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Show 'Coming Home-Pentag- tmiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiniiitiiiniiiiiiiimiiiiiimniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiTniTiinntiiimiiiiiiHiiitmt Style on DESERET NEWS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH We Stand For The Constitution Of The United States 'Passports' A Flop? As Having Been Divinely Inspired 22 A EDITORIAL PAGE FRIDAY, AUGUST Sometime about January an editorial or an article appeared in the Deseret News concerning the Golden Eagle passport system. 15, 1969 This quoted the individual who directs the program. As I remember, he said that the attendance at national parks and monuments dropped in 1965, the first year of the Golden Eagle, by nearly 60 per cent. He stated that it cost the government over $4 million to operate the first year. He cited other figures for the following years to 1968, and estimated that if the program were allowed to continue it would be necessary to dismiss about 500 Forest Service workers and to curtail many other services previously given before the Golden Eagle was ramrodded upon the people of the United States. As I recall, the article concluded to the effect that it was generally agreed that the Golden Eagle costing the taxpayer program was a fluke How Hot To Create A Recreation Area When it comes to the effort to create a Sawtooth National Recreation Area some Idaho conservationists are their own worst enemies. As the proposal 'was originally drawn, 351,000 acres of mostly national forest land in central Idaho north of Sun Valley and east of Boise would have been designated as a National Recreation Area. This would, as Chief Edward P. Cliff of the U.S. Forest Service has testified, give national recognition to an area with outstanding recreation potential and scenic, historic and natural qualities. It would also protect portions of the upper reaches of the Salmon River, which is one of the major remaining spawning areas of salmon and steelhead. So money Checking Out New Nixon Plan far, so good. Its But then American Smelting and Refining Co. discovered a possible molybdenum deposit in the White Cloud Peaks area to the east. After that happened, conservationists decided that 157,000 acres of the White Cloud Peaks area ought to be incorporated into the proposed National Recreation Area. Like the Sawtooths, the White Clouds are striking and highly scenic examples of Idahos high country. This area offers fine opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, pack trips, fishing, big game hunting, mountain climbing, and sightseeing. Mining would hurt the recreation and esthetic values of the area. On the other hand, development of a new mining industry in this section of Idaho would help the local economy and provide jobs in an area that is described as economically depressed. When the Senate acted on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, it approved an amendment including the White Cloud Peaks section in the recreation area. But even that wasnt good enough for some conservationists, who are unhappy because the recreation area would permit mining and grazing. Even though such mining and grazing would be done under supervision of the Forest Service, some conservationists insist on even more rigid bans on commercial activities. As a result, not just the White Cloud Peaks area but the entire Sawtooth National Recreation Area is in danger of dying in the House of Representatives, where the bill is stymied in the Interior Committee. Thats where the bill seems likely to stay unless Idaho conservationists present a united front on the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Those who want more controls can fight for them after the recreation area is created. Otherwise, if a few stubborn Idahoans insist on getting everything they want in the Sawtooths, they may very well in which case all end up with no recreation area at all America would be the loser. time in the automobile to the surprise of many and industry, White House watchers, the urge for inno-vation appears to have hit the President, too. It used to be a running joke, back in the Kennedy days, that no one would buy a used car from Mr. new-mod- lot of customers will line new up for his Nixon. A federalism. Mr. Kilpatrick The revised welfare approach unveiled by the President last week is more than a new grill and a strip of chrome. Under his grand design, little would remain of the old welfare but two or three hubcaps and a dingbat on the hood. Drop the metaphor. Mr. Nixon is proposing to retain aid to the aged, the blind, and the disabled as special categories with national but he would scrap aid to dependent children" altogether and substitute a new plan of family assistance in its place. One sees in this bold and breathtaking scheme the fine Irish hand of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, special assistant on urban affairs, but the packaging and sales promotion come straight from Mr. Nixon himself. The President candidly acknowledges two targets for objection: mini-mum- s; JAMES J. KILPATRICK He would more than double the number of persons receiving some form of federal dole; and he would boost welfare costs by $4 billion in the first year alone. Yet he makes a persuasive case in defense of these aspects of his program. The burden of higher costs would not be felt until fiscal 1971, when I expect the As for the doufunds to be available. bled number of welfare recipients, from 10 million now to 22 million then, the President argues convincingly that only a drastic change in the total concept will eliminate the indefensible mess that is public welfare today. The present system, as the