Logansport Pharos-Tribune from Logansport, Indiana • Page 4

PAGE 4 K. INDIANA, THURSDAY. OCTOBER 22. 1981 OPINION The free exchange of ideas is the greatest protection of lilierly. Chorfey Reese Driver Failure The Problem The Family Farm Evolution Across my desk and over my telephone flow a river of complaints-about doctors, lawyers, judges, politicians, policemen, newspapermen, and you name it.

You would think nobody is left alive on the planet who is satisfied with anybody or with any institution. But I am not unique. Most any person who deals with the public could tell you the same story. For one thing, satisfied people rarely get emotional anough to sit down and write letters or pick up the telephone to tell the world they are happy. Most people who are satisfied keep their mouths shut and go on about their business.

They may smile. That is not to say all of the complaints are unfounded. A high percentage of complainers have a just gripe. There are a lot of things not going well in our republic today and the mistakes and blunders and malfeasance receive plenty of publicity. The point is that after years of Is the "family farm" alive and well in the United States? In its 1978 survey of U.S.

agriculture, the Bureau of the Census found that 88 percent of American farms are operated by individuals or families. It is interesting that, in announcing its findings, Census used the word "operated," not "owned." The size of the average farm in the U.S. has dropped from 440 acres reported in 1974 to 415. This reverses a trend. In 1964, average farm size in the U.S.

was 352 acres. The number of farms of 10 acres or less has also grown by more than 20 percent. There are fewer than 2.5 million farms and farm operators in the entire country. Of the latter, some are owners, some lease or rent the land they work. But only about one million work only on the farm.

905.000 worked more than 200 days a year off the farm. Another had earnings from off-farm labor of one to 200 days in 1978. From these farms some $108 billion worth of agricultural products were sold in 1978, an average of 843,618 per farm. But only 18,000. fewer than one percent of the total number of farms, had sales of $500,000 or more.

They accounted for more than one-fourth the total sales. Of these, 36 percent were large ranches which sold feeder cattle. This was the only part of the announcement which failed to confirm the importance of the family farm in the picture of agriculture in America developed by Census. It is a matter of defining what is meant by "family farm" and then manipulating the statistics to yield the impression desired. But the traditional family farm is becoming rare.

There is evidence of a resurgence of the small far operation on which today a family lives and from which it derives income as well as sustenance, while the principal operator works at a fulltime outside job. There's little evidence in this report of a modern meaning for "family farm." This is not likely to be a deliberate attempt by Census to mislead. Still, the concept should be redefined by academic or government agriculturists. Evans and Novak Kemp Lectures Stockman International View The United States remains the most credit-worthy nation in the world, says a periodic survey of 100 international banks by the magazine Institutional Investor. Its survey is widely accepted as accurately reflecting the worldwide banking community's consensus.

The governments of the 104 nations rated turn to international banks for credit or issue instruments which they may buy. A government's creciit rating determines how stringent the conditions such banks will impose on loans to governments. Good risks enjoy low interest rates. Poor risks are charged more for money when they can get it The U.S.. rated at 98.3 on a scale of 0 to 100.

improved its rating by 0.1 points since March and now enjoys a 2.1 point lead over Switzerland, rated the second best risk at 96.2, a drop of 0.8 in its rating. Japan, which gained 0.5 points is number three at 95.7. Biggest surprise is West Germany. Over the last wo years its rating has slipped 3.5 points, its position from second to fourth in credit-worthiness. The rating reflects a confidence in the U.S.

and its future which is not fully apparent in our domestic financial community. For the long run at least, it's one we share. Berry's World ennui and malaise' won't wash as a reason for not doing your homework!" WASHINGTON A private one- on-one meeting initiated by budget director David Stockman with Rep. Jack Kemp ended with the congressman delivering a lecture against destroying Ronald Reagan's revolution by turning backwards to orthodox," big-business Republicanism. On the morning of Oct.

14. Stockman turned up in Kemp's congressional office (with no aides present) to explain reports that he was willing to delay next year's 10 percent tax cut by three months. He asserted he was under teriffic pressure from orthodox Republican Senators, such as Bob Dole (finance committee chairman). Stockman asked Kemp: What else can be done to close the budget deficit'' Kemp replied that retreating to Republican follies of the past would he no answer. To delay individual tax cuts while keeping big-business tax cuts in force, he said, would be the worst kind of politics.

He then urged his old compatriot Stockman to join him in saving Reagan's program. SCHMIDT CRISIS West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt's health crisis may persuade him to retire from politics long before the next scheduled election, in 1984. paving the way for a new governing coalition to take over America's most valued European ally. That is the privately-expressed view of top Bundestag (parliament) politicians of both Schmidt's socialist party and the conservative Christian Democrats tCDU). Schmidt had shown signs of political fatigue before he had a heart seizure last week that resulted in the imputation of a pacemaker.

