Tuesday, July 9, 1963
Summer Nebraskan
enators Defeat Budget
I Nebraska legislators refused
yesterday to give more money
from the general fund to the
University.
iThe 13-27 negative vote
blocked Sen Terry Carpen
ter's attack to boost the Uni
versity's allotment $1 millioD.
The Scottsbluff senator also
proposed that the state
teachers colleges and Milford
Vocational Technical School
be alloted more money.
I .
From the General Food
money, the University was al
loted $31.5 million by the com
mittee, normal schools were
75 Are
S cience
- The Summer Science Insti
tute at the University is be
ing conducted with 75 teach
ers, one third of whom are
from outside the state, en
rolled and participating in
this unique study program,
according to Dr. Wendell
Gauger, administrator of the
Institute.
"We offer regular univer
sity science courses at t h e
sophomore and junior levels
during the summer sessions
to supplement the teaching
requirements of high school
teachers who feel their back
grounds in sciep are inade
quate for the courses they
are attempting to teach in
their respective schools,"
commented Dr. Gauger.
"These represent post-graduate
courses to the teachers
although they are not of the
post-graduate curriculum,"
Gauger continued.
"The summer is an ideal
time for this work." Dr.
Gauger commented, "because
of the weather which allows
MOW
EDITOR'S NOTE: The folloartat storr
on non-partisanship in the Nebraska
LeKinlature to taken tram the School f
Journalism' Depth Report No. 1. "Ne
braska', Unicameral LelMature." We
are reprinting it in the Slimmer Ne
braakan became of the current discus
sions and proposals ior partisanship la
Nebraska' legislature.
"Non-partisanship is prob
ably the strongest advantage
of the Unicameral."
"Non-partisanship is
joke."
These two statements made
bv senators with long experi
ence in Nebraska's Legisla
ture represent the extremes
in viewpoints about non-partisanship.
That word non par
tisanshiphas been wed to
the Unicameral Legislature
6ince the campaign in 1934.
Those who favor it and
those who oppose it, both
with equal Vigor, admit that
there is nothing peculiar
about non-partisanship that
makes it a necessary part of
a two-house system, a part
of a city council, or a part
of any lawmaking body.
However, in Nebraska, non
partisanship was firmly at
tached to the Unicameral Leg
islature by the men who
fought for its approval in
1934. With George Norris as
the leading spokesman for
this new aspect of Ne
braska's new legislature, the
proponents made non-partisanship
a major provision in
the plan to give the state a
one-house system.
Their arguments and those
opposing them have echoed
throughout Nebraska during
the nearly quarter-century the
state has had its unique sys
tem of legislation.
Preference for System
However, the senators who
INDEX TO INSIDE
POST-SEASON TOURNEYS University depth report
ing student Dave Wohlfarth discovers that the high school
state basketball tournaments are a big business. Since the
basketball tournaments are the only profit-making post
season games, they carry the ball for other prep activities.
For mure information, see
Page 3
SUMMER SUN DANGERS A University Student
Health official discusses heat exhaustion and sunburns,
the most prevalent summer dangers, on
Page 3
READING LIST The University's Love Library staff
suggests books for supplementary summer reading on
Page 4
WHAT TO DO An interested, and perhaps, at one
time, bored Lincoln resident suggests a list of "things to
do" in the Lincoln area on
Page 4
given $6.3 million and the Mil-
ford School appropriated
$543,851.
Carpenter later admitted
that he had combined the
three educational areas into a
single amendment so that he
could gam wider support from
senators wanting more money
for Milford and the state col
leges. However, Sens. Michael
Russilo and Sam Klaver, both
from Omaha, were able to ob
tain a division of the question
so that each proposal will be
voted upon separately rather
Attending
I nsfitute
us to schedule field trips
which help considerably to
sapply the practical knowl
edge necessary to good
teaching."
