“Thank God this horrible war seems to be at an end,” House Speaker Carl Albert of Oklahoma said.

Albert and other Oklahoma public officials greeted the end of fighting in Indochina with relief and hope that an enduring peace can be achieved.

Albert said it appears that under terms of the President’s agreement, South Vietnam will be able to “maintain its right to determine its own course.” He congratulated President Nixon and the negotiating team led by Dr. Henry Kissinger.

“As all Americans rejoice at the announcement of peace, I am only sorry President Johnson did not live long enough to witness the fulfillment of these agreements,” Albert said. “The news he long awaited appeared come within a matter of hours after his demise.”

Gov. David Hall also mentioned the late president in his reaction to the peace announcement.

“No greater tribute could be paid to President Johnson than an end to the war in Vietnam,” Hall said. “We pray this is the start of a lasting peace on earth; an era when vigilant people stand stalwart against aggression, but are relentless in their demands for reasoning and negotiation instead of destruction and war.”

Oklahoma senior U.S. senator, Republican Henry Bellmon, said there will be more problems just as there were in Korea.

“But the simple fact that the agreement was signed does, as the President says, give us an opportunity to work out the right kind of pace and gives the area of Southeast Asia a chance to develop their resources and become a hopefully viable governing nation,” Bellmon said.

“I suppose to use one word, it’s a relief,” Bellmon said. “And I believe that anyone feels that the announcement was no surprise, but that it’s a tragedy it was so long in coming. The final weeks and months of the war have been almost, from a military standpoint, meaningless, but particularly had the objective of bringing North Vietnam to the point of signing an agreement.”

Sen. Dewey Bartlett, R-Okla., said it is “a day for celebration, the end of a lengthy and grueling war, the beginning of peace with honor.

“I am pleased the war will soon be over and we as a nation can now turn our energies and our resources to other priorities,” Bartlett said. “Among these priorities must be a lasting world peace and the reuniting of our people.” -oOo Crowded Corner By Milt Phillips Salvage Dealer Says It Just Like It Is “If a little fellow like me can raise the money, I’m sure you could do it, if you really want it.” We quote the published statement of a Bartlesville salvage dealer who this week purchased for salvage purposes the western Oklahoma Katy railroad line a group of grain dealers along the rail line have been trying to get the government to purchase and operate. Another quote: “There is no way to operated the Katy.” That was what the salvage dealer flatly stated to governor David Hall and a group of legislators.

Here is another quote of the Bartlesville salvage dealer that ought to go down in the history of the rail line project: “If you think so much of this (the rail line’s prospects), why don’t you pool your own resources and buy it?” The salvage dealer was asking why the people in the railroad area didn’t get “20 or 50 people together and save the track” if it is such a necessity for the area and for the people the railroad serves.

Which goes back to the simple facts of life - if the Katy railroad management, long experienced and knowledgeable in rail line operation, cannot make the rail line pay the cost of operation, how can a group of people without any knowledge of rail line operation do it? The simple answer to that question is, “they can’t.” The grain elevator owners want the state or federal government to buy the rail line, rebuild it at a cost of $10 to $15 million and then let the state’s taxpayers foot the bill for operating the railroad for the benefit of those few grain elevator owners along the line. The salvage dealer from Bartlesville gave us a demonstration of what all Oklahoma citizens ought to be doing - asking our public officials and our legislators specific questions about proposals to spend the taxpayers hard earned dollars. -oOo Slants - Bob Jones having the sniffles... SJC Trojans haming it up for a near capacity crowd Saturday night... Paul Mathews wondering about local property assessments... Hulett Edgmon getting the chamber committee gears rollin’... Elmer Tanner happy over the SJC victory over Bacone who was tied for the conference lead with Seminole Junior College. -oOo School Daze - This is the first draft of the ninth grade honor roll for 1972-73. The following scale was used. A-4; B-3; C-2. Many other student in the ninth grad made excellent grades, but their averages were not high enough to be included in the top ten percent.

Students who made 4 are Debbie Dixon, Greg Givens, Beth Hancock, Lisa King and Bill Richmond. Students with 3.83 are Tammie Burgess, Jody Griffith and Donna Pease. Students with an average of 3.66 - Dawn Burgess, Gale Coker, Jonathan Neal, Melvin Odom, Kelly Parks, Tommy Swaringen and Lea Ann Taylor. Robert Dixon had a 3.60 average. ~ School Daze Slants Terry Devore and Kenny Brookings looking forward to the powder puff game... Debbie Lyons playing a good game of spades... Debbie Dixon falling down... Freshmen girls being bothered by a little man clinking pipes... Hammet Atyia saying” psst”...Bill Richmond bumping into someone... Lu Ann Graham showing someone the back of her hair... Lois Lofgren getting upset during a discussion... Johnny Simpkins not being heard... Beverly Wilson buying candy... Joyce Johnson taking notes... Leslie Clifton getting a prize... Lisa Dees not telling her secret... David Forgety yelling... Donna Nortman getting embarrassed.