I President ilr mirhigan Dail Eighty-four years of editorial freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan fails as a conic Wednesday, October 16, 1974 News Phone: 764-0552 420 Maynard St.; Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 (Rocky's motives questioned SOME RATHER weighty questions have recently been raised in re- gards to the uses to which vice-presi- dential nominee Nelson Rockefeller has put some of his money - ques- tions of such nature as to make us seriously question whether this is the man we want to be our next vice president. Due to his wealth, Nelson Rocke- feller has often been considered above the reach of normal political influences, such as the temptation to grant political favors in return for campaign contributions. The question, "Has he been using his wealth to further his own political ambitions?" has never been asked be- fore, and there now appears to be some indication that this may in fact be true. Since the asking of this question, some alarming information has been made public. Rockefeller has disclos- ed that during the past 17 years he has made gifts and loans to the tune of $2 million to present and former public officials and staff aides. In addition, unconfirmed reports con- tend he has made gifts to public and political figures outside of New York state. THE DISTURBING implication of this disclosure is that these gifts were intended to buy the loyalties of the public servants involved. In a letter to Senator Howard Can- non (D-Nev.), chairman of the Sen- ate Rules Committee, which is pre- sently considering his nomination, Rockefeller claimed that all of the recipients of his gifts were account- able to him and that they shared identical viewpoints with the gover- nor on matters of public policy. If so, New York is blessed with more meeting of the minds among public officials than any other state. Or could it be that Rockefeller's gener- TODAY'S STAFF: News: Cindy Hill, Andrea Lilly, Jeff Ristine, Judy Ruskin, Jeff Sorensen, Jim Tobin Editorial Page: Steve Ross, B e c k y Warner Arts Page: Ken Fink Photo Technician: Ken Fink Sports Staff MARC FELDMAN Sports Editor GEORGE HASTINGS Executive Sports Editor ROGER ROSSITER .... Managing Sports Editor JOHN KAHLER ........ Associate Sports Editor Photography Staff osity makes it easy to agree with him? Further doubts are cast upon Rockefeller's desirability as a pros- pective vice president by his admit- ted financing of an extremely unflat- tering biography of his one-time gub- ernatorial opponent Arthur Gold- berg. Didn't we just get rid of one poli- tician who employed similar tactics? Granted, Rockefeller apologized, but the deed has been done, and we have no guarantee that it won't happen again. THE ROCKEFELLER family has spent an estimated $25 million on po- litical campaigns over the years. This figure is based solely on reported ex- penses; the Goldberg book cost an extra $60,000 and was not included in the campaign expense category. One may rightly wonder how many other such side investments the fam- ily has made The statement made in the Chau- tauqua in 1887 that the "impecunious but unprincipled politician may do as much to damage political morals and corrupt the purity of government as any rich man will be likely to do" is put to the ultimate test by Rocke- feller, and any validity it had seems to be decreasing by the day. How can the American public de- termine whether or not loans made by the Chase Manhattan Bank were intended to further Rockefeller's per- sonal career? How much Rockefeller money has been used for projects similar to the Goldberg biography? If Rockefeller makes a sizable gift of money or art objects, is he being gen- erous or is he making a payment in expectation of future political sup- port? FOR SOME UNKNOWN reason, the Senate Rules Committee never questioned Rockefeller about these gifts. It's about time they did. In the post-Nixon period, the importance of such considerations cannot be ig- nored. Unless the questions surround- ing Rockefeller's munificence can be satisfactorily answered, his nomina- tion should be seriously re-examined. -SUE WILHELM LINDA ROSS.................Operations Manager SUEEDeSMET.................Finance Manager DEBBY NOVESS ........ Sales Manager DEPT. MGRS.: Laurie Gross, Ellen oJnes, Lisa Kanengiser. ASSOC. MGRS.: Rob Cerra, Karen Copeland, Niles Flescher, Kathy Keller. ASST. MGRS.: Janice Glinisty, Liz Kurnetz, Ro- sanne Lapinski, Beth Phillips, Nancy Ross and Dave Schwartz. SALESPEOPLE: Mike Binger, Susan Goldstick, Emily Hin, Bill Koopman, Steve LeMire, Andi Yakushav. Editorial Staff DANIEL BIDDLE Editor-in-Chief JUDY RUSKIN and REBECCA WARNER Managing Editors KENNETH FINK...................Arts Editor MARNIE HEYN.......Editorial Director SUE STEPHENSONF..e. ...Edeature Editor CINDY HILL............... Executive Director STAFF WRITERS: Prakash Aswani Gordon At- cheson, Laura Berman, Barb Cornell, Jeff Day, Della DiPietro, William Heenan, Steve Hersh, Jack Krost Andrea Lilly, Mary Long, Jeff Lux- enberg, Josephine Maircotty, Beth Nissen, Cheryl Pilate, Sara Rimer, Stephen selbst, Jeff Soren- son, Paul Terwilliger. By GORDON ATCHESON THE SPOTLIGHT focused on a tall, aging man as he stepped up to the microphone. Slowly, with an almost painfully de- liberate delivery, he cracked a joke. It wasn't funny. Still nearly 4,000 people who had just finished their $50 dinners laughed - not a deep, rolling belly- laugh but a polite titter. Was the performer some over-the-hill vaudeville comic up to do some old- time patter at an exclusive nightclub just before the headliner bursts on stage to thunderous applause? Was the laughter more a product of sympathy than anything else? Not quite. President Gerald Ford often entertains audiences - just like that one at a Re- publican Party fund-raiser in Detroit last week - with a brand of humor that strains to be funny and occasionally winds up in an illogical void. THE MAN FROM Grand Rapids blew his big joke of the night and the entire routine went downhill from there. "I do have to be honest," Ford said, leading into the punch line (that was not the funny part). "When the Wolver- ines are playing, asking me who I'm rooting for its about as necessary as asking Governor Milliken and Senator Griffin how to get to Traverse City." Well, if somebody doesn't know how to get to Traverse City or anywhere else in the state for that matter, he or she ought to ask directions. Of course, it would be much easier to get them from the guy who runs the gas station on the next corner, but one could call the governor's mansion or Griffin's Washington office. And what any of this has to do with Ford's allegiance to his Alma Mater's football team is pretty obscure. Quite frankly, the entire statement makes no sense. BUT THAT'S because Ford decided to ad lib the joke and got the key word wrong. According to the text, the Presi- dent should have said ". . . asking me who I'm rooting for is about as neces- sary as telling Governor Milliken and Senator Griffin how to get to Traverse City." Now granted the joke isn't much fun- nier. It does, however, form a clear logical pattern of thought - presuming that Milliken or Griffin could get to Traverse City from somewhere else in Michigan. Most of the audience probably didn't catch the subtle twist Ford pulled in try- Daily Photo by KEN FINK ing to improve his material. They just yukked it up, even though they weren't exactly sure the joke was humorous. Besides, there is an unwritten moral code that says a crowd must respond favorably when a high government offic- ial, particularly the president, tries to be a comic - no matter how bad the performance. THIS IS THE same set of rules that prevents people from belching during a sermon or standing up and shouting "encore" before a violinist has finished a solo. Protocol simply requires that some things be done while others are strictly taboo. But it's extremely tough to stick to those guidelines when it comes to Ford's funnies. At least he told the opening joke right, although it didn't help much. The thing was so far gone that a massive injec- tion of adrenaline wouldn't have revived it. "You don't know how much fun it was driving in from the airport and seeing so many nice people come out just to watch this Ford go by," he told the au- dience, smiling broadly. Ford probably first alluded to the similarity between his name and a make of car when he was sworn is as vice president nearly a year ago. At that time he remarked, "this Ford is not a Lincoln." Not an overly witty retort but just the type of comment the p'bhlic wanted to hear. IT REFLECTED humility, sincerity, and a nominal knowledge of American history - all fairly desirable traits in a rnan who proved to be a heartbeat, a scandal, and a resignation away from the nresidencv. However, Ford has probably used the s-rme comayrison in some form or other in almost all of his snepches since then, and - if you will - the vehicle is be- g'-ina to r'n oat of gas. Haying belabored the haeknpved once a in and goofed the original, Ford tried one more tactic-he inadvertently turned to the tasteless. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a dog biscuit and proceeded to say that he hadn't brought it for his own consumption. This provided a springboard for a me- andering story about the new dog his daughter Susan had bought a few days earlier. All the Republicans decked out in the latest fashion and expensive jewelry genuinely appreciated the line about eat- ing the dog biscuit. Imagine something as absurd as that. WELL, WITH THE rapidly rising cost of food, that's just what a lot of im- poverished families are doing. Federal social service agencies have found that poor people - particularly in the inner cities - are now eating pet food be- case they can't afford the real stuff. Of course, Ford certainly didn't mean to