The Mail-Journal, Volume 6, Number 18, Milford, Kosciusko County, 4 June 1969 — Page 9

JfaiJ •* PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY The Milford Mall (Eat 1888) Syracuae-Wawasee Journal (Eat 1907) Consolidated Into The Mall-Journal Feb. 15, 1962 DEMOCRATIC ARCHIBALD E. BAUMGARTNER, Editor and Publisher DELLA BAUMGARTNER, Business Manager Box 8 Syracuse, Ind., — 46567

School's Out Now that the area schools have dismissed for the summer season and the youngsters are enjoying their summer vacation there is need to remind everyone that the responsibility of protecting children against the dangers of traffic rests entirely in the home. They no longer have a teacher to remind them daily to watch out when crossing streets and to stop, look and listen. Parents need to assume this responsibility of traffic safety education because, to be effective, it must be a Postal Taxation Should we have more postal taxation without quality service? Before the postal department raises the cost of postage we would suggest it investigate the several classes. A recent study proves the first class mail — previously, the making” service —is the big loser. Newspapers and magazines in the second class are running much nearer the breakeven point. A fact publishers have

Small Towns Are Not Immune

The fact that some local high school students have admitted taking so-called “pep” pills should not be surprising to us. Small towns are not immune to the problems and temptations that are extant in larger cities. This is the mistake we make as parents sometimes. We think our children are safe here away from the exposure to big city vice. But in this day of modern communication and transportation there is no isolation. All things are available, for good or evil. We believe this pep pill business cannot be helped by parents who become hysterical about it. We believe it is a serious, dangerous problem about which all parents should warn their children. But it should be handled calmly. President Nixon’s words can apply to talking to teenagers as well as to adults: we should lower our voices so our words can be heard. Kids are vulnerable. They are experimenting in many ways and trying new things. We want them to in most cases. That’s how they learn. But some things are too dangerous for them to try out for themselves. They wouldn’t take poison just to see how it feels. And they shouldn’t take pills or sniff glue or lacquer or whatever else it is they hear about just because some other teenager says they will get a kick out of it. Parents of teenagers know it is a little difficult to give orders to them and to tell them what to do. The child who wants to experiment with drugs or in any other area w’ill find away to do. The best parents can do is to make sure their children are aware of the dangers inherent in this current goofball and

Action Needed To Curtail Drunken Driven;, Urges Senator Vance Hartke

Any concentrated effort to improve auto safety must include steps to shsrply reduce the number of drunken drivers. During his visit with me in Washington recently, Andy Granatelli told me that he believes we cannot build a crash-proof car but that we can combine accident - diminishing engineering with greatly improved driving skills. Studies have shown that a large percentage of the JMsillion

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EDITORIALS

annual cost of traffic accidents can be blamed on drunken drivers. At hearings before the Senate Commerce Committee in April, we started an inquiry into existing safety standards for automobiles to determine if new standards might be needed. To go along with the auto safety standards, I have joined in supporting the Alcoholism Care and Control Act of 1969.

continuing education. It is a lifesaving responsibility — not something that can be neglected until school begins once again next fall. Most parents are aware of this. But, all parents need to be aware that the highest rate of pedestrian accidents involve youngsters and the elderly. Therefore they must be continually reminded about crossing the streets carelessly, using streets for playgrounds and crossing streets without looking. ¥ long argued and postal officials refused to accept. Do you know what the money maker for the post office is? It’s that third class “junk mail.” It seems to be making a profit for Uncle Sam. The postal department presently is attempting to raise the cost of mailing but what about the service? Should we have more postal taxation without quality service ?