President said, breaks up homes, penalizes work, and robs recipients of dignity. The system creates an incentive for fathers to desert their children. It makes it possible for heads of families to receive more money on welfare than on a job. Thus the present system fosters indolence and promiscuity; and it offers a destructive and corrosive way of life for millions of children who now form a third generation on the welfare. The system is especially wrong, as Mr. Nixon remarked, in the cruel unfairness it imposes on the working poor. As g welfare grants increase, a family getting ADC often receives more than the family just across the street that is struggling to survive on ordinary work. While the President did not mention it, this is the vice of the rent supplement program, which rewards the shiftless at the expense of th working family next door. If thp Nixon plan gains acceptance, most of the evils of the present system would be rooted out. The President stoutly defends the old Puritan ethic of work; he is convinced this is part of the American character. Hence, those who accept benefits under his proposal must also accept work or training. If recipients refuse this proposition, without good cause, they are That is the theory, at least, and this is one part of the Nixon program th?t will demand careful thought. Suitable jobs are not always available. Even under the most optimistic view of a new federalism, state and local job training programs may prove no less muddled than existing federal programs. The President may wish to carve out a much larger area of responsibility for private industry in the field of vccational training; or he may have to face the prospect, as Moynihan agreed on Meet the Press" Sunday, that the federal government itself will become an employer of last resort. These and many other questions will have to be thrashed out Meanwhile, let us kick the tires and slam the doors. In my own view, a preliminary look at the plan discloses much moT good than ill. One House For Renting , Cheap By ART BUCHWALD A Suspicious Secret Reprinted by Request - By its stubborn and apparently pointless refusal to divulge the contents of a secret agreement with Thailand, the Pentagon raises serious doubts that it can be taken at its word. Although the Pentagon says the agreement is only a simple military planning document not involving the commitment of U.S. troops to Thailand, it refuses .to let the Senate in on its contents. Although the Pentagon says that the document can be seen by any individual member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services, or Appropriations committees, it refused to show the agreement when the full Foreign Relations Committee met this week. If this doesnt amount to the Pentagons tallking out of both sides of its mouth, what does? Since the existence of the agreement is well known, continued refusal to divulge its contents can only lead to runaway speculation and suspicion at a time when Americans have made it clear they dont want to get involved in another Vietnam. If the contents of the agreement arent disclosed, it will be hard for Americans to avoid the conclusion that the Pentagon has promised Thailand more than it should have. Beautify This Area Now that the Salt Palace is open and promotion efforts in its behalf are in high gear, there needs to be a strong empha- sis on beautifying the area around it. It makes little sense to spend more than $19 million on such a facility considered among the finest of its kind for the size of the city anyw here in the U.S. and then do an inof its adequate job upgrading surroundings, which now only visitors affect impressions of the entire city. adversely Several companies began beautification projects on their properties even before construction of the Palace" began, and others have recently started improvements. For example, Twin Typographers spent more than $10,000 in facing the rear of its building which faces the new complex Beesley Music has done an outstanding job of restoring and using an old building. Utah Power & Light Co. furthermore, substation into a modern building transformed a which is being surrounded by a sizeable landscaped park. Granted, there is much to be proud of in such initiative. But the job of beautification is a long way from being done. Many blighted areas remain. The Salt Lake City Commission, by permitting expansion of the Target: Vitality project to include 1st South from State to the Salt Palace, as has been proposed, can take the lead in demonstrating faith in its own facility, as well as motivating private property owners to action. Target: Vitality project, the preparation of a plan for e business areas, decomajor improvements, such as rated paving, sidewalk widening and parking, already involves much of the downtown. Including the additional area would cost the city only $9,000. Its foolish, if not to show conventioneers and others one of the finest city auditorium complexes in the country and then at the same time expose them to some of our worst eyesores. age-wo- ld mall-typ- off-stre- et g, rn A friend of mine WASHINGTON rented his house on the Long Island shore for the summer while he was traveling abroad with his family. Then he remembered he had forgotten to tell the man he had rented the house to that someone was coming to fix the oil burner, which was in a locked room in the cellar. So he decided to call his house and tell the man where the workers could find the key. He said the conversation went something like this: Hello, this is Mr. Mellon, my friend said. I just wanted to . . Oh, hello, Mr. Mellon, the wife of the man who rented the house said, my isnt home now. Thats all right, Mr. husband Mellon said. How is