be crass with his little joke. It was harmless enough considering the cir- cimstances. But he'll probably never have to eat Purina Dog Chow because h- hqs no other choice. Hey, Mr. President, how do you get to Traverse City? Gordon Atcheson is a staff reporter for The Daily. Letters to Thu IA __'1 KAREN KASMAUSKI Chief Photographer KEN FINK Picture Editor STUART HOLLANDER .......StaffI STEVE KAGAN ..............StaffI PAULINE LUBENS.........Staff] Business Staff Photographer Photographer Photographer MARC SANCRAINTE Business Manager AMY KANENGISER.......Adertsing Manager clericals To The Daily: THERE HAVE been various ideas and attitudes expressed about whether we should resort to legal collective bargaining as a solution to the inequitable treatment we have come to ex- pect from the University. The issue raised by the no- union clericals presents an il- lusion to the rest of us which does not touch upon the reality of our situation. Trying to maintain our "individual rights" without the strength of u n i t y to enforce those rights is ludi- crous. If they sincerely believe that they can maintain dignity and self-respect alone against the bureaucracy of such a pres- tigious institution as the Univer- sity, it is obvious that they have never experienced the "fair" grievance procedure of the U of M. It is also apparent that they feel they should not have a voice in the decision-making process which formulates the policies that affect them. The biggest objection that seems to come through is t h a t clerical employes at this "pres- tigious" university are socially. above the so-called low-class stigma which they attach to the term union. What is so painful in adopting such an attitude is the ironic realization that these "low class, union people" make 40 to 50 per cent more in sal- ary per year than the "upper- class, white collar" secretary who is eligible for food stamps and can't afford meat. I SINCERELY hope that the 1,539 total votes cast in favor of legal collective bargaining in the first election will prove to those who were then undecided that the majority of us do feel we need the unity of a combined force to receive fair treatment, dignity, and respect. It appears that this runoff is our final op- portunity, and if we don't com- bine our efforts and help each other now, we will forever re- main in the situation in Which we find ourselves. We'll always be begging for favors fr:m the administration on an individual basis with no protection or re- course. If that happens - none of us will have any "rights." -Pat Filter C-4 Development Office 7:30 p.m., a wait must b. ex- pected. I do find it regrectanle that the editorial implied that the library staff is unaware of, and insensitive to, these delays. The problem does not nave any one, simple cause. Like ev- ery section of the University, the library is faced with bud- getary problems and certain limitations on staffing. The lib- rary does not have funds for unlimited personnel, but is for- tunate to have a core of hard- working student assistants who staff many areas of the Under- graduate Library. This year over 50 per cent of the students working at the Reserve Desk are new and just learning the job. Things do go a little -core slowly at first, but please re- member that these assistants are students too and are sympa- thetic to your problems. Impa- tience and discourtesy 4o lttle to improve their efficiency and quite naturally can upset them. IN COMPARISON to last year, the Reserve Desk has 11 per cent more staff. However, the Undergraduate Library has also taken over the course reserves for students working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and for most undergrad- uate courses in the School of Natural Resources. These pro- grams have grown so raaidly in recent years that their respec- tive libraries cannot keen up adequate services for their stu- dents. As mentioned above, the lib- rary relies heavily on student assistants. In general they are very steady workers but as with all students, their hours must remain very flexible. If this is not possible, it leaves the Re- serve Desk unavoidably under- staffed. There are some things that the students themselves can do to help the library in solving the problems and alleviating the de- lays: 1) When requesting a book, please copy down the com- plete call number and try to be accurate. It takes a lot of staff time to search for non-existant books. 2) Please bring your IDs. They are the only means the Reserve Desk has of charging out your books. 