New Hampshire Daily; New Hampshire Daily Episode from 10/23/89

This is NPR National Public Radio and this is member supported New Hampshire Public Radio WEO eighty nine point one in Concord Manchester operating on translator w 2 1 2 8 F in Nashua at ninety point three. Programming on New Hampshire Public Radio is made possible in part by a grant from Shah's supermarkets incorporated providing quality and service in all its stores in New Hampshire Maine Massachusetts and Rhode Island and by a grant from the Manchester law firm of McLean Graff Rogerson and Middleton. And by the look on the Lakes Region office of New Hampshire savings bank committed to your growing needs. Stay tuned for New Hampshire daily with Martin Murray coming up in just a moment followed at 5:30 by ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from National Public Radio in amongst the stories that they'll be talking about tonight Nina Totenberg is reporting on the trial of the man alleged to be Washington DC's drug lord Raphael Edmond the third. That and other stories coming up at 5:30 and all things considered. Here's a look at the weather mostly clear tonight with lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s around the state. Tuesday mostly sunny highs in the mid 60s. Tuesday night will be mostly clear with

lows 35 to 40. And Wednesday mostly sunny skies highs 65 to 70. Coming up this Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. Actor Michael York portrays Caspar a check collector of porcelain whose life is by his passion for mice and figures. That's the fourth and final installment of that story here on New Hampshire Public Radio. Stay tuned now for New Hampshire daily. From New Hampshire Public Radio. This is New Hampshire for Monday October 23rd 1989. I'm Martin. On today's program a talk with the president of the business an industry association about the state's weakening economy. Richard a letter is language commentary.

Caldwell a writer who dared to be different. He was writing about sex when one did not write about sex he was writing about racial relations when one did not write about racial relations. He was writing about the difference between rural wealthy and rural poor when we did not talk about that sort of thing. That and more coming up. First a look at the news. From National Public Radio News in Washington I'm Frank stay show an explosion and fire at the Phillips Petroleum chemical facility near Houston Texas is still out of control this afternoon emergency officials fear there could be a number of casualties. Bruce Dorton of member station KUNC Jeff has details. There are at least four fires still burning out of control although it appears the fires are not spreading. Thick gray smoke continues to rise hundreds of feet in the air and fire officials that move people further back from the scene because of what they say are threats of more explosions. At least 40 people have been treated at area hospitals for burns and cuts separate from flying

pieces of metal. The explosions showered debris and broken windows for miles around. Some of those being treated in hospital are in critical condition. There are no confirmed deaths but workers. Set the scene say it was virtually impossible for some of the workers in the area of the explosion to get out alive. One worker said the area where the explosion occurred looks like a bomb was dropped. A spokesman for the Houston Emergency Operations Center said the chemicals involved in the blaze include polyethylene hydrocarbons and hydrogen and evacuation order for the immediate area has not been given but police and emergency vehicles and buses are standing by in case one should be ordered. But National Public Radio I'm Bruce Gordon in Pasadena. Buck helm who survived the north carefree California earthquake after being trapped on the Nimitz Freeway improved today in San Francisco area commuters faced heavy traffic in bad weather to make their way back to work. The Bay Area Rapid Transit System carried twice the normal load and ferry passengers had to stomach rough seas and whipping winds. But there was little of the gridlock on the roads that had been feared earlier. The space

shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth today ending a five day mission that spurred controversy before it left the ground. NPR's Ina Jaffe reports. Despite having to return to earth more than three hours early Nassif a facial said that the Atlantis crew completed all on board past private Bombay flights the deployment of the one and a half billion dollar Galileo space probe. We just now want to make your trip to Jupiter. The launch of Galileo was not without controversy. Some environmental activists struck. Claiming that the space probe to plutonium generators toaster radiation threat. But today Dr. William adored NASA's acting associate administrator for space flight at that future space probe will also use nuclear fuel as you go to the outer planets. There just isn't enough sunlight to operate solar conversion to power your spacecraft correctly who cares about all we have. The next shuttle mission is scheduled for late November. Discovery will carry a classified payload for the department to pick that Idid Chaffee at Edwards airport space California.

