The Mail-Journal, Volume 8, Number 45, Milford, Kosciusko County, 8 December 1971 — Page 9

The Af/if Jo L PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY The Milford Mail (Eat. 1888) * Syracuse-Wawasee 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

Poor Substitutes From jails to county fairs, the new age of government price regulation is -beginning to show its teeth. A university in \ Illinois was charged with illegal procedure when it raised the price of its programs from 50 to 75 cents. A 'large hotel in Detroit was caught replacing 10-cent locks on men’s room pay toilets with 25-cent locks. The 10cent locks were reinstalled after federal agents were alerted. In Atlanta. Georgia, an exterminating firm raised its monthly bill from $7.50 to SB.OO. After one of its customers, an

A New Form Os Censorship

When the national magazine Look ceased publication, a njajor reason given by thQpublisher was drastic postal rate increases. The new postal rates, it was said, would hawe increased Look’s postal bill fronyM million to $lO million in five yeagZ The demise of Look magazine is a symptom of a rising threat to freedom of the press. In the case of larger publications the danger is dramatic and apparent. The proposed 142 per cent increase in second class postal rates under which newspapers, magazines and periodicals are mailed to the public is “potentially ruinous” in the opinion of Life magazine. I Even more devastating in the long

Unveiling Mars' Secrets

Predicting earth’s weather sometimes seems to be more of an art than a science. Men still have so much to learn about the stupendously complex mechanics of atmospheric phenomena. Yet today, this early in the brief history of the space age, we are taking for granted daily weather reports from another planet. Mariner 9, sent into orbit around Mars (another miracle accepted as a matter of course), is not designed to function as a weather satellite. Its mission is to scan the Martian surface with its television eyes and relay photographs back to earth which may tell scientists if there are any areas on the red planet that could support life. But little Mariner’s arrival happened to coincide with the worst dust

I—• » '' "" 1 1 'n i £ Bayh-Lines ; mM WfISHINGTON

About Dr. Butz Os Purdue

WASHINGTON. D C. - I have received a number of inquiries regarding my decision to support our fellow Hoosier. Dr. Earl Butz of Purdue University, for the post of Secretary of Agriculture. As an outspoken opponent of the discredited Nixon farm policy and as a working farmer. I am deeply concerned about the constant pressure on farmers of the cost-price squeeze, the mass exodus from the farm to already overcrowded cities and the gradual disappearance of one of our most valuable social and economic institutions — the American family farm. What American agriculture needs today is not simply a new Secretary of Agriculture but a new farm policy — and only the President can provide that. The resignation of Hardin and the nomination of Butz was orchestrated in the White House by Richard Nixon and agribusiness. As long as Richard Nixon remains in the White House, the American family farmer will remain in trouble. It is the Nixon farm program, incorporated into the disastrous Agriculture Act of 1970, that is at fault, not Clifford Hardin or Earl

EDITORIALS

Butz As a small farmer and a Senator, I am particularly interested in. and affected by. the failure of the Nixon farm policy But I am not persuaded by the arguments that Dr. Butz should become the focal point for this discontent —a discontent. I want to empahsize. that I fully share. In short, the historical practice of the Senate in granting a President the greatest discretion in selecting members of his official family — greater than in appointments to all other federal offices — has meant that consideration of Cabinet nominations is limited to questions of moral fitness and intellectual competence. I am familiar with Dr. Butz’s background. 1 have known him personally for a number of years. Dr. Butz, 1 am convinced, meets both of these tests While I have a number of very basic differences with Dr. Butz’s philosophy and his farm policy, 1 have the same differences with President Nixon. As a working fanner. I was appalled over the policies of the Benson farm program. Dr. Butz was closely associated with these policies. But. so was then Vice President

employee of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, promised that the matter would get “close attention,’’ the com- . pany rescinded the increase. An inmate of a penitentiary at Joliet, Illinois, took prison authorities to court, charging that prices in the prison store had risen in disregard of the price freeze. As the season of regulation comes into full bloom, it is awesome to contemplate the energy, the time and the ; bureaucracy that must be devoted to making controls serve as substitutes for a free market.

