The Mail-Journal, Volume 7, Number 48, Milford, Kosciusko County, 30 December 1970 — Page 4

The Mail JJtHirniil PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY The Milford Mail (Eat 1888) SyracuM-Wawaaee Journal (Eat 1907) Consolidated Into The Mail-Journal Feb. 15. 1962 > DEMOCRATIC ARCHIBALD E. BAUMGARTNER. Editor and Publisher DELLA BAUMGARTNER. Business Manager Box 8 Syracuse. Ind., — 46567

Those New Year’s Resolutions

The season of the New Year’s resolution is almost here. The decade of the 70’s will be one year old on December 31. Aside from the usual pledges of reform having to do with smoking, drinking and what-not, it would seem the time has come for all thoughtful citizens to take the pledge in a number of matters beyond the strictly personal — matters that may determine the kind Gs a nation we will be living in at the end of the 1970’5. A few good resolutions in behalf of the environment, the solvency of government, a higher quality of performance on the job and the rights of the other fellow are certainly badly needed.

\ / • I HP iric W Peace '>l ffW 5 and | <MV | Promise \S LET rs UNITE IN OUR PRAYERS, Ai THAT THE NEW YEAR MAY BRING PEACE, fIH [ || ALONG WITH THE HOPE OF A BETTER LIFE, FOR PEOPLE V EVERYWHERE. “HAPPY NEW YEAR.”

Be A Friend. Then A Host

It’s the holiday party season again and the Chicago Motor Club-AAA offers the first toast to the party-giver who’s “First a Friend... Then a Host.” Alcoholic beverages in many instances are a part erf the holiday partyscene and so too is a modern respect for the effects erf alcohol consumption. More than half of all highway traffic fatalities in 1969 —a total of 28,000 — involved drivers who had been drinking. As a party-giver you should also know that the hours from 9 p.m. to midnight are the most deadly for drinking drivers and pedestrians. With this in mind, and still in the spirit of being a gracious host, the motor club suggests — if you're serving alcoholic beverages at your party — these tips to help you be “First a Friend . . . Then a Host.” —See to it guests enjoy themselves, but never push drinks on anyone. —Let guests mix their own drinks after you’ve served them the first round. Guests who make their own

EDITORIALS

prevent birth defects give to the march of Dimes

The countryside could use less beer cans and litter. Every level of government could do with less demands from private citizens and groups trying to get something for nothing. A new dedication to pride in a job well done might do more than anything else to Restore a national sense of values. Finally, if everyone abided by a resolution to respect persons and property, the law and order issue would be resolved at a single stroke. Good resolutions like these could make the difference between just another miserable year and a truly happy New’ Year.

drinks at a self-service bar usually make them less potent and less often. —Show your lavishness as a host not with liquor, but with an array of tempting food. —Offer an attractive sampling of non-alcoholic or lightly spirited punches along with the harder refreshments. —Plan activities to take the guests attepHon away from the bar. —Long before the party ends begin de-emphasizing drinks and serve food and coffee. Coffee has no sobering effect, but is a good substitute for *‘one for the road.” —ls a guest has over-imbided, arrange to have him ride home with someone else or offer to put him up for the evening. By following these suggestions you’ll not only be helping your friends who’ll be driving later, but you’ll also make the highways safer for all motorists. Remember to be: ‘‘First a Friend . . . Then a Host.” Wakarusa Tribune

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Back-Seat Drivers Liable For Injuries

Q My wife is a compulsive back-seat driver When she’s in the front seat, she’s worse. How can I break her of this dangerous habit? I think she might pay some attention to what the law says about it. I have even threatened to walk out on her I know the criminal law is not involved. But negligence may be R.L.8., Wisconsin A. Mr B. The law says that if as a passenger, your wife’s back-seat driving caused an accident in which she and others were injured, she would be charged with contributory negligence and could not recover damages for her injuries. If the others were injured they could sue both of you, and often do The jury would decide whether her back-seat driving was the pro. ximate cause of the accident. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled: Guests in an auto are not required to keep as sharp a lookout as the driver; nor voice warnings of every possible hazard where there is nothing in the situation or the previous manner of the driver to suggest that he might steer into trouble if

