The Independent-Record from Helena, Montana • 4

fhp independent Record. Helena Mont Monday, January 15 Finding facts in fhe sun P0SEflft! By Mike Royko (c) Chicago Sun-Junes CHICAGO The congressional aide, sitting behind his desk in Washington, was obviously irritated by the phone call and questions from Chicago. "Here we go again," he said with disgust. "You know, I think the way the press covers foreign travel (by congressmen) Is highly irresponsible. How can a congressman do his job if he can't travel? These trips are necessary." Well, I try not to be irresponsible, but it happened that I was sitting in frozen Chicago.

Millions of other Americans were in frozen Milwaukee or frozen Duluth or frozen somewhere else. So I was intrigued by a fact-finding junket just begun by nine or ten congressmen, a few wives and several of their aides. THE TWO-WEEK trip is taking them from Washington to Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba. This, of course, is the best time of year to go to such sun-kissed places. If you can afford it, which most of you can't.

But if you could go, the way to go would be in style, which is the way the congressmen, the wives and aides will be doing it. No standing in line at airline ticket counters for them. No waiting around for the luggage. They are going to be traveling in an Air Force jet transport that has been put at -their disposal for the entire two weeks. So, despite the irritation and disgust of the congressional aide, I was curious and wanted to know two things: Why were they making the trip? How much is it costing us? These questions were put to the irritable Jack Brady, chief of staff for the House International Affairs Committee, which lined up the junket.

His answer as to why the trip was being made was a snappish: "Didn't you get a press release?" AND WHEN ASKED how much it would cost, he said that each congressman received $75 a day for food and lodging. How much does the Air Force jet cost? "I don't know," he said, sounding as if he also didn't care. But I care, irresponsible, as that may be. We are in a time of belt-tightening. The president and other leaders are urging us to do with less and to keep a stiff upper lip.

But while doing with less, we must remember to pay our taxes. And if we don't remember, the federal government will come and feed us to a computer. So I find it curious that in such times, an Air Force jet would be chauffeuring politicians to various tropical playgrounds. When asked if the aides also got the $75 a day for food and lodging, Brady said: "Yes, it is the same for them. Listen, you seem to think that $75 a day is a lot." As a matter of fact, I do.

But a helluva lot of people work hard and don't earn $75 a day, or $375 a week. And they're supporting entire families on that amount or less. "Well, when was the last time you traveled?" Driving to work this morning. "I mean foreign travel." Not for many years, i "I thought so. Well, $75 a day doesn't go very far." BRADY DIDN'T HAVE much more to say, besides complaining that "my lunch is getting cold." A colonel at the Pentagon provided a bit of information about the Air Force jet being used in the trip.

He said it is comparable to a DC-8, would probably have a four-man crew, and that two Air Force "escort officers" would go along to smooth things out for the congressional group. That means they will provide them with food, liquor and act as all-around flunkies. CSmSh HalaMzgw OqO How much does it cost to operate the plane? "My chart shows that as $1,185 an hour." How many hours will it be in the air during this trip? "We won know that until the trip is over." And what does the crew do while it is on the ground during these two weeks? "Nothing. They're on their own." The colonel did not know how much it costs to have a four-man crew, plus two escort officers and an airplane sitting around Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, waiting for the congressmen, their aides and wives to finish snapping up some facts. BUT WE ASKED the Pentagon colonel why he didn't get himself assigned as an escort officer so he could be in Jamaica too.

"Or Europe," he said. "They like to go to Europe before Christmas and somewhere south when it is cold." Indeed they do. A study made by Congressional Quarterly last year showed that In 1977 more than 400 foreign junkets were made by 2S5 congressmen. They went everywhere but the land of Oz. Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South and Central America, Africa, you name it.

If it is on a map, you can bet that some congressman was there at our expense. Europe is the favorite. It was visited by 241 congressmen, plus aides and wives. Can you guess the least popular spot? Antarctica, of course. Only two congressmen made that trip.