The Science Institute, a six
year old program of the Na
tional Science Foundation,
and wholly sponsored by the
foundation, is carried on in
nearly 400 universities across
the country, said Dr. Gauger,
and has proven highly s u c
cessful. Dr. Gauger noted
that out 400 applicants only
75 could be accepted here at
the University of Nebraska.
"The first requirement is
that the teacher applicant
must be presently teaching a
science course," said Dr.
Gauger. "This is in line with
our primary objective to
serve the teachers with th e
most prevalent needs first."
Even though the teachers
are paid for taking this train
ing, Dr. Gauger thought it
commendable that so many
teachers voluntarily apply for
this additional training in or
der to better teach those stu
dents who are entrusted to
them.
have made laws within the
system generally seem to
have found a preference for
non-partisanship. Of the 68
senators participating in this
survey, a large majority of
them said non-partisanship
was a strength rather than a
weakness in the system. Their
viewpoints varied from abso
lute backing, to lukewarm ap
proval, to absolute opposition.
Even so, the large majority
of them had their answers to
the critics of the system.
WHAT ARB THE CRITI
CISMS? What are. the an
swers? Here, from the survey of
Nebraska senators, are the
criticisms and the answers:
1. Non-partisanship leads to
buck-passing.
(There is just as much
buck-passing between the two
houses of a bicameral sys
tem.)
2. Non-partisanship weakens
the two-party system, which
is a part of American politi
cal life.
(While non-partisanship does
not strengthen the party sys
tem, the advantages gained
in independent legislation out
weigh this objection.)
3. Non-partisanship cannot
separate an office-holder
from his politics.
(There have been few in
stances in the history of
the Unicameral Legislature
where partisanship was obvi
ous.) 4. Non-partisanship elimi
nates the normal development
of leadership.
(The lack of party control
allows leadership to develop
on its own merit)
5. Non-partisanship makes
-PARTISANSHIP
Boost
than under one amendment.
Carpenter in defending the
added funds, stated' that
the University cannot forever
vote down added .expenditures
for higher education. He then
pointed out that added enroll
ment in the next biennium,
1,000 new students are ex
pected the first year, would
hamper the University's
chances of being a first rate
University.
Carpenter's motion on the
f i o o r received supporting
speeches from Sens. Orme,
Fleming, Rasmussen, Payne,
Reeves, and Warner.
Marvel said efforts of the
Budget Committee since 1961
has brought about greater co
operation between the Univer
sity and the committee.
For the past three years,
he said, the Budget Commit
tee and himself has "taken
more heat" over the 1961 Uni
versity budget than over any
thing else.
The battle within the Com
mittee this biennium, accord
ing to Marvel, was whether to
increase or decrease the allot
ment.
Marvel further pointed out
that the overall University
budget was larger than that
recommended by the gover
nor and that the committee
has received no complaints
from the University over what
it has been allowed
The main defender of the
budget committee was Chair
man Richard Marvel of Has
tings, who explained how the
committee arrived at its fig
ures. Marvel explained that budg
et preparations began with
University officials as early
as March, 1962.
So intent is the debate on
the University phase of the
budget the senators refused
by an 18-20 vote to halt de
bate on the issue just before
the noon recess.
it difficult for a governor
elected on a partisan basis
to coordinate his program
with the Legislature.
A large majority of the
senators participating in the
survey felt that this liaison
was not a problem. However,
Nebraska governors, who also
were interviewed, felt" that
problems of liaison had arisen
during their administrations.)
6. Non-partisanship leads to
a lack of responsibility and
subsequently a lack of legis
lative action.
(The Unicameral Legisla
ture has produced enough leg
islation to govern Nebraska,
and, in some instances, more
good legislation than bicam
eral, partisan legislatures in
other states.)
These, as the senators saw
it, were the criticisms and
the answers. While the ma
THROUGH THESE DOORS
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PROPOSED ETV NETWORK The Nebraska map above shows the proposed Nebraska
educational television network. Passage of LB 666 and 667 by the state legislature last
week makes possible the first steps toward activating what will be the largest VHF (very
high frequency) network in the nation. Allocation in 1962 of five VHF channels and one
UHF (ultra high frequency) channel at Albion, gave Nebraska the largest block of VHF
channels. (VHF channels can be broadcasted to standard TV receivers.) In addition to
the six-channel network shown above, UHF Channel 16, reserved for ETV in Omaha, will
provide additional service.
