commandments monument, which lists the Decalogue, from the north lawn of the Metropolitan Hall of Justice. The monument case raises this central question: Must America expunge from its public life all reference to God? Must it strike from its coinage the phrase, In God We Trust ? Must it forsake the practice of swearing in court witnesses with a hand on the Eible? Must it eliminate from the Pledge of Allegiance the words, One nation, under god? Must it stop opening sessions of. Congress, state legislatures, and other public bodies with prayers to the Almighty? For that is certainly the direction the U.S. is taking if every action linking God and country' is construed as somehow prohibiting the free exercise of religion. even The test has been carried to ridiculous lengths to of voice astronaut an the a simple prayer right questioning in space, or the right of the armed forces to maintain a chaplains corps, 'i The Founding Fathers, in promulgating the First Amendment wished not to stifle religion but to let it flourish on its own. It would be wise for all to read again the prayer George Washington uttered after his inauguration: Almighty God, we make our prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their s of the United States at large. . . fellow-citizen- Afterthought . . . A fanatical man who believes the world is flat has more impressive arguments than a sensible man who knows it is spherical;, and the reason that fanaticism so often triumphs over sense is that those who hold a position passionately are the only ones who take the trouble to arm themselves with persuasive arguments, however wrong they may be. ilMMiRRl - ; At half time in WASHINGTON (UPI) his term, Richard Milhous Nixon exudes confidence that he can solve the monumental national and international problems that will determine his political fate in 1972. The President is fully aware, of course, that he must continue to wind down the war in Vietnam and jack up a sagging domestic economy. He can point to some accomplishments in Vietnam. When he took over from Lyndon B. Johnson on Jan. 20, 1969, there were 543,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam, He had steadily reduced this figure to 344,000 as of and plans to cut it to 284,000 by May 1. American casualties have dropped from 300 a week to 30 a week. Whether or not the President convinces the people that Vietnam may have been he one of Americas finest hours, apparently has won their support with his promise to wind down the war. 'V' 4? ill ':'f rf - pi' Wi " f. if;;,' p i&iw . It & rA-j-- ' C - L - -t . Ll f.k" If he succeeds, few probably will ask whether he also has met his goal of a just and honorable peace or a full generation of peace. That seems to be the mood of America. People are weary of war. Their concerns center on inflation and unemployment. And these are the problems Nixon must solve if he expects to win a second term in 1972. His efforts to cool the economy, coupled with the military cutbacks, have increased unemployment by two million since he took off-ye- anti-crim- U.S. troops into Cambodia touched off violent reaction, including the shooting of four Kent State University students by Ohio National Guardsmen. But he rode out the storm, contending that the move saved American lives in the long run and helped his Vietnamization plan. It signaled to the world, particularly the Communists, that Nixon might move a strategy considered important by the Presidents national security affairs adviser, Henry A. Kissinger. On the domestic front, Nixon aides say there was a relatively smooth followup to the Supreme Courts order to desegregate schools at once. One aide put it this way: Look at the South, no buses have been overturned. The government is dealing with the problems in the hard core areas. One of the criticisms leveled at the chief executive is that he has spent 80 per cent of his time in foreign affairs, neglecting the tormenting problems ot the cities. unpre-dictab- ly I 1 zk rij uria ;Y. it --''AK 1V, V: office. But now were talking about more positive things. said one administration insider. Inflation is slowing down. In the next two years we are going to see a positive program to build a new prosperity. Nixons game plan calls lor moves to even at the cost of expand the economy red-in- k and more jawboning spending to pressure union and business officials into line. holding the wage-pric- e The White House would just as soon elections that found forget the Nixon defying his own 1968 pleges to bring us together and his admonition to political partisans to lower your voices. The President assumed an intensely political partisan role in the recent elections. He supported who mainly candidates agreed fully with him, hit hard at law and order and indicated by his silence, if nothing else, that he supported the tough approach of Vice President Spiro Agnevv. He succeeded in knocking off a couple of Senate critics but the Democrats picked up several governorships and state legislatures. The picture of Nixon now being projected by aides is that of a strong leader, working with Democrats and healing GOP but above all striving for the wounds common good as he sees it. With the Democrats firmly in control of Congress, Nixons legislative triumphs have been few. But he did win a draft reform act. He also signed into law his e package and achieved a Post Office Department reorganization, the final fruits of which are yet to be established. , To get a better grip on homefront problems, Nixon established in the White House the domestic council to advise on domestic programs, and the office of