cation Ks availability f misleading Ished; he went baying obscure and generally oial fish in that yoked the names of as T.S. Eliot and. 2 in comylon with le, it was $100 well d an anthology of sold solely to con- orice. The newly lay their talents d somewhat ‘which was of was phoney), numbers that second volume of Viddling campus, in b miles down the road 27; ) hgain. Yet surely, dents have pondered is unique among the ®.”’ says James Sun- ent to whigh the in- weighted on¥&be side of of the mandate of the er says that the real r Congress responds to bther it responds to its act at all? he safety valve of an lection, but whether it tful. How mad are the hry seething and bub- eruption. Voters seem t looks to this reporter tutional changes. The reform itself, and its is the outstanding the past half century. f alarming passes at 1as the money and R billions shoveled rich and poor g gnan-in-the- gypped on what to do. me, c myth of out*®omething give Washington a institutional teeth e parties. We need lite, and leaders in . We need a critical A Legislate, as it has, cs in automobiles, make people use e they get into a lecome habitual in [as paid off. Jerry found it too much e think about that dark, unfamiliar, # and find yourself Jf a long sweeping embeghg death e, use the seat he car. + J.R. Freeman, vice urer. The unusual experience of camping in Alaska was enjoyed last summer by two Back Mountain boys, Jay Troup and “‘Gufferf@d Conyngham. The youths spent the month of July at the Alaskan Outdoor Educa- tional Camp, situated about 100 miles south of Fairbanks. Fourteen-year-old Jay, a student at Wyoming Seminary, participated in many of the camp’s unique activities, but according to his father, John Troup, the youngster seemed to like ‘‘minibikes” best. The activities at the camp are varied and many—something for every boy and girl who at- tends, but there are some minor problems for camp personnel due to theglocation. How Bit ou teach an outdoor course in astronomy at a summer camp in the “land of the midnight sun?” According to Carmen Bilardi, director of Alaska’s Outdoor Education Camps, it’s not easy. “We ob- served only one planet all last sun mer,”’ commented Mr. Bilardi, who is looking forward to another challenging and adventurous camping season. “For a brief time we were able to resort 3 the aid of a small planetari¥m.” The educational aspect of Mr. Bilardi’s camp is only one facet of the change that has taken place over the last few years in this popular summertime ex- perience. Getting the children ready for a two or three week sojourn used to be a simple matter. Mother sewed labels in their clothing and father checked the batteries in flashlights and reloaded cameras with fresh film. The youthful vacationers, upon their return, were probably versed in such useful knowledge as first aid for heel blisters, the best method for roasting a hot dog over an open fire, and how to identify poison ivy. But that was yesterday. Today outdoor camping has acquired an entirely new image, and never more so than in the case of the Alaskan Outdoor Educational Camps. The youthful enthusiasts who join Mr. Bilardi’s groups will have in their gear everything from sungoggles to scuba- diving equipment. They will participate in such glamorous adventures as mineral prospecting, mountain clim- bing, salmon fishing, deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Alaska, swimming and deep-sea diving in the hot springs deep in the Arctic Circle, and learning cartography by first flying over and then mapping sections of the vast frozen north. Registration for the Alaskan camp is limited to 35 boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 17. Registration for a four-week or six-week period beginning June 19 are open for boys, and registrations for a four-week period is open for girls. Ap- plication must be made before April 15 to ensure enrollment. Campers rendezvous in New York and hop aboard a jet which flies them directly to Camp. Tax Man Mills Fairbanks, Alaska, land of the last frontier. The camp is staffed entirely by teachers, two of whom are residents of the Abingtons—Art Wilson, aquatic director at Abington Heights High School, and Jerry Brier, High School, Scranton. Mr. Bilardi, also a resident of the Abingtons, a physical science teacher in Old Forge, works on a substitute basis so that he is free to take early leave in the spring when camping time comes around. Mr. Bilardi first journeyed to Alaska in 1969 when he visited his wife’s parents in Delta Junction. He and his wife, Michelle, ,a native Alaskan, extended their stay for 16 months. During this time Mr. Bilardi taught, coached sports, and for a time worked for the Bureau of Land Management. Meanwhile, he scouted the area for a possible camp site in hopes of someday establishing a camp for young people which would enable them to get a first-hand look at what is probably the last American frontier. He found a desirable spot at Seven Mile Lake, some 100 miles ‘“‘south’’ of Fairbanks, as the sled dogs travel. ‘“Most people have an erroneous conception of weather conditions in Fair- banks,’”’ said Mr. Bilardi. the temperature may climb to 85 degrees and strikes an average of 70 degrees during the camping season. Twenty- four hours of continuous daylight is a luxury soon ad- justed to ‘by campers and personnel alike.” The base camp on Seven Mile Lake covers an area