Jefferson City Post-Tribune from Jefferson City, Missouri • Page 4

POST-TRIBUNE, JEFFERSON CITY, MO. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1972 NEWS TRIBUNE COMPANY WILLIAM H. WELDON, ROBERT BLOSSER, Prwidant Wt not (MT to follow whatever truth my nor to tolarate error, to Voaf ntiai lift free to combat it" Thomas Jefferson Home rule proposal is key need of counties A Cbhservative View Unon roy wor Last fall the voters of Missouri recognized the need for greater home rule for cities when they adopted a amendment, clarifying powers of charter cities and extending this option to smaller municipalities. In view of this, it would seem logical that the State Legislature would extend home rule powers to more counties, which are even in more urgent need of having the opportunity to govern themselves. The time is ripe, we believe, for extending such powers to more counties.

In recent years, county home rule proposals have failed to gain passage by hardly more than a whisker. In 1969, the Senate passed such'legislation, only to have it die in a House Committee. In 1971, similar legislation was approved by the full House and a Senate panel but died on the legislative calendar. It was only 16 bills from passage when the legislative session came to an end. The 1972 General Assembly has a golden opportunity to get the job done this year.

House Joint Resolution 86, sponsored by Rep. Robert Devoy, (D-Brookfield) has been approved by the House Constitutional Amendments Committee. Hopefully, the House will act on the proposal shortly and send it to the Senate for approval; But there is no time for delay. Home rule, we believe, is the single Important weapon which Missouri counties at the least the growing ones need today. It would allow bur county cburts to act decisively in meeting today's and tomorfdw's problems and needs.

It would open the door t6 more efficient, effective government government which is nn6re responsive to the will and the need of the citizenry. Presently, our county courts are handcuffed in carrying out their responsibilities. The proposed constitutional amendment has the solid support of the newly organized Missouri Association of Counties and all good government organizations, the association is headed by a new breed of county judges who have brought an enlightened look to county government. We urge the 1972. General Assembly to act with dispatch or this amendment, which would permit more counties to adopt a charter form of government.

Afforded the opportunity, we are confident Missourians would the county home rule proposal vigorous approval at the polls. Yes, Virginia, we did think of it first Missourians have reacted with vigor to a Virginia State Travel Service official's accusation that the Show- Me State's use of its tourism slogan, "Missouri Loves Company," was "close to theft." The Virginia slogan, Missouri's charged with plagiarizing, is "Virginia Is For Lovers," which has backfired to a degree. Commercial poachers have put the slogan to misuse. James Pasley, director of the Missouri Tourism Commission, merely pointed out that the state's slogan has been in use since 1967. That's considerably longer than the life of the Virginia slogan.

But unlike his Virginia peer, Pasley wisely declined to point an accusing finger. However, Mr. Pasley took some advantage of the Virginian's miscue, suggesting "Missouri has an abundance of everything, including ideas. If other states want to borrow parts of our slogan, they're perfectly welcome." We might have added, "With credit, of course." Castro's shouldn't fool U.S. Now that President Nixon is attempting to normalize relations with Communist China, Cuba's Fidel Castro apparently wants to get in on the act.

Experts on Cuban affairs say that the Latin American Communist dictator is showing definite signs of wanting to renew some sort of relations with the United States. There are a number of reasons for Castro's alleged sweetness toward the U.S. The Cuban economy is in a chaotic condition. Even sugar, the island's chief crop, is rationed. Russia, which has poured huge sums of money into Cuba, is demanding greater and greater control over how the money is used.

Castro wants the money. But he doesn't want the controls. Presumably, he feels that by bettering relations with the U.S. he could bail Red Cuba from the tentacles of the Soviet octopus. These same Cuban experts believe Castro fears that forthcoming summit meetings in Moscow between President Nixon and Soviet rulers may result in a deal detrimental to his interests.

