Publisher's Notes

• THE "TAKING" ISSUE: A major interdisciplinary conference for lawyers and economists was held in San Diego on October 2-4, dealing with the conflict between land use regulation and the fifth amendment's requirement that compensation be paid when private property is "taken." Sponsored by the Law and Liberty Project of the Institute for Humane Studies and the Law School of the University of San Diego, the conference featured a significant paper by University of California economics professor M. Bruce Johnson, which analyzed the hidden costs and allocation problems involved in land use regulation. Professor Bernard Siegan of the University of San Diego Law School, author of the lead article in this issue, served as moderator. Johnson's paper and comments of several panelists discussing it will be published in early 1976.

The latest issue of Law & Liberty, the Law and Liberty Project's newsletter has just come out. A sample copy (which includes an excerpt from Tibor Machan's new book, Human Rights and Human Liberties) may be obtained by writing to Davis E. Keeler, Law and Liberty Project, Institute for Humane Studies, 1177 University Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

• NEW CENTER: The Center for the Study of American Business was established at Washington University (St. Louis) in January 1975 for the purpose of studying and disseminating research concerning the private enterprise system. The Center is sponsoring a course at Washington University to acquaint students with the work of Mises, Hayek and other often neglected economists, and, as part of its current research, is analyzing the consequences of government regulation (which, according to preliminary results, leads to substantial and generally ignored costs to the consumer). The Center distributes publications to a wide audience, including a formal Publication Series and an informal Working Paper Series. For further information, write Center for the Study of American Business, Washington University, Box 1208, St. Louis, MO 63130.

• HILLSDALE COLLEGE: A unique independent college founded in 1844, Hillsdale has never solicited nor accepted government funding for its operations. A recent regulation of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare purports to classify Hillsdale as a "recipient institution" on the basis that a few Hillsdale students receive federal aid through veterans benefits and federal loans. As Hillsdale's prominent president, George Roche III, has noted, acceptance of the status of "recipient institution" opens the door to federal control of the college, by means of federal guidelines which cover virtually every aspect of the college's existence. The Hillsdale Board of Trustees has determined "to resist federal control with every means at our disposal."

Hillsdale is undertaking an endowment campaign of $25,000,000 for scholarships and faculty salaries to perpetuate its independence. The college conducts such activities as the Center for Constructive Alternatives (CCA), which publishes a useful monthly publication, Imprimis (edited by Barbara J. Smith), containing position papers from CCA seminars. Hillsdale also conducts the Ludwig von Mises Lecture Series annually. Complimentary subscriptions to Imprimis are available by writing Hillsdale College, Hillsdale MI 49242.

• NEW BINDER: We'd like to announce our new binder, specially designed to preserve your collection of REASON. Flip to page 47 to glimpse the binder, and, if you like it, let us know how many you'd like to order by using the convenient coupon.

• TAX REBEL UPDATE: Karl Bray, a leading tax protest leader (see "Frontlines," October 1975) is presently serving a six-month sentence in the Salt Lake City-County Jail. Convicted of the bizarre charge of "illegal possession" of IRS seizure stickers, Bray's case was denied a rehearing by the U.S. Supreme Court. Bray is outlining his new book on tax rebellion while in jail, and would be interested in receiving reading matter, especially in the areas of law, philosophy and economics. All material sent to him will be opened and examined. He can be reached as follows: Karl J. Bray, c/o Salt Lake City-County Jail, 350 East, 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

• CIA CONTRIBUTORS: In CIA Director Colby's first public appearance since President Ford fired him in November and then asked him to stay on until his successor was confirmed by the Senate, Colby was asked by members of the House Intelligence Committee about CIA activity in the news media. Colby testified that the CIA had several free-lancers or stringers abroad, who were operating without the knowledge of the publication's management. Colby also said that full-time CIA employees submit articles to "major American journals," but he would not give any further details in the public session. Colby indicated that CIA people might be part-time contributors to broadcast media, but would not publicly say whether the CIA had anyone in the pay of the television networks or whether CIA employees work for the national news services, AP or UPS. Colby did state that the CIA does not "at this time employ any regular staff member of a U.S. daily newspaper."

To our knowledge, except for our interview last August with ex-CIA agent Victor Marchetti, none of REASON's contributors are now, or have ever been, members of the CIA. But we'd certainly be curious to know what journals CIA agents are publishing in these days. We're not at all sure that we like the idea of government intelligence agents planting stories in the press, but depending on what they'd otherwise be doing if they weren't publishing, who knows—it might be a blessing in disguise.