sivty-Ninth Year EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF TE UNIVERSITY OF MiICHIGAN UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS STUDENT PUBLICATIOs BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, Micu. * Phone NO 2-3241 ien Opinions Are Free Truth Will Prevail" Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. URDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1958 NIGHT EDITOR: ROBERT JUNKER Hoffa's Latest Power Bid Revives Question of Balane 4 A ITION is a fine American tradition but an excess of it can endanger the very insti- tutions which foster it. Men joining together to protect their rights and improve their lot through organization is another fine tradition. But when the two are joined, the result can be a combination of enormous power and poten- tial for either good or evil. What's good for the organization may not be necessarily good for the country. THE LATEST EXPRESSION of ambition backed by powerful organization came this week with Teamster Union President Jimmy Hoffa's announcement that he is launching an organizing drive aimed at unionizing "practi- cally every policeman, fireman and municipal employee in the country." "Where there are laws against organizing public employees we will go to the legislatures and get the laws changed," declared the man who has been under investigation by the Mc- Clellan Rackets Committee. This latest ambition of Hoffa's however is not his only one. Earlier, he announced his intention to organize "everything that moves," including transportation workers on airlines, railroads and ships. But although the drives may not succeed, Hoffa's intentions raise a question that some observers feel was buried in the November elec- tion returns: Have unions grown too powerful in comparison to other segments of society? Apparent burial of the question came with the defeat of right-to-work laws and the elec- tion of union-supported candidates; Vice-Presi- dent Nixon is reported to be advising Repub- lican supporters that it's political suicide to force the labor control fight. HOWEVER, despite labor's apparent success in shouting down the question, the position of unions still deserves examination. To be sure, most unions do not have and do not deserve the taint of Hoffa's. And to be sure, the history of unionism is solidly based on economic need. But upon reaching their primary goal of helping members earn a decent living under decent conditions, unions have been turning to the goal of getting a bigger slice of the economic pie. However, "the fair share," as they call it, is sought despite the consequences to others, especially those on fixed income. Yet, to justify their very existence, union leaders are in a position of having to promise and attain more, and more, and more. Some Teamster members have expressed the attitude that as long as they keep getting pay raises, it doesn't matter what the officials are doing. THE RESULT IS A climate favorable to cor- ruption and some very questionable prac- tices. And even in the case of honestly run unions, the continual demands for more money every time a contract expires, whether or not productivity has increased, lead to another round of cost and price rises. As auto prices go up, plumbers want more money to pay for their new cars and then the auto workers need more to pay for their more expensive homes and so things go . .. higher and higher and higher. Pay, apparently the highest form of reward In American society, grows not on the basis of an individual's contribution to society or how long it took him to reach a contributing posi- tion, as with a college professor, but on the strength of his organization and its success in winning increases. When the power is allowed to accumulate in the hands of ambitious men such as Hoffa, it seems evident that the pendulum of union mili- tarism has swung too far. -MICHAEL KRAFT Editorial Director "I Think This Is Rather a Sad Sort of Thing .. ."7 c os P c--o Rr- _ COt~y. Af BLO BX I GERMAN DISPATCH: Berliners Face Crisis With Optimistic Outlook (EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article on the German attitudes during the current Berlin crisis was written by a former Daily staffer now stationed with the United States Army in Europe. For this reason his name is withhld by request.) Special to The Daily ERLIN-The consensus in Germany-among German citizens and American soldiers alike-seems to be that the current Berlin situa- tion is no true crisis. People here are convinced that there will be neither a march on Berlin nor a blockade if the West fails to go along with their plans for a "free demilitarized city." There is no special fear or nervousness in evidence. The average German looks to the presence of Western troops to prevent any actual attack. And they feel that the Russians realize the foolishness of attempting another blockade after the utter failure of the one in 1949. It would be an immense political defeat for them to get beaten at the same game again. * * * * WEST BERLINERS are maintaining a nearly cheerful attitude, They know full well how isolated they are in the Red sea, ringed on all sides by Soviet steel. But they are confident that someday, even if it takes years, Germany will be united under a Western-type government, and Berlin will again be the jewel of the German crown. For the time being they look to the West for sustenance and hope, living their lives from day to day, and trying to be as carefree as possible under the strain. The newspapers, of course, are making capital out of it all-but here as everywhere, they love to sell papers. One thing is sure-Berlin is far better prepared to face a blockade today than it was in 1949. The city is stockpiled; they have their own electric power; and they have their own bus system, although the street- car system is still Communist-controlled. While making no special preparations, the West is ready for any contingency. The