glue sniffing kick. Already this year, two teenagers have died from the use of glue here in Others have been hospitalized. Some of the drugs have caused permanent brain damage. Most young people are smart enough not to get involved in such activities. And most parents would do well not to accuse their teenagers or to suspect them of being involved in taking drugs or sniffing glue, or smoking pot. But we feel the possible results of participating in these activities should be made clear to every teenager. He should know the terrible risks involved to his health and to his future. The young person’s world today is so full of opportunities in many directions that no one should be bored or without purpose. The number and variety of jobs and careers open to today’s youth are almost without end. The avenues for service, for self-fulfillment, for happy, creative lives are more plentiful than ever before in the history of mankind. What a waste it is when a young person chooses to take chances with his most precious assets, his health and his mentality, for a few cheap thrills. Taking a pep pill may not ruin a boy’s life. But the desire for a quick thrill and immediate pleasure can indicate a lack of se?f discipline which is required to fight a successful battle through the continuing problems of later life. Today’s pleasures are sometimes paid for at the high cost of tomorrow’s happiness. The parent who can lead his child to see that truth is indeed successful. — The Zionsville Times

Ulis legislation would: 1. Establish a Division of Alcoholism and Alcohol 'Problems within the National Institute of Mental Health with broad responsibilities in the areas of research, education, coordination, prevention and support for community treatment and rehabilitation programs. 2. Provide incentive grants totaling $15,000,000 in fiscal 1970 for the construction, staffing and operation of facilities for the prevention and treatment of alcoholism in order to encourage the establishment of such programs. 3. Provide grants totaling $200,000 in fiscal year 1970 for alcohol education directed at the general public, school - age children and special high-risk groups. 4. Provide special purpose grants for (1) the development of specialized training programs or materials for the prevention and treatment of alcoholism; (2) research relating to current and projected personnel needs in the field of alcoholism; (3) surveys to evaluate the adequacy of programs for the prevention and treatment of alcoholism 5. Establish regional centers for research in alcoholism and alcohol - releated problems. 3,000,000 dollars is authorized for fiscal ’7O. Alcoholism is the nation’s fourth most serious health problem and afflicts an estimated 5 million Americans. It is time we recognized the need to act to curtail this tragic disease.

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Know Your Indiana Law By JOHN J. DILLON Attorney at Law

Mortgage Exemption And Joint Ownership

With property tax rates increasing constantly in Indiana, exemptions have become more important and of greater interest. Although there are exemptions available to persons who are iver 65 years of age, to persons who are blind, to disabled veterans and their widows, most property owners qualify more readily for the exemption allowed 'jecause of mortgage indebtedness on their real estate.

Special Report from Washington

WASHINGTON - When John L. Lewis was head of the United Mine Workers, he was a tough autocrat who ran the union as he chose. He even defied the President of the United States on occasion, called coal strikes during critical days of World War II to force coal companies and the government to improve the pay and working conditions in the coal mines. But he usually won his battles, among them being establishment of a pension and welfare system that vastly improved health and working conditions for the miners. Today his hand-picked successor, W. A. “Tony” Boyle, is just about as autocratic as Lewis was, but instead of battling for his members he seems more interested in hobnobbing with mine owners, plus the perquisites of his office. But he's up for re-election this year and, in spite of his power, Boyle is worried. Among other things, some inconsiderate members of his union staged a strike in West Virginia rs few months ago for protection against the “Black lung” disease, and openly criticized Boyle and his lieutenants for failing to fight for or with them. In addition, there’s grumbling that Boyle doesn’t earn his $50,000 a year salary and lush expense account in any other way, and that he puts additional union money into his family’s bank account by paying his daughter $43,000 a year and his brother $30,000 a year for extra alleged ser vices to the miners. His daughter and brother live in Billings, Mont., far removed from the coal mining country, and the miners don’t know what they do to justify their salaries. But Boyle keeps them on the union payroll. He also adds to his personal income with fat fees as a dircc-