Just a few days earlier, after an impassioned defense of the Western alliance in a major Bundestag speech scolding left-wing activists in his won party, Schmidt was congratulated by CDU chief Helmut Kohl who told Schmidt his speech "betrayed sentiments of leave- taking." The doughty chancellor's heart seizure is now seen as a major new political problem for Schmidt. Should he resign in the next six months, the way would open for a new coalition with Kohl as chancellor. NSC TURMOIL The imminent departure of two top strategists on the National Security Council staff is the latest proof that all is far trom well in President Reagan's national security apparatus. The unannounced departures will send James Lilly, top political affairs specialist on Richard V. Allen's NSC staff, to Taiwan as the chief U.S.

representative to the Republic of China and "Rutherford Poats, senior staffer on international economic, to Europe in a high economic post. Insider say that if the NSC staff were able to wield the foreign policy- clout inside the White House that former NSC staffers enjoyed they would not consider resigning. But the contrary is the case: Allen's staff, and Allen himself, plays strictly secondary roles in the offices that, in previous administrations, were virtually second to none in power and prestige. SUBPOENAING CAP Displeasure of Republican members of the Senate Armed Committee with Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger is rising to the point where they are considering a subpoena to learn whether expert advice on the MX mobile missile decision has been ignored. Specifically, committee Republicans have been unable so far to get full documentation of recommendations by the Townes Commission, composed of outside advisors, if the Pentagon is not more cooperative soon.

Chairman John issue a subpoena. A footnote: Weinberger stunned the committee's Republicans in a recent hearing when he defended the planning that led to Desert One. last year's tragically-flawed hostage rescue attempt in the Iranian desert. To the senators, that meant Cap had been captured by the Pentagon bureaucracy. REAGAN'S HOUSE ENEMY There is no enemies list in the Reagan White House, but senior officials have picked their least favorite Pepubliean congressman: Rep.

Bill Green of New York. Green, who represents what used to be called the "silk stocking district" in Manhatten. is oneof the liberal Republican "gypsy moths" defecting from President Reagan's economic program. bothers me about Green." one key Reagan advisor told us, "is not jus't that he's voting against the presidnet. but that he's lining up other Republicans to do the same." The White House is seeking some leverage to apply against Green, but has come up with nothing so far.

looking into what went wrong with this and that, I have arrived at a generalization-that wonderfully sweeping conclusion without which politicians and editorial writers would be sorely handicapped if not put out of business altogether. I would say that in 97 percent; of the cases, the problem is a failure- in the individuals, not in the systejn. Whether we are talking about pubjic education, criminal justice, government in general, the press, medicine or any other field, what people complain about, when you get to the core of the problem, results from a failure on the part of a person or persons. A professional poverty fighten I interviewed once in his mahogany paneled office made a pretty speech about the failure of institutions. Blaming problems on constitutions is a cop-out.

It's like blaming road slaughter on mechanical failures. Sure, mechanical failures cause about three percent of the accidents, but 97 percent are caused by driver failure. One of the reasons we haven't made much progress in fixing things is that we have focused on institutions and systems. We keep trying government reorganization and legislation, both of which are modern America's equivalent of Seneca Bill's Snake Oil. We have so many laws nobody even knows them all much less can enforce them.

Dishonesty (both moral and in- telectual), greed, incompetence. and lack of integrity cause most of our problems and these are all traits of individuals, not of systems or institutions. Furthermore, you can't devise a system, design an institution, or draft legislation which will protect you from people who are greedy, dishonest, incompetent and lack integrity. The best you can do is devise a system to punish them after the fact. The entire criminal and civil justice systems deal with after-the-fact situations and are concerned only with retribution and restitution and hopefully, by example only, a tiny bit of deterrence.

But which would you rather have: and iron-tight consumer protection law, or an honest, competent mechanic? A new constitution or public officials who are honest, competent, and have integrity? A new juvenile justice system; or kids who knock on your door to sell you cookies for a fund-raising project instead of breaking your window or your head? The great irony is that while the politicians, the press, the bureaucrats, and the academics keep the public's eyes focused on institutions and systems, the priests, preachers, rabbis, and philosophers have had the answers all the time. Social problems are individual human being problems that have to be solved by dealing with the individual as aan individual, not as'a member of a class or a group, anti by changing his or her ethical beliefs. Unfortunately, legislating and researching pays more these days than preaching and teaching, pkis the athiests and agnostics have done a pretty thorough job of discrediting religion with it, ethics. Consequently we are bombarded with pompous tomes of analyses and commision studies when and what we need to be told is simply. "Love your neighbor and obey the Ten Commandments: Jim Bishop Being Lazy Takes Finesse In The Past MB One Year Ago The entire town of Fulton was without gas after someone turned off the valve at the regular station at the north edge of the town.

