The Eugene Guard from Eugene, Oregon • Page 10

Frederick C. Othman 'It's a Road It Just Hasn't Been Used Much" Douglas Keeps on Talking To Empty Senate Chamber WalHnrf salad. P.5 cents. After PAYMENTS ON WASHINGTON Ordinarily when an orator's entire audience walks out on him, he stops talking But not our man, Sen. Paul AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER ALTON F.

BAKER Publisher ALTON F. BAKER JR. Editor ROBERT B. FRAZIER Associate Editor SERVICES Full Associated Frcss, United Press, Audit Bureau of Circulations. The Register-Guard's policy is the complete and impartial publication in its news pages of all news and statements on news.

On this page the editors of the Register-Guard offer their opinions on events of the day and matters of importance to the community, endeavoring to be candid but fair and helpful in the development of constructive community policy. A newspaper is A CITIZEN OF ITS COMMUNITY. Entered at the Post Office at Eugene, Oregon, as second-class matter. NATIONAL DEBT Douglas (D-Ill). He plows right ahead, gesturing at the empty chairs.

This is a sight to see. It does not happen often EUGENE, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1956 TOA and that's probably a good Policy on Teachers' Salaries Needs Study thing from the, vfli viewpoint of sen-1 atorial speechi-ficrs. Lesser lec about 20 minutes of Sen. Douglas on the subject of gas, the only other senator left in the chamber was Sen. Carlson.

FELT EMPTY The chairman, of course, was in the rostrum, but he felt empty, too. He signaled to the senator from Kansas to take over and that left Sen. Douglas talking to 94 empty chairs. Two more chairs were occupied by the official stenographers. These latter have spent so many years taking down the deathless words, that they can do it without paying attention to what is being said.

The public galleries were nearly empty; the only busy looking part of the room was the press gallery. Here the reporters (no offense, Sen. Douglas) weren't listening either. They were interviewing each other on the question of whether anybody remembered seeing a senator speak to nobody at all. Even the oldest- correspondent couldn't remember a time when at least two or three senators weren't on the floor.

Sen. Douglas talked on. He gestured. He figured out some Othman turers than the eentleman from Illinois easily told the budget committee, "If I can go to the colleges and offer $3,750 for a bachelor's degree, we'll get the cream." Perhaps this is true. But what of the novice teacher who says, "Fine.

Only what can I make as a teacher in your district after 10 or 12 years' experience?" This problem was uppermost in trie minds of some members of Springfield's school budget committee, when, they found that in relation to other comparable districts, Springfield's starting salaries stacked up pretty well. But after reaching the top of the increment scale, Springfield is not on a par with other districts. Board Member Robert McAnulty of Springfield notes, We've encouraged teachers to begin here adds that the Springfield salary situation may explain "why we have such a terrific turnover of teachers." Supt. Clarence Hines of the Eugene could be unnerved Dy no usien-ers. This could affect them emotionally for the rest of their lives.

The situation looked normal when the Senate assembled for business at 12 noon. The prayer; sounded about the same as usual; so did the dozen or so senators, jumping up and demanding the attention of the chairman. This they received, one by one, so that they could make brief speeches on their favorite subjects and offer past speeches by themselves and friends for inclusion in the appendix of the Congressional Record. THE ONLY STATE Sen. Frank Carlson (R-Kans) pointed out to the assembled lawmakers that Kansas was the only state in the union where alcoholism lately hasn't increased.

Sen. Homer Capehart (R-Ind) said if we couldn't sell our farm surpluses, we ought to give 'em away to the poor people here and around the world. Other senators had other observations and after about an hour of this, the white-maned Sen. Douglas gained the floor. He said he intended to resume his speech against the bill which would allow the proprietors of natural gas wells to sell the product without benefit of federal regulation.

Sen. Douglas said he thought this' was a bad bill. This, as it turned out, was his third day of saying the same thing, with amplification and explanation. There was a gentlemanly rush to the doors. The statesmen were hungry and the special in their refectory downstairs was stuffed pork chops and Much in the news over the state now is the question of teachers' salaries as school budget committees meet to prepare budgets for the 1956-57 school year.

