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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
August 12, 1971     Shelton Mason County Journal
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August 12, 1971
 
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'1'1 II Letter box: Io A crystal-clear example of a public official attempting to avoid responsibility for a boo-boo by claiming to have been mis-quoted by the press was provided last Thursday by Justice Charles T. Wright of the Washington State Supreme Court. Justice Wright, a native of Mason County and long-time superior court judge, had been invited to address the western district meeting of the Washington State Association of Counties at Alderbrook Inn on the subject: "The Individual and Local Government." He was the final attraction on the afternoon's program and, after assuring the assembled commissioners that he would keep his remarks short so they could adjourn to the cocktail hour, he commenced a discourse on the benefits of keeping government close to the people. He praised Thomas Jefferson, quoted Abraham Lincoln, and rambled through a list of textbook cliches to prove his point that the only government worth a damn is local governmenl particularly - he is a shrewd judge of his audience - county government. Suddenly, in the middle of Justice Wright's exceedingly ordinary speech, he launched an attack on a mysterious "they" who are part of a plan to destroy local self-government. He mentioned only one "they" by name - Indian activist Hank Adams. "There are people like Hank Adams and his agitators who try to make the Indian tribes look bad," said Wright. "To put them in disrepute and eventually to destroy them. I am pleased to note we have not heard much of Mr. Adams lately, but it is part of the plan of that type of operators to destroy Indian tribes. They (the Indian tribes) are a part of local sei f-government. "Those same people would destroy the school districts and get everything run out of Olympia and Washington, D.C. They would destroy county government. These problems of taxation in which control is taken away from county government are part of a plan to destroy local self-government. "These same people that would destroy counties, and local self-government, all fit neatly together. Bring elected public officials into disrepute. All you have to do is see the slurring remarks in the news media time after time about legislators and congressmen to know what it means. "Fortunately, county commissioners have not been the victims of so many slurs, but it is part of the program. They have been able to infiltrate certain parts of the judiciary, and caused certain people to be too lenient with crime; too lax - too kindhearted, maybe - but, anyway, too lenient... o "It's a stew for Senator Jackson's fund-raising dinner, containing codfish balls, ham hocks and black-eyed peas, pasta, frijoles, grape leaves, lutefisk, sub gum chow mein, matzo crumbs, sauerkraut, golabski, foie de veau, chutney..." "Another thing they do is get control of the news media in an attempt to get people interested in all sorts of things that are not in their best interest - in pornography, in filth and scum, and in any type of subject that will keep them fpam thinking about their future and things that are good for like thinking about curing the ails of our society today? "Those people would disarm the people just like they did in Czechosh)vakia. They use all these things together to destroy the people, it is in our best interest to build up local self-government." During a question period following his remarks, we asked Justice Wright to identify the mysterious "they" he repeatedly rctL'rred to as responsible for attempting to destroy our form of govermnent. His answer was that he had used the word "communist" earlier in his speech. Wright's gratuitous naming of Hank Adams during his otherwise nameless indictment astotmded the newsmen present, since Adams had appeared in his court when he was a superior court judge and there is reasonable probability to assume that the Indian activist may be involved eventually in a case before the state's highest tribunal. The story was put on the wire by the Associated Press, which had a reporter at the commissioner's conclave. Justice Wright was immediately the center of attention of newsmen seeking additional comments. His first reply was that he had been rots-quoted. When informed that the Associated Press reporter had a tape recording of his entire speech, he conceded that he would probably have to disqualify himself if Adams ever appears in court before him. The facts in last week's drama are evident. A Washington State Supreme Court Justice took advantage of a small, isolated forum to disgorge a string of his prejudices. Newsmen were there and did their job of accurately reporting what he said. He then tried to cover his mistake by questioning the accuracy of the newsmen, but was brought up short of that goal by a tape recording. We ask our readers to determine who is responsible for waning faith in government. Is it an obscure conspiracy of "theys" which includes reporters who faithfully report the utterances - asinine or sublime - of public officials? Or is it a conglomerate of inept public officials who ask to govern, are paid to govern but are incapable of governing, and blame a convenient list of "theys" for the results of their inadequacies? Mailing Address: Box 430, Shelton, Wa. 98584 Phone 426-4412 Published at Shelton, Mason County, Washington, weekly, except two issues during week of Thanksgiving. , Entered as