monday, november 13( 1973
page 4
daily nebraskan
opinioneditorial
Big Red fever sets fans, trees, street signs on fire
The times are a changin'.
In the 1910s, the Daily Nebraskan
printed cheers for rooting students
to yell at the Cornhusker games.
In 1948, the paper reported that
tear gas, the Lincoln riot squad, and
the city fire department were not
enough to disperse a milling crowd
of students rioting in protest against
no parking regulations on 1 2th and
R streets.
In the '50s, it was reported that a
howling mob of men swept through
campus and broke into sororities and
women's residence halls. Probably to
conduct a panty raid .
In the late '60s, things got hot.
Students protested the Vietnam war.
In the early '70s, it got hotter, stu
dents took over the Military and
Naval Science building.
In 1978, things were on fire. Stu
dents built a bonfire in the middle of
16th and S streets.
The fire, a symbolic wish to blaze
Oklahoma, was fueled with a piano,
green tree limbs, beds, mattresses,
and street signs to mention a few
items.
The crowd seemed to circle
around the fire cheering on the fuel
bearers.
The police may have gotten a bit
rough with the crowd the night of
the first fire. Some students were
arrested, some were alleged to have
to gotten a night stick in the head,
one was reported to have gotten six
stitches in the head because of a
police beating.
But the police should have stayed
out of it and let the students burn
their belongings.
The second night of the fire, the
students knew no fear. After all, how
could the police department go on
abusing Big Red fever or students
just out for some kicks?
With Big Red fever running high,
the police should have known it was
impossible to stop the fans from
tearing down the goalposts.
After all, who can blame a fan for
wanting to take home a piece of the
goalpost?
The game's nature is violent. So
it's understandable when an entire
town goes crazy and some of its
members go on a wanton path of
destruction to celebrate the Huskers'
victory.
Well, maybe it wasn't wanton.
Just a few people were sacrificed. A
woman at the game broke her arm
because of the crowd's furvor.
Another injured his ankle and one
poor student was alleged to have his
head beaten in by police on the night
of the fire.
Yet, the sacrifices seem small.
When sports can induce people to
pour money into supporting the
athletic department when UNL salar
ies are reported to be in the bottom
20 percent of the nation perhaps per
sonal injuries should be expected.
Anyway, individuals should not
consider the Daily Nebraskan to be
anti-Big Red just because a few
sacrifices had to be made. So we
whole heartedly say: GO BIG RED.
Oil combines expect to drill for gusher in tax breaks
WASHINGTON-The oil combines some
times seem more eager to drill tax loop
holes than wells. This is quite understand
able since the loopholes often bring greater
returns than the gushers.
Tax breaks, like oil wells, are often lo
cated in unexpected places. A little-noticed
tax treaty with Britain, for example, may
soon contain a multimillion-dollar loophole
-if the oil lobby has its way.
Under the treaty, Britain would pay at
least $350 million in tax rebates to U.S.
multinational corporations, plus a guaran
teed $85 million a year hereafter.
This might appear on the books as Brit
ish benevolence. But the American tax
payers would pay for it indirectly. In re
turn for the tax rebates to American
firms, British companies would get a tax
break in this country.
Among the biggest beneficiaries of the
complicated arrangement would be the in
ternational oil companies, who would es
cape certain domestic taxes. They have
pulled out all the stops, therefore, to push
the proposition.
Exalted level
The oil firms operate on a more exalted
level than most other special interests.
Arm and Hammer, the grand old man of
jack anderson
Occidental Petroleum, for example, wrote
a private letter directly to Treasury Secre
tary Michael Blumenthal.
The letter was intended for Blumen
thal's eyes only, but we have obtained a
copy.
Hammer addressed the letter to "Dear
Mike." The oil tycoons, it seems, are
always on a first-name basis with political
leaders. "I enjoyed our chance meeting at
Tip's office," he began, amiably. Tip, of
course, would be House Speaker Thomas
"Tip" O'Neill.
The oil magnate brought up the British
tax treaty. He explained that he had al
ready given President Carter his views on
the treaty "during our lunch." He went on
to drop two other big names before he
finished the letter. He mentioned that
Sens. Russell Long, D-La., and Alan Cran
ston, D-Calif., shared his favorable opinion
of the treaty provision.
Friendly letter
It was a simple, friendly letter. But it
may be worth millions to Occidental Pe
troleum. It has been this kind of quiet,
chummy lobbying that has permitted the
oil men to escape paying uncounted
billions-thanks to tax loopholes.
Pentagon Pipeline: Some of our fighting
men are in a mutinous mood of over their
headgear. The Special Forces wear green
f
I J f n m
fM lib
etters
It has been called to our attention that
the Daily Nebraskan is again running ads
on addressing envelopes. These are called
Home Work Schemes, and Better Business
Bureaus over the country have yet to find
one where one can make any money.
