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Thursday, April 3, 1975
University Dally Kansan
KANSAN
Editorials, columns and letters published on this page reflect only the opinions of the writers.
Courts inadequate
The quality of justice administered in Kansas is suffering immensely because of the state's anachronistic court system. It is impractical and inefficient. Legislature approve the court form hill now under consideration.
Revelations from the Kansas Judicial Study Advisory Committee reflect the dire need for court reform in Kansas. The qualification standards of many of our municipal court judges is a serious problem. For example, of the 386 municipal court judges in Kansas, only 27 per cent are lawyers. In many cases a high school graduate or less is all that is required of a municipal court judge. The report also states that only 18 per cent of the probate, juvenile and county court judges are law-trained.
Besides the low qualifications of many judges, there are inadequate staffing and provisions in many Kansas courts. A large number of municipal courts in small cities of countywide juvenile and criminal jurisdiction often don't have support from judicial professionals and social workers. Such personnel are needed to help rehabilitate juvenile and adult offenders.
Of the 16 per cent of the state's juvenile and county court judges surveyed by the committee, it was found that these judges had no access to law libraries. Municipal court sessions are often conducted in places completely lacking the dignity of a courtroom, such as a store, office, home or police station. The combination of poorly trained
judges, inadequate professional help and lack of courtroom facilities is responsible to a great extent for the inferior justice dispensed in Kansas.
The court reform bill provides for unification of the present eight different courts of original proceedings—district, probate, juvenile, county, magistrate, city, common pleas and municipal—into one district court for each county. The fiscal responsibilities of the district courts system involve handled completely by the state, thus eliminating the dubious revenue-raising power of municipal courts.
The unified court system will also institute an intermediate court of appeals to dispose of the plethora of cases that are clogging the Kansas Supreme Court. docket. Qualifications on our judges would include a master's degree and proxies to our magistrates of their duties will be held. Proper courtroom facilities and professional help will also be a part of the unified court system.
New Jersey unified its court system as far back as 1947. Many other states have taken steps to modernize their outdated court systems. The time has come for Kansas to provide an equitable system of justice through court modernization. The citizens of this state voted for court reform by means of a constitutional mandate in November 1972. The legislators of Kansas should meet the needs of the people by passing the court reform bill during the present session.
—Stephen Buser
By ROY CLEVENGER
President's future shaky
BY ROY CLEEVENGER
The accidental President Good of JET. A small-sown slim职位, moved from a modest white house on Crown View Drive in Alexandria to the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Gerald R. Ford is the political question mark for 1976.
Next year will bring one of the most important presidential elections of the century. The result of that race will hinge on what President Ford does in the next few months.
UNQUESTIONABLY, Ford is President at one of the most difficult times in our history. He faces an economic crisis unimaginable by any time since the Depression of the 1930s, an apparent collapse of American foreign policy throughout the world and a series of critical social issues that will force Ford to address in the American way of life.
Ford can make no really popular decisions and he has been in trouble almost since he took office. He was expected to provide a welcome change from two oppressive years of Watergate. For the first 30 days of his tenure, he did just that, but this year he pleasured of pleasure of life. But on his 31st day in office, Ford pardoned his disgraced predecessor, Richard M. Nixon.
No matter what he does, Ford can't avoid continued trouble over his economic plans and
Ford gathered, with the help of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, an excellent staff member, who would like a man planning for it.
THE PARDON was too much too soon. It shattered Ford's hymenone with the public and Congress. It was a serious tactical blunder, and it was to be followed by other decisions almost as unpopular. A few days after the pardon, Ford issued a clementry program for draft dodgers and other players, oozing it was intended to help and the rest of the public. And Ford's WIN economic program sidestepped the beginning recession.
Ford was, in short, unprepared to handle the problems facing him. He acted in spurs, and the results of his actions were sometimes illogical and unpopular.
adherence to the conservative ideals of the party while representing Grand Rapids for a quarter century that Ford became his minority leader. It was because of party loyalty that Nixon made Ford his vice president. But now, Fort seems
Slowly, Ford's administration began to take shape. The euphoria of the city by a realization that rough times were ahead.
many other issues. He cannot simultaneously please his former colleagues in Congress,erty and the American people.
The public has shown a great desire to have Ford succeed but a disappointment with his leadership so far.
Congress, overpowered in both domestic and international issues during the Nixon years, fostered its assertiveness unknown in decades.
IF THE PUBLIC and Congress are less than satisfied republican colleagues are deep in bed. It was because of his strict
to be abandoning some of those conservative ideals.
The economic crisis is a good example. By sticking to the Republicans' goal of a balanced budget, Ford can't pump life into the economy at a time when recession is a greater threat than inflation. But by allowing large budget deficits—essentially as far as fiscal 1976–Ford risks reawakening inflation and even sending the country into bankruptcy.
his Republican colleagues that the shift is only temporary.
Those predicting the end of the Republican party exaggerate the problem by treating it for tough intraparty fight in 1978. Former California Gov. Ronald Reagan is unlikely to start a conservative third party in the foreground, but confrontation with Ford in the early primaries. Conservative-Republican Sen. James Buckley of New York also may try to conservatives away from Ford.
FORD FEELS pressured by realities to temporarily stretch the ideals he believes in. His greatest problem is to convince
ALTHOUGH Ford seems to have tightly reined in Rockefeller, any hint that Ford might not run could prompt Rockefeller—who some say has never given up the dream of becoming president—to make one last try.
One of the likely sources of competition for Ford is Elliot Richardson, now ambassador to Great Britain, Richardson, who held three Cabinet posts under Nixon, feels no obligation to Ford and has said he desires to be president.
