"They're Gaining on Us"
Seventieth Year
EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MICH. * Phone NO 2-3241
"When Opinions Are Free
Truth Will Prevail"
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JOINT JUDIC:
Violations Dealt With
In Curious' Manner
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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 5, 1959
NIGHT EDITOR: KATHLEEN MOORE
OBSERVATION POINT
NEVER HAVE so many worked for so long
to accomplish so little. This might be a way
to sum up the present Michigan tax situation.
The involved fight over the state's tax future,
now moving into its second year, has reached
levels of partisanship, bitterness, obscurity and
confusion that may well be new lows for Michi-
gan state politics. And perhaps the worst aspect
of all the furor is that it has been far more
destructive than constructive.
A year of discussion and acrimonious debate,
instead of producing a compromise, as is norm-
ally the case in the democratic political pro-
cess, has produced only more hatred, confusion
and misunderstanding. With monotonous regu-
larity, "new" tax plans are proposed in the
state legislature, and with just as monotonous
and far more frightening regularity, they are
rejected or consigned to an obscure death in
committee.
AND WHILE THIS supposedly constructive
political debate goes on, the state's political
life and parties suffer greatly.
In the eyes of many of the state's voters.
both political parties have not performed well
at all. Seemingly, they both have been content
to place partisan considerations above the
benefit of the state and have been more
content to "play politics" with the state's
future.
Some of this is, understandable, if not ex-
plainable. In the past 10 years Republicans
have suffered a disastrous political decline and
may feel that the present tax crisis offers them
a perfect opportunity to recoup their fortunes.
And the author of many of the Republicans'
problems, Governor Williams. is caught square-
ly in the middle of the tax dilemma. "We've
got Williams where we want him, now let's see
him squirm," say some Republicans,
ON THE OTHER HAND, the Democrats are
feeling uneasy about their political future,
as it is unlikely that Williams will run for the
Governorship again. They are anxious to place
any blame for the tax crisis squarely with the
Republicans. They have adopted largely a
stand-off attitude toward any Republican tax
proposals; "You've got the votes, you solve the
problem" seems to be their position.
Accusations concerning control of both par-
ties by somewhat disreputable non-party or-
Differin
.. .Philip Power I
ganizations and interests have become common.
Personal antagonisms between and even
within the parties have not made compromise
and constructive debate any easier,
THE VERY LENGTH and complexity of the
debate has hurt chances for a successful
solution. The public has constantly been as-
saulted by a barrage of conflicting plans and
opinions, accurate information concerning basic
areas of the problem is unattainable, and a
consensus in the general public and the result-
ing pressure on the Legislature has been lack-
ing.
In the Legislature itself, the length of the tax
debate has made many legislators lose interest,
and much of the present problem may be due
to the fact that many of them have gotten
tired of the whole thing. Weekend recesses,
instead of lasting two or three days have
stretched to four or five.
BT TOVERALL, it appears that a large factor
in the entire mess has been an excess of
partisan feeling, which has made any effective
compromise on the tax issue impossible. It is
becoming increasingly clear that a purely
party-sponsored solution-whether proposed by
one side or the other-will probably be inade-
quate and unacceptable. Too much has hap-
pened and too many people are too concerned
with saving their political faces to allow an
equitable compromise.
It may be that the citizens of the state will
ultimately reject any purely party consideration
of the problem, and take things into their own
hands. Perhaps the non-partisan approach of
George Romney's Citizens for Michigan group
may hold the eventual answer. The group,
with a wide non-political membership, has set
up a comprehensive program to gather perti-
nent information about the tax problem. Rom-
ney himself has disavowed any political ambi-
tions, and perhaps the relative calm and un-
biased approach of the group may result in a
workable tax plan.
Once this has been developed, the Citizens
group has such a wide backing in the elector-
ate, the political' parties have such a low
reputation with the people, and the Legislature
is in such a confused state that the proferred
plan may be accepted.
Who knows? Sanity may return to Michigan
politics ... some day.
By CHARLES KOZOLL
Personnel Director
AN UNUSUAL body meets every
Thursday night in the third
floor SGC conference room in the
Student Activities Building.
The group is called Joint Ju-
diciary Council.
It convenes to deal with dis-
ciplinary problems brought to it
by the Offices of the Dean of Men
and Dean of Women; through the
power vested in the members in-
directly by the Regents, they can
dispose of conduct cases in the
manner their group feels is best.
* * * -
JOINT JUDIC is able to deal
with them because the University
over a period of 60 years has
gradually shifted this responsi-
bility from faculty and deans, to
administrators, then to students.
A committee on student conduct
(which contains some of the lead-
ing faculty here and has not met
since 1947) has been actually given
the supervisory authority.
