Publisher's Notes

• NEW FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT: We are pleased to add Bill Westmiller to REASON's expanding network of foreign correspondents. Westmiller is a television news reporter in Barrie, Ontario (just north of Toronto). He was recently elected to the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party (United States) and serves as the LP's National Press Secretary and International Liaison Officer. Westmiller's inaugural column appears on page 26 of this issue.

• SUBSCRIBER QUESTIONNAIRE: We would like to remind readers of the importance of returning the questionnaire contained in last month's issue, if you haven't yet sent it in, we urge you to take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire and mail it (or a xerox copy) to us promptly.

• LIBERTARIAN LAWYERS: REASON editor Manuel S. Klausner invited a group of libertarian lawyers to his downtown Los Angeles law offices on 17 July to hear Davis Keeler report on the operation of the Law & Liberty Project of the Institute for Humane Studies. Names of individuals appropriate for including on the listing of libertarian lawyers, law professors and law students should be sent to Keeler at the Institute for Humane Studies, 1134 Crane St., Menlo Park, CA 94025.

• GOLD LEGALIZATION: Thanks to an unexpected tug-of-war between the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, the issue of legalized gold is still very much alive. Both houses had passed gold legalization riders to Nixon's dollar devaluation bill, but they differed on the date. The Senate version would have allowed private gold ownership effective 1 January 1974. But the House of Representatives, after rejecting the Senate version in a heartbreaking tie vote of 162-162, adopted a rider that would allow President Nixon (who opposes legalization) to set the date at his discretion. A House-Senate conference committee, in ironing out the differences between the two bills, recommended the pro-Nixon House version. But in an unexpected move, the Senate on 11 July defeated this bill by a decisive 69-21 margin, and passed instead a compromise version, authored by Peter Dominick and James McClure, which would legalize gold effective 1 January 1975. As of REASON's press deadline, the House has not yet acted on this new proposal. Readers are urged to write or wire their congressmen urging adoption of the Senate bill. Despite the additional year's delay, the Senate bill (S. 1141) is the best alternative available at this time, and will keep the decision out of Nixon's hands.

• KLAUSNER TALK SCHEDULED: REASON editor Manuel S. Klausner will address the Libertarian Supper Club of Los Angeles on 4 September. He will speak on the topic of law from a libertarian perspective. For further information regarding Klausner's talk, contact Lloyd Licher, 12536 Woodbine St., Los Angeles, CA 90066.

• REAGAN TAX PLAN: California Governor Ronald Reagan's proposed tax limitation initiative (see Trends, July 1973) secured over 520,806 voter signatures, thus qualifying for a special election ballot on November 6. The initiative would amend the California constitution to impose a progressively lower ceiling on state tax collections over the next 15 years. By limiting government revenue, the controversial tax limitation plan would operate to limit government spending, thus imposing an urgently needed constraint on the ever-expanding size of state government.

• COMING NEXT MONTH: REASON's October issue will feature an exclusive interview with the noted science fiction author POUL ANDERSON. As noted last month in this space, REASON is planning to publish a special issue this winter devoted to Ayn Rand, her works and her influence. We invite our subscribers to take advantage of REASON's current gift subscription offer: your subscription will be extended for three months for each gift subscription you give this year. REASON subscriptions make excellent gifts for your friends, teachers and business associates, as well as your school or public library. Send in your order today!