Page 4-Friday, march 24-The Michigan Daily
Eighty-Eight Years of Editorial Free dorn
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 137
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
Student aid from Lansing ...

Coal: Issues in today's vote

HIS WEEK THE Michigan State add that with the new attention being
Legislature wisely approved a bill paid to the state's private schools,
to provide $6 million in tuition grants Michigan's public system will suffer
for students at private colleges in the neglect.
state. But institutions of higher learning
Although some legislators argued must be viewed as a very closely-knit
that public institutions, such as ours, community. If one school suffers, other
will be hurt by the appropriation, the
bill is a step forward for all who are in- schools feel the impact of that suf-
terested in the quality of education in fering. A most obvious example is that
Michigan. as the state's private colleges suffer
While the state Senate approved the drops in enrollment, more students are
tuition grant idea overwhelmingly, the attending Michigan's public colleges.
House let it pass by only the slimmest The resulting dunp" of students
possible margin. Gov. Milliken will creates increased burdens on the
sign the bill soon. It will distribute $500 classrooms, dorms and facilities of
grants this fall to freshpersons at universities like ours - a burden that
griatesfohrs oll o fesers ns a financially-strapped institutions do not
private four-year colleges and univer- need.
sities.
Proponents of the measure claim, The legislators who claim the tuition
with a good deal of evidence to back grant program breaks new ground for
them up, that higher tuition costs for state involvement in private in-
private school students are creating stitutions are not entirely correct.
enrollment drops which threaten Michigan is already subsidizing
private institutions with extinction. private schools by paying them $1,200
The supporters feel tuition assistance in bounty for each Michigan resident
is necessary to keep private colleges a they graduate. In addition, students at-
viable alternative to public schools for tending private colleges are eligible
Michigan residents. for state-supported scholarships.,
Opponents of the tuition grants, like As the legislature helps the students
Sen. Daniel Cooper of Oak Park, claim of private colleges, they are aiding
that the legislature has . crossed an the colleges as well - and that str-
"important line" between private and engthens the entire higher education
public institutions. Some lawmakers system, whether private or public.
.. And heartening signs in D. C.

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Here is a comparison of major,
provisions in the United Mine Workers'
1974 contraet, the contract rejected Mar-
ch 5 by the miners, and the tentatire
agreement on which the miners trill rote
today. This information -as compiled by
the Associated Press:
WAGES
NEW CONTRACT - $1 an hour increase
immediately, 70 cents an hour each of thee
final two years, including 30-cent cost of
living increases. That adds up to an average
hourly wage of $10.20, plus shift differentials
of 20 cents an hour for afternoon shift and 30
cents an hour for midnight shift, in the third
year.
REJECTED CONTRACT - $1 an hour in-
crease immediately, 40 cents an hour each of
the final two years, plus a cost of living in-
crease tied to the nation's economy, and thus
not guaranteed. Other provisions the same as
the new contract proposal.
OLD CONTRACT - Average hourly wage
of $7.80. Cost of living adjustment of one cent
per hour for every 0.4 increase in the con-
sumer price index, with no adjustment
downward if index fell. Shift differentials of 15
cents an hour for afternoon shift and 20 cents
an hour for midnight shift.
PENSIONS
NEW CONTRACT - Pensions guaranteed
for the first time in union history. Immediate
increase to $275 a month for those who
retired before 1976. February and March pen-
sions, lost due to the strike, to be made up.
Those who retired after Dec. 31, 1975, receive
$10 a month increases each of the first two
years and $5 a month the final year of the
agreement, bringing average pensions to
$450.
REJECTED CONTRACT.- Same as new
contract except increases for older retirees
would have been spread over the life of the
contract and pensions would not have reached

$275 until the final year.
OLD CONTRACT - Two pension plans, one
for miners who retired before 1976 and one for
those who retired after Dec. 31, 1975. Older
retired miners who received state or federal
black lung benefits received a maximum of
$225 a month. Those who received no black
lung benefits received a maximum of $250 a
month. Those who retired after Dec. 31, 1975,
received an average of $425. No guarantee.
Pension payments dependent upon the health
of the trust funds financed by company paid
royalties on man-hours worked and coal
produced. There has been frequent financial
difficulty in the fund for older pensioners, lit-
tle trouble with the fund for the younger
retirees.
HEALTH CARE
NEW CONTRACT - Benefits maintained
at 1974 level except for family payments
totaling a maximum of $200 for working
miners and $150 for retired miners. Miners
will not have tohpay anything for hospital
visits. They will have to pay $5 for prescrip-
tions up to a total of $50. Working miners will
have to pay $7.50 for doctor visits, retired
miners $5, up to a total of $150 for working
miners and $100 for retired miners. Eye care
coverage for the first time. Sickness and ac-
cident benefits $120 a week first year, $130 the
second year and $150 the third year.
REJECTED CONTRACT - Miners would
have had to pay deductible amounts up to $700
per family per year - including up to $500 for
hospital visits-for active miners and a total
of $450 for retired miners. Eye care coverage
would have been provided. Sickness and ac-
cident benefits same as new contract.
OLD CONTRACT - Health care free, in-
cluding such items as medication and am-
bulance service. No deductibles. No eye care.
Sickness and accident benefits $100 a week.
LIFE INSURANCE
NEW CONTRACT - $12,000, plus an ad-

