The Independent-News, Volume 104, Number 7, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 20 July 1978 — Page 4

JULY 20, 1978 - ftiE INDEPENDENT-NEWS

EDITORIALS

WHOSE POINT OF VIEW! The news is filled with the stories of a possible strike of postal employees across the United States at midnight Thursday if a more suitable contract isn't worked out in the meantime. Concerning this a strange piece of conversation was overheard very recently. A man. a union member of a different sort, made the comment that they (the postal workers) couldn't strike by law and if they did what would happen to mail deliveries was discussed, especially concerning a relative that had Social Security checks due around the third of each month. What was ironic about this conversation was that this same person has participated in a strike of the more common-type union that renews its contracts every few years and almost always has the threat of a strike hanging overhead. Hardly a day goes by when you can pick up a daily newspaper or listen to the news either on television or radio that a strike of some importance isn’t part of the news. Wouldn’t it be something someday to hear that people were working and turning in a day’-s time for a day’s pay instead of what more can we get this time around? The case actually in a round-about way. paralells the Bakke case of reverse discrimination. Consider, which most people don’t seriously, the employer. What alternative does he have? Can he strike? Can he demand more for his time and efforts? Can he leave his business hang for days, weeks and even months and have a strike benefit pay coming, food stamps in many cases, even unemployment compensation? Can he “force” the employees through his action to produce or put out more materials or effort? He even gets the bum end of the rap when all is said and done and prices of his product goes up due to increased costs of operating the business. The postal strike, if and when it comes about, is no different. The employers of these people are you and I, everyone who uses the mails and that takes in just about everyone imaginable. Certainly the postal strike will hurt. Many businesses depend almost entirely on mail for their livelihood. Almost all depend upon the mail for a great percentage of their business. How many times do you get a bill or pay an account over the telephone. If your business is in another town what would a special trip, if at all feasable, mean to you? And yet. the same person who may complain of this loss of “privilege” through a strike may have or will be on a similar job action themselves some day never taking into consideration what effects this may have on who and how many. We don't mean to argue the importance of one strike over another. A lot depends on what the product or service is. They all have to hurt someone. They all seem to only add to the spiraling increases in the cost of living and inflation. They all are going to cost someone more each time a job action is held whether it be a steel worker, furniture manufacturer, electrician, plumber, school teacher, policeman, fireman or yes, even the postal employee. One bad thing about the postal situation is that this is not an industry wide job action being considered. The postal service has several verystrong lobbying bodies behind their various divisions and even in case of the mail handlers strike, the other phases will go on at everyone’s expense, whether they are working up to capacity or not. Happy would be the day when the word strike is considered only a major part of baseball or bowling, or maybe hitting that fish that has been eluding you rather than to show more job actions in our inflationaryworld of today. W^bmembeS^^ WHEN... (IAKEN FROM THE FILES OF THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS)

1973 The PLJ School Corporation is sponsoring a free football clinic at Urey Middle School in Walkerton. Students entering 9th, Bth, 7th or 6th grades are eligible to attend. Judging of clothing and foods in Liberty Township 4-H will be at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, at the high school. Market prices show hams at 99 cents a pound; smoked sausage at 95 cents a pound; margarine at two pounds for 89 cents; */ 2 gallon of ice cream at 55 cents; lettuce at 33 cents a head; white seedless grapes at 59 cents a pound; nectarines at 49 cents a pound; lemons or limes at six for 59 cents; Ajax laundry detergent at 63 cents for the giant size; hamburger helper at 49 cents a package; ivory bar soap at 4 for 31 cents; Kraft mayonnaise at 79 cents a quart; and Smuckers ice cream topping at three for SI.OO. 1963 The Walkerton Chamber is planning a White Sox tour on Sunday, August 11, as Tim Gardner Day. Tim, as you know, is the official batboy for the Sox this year and the Chamber has purchased a block of tickets and will provide bus service for those who want to attend this double header with the Detroit Tigers. Charles O. Hiler, 83, died on Fri-

day, July 12, after an illness of five > weeks. After retiring from Tort rington Co., after 17 years, he and his two sons opened a brass found- ■ ry in Walkerton. The Postal Department will issue i a 6-cent air mail stamp through the t Boston. Mass., post office on Julv t 21. Named 4-H King and Queen ) were Richard (Rick) Ruby and Bart bara Lidy, in Lincoln Township. > Saturday is the day there is supposed to be a 77 per cent eclipse of I the sun as it will hide behind the > moon for a lengthy period in the afternoon. Warning has been ex- > tended by about every agency connected with sight and the eyes to be very careful and not look at the sun . during the eclipse. It has been released by the Indiana Iraffic Safety Foundation. Inc., that a new law will soon be passed that will make a specific violation for two or more vehicles to engage in a speed contest on any publichighway. Further interpretation of this law means that even the very common dragging away from a stop light in a city or town is unlawful. Ground beef at the market this week is three pounds for $1.00; chuck roast at 59 cents a poundhoney loaf at 79 cents a poundwieners at 39 cents a pound; apple sauce at 49 cents for a 50 ounce jar;

