6 .' The Daily Tr HmI Wednesday. September 7. 1977
Greg Porter
Editor
Ben Cornelius, Managing Editor
Ed Rankin, Associate Editor
Lou Bilionis, Associate Editor
Laura Scism, University Editor
Elliott Potter, City Editor
Chuck Alston, State and National Editor
Sara Bullard, Features Editor
Jeanne Newsom, Arts Editor
Gene Upchurch. Sports Editor
L.C. Barbour. Photography Editor
Hunt's bureaucracy
Streamlining government?
"Streamlining the bureaucracy" is a phrase in vogue these days, but all too
often it seems that the preachers are not the practitioners.
Gov. Jim Hunt was one of those preachers. During his years as lieutenant
governor, and throughout his long gubernatorial campaign, he maintained
the posture of a new populist, pledging a commitment to smaller and more
efficient government.
Last spring, the outward signs indicated that Hunt was streamlining
North Carolina's governmental bureaucracy, as he cut 880 state jobs. The
governor claimed that the cuts were saving North Carolina's taxpayers $10
million.
Maybe so. But, as the Charlotte Observer reported yesterday, more than
780 of those 880 jobs(which were eliminated were vacant positions. Even
more startling is the revelation that, while 880 positions were cut for
streamlining purposes, the Hunt administration has added some 3,250 new
state jobs to become more effective over the next two years.
Consequently, the cost of state government is spiralling hardly the goal
of a new populist who pledged less government. And while budget
spokespersons will maintain that the increased costs ($18 million this year.
$2 1 million next year) can be absorbed by efficiency savings, we are inclined
to suspect that this state's taxpayers will eventually pay the price.
The new jobs were approved by the General Assembly during the last
session, and include 731 new positions in the Department of Corrections,
488 in the Department of Human Resources, and even 15 in the Governor's
Office, costing an additional $280,000.
The increased costs of government do not even take into consideration
boosted budgets for the state's public schools. By the end of next year, 9,200
new jobs will be filled, mostly related to the governor's new reading
program. A hefty $47 million will support the new positions.
The bottom line, then, is a blossoming bureaucracy. We have no doubt
that some of the new state positions created since Hunt's residency in the
Governor's Mansion began will be of great service t& the people of North
Carolina. But we do question the governor's definition oP'streamlining." If
he is to be a preacher, then let him practice as well. If he is to promise a more
efficient and smaller government, then let him take the steps to assure
that the promise is fulfilled. If, however, Hunt prefers to saddle the
taxpayers of North Carolina with a burgeoning budget reflecting bigger
government, then let him drop his populist guise and admit the truth.
Ingram's criticism off-base
If Insurance Commissioner John Ingram follows past form, this state's
insurance industry can expect another court battle with the quarrelsome
commissioner over a new plan of classifying drivers.
The industry announced last Thursday a classifying method that would
mean much lower insurance rates for single men under 25 and much higher
rates for females under 18. Rates would remain unchanged for most adult
drivers with clean records but rates would rise significantly for many drivers
who have been convicted of moving violations or who have been involved in
accidents within the last three years.
The new plan is the first tangible result of a sweeping insurance measure
passed by the 1977 legislature that went into effect Thursday. U nder the new
law, Ingram can rule against the changes, but the insurance companies
could challenge his ruling through the courts and use the new rates until the
matter is resolved by the courts. Under the old law, the industry had to ask
Ingram for permission to change rates. In almost every case, Ingram denied
the change and put the burden on the insurance companies to take the
matter to court.
Ingram issued fighting words again Thursday and, once more he appears
to be off-base. "The insurance industry has done exactly what we predicted
they would do," he said. The insurance companies are charging people with
safe driving records more and still not properly surcharging bad drivers
enough." But he is only partially right. Most of the drivers under the
proposed plan, except for single men under 25, who have been convicted of
moving violations or have been involved in accidents would pay higher rates
for both collision and liability insurance than they do now.
In some cases, it is true that the reduction of base rates coupled with lower
surcharge penalties could result in a net decrease for single men under 25,
even if they had multiple convictions. But it's ironic that Ingram would
complain about a plan that generally gives the young, single male long a
victim of insurance discrimination a break on insurance rates. The new
proposals are similar to what Ingram himself suggested during the 1975
legislative battle to ban age and sex discrimination in automobile insurance.
The new classification plan is one proposal by the insurance industry
against which Ingram need not apply his quick-draw veto.
The Daily
publishes Monday through Friday during the academic year. Offices are at the Student
Union Building, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514. Telephone
numbers: 933-0245, 0246, 0252.
