Kansas Senate Passes Wichita U. Test Bill
By Fred Morrison
The Kansas State Senate yesterday tenatively passed a bill to incorporate Wichita University in the state university system after three hours of discussion. The vote was 18-13.
The vote yesterday was on a motion by State Senator William Farmer, R-Wichita, to recommend the bill for final passage. Final action can be expected, without further debate, before the end of the week.
Observers say it will probably come early Thursday afternoon and Senate passage is virtually assured.
In order to pass the Senate, the bill will need 21 yes votes. Nine
Senators did not vote yesterday. Only three of these, plus the 18 already favoring the measure, would insure passage.
SOME SENATORS SAID the bill was an attempt to lift the tax burden from the shoulders of the people of Wichita and give it to all the people of the state. Of the 5,657 students at Wichita University, 4,346 are members of Wichita.
The strongest opponent of the bill, Sen August Lauterbach, R-Colby, said that only 9.8% of the students at Wichita graduate each year; over 20% graduated at KU.
Sen. Lauterbach challenged certain scholarship programs.
Wichita now spends $279,028 of
tax revenues for scholarships, some of which are for athletics. Other state schools, including KU, are prohibited from spending tax money for scholarship aid.
Wichita taxpayers will pay off all outstanding indebtedness of the university.
THE BILL CALLS FOR A special election to be held in Wichita. If Wichita voters approve, the university will be transferred to state control in several stages. Transfer will begin this June and be completed by 1963. The State Board of Regents will operate the Wichita school after 1963. Until that time, control will remain with the local board. The state will
supply certain financial aid to the university during the interim period.
There were various estimates on the amount of tax burden this action would impose upon the state treasury. Sen. Farmer said that it would amount to about $2\frac{1}{4}$ million dollars annually. Sen. Lauterbach said that he had seen a $4\frac{1}{4}$ million dollar figure.
During the proceedings, Sen. Farmer was unable to answer all of Sen. Lauterbach's questions. On several occasions, he turned to a Wichita University official, who was sitting in the gallery, for answers. The university official was reprimanded by the presiding
officer, Sen. Donald Hults, R- Lawrence, for his answers.
SENATOR LAURIN JONES, R-Dodge City, said that the question was simple: "Are we going to educate people or aren't we?" Jones is chairman of the Senate Education Committee.
Senator Fayette Rowe, R-Columbus, offered a motion to kill the bill. He described the arguments in favor of it as a "hard luck story," and commented "My county has a hard luck story, too."
One member of the Senate committee charged with finances, said "We just don't have the money right now."
Dailu hansan
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 1961
58th Year, No. 88
JFK's Message To Russia Calls For Friendship
WASHINGTON —(UPI)— President Kennedy today sent Ambassador Llewellyn Thompson back to Moscow with a personal message to Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev expressing hope for "fruitful" continuation of diplomatic efforts to better U. S.-Russian relations.
The White House said in a statement after Thompson's farewell call on the President that the envoy also would be carrying to Khrushchev a personal "expression of the President's confidence in Ambassador Thompson."
THE AMBASSADOR, accompanied by Secretary of State Dean Rusk, met with Kennedy for about 5 minutes this morning to round out a series of conferences since Thompson returned here from Moscow at Kennedy's request several weeks ago.
The purpose of Thompson's trip home was so the Kennedy Administration could review the entire field of U. S.-Russian relations.
Associate White House Press Secretary Andrew T. Hatcher issued a statement saying that Kennedy and Rusk had received from Thompson "a first hand report on a variety of subjects affecting Soviet-American relations."
"IN ADDITION, these meetings will enable Ambassador Thompson to return to Moscow with a clear understanding of the President's views on the matters discussed for his use as guidance in conversation with Soviet officials," the statement said.
"He is taking a personal message to Mr. Khrushchev expressing the President's confidence in Ambassador Thompson and the desire that any further conversations between Soviet officials and the ambassador will be fruitful and assist in bringing about better Soviet-American understanding."
In the talks, which started a week ago, Kennedy, Thompson and top foreign policy experts also discussed the more immediate cold war problems which from time to time flare into crises which threaten world peace.
Weather
Drizzling rain and above average temperatures are called for by the weather bureau. Temperatures are expected to be five ten degrees higher than normal for the next five days, but the drizzling rain will continue through tomorrow.
Today's high will be in the upper 40's; low tonight in the 30's.
SEMANTICS AS INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY—S. I. Hayakawa speaks at last night's Humanities Lecture.
Hayakawa Urges Cultural Exchange
"My proposition for helping to solve the world's semantic tangle is the encouragement of a cultural exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union," said S. I. Hayakawa at the Humanities lecture last night.
The renowned semanticist, who is professor of language arts at San Francisco State College, was addressing a crowded Fraser Theater on the topic "Communication with Russia."
