ustxtxb_obs_1974_11_01_50_00007-00000_000.pdf

PS Fomi 3526 July 1971 Big armadillo giveaway Kaye Northcott: “Our readers feel close to us. They feel it’s their paper we’re putting out.” One commentator put it this way: “Twenty years ago, who thought the Observer would outlive Life, Look, and the Saturday Evening Post?” Well, good Observer readers, the Dec. 13, 1974, issue is going to be the 20th anniversary issue. It’ll be a great, fat issue with prognostications by present editors and writers and by Observer people long gone: Larry King’s piece is already in our hands. But a fat go-out-and-get-drunk issue such as this one costs, lordy, how it costs. So we have had to come up with a surefire moneymaker. Are you ready for The Scholzgarten Honorary Rest ,Room Wall Graffiti Page? Anybody who doubts the exalted literary quality of Scholz the renowned old Austin beerhall graffiti hasn’t been there lately or is overly afflicted with good taste or something. The wall of the Scholz restroom should be cut out and mounted down at Lyndon’s Liberry, oh, about every three months. Like Roman frescoes. When GOD HAS CANCER appeared there in astonishing gothic script, around 1963, a well known professor at the university lectured on it for three days running. And that’s a fact. This is your chance. Larry King at one end of the Observer. And at the other end to be content with an inch: each additional inch is an additional $8. Buy a whole column -only $80. Observer by the yard. We’d hope for drawings \(both scrutable For those who may be thinking, “Why, I haven’t the time or the libido or bad taste for such nonsense as that,” just send your money on anyway. We’ll list you, real dignified like, as a Friend of the Observer. And here’s the zinger: about Dec. 13 the Observer staff will choose the best of you apply and the folks in the local chapter vote on whether they want you. The soundness of your understanding of socialism is one the factors considered with your application. Komsomol members do what is called social work, which seems to be chiefly a lot of gung-ho, rah-rah spirit-building for such laudable goals as exceeding the quota and improving everybody’s understanding of socialism. Komsomol members are everywhere in farms, factories, newspapers. Since they tend to be activists anyway, they usually wind up on all the committees like the grievance committees in factories or the committee to organize activites in honor of Lenin’s birthday. A true beaver of a Komsomol member one who heads lots of committees and builds lots of enthusiasm for socialism may be asked to join the Party. Approximately five per cent of the Soviets are members of the Communist Party. Everybody of any importance in the USSR is a member of the Party. Either the head guy or the assistant to the head guy of any given enterprise is a Party member. I seriously doubt that there are any sinister initiation rites for Party members, such as descending into the basement of Lubyanka prison and torturing dissident intellectuals for two days, but the Party folks we met did seem to be your tougher types. Not necessarily hardnosed, but certainly adept at ideological debate. Debating with Party folks is somewhat like trying to knit with boxing gloves on. They have this wonderful habit of making great leaps over vast areas of history. One Party honcho was explaining to us how the Americans started the Cold War. The peace-loving Soviet people, who wnated nothing more than to get along peaceably with the capitalists, you see, suddenly had this dreadful cold war thrust upon them. “Are you seriously claiming that the United States was entirely responsible for the Cold War?” inquired Allen Ryskind of Human Events. “Oh no,” said the Soviet. “Churchill also played a large role.” Obfuscation-by-rhetoric is a favored form of non-communication in the USSR. For example, Soviets do not discuss Stalin, although they now officially disapprove of him. When his name comes up, they say, “Of course we have rejected the cult of personality.” After I went through a spell of not being sure I understood what the Soviets were talking about when they spoke in rhetoric, I moved into a phase of not being sure that they understood what they were talking about. But after three weeks of steady listening, I’m prepared to conclude that when they take off on these flights of rehtoric they know bloody well that what they’re saying is generally pernicious nonsense. They’re just afraid to say so because somebody else from the Party or Komsomol is probably listening. Walter Hussman of the Arkansas Democrat said at the close of our trip, “It’s really a shame that we leave anti-communism up to the kooks in America.” M.I. US, Postal Service STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION \(Act of August 12, 1970:Section 3685, I. Title of Publication: The Texas Observer 2.Date of Filing: Sep. 30, 1974 3.Frequency of Issue: Fortnightly 4.5.Location of the Headquarters ur General Business offices of the Publishers \(Not 6.Names and Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher \(Name Name and Name and 7.Owner \(If owned by a corporation its name and address must be slated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding I percent or more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated finn, its name and address, as well as that of each individual must be 8.Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding I Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities \(If there are 9.For Optional Completion by Publishers Mailing at the Regular Rates \(Section who would have been entitled to mail matter under former section 4359 of this title shall mail such matter at the rates provided tinder this subsection unless he files annually with the Postal Service’ a written request for permission to mail matter at such rates.” In accordance with the provision of this statute, I hereby request permission to mail the publication named in Item I at the reduced postage rate presently authorized by 39 U.S.C. Olofson, Business Manager. 10.For Completion of Nonprofit Organizations Authorized to Mail at Special Rates II. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number Actual Number of Copies Each Copies of Single Issue During Issue Published Preceding 12 Nearest to Months Filing Date A. 11 438 12,700 B.Paid Circulation I. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales 889 945 2. Mail Subscriptions 10,089 9,774 C.Total paid circulation 10,978 10,719 D.Free distribution by mail carrier or other means I. Samples. complimentary, and other free copies 1,098 147 2. Copies distributed to news agents, but not sold 905 1,1 I 1 E. 12,981 11,977 F.Office use, left-over, unaccounted, spoiled after printing 457 723 C. Total \(Sum of E & P should equal 15 438 12,700 I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Signed: C. R. Olofson November 1, 1974 7 Dallas street corner llewsracks. in need of a little loving care and attention The Observer needs a friend in Dallas who would be willing to attend to the newsrack route for a commission based on sales. The job involves making the rounds of the 9 racks every two weeks to stock the new issue and collect the money, plus occasional mechanical adjustments to the racks and, whenever appropriate, relocating some of the racks to more profitable corners. If you think you might be willing to help out, please call Ginger Whitmarsh in Dallas 827-0972 for additional information.