Letters, Feb. 22, 1960

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I take issue with your premise that medical societies' officers may wield power of life or death over the average patient by deciding whether his personal physician or surgeon can admit patients to the best local hospitals and treat them there.

The medical society wanted to keep staff membership of the Jefferson Davis Hospital open to all practicing physicians. The medical school wanted to staff it mainly with research-minded faculty members. Dr. Leader needled the medical society and used strong words. They contented themselves with censuring him. Who succeeded in excluding the patient's personal physician from treating him in the Jefferson Davis Hospital?

JAMES L. FISHER, M.D.

Youngstown, Ohio

Error in Miltown

Sir: In "Trouble in Miltown" [Feb. 8], you state that Miltown "sells to druggists for 3.3¢ and retails for about a dime." In reality, Miltown costs the pharmacist $3.25 per bottle of 50 tablets, which is 6.5¢ per tablet.

Therefore, at 10¢ a tablet, the price is quite reasonable.

SHELDON DECK Registered Pharmacist

Brooklyn

Catastrophe

Sir:

TIME'S Jan. 18 issue quoted my reference to the steel strike and its settlement as a "national catastrophe" without amplification. That one phrase alone might lead the reader to believe that the "catastrophe" meant was the economic damage done to the economy.

The real catastrophe was not so much the millions of dollars' worth of damage done to the economy as it was the failure of the political parties and their leadership to face the basic causes of the steel impasse. Our antiquated labor laws, premised on the principle of monopoly, are in conflict with antitrust laws, premised on the principle of competition. They have permitted the existence of opposing power-centers, big-labor on one hand and big business on the other, with the danger of further extension of already excessive federal power to regulate both. In the present status of world affairs, this is a situation we can no longer afford.

GEORGE ROMNEY President

American Motors Corp.

Detroit Anyone for Lionburgers?

Sir:

Thanks for another adroit job of reporting in your Feb. 1 article, "Bible Disneyland." Do you suppose Messrs. Winecoff, Haley & Co. have considered the profitable possibilities of a Drive-the-Money-Changers-Out-of-the-Temple Gallery or the happy prospect of a Mt. Calvary Merry-Go-Round with the bloody Cross as its axis? Or would these features, perhaps, offend someone's "religious sensibilities"?

(THE REV.) R.A. LAUD HUMPHREYS St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Bartlesville, Okla.

Sir:

We have come full circle with the lion-burgers to be served at the proposed Bible Storyland. Now we are throwing the lions back to the Christians.

TOM LEVY

Ottawa, Kans.

Sir:

Good Lord above have mercy on us all.

DAVID M. WEIBLE Stanford University Stanford, Calif.