everything?" Just fine, Mr. Mellon. Were really enjoying the house . . . Peter, will you stop pulling on those curtains, Im talking on the phone. The children love it here . . . Wanda, uhat are you doing with those scissors . . . Peter, take those scissors away from Wanda . . . Excuse me, Mr. Mellon, its raining out and the children have to stay indoors. What did you call about, Mr. Mellon? . . . One minute. Peter, put those scissors down and get away from the drapes . . . Ethel, you know youre not supposed to eat ice cream in the living room. Now, will you all be quiet? Go ahead, Mr. Mellon. I called to tell you that some men are going to come to fix the oil heater and I wanted you to know it was all right to let them in. Why certainly, Mr. Mellon . . . Wanda, get down off that coffee table this instant I dont care what Peter did this morning, youre not supposed to climb on Mr. Mellons coffee table . . . Peter, take Wanda into the kitchen while No, dont use the Im on the phone scissors, just take her by the hand . . . Im still here, Mr. Mellon. Mr. Mellon was perspiring. Now, what did you say, Mr. ... Mellon? The key for the oil burner. Can you hold on one minute, Mr. Mellon? . . . Ethel, get away from the lamp. How many do you have to break before you learn your lesson? . . , Peter, I told you to take Wanda into the kitchen . . . Tell her Ill give her a good spanking if she olays with Mr. Mellons dishes. She knows were not allowed to use THOSE dishes ... Im soiTy, Mr. Mel-loo- n, but its the third day its been rainthe children are wild. and ing Wheres your husband? Mr. Mellon asked. He went down to buy some rose bushes to replace the ones in your garden What was the matter with MY rose bushes? Mr. Mellon demanded. Nothing, except the children were playing with the dog and he got excited and . . . Ethel, Ive told you you cant paint on Mr. Mellons desk. Go in the kitchen with Peter and Wanda and find out what that crash was But dont worry, Mr. Mellon, my husband saved the irises and begonias. Hello, Mr. Mellon, are you there? Peter-PeteMellon heard a crash and then silence. Mr. Mellon doesnt seem to be enjoying Europe as much as Mrs. Mellon thought he would, and he hasnt the heart to tell her why. An Art To Practice Every Day By NORMAN VINCENT PEALE CONFIDENT LIVING Have you ever thought of living as an art? It is indeed a skill. But many people live it, or exist in it, without ever mastering this skill. How many days have you lived fully awake to the zest, the beauty, the opportunity of life? How many days have you been aware of the excitement of human experience and been thrilled by the great movements that are operating in the affairs of men? Do you wake up each morning thinking of the potentialities and possibilities of the day? A good rule to follow is to forget yesterday and live today. Every night a curtain of darkness comes down to shut off the day that is past, and to get you ready for tomorrow. Sir Wil- liam Osier, the mous fa- physician, said that we should live in day-tigh- t com- Each partments. day we should pull down a mental curtain, shutting out the past, and another curtain, shutting out the future so as to live for today, unburdened by remnants of the past or anxieties about the future. Now I'm no different than anybody else and there are times when we all have problems. There is a cyclic rise and fall with everything in this world: in the tides of the sea, in the seasons of the earth, in darkness and light There is also a cycle in the moods and feelings in human beings. I remember my wife and I had a few days of anxiety about a problem. We were on the West Coast at the time where I was making some speeches. We decided to ...st for a day or two in the beautiful environment of Palm Springs. Our next engagement was to be in Phoenix, Ariz., and my wife said the night before, What do you say; let's drive to Phoenix in the morning? You Oh, thats foolish, I objected. can fly over there in an hour. Sleep late and fly in an hour. she protested, Id really like to drive. Ive always wanted to drive across the desert early in the morning. Its about four or five hundred miles uphill all the way. And besides its hot. So we got up early, so early that the hotel dining room wasnt open yet. The one employe already at work obligingly got us some coffee and rolls. My wife then said, Weve been having several days of anxiety. Let us decide that this particular day is going to be one of the best days we ever lived. That struck a responsive chord in me and I agreed, Im for that! So we went outside and the first thing that happened it rained: But it was an interesting kind of rain. It was rain in the midst of sunshine. The raindrops glit But, tered like diamonds on the palm trees. And I stood entranced for a moment listening to the sweet songs of the mockingbirds. We started across the desert, but we gotten very far when we ran into an enormous sandstorm. I never saw anything like it. Dust mounted a hundred feet in the air. Billowing clouds enveloped the car. It got so dark it was necessary to turn the car lights on. And even then the visibility was almost nil. Negatively I said, This sand will get in the engine and well be stuck in the desert. My wife reminded me of the wonderful day we had agreed to have. Soon we were out in the clear again and in bright sunshine. hadnt The road led gradually down until it came to a place marked Forty-seve- n feet below sea level. Then we started to climb and within 20 miles were 2,000 feet above sea level on a great mountain -encircled plateau. We stopped the car and sat gazing at the vastness of rock and sand and space. There wasnt anoth- er soul in sight. And so the hours passed, one glorious hour-afte- r