Milford chronicle., 1962-10-12
SPORTS CARS FOR POLICE

the past decade. New York attempts TO
utilize police mounted on horseback, which
will enable the police to utilize sidewalks
and other avenues, to clear the traffic.
Many cities use motorcycles and other
maneuverable vehicles in their approach to
the problem.
In Lancaster, England, the Police De-
partment has purchased thirty small sport
cars for their policemen. Not only are
they maneuverable in traffic and allow the
police to help with traffic problems, but they
have fast acceleration and maneuverability
and are safer for the policemen. English
officials think these cars are ideal for their
police work.
This new approach for police cars might
prove highly valuable and may begin trend
which will enlarge and encompass part of
this country. To our way of thinking, the
cars would appear to be the ideal solution.
A TURNIP is A TURNIP
Railroad unions have been claiming that
railroad poverty" is a myth. They demand
that Congress conduct an inquiry into the
industry's financial structure.
Well, claim is one thing and fact is
often something entirely different. The
fact, so far as the railroads financial con-
dition is concerned, can be stated succinctly:
The industry's net income after fixed
charges has shrunk from 1925 million to
1882 million in the last 10 years-or from
4.16 per cent to 1.97 per cent on the invest
ment.
AS for another inquiry into railroad af-
fairs, it is safe to say that no industry has
been so thoroughly, exhaustively, and etern-
ally studied. In fact, it has been studied al
most to death. Report after report-many
made at the highest official levels-has been
produced, and the end result so far, has
been just about zero.
What do the railroads need? For one
thing, they need to be relieved of the need
less $500 million year that featherbed-
ding, resulting from obsolete work rules,
costs them. And our whole complex trans
portation network needs the reforms SPELL
ed out in President Kennedy's excellent
transportation message to Congress-the
gist of it being that there should be more
reliance on fair competition, and less on
government regulation. All past exper-
ence substantiates that view.
A turnip is a turnip. And all the inquir-
les under the sun notwithstanding, the rail
road industry at present is bloodless tur-
nip. Worrying the turnip around with
senseless cat and mouse inquiries is poor
way to restore the railroads.
MILITARY RESERVES
There is no question about the fact that
both Congress and the people of the United
States must support President Kennedy's
request for authority to call up one hum
dred and fifty thousand members of the mil
.itary reserves. The President is charged
with the safety of the country, and if in his
judgment he needs this authority for the
nations safety, the Congress and the people
must acquiesce.
1t is necessary for us to support the
President not only because the nations
safety may be in question, but also to DEM
onstrate to the world that the United States
is not lacking in resolution to do what is
necessary. What might appear to the rest
of the world as lack of resolution would in
vite aggressors to greater boldness. 1t is
also true that giving a president more pow
er than he needs may be undesirable, but
failure to give him what he needs could
mean national suicide.
While we feel that the President is en-
titled to the whole-hearted support of Con-
gress- and the nation in this matter, it also
appears to us that the President has prob
ably erred in asking for authority to call up
the reserves once again. The average young
man who joins the reserves is not willing
to give up his civilian job every few years
to meet a minor crisis in foreign affairs.
Our national policy should be predicated
upon keeping large enough regular army,
navy and air force to meet the repeated
crises that we will be subjected to during
the years ahead. The reserves should be
called out when we anticipate or find our
selves in total war.
1t would appear that the recent news of
Russian military aid to Cuba, and criticism
from Congress for his failure to take de-
cisive action against Castro, have influenced
the Presidents action in requesting author
ity to call up one hundred and fifty thousand
reservists His action was an answer to
criticism of inaction.