Work-at-home schemes all have one
thing in common -they require you to pay
some money before you start work. The
Bureau urges caution in answering any ad
that offers you great profits for some at
home work that requires no experience on
your part and is in great demand.
Schemes to earn money at home in
spare hours are often fradulent and, at
best, seldom result in any real earnings.
If you would like to receive sound ad
vice on starting a home business, write
to: Small Business Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, Washington,
D.C. Ask for Bibliography No. I Handi
crafts and Home Business.
Lois Tefft
Manager, Cornhusker Better
Business Bureau, Inc.
Editor's note: The Daily Nebraskan has dis
continued publishing ads requiring that
money be sent and regrets any inconven-
ience suffered by anyone replying to them.
Some women overlooked
Your reporters are to be commended
for their interest and subsequent coverage
relative to the numbers of minorities and
women in administrative and related roles
here.
It is understandable that only some
names in your Nov. 10 issue could be men
tioned since I was interviewed by two in
dividuals. However, the impression is that
other than the two females listed, there are
no other women in authoritative positions
at UNL.
For the record and so that these fine
people who contribute much to UNL
aren't omitted as being important contribu
tors to UNL, the list includes these names I
mentioned as well:
Joan Wadlow, associate dean, College
of Arts and Sciences and director of Uni
versity Studies; Jayne W. Anderson, coor
dinator of sororities, fraternities and co
aperatives; Hazel Crain, director of Center
of Business and Vocational Teacher Educa
tion; Sara Boatman, associate director,
Nebraska Union and director of campus ac
tivities and programs; Viann M. Schroeder,
director of Publications Services and
Control; Ruth Michalecki, director, Tele
communications Center; Wilma Crumley,
vice director, School of Journalism; Susan
Welch, chairperson, political science
department; Hazel M. Fox, chairperson,
food and nutrition department; H.
Lorraine Brandt, assistant dean, College of
Home Economics; Gwendolyn Newkirk,
chairperson, eduation and family resources
department; Audrey Newton, chairperson,
textiles, clothing and design department
June B. Davis, assistant athletic director for
women's sports programs; Agnes L.
Arthaud, associate director, Cooperative
Extension Service, Institute of Agriculture
and Natural Resources; Helen Ruth
Wagner, athletic ticket manager; Irene
Jounson, counselor, Division of Contin
uing Studies.
This list is not complete, but does give
a representative sampling of the numbers
of women in important positions here at
the university. To overlook them is not
very affirmative!
Bradley Munn
Affirmative Action Officer
berets, soldiers in the elite tank brigades
often wear black berets; and the parachut
ing infantrymen of the 82nd Airborne Di
vision wear purple berets.
Now, at Foot Hood, Texas, the soldiers
have taken to wearing cowboy hats.
This is too much for Gen. Bernard
Rogers, the Army chief. He has issued an
order banning all of the distinctive
headgear, except for the Special Forces'
green berets. The order has raised a howl
from the troops who regard their fancy
hats as a source of pride.
The general has agreed to listen to their
complaints. But our fashion consultants at
the Pentagon believe the colorful hat styles
are out. There is absolutely no hope, they
say, for the Stetsons. The general would
like to banish all cowboy hats to dude
ranches.
Army waste
The military brass, meanwhile, go on
wasting the taxpayers money. The Army,
for example, paid $400 million for a new
fleet of tanks with possibly faulty engines.
The lightweight gas turbine engines, ex
perts say, might break down under battle
field conditions. During tests, dirt and sand
kept filtering through the engine seals and
grinding the engines to a halt.
The Army generals were warned about
the defect, but they claimed the tanks were
desperately needed. So they went ahead
with a $400 million order for machines
than can be stopped with a little dirt and
sand.
Both the United States and the Soviet
Union have agreed that in case of war,
nerve gas should be banned. The weapon is
considered too diabolical for one countrv
to use against another. But Pentagon plan
ners don't trust the Russians. They have
ordered the distribution of nearly 2 million
units of nerve gas antidotes to American
servicemen -just in case the Russians do
not live up to their part of the bargain.
Am in program
Operation Intercept: Ugandan dictator
Idi Amin has launched a sinister psycholog
ical warfare program against his own
people and those Ugandans vho choose to
seek refuge in the United States.
Amin's thugs have been stationed at
post offices across the country and instruc
ted to intercept and open mail addressed to
or from the United States. Money or valu
ables found in the mail are often pocketed
by the dictator's men and the letters
of Ugandan citizens are carefully screened.
Ugandan citizens who write to rela
tives and friends in the United States some
times mysteriously disappear.
Under the dome: One of the last acts of
the 95th Congress was a $20 billion tax
cut, but it cost the taxpayers a bundle just
to report the vote. The final session lasted
34 hours and the rhetoric filled six volumes
of the Congressional Record. The cost of
printing 40,000 copies of the six volume
edition came to $500,000
-Sixty employees of the House dining
room were all fired for the duration of the
congressional recess. They were told they
would be rehired when Congress
reconvenes. In the meantime, they are out
of a job.