Sulphur Springs News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 195, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 17, 1978 Page: 2 of 18
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2—THE NEWS-TEL ECU AM, Sulphur Spring*, Tnot, Thursday, Aug. 17,1978.
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In our opinion
Youth discrimination
in insurance is unfair
Under standards now prevailing
on a national basis, foe Texas legisla-
ture should carry through to enact-
ment a plan now being studied for
abolishing the heavy automobile in-
surance penalty assessed unmarried
male drivers under foe age of 21.
Youths in this category are now
required to pay approximately triple
the standard rates.
The case in their favor was appro-
priately summarized in testimony by
Massachusetts Insurance Commission-
er James Stone before a Texas House
subcommittee studying the proposal.
., “It is time we stopped the practice
of deciding a young, male, urban
driver is guilty until proven inno-
cent,” Stone declared in explaining
why his state ended rating distinc-
Migration accounts
for population growth
New residents of Texas are mi-
grating to the state at slightly more
than 100,000 per year. That’s the es-
timate as gleaned from the July 1,
1977 provisional population data sup-
plied by the U. S. Bureau of Census.
The Texas population has grown
by 1,631,000 since the 1970 census, up
to 12,830,000 from 11,199,000. The
net migration accounted for 760,000
Student handbook good
reading for adults too
Students who will be attending
the attractive new Sulphur Springs
High School will be given a copy of
the Student Handbook, which con-
tains a wealth of important informa-
tion concerning just about every faeat
of student life.
* It would be difficult to absorbed 1
of the data in the handbook at one
reading, so it is advisable that the stu-
dents keep a copy handy and thumb
through it often to learn the rules and
guidelines.
Congressional resources
Newspaper Enterprise Association
Although it is still hasn’t gotten
to the point of legislating a national
policy on the subject. Congress never-
theless is doing its bit in the cause of
energy conservation.
There’s a plan to install solar-
heating facilities at the Rayburn
House Office Building. Making the
most of a natural advantage of the
site, a large expanse of roof open to
sunny skies, 900 collector panels
would be set up and connected with a
tions based on sex and marital status.
Unmarried youths may be more
irresponsible drivers and have more
accidents than other segments of the
population, but penalizing an entire
class of people because of such quali-
fications clearly ranks as discrimin-
ation.
Much of the problem could be
solved through tougher driver license
requirements, restrictions on people
who tend to be accident prone for any
reason and higher insurance rates
based on driving experience.
Such measures would place the
penalties where they belong and not
exclusively on people who happen
be unlucky enough to fit a preconceiv-
ed pattern without regard for indi-
vidual merits.
r
Justice disserved
The reporter, ordered by the court to make available
background material gathered in his investigation of a
murder case, has refused.
The court’s response is a contempt citation which would
send him to jail to enforce compliance.
You’ve heard the story? Quite possibly — not once, but
several times.
It is the situation in New Jersey proceedings involving
reporter M.A. Farber, now in jail.
It is also the situation in a California case, with the
difference that reporter John M. Hammarley is not in jail.
Execution of the contempt penalty against him has been
stayed pending appeal of the court order.
There are other deviations in detail between the two
cases. Farber’s paper. The New York Times, also has been
COMMENTARY
Donald F. Graff
cited for contempt and is being fined — $5,000 a day so long
as the material is not surrendered. The Sacramento Union,
which carried Hammarley’s articles, is financing his
defense but not itself a party to the proceedings.
But there also are disturbing similarities.
In both cases the courts wish to examine the reporters’
material for information of possible significance to the
defence in the trials before them.
In both cases the reporters refuse to surrender the
material on grounds that to do so would violate the
confidentiality of their sources of information, a principle
basic to the news-gathering function of a free press.
In both states there are “shield” laws, enacted by
legislatures specifically to protect confidential press
material and sources from official scrutiny. In both cases
the judges haveSgnored or questioned the validity of the
taws
Both cases are shaping up as constitutional confronta-
tions. Presiding in California, Judge John J. Boskovich has
declared: ‘‘In any serious conflict between the Fifth and
Sixth Amendment rights to due process and to a fair trial
with reference deemed relevant and essential to that
purpose and the First Amendment right to freedom of the
press, the latter must give way.”
An ordering of constitutional priorities not spelled out in
the Constitution itself and, it therefore would appear,
ultimately a matter for decision at the highest judicial
level, the United States Supreme Court.
That level already has been apprised of the New Jersey
issue, but two justices have declined to intervene at this
stage of the proceedings. So reporter Farber remains
behind bars while his appeal of the court order moves
slowly through state judicial channels, a process of weeks
to months.
Both cases are attracting widespread attention in
nonjudicial official quarters.
A strengthened shield law is being discussed in New
Jersey. And New York’s Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan,
seeing “a dilemma and a crisis without equivalence ... in
the modern history of the American press,” suggests a
need for national legislation. The stiff fine levied by the
New Jersey court is of particular concern, he notes,
because “the power to fine, more even than the power to
tax, is the power to destroy.”
