The News-Herald from Franklin, Pennsylvania • Page 4

In the nation THE The News -Herald TV i s. K) Friday, August 27, 1971 Old line FRYING EDITORIAL School negotiations PAN By FRAN FRY, JR. Nothing in the state Public Employes Bargaining Act prevents the school district and teacher association from bargaining while the fact-finding study is conducted. Fact-finding will conclude with contract recommendations by the one-man panel. If the recommendations are rejected, the findings of fact and recommendations will be publicized, a step which would give the public some knowledge of the issues involved in the dispute.

While it is fortunate that the new state law provides for mediation and factfinding by a state agency, it remains desirable for an agreement to be ironed out by the parties involved. If 30 negotiating sessions were held at New Castle, what excuse is there for the limited number of sessions in the Franklin and Oil City districts? James Scilla, John Balmer and Larry Yost, all SRC students, have been quick to admit they showed a profit the last time out. I only hope this time they haven't bitten off more than they can chew. The first attempt featured rock groups from Pittsburgh, Youngstown and as far away as Detroit. The music was good, but there were no real big names or recording artists.

This isn't the case this time, all but three of the eight groups have cut albums and demand sizable guarantees. Recording Groups Savoy Brown will headline the rock concert. Two other top groups share the bill with Brown. They include Edgar Winter White Trash and Cactus (reported to be the former Vanilla Fudge group). Skid Row, a heavy group from Ireland, and McKendree Spring, a folk-rock group, round out the program of those having recording experience behind them.

The promoters thought enough of one firings Negotiation of a New Castle Area School District teacher contract this week proved again that it is possible to reach agreements if an earnest effort is made. At New Castle, more than 30 formal negotiating sessions were held in addition to informal meetings. Other districts have been likewise diligent about "working out terms with teacher associations, some with less and some with more lengthy negotiations. This has not been the case for the Franklin Area and Oil City Area districts and some others in. nearby counties.

There has been an unfortunate dearth of negotiations in those districts which lack contracts. The State Labor Relations Board has intervened in the Franklin deadlock by starting a fact-finding procedure, which prevents a strike for 60 days. Halting the A judge's threat of an injunction is probably as effective at issuing one. That's the case with the political firings of state employes, a practice which has been stymied a few more days by the remarks of Commonwealth Court Judge Harry A. Kramer.

While the jurist rejected special injunctive action by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, he said that if he heard of any firings before a hearing date Monday he might issue a temporary injunction. The PLRB request follows lengthy and unsuccessful efforts of a state employe union to force a halt to the Shapp administration's political firing of highway maintenance workers. The obnoxious practice became even more aggravating because of the brazen firings in the midst of the court action. Judge Kramer's comment apparently was designed to prevent another rash of firings during an interval in the legal proceedings. This patronage job mess is a black mark on the Shapp administration.

By TOM WICKER whose wages have been frozen, and whose rights to strike has been made to seem temporarily unpatriotic. It is true enough that freeing the dollar in the world market ought to let domestic interest rates decline, and that a profit freeze for only ninety days would not make much different while a longer-term limitation is still possible; but these are difficult economic arguments to articulate in a political campaign. Senator McGovern, a farm expert, also contends that since farm income has been so long depressed, a farm price freeze works undue hardship, in the farm belt. Mr. Nixon is In deep trouble in that region already, and this could be a potent point in 1972.

A number of doubts have been raised about the stimulative effect of the N.E.P. rather than a big tax break for business through Investment credits. The critics say Mr. Nixon should have sharply increased Federal spending (Senator McGovern) or stimulated consumer spsndlng through large tax cuts for little fellow" (Senator Harris). Virtually every critic argues that since Mr.

Nixon proposes to cut Federal spending as well as taxes, the two moves may cancel each other out, or nearly so, In stimulative effect. Senator Harris has made the additional argument that scheduled Social Security payroll tax Increases will sharply reduce the net relief small taxpayers will get from the Increased exemptions. And Robert S. Browne of the Black Economic Research Center has called the exemption Increase both Ineffective as a stimulus and regressive; it would provide relief equally rather than progressively for those who pay taxes and no relief at a-11, particularly no cash relief, for those too poor to pay taxes but who "would be the most likely to spend extra dollars." Finally, Nixon's, plan to By FRAN FRY, Jr. Butler County has been famous for its mushrooms for a number of years.

The white capped treats grow fast In dark, quiet places. They are a fleshy fungus which make an excellent garnish for steak, pizza or salad. Butler County is fast becoming famous for another type of mushroom, this one being a rock concert. Mushroom "Mushroom II" is breaking its milky white round cap through the earth and should be in full bloom from noon till after midnight Sunday, Sept. 5.