The action affected 205 customers, both business and residential. Ten Yeors Ago An engineering survey of Ind. 16 from U.S. 35 to U.S. 31 by the State Highway Department is well underway." it was revealed last night.

Donald Crain. city, retired as chairman of the Cass County Selective Service board. Twenty Years Ago Convinced that it is a double fun to share with children everywhere, boys and girls of Logansport will join with young people throughout America next Friday in the annual solicitation of funds for UNICEF. Fifty Years Ago In humble tribute to the late Thomas A. Edison, all street lights in Logansport will be switched off for one minute.

Mayor William (). Feidler decreed. In a moment of self-adulation, I dwelled on the subject of manual labor and was pleased to recall how well I have avoided it over the years. It is the more remarkable when I remember that I used to be one of those honest-sweat-of-the-brow persons. Never, never did I walk to the store for my mother.

I ran all the way. And who hurried three floors down to the cellar to get a scuttle of coal for the day? Me. Gladly. Who wasn't allowed to play on Saturday morning because he was dusting furniture 9 Who else? There were dozens of tasks, each requiring my little electrified legs and my flailing arms and a vow to do the job right. It isn't easy to cure oneself of these habits.

I carried them straight into marriage, which unnerved Elinor to the point of having second thoughts. I was all over the house. On the outside. I was the guy on the ladder, painting. The house didn't need it, but I did.

I painted stones white to mark the driveway. I stole small trees from a woodsy area and planted them in my backyard. At times, I punched fence posts, made a dog house which would accommodate a moose, refmished furniture, planed shelving and, between gasps, leaned on a lawnmower. In the cellar. I built my own workshop.

Not one of those things you buy ready-made, mind you. Oh, no. That would have' been cheating. I bought those two by sixes and cut and planed them to fit. I installed two vises on top.

On the wall behind, there were places for tools. Each was marked. Virginia Lee was about 11 and Gayle was 5 when the great drawing occured. I had completed building a round, modernistic table which looked good. It was flat off-white four feet in diameter.

In truth, it was perfect unless you placed a drink on it. Then it tilted slowly, like the bar on Toledo Scales. The little ones were sitting on the bench. "I need a number three sander," I said, reaching. At once, both girls lunged for the tool rack: "I'll get it Daddy." "I can reach it." Why not? If my" cherubs could save their old man a "reach," they could do other things.

A whole new life, one of luxurious laziness, developed. I found myself remarkably easy to convert. It was my family that couldn't see the light. I began to ask Elinor for a cup of coffee when I four feet away from a cup and saucer. She displayed a certain crassness when she said: died and left you boss?" I had streaks of gray at the temples.

This was not a time of life in which to alter lifestyles, but, for the good of mankind, to say nothing of my own. I pressed on. Winthin a the little ones were flying upstairs and down, getting newspapers, slippers, carbon paper, cigarettes; Elinor was bringing my dinner to the TV set, locating a clean bathrobe, making inconsequential phone calls to my editors, etc. Years later, after Elinor died, I had to break in a new family. There was the beautiful Kelly, willing to try to understand a writer.

And, Karen, 8, a gorgeous gawky blonde, and Kathleen 6, a pair of china-blue eyes and a pout. The trick in this case was to impress upon them that writers are different. Of course they aren't, but laymen must believe that writers are Jeckyl-Hyde characters who are not responsible for their moods. If, I said, you can save a writer a few steps getting something that he could get for himself, you have given him an extra moment at the typewriter. This could lead to the Great American Novel and riches.

I overdid it this time. When we sold our Chinese house and moved to Delray Beach, it was Kelly who moved. I sat until the moverS yanked the chair from under me. was particular about book shelves in the new house, so I sat on a barrel and pointed. Quite often, I pointed so much that I had to take my index- finger inside for a nap.

The writer-artist ploy died when Karen and Kathleen married. No longer did anyone believe that I ant an artist. I was referred to as over- the-hill, which is not bad if you are also too old for manual labor. The best thing that happened was a ruptured disk in the spine. This could only come from overthinking.

It had the effect of removing me from the labor market completely. I sat most of the time, smiling wanely, and telling grandchildren how much deeper the snow was when I was young. I was like an umbrella, standing in the corner, getting attention only, when it rained. My loved ones are, now working me to back up to tie kid who used to run to the store this mother. I will start learning put on my.