ustxtxb_obs_1976_07_16_50_00005-00000_000.pdf

Applications due Molly Ivins, the Observer’s former co-editor, has gone to The New York Times, where her by-line has already appeared on two stories, neither of which bore the faintest resemblance to the work M.I. did for the Observer. But she says she’s not discouraged. She has already slipped one “hell” into a direct quote, and she has already acquainted one of the Times’ many copy desks with the phrase, “a pain in the hmm, hmm.” Meanwhile, R.D. and K.N. are plowing through the resumes of the people who are seeking to fill the vacant editorial position on the Observer. Those of you out there thinking about applying should do so immediately, as we hope to make a decision in the near future. Applications should include a resume, work samples, and suggestions concerning the direction of the Observer. board feet in 1950 to 12.2 billion board feet in 1972. The magnitude of clearcutting is a wellkept secret, but there are some clues. The journal of the Institute for Southern Studies has estimated that almost 50 million acres in the South alone are being transformed from forests to tree farms. Lufkin-based Southland Paper Mills, in its 1975 annual report, revealed that it clearcuts an average of 15,000 acres of its own land every year in East Texas. The corporation, only one of several large timber companies operating in East Texas, intends to continue or even increase that pace until all 540,000 of its acres are in tree farms. Many more millions of acres are being clearcut in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, Alaska, and in rainforests all over the world. Forests now are being cut faster than the trees are growing. By 1973, 60 percent of the harvest in the national forests was being taken by clearcutting. Jack Meadows, a senior vice president for Georgia-Pacific, said in a 1974 speech to the Southern Forest Institute that “cutting is exceeding growth in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and East Texas..” In 1973 an article in Scientific American magazine said, “It appears likely that all of the world’s tropical rainforests, with the exception of a few small, conserved relics, will be destroyed in the next 20 to 30 years.” The situation does not look good for those who would regulate the use of clearcutting. As one critic of the timber industry put it, “A law was interpreted which went against the industry. Now it is simply going about getting the law changed.” That interpretation came a year ago when the Fourth Circuit Court ruled, in the Monongahela Decision, that the Forest Service was violating the Organic Act of 1897 by allowing widespread use of clearcutting. For the conservation groups that brought the suit, it was a big victory. In the past year, however, the timber industry’s expensive public relations and lobbying effort has paid off. The timber industry is afraid a ban on clearcutting in the national forests would eventually be extended to the 65 million acres of forest lands it owns. The industry has spent millions of dollars trying to keep the focus on the national forests. So far the effort has succeeded. A conservation bill and a timber industry bill are pitted against each other in both houses of Congress. The timber industry bill, introduced by Hubert Humphrey as part of the Resources Planning Act, made it out of the Senate subcommittee and will likely be the one voted on by the full Senate. Both bills are still before a House subcommittee. Should the government institutionalize clearcutting, which the Humphrey bill does, the quality of the forests, as well as of wood products, will continue to deteriorate. Put another way, this time by conservation writer Mike Frome, “Today, we are squandering the rich heritage of our forests for the gain of powerful corporate interests.” Troubadors . . growing focus on the farmworker situation and Mexican-American problems, Fuentes went through a cultural awakening. Two languages and two countries, Two cultures have I, It’s my luck and I’m proud, As that is the way God wants it. Like many Anglo radicals of the Sixties, Fuentes confronted “the system.” With his minority consciousness he could not respect Anglo institutional authority and the domination of the Mexican-American people. In his words, his corridos are “emotional escape valves” for the chicano protesting injustices. Their themes focus on “the haves versus the have-nots.” Through his corridos, the chicano experiences an evolution of reactions to the Anglo system. Seeing injustice chicanos become incensed, leaders arise to organize the people for a struggle, and as brothers they triumph. .[1] For more information on the border corrido and corridos in general, see Americo Paredes’ excellent studies, With His Pistol in His Hand and A TexasMexican Cancionero. July 16, 1976 ALAN POGUE Photographer of political events & pseudo events, of people in their natural surroundings Rag office 478-0452 / 478-8387 Austin 20% discount on books Titles listed below are offered to Observer subscribers at a 20% discount. There is not additional charge for postage, provided payment is included with your order. Amounts shown represent the 20% discounted price, plus the 5% sales tax. THE FINAL DAYS by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein $ 9.20 THE TEXANS by James Conaway $ 7.52 ARCHER FULLINGIM: A COUNTRY EDITOR’S VIEW OF LIFE edited by Roy Hamric .$10.08 THE ALMANAC OF AMERICAN POLITICS 1976 by Barone, Ujifusa & Matthews .$ 6.68 SIMPLE JUSTICE by Richard Kluger $13.40 The 20% discount applies to books the Observer carries in stock. In addition, Observer readers can avail themselves of our offer to send, at the regular retail any hardback book published in the U.S. No charge for postage if payment accompanies your order. \(Please note: we When ordering, give title, author, andif possiblename of the publishing company. Allow three weeks for delivery. \(Books ordered from our list of inTHE TEXAS OBSERVER BOOKSTORE 600 W. 7, Austin, Texas 78701