We doubt the Kremlin will c6mpromise its interests in Cuba, which include a military base on the underbelly of the United States. As for any overtures from. Fidel the United States should be extremely cautious. It would be desirous to have Soviet military presence in that area minimized. But under no condition "should the U.S.

give even de facto recognition to Fidel Castro, which would help perpetuate a Communist bastion, 90 miles removed from our shores. By JAMES 3. WLPAtRICK HOUSTON John E. Healy II spoke at more than 200 meetings last year industry i union meetings, committee meetings and at many of them he told the story of the Empire State Building. The story takes only a few paragraphs, but it packs a wallop.

Healy is the handsome, hefty, third-generation builder from Wilmington, who is the outgoing president of the Associated General Contractors of America. The AGC met here last week in its fifty-third annual convention. The S.OOO delegates went home with a renewed determination to rtstore some sense to their deeply troubled industry and they took with them the story of the Empire State. The greatest skyscraper broke ground on Jan. 22, 1890.

At peak employment, 3,400 men were working to erect 60,090 tons of steel, to lay 10 million bricks, to install 70 miles of water piping, and to connect 3,500 miles of telephone cable. The 108 stories went up at an a a of four-and-a-half stories per week. On May 1, 1931, just one year and days a President Hoover dedicated the building and tenants moved in. The same Structure today, says Healy, would require three to three-and-a-half years to complete. Granted, the Empire State Building lacked air conditioning, which a contemporary building would demand, but the man- hours requirtd to install air conditioning have been more than offset by the new tools and new techniques of the past years.

The grim truth, in Healy's view, is that productivity in the building industry today is less than half what it was then. And The work ethic has been lost." has been tost, ttt believes, through the power of avaricious trade unions, and through the, weakness of contractors willing to buy labor peace at any price. The process has grossly inflated building costs, and it has sadly diminished the dignity of working tnfen. of the AGC are eager to have their troubles known. Day in and day out, their experience confirms the picture painted in a hard-hitting last month by Engineering Views-Record.

In 1926, a Chicago mason laid 600 blocks a day; today two masons are required for 1he same work, and they lay blocks a day. In the days when concrete was finished by hand, a contractor figured on 2,000 square feet of finished concrete per man per day; today, with all kinds of power tools, the rate is 600 square feet. The magazine cited the sorry example of power job. that required several small gasoline-powered generators. The i successfully demanded that eacn generator be watched by an operating engineer, an electrician, and a i i The, operating.

engineer got 1300 to 1400 a week "for starting once or twice a day a gas engine smaller than those on' 'many home lawn mowers." Each electrician received the same kind of money "for pusying the wire plugs into the sockets of the machines whenever they were moved." The contractor said he never did discover what the pipefitter did. Such examples are legion. A billion-dollar project in Albany has suffered repeated delays because of a dispute between a and operating engineers: Who is to hold the ile of a fuel truck? On high-rise jobs, demanding elevators, one union member has to ride up when men are lifted, another union member foes tor a ride when equipment is lifted. If worker carrying a toolbox has to be hoisted, both uniofc go along. On a motel construction job in electricians and quarreled over the installation of a chain-hung celling lamp.

In the end, each union got a piece of the action: The carpenter screwed two hooks in the ceiling and draped chain; the electrician put the plug to a wall socket. Cost: $40 per installation. i Many labor leaders privately agree that this stop, Union members; them- are suffering, many. contractors turn to the open shop. Jobs are vanishing ae pre-cast concrete and pre-aSsembled Units of steel ani: aluminum 1 a e-.

old structural techniques. The contractors who met here in Houston gave Healy an ovation when be insisted that with the unions': help, "or without it," productivity and morale must be restored. If the builders will match their seal with hometown determination, the old concept of a fair day's work for a fair day's pay may yet be revived. It's what the unions have been asking all along. Traveling Companion ay ana nun wtmtm, N.T.

Henry Taylor Dollar is in trouble because of politicians The Mail Bag Return to two-party system Dear reading current news articles it that most people want "honest" government, except for themselves. This appears to be true for many of our state legislators and administrators as well. This fact is illustrated by the runaround being displayed on the matter of Legislators living i their respective districts, by the continued attempts to keep committee meetings and votes secret, and the attempt of some legislators and state office holders to obtain unneeded pay raises and plush pension plane. From a personal viewpoint, the only way to restore honesty to our state government is to return the two-party system to our state. In my opinion there is only one man who can do this at this time.