Newa: Tony Gunn, assistant editor; Mark Andrews. Jeff Collins. Meredith Crews. Shelley
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New Desk: Reid Tuvim, assistant managing editor. Copy chief: Keith Hollar. Copy editors;
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Kirk, Pete Mitchell. Ken Roberts, Rick Scoppe, Will Wilson and Isabel Worthy.
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Graphic Arts: Artists: Dan Brady, Allen Edwards. Cliff Marley. Jocelyn Pettibone. Lee Poole
and John Tomlinson. Photographers: Ered Barbour. Allen Jernigan. Mary Rench and Joseph
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Business: V'erna Taylor, business manager. Claire Bagley. assistant business manager. Mike
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manager; Steve Crowell, classifieds manager. Julie fusion. Ncal Kimball. Cynthia Lesley. Anne
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Sullinn
Slip
fatly
85th year of editorial freedom
Tar Heel
Theorists claim mystical forces
Twentieth
By DAVID CRAFT
The Egyptian pharoah. Cheops, may
have had more than just a tomb in mind
when he designed the Great Pyramids at
Giza. Recent theorists credit the
pyramids with u mystical force capable
of everything from preserving meat to
improving sex.
"Pyramid power" has long puzzled
scientists and scholars. Because no
written records exist from the period
during which the pyramids were
constructed, they can only guess at the
origin and meaning of the structures.
Shelia Ostrander and Lynn
Schroeder coined the term "pyramid
power" in their book. "Psychic
Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain."
published in 1970.
The book explains that pyramid
power was discovered in the 1930s by a
Frenchman named Monsieur Bovis. He
supposedly visited the Egyptian
pyramids and noticed two things: that
the air inside was humid, and that a
barrel of dead animals had no stench.
Bovis questioned one of the custodians
and learned that the animals had made
their way into the pyramid and died.
They had been gathered up and placed
in a barrel several weeks before. Despite
the humidity, the animals had not begun
to decay.
Bovis returned to France and built a
scaled-down pyramid of his own. He put
a dead cat inside and ended up with a
feline mummy, perfectly preserved.
Karel Drbal, a Czech radio engineer,
heard of Bovis' discovery and made
some tests of his own. according to the
book. He found that razor blades
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Laetrile lure
By PETER HAPKE
Sometime in the future, being in "the
pits" may not be so bad if those pits
happen to be from apricots. The
controversial cancer drug Laetrile,
derived from apricot pits, can now be
imported by a cancer patient if he
obtains an affidavit from a physician
certifying that he is terminally ill.
Conceivably, as the ground swell in
support of Laetrile grows, the Federal
government could be forced to loosen its
ban, thus allowing the manufacture of
mass quantities of the drug in the U nited
States.
That dim prospect is brought closer
by the fact that an estimated 50.000
Americans have taken the drug and
seven states Alaska. Florida.
Indiana, Washington. Nevada, Texas
and Arizona have legalized it, while
many others are considering
legalization.
Indeed, many prominent doctors and
newspapers, including the Sew York
Times, have voiced support of Laetrile
because it may ease the pain of dying
patients. Yet. Laetrile has failed to
impress physicians who specialize in
cancer therapy. Data submitted by
Laetrile proponents to cancer
researchers usually omits the proof that
the patient even had cancer. And
according to Dr. Daniel S. Martin of
Columbia University's Institute of
Cancer Research, "The critical piece is
missing the pathology report."
Because Laetrile has been proven
conclusively ineffective in animal
experiments, the U.S. medical
profession views the drug as ineffective
in the treatment of human cancer.
Moreover, as a palliative for dying
patients, the medical profession says
that there is no way to provide proof
that Laetrile is actually easing the pain.
Doctors argue that Laetrile acts only as
a placebo for the patient, thus uplifting
his psychological state. For a
terminally-ill patient. Dr. Martin
century cashes in on pyramids at Giza
remained sharp far beyond their normal
expectancy. Drbal applied for a patent,
but was refused at first. Only after a
chief scientist from the patent office
obtained similar results was he granted a
patent on his "Cheops Pyramid Razor
Blade Sharpener."
Actors, physicians and other curious
people are now getting in on the act.
Actor James Coburn takes his daily
medication under a pyramid-shaped
tent. He puts his cat and kittens to sleep
on a pillow atop many tiny pyramids,
hoping they will grow up in a special
way.
A Houston doctor has found that
microbes kept under a pyramid live an
average of 64 days longer than microbes
not kept under a pyramid.
People who have built pyramids
report that pyramid power has healed
abscessed teeth, increased productivity
of seeds and plants, raised the quality of
wine and even increased virility.