commander of the United States Army in Europe declared recently, "We have plans for anything in Berlin except going to the moon. Our garrison has orders to deal with any infringement of West Berlin." THE SYSTEM OF AIRLIFTING supplies is faster, more efficient and more complete than it was nine years ago. The Air Force has hundreds of cargo planes in Europe, most of them based in England. These can be flown to Frankfurt in three hours, and into Berlin in another hour and a half. Closer in, C-123 cargo planes, currently the bell-wethers of the Air Force cargo service, can be moved out almost immediately from the Roein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt. and the base in Weisbaden. Both of these are only an hour and a half flying time from Templehof Airfield in Berlin, which would be their destination. But there is little serious consideration of this now, for Berlin has enough supplies at present to support it until planes can be flown in from the United States, if need be. s C * BOTH GERMANS AND AMERICANS seem to consider this just another Russian propoganda tactic, like Lebanon, Quemoy and the rest. They see it as just an atttmpt to keep the world on edge, and to keep abreast of their timetable for harrassment. But they are convinced Russia will not do anything rash. Certainly they outnumber the NATO, troops here 10 to 1, enough to swallow up Berlin in a matter of hours. But the prospect of an actual attack is almost out of the question, as far as those on the scene are concerned, for the risk of a full-scale atomic war is far too great. LIFE GOES ON in Germany. The intelligent people are concerned and interested in the situation, but they certainly are neither afraid, nervous nor pessimistic. Among many Germans, the Hula Hoop is far more important than the "Berlin crisis." It seems to be the biggest thing here since Hitler's Black Shirts. And among the youth of Geimany, the wailing of Elvis { Presley and Bill Haley constitute their greatest concern. Haley's visit here, in fact, was highlighted by a wild, brawling riot. And so, in Germany 1958, optimism is the keynote. To The Editor t ft9S8 'T'$EF sbJrsMt,ACrnAI 'OKS'r1i~ ,. ( POLITICAL AND OTHERWISE ... By David Tarr A Reassuring Rebellion Assembly Change Worthwhile REDUCING the membership of' Assembly Dormitory Council from about 50, a nebu- lous number that even its officers have difficulty in estimating exactly, to 22 or 23 voting repre- sentatives may definitely increase the power and prestige of the group. Under the proposed constitutional change, each independent women's housing unit would be equally represented - with one member elected by her house who would also have voting' power in her house council. Being the sole representative of the women in her residence unit, she would, besides having a position of prestige, be under a greater obli- gation to attend Council meetings and remain well informed as to the effect Council decisions would have on her group. Since the recom- mendation also rules out the possibility of house presidents serving as representatives, a Council member would presumably have more time to devote to keeping up on current de- velopments, both as they affect her constituents and the independent women as a whole. DELETING the proportional representation now in effect would not necessarily be detrimental to houses now sending eight or nine members to the Council, for provision has also been made for calling referendums in which every resident of an independent housing unit could cast a vote on the issue. All that is needed to pass a motion thus presented is a simple majority of the votes cast; thus the deci- sion Awould represent, not the wishes of a few large houses who, with proportional representa- tion, would control the vote, but those of the women as individuals. Assembly Dormitory Council will decide on whether to adopt the constitutional changes at its meeting Monday afternoon. The outcome, if in support of the proposal, may well provide the stimulus needed for the group to act as a more tightly knit organization concerned with poli- cies affecting all independent women on cam- pus, -KATHLEEN MOORE IN THE GREAT mass of students that flows peacefully along, the person of Hilliard J. Goldman is a rare and reassuring sight. Goldman. doesn't hate society, or Ann Arbor landlords or even warm rooms and soft beds. But he does have a complaint: what he calls the "Big Mother" attitude of the University. And in protest against this at- titude he has rejected the cozy confines of well insulated Uni- versity-controlled housing and move4 into a war surplus pup tent where he sleeps in temperatures that have ranged down to near zero. "So far my protest has been misunderstood and misrepresent- ed," Goldman says. "The papers have made this look like a gold- fish-swallowing affair. But it's not a 'publicity stunt; I'm very seriously concerned about the Uni- versity's policies," he insists. * * * JUST WHAT is the "Big Moth- er" attitude Goldman is protest- ing? He claims the University per- mits students a curious kind of freedom: freedom not to have to make decisions, not to make mis- takes, not to need to think and do for themselves. His criticisms, however, are di- rected at the administration, not the faculty. "Most of the faculty will go half-way in helping you develop your independence," he says. Two of Goldman's complaints are the administration's attitude toward women in apartments and toward Student Government Council. He says women should be free to decide where theylive after their freshman year. Oan SGC, he says the administration has given it a little rope of authority but pulls it in when the Council tries to use it. In short, he finds the atmos- phere at the University intellec- tually cramped. The housing is only part of a much greater protective attitude, Goldman asserts. True, he dislikes the careful watch the University keepsrover the students in its