The Orcgonian in a recent editorial raises some pertinent questions in regard to teachers' pay and the policies of school boards in this matter. The Orcgonian ably argues the question of whether teaching is becoming a trade union rather than a profession. The problem, pointed out in many studies, says the Portland daily, is that teachers' salaries are too low, not at the minimum level but at the top. The teachers' organizations, with the largest numbers at the lower salary levels, argue for and get across-the-board increases which result in a proportionate narrowing of the gap between minimum and miximum salaries. The Portland School Board added an annual across-the-board increment of $200.

Last Monday the Bethel budget committee added $150 to the annual increment making the automatic yearly increases $300 in District 52. Next Monday, the Eugene school budget committee will consider a proposal raising across-the-board annual increments from $144 to $204. There are many factors bearing on the situation. One of the biggest problems is the lack of qualified persons to teach and the ensuing battle between districts to raise minimum levels of pay to attract the best teachers available. Bethel teachers, for instance, who have a bachelor's degree will now receive a starting annual salary of $3,750 for about 9Vi months' work.

That is about $400 a month for the work year, or $312.50 a month for a calendar year. For first year teachers, it is no longer reasonable to raise the battle cry of "not enough money," and that is good. But the starting pay for teachers is more than it is for beginners in many other professions. Asst. Supt.

McAbee of Bethel schools Roscoe Drummond schools makes a significant statement in discussing proposed salary schedule changes and the annual increment. Says Supt. Hines: "The proposed changes do not answer the problem of. additional compensation for superior teaching." fancy phrases, denouncing Uiat gas bill. He told those empty chairs that he'd refer shortly to the four mighty charts he had on easels in the back of the room.

GHOSTLY AUDIENCE He informed his ghostly audience (surely we can presume some ghosts were present) that natural gas prices at the wellhead have increased as much as 274 per cent since 1946. Better keep the Federal Power Commission in charge, he said, so that the public can continue to afford cooking with gas. For more than half an hour he soliloquized on gas. You might say he talked- to himself. Then Sen.

Russell Long La.) and a statesmen I didn't identify strolled in and broke the eerie spell. Sen. Douglas ignored 'em. He kept on talking, as vigorously as if he still' had no listeners. I've got to hand it to him.

If I were making a speech and my entire audience walked out on me, I think I'd crawl down on the floor and die. (Copyright, 1956, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.) Correspondents Glad to Have Ike Back WASHINGTON The Washington correspondents are certainly glad to have President Eisenhower back with them again in person, in the flesh. Five months and two weeks is a long time to have him inaccessible. Truly, something goes out of government. It loses vitality and leadership and authority when the President is not available to speak for him Hal Boyle Drummond self.

No one else can speak for Joke-Making Has Become Major American Industry NEW YORK W) Joke-making has become a major American industry. Therefore it naturally has to act like every other industry and Must-Run-Republican leaders expect or want at this time. When it came to statements of opinion, Mr. Eisenhower reaffirmed that he has positively reached no conclusion either way. He even said that because he has no "fixed" decision does not mean that he has an decision.

But he did make two statements which tend to scare the pro-Eisenhower Republican professionals. He almost seemed to go out of his way to stress the issue of his health and the deep concern it gives him in trying to make up his mind. Few but the President himself are but the President did say very bluntly and very candidly, that "it would be idle to pretend that my health can be wholly restored to the excellent state" it was before his attack. He did say frankly that his "future life" not just the future weeks or months of his life "must be carefully regulated to avoid excessive fatigue." Here again is Mr. Eisenhower putting the equation of his decision more frankly than any who are so eagerly pressing him to run.

If the President takes himself nut, I am confident of three things. That he is not going to use his great influence to pick the candidate and dominate the convention by himself. His voice, may ultimately be the decisive one, but his influence would not be exercised until there is a thorough canvass of all the party leaders. That Mr. Eisnchower will, if necessary, exercise a veto over the nomination, since he would not campaign for anyone he could not genuinely endorse.

That at this stage the President is not committed for or to any alternative candidate. Copyright 1956. New York Herald Tribune Inc. say that he answered all of them, but he dealt with them. Most of the time he was relaxed, expressive, outgiving.