The coercive use of jail by the courts in these instances
should also be of some concern. In a democratic society,
the uses of imprisonment should be limited to punishing
the transgressor and isolating those endangering other
individuals or society itself. New Jersey and California
courts, however, are employing the power to imprison in
the fashion of angered adults ordering recalcitrant
children to stand in the comer until they promise to
behave.
When individuals go to jail for reasons of professional
integrity and defense of principle, it is not serving but
perverting justice. It smacks of judicial tyranny.
(NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN.)
new Texas residents, ranking third
behind Florida and California in the
drift to the Sunbelt areas.
The increased number of births
over deaths is responsible for the
other population growth factor. This
net gain was 871,000.
Interest already is mounting over
the 1980 census figures as they may
relate to Texas and Sulphur Springs
as well.
E-TtA ‘Oer WOPTO “?TAV-TEUiiKAM
HUIME " E
For the college-bound students, it
would be wise to become familiar
with minimum college entrance re-
quirements, Some of these require-
ments are carried in the handbook.
Tht* Student Handbook should
also be read by parents of high school
students. It would help them to under-
stand objectives of the administra-
tion, the requirements being placed
on students, and also would lend
assistance in helping plan courses of
study and action for their children.
36,000-gallon hot water storage sys-
tem.
Total cost is estimated at about
$1.4 million. But the system should
pay for itself within a reasonable per-
iod by providing 46 percent of the
space and water heating requirements
of the building where large numbers
of the people’s representatives do their
thing.
Should the system fall short of ex-
pectations, they can always exploit
another local resource and add a wind-
mill.
“We can save a bunch of paperwork — just use the same transcript
anytime we try a dissident.’’
Jack Anderson
We and FBI explore ledger
WASHINGTON - A mys-
terious underworld ledger,
loaded with incriminating
details about mob transac-
tions, has fallen into our
hands. We have spent a
year checking out its con-
Sunbelt wins one battle
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B©ibG8©od
“Now tMs I* not the end. H is not even the beginning of
the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
The words are those of Sir Winston Churchill, speaking on
November 10, 1942, two days after successful American
landings in North Africa marked a turning point in World
War D.
We won a victory in the Senate
recently. It was die first “sun-
belt” victory against aggressive
efforts by cities in the North and
Midwest to re-write federal fund-
ing formulas to their advantage.
To paraphrase Sir Winston. 1
do not expect this victory to mark
an end to the regional conflict
that has been creating divisive-
ness in this country for the past
two years. Nor, I’m afraid, is it
the beginning of the end.
But I am hopeful that it at least signals the end of the be-
ginning of the regional warfare that has increasingly pitted
one area of this great nation against another.
The victory came with Senate passage of a hotly contested
amendment to the 1978 Housing Authorization Act.
1 was a co-author of the amendment and acted as a floor
manager while it was debated before the Senate.
Approved by a vote of 47-38, it will substantially increase
the number of Texas cities eligible to compete for Urban
Development Action Grants.
Cities qualify for aid through the UDAG program under a
formula involving so-called Urban Distress Factors: age of
housing, unemployment, per capita income and declining
population.
Tb» MMadoHt pcnrita an area within a city to receive
UDAG assistance if the area itself qualifies. Previously the
formula was applied only on a city-wide basis.
This concept of “pockets of poverty” within a growing and
otherwise prosperous city is one I came up with several years
ago in an amendment to the Emergency Public Works bill.
It is a sound concept and I was pleased that the Senate agreed
to incorporate it into the Urban Development Action Grant
Program.
—
Texas cities not now eligible for UDAG aid that would
qualify under the Senate-approved amendment include:
Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Gar-
land, Grand Prairie, Houston, Longview, Lubbock, Midland,
Texas City and Tyler.
This victory against an aggressive regionalism that has
threatened to balkanize our country is long overdue.
Since Congressmen from 16 “snowbelt” states fortned a
regional coalition a few years ago they have successfully
changed funding formulas in program after federal program,
giving their areas a bigger share of the government pie at the
expense of the South and West.
Listen to these examples.
Under the Public Works Employment Act of 1977, Texas
receives only S279 per unemployed worker while such states
as New Jersey get S647 and Massachusetts S538.
In 1976, under the Community Development Act—which is
intended to upgrade neighborhoods and improve public
services in large and small cities alike—Texas received an
amount equivalent to $344 for each family in poverty. The
figure in New Yorji was $652, in Pennsylvania $831 and in
Michigan $681. 1
Last year the Community Development -Act formula for
distributing funds was changed to favor even more the decay-
ing, older cities of the Northeast and Midwest.
Beyond question the South and West ioday enjoy some
significant economic advantages over the Northeast and Mid-
west.
But claims that these older areas are being shortchanged
on federal funds are inaccurate. In addition, under our free
enterprise system, it is a mistake to blame the economic woes
of our country’s Northern regions on federal spending priori-
ties. The problems won’t be solved by shifting more federal
money into these areas.