On Wall Street the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 26 points today to close a twenty six sixty two point nine one declines lead advances two to one on volume of one hundred thirty six million shares. This is NPR News. More world and national news later on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED this is New Hampshire daily Good afternoon I'm Martin Murray. Conservationists are negotiating with officials at Shaker Village in Canterbury to protect the village permanently from development. Conservationists say they've already won protection for two parcels adjoining the village if village officials agree to give up development rights on their land that would mean fifteen hundred acres will be preserved. Sylvia Bates of the Society for the protection of New Hampshire Forest says negotiations will Shaker Village are in the preliminary stage. The forest society wants the village to agree to a conservation easement to ensure the land is never drastically changed. One possible hitch in winning agreement is that the easement could bar the village from building a visitor's center or other new buildings in the future. A public service company of New Hampshire says it will spend 10 million

dollars on a pollution control device at its Merrimack station power plant in bow and it's hoped the equipment will virtually eliminate smoke from the coal fired plant. The PSNI spokesman said the electrostatic precipitator will electrically charged smoke particles and then draw them to a collector. The plant reportedly violated state emission standards in 1905. The new equipment is expected to reduce emissions to 10 percent of what is allowed by state standards. The judge handling the Murray be doe child custody case met with lawyers in chambers this morning for about 90 minutes before testimony this afternoon in Concord. The lawyers had no comment after the meeting. A San Francisco Child abuse specialist is expected to testify in Merrimack County Superior Court on who gets custody of Marc and Jesse marabou those two children. Judge Philip magnons is hearing the case. The children were taken away from New Hampshire last year by their mother after their father was acquitted of sexually abusing the daughter Jessie Merab Ito and the children were discovered this summer in Montana and the children were ordered back to New Hampshire. They've been staying

in a foster home while custody is decided. Carol Sullivan who examine the children in San Francisco testified last week that the boy told her he had been sexually abused by the father. The New Hampshire office of securities regulation today said it has settled the securities and mail fraud case involving Drexel Burnham Lambert incorporated Office director L. Rowe bagus says New Hampshire's agreement with the Wall Street firm is similar to one Drexel negotiated with the federal government in a guilty plea to six felony counts of securities and mail fraud. The agreement lets the state ensure that New Hampshire consumers who may have lost money as a result of the fraud are repaid out of three hundred and fifty million dollar fund administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm also agreed to pay New Hampshire for a $75000 fine. Rebecca says Drexel will continue to keep its license to sell securities in the state but under some restrictions. We'll talk about the state's economy and the outlook for business that is coming up next on New Hampshire daily.

A recent survey by the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire had some bad news regarding the state's economy responding businesses say the economy is weak and they don't expect improvement anytime soon. John Crozier the president of the bee I-A joins us now live good afternoon Mr. Crozier. Good evening. John one of the facts you garnered from years their survey was that fully one quarter 25 percent of the responding business executives say they'll probably reduce their workforces during the next year. Now what do those businesses represent though. Who are the workers who will likely lose their jobs in the next year did Did your survey tell you that. Yes we did a profile of the survey and what it tells us is that these respondents are from businesses that have been here in New Hampshire for 10 years or more. And predominately from the manufacturing sector alone there are some respondents from other sectors. What concerned us most about this was that and I must remind listeners that this poll was taken in July

so we're already seeing the results of some of these forecasts that when people know ahead of time there's a layoff that's of some concern. And more apt to come true and that is probably the worst section of the economy you want to see was the workers at this point. Well we think that the manufacturing base continues to be very important to the state in Hampshire and I would like to see balanced growth when any sector suffers. All sectors suffer and yet I would like to put this in perspective and this is not a gloom and doom forecast this is simply saying New Hampshire has to get accustomed to more realistic growth levels and what we're talking about here is simply growth at a more moderate pace when one realizes that over the last four years revenues in the state grew 72 percent. And I forecast in the next four to grow 17 percent. It simply says to all of us public policymakers private sector leadership we have a new set of rules to play by and let's understand what they are. You're sounding a bit like what I've heard Judd Gregg a governor say that let's face

it the state is enjoying some real boom years but it's not that unusual now that things are getting a bit leaner. So you buy that. Yes I do I think it's remarkable that we have so had in this state such sustained growth at such a rate for so long and now is the time in more moderate growth mode to catch our breath and to look at what a balanced growth. Program looks like for the state and to work together to make that come true I think our first priority was to protect the jobs that are here and not to do anything that would encourage the flight of jobs to other states and then to selectively work on attracting to New Hampshire those businesses that can complement what's already here. Now given what you know of the state's economy and the results of the survey will those workers find new work comparable work and comparable wages or will they have to settle for less or even move out of the state. Well I don't think there's a single answer I think certain sorts of industries that are impacted particularly the