He can't conceal his emotions any more than a mirror can conceal a reflection. When the questions bear down where he is not ready to go, Mr. Eisenhower always did become visibly tense with signs of fleeting irritation crossing his countenance. He never was a placid individual and he isn't today. But if his weekly press conference is an ordeal and I suspect it is much less of an ordeal for him than some of us like to think it is then Mr.

Eisenhower showed, or so it seemed to me, that he could take it in his stride as before. I don't mean that the press conference this past week demonstrated that Mr. Eisenhower has made up his mind to run or is even leaning that way. It simply demonstrated that a relatively exacting press conference is clearly within his strength and stamina even at the present state of his convalescence. There were aspects of the press conference which produced conflicting judgments among the correspondents as to how the President is veering.

DOORS OPEN When it came to action, at least limited action, it was evident that Mr. Eisenhower was leaving all doors open to the possibility of being a candidate. He announced that it was agreeable to him to have his name entered In the Hampshire primary, the same primary which launched his Presidential boom in 1952. He announced that it was equally agreeable to him to have his name entered in any of the numerous other preferential primaries, that he considered it a gratifying expression of confidence. This is all the Eisenhower- issue an annual report.

The National Laugh Foundation, already a ing to Laugh Week, which begins April 2, has just put out its report on 1955. mm. His is the only authoritative voice speaking for the whole people, since he is the only policymaking official elected by the whole people in our federal system. His is the national voice, the unifying voice, and the presidential press conference has become one of the instrumentalities of the presidency itself. It is a window on the White House.

It gives the President an informal but direct channel of communication to the people, and it gives the press an informal but direct opportunity to question and re-question the President in their behalf. These regular meetings are valuable to the press, and they are valuable to the President because they provide him with a ready instrument of leadership which can be used powerfully and constructively, and usually are so used. SAME AS BEFORE Most of the reporters, I think, found Mr. Eisenhower at his first full-scale press conference since his heart attack the same as before. He responded to twenty-one questions in twenty-six minutes, some of them at length.

You can't makes the bed. I've got the same thing only I call it a wife. Rumor has it that Queen Mother Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth and the entire royal family were ready to give their okay to the marriage between Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townscnd but Danny a turned thumbs down. FLYING SAUCER And then there's the kid who was hit by a flying saucer he wouldn't drink his milk. Anybody laughing? Somehow, looking back, 1955 didn't seem quite that dreary, did it? Fcrnada Montel, the beautiful, platinum-blonde Parisian songbird, has a mad on against American television.

She feels it is a real threat to romance. "This progress all the time this technological progress," she said, shuddering. "Sometimes progress goes backward, yes? "With so many diversions to help one escape boredom, there is no time for love. Better to be bored. Amour sometimes grows like a happee weed only because there is nothing else to do but love.

TV IN BOUDOIR "But no now in America ev. crybody has TV I Some even put TV in the boudoir. It is a mockery! Amour est fini." It sounds like Mile. Montel has never been escorted to a drive-in movie. It Takes Time This is the Mozart year, with music lovers celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great composer.

Our women's section Sunday featured a cover page of pictures of local Mozart admirers who are taking part in the observance here. At the University of Oregon the festival will run from Jan. 27 to May 9. Some have not yet attained such musical maturity that they can appreciate Mozart. And to those say, "Be" not discouraged." We recall their attention to the experience of Rudolf Scrkin, the distinguished pianist.

He, too, had trouble in appreciating Mozart. Writing in the New York Times, Mr. Scrkin says: "I must admit that the love and understanding for Mozart came rather late in my life as a musician. Mozart's music didn't mean much to me until I was about 13 or 14 years old. In our view, professional starting pay for teachers should be more nearly in line with starting pay in other professions and more attention given to the outstanding teachers and the more experienced teacher.

Percentagewise they receive a much smaller pay increase each year than the beginning teachers in the lower pay brackets. It would appear that the teacher organizations which are promoting across-the-board increases are being shortsighted. They may be doing much for the starting teacher but they are diminishing the attractiveness of the teaching profession as a career. School boards and budget committees should stand up to this problem despite pressures from the teacher organizations. it A Spanking In Salem the Oregon Statesman observes that sometimes a good old-fashioned spanking will do wonders.