run may be the impact of postal rate increases on the thousands of smaller daily and weekly newspapers that make up the bulwark of the U.S. free press, so far as independent thought is concerned. These thousands of papers have given substance to a basic concept of Western civilization — the concept of a loyal opposition which protects the right of the minority, gives meaning to legislative processes of self-government and is a champion of the oppressed. No vehicle of communication can ever take the place of the press as a defender of freedom. It has survived attempted censorship in many forms and is now threatened by the economics of postal rate increases.

storm — at least, they think it’s a dust storm — on Mars that astronomers have ever observed. Thus its first assignment has been to photograph this conspicious aspect of Martian “weather.” Mariner will also record, and perhaps help explain, the mysterious waves of darkenings which creap down from the Martian poles each spring. More weather in the form of some kind of precipitation? Two Russian probes follow hard upon Mariner, and one or both will attempt soft landings. If they are as successful as Mariner, we may soon be able to say of Mars what is said of the moon — that we know more about it than we do about the bottom of our own oceans. —Goshen News

Nixon. I am concerned over Dr. Butz's emphasis on corporate farming and his lack of emphasis on strengthening the family farmer. But I have had this same concern over the past three years of the Nixon farm policy. I am concerned over Dr. Butz’s close ties with large agribusiness corporations. But I have had this same concern over the past three years of the Nixon farm policy. 1 am concerned over Dr. Butz’s close ties with large agribusiness corporations. But President Nixon has strong political ties to the same constituency. Those of us who are concerned about the state of American agriculture should use the legislative tools at our disposal to reverse the direction of the Agriculture Act of 1970. The supply adjustment programs in the 1965 Food and Agriculture Act proved effective and should be the first step toward restoring full parity to the American farmer. Second legislation is needed to ensure that the family farmer, in cooperation with other fanners, will have the necessary muscle in the marketplace when he confronts the giant processing and agribusiness corporations. Third, an adequate supply of credit at reasonable interest rates must be made available to family-sized farms so that they remain competitive. Fourth, unnecessarily large subsidy payments to corporate farms must be ended and new programs designed so that those rural Americans in need of assistance receive it Fifth, the President’s proposal to abolish the Department of Agriculture must be defeated.

ff * i ■ '

Know Your Indiana Law By JOHN J. DILLON ’ Attorney at Law This is a public service article explaining provisions of Indiana law in general terms.

'False Arrest'

It is not uncommon for the most innocent person in our society to find himself afoul of the law in a situation in which he is purely innocent. Many arrested for the commission of a crime with which they had no connection. These arrests give rise to actions at law for damages in Civil proceedings for false arrest. Because a large amount of suits were brought for false arrest against store owners who thought somebody was guilty of shoplifting, but could not prove the same in a criminal action, the legislature in 1967 saw fit to give store owners some relief from would be shoplifters. Under the 1967 law, an owner, operator or employee of a mercantile establishment who has probable cause to believe that a theft has occurred in his establishment, may detain a person who is committing a theft and require the person to identify

SPECIAL REPORT FROM WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON — State Secretary BUI Rogers and Treasury Secretary John Connally have clashed sharply in the policy councils over bringing economic pressure on our foreign friends. Connally has argued that our economic plight is desperate. The United States is faced with the first trade deficit in this century, six per cent unemployment, five per cent inflation and a shaky stock market — not to mention a whopping 112 million balance-of-payments deficit. Last August, Connally won President Nixon’s backing to slap a ten per cent surtax on imports. Now, in return for removing the surtax, he has served several blunt demands upon our allies. He has demanded a currency revaluation, favorable to the U.S., more purchases of American military hardware to alleviate our balance of payments, a new international monetary system to ease the pressure of the dollar and a reduction of European trade barriers against U.S. agriculture products. Rogers has warned that the demands are too harsh, would only antagonize our allies and could touch off an international trade war. His warnings have already started to come true. Most of our allies are resisting the U.S. pressure and threatening economic retaliation. Our post-war partners around the world have become so hostile that President Nixon has arranged hasty summit meetings with France s President Georges Pompideau. Britain’s Prime Minister Edward Heath, West Germany’s Chancelor Willy Brandt, Canada's Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Japan’s Prime Minister Eisaku Sato. The President plans to take both Rogers and Connally with him to these summit meetings. Rogers has begged him to be conciliatory and to drop the ten per cent import surcharge. Connally is still insisting that the U.S. at least threaten to impose all kinds of trade restrictions in order to get concessions from our allies. Robgers has warned this could lead to the kind of trade war that brought on the great depression of the 19305. >

