Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 14

flash them the 'V sign and tell them that is their finest hour? Established 1764 The Oldest Newspaper of Continuous publication in AmettCM Published at 285 Broad Street, Hartford, Connecticut, 06115 Monday, December 24, 1973 Funds For Transit can solve all the nation's transit needs. Los Angeles alone envisions a new $6.6 billion rail system. But the important point would be to apply the revenue sharing principle to mass transit aid whila extending the idea of a multiple-use, local-option transportation fund. Cities would be freed of the many conditions and restrictions which are written into present funding programs and which often dictate what types of systems they will choose. Planning flexibility such as the new proposal which offer has in the last few months become an important part of Connecticut's transportation outlook.

The most recent revisions in the state transportation plan are keyed very strongly to diverting federal money from highways to mass transit. There still remains the very important question of how much money we would get under any new federal program. But the freedom to be gained from a well-financed, lightly-restricted federal transportation fund would be an advantage in it self. 1 A few months ago Congress took a long-over due step by opening a small part of the Federal Highway Trust Fund for urban mass transit. But only a token amount, $800 million over three years, was allocated for that purpose.

We need to take a much longer stride, such as the one President Nixon is apparently ready to propose in his coming State of the Union message. As presently laid out, his plan would take about $1 billion from the high way fund, a similar amount from direct mass transit aid programs, plus a few dollars from some smaller programs, and create a $2.2 billion urban transportation kitty. This would be allocated to urban areas under a formula which has yet to be sketched out. The recipients could use it for the transportation programs of their own choosing. We must not expect too much from this program, particularly with respect to Greater Hartford.

Larger cities would probably get the bulk of the money, and there is no way even $2.2 billion JackZaman fij A 1973 Achievement The People's Forum Keep Your Letters Short! The Courant welcomes letters to the editor, which must be accompanied by name an'd address of the writer. Please use one side of paper only, and double-spaced typing where possible. The Courant reserves the right to condense letters, and the shorter the letter the better its chances ot publication. Try to keep your letter within 250 words. On Capitol Hill cis J.

Collins of Brookfield, Senate Majoru ty Leader Lewis B. Rome of Bloomfield and House Majority Leader Gerald F. Stevens of Milford. ri They determined early in January, when the legislative session began, that they would aim for adjournment early in May rather than early in June the deadline; They established time tables for the prcK duction of legislation and they kept to them through the process of introduction, hearings, committee contemplation and approval, and then passage in both the House and Senate. Having been brought up for close to 40 years on a diet of legislative chaos in its closing days and hours, I never thought the GOP leaders would be able to pull it off.

But they did and they deserve a lot of credit for it. It is one of the big events of 1973. Under the old chaotic system, which had come to be normal, the purpose of holding up both important and not so important legislation for the final hours was, in a nutshell, for leverage. It was for bargaining purposes the trading of one piece of legislation for another. Leaders held up legislation to scare certain sponsoring lawmakers who were threatening to get out of line on certain things- There were any number of rea? sons.

In the final hours, the whole thing was supposed to come together as everyone, having matched power and wits, made their deals and commitments, I suspect the leaders and lawmakers, both on the legislative and political level, enjoyed the whole thing. The excitement and the tension made political life worth living. You could test your valor under fire, hold out until the last minute, play a great game with your competitors, show you had the stuff that made heroes. The participants may have had a lot of fun out of it. But the public didn't gain much.

So, last spring, the Republicans proved that a General Assembly could be run without the last-minute chaos. They deserve a lot of credit for their achievement But is it just a one-shot deal? Will the Assembly, in its next full-length session in 1975, go back to its old game? Chances are just 50-50 that it will or won't. VZJ In the production of that marvelous musical, Fair Lady," there's a song sung by an aging gentleman who is being dragged, kicking and screaming, to the altar. He has one last fling with his buddies the night before the wedding. "Get me to the church on time," he keeps reminding everyone in song as he sinks deeper and deeper into an alcoholic dreamland.

This song has always reminded me of the frantic last-minute efforts of the General Assembly, in many past legislative sessions, to finish its business before the clock ran out at midnight on the adjournment night mandated by the state Constitution the first Wednesday after the first Monday in June in the odd-numbered years. Somehow or other, after five months of effort, the Legislature usually managed to save most of its important business for the final hours of its session. It was a deliberate thing- Instead of putting things through in a calm and judicious atmosphere, the Legislature saved the legislation for a time when things got chaotic, when everyone was tired and tense. I could imagine someone writing a song about the final hours of a General Assembly session, with a refrain like "Get me to the clock on time," or something along that line. These final hours of legislative chaos had become such a regular thing every two years that I never thought a General Assembly could work out of it As a result, I was amazed last spring when the General Assembly not only didn't go through the chaos it usually does in the final days and hours of its session but, instead, concluded its session weeks ahead of time in a calm, quiet and orderly atmosphere.