of some 500 acres with a peripheral range covering hundreds of square miles. Campers travel by trailers, canoes, trucks, dune buggies and airplanes to un- dertake such non-mundane springs or taking in the view from Eagle Summit. The possiblity of spetting moose, caribou, ptarmigan, Dall sheep, wolverines, silver fox or Toklat grizzly bears adds an extra fillup to what is already an exciting field trip adventure. With newly acquired skills learned directly from the Eskimos, the campers fish for king salmon which often weigh in at 30 to 40 pounds. Hiking along marked trails laid out by the Bureau of Land Management or panning for gold in the sparkling streams under a sun that never quite sets is surely the substance of WASHING TON—Presidential candidate Wilbur Mills, the Congressional powerhouse from Little Rock, is troubled over the gathering revolt against the iron grip of his House Ways and Means Committee. If there is to be tk reform, it must start with th¥s ‘‘house within a house.” Ways and Means is Mills’ bastion. He presides over the other 24 members directly, tolerating no subcommittees. His knowledge of the tax code, his years of seniority, and the powers he has as chairman justify his moniker ‘‘Mr. Tax.” He is the one man who can say his position prevail with both Houses of Congress. But tax reform groups and sympathetic members of the House of Representatives are going after the underpinnings of the NR ey. Their drive is exposing the way special interest tax legislation and loopholes are rammed through the Congress. First of all, Mr. Mills decides whether there will be hearings, how long they will run and who will appear. He does consult other members of the com- _ mittee but prohibits them from bringing any of their staff into the committee's executive sessions where bills are marked up for transmission to the floor of the House. The discussion gets technical but the com- mittee members cannot bring in any economic or tax specialists to participate. Only the com- mittee’s staff (i.e., Mills’ staff) Treasury Department are allowed in with the members during these closed sessions. Not only does this practice repudiate the separation of powers provided for by the Constitution but it gives Treasury lobbyists powers inside the committee that the committee’s own members cannot exercise. Next, a tax bill is reported out to the House floor with a “closed rule.” This means that no representative can amend the bill, no matter how outrageous or inequitable it may be. They only can vote yes or no. That has meant, until recently, that Wilbur Mills always gets what he wants. What the ‘“‘closed rule” says in simple language is that 95 percent of the members of the House cannot represent the taxpayers back home on pen- ding tax legislation. Most voters are not aware that this violates, in the words of Representative Bella Abzug, ‘‘our constituents’ right: to have their represen- tatives—even the ones not fortunate enough to be on the Ways and Means Committee— represent their interests in the process of formulating legislation.” Chairman Mills behaves as if getting his bills through the House is a formal nuisance. The Revenue Act of 1971, providing the largest corporate tax cut in history and numerous other bonanzas for corporations, was debated on the House floor for 90 minutes and quickly brought to a vote the next day by Mills when only 30 congressmen were present. / Mills knows that keeping the members of his exclusive committee happy will insulate further his power from any has permitted them one or two ‘members’ bills’ a year without hearings and sweeps them through the House without debate under a pre-arranged technique called the ‘‘consent calendar.” These members’ bills very often open in- defensible loopholes for par- ticular companies, industries or wealthy estates. It is at this traditional point of privilege that tax reformers, led by Congressmen Wright Patman and Les Aspin, struck earlier this year when they blocked 18 out of 22 ‘“‘members’ bills.” Mills was stunned but promised cryptically to find ‘‘another way to pass them.” Why, a citizen might ask, didn’t a member of the House challenge this abuse years ago? Because the House is a fraternity, with unwritten rules and sanctions, that hitherto have been enforced by an at- titude of cooperation and symbiosis among the senior magnates. And the younger members adhered to former Speaker Sam Rayburn’s ad- monition that ‘‘you get along by going along.” Times are changing and courage is creeping into the House of Representatives. If enough citizens support the challengers, a much fairer federal tax system can’t be far behind. which unforgettable memories are made. Back at base camp, the group undergoes a change of pace. Campers are divided into small classes for studies in archery, safe hunting practices, mountain climbing, geology, astronomy, cartography, glacieration, photography, oceanography, ecology and native history. In the vast, untouched Alaskan frontier, the subject material is always close at hand, and textbooks are unnecessary. Those campers who are scouts 'may avail themselves of the opportunity to earn credit in their various scouting activities. “Prices in Alaska are sky high,” said Mr. Bilardi. ‘A loaf of bread, for instance, costs 75 cents. Gasoline, which I buy in bulk quantities, costs anywhere from 35 cents to 60 cents a gallon.” Despite the inflated