It is the second coming of Mushroom and the four youthful promoters from Slippery Rock State College promise even bigger and better things than their first venture Into the rock concert (festival) scene last May. The original Mushroom, given to celebrate the close of school for the summer, showed a profit and no matter how you cut it was successful as a poor man's rock festival, despite the fact its originators called it and still do a "rock concert." For some unknown reason the word concert seemed to go down a little better than the title festival. Mushroom I was peace and love. It was loud music played to several thousand young people on a rolling hillside. Even the state police agreed that the whole thing came off last May without a hitch or even one bust (arrest).

The second version of Mushroom has been drawing a little more attention and the subject for criticism by the so-called establishment. From all Indications Mushroom will be allowed to come off despite objections of some of the Brady Township Supervisors. The site for the proposed happening is in that township. The land which has been leased is located on Rt. 528 off of Rt.

8 at the Old Stone House. Anti-Festival Law Despite the fact that the Butler County Commissioners passed an anti-Woodstock ordinance to prevent rock festivals and Brady Township has a similar rule, Mushroom should be a reality. The promoters claim they have been advised by their legal counsel that such ordinances are unconstitutional and that if they comply with state regulations concerning health and sanitation they shouldn't encounter any WASHINGTON President Nixon's New Economic Program is a smash hit so far; Dr. Gallup finds that 91 per cent of a sample of more than 500 had heard of the President's moves, with 46 per cent strongly approving and only 5 per cent strongly disapproving. But no Democrat really feels comfortable or true to form unless he is lambasting a Republican President on the economic issues.

There are signs that Mr. Nixon's economic honeymoon is going to be a short one; and there are solid reasons to believe that the Democrats can still make a lot of hay out of this field so often ploughed before. In the first place, there is nothing whatever to suggest that at the expiration of the ninety-day wage-price freeze Mr. Nixon will be able to let the economy lapse back into uncontrolled condition. That may well lay his Administration open, in an election year, to all sorts of public reaction against real and supposed inequities, inefficiencies and frustrations in wage-price controls.

In the second place, at least to some visible extent, the program has to work. Economic and political opinion is divided! as to the efficacy of the steps, Mr. Nixon laid out; just yesterday, sixteen economists issued a statement questioning the wage-price freeze. But the public's hopes are high. Only 38 per cent of Dr.

Gallup's sample thought the N.E.P. would help them personally in the next ninety days (against 32 per cent who thought it would not) but 45 per cent expected to be better off a year from now, as against 25 per cent who believed they would be no further ahead or worse off in August, 1972. That's only three months before the election, and Mr. Nixon's economic program will disappoint such hopes at his political peril. Moreover, some economic questions are being raised about the N.E.P.

with persuasive political possibilities. Already, two of the most outspoken Democratic Presidential candidates, Senators George McGovern and Fred Harris, are strongly critical on these points. It remains to be seen what opposition can be mounted in Congress, but their arguments could have considerable political Impact. Senator McGovern is proposing that an excess profits tax (on the Korean War model) be levied, and has criticized Mr. Nixon for only "requesting" no increases in dividends and interest rates.

That is likely to sound entirely logical and fair to someone Maybe the Governor was lured along by scandalous observations of another jurist, Chief Justice John C. Bell of the state Supreme Court. Bell flippantly dismissed the rights of state workers: "Those who live by the political sword are apt to die by the political sword." His remark might have been appropriate for appointees to policymaking positions, but not for laborers in highway maintenance who are victims of the patronage system. Gov. Shapp has tried to obscure the patronage controversy by pointing to achievements in other phases of the state payroll: reducing by 5,594 the number of employes at a savings of $36 million annually.

That is a net reduction, because at the same time hundreds of new attendants have been added at state mental institutions. Whatever credit Shapp deserves for ridding the state payroll of "drones" has been wasted on the patronage turnover in highway maintenance jobs. group which, appeared at the first Mushroom to have them back. That group is L.A.W. of Youngstown.

This is a heavy three-piece group, similar In sound to Grand Funk Railroad. L.A.W. has been very popular In two appearences at dances at the Franklin YMCA. The other two groups on the bill are Mushroom of Cleveland and C. J.

Brlaf Erie. Mushroom's cultivators have leased a 70-acre tract of land from Hal Michaels of Grove City. They said they will start Monday to fence in a 10-acre tract of land for the concert area. They plan to erect a six-foot high fence. Expenses High They expect 10,000 young people, but the expenses are very high and want to keep the free-bees to a minimum.

The promoters stated that the concert site should be very easy to find because it is located just across the road from the KOA Campgrounds. The Mushroom people are constructing a large stage for the concert, rather than two flatbed trailers which were used the first time. Much time is now being devoted to complete plans for water, sanitary, traffic and medical facilities. Several record stores have expressed an interest in setting up concession stands and several booths will be erected for the sale of various food items and soft drinks. With good weather on Sept.

