"I- Seventy-First Year EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: Charges Arouse- Controversy TO THE EDITOR: Suggests One Solution or Engineers' Dlemma M Opinions Are Fre UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MICH. * Phone NO 2-3241 editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. Y .FEBRUARY 25, 1961 NIGHT EDITOR: MICHAEL BURNS Williams Speeeh Sparks Lively,. Authoritative Talk HE DISTINGUISHING aspect of the visit of the controversial Robert F. Williams,, President of the Monroe County Tennessee chapter' of the NAACP, who spoke here last week, was the storm of opinions, queries and criticisms that followed his pointedly brief speech. Williams supported his position on the extent and seriousness of Southern racial discrimina- tion quite effectively, and his highly colorful if occasionally extreme speech pointed out the Coping .. PROBABLY ONE OF the most valuable bene- fits the student can ever hope to derive from his college Experience is the opportunity to practice the fine art of coping. Coping, known better as "sich abfinden mit" to the Germans (who always need three words to explain one) or as "putting up with" to us, who really aren't so different from the Ger- mans, is undoubtedly one of the lesser known of the fine arts, but all the same an absolute necessity to a sane and happy life. The University, it is interesting to note, offers no specific course on the subject (Soc. 145 seems to approach the scope of such a, course), but the campus overflows with experi- mental material. The place is an excellent coping ground-it teems with all kinds of characters that we have to put up with. TAKEMAGAZINE SALESMEN. And you may. The financially fatigued student hardly fights off Life, Post and Look before Time, N7ewsweek and New Yorker have their collec- tive foot in his door. And how many times has he-at last-found something in his normally barren mailbox-has he joyously scraped off a layer or two of skin getting out HIS mail-- only to find that now he can get the Times, McCalls and Hot Rod all in the same, low- cost package. Essentially, coping amounts to ignoring the copee, -who by definition, is the one who is being put up with. A case in point: that latest plea for money now buried in my wastebasket. "Learn how to save money," Changing Time says, "99 new ideas on your money, job and living. Enter my subscription for $2." .1 This, obviously, must be coped with. So I coped. I did not sign the return post card, I did not enclose my check or money order, I ignored. I've also found a way to save two dollars that Changing Time never mentioned. -THOMAS HUNTER aims and philosophy of what he termed the 'Negro Revolution' epitomized by the present sit-in movements. But his comments on "discrimination free" Cuba and his statements on the economic and social advances effected there since Castro drew heavy audience criticism, particularily from Doctor Manuel Monal of the University Hospital staff. DR. MONAL IS a Cuban citizen, and origin- ally a Castro supporter,, but as of last November a political refugee, from what he repeatedly called the 'police state' of Cuba. This was in direct opposition to Williams who said, "I enjoyed a freedom (in Cuba) I have-never enjoyed here." Each side seemed limitlessly equipped with example, incident and quote to support its opinions, and there was never at any time a lack of people willing to stand and voice their views. The debate, which was entirely of a black versus white nature with any shades of grey daring to comment being immediately buried in the oratory that followed, lasted almost three hours. If at the end of that time the arguments had not increased in power, they certainly had in emotion. But if the rhetoric might have been over- extended at times it showed at least some- thing too often lacking in programs of this type-controversy between authorities. OFTEN A specialist in a field is asked to speak, he does, and the meeting dies there. Any dissenters in the audience feel too un- prepared to fight a questionable point alone, and so the other side is never mentioned. But in Wednesday's program William's op- position could and did array themselves around Dr. Monal. Though it was rather apparent that few if any of the audience changed their minds, at least the pro and con were well aired and a semblance of objectivity was reached., It would seem only logical in programs of this type to invite also prominent opponents to the chief speaker's ideas. If he is right, his stand becomes more powerful after defeating opposition; if he is wrong, then the fallacies should be pointed out. This would not only cause the evening to be more interesting, but also more informative, factual and of neccesity, more objective. Regardless of subject, a single-speaker dis- cussion is one-sided and often no more open to question than propaganda. -WILFRED ROY By RICHARD OSTLING Daily Staff Writer CONTROVERSY has been seeth- ing around the Washtenaw County sheriff's department for four years. Among the charges hurled at the county's chief law enforce- ment officer have been political firing, ticket fixing, organized competition with state police, low morale, inefficiency, bad book- keeping, bad working conditions and poor training of deputies. These local issues, .fomented largely by former deputies and the Ann Arbor News, point direct- ly to state-wide conditions like elected, rather than appointed, sheriffs, and the lack of