Second-Class Matter at the Post Office, Shelton, Wa. Member of National Editorial Association Member of Washington Newspaper Publishers' Association SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $5.00 per year in Mason County, in advance -- Outside Mason County $6.00 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ...................... Henry G. Gay Page 4 - Shetton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 12, 1971 By ROBERT C. CUMMINGS A spirited campaign against at least one of the initiatives to the Legislature, and its alternative, appears assured for the 1972 elections, and its results could have a lasting effect. The targets are Initiative 43, the shorelines management act sponsored by the Washington Environmental Council, and the legislative alternative which was enacted as HB 584. The presence of two measures on the same subject and on the same ballot can be enough to confuse the voters. It is a political maxim that when the voters are confused on an issue, they usually vote "no.' An organized campaign against both could clinch the rejection of both. Such a result could encourage future law-makers to enact alternatives to any initiative to the Legislature which wasn't to their liking. It also could discourage sponsorship of future initiatives to the legislature, and more concentration on initiatives to the people which, if approved, arc safe from legislative interference for at least two years, except by a two-thirds vote of both houses. East Side Origin Thougla the two shorelines Ineastlres have attracted more attention on the West Side, the organized campaign against them was born east of the Cascades. Adopting the name, "'Washington Citizens for Shoreline Protection," it is being organized by Clifford Groff, Tri-Cities area newspaperman. One of its sponsors is Rep. Carlton Gladder. Spokane Republican, who voted against the legislative alternative. Though the legislative act is milder than the initiative, its provisions for state regulation are too broad to suit its opponents. There also are objections to the eminent domain provisions in both acts. Never before has an alternative to an initiative been placed on the ballot by the Legislature, though th~ constitution has provided for it since 1914. This time there are two. Different Situat~ No widespread opposition has developed so far to either of the litter control acts, Initiative 40 or its legislative alternati~te. While money for implementation of the alternative hasn't been appropriated, it will be there when the 1972 Legislature convenes. The 1971 Legislature enacted a tax earmarked for litter control which willraise an estimated $850,000 ayear. This will be collectible next January. The Initiative also enacts this tax. The l)epartment of Ecology, which is charged with enforcement, is taking care in advance to get public cooperation, and make everybody aware of its provisions before enforcing the act. Ecology Director John Biggs thinks it the best litter control law in the nation. Fie believes it will eliminate any need for a bottle-refund law, which in the last election proved so distasteful to so many. First Time For Bell When Pacific Northwest Bell applied for emergency relief to offset thy effects of wage increases granted with settlement of the telephone strike, it represented a first for the Bell System in this state. The company has asked the Utilities and Transportation Co,nmission to grant an immediate increase totaling $16.2 million, without a hearing. Of this, $11.3 lnillion represents the effects of the wage hike, and is on top of the $24.9 million for which the company originally applied last January in a case still pending before the commission. The balance of $4.9 million is to offset increased costs of borrowing and is included in the original application. If granted, it would be deducted from the original. Not Without Precedent Though Bell never before has asked for it, the conamission on occasion has granted emergency increases to other utilities. This has been necessary in the case of gas companies when the Federal Power Commission authorizes pipeline companies to increase the wholesale rates it charges for supplying gas to the distributing companies. If an emergency increase is granted to Bell, it won't effect the regular monthly rates for residence or business telephones. It will be spread over increases in service charges, charges for special equipment, etc. Crumb Or Whole Loaf? The Legislative Council's Committee on State Government has recommended abolition of the Toll Bridge Authority and its merger with the State Highway Commission, Thit represents little more measures ..... ~,. ~q than a c'rumb of what (;ov. l)an Highways and all related agencies F.vans wants in his bid for a into a single agency. The Department of Transportation, Governor probably won't settle which would merge, besides thefor less than the whole loaf. TBA, the Deoartment of n By STEVE ERICKSON He died at 47 with a Kennedy half-dollar taped tightly over a navel hernia, this man described in a post-mortem magazine epitaph as "an innocent." Actually, Jack Kerouac was a truth-teller, one of the few. Perhaps that unpopular characteristic was the reason for whatever decline and falls he may have suffered during the insane 60s, the decade after his heyday as a writer. Whatever the reason, Kerouac died last year in St. Petersburg, Florida in what was gioatingly referred to by detractors as "total oblivion." This is the same Jack Kerouac who is credited with starting the Beat Generation of the 1950s withhis superb novel-memoir "On the Road." Incidentally, the