ditional $12,000 if death is accidental for any
reason.
REJECTED CONTRACT - Same as new
agreement.
OLD CONTRACT - $2,000 for the
beneficiary of a miner without dependents,
ranging up to $10,000, depending on the num-
ber, of dependents. If death occurred in a mine
accident, an additional one-time cash
payment of $10,000, plus $100 per month until
the beneficiary's death or remarriage.
VACATION
NEW CONTRACT - Fourteen days
vacation, plus 10 paid holidays, including bir-
thday. A mine would select from one of three
vacation periods to avoid industry-wide shut-
down as in the past.
REJECTED CONTRACT - Fourteen days
vacation, plus 10 holidays including birthday,
plus a Christmas shutdown period of nine
days, six of them paid.
OLD CONTRACT - Fourteen days
vacathn, plus 10 paid holidays, including bir-
thday and two floating holidays. All UMW
mines closed at the same time - late June
and early July - for vacation period.
WILDCAT PENALTIES_
NEW CONTRTACT - No provision.
REJECTED CONTRACT - Penalties, in-
cluding dismissal, could have been imposed
on leaders of wildcat strikes and those man-
ning picket lines during such strikes. -
OLD CONTRACT - No provision.
PRODUCTION INCENTIVE
NEW CONTRACT - An employer may in-
stitute a productive incentive "bonus plan" if
the employees involved vote their approval
and it meets safety and other requirements.
REJECTED CONTRACT - None.
OLD CONTRACT - None.



A S MICHIGAN legislators have
f been approving tuition grants to
students of private colleges and
universities, lawmakers in Washington
have been locking horns with
President Carter over the issue of
tuition tax credits.
Significant steps were taken in the
House of Representatives this week to
insure that lawmakers would have the
opportunity to vote on the tax credit
proposal.
Carter would like, to have it other-
wise. The President is opposed to the
idea, which would provide families of
all college students with a lump tax
credit to help offset the rising costs of
higher education. Instead, Carter has
proposed an increase in funds
distributed as part of the government's
student assistance programs.
In a move to avoid Congressional
consideration of tax credits altogether,
the Carter Administration tried to push
its own college assistance bill - a bill

devoid of tuition tax credits - through
the lawmakers earlier this week.
The effort failed, and Democratic as
well as Republican leaders in Congress
believe the failure is a sign that
legislators really do want to consider
the tax credit on its own merits.
House Speaker Tip O'Neill repor-
tedly told Carter "It's obvious to us, it's
obvious to the White House, that the
House wants to vote on this."
The House Ways and Means Com-
mittee is expected to decide in April
which of a variety of tuition tax credit
proposals will be offered for a vote.
It is a good sign for the fate of tax
credits that Congress wants to keep the
issue separate from Carter's own
assistance bills. Such a strategy will
leave both plans open to healthy com-
promise and give both a better chance
of being implemented in one form or
another.
College students and their families
can definitely use the benefits of both
ideas.

The events that are taking
place in Lebanon today have
raised the media's interest in this
tiny country once again. Once
again Lebanon is on the front
page of most dailies; once again
it is the theme of special press
and TV reports.
But people are more and more
confused about what is going on
in this country. What is all this
fighting about? And why is it in
Lebanon?
FOR THREE YEARS now, the
Lebanese people have been suf-
fering. It is estimated that over
50,000 people were killed during
what has been misleadingly
called the Lebanese "Civil War."
This, of course, does not give an
idea about all other kinds of
losses Lebanon incurred:
massive human capital flight,
physical capital destruction in-
cluding the destruction of
historical monuments by anti-
Lebanese groups, the collapse of
the state, the ruin of what was the
most prosperous non-oil economy
and one of the few democracies in
the Middle East.
But Lebanon still survives and,
in spite of all threatening in-
vasions and occupation of the
land, the Lebanese are looking
forward to the future. Seven
thousand years of history have
taught us that only by relying on
ourselves and on our faith in our
culture, can we remain the
crossroad of western and eastern
cultures and a harbour of
freedom and democracy in the
area.
The Israeli invasion adds to
this recent history of suffering.
Had we believed in the usefulness

On Lebanon 's
many troubles
By The Lebanese Student Society
of demonstrations, we would nments which have been
have publicly demonstrated not speaking of "Arab solidarity"
only against the Israeli incursion have displayed a remarkable
into Lebanon but against all kinds silence (or passivity) during the
The governments which have been
speaking of 'Arab solidarity' have
displayed a remarkable silence dur-
ing the past weeks.