budget and management to handle spending policies. Aides also credit his policies with calmnone have burned under ing the cities Nixon and quieting the college campuses. The Presidents surprre decision to send -- js--- ., er t r - poverty and growing militancy in the ghettos which adds to racial tensions. considerably, although the Strategic Arms Limitation (SALT) talks still go on between Whatever the validity of these complaints, the President unquestionably is happier grappling with foreign policy problems than he is dealing with home affairs. He is a jaunty traveler and Las taken six trips tour. abroad, including one On such travels he emphasizes the U.S. poland icy of peace through strength power with restraint. the two superpowers. round-the-wor- ld In a move to ease East-Wetensions, Nixon became the first president to visit Crmmunist Romania and Yugoslavia. In Romania he drew fantastic affectionate crowds. In Belgrade, he found a lot in common with President Tito. When he took over the White Houce on Jan. 20, 1969, Nixon spoke of negotiation rather than confrontation with the Soviet Union. Since then relations Lave chilled st lie Is pragmatic and orderly and h retreats for long hours to his hideaway Washington office or Camp David to study reports, mull over documents, think and plan. The big decisions are clearly his, with his advisers providing the input and pos- Nixons greatest memento of personal triumph was surely the Apollo 11 moon landing. His most searing week followed the Cambodian venture. Aides say he knew there would be turmoil but he had to do what he felt was right. The President added to the dismay of Americans opposed to the war by calling dissident students campus bums. Later, he decided to go to the Lincoln Memorial at 4 a.m. during an anti-wrally to rap with college kids and maybe reach some plane of understand';:;; The students involved didnt consider the effort an unqualified success. Nixon is the most private" president in recent U.S. history. He otten appears to be remote and isolated from the mainstream- - sible options. One of 1970s last opinion polls said Nixons popularity had fallen to a new low of 52 per cent. But those who work daily with the Presi- dent insist there is a new excitement at the White House. Nixon, they say, is WHARTON WASHINGTON (UPI) Economics textbooks say a nation can be afflicted either by inflation or by recession. One may lead to the other, but since they are supposedly opposite states, you dont ha''e both at once. N Thats what the textbooks say. But to the confusion of may economists, and to the dismay of millions of citizens, the U.S. is experiencing inflation and recession simultaneously. The hallmark of inflation is that prices keep rising, so that a dollar buys less and less. Prices are currently rising in the U.S. at an average rate of about 7 per cent a year. The classic symptoms of recession are spreading unemployment and falling production. The U.S. now has an official unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent, which means that 5 million people are actively seeking jobs. The figure would be substantially higher if account were taken of people who have despaired of finding jobs and dropped out of the labor market. Industrial production declined in November for the fourth straight month, to the recession. The lowest level since the 1960-6dropoff in output occurred throughout a broad segment of basic industries, not auto inmerely in the 1 strike-hampere- d dustry. the textbook criteria, the U.S. is suffering from the pangs of inflation and the pains of recession at one and the same time. As President Nixon fully appreciates, So by all this has political significance. unic:., rigid pricing policies by the major Either inflation or recession can make peo- - companies, an aerospace and armament pie unhappy, but a combination of the two is , industry so subsidized and safeguarded byf an exceptionally potent depressor of public the federal government that it has neveg ;. needed to plan for conversion or diversifispirits. The Administration is now moving to ' cation, and a complete mass of federal, hiles and restrictions administered by regstimulate the economy through such measures as lower interest rates and a federal ,. ulatory agencies governing mergers, con and wages. budget deficit. This is a way of solidations, prices The is to a managed eeono closer result could but it recession, step up combating my than one ruled solely by the marketplace inflationary pressures. laws of supply and demand. Economists outside the Administration On the whole, this system has work generally rate the current recession as well for the U.S. since it evolved out of of severe. them Some veiy expect moderately the desperation of the great depression onc( it to get worse in the months immediately ahead, with unemployment climbing to the needs of World War II. But now it i4 under severe pressures and no one can yet something like 8 per cent. foretell what the outcome may be. But few economists see any likelihood Some industries and geographical area that things will get as bad as they were durare feeling the effects of the recession nuclf ing the great depression of the 1930s, when the official unemployment rate climbed to more than others. Aerospace and electron-ics are the two industries most badly hurt 18 per cent. at present. Cities such as Seattle, Wash., The consensus among economists in and where such industries are concentrated, ara out of the Administration is that a depression of that magnitude can never happen suffering economic hardship at least equivl alent to the years of