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Show I f V The Salt Lake Tribune. Tin Way It Was f S, Mere are briefs ol news in The Salt Lake T rihune 25, 50 and 100 years ago today April h W o. . ' "No report from any source," was the only available for anxious inquirers from shortly after 2 oclock eastern standard time, yesterday morning, when the sUver-hue- d ship flickered for a moment in the view of Insh civic guards at Slyne Head, most westerly point of Connaught None of the twenty-fou- r slups plowing the North Atlantic routes had reported sighting the Bremen, although radio stations up and down the coast were on the alert throughout yesterday and last night April 13, 1953 WASHINGTON Some American soldiers about to be returned from prisoner of war camps in Korea may appear to have been converted to communism, the Defense. Deapartment advised Sunday night. With exchange of sick and wounded prisoners of war scheduled to start m Korea April 20, the department issued a "fact sheet saying that "various techniques used by Red captors on the nunds of somo Americans may have vv allied them to apparent acceptance of communism The results have shown up in letters various war prisoners have sent to relatives, and in broadcasts they have made from Red f 7 More about leap years. In writing about leap years a little while back I made a bitsy boo-bowhich has leen called to my attention by two Warren E. gentlemen from North Carolina Baecht of Carthage and A. A. Friedrich of Raleigh I said the normal year is 3ti3V, days Mr. Baecht writes as follows (and Mr. Friedrich seems to agree): "When Pope Gregory devised the new calendar in 1583 he did so to correct the Julian error, which made every fourth year a leap year. The correct length of a year is 3t5 days, 5 hours 48 minutes to seconds ; Thus you can see that this is not StifiG day s Gregory made leap years those years exactly divisible by 4, exceot for century years Each century year to be a leap year must tie exactly divisible by 400. The years 1700. 180(1 and 1900 were not leap y ears The y ear 2000 w ill indeed be a leap year. Let s see now , the next, century leap year, the year 2000. is 22 years ofl How old will you be then? i reply i I 13. 1978 By Theodore M. Bernstein The Galveston News report; another train robbery on the Texas Pacific Railway at Mesquite station, thirteen nules east of Dallas, at 10 oclock last night. When the train stopped at the depot the engineer and firemen were taken from the engine and placed under guard. The express messenger and route agent barricaded themselves in their car, but the robbers saturated it with coal oil, set fire to it and forced them out. The express and mail were then plundered. The conductor, Alford, and two robbers were wounded. The plundering party numbered fifteen or twenty. The passengers were not molested April 13. 1928 A chill pass of silence NEW YORK (AP) enveloped the fate of the Junker plane Bremen and her crew of three at the beginning of the second day since she took off from Baldonnel field. Ireland. il hursday. April Bernstein on Words 13, 1878 NEW ORLEANS 3 1 Word oddities. When Mr. Friedrich finished writing about leap years he turned to a if the plurals of and court-marti- different subject: mother-in-la- attorney-genera- l, are mothers-in-laand courtsv martial, is the plural of passport passesport? No, because playing with words like that has become a passe sport. attomeys-genera- l, 4 One sentence, two notes. Minor slips that writers and certainly copy editors should have corrected appeared recently in the following sentence: "Mr. Jordan is seen as a presidentiaJ assistant who is more equal than all the others with the exception of Jody Powell, the press secretary." Slip number 1 is the phrase more equal. The word equal is an absolute or an incomparable ; things are equal or they are not they are no degrees of comparison. Whal the users of more equal mean (and should say) is more nearly equal. Nevertheless, more equal has found acceptance by many authorities on usage and is not regarded as a serious sin. Slip number 2 is the pleonasm of the phrase with the exception of. Why not simply except? Word economy makes for better writing in general, but is especially important in Tlu Mother Hen Bizarre Blending No Real Solution to Tax Problem v By Art Pine W ashington Post W riter In economic policyWASHINGTON making, as in gourmet cooking, the most r sometimes are the most spurt of cognac over lean fresh ham, done the right way, can work out well on balance. And if youre out of white pepper and pulverized herbs, a healthy mixture of nutmeg, thyme and other spices can make up the difference. So it's not too surprising that in their quest to work out the nations delicate domestic and international economic problems, top administration officials should be mischievously eyeing a stewpot combination: A proposal to use revenues from the crude oil tax President Carter wants included in the energy till to help finance a congressionally sought reduction in social security taxes. Carter hasnt formally endorsed this bizarre blending Publicly, he still is staunchly for the crude oil tax and against any cut in social security taxes. But he and top administration officials have been hinting privately theyd willingly swallow the combination if it ever came out of congressional kitchens. Indeed, the President has told House leaders it would be (lie only social security tax cut plan hed find palatable. Everybody Happy? At first glance, the recipe seems workable, if somewhat strange. The White House badly wants the crude oil tax, which has been held up for months m conference committee. And Congress is pushing for a rollback in social security taxes, which the President opposes. Mix thoroughly, add a dash of election year rhetoric, and everybodys happy. And Carters tax reduction and "reform package is kept intact tempting recipes exotic-soundin- 4 A g. d SjKTtk Editor, Tribune: I Backers argue that linking the two proposals would have one major advantage: It might possibly persuade some members of Congress who want to cut Social Security taxes to push d crude oil tas for the untotthng the key provision in the year-ol- d energy bill. Without any outside boost, the crude oil tax now with prospects seems unlikely to pass dimming every day. No Improvement The difficulty is, while the ingredients may seem tempting enough separately, analysts say blending them together has some serious flaw's from an economic standpoint that are likely to leave a bad taste for years. "This proposal has been around here for several weeks now, and it hasnt improved any with age, observes one key official involved in the planning. Economists cite these considerations: The two proposals are basically incompatible as a financing scheme because one is designed to take in gradually less and less in revenues over the years while the other requires increasingly larger infusions of funds. Within a few years, the revenues would disappear entirely, while the need for financing would be greater than ever. Supposed to Decline The crude oil tax is designed to make up the difference between present domestic oil prices, now being held down by controls, and the world Contentions that the scheme might work out temporarily perhaps for a year or two, until something else can be worked out tend to overlook political realities. The oil industry, for example, has been lobbying heavily against any such meddling, for fear that once the crude oil tax were linked to the social security program, it would never be eliminated. Many analysts see some logic in that fear. Even if both measures were passed, there arent enough revenues left in the crude oil tax to finance any significant segment of the social security trust fund. A good portion of the planned crude oil tax recipts already has been spoken for, earmarked for everything from research and development to home insulation. long-stalle- Editor. Tribune. congratulate Democratic congressional candidate John Paul Kennedy ,iml the others who have criticized Rep. Dan Marriott's handling of the Vitro tailings problem. By the same token. I think your April edi'anal endorsing Mr. Marriott was unad-1 v ised You say that Marriott's hill might produce something, so wc all better keep quiet or support him. By the same logic, we should supHrt any politician whose public relations men tell him to start looking busy around election time even though he hasnt been heard from or seen in the past and, in fact, is just producing hot air. is Wind we need have needed for years responsible action to deal with the tailings problem. Remarks made at Rep. Marriott's "hearing showed very well why we do not yet have that sort of action As Mr. Kennedy jaunted out. the present bill was introduced into Congress far too late to have any realistic chance of being approved before Congress adjourns .As Mr Kennedy and others have also pointed out. the hill is poorly thought out It does not distinguish between active and inactive sites. It does not make special provision for sites on Indian lands It does not prevent a windlall to existing owner- - of the sites Irom the massive amounts of ptibhc nuniov -- pent to clean the price, dash. Postpones Reckoning Day And Sen. Russell B. Long, D-L- chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has said if a crude oil tax is passed, he wants a major share of the revenues to be plowed back to the oil companies for dickering over security seems of reckoning on new exploration. The current a possible linkup with social likely only to postpone the day the crude oil tax. for financing of the social security system, making it dependent on all sorts of taxes rather than a permanent revenue source. Removing the and reliable Medicare and disability components of the program and financing them with general The linkage would set a precedent crazy-bui- lt income tax revenues is one thing. But analysts fmd it difficult to understand how Carter can be w ary of that plan and not be even more nervous about the crude oil tax link. ' Perhaps most important, economists say the linkup would get in the way of any serious efforts to help the ailing Social Security system a step by revamping its benefits formulas that fiscal analysts, and many lawmakers, say is necessary before the trust fund can be financially sound again. The big problem facing social security today is that Congress has loaded it with adjustment formulas that comto mit the government years in advance paying far larger benefits than the system will be able to support. cost-of-livi- Different Problems Analysts say huddling the problem with a new and itself shaky source of financing can only get in the way of rational decisionmaking over the issue. The need to raise domestic oil prices to world price levels is hoped to be only temporary. But the problems of social security financing are not. Finally, theres no guarantee the crude oil tax would pass, even if Carter did come out publicly in favor of using it to finance a rollback in social security taxes. Congress seems bent on reducing payroll taxes anyway oil tax or no oil tax and most likely will do so. Whether for good reason or not, the crude oil tax has had little support in the conference committee that is considering the energy bill, and theres no overwhelming evidence it would pick up any more if it were linked to social security. Indeed, Long, for one, is reported to have told the administration privately last Tribune Readers Opinions sites up. These are only some of its problems. But Mr. Marriott has found an effective, cheap way to receive free publicity. I assume your editorial writers receive junk mail like the rest of us. If so, they probably have discovered the sudden volume of newsletters, notices of local meetings, and questionnaires being spewn from Marriott's office lately. It is no accident that a public relations gimcrack of a bill got introduced about the same time that Marriott was raising his public visibility in other ways. And, to give Mariott's p r. men the credit they deserve, the trick worked Your editorial took things a step further by draping the flag around Marriott's gimmick You criticized those who, like John Paul Kennedy, legitimately have pointed out the weaknesses of the bill. You suggested that these people are injecting politics into the matter. If so, they are only giving back some of what Marriott has dished out, and doing us all a service at the same time by scrutinizing the bill to expose its failings. I am surprised that newspaper writers, of all people, would see more value in silence than m a free and open discussion of issues. If that is the position your editorial meant to take. I'm sure youll want to reconsider this position for the future ROBERT .SCHICK is not infallible and has only such authority as the Constitution has granted him, no inherent rights at all. Congress is the governing body with inherent rights and restricted only by the Constitution. Any treaty that cannot survive the rule is very apt to be a very bad treaty. two-thir- Forum Kiiles- - Public Forum letters must be submitted exclusively to The Tribune and bear writer's full name, signature and address. Names must be printed on political letters but may be withheld for good reasons on Ovhers. Writers are limited to one letter every 10 days. Preference will be given to short, typewritten (double spaced) letters permitting use of the writer's true name. All letters are subject to condensation. Mail to the Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, Box 8(17 Salt Lake City, Utah. 8 HO. 1 Conversely, any treaty that can pass may not necessarily be a good treaty. Ratification signifies little Better no treaties at all than a plethora of concessions and humiliations Even if the Senate does ratify the Panama Canal treaties, there yet remains 22 years m which to arouse the American people and to derail the treaties. Twenty-twyears from now the world may he very different Even the Panamamans may come to their sense, oust Tornjos. and conclude that American ownership and operation of our canal - best o Trendy Treat) Editor, Tribune: Our Federal Constitution may be too concise for nobody seems to know just what it does mean. Yet the founders of this nation thought that they were very clear and that the meaning ot the oath of office was easily understandable, a sacred promise and not a mere fuimality. ot the They who bemoan that Senate can "veto the President'' should remember that, m turn, the President can veto of the Congees- - The up to onc-lliu- d two-thud- pic-iiV- ni S C ROSS Ephraim l oo Editor, Tiihunc editoiia! section ono-Mde- Ihe ( E The syndicated columns and the cartoons m your publication present a prejudiced view of the very complicated situation in the Middle East. Two years ago when I was teaching a college course on the Middle East I collected were cartoons from The Tribune Twenty-fiv- e b one was and one was neut ral pro-Ara- The column by William Safire in the April edition is an example. Entitled "The Arabization of Washington, this columnist goes on to deplore the growing influence of those sympathetic to the Arab point of view. If it is wrong for the Arabs to mount a considerable public relations campaign in our national capital, and it may he, then it is also wrong for the Zionists to carry on their powerful lobby at all levels of our government 1 The cartoon on April depicted ail Arab holding a gun with the caption, "A Future A Future A Futuie Einstein Horowitz " The Salk implication is pure raci-- t 1 . . Most people deplore terrorist attai - such as the l event one in Israel They should also in retaliation where, deplore the over-kil- l 2.0(H) innocent civ ihans were killed and more than 100,000 were dnven tiom their homes The suggestion that 15 are worth 2.(HX) innocent Arabs is repulsive k- . How many futuie Brownings, Keats (,'hui lulls were lost when Monaihem Begin and his tei i oi 1st gang blew up the K eg David Hotel ill i'Us killin mole than 80 pi ople uu hiding 1.5 lews Oi how many Inline A: ih leaders i I treatment Middle )ur-Siil- rtl president of an American foundation doing technical assistant work in the Middle East In this capacity it was my opportunity to travel extensively and meet with people at all levels. These experiences together with extensive reading give me a background to appreciate the significance of events in that strategic part of the world. anti-Ara- .i umiiui reader ol vein ed at lie am given to the .tu.iimn u. di-t- ie Ewl -- iieli 'ei: w ,- 1- .11 l!i"i' do; t, pttishod.d Den A t wouldnt have the votes to clear the; crude oil tax even if the social security plan week he The Public F orum was overjoyed the other Public Hclatious Hill t which now is substantially higher. Unless w'orld oil prices soar unexpectedly, the crude oil tax is suppsed to decline as domestic prices gradually rise. At the same time, the growing social security system would need more revenues over the years. Theres almost certain to be a Carter had overwhelmed the Venezuelans with a speech in Spanish, which is not a language native to Georgia. Now we know what he has been studying the past few months. It is quite obvious that he has not applied himself to fiscal matters vitally concerning this country. In any event. I was not aware that Yen.uelans were registered to vote in the U.S. elections Could it lx suggested that Mr. Carter spend some time learning to speak the language ol the west and maybe just overwhelm some of us westerners. ROBERT L. PERRY East Ely, Nev. - no doubt that some sort of crude oil tax is needed. The measure is the only really effective one in Carters energy package, and its enactment almost certainly would bolster the sagging dollar. And a good many economists can make a solid case for roiling back social security taxes. For one thing, the move would help slow inflation. Our l,anguage day to read that Mr. v Theres came through. More Sensible, Effective What Carter does have to help prod Congress into enacting the needed crude oil tax is the threat that he will impose an oil Import fee on his own if the lawmakers dont clear the measure soon. Most analysts regard this step as far more sensible and more effective in reducing oil consumption if the energy bill doesn't pass. ; Meanwhile, the administration seems to be playing the issue both ways. In an appearance,.! before a Senate finance subcommittee last week, Treasury Secretary W. Michaer1 Blumenthal publicly reiterated the administrations official position that the President wants to see the crude oil tax passed and is against any change in last years social security tax;; hike. But he left the door open to linking thq-- j two, saying if Congress passed such a measure.! Carter would "consider" it. .o Insiders say Blumenthal equivocated on the issue only on orders from the White House. Privately, the Treasury chief is said to think linking the two proposals is patently a bad idea. Instead, hes urged Carter to impose an oil import duty if the energy bill isnt cleared by May 1. But the message Carter is passing to the lawmakers privately apparently is quite differ- ent confirmed both by administration officials and key congressional leaders. The question is whether that approach , would be mixing apples and oranges, which hasnt always been regarded as a very tasty' dish. (Copyright) the same terrorist gang massacred 254 men, women and children? America is committed to the security of Israel. We should stand by this commitment, but we should not support needless aggression and repression. Our country, whether we like it or not. Is heavily dependent upon oil from the Arab countries. E. DeALTON PARTRIDGE, Ph.D Problem-Causin- Solutions g Editor, Tribune: Utah cast the crucial vote did away with the 18th Amendment in 1933, thus repealing prohibition. The Federal Narco- tics Bureau had just been formed. We wonder that why? Up to then, drugs had been no big problem., But organized crime had lost its bootleg profits. , After the establishment of the Federal Narcotics Bureau the states were urged to pass new this time against various prohibition laws s were created. drugs. Profitable The huge, deadly game of cops and robbers which resulted has become a cancer reaching into many countries, at our expense. The profits made by organized crime from pushing drugs are incalculable. Our tax burdens increase with every law we pass, generating growth in enforcement agencies, court actions and prisons. We have created crimes where there are no victims. No victims? What about all the robberies by people trying to support their drug habits? Lets ask ourselves, why do we have an increase in drug users and why are drugs so expensive? Who pushes them? Who sets the underworld. price? The profit hungry, tax-fre- e What do our laws do to a person who tries to rdise marijuana for himself? He goes to prison at taxpayers expense of about $30,000 per year per prisoner. We ruin lives and provide the underworld with trained recruits. Should we consider another repeal? Should we have our problems out in the open where we can deal with them with truth and compassion'' Should we be aware continually that forces which seek controls which result in criminal profits will he pushing for more laws? no-no- K.A 1 H.AKA N A KhhS V ' |