Since the committee has not
met for that length of time and it
doesn't appear that such a gather-
ing will take place in the near fu-
ture, the actual work is done by
a subcommittee on discipline com-
posed of three faculty members.
But again this committee's work
has been largely delegated to the
ten students who compose Joint
Judic. They actually deal with the
cases which range from minor
traffic violations to major infrac-
tions of the drinking regulations.
* * *
THE FACULTY subcommittee
reviews each case and can reverse
a decision, but such action is rare.
The two deans' offices are im-
portant in that they can deter-
mine which cases will appear on
the Council docket.
Herbiock is away due to ajsnessco w 5% m oSL L " " *PsbICai
MAX LERNER:
India Adopts Get Tough' China Policy
N EW DELHI-The great debate
on foreign policy in the Indian
parliament is finished. A tougher
China line is emerging in fact, but
at least in theory the traditional
Indian foreign policy of non-align-
ment still stands. Nehru's control
of the majority Congress Party
and his talent for compromise
have again enabled him to ride out
the storm.
Now that he has survived his
parliamentary opponents it only
remains for Nehru and India to
survive the Chinese aggressors.
* * *
THERE IS nothing new in sub-
stance in Nehru's current position.
What is new is a mood of stern
commitment to military vigilance
and the flat position- embodied
earlier in treaties but now stated
afresh-that any Chinese aggres-
sion toward the border areas of
Nepal, Byutan and Sikkim will be
counted as aggression against In-
dia.
This is a belated recognition of
what should now be obvious --
that the Chinese advances are not
the accidental results of muddled
or disputed maps but part of a
grand design. The design is noth-
ing less than to follow the subju-
gation of Tibet by annexing the
ethnically related areas, and then
to cross the Himalayas' and thus
deprive India of her natural pro-
tective fortresses and lay her open
to invasion.
FOLLOWING the course of this
debate from the press gallery, one
gets a feeling of how unique India
is in the whole of Asia as the only
functioning parliamentary democ-
racy, between Israel and Japan.
Nowhere else will you get this free
and fearless interchange between
the government and the loyal op-
position (I do not count the Com-
munists. who are now sycophants
of Nehru but would form a fifth
column at the first chance.
Nehru's opening speech was
weak but marked by a dramatic
episode when he lost his temper
and called the opposition "a mot-
ley crew with motley ideas" and
raised an uproar. The speeches by
his three principal opponents -
Kripalani, Asoka Mehta and Moo-
yani-had both weight and verve.
Krishna Menon spoke soberly and
effectively enough to ride out his
own personal crisis as defense
minister for a whole. When Nehru
made his closing speech, much
stronger than his opening one, his
effort was to heal wounds and
reassure those who still doubted
his will to resist Chinese aggres-
sion.
* * *
ACTUALLY NEHRU, with his
overwhelming majority, never
faced any parliamentary danger.
His real test always comes inside
his own Congress Party, whose
internal balance between left and
right he must continue to main-
tain. Thus the decisive meetings
were not the open ones in parlia-
ment but the closed ones of the
SFigures
Plague Tax Problem
REPUBLICAN legislators are anxious to solve
the state's financial problems for the short-
run, for the fiscal year 1959-60. Democratic
legislators and the administration look to a
long-run solution. And the Democrats seem
content to use any means, fair or foul, to at-
tain what they want.
Republican strategy (referring particularly
to the Senate) looks like this: At all costs the
GOP legislators will go for a raise in the sales
tax.
Democrats, on the other hand, back an in-
come tax. Led by Gov. G. Mennen Williams,
they see it as the only final solution to the fi-,
nancial chaos.o
BUT DEMOCRATS have no right to throw
up a smokescreen around facts of imme-
diate interest just so Republicans won't use
them. Seemingly, this is what the Democratic
administration has done.
State Treasurer Sanford A. Brown is "still
sticking with"', $308 mililon estimates for 1959-
60 revenues made last summer, although reve-
nues have already grown in the first five
months of the 1959-60 fiscal year. At present,
he arrives at the $308 million figure by add-
ing $10 million "windfall" from the discon-
tinued use tax to $2987 million, which is basic
revenue brought in by taxes last year.
Tax revenues for the first five months of
1959-60 already show an approximate $30 mil-
lion increase over revenues in the same period
last year. But Brown says he cannot add this
increase to his estimate, nor a projection of in-
creased 'revenues for the rest of the year, be-
cause - "some things can happen, who knows
what?"
WELL, WHAT? It is true that shutdowns in
the auto industry caused by the steel strike
will slow returns in the next few months. Nev-
ertheless, recovery from last year's recession
may be expected to bring tax returns for the
next seven months at least as high as the in-
creases for the five months just past.
The state treasurer will not say so. Such a
statement might indicate to Republican legis-
lators, especially senators, that they have less
of a financial gap to fill. But these senators
have found the figures anyway, and they base
new tax estimates on what they call the
"growth factor."
