Publisher's Notes

• STAFF CHANGES: In accordance with REASON's customary rotation of editorial responsibilities among its major editors, Robert Poole assumes the position of Editor-in-Chief, commencing with this issue. In addition to his REASON duties, Poole is employed as a systems engineer with a small think tank in Santa Barbara, California. Manual S. Klausner, who has served as Editor since June 1972, now becomes Publisher and Editor. Klausner is an attorney with a major Los Angeles corporate law firm. Tibor Machan shifts from Associate Editor to the new post of Senior Editor. Dr. Machan, who teaches philosophy at State University of New York, Fredonia, also will be a contributor to VIEWPOINT. And Lynn Kinsky, formerly REASON Circulation Manager, steps up to the position of Associate Editor. Ms. Kinsky is a sociologist, currently pursuing graduate work at University of California, Santa Barbara. Poole, Klausner, Machan and Kinsky are all partners in Reason Enterprises. No change of policy is signified by the new staff assignments.

• NEW FEATURES: Two new departments make their debut in this month's issue, VIEWPOINT and FRONTLINES. This issue's inaugural VIEWPOINT is contributed by the erudite scholar, Dr. Murray Rothbard, professor of economics at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and author of countless articles and books, including MAN, ECONOMY AND STATE and FOR A NEW LIBERTY. Alternating with Dr. Rothbard will be the viewpoint of Dr. Tibor Machan, Senior Editor of REASON and assistant professor of philosophy at State University of New York, Fredonia, and the viewpoint of David Brudnoy, a frequent contributor to NATIONAL REVIEW, HUMAN EVENTS, and the libertarian ANAHEIM BULLETIN, author of the CONSERVATIVE ALTERNATIVE (Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc. N.Y.), and regular commentor on WGBH-TV, Channel 2 in Boston, a leading public television outlet. Both Rothbard and Brudnoy have been added to REASON's masthead as new Contributing Editors.

Our second new feature, FRONTLINES, will be devoted to coverage of libertarian activist news. Ed Crane's Libertarian Party Correspondent column will no longer be published; instead Crane will act as liaison for REASON in gathering news of Libertarian party activities for inclusion in FRONTLINES, which will be coordinated by Lynn Kinsky. News of Libertarian Party activities (including photos) should be sent to Crane at FRONTLINES, c/o LPC, P.O. Box 71383, Los Angeles, CA 90071. Other newsworthy items should be sent to Ms. Kinsky at FRONTLINES, REASON, P.O. Box 6151, Santa Barbara, CA 93111. It is contemplated that FRONTLINES will regularly carry photos of current activities and people in the news, and we urge our readers to send in timely photos for inclusion in FRONTLINES.

• FREE SUBSCRIPTION EXTENSION: To help REASON grow, we are currently offering a free three-month subscription extension for each new gift subscription received from our subscribers. New subscribers can receive 15 issues of REASON for $9 (regular rate, $9 for 12 issues) if they donate a gift subscription at the same time their subscription is entered. REASON is a unique magazine for thinking people. If you feel that a friend, teacher, or business associate might find REASON of interest, we urge you to send in gift subscriptions now! Give two gifts and get a six-month extension; three gifts for a nine-month extension, etc.

• SPECIAL BONUS FOR SUBSCRIBERS: This month's extra-length special issue is the largest single issue REASON has ever published. The newsstand price for Special Issues—which are published two or more times annually—is $1.50. Subscribers receive REASON's Special Issues at no extra charge.

• SUBSCRIBER QUESTIONNAIRE: We are grateful for the excellent response to the questionnaire contained in the August issue. Over 10 percent of our readers returned the questionnaire, including many useful comments concerning REASON's articles and features. We are especially delighted by the large number of enthusiastic comments. Results are being tabulated and will appear in a forthcoming issue.

• IRS HARASSMENT: Persons criticized for "paranoia" regarding government surveillance activities should feel vindicated as a result of the IRS's recent actions against Karl Bray. Mr. Bray, Libertarian Party chairman for Utah and advocate of tax resistance, recently made the news when he was arrested by the IRS. As a follow-up to the arrest, the IRS subpoenaed Bray's bank account and thereby obtained copies of $1.00 checks received by him for copies of his book, TAXATION AND TYRANNY. Since most of the checks listed the writer's name and address, the IRS now possesses a list of potential "tax rebels" whom it already has begun harassing. IRS intelligence supervisor Richard Hymas says the agency plans to check each of the names next April to be sure they file returns, and has already made what recipients call "intimidating" phone calls to some of the book purchasers. With tactics such as this being employed by the federal government, there is likely to be a great upsurge in the use of cash and money orders for mail order purchases.