What had happened to produce this amazing flip flop in the legislative process? It is one of the most interesting stories of 1973 on the state's political and legislative level. 1 For the first time since 1953, the Republicans had both a Governor and a party-controlled General Assembly in office. The GOP margin of control in both House and Senate was large enough to permit the party free rein. A group of young and sharp GOP legislative leaders set out to prove it could be done. These leaders are House Speaker Fran rational steps the nation has so long avoided.

The days of the cowboy economy are numbered." Or, as John Quarles, deputy administrator of the environmental Protection Agency, says: "The prospects we face call for an era of environmental and economic reform. In the process deeply wrenching changes must be made in our business practices, our environmental institutions, our public philosophies, and our individual life styles." It makes it sound as if perhaps the energy crisis really came along at the right time. When Father was a boy, if anyone asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he probably would have said a fireman, or policeman, or maybe an engine driver, since all of those jobs include flashy vehicles, beloved by little fellows. Today all that has changed according to a research project conducted by Pennsylvania State University. More youngsters chose to be dogs or cats than any other single aim.

But after thinking it over, that decision really is not surprising. In the first place, when people are still little, their dreams often focus on fulfilling wishes not possible with parents around. Firemen and policemen are in charge of others, and what they say goes, at least in rhe old-fashioned view. Engineers really know how to handle those great big locomotives and anyone who pulls himself up into the high-setting cab to pull throttles and brake bars has to be a man who knows what he's doing. Ask any dad who still remembers his early imaginings.

And when you come'right down to it, the kids today are no different. They want to be masters of their fate, too. They want to be able to put their feet on the couch when they please, hog the most comfortable chair without being scolded, get fed their favorite foods while Mom murmurs sweet nothings about how dear the dinner is and how good to eat without complaining that crabmeat or; bits of beef carefully cut up make for better digesting. And when the youngster coughs a little cough, how pleasant to bring the whole family running to fret and fuss about the symptom of potential trouble. Of course, some orders were placed for Batman or fairy princesses, the Miami Herald reports.

Both categories fit well into the take-over, dream-come-true idea. But for sure, for complete' comfort and a world which announces, "Your every wish is my command," there cannot be a better road to fulfillment than to lead the life of a modern-day pet in the average American household where Tabby and Fido rule the roost. Who says today's children don't know what they're doing? Managua Remembered One year ago the capital city of Nicaragua was virtually obliterated by an earthquake. It was the second such calamity to befall the city of Managua in a century. In slightly over an hour, 70 per cent of the city lay in ruins.

In 500 blocks, only three structures were left partially intact They happened to be two of the city's largest banks and its oldest cathedral. Not that weak building codes alone are at fault. The biggest fault is the one Managua sits astride a formidable earth fracture that runs from Alaska to the southernmost tip of South America. Today Managua's precarious future still lies in doubt. Not for want of ideas.

Various proposals have been offered to make a park of the most vulnerable part of the city. Progress is slowed because seismologists, and not architects are having the last word. According to Red Cross officials who helped direct relief operations for the belea-gured city, "that is the best way to proceed." Managua's survivors might agree. Even to a public hardened by scenes of carnage, the one in the Nicaraguan capital staggered the imagination. In addition to the destruction of property and loss of lives, 400.000 persons were left homeless by the earthquake on December 23, 1972.

Justice is blind but, judging from the way special pleading gets through to her, there's nothing wrong with her hearing. Fans at sports events have become so unruly that a man is almost tempted to volunteer for duty in the defensive line, where it's comparatively safe. Sign of Times I if 5 'Erasure9 Laws Open to Question Judge George E. Kinmonth in Common Pleas Court has cleared up a long-standing gray area in the law which allows a dissident member to be drummed out of a political party. A great many people will welcome this clarification of a matter that involves basic rights to vote and to run for office.

But while we're on the sub-, ect, perhaps we should take a close legislative look at the entire subject of "erasure" from party enrollment lists. The case before the court involved Bristol Mayor Frank J. Longo, who is a subject of controversy both within and outside the city's Democratic party. In the November election the mayor and six other candidates appeared on the ballot as both Democrats and independents. On that basis, some of the mayor's opponents sought to have the group expelled from the party.

State law does provide that a person can be expelled from party membership if the party's registrar and chairman or any of several possible substitutes-decide he is not a member "in good faith." Running for office under another party label is considered automatic evidence of bad faith. But, Judge Kinmonth ruled, that provision does not apply if the candidate also runs on his own party's slate. So, Mr. Longo is still a Democrat as well as the re-elected mayor. This law is rarely invoked, and when it is it is usually the result of some deep-seated political dispute.