economy, camp fees are astonishingly low. Director Bilardi manages to keep cost at a minimum by eliminating such extras as expensive vertising. He recruits his prospective campers mainly by giving lectures and through newspaper articles. An airline arranges special low cost rates for chartered flights, and businesses relating to outdoor camping subsidize the project by donating equipment. “The Alaskan Outdoor Camp is not for everybody,’’ continued Mr. Bilardi. ‘‘Its appeal is to the venturesome, the all-around outdoor person.” In view of the uniqueness, the glamour, the educational opportunities, the growth potential, one comment seems apropos—what a way to earn a merit badge! ‘Adoptive’ Homes Needed by SPCA The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Luzerne County has a wide selection of pets available for adoption by persons who ‘will give them permanent new homes: Many of these animals ‘were given to the society because owners were moving to pet restricted areas or because there was no one home to give proper care, etc. Some of the current guests at the shelter on Fox Hill Road in Plains Township are: “Duchess,” two-year old beagle kept as a house pet; ‘‘Spooky,”’ a small-spayed cocoa-colored poodle-schnauzer mix; ‘‘Tuck,’’ three-year Cocker Spaniel, buff colored; ‘‘Susie,” three-year spayed Pekingese; ‘‘Bugsie,” a lovable. Boxer mix, spayed; ‘‘Peppy Puff,”’ 18 month French Poodle, white; “Pax,” seven month German Shephard male; “Espy,” a three month old St. Bernard pup. In the feline ward are several Siamese, Persians, as well as a delightful array of domestic short hairs. Visitng hours for adoptions are from 10 am. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m: The society requires all female animals to be spayed and male cats must be neutered. 6 Boys Run Away From St. Michael's Early Monday morning six boys from St. Michael’s School, a Catholic institution for home- less, wayward boys, ran away from the school. One of the boys was from the Back Mountain area. Five of the boys were picked up Monday evening in the Fern- brook section by Patrolman James Kelly, Dallas Township Police. The other boy was found Tuesday morning by Police Chief Paul Sabol, Kingston Township. Officials from the school got the boys and returned them to the school. Shavertown Auxiliary Announces Hoagie Sale Ladies Auxiliary of Shaver- town Fire Company will sponsor a hoagie sale April 27. Anyone wishing to order hoagies may contact Mrs. Wil- liam Pugh, 675-5657, Mrs. Robert Rosengrant, 675-3953, on or before April 24. They will also be available at the Acme Market, Shavertown, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 27. Passed, Apr. 11. Nays 13. Passed, Apr. 11. Passed, Apr. 11. 349. Nays 20. Passed, Apr. 12. actions. TATIVES Yea and nay votes 17 Record teller votes 5 Total 22 1st Quarter of 1972 49 14 63 I’m a very prejudiced person. I believe in books, have lived in and among them all my life, written them, respected them, and regard the place where they're kept, the library, as quite possibly a more hallowed place than those which may have been so designated by the blessing of some ecumenical agent. We live in times when some people have the temerity to say that books and their reposi- tories are about to be outmoded by new electronic gadgetry. But The Early Bird Gets the Space! If you are planning a social event and wish to submit copy and-or a picture to the news- paper, please call us and let us know in advance. that’s nonsense. Next to the pro- duction of fire, man’s greatest achievement to date is the pro- cess of writing—the book and the library. These are a living monument to the process of human civilization. Moreover it’s the most ingenious. If you set out to conceive the most con- venient and effective means of communication between people you could not invent something that would come within leagues of the book. No tube, no image, no computer can give you such contact in an instant with the million bits of human know- ledge as the book and the li- brary. Anyone who says dif- ferently simply has not learned the first lesson of what the book can do. Don’t believe them. Harrison E. Salisbury - cake, milk. FRIDAY—No school. statewide interest. (from the Union Town Stan- dard) What happened in Pennsyl- vania with the splendid recom- mendations by a task force of executive business people who reviewed the management of government, should on a lesser scale be carried out in lower levels of government. The state task force recom- mended that the state can reduce spending by $711 million a year and that 7,690 jobs could be eliminated at an annual saving of $73,592.000. If county government, school boards, municipal government and others could get such man- agement groups together to periodically check into the savings that could be instituted we would be getting a better deal for our tax dollar. Now the Pennsylvania Econo- my League does a top job of studying government opera- tions and making recommenda- tions. But the PEL has to be asked by a government unit to make its study before it can act. And what it comes up with are recommendations only. It is the government unit’s move next, to either act or to shelve the PEL report. In the state, as expected, the largest number of job reduc- tions in a department that was recommended was in the Public Welfare Dept. The report said that 1,446 jobs could be pared at