Fairbanks Daily News-Miner from Fairbanks, Alaska • Page 5

Alaska, Daily News-Miner, Tuesday, August 5, I 969 "Intepttdmt In Ml Tfcmgi Neutral in Daily Mews Miner 200 North Cujhman, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 Cemmemt Thank Heaven, Without Getting Feet Wet Every indication at the time this is written is that we have escaped without even getting our shirt tail wet. And for this we are most thankful. The news that the threat of a major flood has been averted by a sudden change in the weather isan answer to our prayers. No one can predict with absolute certainty what the weather will do, but the Weather Bureau is certain that the immediate threat of a flood is ended. The community has been extremely apprehensive and with good reason.

The devastation of two years ago is still clear in the public mind. In many cases, the financial payment for that flood is continuing. There may be some who will think that the leaders of some agencies "pushed the panic button" too soon. We think not. They areto be commended for taking the precaution to plan for a major flood.

Any other action would have been sheer dereliction of duty. We learned the hard way two years ago what can happen when we are lulled by a belief that there will be no flood. We went to bed one night, certain that the Chena River had crested at a safe level, and awoke to find our homes inundated. The feeling that we had been betrayed, whejther true or not, still exists among some people. In the present case, there was good reason for the greatest concern.

In a call to the Weather Bureau in Anchorage yesterday, we noted a feeling of apprehension even there. We were told that we should be prepared for heavy precipitation not only in Fairbanks but in the area surrounding us for at least five days. Even at that time there was no indication that so drastic a change in weather was imminent. The situation looked as black as the clouds that poured rain on us much of the day. The Weather Bureau was better prepared this year to keep watch on the Chena and the rivers which pour their waters into it.

Extra gauges had been installed since the 1967 flood. When difficulty was encountered with the gauges and radio in some areas, weather observers were flown in by helicopter to maintain a close watch. For this the Weather Bureau and the other agencies involved are to be commended. The entire community is thankful that it has been spared the ordeal of a a minor one. It was good to know, however, that if one had come we were far better prepared to cope with it than we were two years ago.

Too Many Close Catts in Air A Federal Aviation Agency task force investigating "near misses" in the air over the United Stales last year has issued a report which indicates there might have been more than 5,000 such incidents. Only 2,230 near miss reports were handed in by private and commercial pilots, military pilots and traffic controllers, but the FAA investigators concluded these were only a fraction of the total. Such reports are now required under present FAA rules. Of the reports submitted, the task force ranked 1,128 as meaning the aircraft came within 500 feet of one another. Statistically, the estimated total of such incidents indicated one for every 50,000 flights.

A total of 35 mid-air collisions occurred last year, claiming 68 lives. Three of these involved commercial airliners. With more than 52 million flights logged in 1968, the number of collisions or too-close-for-comfort misses may seem infinitesimally small, but 732 of those reports were made by airline pilots responsible for large numbers oflives. A few hundred feet more or less could have turned any of those incidents into tragedies. An Effective Control Weeded Price and wage controls seem to have become an internal controversy for the Nixon administration, with Secretary of the Treasury Kennedy repetitiously saying on several occasions such controls on the economy might be necessary if inflation cannot be brought under control by other means, and the White House categorically denying such restrictions are under consideration.

Perhaps Mr. Kennedy meant to scare congressional leadership into swift enactment of the surtax extension by pointing to the ultimate that could happen if inflation cannot be contained. But he gives the impression that price and wage controls have occupied much of his time in recent weeks. Arbitrary controls on such vital economic factors as wages and prices are no curatives, as New York City's rent controls and agriculture's price controls show. While creating an artificial ceiling, they also stop up vital economic pressure valves and cause serious difficulties, including reallocation of capital.

There is one area in which controls would work admirably in containing federal budget. Few voices in Washington can be heard above the din in favor of this type of restraint. 'There are cats and there are fat cats Daily Mews Miner £00 Nortii Cmliman, Fairbanls, Alaska 99701 An Independent Newspaper Established in 1903 PuMhhod Daily Except Sunday Fairbanks Publishing Inc. C. W.

SNEDDEN MUBLTN B. SFENCER and Publisher Kwculive Editor SUBSCRIPTION 'HATES (In One Month Three Months One Year MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS Via Repjlar Mail (h AlasV.) 35.00 Via Reg. Mall (U.S.A. A Canada) Via Tint Cbsj Man 60,75 119,50 TmgUr: Paper Tiger Treaties Are Thing of Past INSIDE Art Buehwald Taxing Rich Is Unfair WASHINGTON-In all the talk about tax reforms the one demand that keeps cropping up is that Congress do something about closing the loopholes for rich people. Many rich people think this is unfair and say they're being discriminated against.