It cites the case of the University of Washington, its President Henry Schmitz and a man of science named J. Robert Oppen-heimcr. It was just a year ago that the academic world was in a tizzy because Mr. Schmitz turned thumbs down on an invitation to Mr. Oppcnhcimer.

The reason, Mr. Schmitz said, was that faculty members and speakers at the university must meet certain personal as well as professional standards. Apparently Mr. Oppcnhcimer did not meet them. And it's possible that the Seattle institution's sensitivity to criticism also weighed heavily in the president's decision.

Upon learning of the university's decision, the better professors and scientists in the country decided that the University of Washington had placed itself "outside the community of scholars." A number of noted men refused to speak at such a place. A top level conference on "molecular basis of enzyme action" that the university had been looking forward to fizzled out when nobody important would agree to come. The university, not one of the nation's best known institutions, got into the papers across the nation as the place that refused one of the world's top physicists a platform. That spring, of course, Mr. Oppcnhcimer lectured in Eugene, Corvallis and Portland.

And, be it said, the Republic survives. This year the University of Washington will be host to the International Congress on Theoretical Physics. And who is coming to the meeting? Why a fellow named Oppcnhcimer. And what docs Mr. Schmitz say? He says Mr.

Oppcnhcimer is "an acknowledged leader among the world's theoretical physicists." Yes sir. A spanking sometimes does wonders. Here are the Boyle ten subjects it says the nation's gagsmiths made you chuckle over most last year: The $64,000 Question, Davy Crockett, The Yellow Rose of Texas, Love Is A Many Spcndored Tiling, do it yourself, the overseas trips of Dulles, the Princess Margaret's romance, automation, satellites and Libcrace. TYPICAL WITTICISMS The report cites the following as typical 1955 witticisms: A Texan bought his wife a Cadillac for a present. She turned to him and said, "Dope, what question did you miss?" John Foster Dulles, secretary of state, was seen recently in Washington, on one of his visits to the U.

S. A. Automation is great. They've invented a thing which cleans the dishes, washes the floor and IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG Other Side Notice Letters intended for the Editor's Mailbag column must be signed with the correct name and address of the writer. No anonymous letters will be published.

Letters of less than 400 words in length will be given preference, as will those in which the writer confines his letter to one topic. What They're Saying story. According to evidence brought out at the hearing, the Al Sarena Co. having managed to revalue their assays and acquire mining patents from a Republican Department of the Interior, fell heir to a most appetizing bonanza of somewhere in the neighborhood of $110,000 of prime timber. With that sort of income from timber taken from a National Forest, which is the property of all of the people, who needs to go to the' trouble of digging for minerals of negligible value? Since these patents were issued by the Department of the Interior, and since the Rogue River National Forest is in Congressman Ellsworth's district, does it not follow that he must have been aware of these patenls, perhaps even to have been of some assistance in obtaining them? The Secretary of Interior has been mots generous in parceling out our natural resources to private interests for private gain.

In this ease is it not reasonable to assume that he had help from the Representative from this district, who is supposed to represent the best interests of all the people? The hearings do bring out the facts as well as the political implications, and no amount of editorial omission of these facts in pro-Republican newspapers can conceal their existence. Yours trulv. MILDRED M. RUSSELL 41 West 25 Ave. We are going to have to relieve these presidents of some (of the huge unnecessary burdens) if we are going to keep them alive.

Ex-President Herbert Hoover pro. poses an administrative vice president. The greatest single deterrent against Communistic aggression in the Far East is the Strategic Air Force, which could punish severely any aggression against our positions. Air Force secretary Donald Quarles. I think she (Grace Kelly) is 1 great kid.

Rev. Canon J. Francis Tucker. Catholic chaplain to Prince. Rainier 111 of Monaco.