To show how many stops a fact-hungry congressman can make in one year, here is. where Rep. Edward Derwlnski (R-Ill.) went in 1977, according to the study: Switzerland, Denmark, Tahiti, American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Jordan, Syria, Bahrain, Sudan, Egypt, Bulgaria and Greece. (Derwlnski was scheduled to go on the current Jamaica-etc. trip, but he canceled out at the last minute, when the trip started receiving publicity.) REP.

HENRY HYDE a very conservative fellow, isn't conservative about junketing. That same year, be went to Thailand, Singapore, Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and England. When winter came, beheaded for Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Argentina and Brazil. Rep. Dan Rostenkowskt of Chicago, had a slow year.

But he still drop- ped in on Poland, Israel, Egypt, Spain and Portugal. Even Rep. John Fary a City Hall flunky from Chicago's Southwest Side, went somewhere France, for the Paris Air Show. How's that for looking out for the national interests? It will be interesting to hear what startling facts the congressmen pick up while in Jamaica, Haiti, etc. Which sun-tan lotion works best? Where to go for the best red snapper? What's new in voodoo? At $1,185 an air-hour the fact-finding had better be good, because for 50 cents they could travel on the in Chicago, and I guarantee they would find that Iff xSPW of thoroughbred lineage.

She could run like the wind for about 400 yards and then began wheezing in horrible fashion, but kept on going far ahead mere cayuses. We all raced to and from school, but the schoolmarm forbade such contests at the noon hour when we had to stay afoot. Parker cook book We have been lent the Alfred Parker Cook Book, a most interesting collection of recipes. 1 The author came out of the Colorado wilderness in April 1874 unaccompanied. He was accused of having eaten his five companions.

He served 17 years in the pen for manslaughter, and lived six years afterwards as a quiet citizen who insisted he had been falsely accused. The University of Colorado students named their grill in his honor and the Old Cock and Bull Restaurant in San Francisco boasts a Parker dining room. Railway strike Helena railway switchmen either, had a strike in 1888, or laid off because they had celebrated too much one night, or were demanding wages equal to the Butte workers. Management refused to hire them back, replacing them with other men. Rod and gun club Marysville organized a Rod and Gun Club in 1888 with Ted Shedd as president.

Their idea was to set up fish and game laws and seasons. Novelty Block The Novelty Block which was destroyed last year, was built in 1889. An earlier buiding with the same name was on the site, specializing in notions. Author of the name was Col. Wilbur Fisk Sanders of Vigilante fame.

Typed news The Helena Herald first began getting its Western Union news in typed form the fall of 1888. Prior to the newly invented gadget, all the news was handwritten by the telegrapher. Prohibition Party The foes of liquor organized as a Prohibition Party in 1888. Organizers were Massena Bul-lard, secretary of the Historical Society, Prof. Walter Mills, Prof.

Wylie of the college at Bozeman and a Miss Wheeler of Missoula. Boulder courthouse The unusual Jefferson County courthouse which still stands in Boulder, was completed in 1889 and cost $40,000. An outstanding architectural gem well worth a visit. Watering streets Helena's first street watering tank wagon rolled down the street car tracks in 1888, doing a great job of cleansing the streets which were used by horses. The Herald extolled the innovation as badly needed.

Railroad useful in 193S Had there been no railroad in Helena in 1935 when the earth-qua kes destroyed the high school, we would have been in tough straits. Classrooms were made out of railroad passenger coaches and utilized for some time by the students. Montana Club site The site of the Montana Club was once occupied by a blacksmith shop housed in a shed, two log cabins and a dilapidated brick structure. Miners constitution The 1864 Helena miners constitution read thus: We will bury our dead with suitable honors, outfitting him so he will not enter the upper country on bedrock. We reserve the right to get decently drunk and recognize a social game of cards where money is not staked.

We want no legal advice, no long-winded by-laws, only good fellowship. As the flume is all clear we will lift the headgate and start in to work on discovery. Famed forester Elers Koch, who started an illustrious career as a forester at $900 a year in the early 1900s, was also a great historian. It was he who marked much of the Lewis and Clark trail across the Lolo mountains, and collected hundreds of great stories about our pioneer past. His father was an old country Dane who came to Montana in the 1860s and left his mark because of his interest in establishing Montana State University.

Koch pretty much designed the curriculum, basing it on his own Danish university. For a number of years Koch exercised great power over the school, its faculty and courses. His domination of the college and the board, finally brought about a diminuition of the local boards authority, the state regents taking over. Great repasts No matter how fancy the food we may eat at a classy restaurant, we doubt it will ever measure up to the meals regularly served to the threshing crews of our youth. The threshing machine would move from small wheat raiser to another and would remain a day or two to do their job.

Each farm wife would see to it that the fare she served would be better than that served by her neighbor rival. My own mother was determined that the visiting threshers would go to the next job extolling her chow, which no doubt would inspire that day's hostess to rise to even greater heights of the culinary art. Horse races Another of our childish recol-lections involves riding horseback to a one room country school. Each kid was determined to own a steed which could outstrip all others. We were humiliated until our dad bought a wind broken mare and prevent federal politicians from subsidizing the local politicians more than they already do R.H.

Rice 807 N. Ewing Open letter Sen. Baucus Dear Sen. Baucus: Your letter of Oct: 28 says, "I do not believe that the United States should abandon nationalist China (Taiwan) to achieve normal relations with mainland limit their increase; there must be an emphatic and visible tax cut! 2. Restrictions on new taxes.

A proposal should require that any new taxes be approved by two thirds of the persons qualified to vote who reside the district to be taxed. 3. Limit governmental borrowing authority. The authority for politicians in public offices to borrow money from any source whatever, including the federal government, for longer than 90 days, and to refinance public debts, should be prohibited. New bond issues should be ap proved by two-thirds of the people qualified to vote.

4. Cuts in services. A proposal should state that cuts in spending are to be made only in the reverse order of previous spending increases. Unless proposal requires this the politicians will tend to cut the proper and most important services first police and fire departments (witness Cleveland) instead of the least important and unnecessary services. These four provisions should be present in any tax cut legislation.

They will encourage genuine tax-reform at the local level Taxpayers should press for tax cuts Dear Editor: The success of California's Proposition 13, the good aspects of which far outweigh its objectionable features, in creating an anti-tax, anti-big government' climate, ought to encourage all Montana taxpayers to press for tax cuts not smaller tax increases at all levels of government city, county, state and federal. We know the politicians will try to direct the tax cut bandwagon to where they want it to go. That's why we are seeing and hearing much enthusiastic talk about tax-limitation proposals. But there's a big difference between limiting taxes and cutting taxes. One is an increase the other is a reduction.

And Montana taxpayers are entitled to a reduction a tax cut. Here are four provisions that should be in any tax proposal that deserves public support: 1. An emphatic tax cut. Placing a ceiling, on spending or taxes will only China. Our support is critical to the security of Nationalist China, and a sudden change in this position could cause serious repercussions throughout Asia." This is a statement with which I wholeheartedly agree.

However, with Communist China planning to "get Taiwan back" by any means, peaceful or otherwise, the Dec. 31 Independent Record of Helena states that you and Sen. Melcher "are united in guarded support for President Carter's action." Please clarify. Mrs. R.H.

(Olive Rice 807 N. Ewing. tadEDENdENTi "tal. IRtcoRd Established in Helena Dec. 17, 1865 Ronald J.

Semple PubinW MKhaet i Voeiler Editor Richard Wesnicfc Mgn. Editor Roy Pace Editor Gordon Warren Sunday Editor rred Rortf Adv. Mgr. Rock Rtckmon Clan Adv Mgr. Ron Deyfe Retail Adv.

Mgr. Jem Jemen, Jr. Production Mgr. R. Schmtt Chief Technician i Crocker Press PkjreSupt.

EdRenoud Mawroom frm. Mart helt fox Cvcuianon Mgr RoterfO OottJtcb Comptroller NOW.