$297 million brought in by taxes last year can
safely be expected also for 1959-60. To this
the Republicans add a $12 to $15 million
"windfall" figure, plus $19 million increase so
far in sales tax collections, plus $8 million al-
ready collected under the new business activi-
ties and "hotel-motel" taxes, plus about $20
million in other taxes already collected which
are above last year's level for the first five
months.
This brings expected revenue to roughly $347
million, and adding estimated $28 million tax
returns increases for the next seven months
brings the total to $375 million. Then, if the
$34 million "nuisance tax" package is passed,
six months' collections will bring over $15 mil-
lion. To this the Republicans wish to add $40
million by liquidating the Veterans' Trust
Fund, and all in all, they say, they will meet
the $400 million expenses and also shave the
deficit to $65 million.
A LOT of figures to throw around, particu-
larly when the state treasurer does not ad-
mit they are there to be used.
One of his objections, other than political,
should be noted. Much of the additional tax
returns which the Republicans propose to
spend are earmarked for restricted funds. For
instance, two thirds of sales tax collections
(which would be two thirds of the newly found
$19 million) go to the school aid fund. Legis-
lative appropriations are supposed to be made
from the General Fund, rather than specific
ones such as this.
However,ain the past the Legislature has
filled in restricted fund deficiencies by allotting
money from the General Fund, so they may
now be permitted to play around with restrict-
ed monies.
OF COURSE Republican estimates are op-
timistic. University sources say the approxi-
mate $70 million in new revenues which the
Republicans estimate is too high - it is more
like $50 or $60 million. Further, they indicate
that proposed Republican financing will not
"shave" the cash deficiency.
And violent objections to patch-by-patch
GOP financing are in order on principle. The
state has waited too long already to solve its
problems. Its creditors can wait only so long
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Engineers Develop Mental Shills
Congress Party where Nehru had
to face criticism that never be-
came revolt.
Both Nehru and the opposition
use parliament as a way of carry-
ing the great debate to the press
and the people. The whole nation
is arguing the question of what
the Chinese Communists want and
why, and how far they will go and
how India can resist, and whether
Nehru's decision have been right.
THE INDIAN party lineup is
four-pronged. The Congress Party,
born in the independence move-
ment, has the great majority of
seats although it has been losing
ground in recent local elections.
On its left are the Socialists and
the Communists. On its right are
the Jan Sangh and the Hindu
Mahasabh and the newly-formed
Swatantra Free Enterprise Party.
However sharp the differences
are between these parties on eco-
nomic and domestic policies the
lines get blurred and shifted on
foreign policy. The Communists
have embarrassed Nehru with their
support of his China policy, partly
because they sense the nationalist
mood of the people, which showed
itself in mob threats against their
recent conference, and partly be-
cause they fear the prospect of be-
ing outlawed as a party. The par-
ties of the right in turn have
joined with the Socialists in a.
common anti-Congress front on
the China question.
IF NEHRU'S China policy has
toughened he still clings to his
curious fear of asking for military
aid, on the ground that it would
bring India into the "American
military camp" and thereby jeo-
pardize its freedom. Kripalani in a
powerful speech pointed out that
Yugoslavia in an hour of crisis
took military aid from America
and still remains in the Marxist
camp.
I suspect that the key here is
less a question of theory than of
diplomatic tactics. Nehru, who in-
sists that the aggressive force is
not communism but China, is bent
on balancing a neutral and even
friendly Russia against a hostile
China. The fact is that he could
not do so if he moved any farther
toward American military aid.
Here however precedent looms
as an important consideration and
only in cases involving "moral im-
plications" or where "it would not
be profitable for a student to ap-
pear before the Council" will these
offices intervene.
In reality then, ten students are
given a great deal of legal power
within the tiny nation-state called
the University of Michigan.
Double penalization for one vio-
lation can be found when someone
who has already been fined by
the city officials is additionally
"stung" by the Council. In every
case the charge used by the Coun-
cil is "conduct unbecoming a stu-
dent" by violating a certain rule.
* * *
THE CHAIRMAN usually ad-
dresses an individual at the start
of his hearing and points out that
"we sit not only as a court but as
a 'peer' group." And with this dual
purpose made known, Joint Judic
tries a case with the use of legal-
istic and/or sociological methods
of questioning.
While the fact that relatively
untrained people deal with what
are loosely termed their "peers"
is certainly curious, it is not the
most questionable part of the en-
tire proceedings.
In a court the rationals which
can influence a jury are fairly
evident. Here, the student is not
only limited in the amount of help
he can receive and defense he can
present, but is also unable to ob-
tain any hint as to the reasoning
behind the Council's final decision.
* * *
PRECEDENT which wills mem-
bers of cases to the Council isn't
often a very valid guide to what-
ever course may be taken. Bound
only by the nebulous phrase of
"conduct unbecoming a student"
Joint Judiciary can pass the limits
of merely imposing fines and pro-
bationary periods.
Embalmed in the aura of mys-
tery within which it conducts its
proceedings in order "to protect
the individual," the Council can
be imagined as some distant body
which looks down on a sinning
University campus with a disdain-
ful sneer.
Silent and secret guardians of
our somewhat archaic rules, this
body has few checks and even
more unfortunately must depend
on hopefully careful selection
practices for sound and thought-
ful members.
Balanced groups, who use their
perogatives wisely, do balance the
strangely oligarchic principles built
into this disciplinary system - I
hope.,
DAILY
OFFICIAL
BULLETIN
The Daily Official Bulletin is an
official publication of The Unver-
ity of Michigan for which The
Michigan Daily assumes no edi-
torial responsibiity. Notices should
be sent in TYPEWRITTEN form to
Room 3519 Administration Build-
ing, before 2 p.m. the day preceding
publication. Notices for Sunday
Daily due at 2:00 p.m. Friday.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1959
VOL. LXX, NO. 91
General Notices
Box Office open Monday, Lydia Men-
delssohn Theatre, 10 a.m., for tickets
to John Osborne's outstanding modern
drama, "Epitaph for George Dillon,"
Because of limited ticket availability
for Fri. and Sat. performances, patrons,
should purchase reservations at their
earliest convenience. $1.50, $1.L0, 75c.
Concerts
Messiah - Handel's Oratorio will be
presented by the University Musical
Society Sat., Dec. 5 at 8:30 p.m. and
Sun., Dec. 6 at 2:30 p.m. in Hill Aud.
with the University Choral Union and
soloists, Saramae Endichl, Gladys Kriese,
Charles ONeill and Yi-ewi Sze. Les-
ter McCoy, conductor. Standing room
tickets will be available at the Hill
Aud. box office at 7:00 p.m. Saturday
and 1:00 p.m. Sunday.
Academic Notices
Engrg. Mechanics Seminar, Mon.,
Dec. 7 at 4:00 p.m. in Rm. 218, W.
Engrg. Bldg. H. W. Dewey, Assoc. Prof.
of Russian, of the Dept of Slavic Lan-
guages, will speak on "An American
View of Russian Higher Education."
Coffee will be served in Rm. 201 W.
Engrg., at 3:30 p.m.
(Continued on Page 5)
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To the Editor:
THE PERSON receiving a Bache-
lor of Science degree from the
Engineering College of the Uni-
versity of Michigan is a highly
skilled individual who has been
disciplined quite thoroughly in the
field of analytical thinking. He
probably has a keener mind than
his Literary College brother and
is capable of some very rational
thinking. This is because he has
been through an intense training.
period of four years, the main pur-
pose of which was to develop these
exact traits.
Upon completing his schooling,
the graduating engineer has ample
opportunities to begin working in
a field he has chosen. A field where
he can create. He is also getting
paid a very comfortable salary.
I will go so far as to say that
many of the graduating seniors in
the Literary College wish that they
had a degree in engineering when
they find out that "their dabbling
in the arts" doesn't mean a damn
thing. They usually end up doing
some type of work that they do
not exactly enjoy but it is making
a living. Meanwhile the engineer
is quite happy when he gets up in
the morning and realizes that his
four years of effort have really
paid off.
ai . * * *
I WOULD also like to mention
that the graduating engineer is
acutely aware of the happenings
of the outside world and is in a'
good position to do something
about it. The future of the world
will be determined by the accom-
plishments of the scientists and
engineers, not by the artists.
It may also be of interest to
some people to know that the en-
gineer works 40 hours a week and
has ample time for outside activ-
ities. In other words, he is usually
one of the more desirable members
of any community.
As a final dig at Mr. Huth-
waite's article of Novembeg 14, I
would like to quote the following
lines from a current Broadway
play. They are as follows:
Some people sit on their butts,
Got the dream,
But not the guts.
This does not apply to the gradu-
ating engineer of the University
of Michigan.
--Nat Friedman, Grad.
Harpsichords .. .
To The Editor:
I'VE HAD my doubts about the
value of The Daily as an in-
formative newspaper, but these
doubts have been dispelled as a
result of J. L. Forsht's informative
essay on his friend Gordon and
the "Ill-Tempered Harpsichord."
This work is a masterpiece of in-
genuity, human interest, and su-
perior intellect-comparable to the
lesser works of Steinbeck, Hem-
ingway, and Walt Disney. Keep
up the good work Forsht and lets
have more articles on harpsi-
chords!
-Danny Malamud, '6
Txaio Is a Many-S plendored Thing ...
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