higher the technology and put some of those workers are highly mobile and will go where the jobs are. But I think across the country we are seeing a leveling of growth. So that what New Hampshire is going for relative to the rest of the country is is pretty good compared to some other scenarios you can see in other states so we are in a balancing time. And I frankly think that some people will welcome the pressure on the job market that the slower growth provides in the sense of being able to attract and keep qualified workers. So the boom years are over. Why do the companies that you surveyed Why are they concerned why did they say this is happening. Well for a variety of reasons and in particular we asked them relatively How do they see things in New Hampshire and they're not as optimistic now as they were a year ago pointing to the specific issues of energy a badly needed work workers comp reform which we have as a result of a commission that the governor appointed and which has just delivered a report that I hope is embraced. The whole uncertainty about about the fiscal issue is of concern. And so what we are seeing

his is an opportunity to work together on those priorities to bring solutions which are balanced that will hopefully protect the job base that's here. It sounds like you're fairly optimistic that things are moving along that people recognize the problem. Are you in fact optimistic that things are at least the danger is being recognized or is there still some sections of state government or business that needs a little prodding. Now I think what this poll was designed to do is to make state policy makers aware of what the mood of the business community is and their assessment of the economy in New Hampshire and in civilized societies we don't shoot messenger so what we're saying is here is a report of the business leadership of the state for your consideration as we deal with issues that we will in the upcoming legislative session. One of the issues that the survey respondents did raise as one of their key concerns was energy future fuel prices. Do you feel that the PNH bankruptcy the Seabrooke issue is being settled in a way that we will

have. Is it being settled quickly enough. No matter what way it's going to end up is it moving along at a pace that business agrees that it should. Well we want to see a solution within the time frame this year a consensual agreement that the parties can agree to and let's get it going with a solution to a problem that has gone on for far too long and frankly the uncertainty has caused damage already so we applaud the efforts to. Try and get the parties together to get a range rate that is acceptable to the parties and to build a consensual solution. Now that's in the hands of the bankruptcy court and all we can do is hope and and work with the priorities to to express a view as to what we think is tolerable in the way of rate increase. Mr Crozier thank you very much for joining us today. Thank you. John Crozier is president of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire. In 1940 the writers can Caldwell was at the peak of his fame. It

was then that Dartmouth College invited him to establish a collection of his papers there. The Georgia born author of Tobacco Road and God's little acre and some 50 other books continued his relationship with the college until his death two years ago. Now with the settlement of Caldwell's estate the final installment of his papers has arrived at Dartmouth scholars say it is the largest collection of Caldwell anywhere in the world in a treasure just waiting to be uncovered. W.E. is humanities reporter Robbie how Nick prepared this report. But you just look I mean this titles like Somerset Mons the greatest stories of all time. It's got a couple of Erskine Caldwell short stories in there. Ted Morrison's five kinds of writing. It's got Erskine called a short story in there. And it goes on and on. You know two dozen additions and translations of Tobacco Road sitting on the shelves. It's very important you can chart the rise in your skin Caldwell's international

popularity by looking at when these volumes were published in Czechoslovakia in Russian and dozens of other languages. But Dartmouth College curator of Special Collections Philip Cronin what is bothered by the fact that Caldwell is not better known in this country today. With this final installment in the collection of Caldwell's papers here at Dartmouth Cronin what hopes that will change. Caldwell's work was never easy to like even at the height of his popularity says Cronin wet because he wrote about difficult and distressing subjects. He was writing about sex when one did not write about sex he was writing about racial relations when one did not write about racial relations. He was writing about the difference between rural wealthy and rural poor when one did not talk about that sort of thing. Caldwell's Tobacco Road came out in one thousand thirty two followed the next year by God's little acre. Both are bawdy tales of lusty folk humor with sub currents of indignation at social inequality. Those two are his best

known works but Caldwell went on to write some 50 books in all at least one while he was the writer in residence at Dartmouth College in Hanover New Hampshire. English Professor Henry Terry knew him then. He was writing about conditions of economic deprivation and oppression. In the Deep South. Right in the middle of the Depression. And he had some very unpleasant things to say about. A segment of American society. And for many people the things Caldwell had to say were simply too painful to accept at the time. Here what was he saying. What were some of the painful truths that come out of Caldwell. Well. What he was saying was that we have a whole class of people in this country or had. At least at the time a whole class of people. Who. Simply had no

chance to live on any human level. So many of his characters come across as really subhuman. There they they behave like animals and. Part of. What Caldwell was trying to tell us was that it's the economic conditions which make them live like out of RAM. What did cross. Caldwell himself never cared for the Hollywood versions of his works. They may have made him better known but they did little for his literary reputation that reputation with American critics declined in the 1950s and 60s even as his international stature Rose Caldwell remains one of the most widely translated American authors of all time. Most notably in Eastern Europe Special Collections curator Philip Cronin with who will be in charge of Caldwell's papers a