The passage of two educa
tional television bills by the
Legislature last week earned
"a victory for the Midwest,"
according to Mrs. Betty Da
vis, continuity and promotion
director of KUON-TV, the
University's educational tele
vision station.
Mrs. Davis Dointed out
that Kansas and Missouri
legislatures have recently
turned down Dronosals for
educational television net
works, but she added. Now
that Nebraska has taken the
lead, other states in our area
may follow."
With the passage f LB 666
and 667 came the assurance
that a unique 7-station net
work will be developed. How
ever, according to Jack Mc
Bride, general manager of
jority of those taking part in
the survey backed non-partisanship,
in several instances
men strongly in favor of the
unicameral system departed
from their support to criticize
this aspect of Nebraska's leg
islature. The history of the
Unicameral Legislature and
the replies to the survey by
the senators bore out the no
tion that partisanship versus
non-partisanship has long
been a lively subject in Ne
braska's political circles.
The theory of non-partisanship
differs from partisanship
in one major respect: In a
non-partisan situation, a can
didate is elected on his own
personal integrity and convic
tions without a party label.
In a partisan system, how
ever, a candidate accepts the
party stand and is backed by
his party before, during, and
tl
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- lnside the Indian doors Is
is also operated on a non-partisan basis.
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channel 7 r'
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iMteniwo lux-
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I " lEXINGTONr.
13.
channel 3
KUON-TV, it may be close
to a year before the Channel
12 station will begin trans
mitting from Mead.
When the Mead transmitter
is in operation, Channel 12,
which is presently using only
one-seventh of its transmitter
strength, will serve about
one-half of the state. At pres
ent, the station cannot be
picked up in Omaha. Beat
rice, to the south, is on the
edge of the present receiving
area, but with the Alead
transmitter in operation,
Channel 12 will be received
as far south as Falls City.
LB 667 provides for a
9-m ember commission to
oversee the television net
work. This commission mem
bership will include the State
Education Commission
Buck Passing or Responsibility?
after his campaign and elec
tion.
THERE IS A "NATURAL
NESS" in the two-party sys
tem, according to two uni
versity of Nebraska political
science professors. There are
always at least two sides to
every issue. The clash of
opinions and competition be
tween the two parties results
in better decisions, they say.
More Than Two Sides
Yet, as indicated by the op
eration of the Unicameral
Legislature, there may be
more than two sides. Instead
of a two-sided disagreement,
there is sometimes a 43-sided
argument which in most
cases is resolved into one leg
islative bill.
R. D. Sloan. Jr- assistant
professor of political science
at the university, explains
faftHM:"8.U
housed the nation's only uni
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ALBION d
channel 25
fs3p. ZT channel 12 !i
Urn.. IU-H.1 "-fil
er, Normal Board Coordina
tor and the University Chan
cellor.
Gov. Frank Morrison will
select the other commission
members from the follow
ing fields: a representative
of the Nebraska Cornell
for ETV, a representative
of private education in the
state and a Board of Ed
ucation member from Calsses
I, IH, IV and V school dis
tricts. LB 667 and LB 666 did not
carry emergency clauses, so
they will not go into effect
until 90 days after the close
of the present legislative ses
sion. LB 666 appropriates $600,000
for the television network for
the biennium. If this sum is
matched by the federal gov
ernment, as is hoped, Mc-
that when an issue comes be
fore the public in a two-par
ty situation, the parties as
sume responsibility by mak
ing certain promises. Respon
sibility can thus be pinpoint
ed and much buck-passing is
eliminated.