1 talked to one member of the upper class on his yacht the other day who felt that his people were being made scapegoats for the tax inequities in the country. I shall call him Roger Carat. "It's not right for Congress to pick on my people and say that we should bear more of the nation's tax burden," he said. "If they persist in this foolishness, they may eliminate the rich classin this country altogether. We mayjust quit being rich.

I wonder how they'd feel then?" "You wouldn't do that," Isaid. "Why not?" Roger asked, "There was a time when being rich was a lot of fun. You could go to all the best places, buy the greatest meals, live in the finest houses, collect the most beautiful paintings. Everyone looked to you and admired you. But now if you're rich everyone assumes you're notpayingyourshareof taxes." Are you? "I asked.

"That's not the point," Roger said. "We pay what the government asks us to pay. If it turns out that we are smart enough, or have people who are smart enough, to work it so we don't have to pay any taxes, then we should get credit for it. Poor people can take advantage of the same laws. They apparently don't want to." "That's so," I agreed.

don't understand is why your people get so angry when Congress starts talk ing about tax re form." "Because every time the subject of taxes comes up, everyone accuses the rich people of trying to prevent reforms." "Well, this is true of the oil depletion allowance, isn't it?" I asked. "It is not. The only reason rich people in the oil business are trying to keep the present oil depletion allowance is to make sure that this country has a sufficient supply of oil in case of a national emergency, such as all-out nuclear war with the Soviets. If it wasn't for our concern for national defense, we'd give up the oil depletion allowance in a minute." "But don't you think rich people should pay some taxes?" "Of course, and we're not against paying taxes. If we go to a ball game or to a play, we should pay a tax on the ticket.

And Imagine there's nothing wrong in paying a sales tax on a Bentley or something like that. But when you start taxing rich people on their incomes, you're getting too close to home." "You wouldn't go so far as to give rich people MORE tax relief wouldyou?" "Ill say this. We've seen where helping poor people doesn't really work? And you know why? Because there're, too many of them. No matter what you do for poor people, it isn't enough. But if you help rich people, you see the immediate results of your efforts.

Unlike poor people, we're grateful to our politicians for what they've done forus-and we show it." "But it seems to me that in spite of all your arguments, which I must say make sense, there will be some tax reform eventually passed, and you may have to pay more taxes to the government." "I sincerely hope you're wrong," said Roger. "But if it comes to that, then all 1 can say is if this country starts depending on its rich people tor its taxes, it's in a much sorrier shape than anyone even dreamed." (Readers of the Daily News-Miner are welcome to write to the editor However because of space limitations letters exceeding 300 words cannot be accepted. Writers will bt limited to tHtblieatian nf (wo letters within a 30-day period. Unsigned tetters will not be published but the name of writer will be taith- held tram nubliration if requested President Nixon returns from abroad with no expanded commitments, blessings be. The reason represents a fundamental change in American, foreign policy.

You might call it a Do-It-Yourself doctrine toward other countries. This writer can report that the President feels, as a matter of deepest conviction, that exaggerated internationalism is just as foolhardy and dangerous as narrow isolationism. Before Mr. Nixon left on this trip, Secretary of State William P. Rogers showed him a top-secret, green-covered book he had obtained from the Pentagon.

The book required 712 pages merely to list our overseas bases and installations where we maintain American troops. Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird confirmed that we have spent nearly $5 billion a year to operate these and that almost half th ese billions are a balance-of-payments drain in our gold crisis. Yet only about 200 of these bases are officially listed as vital in the top-secret book, even assuming the maintenance of five divisions in Europe to live up to ourNATO commitment. Nixon and Mr.

Rogers found that the total commitments of the United States add up to 42 treaties and involve our military presence in an apalling 38 countries. For years on end we have poured our taxpayers' billions into defense treaties that were utterly powerless to frighten or restrain the enemy. Some are long since as the Inter-American Treaty of others are obviously worthless because the signatures we lined up to sign them i do not support them. Others are as dangerous as a camel's kiss. Many of our foreign policy failures arose from a is, that a crusading spirit is a substitute for a foreign policy.

And merely translating a crusading spirit into frail and ambiguous treaties, promoted on a public relations basis fo show "a united front," means absolutely nothing. Japanese reluctance to support out largely inoperative SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization) treaty of 1954 stems from our doubtful attempt to lirik it with ANZUS, the TO THE EDITOR P.O. Box 267 2 Fairbanks, Alaska The Honorable Mr. Keith Miller, Governor, State of Alaska Pouch A Juneau, Alaska Dear Sir, As a bonafide native bom tax-paying citizen of the United States, I am continuously amazed as to how the U.S. Treasury Department, can, with the millions of taxpayers involved, forward my income tax return to me promptly within a reasonable 60 days after filing my tax form.

Yet, the state of Alaska, with over five-thousand employes, and a very minute number of taxpayers in comparison to the U.S. filings, cannot send my laxretumwithin four months of filing. I accept the fact that we are all upset over the expectations of all those black gold dollars funnelling into our treasury this coming September, along with the complications of a railroad, a pipeline, and a vehicular road going to the slope. Not to forget a tanker venturing into the ice-pack. It can readily be seen how your staff could overlook just a poor lowly tax-paying citizen, who has been here before all of the grand expectations upset ourstate departments.

Please do me one small favor, as an individual who has paid many a tax dollar in support of our state prior to these trying times, ask one of your employes within the Department of Revenue to get off his expectation and push a button on the machine that will get my Income tax return in the mail. With anticipation, 1 remain, Richard Currinfrton P.S. Please don't send three identical checks like you did to a friend of mine, just one will be sufficient. P.O.BoxQ College, Alaska Dear Editor: For a long time I have wondered why your reporters insist on locating such places as Kotzebue, Point Hope, Wainwright and Icy Cape on the "Bering Sea" or in "Bering If they will consult a map they will see that the points mentioned above are on the CHUKCHI SEA, a very long way from the Bering Sea and quite so me distance from Bering Strait. Let the eheechakos goof up Alaskan geography, but not an Alaska newspa per.

Sincerely, Deane R.Brandon Dear Editor: A definite, long range policy concerning Alaskaland should be made. The public should be polled at the earliest possible date to determine the present public feeling, possibly by questionnaire to be included in the utility bills. After compilation of suggestions and criticisms, a weekly radio or television program should be instituted, NOT just to promote Alaskaland, but to impress upon the people of Fairbanks that they are just as responsible for the success of Alaskaland as the staff. If the governing body of Fairbanks wishes the support of the general public, this must be based upon full awareness of the financial facts about Alaskaland; income, expenditures and other relevant information should be made available to the voters. The purpose of the radio (or TV) program should be to respond to letters that are written, to let the people know how they may become involved in the operation of to advertise the activities for the week, and to introduce the current personalities of Alaskaland.

As employes of A-67, we were made aware of its possibilities, and submit these suggestions to insure that the original vision of A-67 will not be lost. Here are some possible questions for inclusion in the questionnaire: 1) What aspects of Alaskaland do you approve of? 2) What additional cultural events or exhibits would you recommend for Alaskaland? (art shows, artists in action, etc.) 3) What suggestions do you have to fill these available concession spaces? (List the available spaces for concessions.) 4) What policy below would be best for gate admission? a) Present policy ($1 adults, 50 cents for children); list the present percentage the city receives from concessions. b) Lower gate fee; increase percentage from concessions (list suggested gate fee and suggested percentage from concessions). c) No gate fee. d) Other.

Sincerely, Gary Metendy (Star Route No. 3) J. Orlando Lawhom (1607 Gtllam Way) Australian-New security pact operative In Vietnam. Yet we poured mote and more money into the old SEATO letup just the SUM. In bet, old treaties never died; we just spent spent The NATO pact was signed In 1949.

Inside France our NATO investment loss when President De Gaulle threw us out exceeded $2.5 billion. His action vastly weakened our protection of France. But we are still obligated to come to the aid of France the Brussels Treaty' of Much 17, 1946, which formed the Western European Alliance, NATO's predecessor. About 300,000 of NATO's armed men are Americans. And Secretary Laird estimates that it costs $7,265 a year to keep one fighting man in Western Europe.

How far can we feasibly go in keeping such large ground forces in Europe when.the real deterrent is our atomic stance and most of our ground forces are there largely to sustain European morale? The question is not the potential ue NATO, for NATO is Indispensable. The issue under the new Nixon Do-It-Yourself doctrine Involves the real effectiveness of such disproportionately large U.S. ground froces if our allies fall to supply equivalent ground forces oftheliown. When foreign policies fall apart, or conditions change, is easier to blame the difficulties than to confess the current invalidity, the unworkabtenesK, and even the dangers, in a course long followed. But the purpose of statesmanship is results, not the construction of basketfuls of paper-tiger treaties, the sustaining of expensive, flimsy facades, or the encouragement of wishful thinking in the American public.

Behind the scenes, President Nixon and Secretary Rogers made up their minds before they left that.this kind of thing is about as valuable as a plaster cast on a wooden leg. That was the underlying meaning of Mr. Nixon's first announcement on the trip spoken In Manila. The United States will no longer play into the Soviet's hands by ovtrextending itself. The day of promoting paper-tiger treaties that are a one-way street What Others I The Vote Theft-It Happened It has long been known that party machines in the largest cities have been involved in vote thefts.

Now it has been proven that those vote thefts are on such a scale that those machines could result of a close contest if we should have direct popular election of our President. The proof came, oddly enough, from the findings of a project set up to guard apinst vote theft in the 1968 presidential election. The story is told in the Jury issue of the Reader's Digest by Louis B. Nichols, who headed "Operation Integrity" for the Nixon forces in last year's election. Nichols was for 23 years an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and for 16 of those years was assistant director under J.

Edgar Hoover. "Operation Integrity" was manned by 100,000 volunteers, large numbers of them Democrats who joined in the interest of honest elections. Its goal was to maintain a watch on a limited number of precincts, in various parts of the country, where the worst vote fraud historically has occured. In Philadelphia, 10 days before the election, inspectors found 1,083 "ghost" votes already recorded on 42 voting machines in the warehouse. That's an average of a' little mote than 25 on each machine.

Of the 3,500 machines in the warehouse, 2,344 lacked tamper-proof seals. An average of 25 on each of those unsealed machines would have yielded 58,600 stolen votes. In St. Louis, pre-election check of a sample of 6,500 registered voters turned up 14 per cent of them who could not be found at the address from which they were registered. Running in ghost votes amounting to 14 per cent of the total vote cast in that city last fall would have yielded more than 30,000 stolen votes.

In Chicago, Nichols reports, a common method of vote stealing, besides ghost voting and vote buying, is "long counts designed to permit brazen tally-sheet falsification." A check of registration lists disclosed 409 "voters" registered from the address of a flop-house. Investigators saw drifters from skid-row flop-houses and bars rounded up In wholesale lots to be registered for $1 each. Researchers for a local bi-pertisan anti fraud effort called "Operation Eagle Eye" estimated: that 170,000 of Quota's 1,800.906 registered voters were ghosts -f Numerous other examples of vote stetbrjg and roampaWJofi were described by Nichols. The point such things and happen regularly in boss-controlled areas, wnfeh ttmrBotUy predominate in the largest cities. In an analysis of the 1968 election made recently by Dr Oeofte Comfort, professor of political science at Unrrersrty, he found that 54.6 per cent of all the votes were cast In nine states the 12 largest cities.

Richard M. Nixon's popular vote plurality over Hubert H. Humphrey was 310,638 votes. In a direct popular election, with the result determined by the national plurality of votes, the theft of an average of 25 votes In each of a few mote than 1,000 precincts, on the average, in each of the 12 largest cities could have wiped out that margin and stolen the election. Because such a thing can happen in boss-contiotled cities, direct popular election would throw the presidency open to the very real possibility of dishonest selection by boss-controlled vote fraud.

The current drive for a popular election amendment to the Constitution is being pressed chiefly by liberals, whose future presidential candidate appears to be Sea Edward M. Kennedy We are reminded of the vehement opposition to direct popular election voiced by his brother, John F. Kennedy. While in the Senate, later to become President, JFK si id that such proposal, purporting to be more democratic, would increase the power of and encourage splinter parties, and I believe It would break down the federal system under which most states entered the Union, which provides i system of checks and balances to Insure that no one or one group shall obtain too much power." The Electoral College system limits the influence of big-city vote fraud by restricting its effects to the aUtes in which it occurs. Direct popular election would permit such fnud In the biggest cities to effect directly the national result.

Direct popular election should be rejected, to help protect presidency apinst the vicious of stolen votes. Indarapol'a Star VIA THE MOON-An utgenUy needed package of color minuted bora airmail, special delivery. The special delivery carrier delivered them to the News-Miner on Aug. 1, Qve months and 21 days later. The package was marked, "Sent to Wrong Address." The moon, no doubt.

Superior Secretary Must Be Gracious BY L. M. BOYR CAR MEN say the most popular new vehicle now is the two-door hardtop COMMONEST PITCH of professional panhandlers is "I'm trying to get my tools out of hock." WHEN A MAN in his fifties remarries, it is most apt to be to a woman eight years younger. DOG EXPERTS claim that breed which shows the most confidence in strange situations is the fox terrier. WHY FINGERNAILS grow faster than toenails isn't known, but such is the case.