Dartmouth and who knew Caldwell before his death two years ago suggests that his personal life at times paralleled his work. Some critics say his brief marriage to the photographer Margaret Bourke-White coincided with the pinnacle of his career called those first three marriages where we're not. Particularly happy marriages. And his his relationship with Margaret Bourke-White started long before they were married and they did a spectacular book called You have seen their faces which is a blend of of his writing and her spectacular photography in 1037 and they were not married until thirty nine their marriage broke up by 42 they were divorced. And so. The real working relationship I think was damaged by the marriage. And there are a number of people I know that have said that his his work really did in fact peak with that marriage and then begin to tail off quite rapidly. I'm not sure that's true. Some of

his really fine short stories are much later than that. But I I think that that in working with Margaret Bourke-White he was challenged by. A kind of creativity that he was never challenged again by and and the combination of the two. They're just they're spectacular. I mean the writing both the writing and the photographs and you have seen their faces is just tremendous. 20 original photographs from you have seen their faces are now part of the Dartmouth collection. Professor Henry Terry is one who thinks Caldwell's reputation will rise as scholars get a fresh look at his works collected here and begin to appreciate his unique contribution to American literature. Some authors are remembered for a single poem or a single novel. I may have written a lot of. Other work that doesn't come up to it. This is a pattern by the way in American literature that our novelists tend to write a big important book early in their careers and then

trail off at the end. Certainly it seems to me. That in his best books. He has left us indispensable portraits of segments of American life parts of American life that but for him might be lost forever so that if we want to remember everything about the way we have lived in America we need Caldwell's books to show us one part of that life in literature as in life. Timing may be everything. Caldwell's realism was ahead of its time says Philip Cronin wet and now the passage of time. Maybe his reputation's Redeemer. And I think because he was ahead of his time made the impact of his work even more important to not only to the canon of American literature but also to American society. He in many ways led the way to the civil rights movement. In fiction.

By writing what he did write. And I think if he is remembered for anything he ought to be remembered for that the Caldwell papers will be kept at Dartmouth virtually forever in the underground vaults of its special collections department a kind of final resting place for his work and a new wellspring for the papers and books sure to follow on the life and legacy of our skin Caldwell. Reporting from Dartmouth College in Hanover. This is Robbie Hornick in reports by Robbie how Nick are made possible by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council. Connecting people with ideas. In this week's language commentary. Richard letter in the lightens us with more examples of our loopy language from his new book Crazy English. I've been talking about the fact that we name things in rather odd ways. For example our most violent ocean we call the Pacific and there is actually much more ice on Greenland than there is on ice land. We do a

really bizarre job of naming other objects that as they appear in our diet six things we call vegetables are really fruits. Tomatoes squash okra cucumber pumpkin eggplant and of course there is no egg in an egg plant. A shooting star is not a star it's a meteor. A Douglas fir is not a for it's a pine. A mushroom is neither mush nor a room. A pineapple is neither a pine nor an apple. There was no butter and butter milk all the butter has been taken out. Similarly there is no butter in apple butter buttercups butter knots or butterflies. Wormwood contains neither worms nor would it's a European plant yielding a bitter tasting oil. A banana tree is not a tree it's an herb. A Mexican jumping bean is not a bean It's a sea of with a seed with a larva inside Blackberries or green and then red before they are ripe. Even if blackberries were really black and blue

berries really blue what are strawberries gooseberries cranberries elderberries huckleberries mulberries rasper reason boysenberry supposed to look like bleaching nuts walnuts and Brazil nuts are not nuts they're fruits. A peanut is neither Rypien or not it's a lagoon. There are no peas in a pea jacket. There is no more milk in coconut milk than there is in milk wheat. There was no grape and a grapefruit and no bread in a bread fruit. Grape Nuts contain wheat and malted barley not grapes or nuts. Sure bread is not bread it's a thick cookie. A sweet bread is not sweet and not bread it's from a calf's or Lamb's pancreas or thymus. Sweet meat isn't meat it's a candied fruit. A prickly pear is not a pear it's a cactus. A sugar plum is not a plum it's a candy. Rice paper is not made from rice hot dogs can be cold especially in the refrigerator. There is no ham and a hamburger. And incidentally the reason for that is that that is what's called a