But this matter is more important than uoliti-cal squabbles in Bristol or any other Community. Party membership, particularly in Connecticut, Is a basic requirement for effective citizen participation in government. We have been told over and over that the independent voter really deprives himself of an opportunity to participate in the important nominating process as well as a general election. It seems completely contrary to that idea that we have laws under which party membership can be revoked, by as few as two people, probably in a partisan atmosphere, and with a difficult and expensive appeal process. In practical terms the average citizen may have little to fear, but it is still discomforting to know that his rights could be limited so easily.

Environment Versus The Energy Crunch "There goes the environment" is a tag line that is being heard in the aftermath of President Nixon's energy messages. Whether uttered in sadness or satisfaction, the comment reflects the popular cynicism that "everyone is an environmentalist until the lights go out and the heat goes off." Widespread opinion holds that the energy crisis may inflict a coup de grace on the environmental movement which even now is not too steady on its feet. And rumblings of an anti-ecology backlash grow louder as factories around the country begin to announce layoffs or closing and industry spokesmen warn of the "ripple effect" that could sweep the entire economy if major manufacturers are forced to curtail production. Will the environment be sacrificed on the altar of energy? Well, certainly in the short run more coal will be burned, much of it strip-mined, more nuclear plants will be built, more offshore and shale oil deposits will be leased, more pipelines laid. Yet, in the long run there are indications that environmentalism, though stunned, isn't dead yet In fact, the energy crunch could benefit the environment through a sort of double reverse, some persons think.

Gasoline restrictions will mean less driving, and so less air pollution. Heating oil reductions will dictate better home insulation and more energy-conscious architecture. Critical looks at American energy consumption will encourage more recycling. Altogether, the energy conservation ethic could broaden general awareness of scarcity and the need for careful husbanding of earth's resources. The urban renaissance could get a boost as people realize the city's basic efficiency for work, shopping, entertainment.

This is one hopeful way of looking at things, at least Business Week recently wrote that "The energy crisis presents an opportunity to take many 10 41 Energy Agency To the Editor of The Courant: With all the personal sacrificing most of us are doing to help ease the energy crisis, it's grossly unfair and inconsiderate that so many stores do not seem to be lowering their thermostats. In fact, the in-store temperatures feel higher than ever this year. It should be mandatory for all businesses and factories to lower their temperatures to between 68 and 70, and if they don't, the public should be able to report it to someone in our government, whether it be local, or state. We have a price commission we could complain to when someone was out of line. Why don't we have an energy commission for the same purpose Betty F.

Lupacchino Glastonbury We Name Storms To The Editor of The Courant: I feel compelled to respond to your editorial about "Felix the Rat," and to set the record straight. For many years, Mark Twain has been getting the credit for a statement about New England weather that rightfully belonged to the editor of The Hartford Courant. Let's not let history repeat itself by erroneously crediting sources for weather-related items. The practice of identifying winter storm systems was started by Ken Garee of Travelers Weather Service in the winter of 1971-72. Initially, it was intended to "educate" the WTIC television and radio audiences about the rapid movement of winter storms.

The storm naming was so well received that we are presently using "the Garee Guide for Storm Naming" on WTIC, as well as in our forecasts to other radio stations in the Northeast. Charles E. Bagley Managing Director Travelers Weather Service Hartford War Goes On To the Editor of The Courant: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will." Can the world ever experience the true meaning of Christmas, which is peace, again? Most Americans are facing some controversial and crucial questions this season, such as: will we be able to decorate our homes this Christmas, as in previous years? Or, will there be a sufficient amount of gasoline allocated so families can travel to exchange gifts, and enjoy a holiday dinner together? And then there are those of us who ponder the trivial question of whether or not peace and unification can ever be restored in the world. Can the concepts of freedom and love be maintained? Not if we continue to allow them to stagnate before our eyes. Once again, I shall protest and oppose the Vietnam war.

The U.S. is finally out of combat in Vietnam, but we are still directly responsible for the confinement and treatment of prisoners in South Vietnam. There are still thousands of political prisoners incarcerated by the Saigon government most of them were taken prisoners by U.S. military personnel. The millions of dollars the U.S.

has contributed to the Thieu governments' police system, has not been used for the welfare and protection of its citizens, but rather towards helping to repress all movements of peace and neutrality. The U.S. has been financing and advising Vietnamese hospitals and prisons. But no trained medical person sees any of the prisoners, and there are few medicines stronger than aspirin available. In 1971 the Navy was given a $400,000 contract to build new Tiger Cages.