BACHELOR years ago in Maine, an enterprising legislator proposed that every unmarried lady over the age of 30 should be given a pension. To be financed by an annual lax on bachelors over the age of 30. However, it didn't pass. So he rewrote his bill to exclude any bachelor who could prove he had proposed to at least three different women, tt still didn't pass. So again be rewrote it also to exclude any bachelor who could prove he had proposed to the same woman at least three times.

And it still didn't pass. H.e gave up, and I don't blame him. NATIONWIDE, say the real estate men, another new motel with at least 50 units opens every 20 minutes. What do you make of that, sprats-fans? A TV COMMENTATOR announce no animal besides man regularly murders its own species. That's almost right.

However, recent research shows rats also systematically kill their own kind. FRED CHRISTENSEN of Oakland, can list 16 musical instruments with three-letter names. What can you do? contention a secretary tends to take on the manner of her boss is right. Most do just that. If you call up an executive with whom you're not acquainted, you can just about tell what kind of treatment you'll get from him by the way his secretary talks to you.

Further, the more important the executive, the more gracious his secretary, almost invariably. Gracious is the right word, too. Not just courteous. Average secretary treats you courteously enough. As tho you were a census taker at her door.

But the superior secretary treats you graciously. As tho you were a guest in her living room. Please post this at the water cooler. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Q. "Can't your Love and War man come up with the single most important piece of advice to guide a girl in search of a husband?" A.

Indeed he can. If you have to narrow it down to just one rule, he says, "Be kind to ugly men." IT A FLAT FACT that Napoleon Bonaparte was a consummate card cheat, the rascal. COLLEGE LAD at the house the other night described his fraternity as a Greek tragedy. NOW SUSPECT Irene Easttom of Chowchilla, was the country's youngest grandmother at the age of 31. IT IS TIME to revive that fine oK ditty, "Blues in the Night." DID YOU KNOW Mahjongg is now banned in Mainland China? Disgraceful.

Your questions and comments are welcomed and will be used wherever passible in "Checking Up. "Address mail to L.M. Boyd, in care of P.O. Sox 99187. Seattle, Wash.

98199. looking back 40 Years Ago Today Tanana was the gathering place last month for Natives from many points along the Tanana and Yukon rivers who came together to hold a big potlach, according to Peter Vachon, who returned to Fairbanks a few days ago after making a dip to Tanana. Led by their tribal chieftains about 250 Indians congregated at Tanana, he says, and for two weeks the ancient ceremonies of Alaska Natives were re-enacted. 20 Years Ago Today The Daily News-Miner today publishes details of a plan, approved by the City Council, for development of a new public utility system for Fairbanks and toe Metropolitan area. Fairbanks public utilities, present and future are shown on maps published today pit page 5., The bureau of mines ptohtbty win he able to open its Ataskin experiment station next yetr, Director James Boyd said today Boyd aid the $174,881 office building is being constructed on Juneau Island netr Juneau by Sealand Construction Company, Seattle.

10 Years Ago Today Two speedy F-100F fighter bombers are scheduled to takeoff from Weathersfteld RAF station, England, on Friday, and streak over the top of the world to Eielson Air Force Base. The planes will be refueled in the air while enroute to Alaska. The Sight over the pole to Fairbanks is being carried out to Investigate arctic deployment routes for fighter aircraft, and to test the automatic navigation system which the F-100F Flames early today completely destroyed all the main buildings of Scotty Creek Lodge, a famed Alaska Highway hostelry located at Mile 1226. There were only a few tourists in the lodge at the tinfe the fire broke out, and all escaped from the blaze. 5 Years Ago Today Lightning striking an electrical feeder line in downtown Fairbanks put the city's electrical generating plant out of commission late Tuesday afternoon, the first time in more than 10 years that the plant was completely down.

Power was off in many sections of town for almost 30 Gov. William Egan today backed up Sen. Robert McNealy's denial that he, McNealy, had endorsed a plan to bring Japanese labor into Alaska. Local attorney and Democrat William Emmal.who is pitted against McNealy in next Tuesday's primary election, made the claim in a campaign circular distributed Monday. RE WARD ntKnm THE 12 gauge Winchester Model 12 Trap Oun 191 3509 12oauae Winchester Model 12-1364418 Model 94.30-30 12 gauge Muzzle Loading Shotgun Phone 452-2310 Weekdays Only.