He explained that we have a chance of overcoming fear and anxiety, and gaining human survival if we put this general theory of psychotherapy to use in our relations with the Soviet Union.
"We should not be afraid to use the power of the 'patient listener principle' in our relations with Russia if we sincerely believe that our way of life is the best."
"We do not have to agree with them," he commented. "But we have to try something different. Our present policies are suicidal for all concerned."
"Have our accumulation of bombers helped the drive for peace?" Prof. Hayakawa asked.
THE U.S. has an estimated 10 tons of TNT for every man, woman, and child on earth, Prof. Hayakawa said. We cannot be told how many bombers we have for "security" reasons.
"On neither side are we able to change courses when it obviously needs changing. The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. are rapidly rowing toward the waterfall while other nations are holding onto the gunnels as 'neutralists.'"
HE EMPHASIZED that the world is threatened by extinction because both sides are preparing to defend themselves against the other. This threat of a show-down has become the "biggest and most fantastic vicious circle the world has ever seen."
"Our capacity for destruction since World War II, even in charity, is insane.
Other phrases such as "national security" are obsolete the speaker said. No nation can control radioactive fall-out, or stop satellites from photographing their territories from the moon.
“What would happen.” he questioned, “if we took the Russians' words for peace seriously? Would they begin to take themselves seriously?”
ASC Reports on Spectrum, 'Rights'
A committee report on the financial condition of Spectrum, discussion on the racial justice issue, and submission of nine new bills held the ASC in a two-hour session last night.
Harley Russell, Topeka senior, said all Spectrum bills are being processed and that they would be paid soon.
City Group OK's Plan for Forum
The committee to study the civil rights problem in Lawrence agreed last night to consider the establishment of a Human Relations Commission that would act as a public forum on discrimination.
The recommendation was made by E. Gordon Ericksen, KU professor of sociology, near the end of the two-and-one-half hour meeting at Lawrence City Hall.
PROF. ERICKSEN ALSO recommended that the committee ask Charles D. Stough, city attorney, to attend the next meeting and report on Kansas legal precedents concerning Human Relations Commissions.
Earlier in the meeting Prof. Ericksen had opposed the establishment of a Human Relations Commission. He said that sociologists studying race relations had no proof that such commissions can solve the problem.
"We can decide to encourage the creation of a commission that would fight the problem on multiple fronts. It will bring results—shocking results. There will be attacks and counter attacks."
CHANCELLOR W. CLARKE Wesoeo asked, "Why do you use the word, 'attack'?" Couldn't a commission be created that would educate and inform the people? I think we might be able to obviate the problem this way.
"Why can't a commission act as a conciliatory body," he asked. "If we want to help the community, why can't we explore the situation. We don't have to take sides."
Mayor John T. Weatherwax opened the meeting by explaining why the city commission had named the committee.
"FIRST, WE WANT YOU TO decide if there is a need for a Human Relations Commission in Lawrence," Mayor Weatherwax said.
"We're not asking if there is a need to improve human relations here. That's evident. There are doors in Lawrence shut to various races."
The committee elected Dr. Phil Godwin, Lawrence physician, as chairman. Harold Keltz, Lawrence merchant, was elected secretary.
"We're still trying to sell Spectrum," he said. "Representatives in each organized house can be contacted for the magazines, and they'll soon go on sale at the Kansas Union."
Tom Kurt, Pratt medical student, was appointed to audit the business manager's books and collect the outstanding bills for Spectrum. Russell said there were some unsigned contracts for advertising, so collection may be delayed again.
RUSSELL REACHED three conclusions about Spectrum:
- The overall blame can be placed on the poor circulation and lack of advertising.
- An exceptional number of complementary copies were issued.
- The operations organization of the magazine were not good.
Harvey Martin, Salina sophomore, said the financial conditions of the K-Book, Date Book and Handbook were in "good shape."
Fred Morrison, Colby senior, introduced a resolution setting up a reserve fund for each publication and also a general publications fund to which they all contribute and from which all can draw.
"I'm eight dollars ahead and in the clear, so don't jump me," he said. "Printing expenses have been met and the incidental expenses paid. About $200 in advertising is coming in and that's all profit," said Martin,
"THEIS GIVES EACH publication a reserve fund of their own," Morrison said. "If their deficit is greater than the amount in their reserve fund, they draw from the general fund. This also keeps the deficit from coming to the ASC."
The resolution now goes to committee for investigation.
ASC then considered the racial justice issue. Ted Childers, Wamego junior, said the Housing Committee
(Continued on page 6)
TV Basketball Party Is at 7:30 in Union
A TV-basketball party will be held in the ballroom of the Kansas Union at 7:30 p.m. tonight.
All students are invited and will be able to watch the KU-Kansas State game. Free coffee will be served at the SUA-sponsored party.