housing units. "But this careful insulating in housing is only symbolic of the much greater intellectual insula- tion here," he says. . * * IT WOULD be hard to call Goldman a non-conformist; he prefers the term "self-conform- ing." It is a description, rather vague, but probably as represen- tative as any of his last year and a half here. Goldman, now a senior, says his dress for the first two years here was very neat and "proper." But during his junior year he decided to become as near self-sustaining as possible. Ho worked as a caretaker in an apartment and took another job besides. He bought a few grey shirts and some khaki pants, clothing he thought would be economical, comfortable and in- conspicuous. Economical and comfortable they were, he says. Inconspicuous -no. The reaction to Goldman's self-sustaining attempt was some- thing even he didn't expect. "I became stereotyped by my clothing. People, associated me with the army because I wore army type clothes. I couldn't be further from sympathy with, the military. "I was typed as a Bohemian, whatever that is. But actually the only thing about me that changed was my clothes," he says. WHAT came dramatically home to Goldman was the realization that people tend to judge others on their outward appearance. He sees this reaction to his effort at self-sufficiency as representative of all the prejudice in the world. "My friends began to act dif- ferently toward me. Those who didn't know me very well, didn't try to get to know me any better. "Those that knew me moderate- ly well tried subtle hints to get me to dress as I had before. My close friends were very outspoken and frankly - and sincerely - told me to change back." "But they're still my friends," he added. Goldman's first experience with this sort of prejudice is somewhat like getting dumped in a snow- bank. It was a shock and, at first, rather amazing. Now, he says, he is a little more aware and a little more critical in his thinking. TODAY AND TOMORROW: What Can West Afford? By WALTER LIPPMANN HE STATEMENT of policy put out after Slast weekend by the Democratic Party's Advisory Council covers a lot of ground. But in one long passage dealing with the growth of the American economy it has raised the crucial question on which everything else depends-. defense, foreign policy, welfare measures, pub- lic services, and the people's standard of living. The statement raises the question. It remains to be seen whether the Advisory Council has found the answer, and that will require an intense and thorough public debate. In its essence, the question is whether the United States can afford to do the things' which it needs to do. Can it afford to run successfully in the race of armaments? And can it also afford a foreign policy which sustains our alliances and helps to finance the unde- veloped countries? And can it also pay for the schools, hospitals, roads, airports, the recla- mation and the conservation and the other public services and facilities which our rapidly expanding urbanized population requires? And can it also make it possible for the people as private individuals to raise their personal standard of life? THE OBVIOUS ANSWER at the present time time is that the pie is not big enough to be cut into such big slices. The issue, which is posed by the Democratic statement, is whether the pie can be made larger, more exactly whether the average rate of economic growth, which has been about 3 per cent a year during this century, can be raised to 5 per cent a year, If the rate of growth can be raised to five per cent, then the country will be able to afford what it needs to do. If the rate cannot be examined sceptically. Without setting up as an expert in this matter, it seems to me that while Gthe statement puts the right question, the answer it gives makes everything sound easier than in fact it is. The raising of the rate of economic growth from an average of three per cent to an average of five per cent a year is a very formidable undertaking. Over a ten year period (taking 1957 as a base for calculation) it would mean raising the gross national product from 434 billions to 707 billions. It would raise the government pur- chases of goods and services from 86 billions to 153 billions. It would raise gross private invest- ment to support the growth of the economy from 67 billions to 123 billions, and it would raise what is left for private consumption from 281 to 431 billions. THE FIGURES which I have just quoted are taken from what is known as the "Rocke- feller Report"-one of the series of reports issued during the past year which has been financed by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The question of increasing the rate of growth is not a partisan question. It is the key question of policy in these times, and it is receiving the earnest study of serious students who cannot by any stretch of the imagination be labeled as "spenders" or "radicals." Besides the Rocke- feller Report, there is, for example, one by the highly respected Committee for Economic De- velopment, which sets its sights a little lower than the Rockefeller Report, and hopes for an annual growth rate of four per cent. The problem of increasing the rate of our economic growth is difficult and complex. It involves the budget and the tax structure and credit policy and labor union practices and SGC IN REVIEW: Council Aids Development Group By PHILIP MUNCK Daily Staff Writer ONE OF the quieter products of the Student Government Council meeting Wednesday night was the establishment of the Stu- dent Relations Board under the jurisdiction of the Council. The Board will function in the manner of other semi-autonomous SBC boards such as Cinema Guild to promote the causes of the De- velopment Council and promote alumni interest. THE DEVELOPMENT Council is aimed at the alumni who are now in a positionato aid the Uni- versity. Their major project of recent months has been to raise more