a "civil service" type operation in employ- ing officers. * * * THE PRESENT sheriff, George Petersen, is doing all that is re- quired of him by state law, and present conditions were tolerated by the people of the county long before he assumed office. Even though he has been elect- ed to the position twice, it should be asked if the sheriff is doing what is required of him by the needs of the county and by pres- ent progress in law enforcement. An ex-convict on trial at cir- cuit court recently told the judge there might be a riot at the coun- ty jail because of the bad food served there. Other prisoners have complained because some of their number, who were given more active duties, got a different diet. It is hard to take such charges seriously because there will be trouble-makers in any such situa- tion and Petersen, in an executive position, is naturally liable to many such complaints. AND WHEN A DEPUTY who has been fired by the sheriff sounds off, it could easily be dis- missed as "sour grapes," except that the nature of the charges and the number of accusations make it improbable that they are all without any basis in fact. * * * EARL WILLIS, JR., fired by Pe- tersen after more than two years as a deputy, stated Dec. 1 that last Nov. 21 there was a closed meeting at which the sheriff told his men to "keep your mouths shut" to newspapermen and to refer all press inquiries to him- self. Petersen also announced at the meeting that there would be two complaint books kept but that re- porters would not see one of them. Willis said. The "gag rule" on information was never a written order, and only second-hand reports from Willis and other employes lead to suspicion The sheriff said to the press that he should be the only spokes- man for the affairs of his depart- ment, and that the two books were established so that one would in- clude only current cases. Even on a routine report check the officers involved usually clear their statements with the captain. * * * FORMER DEPUTY E 1m e r Klump says that long before the charges came out in the paper, "there was one book of reports they didn't let reporters see at all. This was where they could put information that might discredit the department." If there is a restriction of in- formation in practice or atmos- phere at the department, the peo- ple's right to know is being im- paired. Arresting officers have the direct knowledge on a case and normally should be free to give information on these matters. At the same time it is necessary for the department to keep good relations with its reporters, who can give invaluable assistance to the department in print. If limitations exist, they are either an ill-advised hindrance in the way of reporters in the name of efficiency, or else a meth- od of concealing faults within the department. * * * AN UNIDENTIFIED deputy claimed last July that Petersen had threatened his men with fir- ing if they did not contribute to a newspaper advertisement favor- ing Petersen's re-election in the fall. The ad reportedly was to have the deputies' pictures surrounding the sheriff's with indication that they endorsed his candidacy. Petersen denied the charges, saying "If my deputies wish to make known their political sup- port for me, I welcome it. But I have never forced anyone to help me in this campaign unless they wished to do so of their own free will." The incident was raised again when Willis said he was fired be- cause he supported Elmer Klump, Petersen's primary candidate, and because he was suspected of being the deputy who "leaked" the ad- vertising story to the Ann Arbor News. Willis 'said that Petersen had promised in a meeting to "make it up" to those who supported him and to "get even" with those who failed to help out in his cam- paign. * * * USE OF POLITICAL tactics was also charged last summer by Jerry R. Holtz who had resigned his deputy position many months before. Holtz, who had worked under four different sheriffs, said that "civilians who have no connection with or knowledge of police work are now in control of this coun- ty's sheriff's department." He declared that two Ypsilanti businessmen were given two-way police radios in their private cars, and deputy cards "because the sheriff had political debts to pay off." Another charge was that tick- ets are returned with the state- ment "dismissed on order of the sheriff" on, them. Holtz said that he knew personally of four oc- casions in a period of less than a year when pressure was used "to gain a release or a reduction in charge." * * * LAST JULY deputy Charles L. Broderick resigned and charged the sheriff with compromising good law enforcement "through cheap, pork barrel politics." "Political expediency or person- al friendship always seemed to beat justice to the wire," said Broderick in explaining why he quit the force, and cited two ex- amples. In March, 1960, Broderick chas- ed a speeder going 110 miles an hour on slippery, icy roads, but lost the race. Later he found out the driver was ,a former village policeman and summoned him for questioning. Petersen intervened during the interrogation, spoke to the man briefly, shook hands, and had him released. The November before, Broderick said he found a five-ton auto wrecker lying on its side near a highway. Later an "obviously in- toxicated" man arrived and ad- mitted he was driving the vehicle during the accident. The driver said he had just been at the sheriff's house getting a