5 and a good advance ticket sale, the Mushroomers could come up again smelling like roses. The Washington Merry-go-Round End to complacency By JACK ANDERSON military. However, its findings are set forth in a draft study by problems. Mushroom's promoters, Jerry Babyak, eVv Strictly personal delay welfare reform and revenue sharing for the states and cities, as well as to cut the Federal payroll, appears to many of his critics to be putting the heaviest burden of the N.E.P. on low-income groups.

As Mr. Browne wrote, a 6 per cent cut In the defense budget would have yielded too, if such spending reductions had to be made. whatever one thinks of their economic validity, these points come out to the old Democratic line: The Republicans are the party of the fat cats, the Democrats are the party of the people. Even in his present euphoria, it is a line Mr. Nixon should not underestimate.

Real knowledge SYDNEY J. HARRIS 22 years ago The Army is blundering ahead with Cheyenne helicopter despite new evidence, compiled by the Army itself, that the aircraft is hopelessly unsuited for its purpose. The latest move, the award of a $47.8 million contract to the financially troubled Lockheed Aircraft makes it seem the Nixon Administration will go to any wasteful length to keep Lockheed afloat. The Cheyenne is designed as a tank-killing gunship which would provide close air support for allied ground operations against enemy forces in Europe. It is loaded with ultrasensitive electronic gadetry to enable it to operate at night and in adverse weather The Army has insisted on going ahead with the project even though both the Air Force and the Marines are also developing aircraft for similar use.

Moreover, the Cheyenne has already cost more than twice what it was supposed to. In all, the public has spent $600 million so each branch of the military could have its own ground support aircraft. Of this whopping sum, the Cheyenne has consumed $435 million. As if cost overruns and duplication were not enough, the Seventh Army in Europe has now come forward with a report seriously challenging the idea that a helecopter could provide air support in European combat. The Seventh Army's report is being kept under wraps by the CaRAPFtYl lM SynrJ-caft Iff Mr.

and Mrs. Guy McFalls and nephew, Pat Cunningham, left Friday to spend a few days in Cleveland, Ohio. A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B.

Whitman of Franklin RD 2, In the Franklin Hospital today. We all pay lip-service to the idea of "knowledge," but we don't understand the most important thing about it. And that is the "negative" use to which it can be put. One of the main purposes of "knowing" any subject really well is to give us a standard of what knowledge really means. Only when we have this standard can we appreciate our ignorance on other subjects.

Suppose we become an expert in the field of music. We grasp its technical nature, its intricacies, its subtleties, its elusive problems. Thus, the music we read or hear is far different from what the layman hears or talks about in popular discussions of the subject. Now, when we approach another subject say, history or politics we have a yardstick for measuring our degree of knowledge and ignorance. We know what knowing really consists in.

And we do not delude ourselves that our smattering of opinion and prejudice and hearsay in the field of history or politics really constitutes anything resembling "knowledge." And this is perhaps one of the most important things we can learn in life a true appreciation of the nature and extent (and limitations) of knowledge in any field. Without this appreciation, we run the risk of arrogant ignorance when we leave our specialty. This is noi suggest that only the "experts" have a right to discuss fields that fall in the public interest, like politics, or psychology, or even housing and urban planning. Every intelligent and concerned citizen must take an interest in such matters; many of them are too important to be left to the specialists. It does suggest, however, a little more modesty and a little less dogmatism in discussing them.

It suggests that "common sense" is not enough equipment to bring these subjects, just as having a pair of ears is not enough equipment to bring to the full understanding of music. Only when we know what we do not know can we begin to learn something. And the only way we can know that we do not know something is by comparing it with what we truly know. Someone with a smattering of information in a number of subjects, and no serious foundation in any one of them, may sound glib and plausible at cocktail parties, but lacks the essential respect for knowledge that makes his contribution worthwhile. Whitehead said long ago that everybody should have general knowledge and special knowledge; general, because without it he is too narrow a specialist; and special, because without it he lacks the criteria for evaluating his opinions.

Only the two together make an "education." Aug.27,194i Mr. and Mrs. Harold Girt of Girard, Ohio, were guests of the former's mother, Mrs. Ethel Girt, and family, 212 Lamberton and other relatives and friends Friday. Thomas Shuffstall, chief of the Rocky Grove Volunteer Fire Department and Relief Association, became president of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Firemen's Association at the opening session of the three-day convention.

Mr. and Mrs. Roy H. Persons and Mr. and Mrs.

