Playground Daily News from Fort Walton Beach, Florida • Page 4

1'agHA-PLAYGltoUND DAILY NEWS. Sunday Morning, Daily News This niuipaptr is dedicated In furnishing in- tomatiun to our readers thai they can better promote and prrsmt their freedom and encourage others to see iis tlpjsifigj. Only utien man is lo ranlnil and all he products, ran hi dtielup lo his utmost capaliliiin. H'p belieie ikat freedom a gift GW and not a potili- (digram toarnmtnt. r'rtedoii neither license nor anar- rty.

Il is ietf-cuntnl. No'mvrt. Nn kt continent u-ilh the truths pipressfd in great nmral 'gaidn as Coming Commandment, the Gulden Huff and the "I Independence These Days Nader lobby scares the legislators Strikers entitled to food stamps? We have given it much consideration. We have looked at it from all sides. We have attempted to justify it on several grounds but could not.

Strikers are not entitled to food stamps. Any strikers anywhere, any time. A strike is a matter between workers and business. It's a private matter, and therefore, we simply deduce, the state, through its taxpayers, should not be made an implement to help either the employer "hold out" on a strike, or to help the strikers "hold out" by subsidizing their existence. We know this will make some of our readers angry.

But we urge even the strikers to look at the overall picture. The main reason, for instance, why our taxes are so large, is because of the ever-increasing expenditure of funds at the federal level. In a decade, the amount of taxes out of each earned dollar has doubled! Do we want the tax bite to continue growing? In some people's minds it is untimely for a strike, such as the one against Weyerhaeuser here, because of the general stale of the economy. We won't even get into this issue. How would the strikers feel if the federal government, when the company was pinched, came along during a strike and subsidized its operating costs so it could continue to "hold out" against the strikers? How do the strikers feel about giving 700 teachers unemployment benefits during the summer, when they have a job guaranteed to go back to in the fall, and when their average salary is over $10,000 a year, and is already subsidized with special supplementary tax funds in addition to the state fax funds that pay their salaries.

We'll explore that situation in a future column here. Foods stamps should be for people who cannot get enough to eat, through no fault of their own. While the strikers' position is choosing to strike may be worthy in their eyes, it is an action they chose to take. But' suppose the jailer, who has been waiting two months to get food stamps to feed his family of seven, choses to say to the sheriff and county, you'don't pay me enough, so I'm going on strike. Should he then get unemployment compensation and food stamps We carried a story Saturday about a jailer who is getting paid by county government funds and by U.S.

funds in the form $270 a month retirement pay from the U.S. Marine Corps--the federal government. Here is a classic case. A man is on the payroll of two governments, yet it is further decreed that he is not making enough money from them, so they say he is eligible-on the surface--for food stamps. Then a third agency of government, more government employes, must be created to "service" his claim.

But, sadly in fact, this jailer is still waiting. He doesn't have, either, the nearly $200 he would have to pay to get worth of food stamps. A "backlog," according to the local agency, is responsible for the inability to handle claims. The Strikers have filed at least 200 claims and this accounts for part of the backlog. The food stamp office, to help handle the backlog, has received two people--financed federal job funds--to train as eligibility specialists.

That money comes from the federal coffers, And before it got there, it was in the hinterlands, in the pockets of the workers guys like the jailer, and the striker, who would have had more take-home-pay. By JOHN CHAMBERLAIN Is Congress in touch with Ihe American people? In the case of Indochina, its reluctance to put up money for Cambodia and the promised "one-for-one" replacement of arms for South Vietnam is obviously in tune with a national desire to cut back on foreign assistance of any sort. But there, has never been a national referendum on the morality of going back on the one-for-one arms commitment. How such a referendum would go in our present age of slack morals is anybody's guess, but 1 would bet that a question framed in moral terms would still get a moral answer. On domestic mailers, the evidence is fairly clear that- Congress pays far more attention to the lobbies of organized minorities than it does to a broad spectrum of opinion.