"Now Is the Time." Short and easily read, this book presents a broad view of racial segregation and its effects on the individual and the nation. It then becomes specific, with one chapter entitled "There Are Things to Do and Things to Say," and another chapter entitled "The Twenty-five Questions." This last section lists the questions most frequently asked of those who speak in favor of desegregation, and gives suggestions for answering them. The author makes the point that many people who oppose racial discrimination in theory, fail to speak out because of fear, or indolence, or a feeling of pow-erlcssness. Yet how can we consider ourselves real citizens of a democracy a government of the people unless we. the people, support our beliefs by speech and action? Can we accept the protection of a constitution which provides that "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States." and ignores the fact that in many states a large percentage of citizens are denied these privileges? It is true that the thought of a single individual raising his voice in protest at such a tremendous wrong seems overpower-ingly futile.

Still, even though single voice may be only a drop in the bucket, it is possible that enough drops could combine into a force strong enough to break the dam of fear and prejudice which is making a farce of our oft-repeated claim of "liberty and justice for all." Sincerely, EVELYN THOMSON 2470 Oak St. When the Ford Foundation announced its half billion dollar grant to private colleges and hospitals, there was no real griping from the public institutions which were left out. There was general agreement that the private schools and hospitals needed the money more. However, without griping about it, Chancellor John Richards of the Oregon state system of higher education, points up another side of the story. In his routine report to the board of higher education, the chancellor said: "Public medical schools have become particularly dependent upon private sources of funds for many of their most important activities.

A larger proportion of their available funds comes from private donations than is the case in any other of our instructional programs. The unfortunate effect of the Ford Foundation's formula for medical education is to deny any funds for the support of medical teaching and research in the entire Pacific Northwest, for this area has no private medical schools." That the only medical schools in the region are public schools is probably A situation not encountered in any other section of the country. Directors of the Ford Foundation, charged with giving out yet more millions to worthy institutions, will no doubt be informed of this unusual circumstance. You never hear of divorces in fat families. They are too busy providing the things to eat to think of divorce.

A man comes home to his fat I should not say that his pleasingly plump wife, and he has no time for divorce. He puts his arms around her, or tries to, and everything is fine. Irvln Studer. 175-pound member of Parliament, would like to see more fat people In Canada. We at Ford Motor Co.

are businessmen, not miracle men. I think some people are indulging in wishful thinking about their chances for fast and fabulous financial gains. Henry Ford II, on Idea of Investors buying- Ford Motor Co. Mock with Idea of making a fast dollar. Whenever I don't feel up to snuff, I do two things.

Swallow one teaspoon of whisky and rub my face, arms and body with alcohol. You'd be surprised how that peps you up. Mrs. Emma Rlchter, of Lvnn, on her lOJnd birthday. After reading Democratic criticism (of Ike State of the Union message) we can only conclude that nobody likes the program but the people.

Leonard Hall, Republican national chairman. How Many Facts? EUGENE (To the Editor) The Register-Guard's Washington correspondent doesn't seem to have gotten as many facts from the same At Sarena hearings as the New York Times correspondent. A. Robert Smith maintains that the hearings were a jumble of political charges. The Times maintains that certain facts were clearly brought out.

Such as: that the reputation of the assay firm, the A. W. Williams Company, was no too good; that the submission of ore samples to a firm chosen by the mining company and located in its hometown of Mobile, Alabama was of very questionable wisdom and integrity; that check samples were thrown in the river instead of being held for checking purposes; that somehow during the years intervening between the Government's denial of patents, and covering a change of administration the supposed mineral content of the same land increased in assay value. At the time of the first assay by experienced western assay firms the value of the mineable minerals was given as 87c per ton, hardly enough to merit interest. But above the ground in the timber there was different MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press Is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all the local news printed In this newspaper.

HERBERT C. BAKER, Manannj Editor WILLIAM L. WASMAKN, News Edltor DAN H. SELLARD Cltr Editor One of the easiest ways to go on a diet is to stop buying the tasty things you can't afford. Each Drop Helps EUGENE (To the Editor) To any who arc interested in human rights.

I recommend the reading of Lillian Smith's book. Men gossip more than women, says a women's club president. Probably about women being gossips. EDWIN M. BAKER Business Manager ARNE STROMMER Production ROBERT K.

BERTSCH Promotion JARL Fl'GLE CirculaUon Manager B. JOHNSTON, JR. Auditor S. C. PRESSMAN, Advertising Manager.