ticket fixed. Although Broderick tiled an accident report and com- plaint, the papers disappeared the next day, he said. LAST SUMMER Ypsilanti con- stable Thomas W. Brown demand- ed a warrant against the sheriff's department because a speeding ticket issued by his department was confiscated by deputies and no legal action was ever made. Brown related that the defend- ant was taken to a substation by deputies where a desk man made a telephone call. After this, the deputies told the speeder not to worryabout the ticket because "it was taken care of." Klump privately has made sim- ilar charges. Could all of these cases be idle rumors or headline-hunting? * * * IT IS IRONIC that charges of political firing have been leveled against Petersen, for he himself was a victim of this tactic in the 1958 county election campaign. On April 2 Captain Petersen announced his intention of run- ning against sheriff Robert E. A. Lillie in the Republican primary. On April 3 Lillie fired Petersen so that his candidacy would not be "construed as disloyalty or de- ceit" and to prevent "any possi- ble presumption that your duties will be neglected." * * * PETERSEN WROTE a letter to Lillie stating "you talked to me about my candidacy, only a few weeks ago and even encouraged it. I am forced to the conclusion that I have been discharged for purely political reasons." And just two years later Peter- sen, who beat out Lillie in the 1958 wrangle, fired Elmer Klump from his staff after Klump had an- nounced his candidacy for Peter- sen's office. The official reason for firing was a hidden case of bootlegging in Klump's distant past, but the actual reason was probably poli- tical. To the Editor: IF WE DIRECT our attention specifically towards composi- tion, the current controversy in the Michigan Daily over engineer- ing English seems to be marked by adherence to a particular point of view on the part of those at- tacking the program. This view is that it is essential for the engi- neer to be trained in creative writing and that training in crea- tive writing prepares the engineer to do the type of writing he must be prepared to do. Why this atti- tude has developed it is difficult to say, but it has, as many stu- dents who don't like to write have found to be the case in literary college composition courses. The literary college's "red hot major league outfit" includes some faculty who are quite unable to empathize with the engineer's need for, and interest in, writing of an expository nature and his hatred of so-called creative writ- ing, which after all, he looksupon as the province of the professional literary writer. To the "red-hot" writing is an end in itself, to the engineer it is a "tool" subject, ONE MIGHT examine some consequences of this accent on creative writing. Many students because of their lack of interest and associated lack of talent in this direction find their English composition classes an exquisite torture. Their experiences may re- sult in feelings of inadequacy about writing and negative condi- tioning toward it which will make it more difficult for later faculty to teach these students'writing or for them to write when they area motivated to do so. These feelings may like the strength of Father William's jaw last them the rest of their lives. It might be further mentioned that it sometimes seems as though the literary college's emphasis on creative writing makes it neces- sary for its students to learn re- port writing on their own through preparing term papers in subjects other than English. To avoid this, in the Engineering English writ- ing course, the, student is given careful and detailed instruction in preparing technical reports on ma- terial about which he is interest- ed and of which he has adequate knowledge. ** * IN THE OPINION of this facul- ty member, and parent of an engi- neering'student, some attention might usefully be directed toward a required freshman English course (even in the literary col- lege) emphasizing report writing with later, possibly elective, courses in creating writing. High schools might consider such a pro- gram as well. To require an engi- neer to take a course primarily directed toward creative writing because he needs to be able to communicate seems to me to be somewhat analogous to requiring of the English lit major that he take a course in automotive me- chanics because he will probably need in time to drive a car. --Thornton Woodward Zeigler DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN (Continued from Page 2) assistance in mktg. of bleaching sys- tems & equipment. Some travel in U.S., Canada, overseas involved. Cleveland State Hospital, Cleveland-- Graduate Bacteriologist. Please call Bureau of Appoint's., 4021 Admin., Ext. 3371 for further details. Employment The following part-time Tobs are available. 'Applications can be made in the Non-Academic Personnel: Office, 1020 Admin. Bldg., Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Employers desirous of hiring part- time 'or temporary emuployes should contactrJack Lardie, at NO 3-1511, ext. 2939. Students desiring miscellaneous jobs should consult the bulletin board In Room 1020, daily. MALE 1-Room in exchange for light work. 1--Dark-room technician, afternoons and weekends. 4-Social photographers, mostly week- end work. 1-Experienced radio and TV repair- man, hours to be, arranged. 1-Experienced camera repairman (min. 20 hours per week). 10-Psychological subjects, hours to be arranged. 