Pending sudden involvement by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, the Democrats aren't very likely to give Ford as much power than his predecessor. Already, six Democrats have declared their candidacies, and another half dozen are likely to announce before the first primary in New Hampshire. The Democrats have declared or likely—has serious flaws. Unless the Democrats can unite behind one candidate,
they may offer only a mild threat to Ford's election.
ALMOST since he took office, Ford has said he would run in 1976. There has been犹豫. The last weeks that he has decided against running but is continuing his candidacy officially to keep from being considered a caretaker President. At first, Ford said he would run because being President was "great fun."
As problems have replaced the fun of the office, Ford's best assets for election have been his dedication and sincerity.
Although current issues are certain to cause Ford trouble in 1976, they also offer him a unique political opportunity. If he can give the United States by grounding economy and a rearmed foreign policy and if he can avoid burdensome military commitments, he can claim one of the great triumphs of the century. Even if his policies have only begun to succeed by 1980, they will help his support together with a plea for unity in a time of peril.
FORD HAS a unique opportunity to steer the country away from the aberrations of Watergate and the unreasonable optimism of the past 40 years onto a course of realistic hope and pragmatism. Next year will be the roughest Gerald Ford has ever faced, and the snows of New Hampshire may be much deeper and closer than he thinks.
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TOWERING INFERNO
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Steven pelard
Readers respond / Union driveway the place for statue; students' fast praised
To the Editor:
I imagine it's too late for anything to be done at this point and, at any rate, the making of such decisions is not within the province of the students, but I always thought that the driveway behind the Union was an appropriate place for the statue they are moving in front of Strong Hall.
Needy helped
Tim Short
Pittsburg Law Student
On behalf of the Emergency Service Council, I wish to recognize and express gratitude for participation in raising funds.
To the Editor:
In addition to the $225 from the "fast" meal in the dorms, support has come from five other campus groups: two scholarship halls, one living community, the Panhellenic Association and the Interfraternity Council. If my information is correct, student groups at KU have raised more than $700 in the past four months for neighbors in need.
Recognition should also be given to many faculty families involved in one or another aspect of ESC work committees. Lawrence is helped significantly through the volunteer hours and days these people give our community.
While I state my thanks, I must regret the unavoidable fact that we still need more and
are still servicing an increasing number of situations. The ESC has raised more than $7,000 to date and has collected a significant amount of canned goods through the Add-a-Can program.
Field House
Thanks to the KU community for what you have done. And let's continue the generosity.
Donald L. Conrad
Publicity Coordinator
Emergency Service Council
I love the hell out of sports, so I would like to take this stretch between innings to tell those players what we executed the recreation
To the Editor:
Ted Trish Lawrence Senior
program over at Allen Field House that I appreciate it.
Lewis again To the Editor:
With regard to the editorial,
"Biblical balderdash-" congratulations to Steven Lewis. An editorialist's talent is evident in his approach, comment, whether favorable or not, generated by his or her column. The Kansan, evidently must employ the markings of a vertebrate journalistic genius, as did his identifying as indisputable evidence.
And you, Mr. Lewis, owes all the wonderful respondents a note of thanks. With such divine kindness, we sure to become a success.
Bob Gritz
Reading, Mass., Senior
Morris Udall
I'd like to compliment Paula Jolly on her piece on Morris Udall which appeared in the March 20 Kansan. I urge anyone who isn't already familiar with Udall's political philosophy to keep his eyes and ears open. He has an eye for detail, to see increasingly more national exposure given the man from Arizona.
To the Editor:
His metaphors and wittyisms speak with a common-sense clarity that is profound in its simplicity. This isn't to say that the author understands complex problems, but, given complexity, he does have an ability to extract the salient features of a particular situation or act on it in a way that is harmonious with his convictions.
We dewed this pabulum,
this artificial reality, until the
recession came upon us, that is,
unless Nixon-Ziegler . . . said it
was okay to call it a recession.
Times are harder now, but we
have to do something with the
pabulum (the economy will
upward走 up this summer).
Notwithstanding Mr. Ford's titular residence in the White House, this country is still very much in the throes of a Nixon-Ziegler (Kissinger?)-CLA, etc., ad nauseam, mentality, which ate hidden (or buried in complexity) from view (coverup) will keep the popplace fat and happy.
Morris Udall, I believe, is the kind of man who can help us not only to comprehend the insanity of the times, but also get us started dealing with complexity in a manner that is com-
That extravagance in all its forms must go seems certain.
The OPEC nations have become the watchdog over our economic frivolity. It is odd that Nixon, the man who especially wanted the U.S. of A. to be supremely wealthy, ergo, happy, funniest, has been the man to make us especially 'dependent on any foreign enemy . . . err . . . energy sources' (RMN speech on the energy crisis).
The irony is overwhelming.
Biting the marshmallow, or worse yet, biting not at all, would likely lead the nation into war(s) over resources (not the diplomatic-business war that is taking place) and increasing police-state restraints as a preventive. It appears that we need a
ensurate with the magnitude of the crisis.
president who won't equivocate with us, who will tell us how we must change our ways in a concerted effort in order to avert potential disaster of one form or another.
There are those (and I am one) who feel that mankind is rapidly approaching a state of critical complexity, a state in which most human turbations aren't only inappropriate, but possibly cataclysmic as well. One mortal can't magically lead us out of the morgas, but a leader who can lead us to the spirit of urgent cooperation would surely be a powerful positive force. There are few people in the national spotlight who possess such characterization hope that Morris Udall will see as one of them.
Pat Hogan
1
Lawrence Graduate Student
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