himself, to verify such identification and to determine whether such person has in his possession unpurchased merchandise taken from the store. The owner or employee of the store is also entitled to inform appropriate peace officers, or in the case of minors, to inform parents or other persons that they have detained the person in question. The law provides that this can only be for a reasonable time which the statutes provides is not to extend beyond one hour, or the arrival of a duly constituted peace officer. ’ If the store manager or employee has probable cause to believe that a theft has been committed, then no civil action can be brought against the owner, operator or employee, or a security agent of the store for taking steps to detain the person for reasonable questioning. It should be remembered that

Rogers, Connally Clash Over Policy

this is a very important piece of legislation for store owners, since in the case of any false arrest or false imprisonment, the person improperly detained is entitled not only to compensatory damages but may be awarded punitive damages for the false arrest. In other words, the Court or jury may award any person who has been falsely arrested damages far exceeding their out-of-pocket or reasonable expenses as a punishment to prevent other people in like circumstances from causing a person to be falsely arrested. Because of this provision for punitive damages in oUr law for false arrest, store owners are very reluctant to charge a person with shoplifting unless they have iron-clad evidence that the person they so charge is guilty. For this reason the legislature felt that a method should be provided for store owners to protect themselves against theft without having the problem of automatically facing a false arrest or malicious prosecution suit. Inspite of this latitude given mercantile store operators to question and detain persons for a reasonable amount of time, the store, owner or employee still must have probable cause to believe that a theft was committed and cannot detain or arrest anybody in a reckless or a negligent manner without facing the possibility of a lawsuit for damages for false arrest. Copyright 1971 by John J. Dillon

Connally keeps stressing that the U.S. can no longer finance its international commitments unless our economy is brought in balance. He also argues that the alternative would be eventual bankruptcy and depression. White House insiders tell us that the President, who has backed Connally, is now leaning toward Rogers’s views. GANDHI AND EAST PAKISTAN Intelligence reports charge that India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi will avoid open warfare with Pakistan. She is expected, instead, to support the Bengali insurgents who are seeking to establish an independent East Bengal in what is now Elast Pakistan. The intelligence reports predict that Prime Minister Gandhi will plant the Bengali leader, Mukti Behini. back across the border to legitimize the insurgent movement. Indian troops will be used as needed to establish a permanent base for the insurgents. India cannot afford to take care of the millions of Bengali refugees who have been driven out of East Pakistan. Prime Minister Gandhi is quoted in the intelligence reports as declaring privately that she has no alternative but to pave the way for the Bengalis to return to East Pakistan. CHINA-RUSSIA BORDER A chilling nuclear drama is developing on the remote China-Russia border. We have already reported that some Soviet marshals were calling for military action to wipe out China’s nuclear centers. China now has nuclear warheads but not enough missiles to deliver them against Russia. But the Chinese have tested a missile with enough range to reach Moscow from inside China Once the Chinese are able to install enough missiles to strike Russia’s major strategic targets, China will possess a nuclear deterrant against Russia. Many Soviet strategists are eager to eliminate this threat before it develops. The Soviets have afready moved ground and air forces into position for a swift strike at China’s nuclear centers.