an annual savings of $15,537,200. And next, also as expected, was in the Dept. of Transporta- tion with a proposed reduction of 1,193 jobs at an annual savings of $9,601,700. Both public welfare and transportation are loaded with political patronage appoint- ments. Welfare involves many agencies—public assistance, general hospitals, mental health, mental retardation, child welfare and others. In mental health some of the major cost reductions and savings would be to establish a moratorium on capital outlays for "institutional buildings, equipment and major repairs to present facilities for a saving of $21 million. Another patterns, effective cost controls and long-range objectives to re- duce costs and provide a proper level of patient service. This would save $9.8 million for the state and $4 million for the federal government. And prob- ably thousands of dollars locally. Another one of the sugges- tions was to close some mental hospitals including the one at Somerset. The task force says that the persons could be reduced to 105,310 without a loss of ef- ficiency. It would eliminate one of every 14 workers. The elimin- ation of 2,532 older workers, who earned $27 million a year, would be a start with a manda- tory retirement age of 65 years. Many of the state jobs would be dropped by attrition, that is not filling existing vacancies. That is something which should be achieved in all levels own Fayette County, in Union- town and elsewhere where there have been significant declines in population. In 30, years Fayette County has lost almost 25 per cent in population from 200,999 in 1940 to 154,667. The same happened in Uniontown—from 21,819 in 1940 to 16,282 in 1970. In the state report the gover- nor’s office was told it could eliminate 129 persons from its payroll. We don’t think Gov. Milton Shapp would like that idea since he has been sur- rounded by his own selected palace guard which jumps to his command as he tries to build his own political machine. Most of the job eliminations could be accomplished by or- ders from Gov. Shapp. Some would necessitate legislative action. All right, governor, the report is on your desk. Let’s get on with it. As a sug- gestion cut out those 129 jobs from your own office first. That would be a delightful way to have other departments follow your tax-saving practices. (from the Uniontown Standard) Police Dallas Borough A rear-end collision of two cars on Route 309, Dallas Borough, caused minor injuries April 14 to several occupants of the cars. They were transported in the Dallas Community Am- bulance to Nesbitt Memorial Hospital where they were treated and released. Drivers of the two vehicles were Benjamin D. Flaherty, RD 2, Harveys Lake, and Joseph L. McDonald, RD 3, Roosevelt Street, Dallas. Patrolman Ronald Dudik, who investigated the mishap, reported that McDonald had stopped on the highway prior to making a left turn when his con- vertible was struck at the rear by a foreign-made car driven by Flaherty. The latter told the police officer he could not stop in time to avoid the collision. The cars’ damages were listed at $500. Kingston Township Extensive damage was done to a late-model car in an ac- cident on Route 309 at Harris Hill Road. The April 14 mishap was investigated by Patrolman John Appel, with assistance from Dallas Township Patrol- man Elliott Ide and James Gruver. According to police records, Gerald L. Lightcap, State Cor- rectional Institution, was driving south on the highway and attempted to make a left turn. In the process his vehicle, a 1971 Buick, struck a second car, also a 1971 Buick, which was proceeding north. Driver of the second car was Charles Sgarlat, 457 River St., Forty Fort. Passengers in the Sgarlat car were Corrine Sgarlat, 45, same addess, Jane Malpass, 49, and Harry Malpass, 52, both of Forty Fort. No one was seriously injured apparently. Occupants of the Sgarlat car were taken to Nesbitt Memorial Hospital in Report the Kingston Township am- discharged. Estimated damage to the to the Sgarlat machine at $4,050. Harveys Lake Borough A Dallas woman’s car went off a 10-foot wall at Harveys Lake Sunday night, but the woman escaped through a window even though her car landed on its roof and was submerged. According to police, Joan Harger, 62 Sterling Ave., told them that as she rounded a curve at 8:30 p.m. she met an oncoming vehicle which was on her side of the road. She lost control of her machine as she swerved to the right. Her late- model sports car continued traveling on the berm, hit guard rails, flipped onto its roof and plunged into the lake. ) The driver was taken to Nesbitt Memorial Hospital by a friend. She was treated for minor scratches on her hands and released. ; It took two wreckers ap- proximately two hours to hoist the car from the lake. Damages to it were listed as total. Patrolman James Faerber was the investigating officer; assisted by Police Chief Walbridge Leinthal. Dallas Township Very poor road conditions on Legislative Route 40053 were reported as the cause for a one- car accident April 13 at 12:20 a.m. William Derolf, 62, of Forest Drive, Applewood Manor, Dallas, was traveling east on the road when he lost control of his vehicle. The car crossed into the westbound lane and came to rest with the front on top of a injured. Damage to the car was listed at $800 by Patrolman James
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers