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The Houston Home Journal
OfMtons and Obsewations
VOL 107 NO. 42
Winter Looms Over Us
It is not a pleasant metaphor; this vision
of winter looming above us like some
hideous beast of prey. Yet, there is no doubt
that the winter of 1978 looms over us.
The recollections of winters past as quiet,
gentle times with snowflakes and sleds and
thick blankets and delightful snuggles
before an open fireplace - these are all
gone. The reality of the energy shortage has
made winter's breath a chilling one that
sends us scrambling for comfort and shelter.
And there is some question that we will be
able to find that shelter and that comfort this
year.
Last winter was a disaster. And
apparently we have done little or nothing
about the situation which precipitated that
disaster. The federal government, despite
all the ballyhoo about the new Department
of Energy, has failed miserably again.
A congressional report released this week
states flatly that the new Department has
seriously overestimated its ability to cope
with natural gas shortages expected to
result from this winter's severe weather.
Freedom For You
Freedom of the press - do we really
understand what it means?
We have heard the expression and have
seen it printed many, many times. We may
even know that many, many people over the
years have given their lives in support of the
idea; others have been jailed.
Our Constitution says: "Congress shall
make no law ... abridging the freedom of
speech or of the press."
Most people in this world do not have this
privilege.
The privilege, embodied in the First
Amendment, is there to help you the reader,
a citizen of this country, know what your
government and society are doing so you
can make informed decisions as you would
like to make them so you can live the kind of
life you want to live.
Most people in ths world do not have this
privilege.
You have it, but you can lose it.
How?
By allowing the federal, state, and local
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Will Handgun Law Work
Under the ironic headline of "Summer
Clearance Sale - Back to School" this ad in a
Colorado newspaper included a "Saturday
Night Special" among its offerings.
We didn't know whether to laugh or be
outraged.
We're sure the anti-handgun people will
point to it as an example of how easy pistols
are to buy, and the need to ban or severely
restrict their sale.
The handgun row is a big one. Over the
past dozen years, Congressmen tell us, the
issue has brought more mail than any other
single issue.
Part of that is due to the highly-organized
lobby of the National Rifle Association. But
even without the NRA, it would be big.
We have never quite understood why.
We just can't get excited about it because
Apparently, the Winter Emergency Energy
Plan is impressive in its detail and its scope.
But it apparently is also a lie, a falling back
onto the oldest bureaucratic trick of all:
starting with the results and then working
backwards to find the figures that will
justify them.
The plan boasts that government action
can reduce the expected natural gas
shortage by 60 percent but the congressional
report says that's a lie, that a 22 percent
reduction is more realistic.
For instance, the plan outlines some
actions which the government doesn't have
the authority to take. It also outlines some
actions that the government won't have the
authority to take until later into the season.
It looks like all we have done about energy
for the past year is talk about what a
problem we have. We aren't coming up with
any effective solutions. Another cold winter
is expected and it looks like the nation will
suffer even more than we did last winter
simply because we aren't prepared.
The winter of 1978 looms before us. And
we are at its mercy.
governments to undercut, thwart, and
impinge upon the various processes of
obtaining and transmitting information to
you. The volume of such instances is
reaching epidemic proportions these days.
Increasingly, legislation and proposals are
being made to prevent the press and public
from seeing criminal records, records of
departments and bureaus, certain court
trials, police blotters, even information
regarding local school departments. In
addition, there are new proposals to limit
contacts by the press and others with
legislators (Lobbying "Reform" bills), place
taxes on advertising - which hamper and
encumber the information process; postage
costs and postal restrictions; advertising
restrictions; and many others.
Who will ring the alarm bell about such
enormous governmental growth in matters
that concern just about every phase of one's
life if the press is so hampered that it cannot
do the job effectively?
The press is in the front "row."
But you, the citizen, are in the next "row."
we don't think a handgun law would do any
more to eliminate handguns than the
marijuana law has done to eliminate
marijuana.
An awful lot of people think they have a
right to keep a pistol in the dresser drawer.
It's a different group but we wouldn't be
surprised if their number were equal to
those who think it's OK to smoke grass.
An anit-gun law would do little else than
push up the price of handguns and give the
business to organized crime.
However, if Congress thinks such a law
will reduce crime, we suppose it's all right to
give it a try.
We'll just make a private bet that it will do
about as much good as the marijuana law,
the 55 mph speed limit and that label that
they have on pillows that says "Do not
remove under penalty of the law."
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1977
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HHJ NEWS EDITOR
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BY JOE HIETT
The coming months will see temperatures
hovering in the twenties and lower, and
many people doubtless will be wishing for a
return of spring and summer. It is only
natural for the human being to wish for a
change in his status, no matter how
pleasant. It we are rich, we want to be
richer. If the weather is sunny, we mope
about lack of rain. If raining, we want dry
weather.
But speaking from a personal view, this
writer has always looked forward to winter,
at least to the less severe part, anyway. To
me, the winter means:
Noses and cheeks reddened with
exposure to chilling wind, but somehow
giving a feeling of being alive;
Frost covering the ground and windshields
of autos, enabling one to wake up by
strenuous exercise;
Not having to mow the lawn;
Snuggling up close to someone you love;
Wearing parkas and other big coats that
have pockets that hold ail the various junk
men haul with them;
Warming hands over a log fire;
Watching the fragile beauty of a
snowflake as it gently settles to the ground
(remember, I grew up in northern Georgia),
or observing wind-driven snowfall;
And realizing that nature is resting in
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preparation for a coming spring when God's
gift to us burst forth in their radiance that far
exceeds anything made by mankind.