The two-party sytem began
with the disagreement be
tween Alexander Hamilton
and Thomas Jeff ers33 on the
question of a centralized gov
ernment or a confederation of
sovereign states, according to
Dr. J. B. Shannon, chairman
of the political science de
partment. The Civil War wid
ened the split resulting in the
majority of the northern
states joining the Republican
party while the South be
came staunchly Democratic,
"When there are two par
ties, there is constant criti
cism to keep people oa their
toes," Dr. Shannon added.
Current Opinions
Parly HesdS Senators
Endorse Partisan Plan
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By JIM RISSER
Renewed interest in a par
tisan Nebraska Legislature
has been a much-discussed
feature of the 1963 legislative
session.
Both political parties and
a handful of state senators
have endorsed a change in
the present system, which
now sees Nebraska. as the
only state which elects its
legislators on a non-partisan
basis.
Among those who now
would like to see the parti
san system restored are for
mer governor Val Peterson,
now a University Begem;
Adam Breckenridge, vice
chancellor of the University;
Senators Chiton Foster,
Michael P. Rnssflo, Fern
Hubbard Orme, and Dob Mc-
Ginley; and the state and na
tional officials of both politi
cal parties.
Sen. roster was the princi
pal introducer of L. B. 112,
which would have submitted
to the voters a constitutional
amendment providing that
legislators would be nomina
ted and elected in a partisan
maimer. ,
if- "
teD .fcD C&f
Bride said that it would be
possible to move KUON-TV
to Mead, increase its trans
mitting power and also begin
the Lexington station.
In a study last year, these
were the first two steps out
lined for Nebraska's ETV
network. However, it will
now be op to the commission
as to what will be the first
step.
Five stations of the 7-station
network will be VHF
channels Mead, Lexington,
Alliance, Basse tt and North
Platte. The other two, Omaha
and Albion, will be UHF
channels.
All commercial TV chan
nels are VHF very high fre
quencyand, at fun power,
these stations should trans
mit 50-75 miles from the
point of transmission.
But a UHF. ultra nigh fre
quency, signal on the same
power would travel effective
ij only 25 te 30 miles.
There are very few TV re
ceivers across the country
which are equipped to pick
up UHF signals as well as
the VHF transmissions.
McBride noted that no oth
er state educational television
network has S VHF channels
at its disposal.
Special Tour
A privately conducted tour
of the Sheldon Art Gallery, in
conjunction with a discussion
of the gallery s art work, will
be given today at 1 p.m.
Norman Geske, director ox
the University art galleries,
will speak to the History and
Principles of Adult Education
class members, however, the
public is invited to attend the
special session.
Laymen, political scientists
and other states view Nebras
ka quite critically because it
is the only state employing
both a one-house legislature
and the non-partisan system.
One answer for which they
are all searching is: Has non
partisanship worked in this
state?
Adam C BreckenrMge,
Dean of Faculties at the Uni
versity of Nebraska, contends
that the non-partisan system
does fulfill the need for ob
taining good legislators and
good legislation. In his book.
One House for Two, he said
the absence of party politics
in the Unicameral Legislature
has not caused a lack of re
sponsibility, lack of leadership
or lack of liaison between the
governor and the legislators.
Nor has non-partisanship
(continued on page 2)
The bill was killed in com
mittee, and efforts to revive
it on the floor were unsuc
cessful. People or Party?
The opponents of the parti
san system were subsequent
ly able to pass a resolution,
introduced by Sen. Arnold
Ruhnke, which urges the citi
zens to consider whether they
want legislators to be respon
sible to the people or to a
political party.
The resolution was passed
after the Nebraska Federa
tion of Republican Women
announced the launching of a
drive to secure petitions
which would place upon the
ballot the question of the par
tisan system.
"One party has kept Ne
braska bogged down," Sen.
Foster said last week. "It has
meant overwork, more bills
introduced, and poorer quali
ty legislation." He said that
under a party system, the
legislators would have more
responsibility to some philos
ophy, and would save to meet
important issues rather than
avoid them.
Breckcnridee told the Sam-
mer Nebraskan last week
that he has changed bis
mind about the effectiveness
of the non-partisan feature.
(contused oa psge S
