University of Virginia Library

Former Editor Congratulates CD

A columnist who hides his
identity behind the label of "the
Heretic" recently described your
newspaper as a "second-rate college
daily." I would like to express
my disagreement.

I have read The Cavalier Daily,
always avidly, often with great
intensity, for nearly five years.
Throughout most of that time,
suppose, it has merited the description
given it by the gentleman
with the curious moniker. But
not now. I am familiar with a
great-many collegiate newspapers,
and for the past six months at
least, The Cavalier Daily has
ranked with the best of them.

This praise is not given without
qualification: one still comes across
the familiar bloopers in typography,
spelling style, and accuracy.
But in developing the qualities
that make a newspaper truly
vital and stimulating-the essential
elements of journalistic greatness
-it seems to me that your have
succeeded grandly. Your coverage
has a thoroughness, your editorials
an authority, your presentation
of opinions and ideas a
catholicity which is almost without
precedent in the recent history of
your newspaper, and it is gratifying
indeed to see the change.

It may be that this elevation in
quality is partly due to what appears
to be a general rise in the
level of intellectual activity on the
Grounds. In any event, as I continue
to take pride in the accomplishments
of the University,
take new pride in the attainments
of The Cavalier Daily, now so
much more worthy of the University
than it has been for some
time.

Egregious Attitude

As April 15 approaches, it is
hoped that this letter will serve as
a caveat to the University's student
employees, and as a catalyst
to correct an egregious attitude
on the part of the University
bureaucracy.

According to Internal Revenue
Code Sec. 6012, "every individual
having for the taxable year a gross
income of $600 or more" must
file an income tax return. Income
from student employment clearly
goes to make up that aggregate
amount. The IRS also requires that
every wage earner attach to his
return a copy of each of his
W-2 forms (Statement of Wages.)
To enable the wage earner to do
so, the law also requires the employer,
i.e., the University, to
furnish his employees with a W-2.

Having impatiently waited for
receipt of my W-2 from the University,
I made inquiry at the
Bursar's office, and was astounded
to learn the following:

The necessary W-2 is indeed prepared
for every student employee;
the bursar's office is presently
crammed with boxes of them. Unfortunately,
the wording of the law
is such that it permits the University
to mail this form only to
those students earning more than
$600 from the University.

Thus taking advantage of a
loophole not available to most employers,
and despite the potential
danger to the unwary student, the
Bursar, "to save expenses," has
had his clerks systematically comb
through these hundreds of W-2s,
and mail only those indicating a
wage in excess of $600. The remainder
are relegated to a cluttered
corner, to be searched each time
a student, aware of the law, comes
to seek the form. Most remain
unclaimed.

I submit that such attention to
cost and efficiency, relying on the
thin wording, rather than the clear
spirit, of the law, does a disservice
to the student without a
corresponding gain to the University.
It would be a simple matter
for the Bursar to mail to every
employee a form the law requires
him to have; mailing costs do not
seem to be a criterion when other
forms, such as Dean Runk's marijuana
letter, are deemed necessary.
Further, the cost of segregating
the forms initially, added to the
time lost in finding individual
forms, more than exhausts any
conceivable saving, both in terms
of dollars and convenience.

It is no answer to say that the
student might easily secure the
form by asking for it; I cannot
believe that all students working
here are aware of a change in
the tax rulings of less than a year's
duration.

In sum, the University still has
time to mail the forms and thus
fulfill its proper duty, while the
student, aware that such a duty
is seldom effectuated, is now aware
at least of the form's availability.

Irish Partisans

The following letter, decorated with
a large green harp, was delivered
to The Cavalier Daily:

Dear Sir:

The provisional government of
the Charlottesville chapter of Sinn
Fein wish for it to be known that
the activities of the 15th. of March,
1968 were solely to spark and renew
the fervor of the Irish partisans
at The University. That our efforts
were in any way connected
with such nefarious deeds as the
recent series of bomb scares is
what might be termed defamation
of group character. Remember the
I. R. A. on Easter morning when
we will be celebrating our fifty-second
anniversary. Yours in
green.

Anti-Book Check

The system of having to submit
to a search of one's possessions
when checking books out of Alderman
Library is humiliating and
should, but won't, be stopped.

It was apparently introduced
because the library was losing
books through failure of students
to check them out; which means
simply that the University has,
over the period of years, accepted
a significant number of thieves
into its student body.

If there are thieves here, they
should not have been admitted, and
if admitted should be expunged.
Alternatively, the Honor System,
which by this scheme has been
reduced to a farce, should be
abolished completely.

We do not mind submitting to a
search if it is assumed that we
are (1) not gentlemen, or (2) likely
to steal books or (3) use a
library frequented by persons presumed
to be dishonest. But
we should not be asked to obey
the Honor System and also be
required to submit to a physical
search upon the premise that we
might be stealing.

In any event, the Honor environment
at this University is, for us,
dead. Only a palace of hypocrisy
now stands as a monument to the
belief that a gentleman's word is
his Honor.

So let us now bury the Honor
environment, and let those of us
who regret its passing keep
whatever personal sense of Honor
and dignity we have left, closely
in our hearts and wait for a better
day.

Arms And Police

Safety Director Bromwell's
answer to the reasonable Student
Council request for review of Police
gun toting was exactly what one
has come to expect from the present
administration. Instead of
promising to examine the issue
and evaluate existing policies, Mr.
Bromwell replied with some
asinine generalities and a vague
statement about looking into the
matter in June.

Mr. Bromwell's arguments in
favor of the present policy are
superficial and patently absurd.
The University for all of its supposed
vices is not Chicago during
the Capone era.

The Student government, at a
very minimum, has the right to
expect intelligent administrative responses
to its requests. Such responses
are obviously not going to
be forthcoming from those presently
in administrative positions.
The time for requests is long past.
On a matter involving student
safety the Council is justified in
making a demand and in moving
to see that the demand is answered
by results.

No Truck Route

Even as I am writing this letter
concerning the Grady-Gordon
Ave. Road Plan, I am still astounded.
At first there were some
vague rumors around the Grounds
about a new highway coming near
the University. We have all
watched the situation progress, and
it seems as if it is almost reality.

It is time for the University and
the City of Charlottesville to come
to terms. Not only does the University
makeup about one-fourth
of the population of Charlottesville,
but it contributes millions
and millions of dollars to the
economic gain of almost every
business in town. I dare say that
there would not be "quite" the
need for as many restaurants,
motels, theatres,....the list could go
on for pages, and there are now,
beside the cultural gains and
prestige that go along with the University
Community. In fact, there
would hardly be a "City" of Charlottesville
without the University,
except that it is where Rts. 29
and 250 meet!

My point is this; I'm finished
listening to vain attempts by student
committees to influence the
City. It's time for whoever runs
this University to get down to brass
tacks with the City: We don't
want a truck route running over
our "Lawn," or we'll move!!!