SPECIAL REPORT FROM WASHINGTON

Changing Army Division Number Costly

WASHINGTON — The Army tried to suppress it. but changing the division number at Ft. Carson, Colo., cost the taxpayers about $38,000. When the Army lost a division in the budget squeeze, the Fourth Infantry had priority over Jhe Fifth Division under a complex point system. We asked how much the taxpayers had been stuck to change the designations at Ft.. Carson, but we couldn’t get any information out of the Pentagon An Army spokesman merely kept putting us off. From other competent sources, however, we have obtained the hidden figures. The taxpayers paid $21,000 for new shoulder patches, $1,500 in overtime to civilian employees for sewing the patches on uniforms. $1,200 for new automobile bumper stickers. SI,OOO for new signs around the post, an additional S4O for the big sign, in front of the division headquarters. $3,000 for changing the base phone directory. $446 for new stationery/ $7,000 for revising the data processing codes. S2OO for changes in the briefing charts. $l5O for a junket by two Army men to study the name change at another post, about $1,600 traceable to the pomp of the transition ceremonies, and at least $630 in miscellaneous costs. TOUCHY BRASS Beetle Bailey is a comic strip that lampoons the Army with a light touch. But even the light touch was too much for humorless Defense Department brass Beetle was deleted in Pacific Stars and Stripes every time a silly young officer called Lieutenant Flap appeared in the strip. The brass thought the tomic was making fun of officers—which it was. A sergeant wrote Senator Bill Proxmire of Wisconsin and openly charged the Army with censorship. Proxmire burned up the Pentagon and a few days ago the brass hats capitulated. The initial decision has been reviewed, said the Defense Department. Lieutenant Flap will appear as usual ANTI-RUSSIAN FEELINGS Intelligence reports claim that an antiSoviet mood underlies the Polish outbreaks.

not warned. (94 N.W. 2d 166-1963) Q The pressure on doctors to take on more patients is mounting Medicare and other company health insurance plans are sending droves of patients to his office. At a coffee-break the interns of a big Detroit hospital wondered whether a good defense could be made to a suit against a doctor for neglect, caused by this pressure? I was selected to write you for an answer. L.K.C., Michigan A Mr C. The Supreme Court of Michigan ruled: The fact that the physician and surgeon had undertaken more patients than he could properly care for is no defense to an action based on the neglect to take care for one of them. (180 NW 358—Mich.) Q. What is the origin and meaning of common law? How is it applied in our system of laws? Confused patrolman from Arizona A. Confused: The origin was with William the Conqueror in 1066, who took England and seized the throne. He didn't uproot the existing tribal laws. He incorporated their tradi-

tions, customs and usages into the king’s court system. Courts were established in the shire counties of the country The circuit riding judges began to record their decisions. Other judges began to follow their rulings. This brought stability and predictability to the law. The common applies to all people: law, rules binding the people of the community. Thus, common law, also called judge-made law. Application of common law in the United States: The substantive written laws of the United States are the U.S. and state constitutions; acts of Congress and the state legislatures; ordinances of cities and villages. The unwritten law is judgemade law called common law. It has two main applications: To afford an opportunity for the redress of a wrong done a person when the written law doesn’t provide for one: to interpret by judicial decisions what the makers of the written law intended. For legal information write E.J. Demson, Copley News Service, San Diego, Calif. 92112.

Even high Polish officials have been heard to complain that both their government and party are infiltrated with Soviet agents who put the Kremlin ahead of their own country. Other complaints have been heard about Soviet economic policies which allegedly are designed to keep Poland dependent upon Soviet supplies. Polish army officers, in particular, are reported to be anti-Russian. The same intelligence reports claim that Poland is having trouble not only inside but outside her borders. Friction has flared up between Polish and East German authorities at various points. Traffic has been turned back by both sides because of alleged flaws in transit documents. THEY DON’T LISTEN President Nixon has confided to intimates that the Kremlin doesn’t seem to take his warnings seriously. They have gone ahead with their build-up in the Middle East and they have sent submarines into the Caribbean despite stem warning from the White House. The President grumped that the Kremlin apparently is convinced he can do little to counter the Soviet moves. They believe the American public wouldn’t support him. AGNEW DISAPPOINTING Vice President Spiro Agnew is having trouble topping himself. His audiences across the country now expect him to make scathing statements. When he tries to deliver a moderate speech, his audiences are disappointed. Newsmen also feel let down if they don’t get a sizzling quote or two out of him. The Vice President wrote a guest column, for example, for columnist Marianne Means. The editors were disappointed because the column didn’t explode any firecrackers. Agnew, incidentally, is a sharp critic of Dr. Benjamin Spock, the baby specialist and peace advocate. When Agnew checked into his hotel in Tucson last week, he was appalled to learn that Spock had checked in just ahead of him. Agnew's staff took pains to make sure that Agnew* and Spock never appeared in the lobby together.