Beats are accorded the very dubious distinction of spawning today's hippies, which Kerouac vigorously denied. He blamed a "Communist conspiracy" for the hippies, although the reds probably don't want the blame, either. At any rate, Kerouac is depicted compassionately in an old (March 1970) Esquire Magazine article by a Florida newspaper reporter who befriended Kerouac in his last days. They drank beer together and talked, and became good friends, as beer brothers often do. Kerouac also drank scotch from a medicine vial. By this time Kerouac was no longer the lean and reckless young wanderer of his earlier books, but a paunchy, sick and disillusioned middleaged has-been. But still a truth-teller. The reporter referred to "how the ravaged face looked in the •harsh light of the refrigerator," where Kerouac had gone for a beer, which he took in etadless half-quart cans. He also noticed during their visits that "It was almost as if Kerouac had burrowed, in his last years, farther and farther back intohis own personality..." "You got the impression that... Kerouac was determined to remain out of fashion, or at least to appear that way." But the article's basic premise is that "Like a little boy, an eternal innocent, he had no defenses. He seemed neither to need them nor to care for them, although he was sensitive enough to understand that many people do." Somebody said once that Kerouac mellowed late in his life, quoting him as saying near the end: "You can't fight, City Hall, because it keeps changing its name." Kerouac needn't have given up and become a recluse. He could have been in great demand by mankind, because he was the kind of guy who was addicted to telling the truth, and therefore could easily be taken advantage of. His dogged determination not to lie meant that he was vulnerable in the most spread-eagle way to the rest of us, not nicely concealed and safe behind a buffer strip of protective lies. Editor, The Journal: This is in regard to Mr. Rand Petersen's saccharine letter that was printed in last week's Journal. After reading his letter, I knew that it must be refuted. The only reason that Mr. Petersen's letter was written was obviously to gain self-sympathy, now that Shelton High School is finally rid of him. It seems that he is attempting to set up a grand facade for the townspeople, hoping that they will all clamor for him to stay and bless us longer with his presence. In his letter, Mr. Petersen makes himself sound so fantastic, it's unbelievable. And he is unbelievable! Never before have I met a person who is so terribly inefficient in all of his work, yet who goes on believing that everything is running ideally! 1 have been to a few high schools, but never have 1 seen one with a more ineffectual library system! Mr. Petersen says that usage has increased five times. This I find impossible to believe, as it is terribly hard to find a wanted book in the Angle Library. Having beenin that library day after day in study hall, I had ample time to observe it. What first amazed me, was that it seemed that Mr. Petersen had discarded the Dewey Decimal System entirely. Although the books were numbered thusly, there was absolutely no proper order to them ? I also n0lJ people ever In contrast, Library where research. around and the books are checked out. more than Petersen and Mr. "his" AFS success. Little truth? To many excuse to there was Very little accomplished, done, was done help from Mr. actually more a help to the that could Petersen's ine no need to high school All I really this letter W townspeople Petersen is humble as in his letter. his next may be, will may the U n S U S give them Mr. Petersen'S s Editor, The Journal: In the early days of Shelton, there were a few outstanding families who carried on the business and the achievement of various improvements that started Shelton on the way to becoming the thriving community that it has become in later years. It took foresight and energy, as well as a feeling of fellowship for all citizens to carry on the necessary work to build a town in which all could feel pride, The Fauberts were such a family and Ed, as the only son, carried on the hotel business for many years after the death of his father, Henry Faubert, who had established the Shelton !lotel, a very important enterprise of the time. The family were all good citizens and took part in all the various activities that go to make up a good church, And Ed as well as As a pro lnany years, have been with his picttW paper, rather page. We older credit shown Mrs. Editor, Just a rtot Young it won't heal. One of the Pacific Northwest's larger has very little in its files on Jack KerouaC, be ranked among the most important figures of recent years. Maybe this omission is because K, considered a wild-eyed liberal and that'S newspaper's stance. Or maybe it's just an example of sor0 deplorable - disregard of a legitimate neWS This newspaper's files (morgue) Kerouac items. One is an obituary. The 1961 editorial about Kerouac's "stuff,' terrible." Well, who's to argue with the editors or even to suggest that they are just nibbled Jack Kerouac to death? If theY to embrace truth, they're not alone. Obviously, truth hurts, especially if innocent enough to go around telling confusing and unusual enough even to Maybe the lesson to be learned from while you shouldn't let it all hang out, it all inside, because if you try - evea half-dollar - it rolls up in their and kills Kerouac died of "massive his death, even more than his writing, is the world's loss as well as St. Peter yours and mine. If only we realized that - and whY-