at least one Palestinian refugee
for every five Lebanese citizens
in Lebanon.
Our hospitality led our country
to economic chaos: it is
estimated that six billion dollars
will be needed to start the recon-
struction of Lebanon, and the
money is yet to be found! But we
hope that we have by now paid all
our share of the burden. We
believe that all governments of
good will should help rebuild the
Lebanese army and assist the
Lebanese government in
restoring its authority in Lebanon
- all of Lebanon.
ALL THiS does not by any
means affect our faith in our
country and in the importance of
its message, which has been over
history, a message of love and
non-violence. After all, it is often
claimed that Jesus began His
public life in Cana, which is
located in Southern Lebanon that
is being transformed into a bat-
tlefield today. In ancient times,
when other nations in the Middlle
East were often spending their
time fighting, we were busy in-
venting the phonetic alphabet.
For we believe that dialogue is
the key solution to all problems.
Lebanon's message to the
world as expressed by the
Lebanese attitudes in the Middle
Eastern conflict, or by Khalil
Gebran's Prophet or even by the
social . contributions of famous
American Lebanese (Ralph
Nader, Dr. Michael Debakey,
and others is still unchanged; it is
a call for freedom and human un-
derstanding. And we, Lebanese
students in Ann Arbor, firmly
believe it will not change.

of occupation of Lebanese
territory by non-Lebanese groups
whoever they are and no matter
what their excuse for violating
Lebanese sovereignty.
South Lebanon, for instance,
has been militarily controlled by
non-Lebanese groups for the past
ten years. We condemn this oc-
cupation exactly as we condemn
the present Israeii invasion. We
demand immediate withdrawal
of all non-Lebanese armed forces
from all the Lebanese soil.
OF COURSE, once again, few
governments or institutions have
tried to help the Lebanese. Small
and militarily powerless coun-
tries do not count! The gover-

past weeks.
But we do not blame them for
they confirm what we already
knew: that all governments are
exclusively guided by self-
interest and that all claims to
solidarity or "brotherhood" are
pure rhetoric. We only want to
call to the reader's attention that
of all the countries in the area,
Lebanon has been the most
peaceful and "humane" during
the bloody Middle Eastern wars.
We gave the Palestinian
refugees shelter as they had to
flee Palestine in 1948, then most
of Arab countries later on; and
we did this at the cost of causing
in Lebanon a dangerous cultural
imbalance - there exists today

Editorials which appear without a by-line represent a con-
sensus opinion of the Daily's editorial board. All other editorials,
as well as cqrtoons, are the opinions of the individuals who sub- !<
mit them.

THE CLERK
WILLE OW
CALL THE ROLL.
OHNTTHE
EN4ERG BILL!


LETTERS TO THE DAILY
Israel's actions are needed to survivE

ARCO

EXXON
AYE A

LGLF

To The Daily:
Alas, the task of replying to un-
complimentary remarks and
outright attacks on the State of
Israel by the editorial staff of The
Daily is becoming a tedious and
repetitive task. Yet it must be
done so that at least some will not
gain a wholly distorted view of
what reality is.
Envision if you will the
scenario of Israel sending
guerrillas into Lebanon with the
avowed purpose of killing 32
civilians. This is what
"retaliation" is. This is what an
"eye for an eye" is. Would the
Daily have condoned this type of
response by Israel to the Al-
Fatah attack of just a week-and-
a-half ago?
Hardly. The Daily and others
would have attacked Israel for
implementing the ancient law of
"lex talionis" - retaliation in the
form of an eye for an eye. It
would have been attacked as

barbaric, uncivilized and coun-
terproductive.
Instead, Israel decides to go to
the root of the problem by
eliminating the power base from
which such attacks by
Palestinian guerrillas have been
launched over the years. Never-
theless, The Daily chooses to at-
tack Israel for this.
One begins to wonder if The
Daily and others would have at-
tacked .Israel for any response
short of total passivity in the face
of the massacre of her citizens.
As one Jewish leader has wisely
counseled his people: "Our
history has been passivity. It has
not worked. Instead the world has
showered us with sympathy, and
eulogies, and monuments, and
wreaths. Enough. Let us insure
our survival even if it be at the
cost of "passivity."
Yet, let it be known that
Israelis and Jews the world over
are heartsick at the shedding of

innocent blood, whether it be
Arab or Israeli, Moslem or Jew.
As Golda Meir once said: "We
can forgive the Arabs for all that
they have committed against our
people but we can never forgive
them for forcing our sons and
daughters to become killers."
Perhaps the editorial staff of
The Daily can suggest a course of
action for Israel in the face of

guerrilla attacks that would be
more to its liking. But let the
solution not be as absurd as: 1.)
Total passivity on the part of
Israel, or 2.) Awarding the
guerrilla murderers an indepen-
dent state from which they can
more easily continue their relen-
tless and murderous attacks on
the people of Israel.
- David Arm


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