The Nader lobby, with its various "consumer" sub- sidiaries, scares the daylights out of individual legislators. So we have the Senate government operations committee voting 11 to 1 for Nader's pet idea of an Agency for Consumer Advocacy designed to police the Federal Trade Commission and other lesser consumer and regulatory agencies. A distinct possibility exists that the present Congress will go along with the Nader Big Brother act, even to the extent of overriding a Presidential veto. Against Tide gives in to Nader on the super-agency, how- going directly against the popular will. The Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton, N.

has just finished polling American consumers and has found that a 75 per cent majority is against the creation of an overall watchdog-cum-police consumer agency within the Federal government. I'M- HENRY TO, PRESIDENTS my PU SHOULD HAVE U5 PRER1RE 1040' Opposition to legislation that would establish the Agency for Consumer Advocacy Is spread out rather evenly through all age groups, geographical areas and income categories. Only 13 per cent of the polling sample voted to support the Nader agency (12 per cent of the sample had no opinion). And of the 13 percent, more than half, when polled on a question of possible cost, said they would withdraw their support rather than spend $60 million to create and keep 'an agency going for three years. The Opinion Research poll, surprisingly turned up no widespread animus against business.

A clear majority (59 per cent) said that business "usually treated it fairly. An additional 27 per cent said it "almost always" got satisfaction from products and services, and 13 per cent spoke of getting unfair treatment. But only eight per cent of the total sample look to the Federal government to provide remedies for unfair treatment. Most of the people said the best place to go for redress was the "person who sold it to them in the first place," or the company that made the product, or the Better Business Bureau. Those Who Know Only 50 per cent said it had heard of the government's Consumer Product Safety Commission, set up in 1973, but three-fourths of this group approved the Commission's work.

Poll respondents voted by anoverwhelming margin (75 per cent to 13 per cent) in favor of making existing consumer agencies more effective. A ctearmajority, however, was "generally" satisfied with consumer protection as it now stands, and a grand total of 80 per cent said it was being fairly treated by government, Letters to the Editor And more on the ERA As a husband, father, and ERA supporter, I am concerned I about whal 1 feel is misinformation which has recently I been circulating the area about the Equal Rights Amendment. I support Ihe ERA because it is my belief that laws which do not apply equally to all persons, are contrary to Ihe principles upon which Ihis democratic form of government is based. Men and women should be treated on an equal basis as human beings, regardless of gender. 1 feel that the existence of laws which "protect" women as a class, simply because they are women, implies that women are less intelligent, emotionally weaker, and have less ability to care for themselves than men.

In my opinion, this is just not the case. I'm not saying we should abolish protective laws altogether; just apply them equally to both sexes. do not believe Ihe amendment will cause a breakdown in family structure. 1 do nol feel a Ihe slrenglh of American family is based upon (he premise that the husband is legally forced to support his wife. In my opinion, the strenglh of the family lies in the mutual respect and love of Ihe husband and wife for one anolher this cannol.be forced or legislated! Letters same fair principles both to men and women under the law.

Neither men nor women should suffer second-class citizenship, both should be endowed with privileges accorded the other. I slrongly believe a i ratification of Ihe Equal Rights Amendment will help insure human rights and dignity for all persons. Stephen West Let's cool our emotions. Our sons and daughters are wal- ching. The a Rights Amendment consists of just Ihese words: "Sect.

I. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United Stales or by any slate on account of sex. Sect. 2 The Congress shall have Ihe power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Sect.

3. stales when the a becomes effective." Now what these words mean lo you is, of course, subject lo your own interprelation. Yet, I find it difficult lo understand how Ihese words can produce the exaggerated fears ex- pressed in the recent letters lo the editor. Surely every male and female citizen of the United States would want to be assured of equality of rights under the law? Am I wrong? Henry A. Roudolf Fort Walton Beach The Equal Rights Amendment which was passed by Ihe United States Congress in March of 1972 and which has been ratified by 34 states is up for ratification by Ihe Florida legislature in the session beginning April 8, 1975, The Equal Rights Amendment is very simple.