Lyle Buck left today on a week's fishing trip to Devil's I-ake, Ontario. WASHINGTON -President Nixon's economy rattling, if it serves no other purpose, should jolt America out of its economic euphoria. For the unpleasant truth is that the U. S. is slipping.

The Japan Islands, just a few geographic dots on the globe, are rapidly overtaking the American giant as the world's greatest industrial power. The almighty dollar, the sun around which all other free currencies have revolved for a quarter of a century, has gone into eclipse. American workers no longer produce the world's best goods. For too long, we have been confident and complacent. We have put private interests ahead of the national interest, ease before duty, luxury before sacrifice.

Our workers have been pampered, our corporations breast-fed from the Treasury, until they have lost their competitive edge. Such industrial lions as Lockheed and Penn Central, having been ripped up in the capitalistic jungle, have merely gone whimpering to the government trough. Like the lions that arc fed daily in our zoological gardens, they no longer possess the keen instincts and reflexes necessary to survive in the jungle. Unions and corporations alike are now squabbling for more spoils, rather than showing a patriotic interest in halting the nation's economic decline. Despite all the presidential blessings for the auto industry, for example, it took White House pressure to persuade Ford to roll back last month's price increase.

And AFL-CIO boss George Meany, who considers himself a great patriot when it comes to denouncing communists, thumbed his nose at a White House appeal to help stabilize the economy. American manufacturers, meanwhile, continue to build most of their new factories overseas, and bankers shift dollars to countries where they can command the highest, interest rates. Pocketbook interests, apparently are still put ahead of patriotism by most Americans. Senators Charles "Mac" Mathias, William, Proxmire, and Rep. John Seiberling, D-Ohio.

Conclusions from the Seventh Army Air Cavalry Evaluation in Europe," states the unpublished report, "show that helicopters, especially the Cheyenne, will be able to operate under poor weather conditions, but effectiveness is doubtful. "In the case of the Cheyenne, under conditions of very poor weather, the optical tracking system of the TOW missile becomes very doubtful and although the Cheyenne is effectively hidden from the enemy, so is the enemy hidden from it." Thus, despite the expensive electronic equipment, the Cheyenne would still be ineffective at night and in bad weather. In addition, the Cheyenne would also be extremely vulnerable In air support role. Adds the report: "Of eight senior officers responding to questionnaires about the evaluation, seven mentioned helicopter survivability as an aspect of the Air Cavalry concept that unfavorably impressed them." The Congressmen's report cites another evidence of. the Cheyenne's weaknesses and makes a lengthy comparative study of the Air Force's AX, a fixed-winged aircraft for close air support which is presently under development, and the Marine Corp's Harrier, also a fixed-wing plane which is now in production.

"The Cheyenne is a weapons system of dubious utility, questionable reliability and phenomenol cost," the report says. "We recommend the Cheyenne project be terminated." The report concludes mat "the close-support mission is performed most effectively with fixed-wing aircraft We recommend the continued development of the AX." The report also recommends continued production of the Harrier through this year, which would leave the Marines with a total of 60 of the aircraft. 44 YEARS AGO, Aug. 27, 1927 The curb market this morning had 50 dealers and spread out plenteous supplies covering a wide range of eatables. And now the morning thermometer reminds you that, when August is waning, winter isn't very far away.

THE NEWS-HERALD BERRY'S WORLD Consolidation of FRANKLIN EVENING NEWS Established Ffb 1. 1878. Bv JAMES B. BORLAND, and the EN'NCiO DAILY HERALD. Established Sept.

6. 190 Consolidated May 5.1919. FRANKLIN AND OIL CITY. PENNSYLVANIA Member Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association Published Daily Except Sunday by THE NEWS HFRALD PRINTING COMPANY 631 Twelfth Street. Franklin.

Pa. 16323 Harriet Bleakley Editor and Publisher Robert C. Davis Associate Editor arolee K. Michener Manalnf Editor Robert J. Moran News Editor Francis W.

Fry Jr City Editor Full Leased Telegraph Cable Service of the I nlttd Press International Assn. SI BSCRIPT10N RsTF.S By rarrlerboy 80c per week, Motor Route 3 50 per month By mall In Venango. Crawford. Mercer, Butler. Ciarmn.

Forest Counties 1 Month $3 00: 3 Months $7 8 Months S12 00; 12 Months $20 00. Elsewhere In Pennsylvania: 12 Months $30 00 Out of State In I 12 Months $38 00. Mall subscriptions are payable In advance and are not accepted where carrier delivery is maintained. 1971 tv NEA Ik 'Yessir, she's a real cream puff only driven once for a few miles by a little o' eorthling!" TELEPHONE- FRANKLIN 432 1141 OIL CITY 678-2729 Srrond Class Postage Paid at Franklin. Pa 16323.