Georgia's new state school superinten
dent, Charles McDaniel, has called on
Congress to create a cabinet-level U. S.
Department of Education. At present, of
course, the federal education programs are
under the department of Health, Education
and Welfare (HEW).
The education programs currently receive
around ten billion dollars annually, far less
than the $l5O billion spent on health and
welfare, but far more than amounts spent
on budgets of cabinet level departments
such as State, Interior, Commerce and
Justice.
Senator Sam Nunn of Perry is one of the
first co-sponsors of a bill designed to do
what McDaniel suggests. The bill came up
before the Senate Governmental Affairs
committee last Friday.
While I am not a strong advocate of
federal control over education, believing the
Constitution left such a matter to the states,
as long as the feds are going to wrest
control, maybe a cabinet-level department
isn't a bad idea. At least their federal
programs would receive closer scrutiny than
some have in the past.
PAGE 4-A
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City politics have taken a turn toward the interesting
side of things for a change. There are now five candidates
announced for the three posts up for grabs and the old
rumor mill in town is grinding out several other names as
possible candidates.
Permit me to make a statement here and now about this
upcoming city election concerning the stand and policy of
The Houston Home Journal. It is a long-standing policy of
the HHJ not to endorse candidates in a city council race.
While the management of the paper has chosen to
endorse many candidates in the past for state offices and
some county offices, it has never chosen to endorse
candidates in a city council race. The election on Dec. 6,
will be no exception.
The paper will provide as much information as possible
on all the candidates through interviews and news stories
prior to the election to help voters decide the best
qualified candidate for the job. At all times, all candidates
will be treated fairly in every way in the coverage of the
election.
The Home Journal advertising columns will be open to
all candidates on an equal basis. Every possible
consideration to page locations requested by the
candidates will be given.
It really goes against my better judgement to feel that I
must publish a statement of the paper's unbiased
coverage of the upcoming election. But it was brought on
by rumors that the paper was not going to be fair in this
election. That was simply a rumor, started by some
candidate no doubt, and now let it rest forever. Enough
said on this subject of fair and unbiased news coverage.
Children fascinate and amaze me during all phases of
their growing up stages. Our six year old was playing
cards with one of his brothers the other night when the
older boy tried to pull a fast one on the six year old,
Geofgrey. Geoffrey looked him square in the eye and said
calmly, "God saw you do that and I did, too."
Everyone is tired of the rumors concerning the vacant
Grants building at the Grants Plaza Shopping Center, so I
will stick my neck out and state what I strongly believe is
a fact -- The name of the shopping center will soon be
changed to K-Mart Plaza and we will have a K-Mart Store
in that 53,000 square foot, vacant building.
I state this only after a lot of phone calls and subsequent
conversations with many people. There will be a brand
new K-Mart Store in that shopping center in the early part
of 1978. I imagine the official announcement will come
around the first of December.
Troubles At HHJ
Weeks like this cause me to give serious consideration
to selling the newspaper and locating me a 9 to 5 job and
leave the miserable headaches and thankless tasks to
someone else.
What brought all this on was a breakdown in our
typesetting system early Tuesday afternoon of this week
as we were approaching deadline to publish the paper on
Wed. A. m. We worked to get the system fixed but to no
avail and the company technician was unable to come to
Perry until Wednesday afternoon. It looked to me like the
Home Journal was going to be mighty late getting on the
street for the first time in our 107 year history.
I called my good friend Charlie Southerland, who owns
the Hawkinsville Dispatch and News and told him of my
serious problem. He said to bring our copy to Hawkinsville
and his typesetter would set our news stories and
editorials on their machine. Janice Colwell and Carol
Birdsong of our staff took off to Hawkinsville late Tuesday
afternoon with the copy we had ready to be set. In the
meantime, Joe Hiett covered the city council meeting
Tuesday night and returned to the office to assist Phil Byrd
and myself in making up the pages of this week's edition.
We worked just about all night. Janet Lewsader of our
staff then returned to Hawkinsville at 6:30 Wednesday
morning with the city council stories to be set into type.
When she returned, we finished the final pages of this
week's edition.
As I write this Tuesday night, I have no idea whether or
not we made it on schedule. As a matter of fact, I have no
idea whether we made it at all. But if we did, you will
surely notice several different styles of typefaces in this
week's paper. I apologize for that. It couldn't be helped.
If we did indeed make it, and the Good Lord is willing to
go along with us, we will be back to normal operations
next week. Thanks for understanding - or not
understanding, which ever the case may be in your case.
The Houston Home Journal
O'!*" Os Parry Anri Hiiam County, Qaoryia
• * NATIONAL NEWSPAPER”!
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NHIL BYNO MUY HUNCH JOE HIETT
Sporti Editor PRESIDENT EDI TON PUBLISHER Nrwt Editor
JANICE COLWELL JANET LEWSAOER