Our new State Auditor has brought honesty and integrity to this office. By electing him as Governor these traits can be spread throughout our whole state government. Therefore, Christopher "Kit" Bond has my vote for Governor of Missouri. John L. Malone Jefferson City Salute to Girl Scouts Dear Sir: Today in our churches we have begun to commemorate the founding of Girl Scouting and I think of the meaning its program has had for me.

Scouting has truly become an integral pan of my life. It has served as a basis for my understanding and appreciation of our country its principles and ideals, and I am proud to be a Girl Scout! Starting as a gr6up of 12 girls in Savannah, 60 years ago, Girl ef America become a national organization encompassing millions of girls. The responsibilities of duty to God, country, and fellow man a remained unchanged throughout the history of this organization. On its 60th birthday I salute the Girl Scouts of America! Sarah Donnelly Senior Scout Troop No. 9 427 Crystal View Terrace Paying for grief Dear Sir: a i the Mid-State Telephone service, the thought of a raise of $1.30 per month is outrageous.

Stop to consider. pay for service you hope to receive, right? You cannot get the dial tone, finally you do. Dial a 2 and you get a busy signal. Redial all numbers, wait awhile, but it still doesn't ring. Redial again.

You get a recording of "cannot complete your cali or number has been discontinued." Next dial the operator for help. She will not answer until after fifth try. She next "May I help you?" She will dial your number and you cannot hear your party. You report you have no service. A couple of days later, a fellow calls, "Have you phone trouble?" It works again for awhile.

You have phone service one minute and not the next 5 minutes. Let's say our service is "momentarily," In case of five or sickness, you need local service quickly. I'm for good local service. 'Momentarily' Motive questioned Dear Sir: I read with a lot of interest a recent California Democrat article regarding a housebiil that has been introduced by Rep. Harold Dickson, R-California, creating a state insurance policy to cover cars stolea by state wards which would be of benefit to a newly formed 112th legislative district.

It seems to me that the people of the new 112th legislative district as well as the people of the present 121st district i Dickson presently represents) should be concerned about this matter. The sudden interest our representative has taken in this matter makes me wonder about his motives for writing this bill. By HENRT J. TAYLOfc Former U.S. Amosssaoor to Swifzerlano With the dollar in trouble, hitting new lows on the world's currency exchanges, it is small compensation to say, "I told you so" and to have said so since the floodgate spending of the Kennedy Administration.

And we are still on the overspending ride while the central bankers of the world stand aghast The dollar is in trouble because the politicians put it there. In politics the name of the game is to win. fhe money poured out of our Treasury was like "love-me-not" daisies as Cf Kennedy Administration trying to see which petal is at the bottom of the barrel. Then it took the greatest gold panic in history to get President Johnson to yield on budget cuts but by appearances only, the rest is current history. .1 this most-productive country in the world there is absolutely no excuse none -for the dollar to be in trouble.

The politicians' mismanagement of the people's money is the Answer, and we are the victims of that. "I told you so:" the four most melancholy words in the English language. We've got the big memory the small memory. The small is to remember the small things and the big memory is to fctgel th3 ig These Include the gold standard's vital contribution to prosperity. It was the greatest adventure In economic "integration" the world has ever seen.

Combined with free trade or even moderate tariffs, it worked toward turning the world into a single market. Monetary expert Robert V. Rocsa has called gold "tire universal monetary metal of timeless acceptance." Why? Among worldwide millions the wisdom of generations shows that gold, not paper money, is rea! wealth a knowledge that does not change. But we have neither. Instead we have had billions on billions i unending, irresponsible budget deficits, the laiesat a catastrophic $38.8 billion red-ink blockbuster, and true blance-of- payments deficits only now being honestly revealed.

Treasury Secretary John Connally told last September's London meeting of Europe's central bankers that the U. S. insists on a fast billion ft i in its balance-of- paynients position from a U. B. deficit at an annual It billion rate to a billion surplus.