A far more burning concern, in my estimation, is the grow-
ing regional conflict that is resulting from the fight being
waged by these “snowbelt” Congressmen. The tragic periods
in our nation’s history have occurred when unity was absent,
when we worked at cross purposes or turned on one another.
Now, perhaps, we can say that we have at least seen “the
end of the beginning” of this harsh regional conflict.
tents.
The FBI has also investi-
gated the ledger. Agents
have tried to verify the
transactions; handwriting
experts have tested the
scribblings. They have
been unable to confirm
that the ledger is an au-
thentic gangland financial
diary.
A Xeroxed 13-page copy
of the account book was
slipped to us by a Mafia hit
man who is serving a life
sentence for murder. It
contains a record of more
than $17.7 million that sup-
posedly was skimmed
from Las Vegas casinos
and squeezed from illicit
corporate deals and labor
racketeering.
The book also contains
the names of the overlords
of organized crime, includ-
ing New Orleans’ godfa-
ther Carlos Marcello, Phil-
adelphia’s Angelo Bruno
and the infamous Joe
Berry’s World
® 1871 by NE A. Inc
"Frankly, I’d rathar NOT know tha woman
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The Almanac
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By The Associated Press
Today is Thursday, Eug. 17,
the 229th day of 1978. There are
136 days left in the year.
Today’s highlight in history:
On this date in 1940, Germany
announced a total blockade of
Britain in World War II.
On this date:
In 1648, Oliver Cromwell
defeated Royalists under the
Duke of Hamilton at the Battle
of Preston in England.
In 1786, a hero of the Battle of
the Alamo in Texas, Davey
Crockett, was born in
Tennessee.
In 1863, federal batteries and
ships bombarded Fort Sumter
in Charlesto harbor during the
Civil War.
In 1879, the French Panama
Canal Co. was formed under
Ferdinand de Lesseps.
In 1969, Hurricane Camille
slammed into the U.S. Gulf
Coast. About 300 people were
killed as the storm battered
Mississippi, Louisiana,
Tennessee, West Virginia and
Virginia.
Bonanno, now living in
semi-retirement in Tuc-
son, Ariz. A typical
$510,000 entry, dated
March 6, 1972, identifies
the bosses who supposedly
gave their approval: (Mar-
cello OK) (Bruno OK)
(Bonanno OK).
Our associate Marc Smo-
lonsky has criss-crossed
the country in an attempt
to authenticate the docu-
ment. He has interviewed
dozens of federal and local
investigators; he has spo-
ken to underworld con-
tacts.
We have established that
our Mafia source lied
about the origin of the
ledger. Yet the nation’s
organized crime experts
have told us that the pat-
terns of underworld associ-
ations outlined in the ac-
count book appear genu-
ine. We also believe the
ledger story is significant
in light of the following
recent events:
- Federal investigators
claim they have evidence
indicating that Tony Spilo-
tro, whom they allege is
the mob’s overseer in Las
Vegas, is the hidden owner
of a huge corporation that
holds title to casinos. The
Argent Corporation, which
owns the Fremont and
Stardust hotel-casinos, is
the target of the federal
probe. It ostensibly is con-
, trolled by Allen Glick,
named in government in-
telligence reports as a pos-
sible front man for orga-
nized crime. He built Ar-
gent with $93 million in
loans from the scandal-
ridden Teamsters’ Central
States Pension Fund.
- The owners of the
. . Aladdin Hotel, a plush Las
Vegas gambling retreat,
were indicted by a federal
grand jury, which claimed
the Detroit syndicate re-
ally runs the resort hotel.
- The mob has been
receiving secret law en-
forcement reports from or-
ganized crime investiga-
tors on the Las Vegas po-
lice force. The confidential
police documents were dis-
covered by FBI agents
when they raided the office
and home of Spilotro.
But back to the mysteri-
ous ledger. It was first
mentioned to the FBI by
Gerard Denono, a Mafia
torpedo, after his arrest on
bank burglary charges In
1974. He is a charaiing
cutthroat with a frighten-
ing record. In four years,
he accumulated three mur-
der convictions, not to
mention the bank-robbery
rap. Last month, he wound
up with a life sentence for
killing his own gangland
partner, Henry Poczynek.
Denono and Poczynek,
together with a third but-
ton-man, got into trouble
over a jewel robbery. Poc-
zynek botched the job and
murdered the wealthy
woman who owned the
Jewels. Denono, on orders
from his superiors in Las
Vegas, eliminated Poczy-
nek.
Last summer, while
awaiting trial in the Poczy-
nek case and facing life
behind bars, the wily De-
nono offered the ledger in
an attempt to make a deal.
He reminded the FBI of his
1974 reference to the
ledger. He was prepared to
turn over the ledger, he
said, in return for a deal on
the Poczynek case. The
least he wanted was easy
time in a federal prison. \
Cuprri«M.im
United Piatm Syndicate. Inc.
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Keys, Clarke. Sulphur Springs News-Telegram (Sulphur Springs, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 195, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 17, 1978, newspaper, August 17, 1978; Sulphur Springs, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth817707/m1/2/: accessed July 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Hopkins County Genealogical Society.