another. And as we got ready to turn in for the night, my wife said, Hasnt this been a wonderful day? Sure has been, I answered. "This has been one of the finest and most interesting days of my life. And it was because we had resolved to make it so. Any day can be just about what you set out to make it. Living is an art which anyone can practice. Try it! ! I have written to Wallace F. Bennett, regarding the bill he submitted. He sent a copy of the Congressional Record showing his introduction to the bill and mentioned an increase of revenue from 1965 to 1968, saying this would seem to prove the program is booming. But he conveniently failed to mention that the number of parks, etc., where the Golden Eagle was needed, was also tremendously increased from 1965 to 1968, from about 150 to over 1,000. From Bennetts letter I learned that the passport extensions are requested by no less than 50 other members of Congress, and that only one is involved with the Interior Committee. In other words, the sole purpose of the Golden Eagle is not of parks and monuincreased revenue for build-uments but is an increased tax, which if permitted to allow continual increase of cost will eventually reach $100 per year per passport, another method of getting money for increased junkets and ;240,000-a-yewages! Lets all look behind the Golden Eagle passport and learn what it really is costing the people of the United States (estimated at more than $5,000,000 for 1969 by the Department of the Interior spokesman). Lets return to the normal use of the outdoor areas for which we are already paying upkeep and p ar protection. Terrace Washington An ABM View Sad to say, it came as no surprise to learn that the Deseret News supports the development of the Safeguard Antiballistic Missile System. In justifying your support, you cited a poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation and a report by the Citizens Committee for Peace With Security. I offer some related information taken from the July 28 issue of I. F. Stones Weekly. William, J. Casey, a member of the CCPWS, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Come admittee July 9 and gave testimony on a vertisement sponsored by CCPWS which advocated ABM development. Four interesting points emerged: 1. The ad Contained the signatures of 11 men who are directors or executives of eight companies currently holding more than $150 million in ABM contracts; 2. The ad reported the Opinion Research poll result that 84 per cent of the American people support ABM development. This contrasts with the 25 per cent support, 15 per cent opposition, and majority with no information or no Gallup opinion obtained in a poll (this latter mentioned neither by CCPWS nor the Deseret News); 3. The ad included a statement that the Russians had already deployed an ABM system, thus giving protection to their strike forces. (Under questioning Casey admitted that the stateand not correct); 4. The ment was fuzzy CCPWSs Casey has been nominated by President Nixon for membership in the General Advisory Committee of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ironic, in view of ACDA's ostensible mission). On August 6, the Deseret News carried an editorial on Hiroshimas lesson to the effect that the resulting human suffering makes it imperative for man to explore every means of preventing a recurrence of such tragedy. One day later, you editorially applauded the good judgment of those who support ABM development. --WILLIAM F. PROKASY full-pag- 4287-290- ... r! j 0 East Finance Cycle senator recently remarked that the rise in interest rates wouldnt stop inflation, because, for the most part, the companies raised their prices to cover the higher interest costs. Another factor involved seems to be that interest charges are tax deductible, so seme of the bigger companies are able to balance interest charges against taxes and still come out ahead and pay the high interest rates. This would have the effect of shifting the tax burden from corporations over to banks and loan of a agencies and in turn may pose something taxes extract to tries if the government problem from bankers and large loaning agencies. These agencies may expect the government to pay Its bills before they will pay the taxes due. With high interest rates and easy credit, we may end up with a condition where most of the taxes. people pay enough interest to avoid paying The government would then be obliged to extract the tax money from those agencies which hold the greatest government IOUs, so that sooner or later the government itself would lose its credit rating and become unable to borrow itself rich. --MERRILL H. GLENN JR. Brigham Gty A Merit For Teachers Recently a Ford Foundation official, Dr. Curies Brown, criticized the nations teacher associations for protecting mediocrity," saying that one rarely hears of a teacher being dismissed because he is not a good teacher. I feel Dr. Brown has raised a point worth consideration. In no other profession would one find a person of mediocre ability receiving as much pay as a person of higher ability. I feel teachers should be placed on a merit system just as in any other profession. With a merit system, those teachers who deserved the raises would get them and there would be no need for collective bargaining. Why let unionism creep into teaching just because we do not have an efficient pay system on which to base a teachers salary? Im not objecting to raising teachers salaries; in fact, adequate compensation is necessary to encourage and keep high quality teachers. But why not regulate compensation with an effective merit system instead of protecting the mediocre teacher by blanket pay raises? -J- OHN H. RICH 297 Welby Ave. i i |