39-Psychological subjects, two 1% hour periods, total tlime. 2-Salesmen, commission basis, must have car. 1-Full-time temporary electronlcs, technician. FEMALE 2-Saleswomen, commission basis, must have car. 13-Psychological subjects, two 1% hour periods, 'total time. 9-Psychological subjects (21 or over, for drug experiments). BLUE CROSS, BLUE SHIELD: Health Insurance Cost, Rates Rise TODAY AND TOMORROW Federal Aid to Education By WALTER LIPPMANNV )ESPITE SEN. GOLDWATER, who has just declared that Federal aid to education is unconstitutional," the practice of Federal aid % in fact older than the constitution. As early s the Land Ordinance of 1785, the Confedera- on provided that the 16th section of each )wnship or one-thirty-sixth of the acreage a the public land estates should be granted to he states by the national government for the enefit of the common schools. Ever since the Federal union was established has been giving aid to education in a large ariety of ways, and it is sheer deception to eclare that what has always been done is unconstitutional." NTHILE FEDERAL AID has been given since the founding tof the nation, what has ever been done has been to set up Federal mtrol of education. It is indeed quite con- ary to American principles and practices for ie Federal government to control what is aught in the public schools, how it is taught, ho teaches it. The control of education is eserved to the states, and no one engaged in le present discussion is proposing to tamper ith that principle. The Kennedy program is nequivocal and scrupulous in reserving to the ates the control of education. Thus in the proposed contribution to public ementary and secondary schools, the Ken- edy program leaves it to each state to decide hether the 'Federal contribution shall be sed to build schools or to raise teacher sal- ries. The loan program for clglege housing nd for academic facilities is operated by local dtiative. The four-year program for scholar- hips is to be "state-administered." Why, then, with such careful respect for ates' rights, is it necessary to bring in the ederal government at all? The answer is that ie number of children and youths who have be educated has outgrown the resources hich can be raised in a very large number of ae states. The American nation can quite well 'ford to educate all its young at least at the vel of the most advanced states, for example, alifornia. It is nonsense to argue that the nited States is too poor to educate its child- funds is left to the fifty state legislatures and the local school districts. Here is the essence of the Kennedy program. It has nothing to do with the control of edu- cation. It does not propose to have the Federal government pay all the costs, supplanting the states and localities. It does propose to supple- ment state and local funds with a compara- tively small contribution. THIS SUPPLEMENTARY support has become necessary because of the spectacular in- crease in the school population which began after the second World War and seems certain to continue for the next ten years. The cost of educating this growing number of children is rising and will continue to rise, according to the estimates of the highly reliable and conservative Committee on Economic Develop- ment. Even if prices remain constant, even if educational standards are not raised, the costs per pupil will rise by almost half during the 'Sixties. For teacher salaries will have to rise in order to keep pace with earnings in other professions. A large part of the pupils will be in high schools, where the cost per pupil is much higher than in the elementary schools. As against this, state and local taxes are, as Beardsley Ruml put it, encountering stiffer resistance. As tax burdens become heavier, the reconciliation of opposing views about taxes becomes increasingly difficult. One reason for the slower growth of state and local revenues is the necessary reliance of those governments, especially the localities, upon the property tax. IN ALL THIS we must not fall into the mis- take of thinking that this is a proposal to tax the rich, and supposedlymore public spirited,. states, for the benefit of the poorer and less energetic states, The truth is that the poorer states are on the whole making a greater effort to support their schools than are the richer states. Thus there are thirty-one states with an in- come per school child which is below the national average. Yet they are spending 3.6 per cent of their personal income on schools where- By RISA AXELROD Daily Staff writer HOSPITAL COSTS are rising; scientific and technological advances have increased the price of adequate medical care; the average age of the population is changing; standards of living are growing higher-all these factors are leading to the increased cost of health insurance, a nation-wide problem., One-half the people of Michi- gan are currently affected by the success or failure of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield requests for a combined 18 per cent rate increase - one major example of the rising cost of health insur- ance. The problem is more complex than it may at first appear. Some members of the public fee that they are already paying too much for medical care, while the Blue Cross and Blue Shield organiza- tions assert that they cannot con- tinue on their present incomes. ** * ON THE ONE HAND, there has been concern from some quarters as to the