Oil and Trouble

To the Editors:

Congratulations for explaining the way the Big Oil Game [May 7] is played. It's easy to blame the companies, but it's also a gross injustice. Only when people understand this incredibly complex situation will they realize the energy crisis is for real, and not a plot of the oil companies. The Federal Government is the worst offender in spreading the myth that big oil companies are ripping off the public.

Leslie Ellis White

Toluca Lake, Calif.

The energy crisis may be real, but the oil companies and the OPEC nations are just ripping off the American consumer. They holler shortage and up goes the price. I realize there is a crisis, but President Carter and the Congress could take action to solve it, instead of sitting up in Washington drawing big salaries for nothing.

Larry G. Bailey

Shelby, Miss.

Writer Chris Byron makes the oil companies sound like a charity group. He justifies their greed by informing us that "surely nobody knows how to find the crude better than oilmen do." Does this justify future windfall profits at the expense of the American public? Business practices, like oil, should be refined, not crude.

Kendall M. Jones

Palo Alto, Calif.

Any windfall profits tax should include deductions for money spent directly on oil exploration and oil development, but nothing else, since the prime purpose of the new decontrol program is to increase America's oil supplies.

Philip J. Schacca

West Hempstead, N. Y.

My only hope is that oil prices continue spiraling higher and even higher, especially in the U.S. Then some Americans might begin to think before they waste (sorry, consume) the earth's liquid gold in their overheated houses and oversized automobiles.

Detlef Hohl

Gauting, West Germany

As one of the "individuals [who] blithely go along wasting fuel," I object to my use of gasoline being termed waste. By whose standard does use become waste?

Dwight Alderson

Sacramento

A more appropriate title for your article would be: "How Big Business practices backfired and shot down the national economy along with the public's trust in Big Business--in two painful steps."

John B. Robinson

Huntington, N. Y.

Underground Heroes

The remarkable efforts of Curtis Sliwa and "the Magnificent 13" [May 7] who volunteer their time and energy to divert subway crime should be commended. I hope I never need them, but I would really like to meet them next time I ride the subways.

Suzanne Chazin

Tenafly, N.J.

I only wish that other groups of young people or adults would start such patrols to discourage the crime that is rampant everywhere. North Little Rock has started patrols by concerned citizens, so all is not lost.

Katherine Etris

Dardanelle, Ark.

In your American Scene, a man sees six teen-age blacks sweeping toward him like a pack of wolves. But when you mention the two token-booth operators in Queens who were burned to death, you say some teen-agers did it. Were they white teenagers, looking like a pack of wild dogs? Tell it like it is. Don't just yell black; yell white too.

James Greene

Attica Correctional Facility

Attica, N. Y.

Voters' Message

Congressman James Leach may be the most hated man in Washington for his efforts to reduce bureaucracy [April 30], but the love from taxpayers in the hinterlands should more than compensate. At least one member of Congress got the voters' message last fall that it's time to eliminate Government waste and cut taxes.

James B. Benda

Kansas City

So, a sophomore Republican Congressman from Iowa hog-tied Congress into passing two amendments to the Civil Service Reform Act, reducing Government employees by 29,000 and thereby bringing bureaucracy to a grinding halt. There should be more legislators like James Leach.

J. Michael O'Donnell

Corte Madera, Calif.

May I cast the first vote for U.S. Congressman James Leach for President?

James C. Kellogg

Chicago

Adept Advice

Congratulations to Rosalynn Carter [May 7] on the advice she has given her husband. She seems to be very adept at it, and now that we know who the brain is behind all of those decisions, maybe she should be nominated for the presidency. She would probably do a better job.

Maureen Robinson

Chicago

Could it be that the mediocre leadership of the most powerful person in the White House is caused by mediocre advice from the second most powerful person?

Carolyn H. Clemons

Grand Rapids

The "New York Disease"

I suppose folks here in Santa Monica should be excited to have our name mentioned in the TIME article "Catching the New York Disease" [April 30] in connection with passing a rent control initiative. But people out here are sick and tired of being told that enacting any progressive measure will bring the failings of New York City down upon us.

Rob Briner

Santa Monica, Calif.

Rent control is not the answer to the avaricious increasing of rents by landlords. In my opinion, the only cure, excepting a serious recession, for our galloping inflation is an excess profits tax.

Loren Le Blanc

Orange, Texas

Homosexuals

The Institute for Sex Research disclaims the estimates of the incidence of homosexuality you gave [April 23]. The percentage of adults in the U.S. who are predominantly homosexual at any given time is approximately 4% for males and 1% to 2% for females.

Paul H. Gebhard, Director

Institute for Sex Research

Bloomington, Ind.

Cut Off from Hope

Perhaps you will be interested to know that Theresa Nanziri, whose brutal murder you describe in "Amin's Horror Chamber" [April 30], was one of the leaders of the training staff for Peace Corps Uganda. She represented the best of the pre-Amin Uganda, a strong woman, confident and competent, especially within her field--mathematics. She was a beautiful person as well, who helped many of us to become better teachers. I cannot help wondering how much her association with the Peace Corps endangered her after the U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Uganda, and whether her life and the lives of many others might have been spared had more countries remained in Uganda to give voice to the oppressed people who were otherwise quite effectively cut off from hope.

Bonnie Weber

Seattle

Better Than Nothing While Rhodesia's elections [April 30] are not an example of democracy at its best, they are better than anything that would ever occur under Guerrilla Leaders Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe.

Mark Tooley

Arlington, Va.

All that Ian Smith has done in Zimbabwe through his so-called election is turn blacks against blacks instead of blacks against whites, as it was and should be. It is now left to the blacks to dance to his tune or against it.

Gabriel Oloo Ngegwe

Paris

It is not surprising that 97% of those killed in the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia struggle have been black, since less than 4% of the total population are white.

Jerry W. Russell

St. Louis

Great Chief Brown

I was resting under a tree with the Rendille tribesmen in Kenya when California Governor Jerry Brown came avisiting [April 23]. As he and his entourage charged about in the midday sun, raising dust, frightening the cattle and poking their heads uninvited into Rendille homes, the tribesmen asked us what he was doing. I said he was studying. "But what does he do?"one of the Rendille persisted. "Well," said I, "he is leader of a tribe in the most powerful federation of tribes in the world. He is a Great Chief." Just as I was saying this, a howling mob armed with cameras burst from the bush. A squaw grabbed Jerry's hand, rushed him to a great iron bird of the sky, and off they fled. The Rendille rolled on the ground, hooting with laughter.

Malcolm McFarlane

Paris

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