I a i a Finance Minister Ferrari-Aggfattdi countered: "A turnabout of that magnitude Is difficult for the rest of the world to believe." Our politicians hare been so glaringly mismanaging our finances for so many years, and have made the United Slates Ore patsy for other countries in the process, that the nations abroad have been shamefully spoiled by our idiocy. Where, then, do we stand now as the dollar continues to weaken? After President Nixon necessarily shut the gold door last Aug. 15 he asked Congress to raise the gold price to 136, Congress has authorised this. But free-market gold telling at close to $50. This strains our enure settlements system, for it ii commonly agreed throughout the checkerboard world of international finance that today's system, and lit survival largely depend on the gap not being too great between the price and the price of gold on the free markets.

We are trapped in the wash of deficit financing, books, pork-barrel handouts, conscatory taxation -in short, the Balkanizatkm of the money system of the Unitert a And until this Balkanitation ends, the U. 5. dollar has no more chance than a dead duck in a bag. The newspaper article stated that the introduction of this bill was for the special interest of Boonville and Cooper County since it is a part of the new 112th district where Rep. Dickson has filed.

It appears to me that our representative might be using this bill to benefit bis own campaign at the taxpayer's expense. It is evident he has abandoned the people who live in Morgan County because they won't be voting for him next election. He has directed his attention to the people in Cooper County and they haven't even elected him to represent them! Moniteau and Cole Countians ought to take notice of this expensive campaign trick. Is there any real need for this bill? It sounds fairly good but how many people do you know who could have filed a claim for damages of any consequence to their cars? Aren't there more important issues? Did our representative, who is an insurance agent, have a particular insurance company in mind to handle the expensive policy? I don't appreciate this abuse of my tax dollars and I that and urge all the conscientious people of the 112th and the 121st districts will remember this when they go to the polls in the fall! Don Schaefer 1, California For example, the Napoleon is the classic French gold gpiece. In IB14 it was worth 20 paper francs.

Today it is worth about 2.000 an increase of around 40,000 per cent. While paper money, like the U. S. dollar, flutters in the breezes, the Napoleon remains heavy in your hand as only gold can be. Gold, the key to international confidence, is the great political disciplines The Swiss currency is "strong," for example it has a 136 per cent backing by gold.

Austria's money is now backed by 122 per cent in gold reserves. Everywhere we see the strength of the gold backed currencies while what was once the mighty U. S. dollar falls out of bed. Any monetary system will work for the United States if we have a balanced budget and an equilibrium in our international balance of trade.

The Cole County Almanac From the files of The News Tribune Tears Desecration of Jefferson City's oldest cemetery topped the list of Police Department unfinished buslnesi today. The department promised all-out handling of the caie after 16 more memorials to the dead were found wrecked at the City Cemetery on East McCarty Street. The Jefferson City and Cole County Public Libraries have split wide open. The split, which hat been evident in recent months over the requested resignation of the librarian, Miss Dorothy Russell. has been officially acknowledged by the Cole County Library Board.

A former superintendent of the Jeffenon City Public School System was honored at a dinner Wednesday night" at West School. About 100 persons attended the dinner for Dr. William F. Knox who is retiring as professor of education at Central Missouri State College. 25 Tears Ago Saturday, March 15, 1917 One hundred Central Missouri newspaper editors will convene in Jefferson City Friday for the annual meeting of the Central Missouri Press Association.

John D. Paulus Missouri State Park Architect, will give his services to the Cole County Historical Society to draft plans for the restoration of its museum at 109 Madison Street. Mrs. Foster B. McHenry, president, announced yesterday.

Election of two school directors for the Jefferson City public and of a county superintendent of rural schls will b- the only action required of urban voters in the municipal elcctioaj on April 1. No school levy be included on the ballot. Tears Ago Wednesday. March 15. St.

Ann's Society met with Mrs. Henry Backers Monday afternoon and completed arrangements for a bazaar and "Fair" to be given after Easter in St. Peter's Hall. The school Board, at its regular meeting yesterday afttroooav decided to submit to a vote of the people at the annual school meeting the first Tuesday in April a recommendation that the stfmoi taxes here be lowered by 10 cents on the $100 valuation. County Agent T.

F. Lueker of the Farm Bureau is anxious that all farmers take precaution against smut in oat seed before sowing. the small society by Brickman.