3) If your ID is cracked or damaged in any way, please have it replaced hefore it gets stuck in a charg- the list with you. This can save a great deal of time in waiting for your reserve notebook. IT WAS TO improve service for the students that the exit con- trol was installed and the lib- rary is pleased that it is suc- cessful. -Rose-Grace Faucher Head, Undergraduate Library Reuther To The Daily: I BELIEVE that people are capable of making a choice, when given a choice. My choice is among (not between) a joan Reuther who supports uncondi- tional amnesty, a John Reuther who supports general amnesty (for generals maybe?) and a John Reuther who supports a form of alternate service - "six months in VISTA, or something like that." Which John Reu- ther should I vote for? -Walter P. Kellenberg October 6 bike theft To The Daily: CLAUDIA KRAUS intended to do campus bikers a service with her article (1016/74) on protec- tion against bicycle theft. Her advice, however, is incomplete and partially misleading. Here are some things I've learned the hard way about bicycle pro- tection: 1) Don't park your bike any- where close to a street. Serious rip-off artists don't ride off on the bike they've taken. They make off with it safely in a car or van. 2) Buying a lock is a : good idea, but don't be fooled into a sense of security by any lock- a bolt-cutter can go through any of them. This is another reason to park your bike away from streets: a four-foot bolt- cutter is an obvious item when packed by your pedestrian thief. 3) FORGET THE Ann Arbor Police - don't register your bike. The police don't have a chance in the world of geatirng a good bike back. A report of a stolen bike is greeted by yawns. The police will not search for your bike. If they stumble over it, you might get it back, but don't count on it: 1 one-speed, ugly enough so that no one would want it. ' The banks, I suppose, are getting similar advice from Captain Klinge: stop keeping money, swallow your p r i d e, and you won't be robbed. BICYCLE THEFT is big busi- ness - ten bikes a day is at least a thousand balloons - and deserves the kind of attention - surveillance and investigation- heretofore reserved for 'hose victimless bugaboos considered "threats to public w".lfare ' by our boys in blue. -James Paul Grad, English depart- ment tenants To The Daily:. OPEN LETTER to candidates for public office: We would like to know your position regarding the following questions relating to tenant3: 1. As an elected official what would you do to help tenants? 2. Do you support a rent con- trol program? 3. What have you done in the past to help tenants? We would like to se. a public statement in response to these questions as soon as possible, and we intend to evaluate can- didates on the basis of their pub- licly stated positions on these questions. If you care to send us a form- al response, you can send it to oir office, 4110 Michigan Union, Ann Arbor, Michigan. -Ann Arbor Tenants Union October 8 farmworkers To The Daily: RECENT VISITS to your area by supporters of the United Farm Workers of America (UFWA) have been surrounded by misinformation and propa- ganda. In a nutshell, the UFWA is asking consumers 'throughout the country to boycott the com- modities harvested by another union so that the UFWA c a n force farmworkers to join the UFWA against their will. Who the hell are you, the consumer, to decide which un- ion should represent the farm- Those who were once members of the UFWA became fed up with that union's failure to ful- fil its promises and inability to function as a legitimate profes- sional trade union. CESAR CHAVEZ and the UFWA lost the support of i t.s workers in the fields. Now, they are asking you to step in and force workers out of the Team- sters and into the UFWA. If you support the boycotts of lettuce, grapes and Gallo wine, you will help the UFWA subvert the will of the workers. You will also help destroy the jobs workers already have made by choos- ing Teamster representation. Under Teamster contracts, farmworkers receive wages and benefits superior to those under UFWA contracts. Wages under Teamster c o n- tracts for general field work are as much as 20 cents per hour higher than comparable UFWA rates. Teamster, contracts provide far better fringe benefits, i n- cluding a health and welfare plan, a pension plan, call-time pay, jury pay, funeral leave, worker health safety and pesti- cide protection, and vacation pay. IN ADDITION, the Teamster contracts require the employer to cover the workers under state unemployment insurance, coverage farmworkers are not automatically provided by the law. The UFWA has not nego- tiated unemployment coverage. The so-called facts paraded out by UFWA supporters pur- port to show that the California farmworker leads a life of ab- ject poverty and misery. The truth is that California's farm- workers are the highest paid in the nation. Much needs to be done to improve their lot and the Teamsters, by unioniation and organizing, are getting the things done. I suggest that before you con- demn California for its treat- ment of farmworkers, you take a look at your own state. If you truly want to help the farm- worker, start out by cleaning up your own back yard. In the meantime, stay out of this jurisdictional dispute be- tween unions. and allow the per- son most concerned, the farm- I