The new cells are six feet by eight feet two square feet smaller 'than the former ones. They're still in constant use today. So the principle of legality is still being undermined in South Vietnam. People are being apprehended everywhere, to be humiliated, tortured and exploited. All people have a right to self-determination, freedom, dignity and peace.

This Christmas, Santa is once again bringing poverty, destruction of culture, suffering and death to the boys and girls and everyone in South Vietnam. Janice Larson Manchester Batterson Record To the Editor of The Courant: A letter written by Thomas R. Aidala.in The Courant December 8 contained some slurring remarks about my grandfather. It is true that my grandfather had a different plan, for the cap-itol. It probably was not selected because it had no gold dome, which at that time was very much in fashion.

In a memorial edition the Travelers Record of October 1901, it is stated that "The State Capitol, Hartford, is the first public building of the kind built within the first About Mr. Battersonjit was said "A peaceful and gentle man, personally, he could become the most aggressive of men when he considered a principle involved. Confident of his own powers and entirely fearless, he was dreaded as an enemy. Few corrupt politicians or business imposters ever desired a second encounter with his trenchant and merciless logic." Goodwin Batterson Beach West Hartford Time-Warp To the Editor of The Courant: It is quickly and painfully evident why sportswriter Frank Keyes is numbered among the "singles" (I can vouch for his use of the term He is obviously living in the wrong century if his December 9th column is any indication. With his medieval attitude on the proper place of women, not only in sports but also in the home, he makes his position "crystal to quote another reknown medieval thinker.

Unfortunately for our Mr. Keyes, but to the eternal benefit of the rest of us, there are fewer and fewer women left who believe that they only belong in sports as spectators and in the home as maids. Women and men are finally emerging from the Middle Ages to accept new life styles and new images of themselves as humans. It's a shame that Mr. Keyes has gotten stuck in a time-warp which is keeping him from joining the 20th century.

Marie L. Dawidewicz West Hartford Heat's On To the Editor of The Courant: The heat's on Nixon while the country freezes. William J. Morrissey Hartford I RoscoeDrummond Impeachment Or Resignation? is that the House Judiciary Cornmittea will vote it down. A Democratic party committee under Sen.

Hubert Humphrey has been in travail for months and has now given birth to a mini-mouse? Its proposal: Extend the national convention 48 hours to permit full consideration or, at the presidential nominee's request, hold a vice? presidential nominating convention at a later date. Nothing in this procedure would prevent another Eagleton or another Agnew. Among the most widely propounded dogmas today are that public apathy about politics makes needed reform unattainable and that if there is any chance of reform it will come from the federal government, not from the states. Wrong on both points. State legislatures are speedily outdistancing Congress in furthering political reform, and voters in 25 states have brought into being new laws to reduce the influence of money and secrecy in the political process.

State capitals are not waiting for Washington. In Texas, Oregon and at least 10 other states (New Jersey, Florida, Iowa, Hawaii, Nevada, California, Maine, Nebraska, Utah, Maryland) new and stricter campaign finance legislation has been passed with stiff enforcement provisions. Revulsion over Watergate, Apathy, no. A grass-roots political revival is at hand. Arab spokesmen have repeated Bo many times that all Israel has to do to get a settlement is to obey the U.N.

Resolution 242 and withdraw from all the occupied territories. The resolution doesn't say that It calls for "withdrawal from occupied territories" and left unspecified the extent of withdrawal. The word "all" was originally proposed and rejected by the Security Council. Will President Nixon resign? Next to the fuel shortage, it is the foremost topic of speculation in Washington. Some of his friends expect he will.

Most of his critics hope he will. Under any foreseeable circumstances, the answer is no. Mr. Nixon has always said he has no intention of quitting. In private conversation he is now putting his position even more unequivocally.

He is giving a flat, two-letter, one-word reply: No. It sounds as conclusive and final as one can make it His reasoning is this: That he considers he has done nothing wrong and that unpopularity is not a cause for quitting, and that to resign under such circumstances would weaken the Presidency for all future occupants. Will Nixon recover credibility? Will he be able to govern effectively if the Watergate storm does not subside? The answer which Vice President Gerald Ford is giving is that Watergate will not long continue as the prime concern of the American people. His view is that the President and the Republican Party will be in a good position in 1974 if the economy remains strong, if there is peace in the Middle East and if inflation is kept under control. But none of these three if will be easily realized.

The impeachment process will begin. This doesn't mean the President will be impeached. The process requires three steps (1) a vote by the House Judiciary Committee on whether' to recommend impeachment; (2) a vote by the full House on whether to pass a bill of impeachment; (3) a trial and vote by the Senate (two-thirds required) whether to order impeachment The process could be ended at the first vote and the dominant view in Washington ill. i iW a.