A leading dairy company in Europe
packages milk in pyramid-shaped
cartons, claiming that the milk stays
fresh longer and requires less
refrigeration.
Skeptics abound. Many scientists
attribute pyramid power to superstition.
But according to G. Patrick Flanagan, a
noted physics professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
the power is based on a common
scientific occurrence. The key to
pyramid power. Flanagan says, lies in
microwaves and the shape of the
pyramid. The microwaves torm bands
of electromagnetic power in a cone
shape around the pyramid, which
deflect many of the sun's rays.
Whether pyramid power is fact or
fiction, a lively commerce has developed
foft-M CHIEF
CAM UtOS)
mm
gives dying cancer patients false hope
maintains, "the regimen of rest,
vitamins and tender loving care could
well accomplish what Laetrile is
supposed to do."
And what "effect" Laetrile is having
can be seen on the death certificates of
the thousands of terminal and non
terminal cancer patients who have died
after switching from conventional
cancer treatment surgery, radiation
and chemotherapy to Laetrile. By
taking Laetrile, terminal and non
terminal patients are depriving
themselves of any hope of recovery or
prolonged life from conventional cancer
therapy.
For many proponents, the issue of
Laetrile is largely the right of the
individual versus the right of the
government in drug regulation. In this
age of kudzu-like government
regulation in which the individual's
rights are increasingly restricted to
protect his health and his environment.
-
in "pyramidabilia."
Edmund Scientific Supply markets
two pyramids: a $4 cardboard model
and a clear plastic one. which sells for
$20.
Flanagan reports selling over 30,000
copies of his book. "Pyramid Power," at
$6.96 apiece.
. Science Digest reports that there are
many experiments for pyramid power
buffs. After building a pyramid, simply
align the structure on a north-south,
east-west axis.
One experiment involves cutting a
banana into three pieces. Place one
piece under a sealed dish, the second on
an uncovered dish and the third under a
Laetrile proponents, including the John
Birch Society, are shouting for the right
of the cancer patient to choose his
treatment without the interference of
the medical profession or Federal
bureaucracy.
In addition, the crusade is fueled by
the average American's innate fear of
cancer and the often traumatic effects of
conventional treatment mutilation
from surgery, burns from radiation and
hair loss and vomiting from
chemotherapy. Also, Americans are
discouraged with a revered scientific
and medical establishment which has
failed to find a cure for our No. 1 Killer
and ease the painful treatment after
decades of expensive research. Thus, it
is not surprising that many Americans
have embraced the lowly apricot pit, at a
time when natural foods and products
or just "naturalness" is held sacred, as a
panacea for cancer.
H owever, on the basis of all available
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pyramid. After two weeks, only the
banana under the pyramid will be fresh
enough to eat. The other two will be
black and mushy.
Another test consists of suspending a
pendulum over a pyramid. The
pendulum will begin to spin in a circle
above the pyramid.
Napoleon did some experimenting of
his own, according to Ostrander and
Schroeder. He spent a night in the Great
Pyramid of Cheops, but refused to
discuss his experience, fearing that
others would think him insane.
David Craft, a junior, is a journalism
major from Winston-Salem, N.C.
letters
Permits
To the editor:
Please inform me why the Traffic Office
had a sign at its desk stating that, as of Aug.
17, 127 S-5 permits for parking existed. On
or about that date (at most one day after), 1
cancelled my move to a place on the bus line
and applied for an S-5 sticker. I was issued
an "S-4A." I commute 14 miles one way to
campus arid feel that 1 have had much less
than fair treatment based on the Traffic
Office's information.
Charles Tweed
Rt. 1, Box 143
Editor's Note: A spokesman at the Traffic
Office said it is possible you saw a poster
announcing available permits that had not
been brought up-to-date. He caid it b
impossible to keep such information up-to-date
because of the flood of requests every
day.
evidence, the Federal Drug
Administration (FDA) and the medical
establishment should be commended
for banning Laetrile. As stated in its
charter, the FDA is obligated to
regulate the quality of drugs that may be
marketed. And the Federal government
has traditionally protected the health
and well-being of all Americans; hence,
it has not overstepped its bounds in this
specific case.
Therefore, it can only be hoped that
the loss of confidence in cancer research
and the medical profession in general
can be restored. If so, cancer, which
continues to grow at an alarming rate,
may not claim another victim seduced
away from conventional treatment by
the promise of a longer and painless life
with Laetrile.
Peter Hapke, a senior ecology and
English major from Asheville, N.C., is a
staff writer for the Daily Tar Heel.
j-S