way the money is being spent; they have shown resent- ment and irritation concerning the ever-increasing cost of pre- payment health insurance. On the other hand, the facts show that Blue Cross is nearing a financial crisis, having already, dipped dangerously far into its reserves, while Blue Shield, in a more advanced state of crisis, has declared a $2 million deficit. .t present the case for the in- creased rates is before Insurance Commissioner Frank Blackford, who has held three open hear- ings. It was here that some of the public resentment came to light. * * * IN VIEWING the problem, sev- eral questions immediately be- come aparent: Why are the two insurance organizations so deeply in debt? What is causing the ever- growing cost of maintaining ade- quate health care? Where is the money going and how well is it being spent? By whom and where are the controls being exerted? These and other questions have been reviewed by a University Study, begun in 1958 at the re- quest of a. Governor's Commis- sion. Conducted by the Bureau of Hospital Administration under the direction of Prof. Walter McNer- ney, the study of hospital and medical economy has been financ- ed by a $372,000 Kellogg grant. During the course of this year the study will publish a report of its findings which will then be submitted to the public. The re- port will survey organization, management and effectiveness of commercial insurance companies, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield, plus the problems which the doctors, hospitals and public have encountered in this area. * * * McNERNEY, in outlining some of the important factors which have led to the request for in- creased Blue Cross and Blue Shield rates, noted that diagnosis and treatment are becoming more complicated and that hospital ad- missions per 1,000 people is ris- ing; in 15 years it has increased from 117 to 164 patients. In addi- tion, hospital and medical costs have doubled in the last 10 years, in tune with a general condition' of inflation. Membership in Blue Cross and Blue Shield has risen in Michi- gan by over 3 million members since 1940. Blue Cross, which pays approximately 90 per cent of its policy holder's hospital bills, has had to contend with this increas- ed membership and their ever- growing hospital bills. Further, hospital costs them-, selves are increasing. This can be attributed to such factors as salary raises, reduction in work- ing hours of hospital employees, advancing complexity of medical science and the demands it has made on hospital personnel and facilities; and improved standards of living, leading to demands for better food and better accommo- dations. BLUE CROSS, which received a rate increase in 1959, and Blue Shield which received a rate in- crease in the summer of 1960, have requested another increase by April 1, an increase which will also provide for additional income to build up their reserves. Some of the critics of its pres- ent payment formula declare that there is no positive incen- tive toward efficiency in opera- tion, nor any positive penalty for inefficiency in operation or for unwarranted increases in hospi- tal operating costs. Many people fear that addition- al increases will be needed in fu- ture years to cover expanding medical services and operations. This pinpoints the need for ade- quate and efficient control of hos- pital management and Blue Cross-, Blue Shield funds. At the present' time the structure of control seems to be vague. It Is unclear where the prepayment agency's power ends and the power of the doctor or hospital begins. How the three can be made to work to- gether effectively is another un- solved problem. * C * WHO HAS THE authority to say whether unwarranted ambulatory services are being rendered, or whether,. diagnostic cases that could be handled through the doc- tor's office are taking 'up &xtra services and extra days in a hospi- tal? And who has the power to correct such situations? Perhaps the basic question be- comes one of Blue Cross's position -is it an agency of hospitals or an agency of the pulbic? According to its objective, Blue Cross's aim is to provide non- profit prepayment hospital care as required by the people of the state of Michigan and to provide a dependable and adequate fi- nancial base for the operation of the voluntary general hospitals in the state. It remains to be asked whether Blue Cross is measuring up to these aspirations. The insurance .cmmmissiofier may well recommend definite steps towards more effective con- trol of funds. These, it is hoped, will aid Blue Cross in fulfilling the needs to which it has com- mitted itself. * * * HOWEVER, the problem will not end here. Hospital and medical costs are expected to continue to rise because of the increasing scope ofservices and payroll and admission rate considerations. Ef- fective plans for the future will r need to be made if these costs are to be controlled without calling upon the public year after year to pay additional health insurance premiums. The situation demands. wide- spread understanding and con- structive thinking on the part of the public as well as the organi- zations involved. E PROSPECT OF domination of the nation's scholars by G~rita m ,ntrnn.- nri - -)a . . . . . . . . . .... . . .....:-:. .:. . . : : i4~ . { . + : . : : 5 : v. : . y $ $ : : AT ~ A~tY [V . . . : .: # V DfAY 4 tCS -j j - . +-.--_ . .. . .. . .. . SYOU .. ... . .. ... .. . . . ..:. . ' k: :" 1