the depression. again because of the safeguards which have Sensitive consumer industries such as been built into the U.S. economy since airlines and other transportation system 1932. Among these are government-insure- d also are showing unemployment levels far bank accounts, restrictions on margin specabove national averages. welthe in stock ulations exchanges, public Private industries which so far have felt fare programs which provide a subsistence for many of the very poor, government-finance- d few effects of the recession include petroleunemployment compensation and um, steel, and (except for the temporary effects of the General Motors strike) auto social security. , time-teste- d The combination of inflation and recession probably could not occur in a truly d free economy, nor in a one. It could only happen where it has hapin a country with powerful labor pened wholly-manage- mobiles. This is one reason many economists feel that while things are likely to get somewhat worse before they get better, no real ecoJ nomic disaster is in prospect. The Unworkable Societies: Lesson Of Pakistan Bv JENKIN LLOYD JONES Across the television screens of America during the New Year's Day football games there were flashed repeated appeals for funds to relieve in East Pakis- dis-tre- ss Distress - is an understatement. About half a million people were drowned by the tidal wave. An estimated 2.5 million u'ere left homeless end starving. But the behavior Mr. Jones of Pakistanis themselves is also a matter of legitimate worldwide concern. For Pakistan is a good example of the growing number of unworkable societies, steeped in inefficiency, super-- t it ion, greed and graft, that have so far defied outside elforts to make things work. There have, of course, always been disasters. But in the days of poor communications there was great indifference. Medieval British might have listened with awe to the faoulous Oriental tales of Prester John, but they could have hardly cared less how many Hindus were slaughtered by Babur or the JENKIN LLOYD JONES how mar subjects of the Mings drowned in Yangtze floods. In spite of vigorous preachments for compassion by all the great religions, true compassion toward unfortunate strangers is a very' new thing. It has only been a little over a century since Christian missionaries began distributing rice t; starving Asiatics (with a double handful if they w'ere regular at prayer meeting) and only in the last quarter-centur- y has international relief (mostly paid for by Americans) come into vogue. But although most people get a personal lift out of dropping a quarter in the tambourine, we must face the fact that in much of the world snafu is built in, and too often charity vanishes like rain upon the ocean. Consider Pakistan: It is a nation in two parts, separated by different 1,000 miles of India, speaking languages, mutually suspicious because of different racial origins, and united only in Islam and hatred of the Hindus. These are shaky toundations upon which to build a vigorous, manageable nation, but good-hearte- d Pakistan has even worse disabilities. Both parts suffer from a runaway population growth. East Pakistan, about the size of Arkansas, already contains 75 million peomore than live in the whole U.S. we ple of the Mississippi. At the present rate of growth East Pakistans population will double in 27 years. The proliferation of human beings dries up the milk of human kindress. There is a callousness toward want and suffering in overpopulated countries which people who have never visited them cannot appreciate. The most magnificent and costly party I ever witnessed was a nabobs wedding reception in the courtyard of a Karachi hotel, Aline outside the gates misery lay like a miasmie fog. So when the tidal wave wiped out about the number of people who live in Pittsburgh and hurled a population equivalent to that of Los Angeles into starvation, Pakistan reacted characteristically. For days the government minimized the disaster. President Gen. Agha Mohammed Yahra Khan, head of the rnilitmy regime, paused in Dacca briefly en route back from t charged with a new determination to fight for his family assistance plan, a national i health plan and revenue sharing, all designed to meet domestic troubles. He is planning, looking ahead, trying toJ upljlt, said one aide. He i; trying to get f peoples eyes off the pedestria. and take! them to the mountain top." ar Economy Defies Textbooks By ELIZABETH t a conference in Peking, said he was very much distressed, and flew on. Relief helicopters offered by India were refused. It was 10 days beiore the army was mobilized to help. According to Sydney Schanberg, New York Times writer, when the first trickle of food and clothing began to reach the destroyed villages, professional beggars from the high country poured down to get in on the loot. Some officials demanded 20 rupees to put a family on the relief list. There was a paucity of volunteers, particularly among the fortunate middle and upper classes, to dirty their hands with the grim business of feeding the ravenous and burying the dead. is preparing to contribute control and development program for Pakistan. This is fine. The American football viewers and spectators are expected to give substantially to Pakistan leliel. This, too, is fine. Washington heavily to a $1.6 billion flood But one cannot travel through much of the world without realizing that most and that human agony is there are going to have to be some fundamental changes in the behavior of miserable societies beiore their histories cease io of disasters. be a leap-frog |