It stales, "Equality of rights under Ihe law shall not be denied or abridged by the United Stales or by any stale on account or sex." As the opponents have staled, il is not a "Women's Rights" 11 guarantees the "Equality" does not mean "sameness" so the Equal Righls Amendment will nol require a men and women be regarded as identical. II will give new dignity to those of us who are housewives and mothers because il will permil every citizen lo make a meaningful choice of how lo live i lives. By i i equality under the law and by upholding the right of every citizen lo choose their place in society, (he Equal Rights Amendment will enhance these traditional roles. The League of Women Voters is for the Equal Righls A for the simple reason we believe in equality of opportunity for all citizens. We hope il will pass the 1975 legislature and then we can gel on with Ihe business of government for the people, of the people and by the people-all of (hem! Jean Johnson, President League of Women Voters of Okalnosa County Visitors aided after Beal crash Sunday evening, March Ifith, while traveling through Fort Walton en route to our home in Pensacola, we were involved in a three or four car accident on Beal Parkway.

Our car was demolished and while neither of us were critically wounded, we were in a state of shock. There were, of course, numerous spectators. Of the spectators, there were two people, Betty and C.A. Graham of 389 Gardner Drive, Fort Walton. My wife and myself were complete strangers to the Grahams yet they comforted my wife, Delia, took her to their car to rest, procured ice to place on her swollen right arm and then'took my wife and myself to their home, bandaged our wounds and gave us refreshments until we returned to a near normal state of being and then brought us to our home in Pensacola.

We would like to publicly acknowledge the kindness, humanitarianism, and genuine concern for their fellowmen of these two wonderful persons. C.A. and Betty Graham may God bless them and preserve them thruout their days. Delia and Jim Sports Pensacola Prisoner criticizes county jail I have some facts about Ihe Okaloosa Counly Jail (hat I would like lo bring to your at- tenlion and lo the attention of the citizens of Okaloosa and any concerned persons who believe in fair juslicefor all and not jusl lo some. To starl with, a man by the name of Don Thrash is how in Ihe Okaloosa County Hospital luckily.

Why do I say luckily? Fie was refused medical altenlion for two days before being taken lo Ihe hospital. On the second day (Tuesday) he was preached al by Officer Jackson for four hours beofre removed from the jail to the hospital. Well, whatever the reason, I care a great deal, for life, no malter what, deserves some kind of justice. I am so don't know what (o believe. Maybe you can print this letter in your own way expressing my feeling in Ihis matter.

I know the people who live in ths coutily can't be so cruel as to allow ignorant murder. John I.cDuc (Editor's Note: LeDuc, charged with first degree murder and rape in connection with the a of a nine-year-old Crestviewgirl last Feb. 18, pled guilly by reason of temporary insanity on March 19.) A look backwards Local names, local color By EMMA GOGG1N Towns and localities in the area came by their names in strange but fascinating ways. Niceville, for instance, was known as Boggy-named for Boggy Bayou on which it is located. Pomcroy Edge, (he first postmaster, named Niceville during the first decade of the 20th Century.

At that time, Postmaster Edge and other citizens also wanted to rename their town Portsmouth but postal authoriliesobjected.Toomuch like nearby Portland, (he As postmaster, Edge had "the edge" and submitted his favorite choice-Niceville. Why Niceville? Because Edge thought it was nice. Boggy just was not appropriate for a growing community. Valparaiso was named by its founder, John Perrine When Perrine and his ship's master, Captain Fozzard sailed into Choctawhalchee Bay, exploring all the bayous, they came to New Point Comfort in Sunset Bay. After caniping there for three days, Perrine was'de- lo someday make his home in this natural oveliness.whicli he described as the real "Vale of aradise," namely Valparaiso.

Deslin derived its name from its first seltler, Captain Leonard Destin, a New England seafarer, who es- tabhsheda commercial fishery at what was thenknown simply as Pass. Joe's Bayou af Desfin, where the fishing boats fake refuge during storms, was named after the last Indian to leave that region. He was known as Injun Joe who came to a sad end oldtimers say. The story goes that he jumped on a while traveller and ended up with a knife in his back. The town of Mary Eslher represents the first names of the daughters of (hefirstschool master in the area John Newton.

The community of Wright was once known as Cracker's Neck. Mossy Head, once "Mushy Bend," got its name from a spring in an oak grove. Shalimar was the FirslEglin housing area and its name is a derivation of shallow sea from (he Latin. Fort Walton Beach took its name from Camp Walton a Confederate camp during the Civil War. Later, Beach was added to help attract tourists to the Playground situated on the Gulf of Mexico.

Okaloosa County's name, some say, is derived from Choctaw meaning Black Others said that Okaloosa is an Incl word meaning "pleasant place.".