■ In the public environment in which state? government operates is it possible to provide some protection tor individual privacy 9 That is the fundamental question addressed recently by the Commission on Public Records, which has responsibility for implementing the state s individual privacy laws These discussions focused on a new commission rule which defines what is private information This rule will become the basis on which the commission may apply a restricted label to some state records if it finds there is no compelling public interest in their being open. Much of the public discussion of the rule suggests that the rule might be an official secrets act in disguise. or that it could lead to censorship which might be used to cover up official misconduct There also is concern about the possibility that actions to restrict records might establish a precedent which future General Assemblies might follow Before it adopted the rule, the commission adopted a policy statement which establishes five standards it will use in applying the restricted label to any record The most significant is a principle of tangible harm In applying this standard, the commission will require a showing that actual harm to an individual will occur if a record containing private information about him is open

paper napkins at 10 cents; instant tea at 89 cents for a 2* j size jar; large breaded round or fantail shrimp at two pounds for $1.59; red salmon at 79 cents a pound can; ice cream at 69 cents for a half gallon; lettuce at two heads for 35 cents; potatoes at 69 cents for 10 pounds and apples at 10 cents a pound. 1958 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Petersen, of Koontz Lake, have opened a new business on highway 23, across from Kozy Korner at Koontz Lake. It is known as the Speed Wash Laundry and is a self-service laundry. The Town Council of Walkerton has issued an appeal to all property owners in Walkerton to cooperate in an effort to stop the excessive growth of weeds and vegetation within the corporate limits of Walkerton. The failure to comply with this request is a direct violation of a Town Ordinance. Playing at the Rialto is “God’s Little Acre.” At the Rees is "Run Silent. Run Deep." The announcement of a new body shop was made this week at Powell-Mann Chev.-Olds. Co. 1948 Russell Sheneman. garage proprietor of North Liberty , recently purchased a tract of land, comprising about 12 acres, and located one mile east of North Liberty on the south side of the road. The ground was purchased from Harold Clark who gave an abstract with the sale. In planning a survey of the property, Mr. Sheneman ran across a most interesting item in the abstract. This item states that on April 18, 1873. Isaac R. Cole and Mary E. Cole deeded to HenryReamer, Louis DeC oudres, Samuel Williams. DeWitt C. Cole. Geo. F. Smith, John Fetzer and Amos Liggett, in trust for the use of the ministry and membership of the Methodist Episcopal church, a parcel of land which comes at a very inconvenient point in Mr. Sheneman s land. The abstract shows that this deed was duly recorded October 29, 1875. For what

Capitol Commentary Governor Otis R Bowen

purpose the land was thus deeded is not shown, and there is no known record of the fact that the Methodist church made any use of the land. Mr. Sheneman wonders what in the world he should do to clear up this detail. Inspection of the topography of regions in Illinois and Indiana where great ice sheets from the North effaced hills and valleys carved by centuries of erosion will be of particular interest to motorists. according to the Touring Bureau of the Chicago Motor Club. Indiana was invaded by at least three sheets and about five-sixths of the entire state — all except south central Indiana — was covered by a massive layer of ice at one time or another. These layers sometimes measured 2,000 feet thick. The glacier ebbed away after each invasion during a warm period lasting thousands of years and plants and animals flourished. Many hills in the north were created by the glaciers pilling up rocks and soil into moraines. Extensive deposits of sand and gravel were also left by the melting glacier. I he glaciers changed the terraine in several ways, one of which was the present bed of the Ohio River caused by the ice melting at the edges. Many hills in the northern region were cut off and the valley s were viiled with these rocks. The entire area was later smoothed and leveled. The surface of the glacial sub-soil which is scores of feet deep has made excellent farmland in Indiana. the Motor Club says. Ihe Cardinal Bus Company has changed its Walkerton depot from C harlic s Spot restaurant to the Huffstetter Huddle, corner of Roosevelt Road and Michigan Street with the parking spot on Michigan 1943 Northern Indiana motorists who have failed to make application for renewal of their basic gasoline ra tions (A book) should do so this week. Casualties of the United States Armed Forces from the outbreak of the war to July 3, total 91 ,644. This

The commission also adopted a standard of acting consistently with previously expressed legislative intent If the General Assembly by law has made a class of original records open or closed the commission will apply that legislative intent on records of that type Many categories of private information included in the rule involve this type of situation Medical and psychiatric records are some examples Other categories involve per sonal financial information, test scores and educational transcripts and religious and other associations The state has established programs designed to reduce the private information it collects One is records disposition which is intended to rid the state s closets of records no longer needed The other involves review of the state s forms — all 75 000 of them — to eliminate collection of unnecessary personal information These programs will not eliminate collection or retention of all personal information however It should make the problem of protecting individual privacy in the public environment more manageable m the near future My administration remains committed to a policy of maximum openness in government Protecting privacy because of the government s public nature must remain secondary to insuring accountability

total, based on War and Navy Department reports includes dead. 16,69 b; wounded. 21.828; missing. 31.579; prisoners of war, 21.541. Os these. Army casualties total 64.621; Navy 27,023. Shoe merchants will be allowed to sell a limited number of odd-lot shoes ration free from July 19 to 31, the South Bend office of price administration announced Saturday. VOICE OF THE PEOPLE 1 am writing this not for mvself, but in behalf of the girls and their husbands who worked so hard for an entire year to earn money to have a decent alumni. We had bake sales, car wash, and feather parties, all this with so much enthusiasm and hope of having the best alumni, not for us but for ALL John Glenn graduates. There were complaints of the price being to high or because we had a band instead of disco. First, we were not making any money on this; the price had to be as it was. That's what we had to pay. Second, it was a hard decision as to a band or disco, this shouldn't have been the deciding factor whether to attend or not. We feel the reason to attend an alumni is to get together with friends, old and new. I here are so many things that could and probably should be said, but we don t want to offend any more people than we evidently already have. At this time I would like to thank the girls and their husbands personally and publicly. Thanks Pat and Roger Orcutt. Linda and George Iruhler. Diana and Mike Amor. Sharon and Dave Drews. Nancy and Kenny C hapman and Laura and Doug Brovoid. You people did a great job; you are great people. Linda Roush John Glenn Alumni President