The owner of real estate can deduct the amount of mortgage indebtedness up to SI,OOO upon any real estate as long as the deduction is not greater than onehalf of the assessed valuation of the real estate, which includes the buildings and permanent fixtures as well as the land. Since the “assessed valuation” is only one-third of the true cash value, the maximum deduction for mortgage indebtedness amounts

tor of the National Bank of Washington D. C., which the UMW controls. Boyle tries to picture himself as a hero of the union by having lavish praise heaped on his willing head by the bimonthly UNW Journal. In a recent single issue his photograph appeared 28 times. The magazine also prints fulsome praise, describing him as a “most esteemed, great, internationally renowned humanitarian.” Not one word of criticism of Boyle is allowed in the magazine: no ordinary coal - digging miner can have his views printed; no dissent from Boyle’s policies is ever published. Boyle also basks in the flattery of the mine owners themselves. They made him head of the National Coal Policy Conference, a lobbying group for the industry now engaged in fighting air pollution controls and the importation of low-cost foreign fuel oil. In return, Boyle grandly contributes between $75,000 and SIOO,000 annually of the hard-earned money of his coal miners to the conference. Boyle’s Locals Boyle does have the support of more than half of the UMW locals. But more than 600 out of a total of 1,150 of these locals are illegal under the UMW constitution, having fewer than 10 active miners as members. This majority of the locals constitute Boyle’s support in the union; these individual “Boyle locals” generally are dominated by pov-erty-stricken pensioners who are so garteful for the few extra dollars Boyle provides them that they will vete as he wants them to. What Boyle fears most at the monent is further publicity about his nonactivity in the fight against black lung. A few days ago, three West

to $3,000 of actual value. Thus, on a house and lot worth $15,000, which would have an assessed value of $5,000, if there is a mortgage on the property of at least SI,OOO, then tax would be levied against that property only upon $4,000 of its assessed valuation. Assuming that the local property tax rate is $lO per SIOO this would reduce the tax on that property from SSOO to S4OO for a saving of SIOO every year. Furthermore, while a person can only claim SI,OOO mortgage exemption even though he owns several mortgaged pieces of property, a husband and wife can each take SI,OOO exemption on property which each owns individually and not jointly. The Indiana Attorney General has also ruled that a husband and wife can even claim a full SI,OOO exemption on their jointly owned property, attributing the entire SI,OOO to one of these spouses, and still get another SI,OOO mortgage exemption on the separate property of the other spouse.

Virginia physicians who have spearheaded the fight for control of the disease against both mine operators and the union itself came to Washington for a press conference. Boyle sent henchmen to crash and disrupt their news conference. One of these Boyle representatives threatened Dr. Don Rasmussen with being barred from a union hospital if he made any criticism or even participated in any press conference critical of the union. Another warned Dr. Rasmussen and Dr. Hawey Wells “if you get up and criticize the union or Tony Boyle, ■we can no longer be responsible for what happens to you.” Clearly, Tony Boyle fears his autocratic rule and his lush way of living at the expense of impoverished coal minors are nearing their end. Equally clearly, he has reason to. LUCKY STUDENT Michael Moore, a Georgetown university student, recently won a painting of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis on a 25-cent raffle ticket. The painting, by Mary Schlesinger, wife of historian Arthur Schlesinger, turned out to be the last posed portrait of Jackie before President Kennedy’s assassination. The word leaked out, and the Georgetown student was suddenly besieged with offers for his 25-cent prize. One caller wanted to buy it for Lord Harlech’s birthday. Another hinted that he was acting for the Greek Embassy. And the Jesuit Order at Woodstock college offered young Moore a year’s tuition for the painting. BURGER CONFIRMATION TROUBLES There is little question that Judge'Warren E. Burger will be confirmed as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But Democratic Senators who are