MAN AND MEDICINE

Drugs Distort Addicts’ Views

A “bad trip®-is a nightmare on the drug scene People use drugs for the changes the drugs cause in the way the user sees things about him For the most part ( these changes are strange but tolerable sometimes pleasant or even exhilarating This is the reason for the popularity of drugs Users enjoy getting ‘high' and most “trips” of drug use leave pleasant sensations or drug usage would not ’be so widespread But sometimes there is a bad trip an exoerience with drugs m which the patient has an unpleasant sensation, and may end up with a state of anxiety varying from mild apprehension to frank panic These are ’he drug users who turn up most frequenth to be seen by a doctor Psychedelic drugs are the ones most frequently the cause of a bad trip These are the drugs which most markedly change and distort the picture that the user has of both himself and the world around him The most widely used of these is marijuana "pot”>. but a whole variety of others are available with multisyllabic names abbreviated by initials reminding one of the days of the New Deal Pot has been followed by LSD. a very powerful drug which distorts perception readily with doses so small as to be almost invisible This in turn has been followed by variants called STP DMT MDA. DMA. TMA MMDA THC and PCP Each of these psychedelic drugs causes changes m the way the user„ sees himself and the world about him each is a therefore, which causes hallucinations These hallucinogens are quite readily able to cause distortions to take the user on a “trip." and sometimes a bad trip No one yet understands why some trips are bad ones The factors which go into causing the hallucinations in the first place are as yet poorly understood There is definitely a chemical reaction causing change m the way the brain cells work But over and above this _ there are many factors having to do with the personality and mood of the user which combine to make a trip either good or bad ‘Diere is a great deal of variation m the way each drug hits each user There are varied effects depending upon the amount of the drug which is used

MORE ON CENSUS Rep. Charles H. Wilson. D-Calif., chairman of the House Census subcommittee, is investigating reports that the Nixon administration is pressuring the Census Bureau to rush out its state totals.. The hope is that some outgoing Republican legislatures can pass redistricting bills before they are replaced by Democratic legislatures. Wilson will also look into our disclosure that the Census Bureau failed to complete a computer processing of the 1970 count, but had to derive its totals partially from a “hand count.” ’ MORE MEETINGS President Nixon has promised to hold a Cabinet meeting every two weeks. He made the announcement at his last Cabinet meeting to quiet the complaints that have been bubbling inside the Nixon administration. Several Cabinet members have griped that they can never get past the President’s palace guard. Governors and mayors have been spreading the same word. They agree that Nixon is a loner whose lines of communication to party leaders have been breaking down. The President is aware of the complaints and is now trying to remedy them. LONELY CRUSADE Congressman John Moss of California is fighting a lonely battle to give the American people a little privacy on the telephone. Almost every government agency, from the CIA to the Farm Credit Administration, puts secretaries or recording equipment on the telephone when officials talk with enquiring citizens. There are more than 5,000 listening hookups in various agencies. The taxpayer is therefore paying thousands of dollars so someone can get a record of everything that’s said to him on the phone. Moss is considering a bill to require bureaucrats to get special permission from Congress before they have secretaries or automatic listeners on the phone. Or he may just try to cut off all federal funds for such eavesdropping. Moss feels that if a bureaucrat wants to stoop to such cheap practices, he can at least pay for it himself.

One of the worst hazards on the drug scene is the tendency to use more than one drug at a time to increase the effect or just to see what will happen Interviews done with members of the San Francisco hippie community showed that about half the people interviewed had at one time or another used unknown drugs At a San Jose. Calif., rock festival. 4.000 unidentified 'pills were taken Worse than using unknown drugs is the tendency to use mixed drugs, either intentionally or otherwise Even when the user does not want to use a drug mix. it is hard to avoid this since many of the drugs are diluted at the source with other chemicals, cheaper ones used to decrease the price of manufacture of the drugs and to increase the effect Belladonna drugs are particularly popular for “spiking the psychedelic preparations and these, too. have their own effects The causes of bad trips are frequently to be found m the choice of drug used But sometimes the bad trip is caused by the mood of the drug user at the time he takes the drug. TTiere were many more bad trips reported at the rock festival in Connecticut. which was aborted by legal means, than at W’oodstock. The larger number of bad trips in Connecticut was charged by veteran drug users to the general unhappiness of the young people gathered there, as compared to the general satisfaction they enjoyed at Woodstock In any case, the psychological state of the drug user can sometimes be the cause of a bad trip. You And Social Security Q — I am a widow and receive benefits for my two children. They have been receiving payments since their father’s death two years ago. I also receive benefits myself as a young widow with children. I have a chance for a good job. Will the children’s benefits stop if I do go to work? A — No. Your work and earnings may affect your own social security benefits but not your children’s.

By JACK ANDERSON