funds for research at the Michigan-Memorial Phoenix Proj- ect. But where the Development Council does not operate-among the students who will be the alum- ni of tomorrow - the Student Relations Board will. It is, of course, obvious that the Board will probably have far- reaching effects on the Univer- sity. There has been an enormous job done by the Development Council already. But just as important is the g.vidpirop e. ilrl I-.l 1 a frLkin i n ~ if for no other reason than that they are now enjoying the bene-' fits of present alumni contribu- tions. * * * THE PHOENIX Project, for ex- ample, is one of the many facets of the University that gives a Michigan degree added value in both academic and non-academic circles. The project is the product of private effort by students and alumni. Preparing students to carry on their responsibility to the Uni- versity after graduation is vitally important and the Board takes up this task as it should be done - by students and student govern- ment. THE TENTATIVE report of the committee working on a program to bring ten state legislators to campus did not bring out nearly the interest it might have on the part of the Council members. This program - to spend two days showing some key legisla- tors what students at the Univer- sity are and do - could be a hor- rible mistake if not handled per- fectly. There seemed to be an impres- sion on the part of the State Leg- islature last year to under-rate of their fellows to hear about the history of English literature. On the other hand the scrambl- ing for representation by John Gerber, '59, and Mary Tower, '59, on behalf of their groups for af- filiated representation on the itin- erary seems somewhat out of place. * * * IT'S THE OLD STORY of how to get good public relations and still keep the PR men under strict control. SGC's PR committee has been rather unsupervised and this week David Kessel moved that the executive vice-president over- see the activities of the commit- tee. The particular case in point is the SGC Newsletter which should be coming out today. Unofficially, what happened is that the Admin- istrative Vice-President (Jo Har- dee) read the letter over and then called the printer and halted printing for 24 hours. The essence of Kessel's point was that this type of mix-up comes from unclear delegation of responsibility. The motion lost. * C * THE MOST enlightening com- mittee report of the evening came v. hen Carol Holland presented the Inaccuracy *. . To the Editor: R ALPH LANGER is inaccurate when he says the right to print "uncomplimentary statements" about public personalities is not guaranteed constitutionally. While the freedoms of speech and press are not absolute, the Constitution would scarcely be followed if a person were subjected to criminal punishment or civil damages after he merely made such uncompli- mentary statements. Limitations on these rights come into play only after other serious legal ele- ments come into the picture. -Fred S. Steingold, '60L Education . . To the Editor: THE TWO pages on liberal edu- cation in last Sunday's Daily testify to the confusion of thought on this subject. According to one article, it should "create a man who can handle the problems of the world today," Colleges set about this, as one can see, by in- troducing him to what various in- tellectuals have produced: litera- tures, sciences, philosophy, etc. To pander to the vocational orienta- tion of many students, attempts are constantly being made to con- vince them that these things are immediately useful in the outside world. But there is no industry which Is carried on with the aid of an- thropology; to make Detroit auto- mobiles you do not need modern ,mathematics. Employers will not care how you feel about literature. Altogether, that claim is unten- able; yet with general accord hordes of students are studying these subjects. It seems doubtful whether the person who learns nothing of what he is taught is really muchnworse off than he who learns nothing beyond what he is taught. For all subjects are rather trivial in themselves, but have wide con- nections. (Here professors quote the 'modernists' with their statis- tics, who treat education as a dis- more than do answers in terms of drilled-in subject matter. From the faculty opinions ex- pressed in those two pages, it seems that the University, while bullying and pushing its herds of undergraduates, has no coherent and accurate idea of the ends and means to liberal education. You don't need all these subjects, but -it's nice. (Where is the distinc. tion between necessary and nice?) If one asks rationally why this program exists, whether it gives anything except the means of pe- dantic exhibitionism, or (a wider question) what the BA tells about its possessor with any degree of certainty except that his rear has rested on various classroo m benches for circa 120x16 hours - then the fog seems to be intense, -.C. Wasiutynseki, '60LSA BAIL OFFICIAL BULLETIN The Daily Official Bulletin is an official publication of The Univer- city of Michigan for which The Michigan Daily assumes no edi- torial responsibility. Notices should be sent In TYPEWRITTEN form t Room 3,519 Administration Build- ing, before 2 p.m. the day preceding publication. Notices for Sunday Daily due at 2:00 p.m. Friday. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1938 VOL. LXIX, NO. 72 General Notices The student automobile regulations will be lifted for Christmas vacation from 5 p.n. Fri., Dec. 19, to 8 a.m. Mon,, Jan. 5, 1959. Graduation Exercises for students who complete their degree requirements at the end of the first semester of the 1958-59 school year will be held Sat., Jan. 24, 1959, at 2:00 pm. m.Hil Aud. Extended Hours: Women students who attended the Speech Department play "The Matchnuaker" on Thurs., Dec. 11, had extended hours until 11:25 p.m. Academic Notices Doctoral Examinatfon for Phillip Ed- ward Bedient, Math.; thesis: "Polyno-