Congressional Comer: John Brademas Reports From Washington

Ceiling On Agricultural Subsidies

Recent studies by Congressional committees and private organizations have brought to light the shocking fact that large numbers of American citizens live in conditions of hunger and malnutrition. Moreover, past government programs of food distribution have not been able to bring sufficient relief to these deprived persons. At the same time it has been possible for wealthy farmers to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual payments under government agricultural programs. F'ederal farm programs are, of course, essential to the* health ami prosperity of rural America, and, indeed, of our entire economy. But subsidy payments should go to those farmers who really need assistance — to the small family farm, caught between the conflicting pressures of rising costs and sometimes falling farm prices. Subsidies should not go to fatten the bank accounts of wealthy farmers and large-scale enterprises. Yet this is precisely what has been happening. Last year, the Department of Agriculture made 6536 individual payments of more than $25,000 each, for a total of $331,574,799. One farming enterprise in California received $3 million from the government. In our own State of Indiana, for example, 55 individuals last year collected $2,057,025 in farm subsidies. These figures include five residents of the Third District, whose subsidies amounted to $179,851. Often, these large sums have even gone to people who reside in counties throughout the nation which have failed to implement the Federal Food Stamp Program for low-income families. Last week the House of Representatives acted to remedy this contradictory situation when it decided by a vote of 224 to 142 to impose a ceiling of $20,000 on payments to any one farmer under government programs in cotton, feed grains, wheat and wool. If adopted by the Senate, this measure will save the Federal Government as much as S3OO million a year. The savings could be put to good use by, for

example, expanding the Food Stamp and Child Nutrition Programs so that we can provide an adequate diet for all Americans who now go hungry. This; is the least the world’s wealthiest nation should do for its less fortunate citizens. OLDER AMERICANS BILL, APPROVED BY COMMITTEE The House Committee on Education and Labor last week approved, by a bi-partisan vote of 26-1, a bill which Congressman Ogden Reid of New York and I had sponsored to extend and improve the Older Americans Act of 1965. In addition to extending the programs under the original legislation, the bill authorizes a new program, known as the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) which will make it possible for older citizens to perform volunteer services in areas of public service needs. The bill authorizes appropriations of $62 million for 1970, SBS million for 1971, and sl(6 million for 1972. The lone dissenting vote was cast by Indiana Republican Congressman Earl Landgrebe. >■ Unfortunately, the State of Indiana will not be eligible for any of “ the funds authorized in the bill. Earlier this year, Governor Whitcomb vetoed a bill which would haVe allowed Indiana to participate in the Older Americans programs. Only three states — Indiana, Alabama and Wyoming — have refused to participate in this important program. By its continued refusal, Indiana has forfeited a total of $845,780 which would have been available to the state over the past four years under the Older Americans Act. OTHER NOTES Last Monday evening I addressed by telephone connection from Washington, D. C., the annual dinner of the Mishawaka Education Association. I joined the association in congratulating the special guests at the dinner, ten retiring teachers who together have contributed almost 300 years of their lives to the education of the school - children of Mishawaka.

By DREW PEARSON And JACK ANDERSON willing to forgive his personal judicial conservatism are not so ready to overlook his reported role in an apparent Nixon administration harrassment of liberal Democratic judges. The Democrats are not criticizing the administration’s role in the Abe Fortas case so much as they are the widely leaked hints that Justice William O. Douglas and Justice William Brennan of the Suprene Court also are being “investigated” by the Justice Department plus Chief Judge David Bazelon and Judge J. Skelly Wright of the U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington. Whatever Judge Burger’s role in starting these probes, he is reported to have told out-of-town judges about them, and his mere knowledge of them is taken as an. indication he has been involved. The chief “scandal” concerning several of these judges and other Washington bigwigs already has been well publicized. They were investors in Concord Village Associates, a real estate development of a well known Washington building contractor Charles Smith. Other investors were former HEW Secretary and now Senator Abe Ribicoff of Connecticut, and former Secretary of Labor, Supreme Court Justice and U. N. Ambassador Arthur Goldberg. All were nonvoting members in this local Washington project with no voice in management, and the project itself was hardly the king to create conflicts of interest. So some Senate Democrats who have the power to block Burger’s confirmation as Chief Justice want to know more of his role in Republican efforts to give these other Democratic judges a hard time, and they may give Burger a hard time in doing so.