Congressional Comer: John Brademas Reports From Washington

A Pleasing Report On Campaign Practices

Last week I wrote of the need for reform in the campaign spending practices. This, week I am pleased to report that the House has passed a bill that is a historic step toward limiting the cost of elections in the United States. With support from a great majority of both Democrats and Republicans, the House passed the bill by a vote of 372-23. If adopted and signed by the President, this election reform legislation would be the first major overhaul of the Corrupt Practices Act of 1925. Under the measure, all candidates for Federal office receiving or spending more than SI,OOO would be required to report individual contributions or expenses of more than SIOO. Labor unions and corporations can continue to use union dues or corporate funds for get-out-the vote-drives, but they can aim their future activities only at families of union members or, in the case of corporations, at corporate stockholders. AD SPENDING LIMITED In addition to the reporting and disclosure requirements, the bill would limit the amount which candidates for President and Congress could spend on television and other advertising. Each Presidential candidate would be limited to spending $8.4 million on television in 1972, compared to $12.6 million spent by Republicans in 1968. Sne issue yet to be dealt with is the income tax “checkoff” for political purposes. A “checkoff” provision was in the tax bill approved last week by HouseSenate conferees. Basically, it enables a taxpayer, when filling out his tax forms, to check-off a box designating one dollar of his taxes to be used by a major party contender or each of the major party contenders for the Presidency. It should be made clear that this check-off is totally voluntary. WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AGING MEETS The White House Conference on Aging was held last week in Washington. D.C. as delegates from all over the nation met to discuss the problems facing the 20 million citizens of the United States who are 65 or older. The reports I received from the

Soviet missiles have also been deployed against China. In a matter of hours, a lightning Soviet raid could reduce China to a nonnuclear power. This is one reason the Chinese have been so willing to court the U.S. and so eager to get into the United Nations. Therefore, the Chinese can be expected to move quickly at the UN to build a diplomatic deterrent against a Soviet strike. The Kremlin, however, has always put its national security ahead of world opinion. Hence, the Soviets will find a pretext to destroy Red China’s nuclear works — probably next year while the U.S. is preoccupied with internal politics. FRAGMENTED ARMY Intelligence reports say that the showdown between Mao Tse-tung and his military chief, Lin Piao, has cracked the unity of the Chinese military. This could result in a fragmentation of China, whose provinces are now controlled by military officers. There is evidence that some of the officers are resisting Peking’s authority. If they are strong enough to hold out, this could result in a breakup of Chinese unity, with military war lords dominating different sections of the country. GROUP LEGAL INSURANCE Many middle income families have had their savings wiped out by medical and legal bills. This has brought group medical insurance to reduce the risk of high hospital bills. Now in Shreveport, La., a group legal insurance plan is being tested. The local bar association has signed a contract with a construction union to give legal advice, draft legal documents and handle court cases for union members who sign up for a prepaid group policy. .The idea of group legal insurance undoubtedly will be picked up by other communities and will become as common as group medical insurance.

members of the Indiana delegation to which I spoke indicated that the conference was productive. A common theme running through the conference was that the time for action on behalf of America’s aging was here. It was clear the conferees felt there should be fewer speeches and resolutions and more deeds for the benefit of the nation’s elderly. OLDER AMERICANS BILL INTRODUCED For these reasons, on Thursday, along with nine other Members of Congress, I introduced the Comprehensive Older Americans Services Bill, which aims at meeting many of the basic unmet needs of the elderly that were discussed at the conference. The most important features of the bill include a stronger role for the elderly, and expanded work services opportunities, including strengthening of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and Foster Grandparents programs. The bill will also provide for health, nutrition, education and other social services, and improved systems of deliverng tpese services to older citizens. Other provisions of the bill are directed at establishing senior citizens community centers. SENATE PASSES NUTRITION BILL FOR THE ELDERLY As the Conference on Aging drew to a close, the Senate passed a major nutrition program for the elderly. This measure, an amendment to the Older Americans Act of 1965, assures needy older persons at least one hot meal daily, creates centers for nutritional programs, and authorizes outreach services to assure maximum participation of eligible elerly persons. This bill, which I co-sponsored with Congressman Claude Pepper (DFla.), will make available to the states $250 during 1973 and 1974 for these programs.’ Much remains to be done to assure older Americans the proper life style they deserve, but this congressional initiative will go a long way toward making a better life for this group of most neglected citizens — older Americans.

By JACK ANDERSON