place eponym. It comes from Homburg Germany in much the way that a frankfurter comes from Frankfurt Germany. But we have changed the morphemes is the morphine really is Homburg an herb but we've now made it ham and burger. So we've come out with a new morpheme called Burger and now we have cheeseburgers bacon burgers fish burgers steak burgers and so on. So as a result if somebody actually invented a sandwich consisting of a ham Patty in a bun we would have a hard time finding a name for it. Now all of these misnomers that I have been going over for the last program in this testify to the abundant imagination and imprecision of the English speaking members of the human race which of course isn't really a race at all. And why is this so it is so because human beings in that language they don't discover a cave people didn't find words lying around under trees and under rocks. We have invented it and it just reflects all the inaccuracy and

perversity of the school or us human race which is in a race. This is Richard ladder and if you have a question or comment on language write to Richard a letter in care of 26 Pleasant Street Concord New Hampshire that zip code 0 3 3 0 1. Business news is next on New Hampshire daily. This is Jim Dixey reporting from PaineWebber in Concord. Poor earnings reported from many blue chip issues today is being cited for the drop in the Dow stocks gradually slid all day to a close to close a 26 63 dropping 26 points. Steyn employs 100 close to 3 22 0 9 off two point to six and the Nasdaq's index of over the counter starts close for sixty seven point two to three point four five golden or close to 360 550 off 15 cents a national effective stocks today were AT&T 43 off 580

digital eighty eight and five eighths off seventy GTI 64 an eighth off three quarters IBM one in three and a half off three quarters public service mansion three in five eights unchanged Tyco forty eight and three quarters off a quarter life 82 and 70 unchanged Nynex 79 and a half off five eighth American International Group 1 0 5 and 7 8 off one in three quarters. James River 2018 three quarters unchanged fleet Northstar twenty seven and seven eights unchanged Nasha Corp. thirty one and three quarters off one and a quarter. Image big banks dropping 5 8 to a new low of 4 and 5 8 and an actual savings bank three off an eight. In some way the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 26 63 off 26 points on a volume of one hundred thirty five million eight hundred sixty thousand shares. This is Jim Dixon reporting from PaineWebber in Concord. Enjoy your evening. Now for a look at whether this weather report is made possible in part by a grant from Johnson and

Dick's fuel core suppliers of petroleum products throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. Here's Rob Gilman. Good afternoon good evening everyone. To get earlier the weather just getting milder here and over the next few days call it Indian summer. Dry balmy weather pattern will go on tonight then fair guys comes up well after midnight low temperature 32 with a frost in the deeper Valley 40 to 44 from Nashua to the seacoast Tuesday. Bright sunshine much of the day you've had your cloud and even milder highs 68 Tuesday night. They're not as cold. Thirty Eight Forty-Eight Wednesday sunshine. The patchy cloud and really warm the high 70 to 74. Productive we just robbed you all but. Clear skies and conquered the temperature is 63 degrees clear now. Look Tony in the Lakes Region

64 degrees Manchester Nashua partly cloudy 63 Portsmouth and the seacoast the cool spot in the state partly cloudy and 53 degrees. Lebanon and the upper valley are reporting partly cloudy skies temperature of 63 degrees. In sports tonight in the NHL the Bruins have the night off elsewhere Hartford plays in Montreal and Vancouver visits the New York Rangers in pro football the New England Patriots play next Sunday at Indianapolis Colts There are four and three. Yesterday the Colts beat Cincinnati which was last season's Super Bowl loser to the forty niners the forty niners routed the Patriots yesterday by a final score of 37 to 20. That's New Hampshire daily for Monday October 23rd 1989. I'm Martin Murray the engineer is Paul Jimerson programming on New Hampshire Public Radio as made possible in part by a grant from Environmental Systems Incorporated preserving New Hampshire's environment through trash to energy and other recycling technologies. By Smith Batchelder and rug Certified Public Accountants and management consultants offering accounting expertise

in strategic business consulting services with offices in New Hampshire Maine and Vermont and by Rick Sherman providing professional services to busy women and men who are serious about their financial lives. From her office at Hopper's solidarity in Manchester a full service investment company all things considered is coming up. Stay tuned. Complete coverage of the news continues tomorrow on NPR's MORNING EDITION. Join me they'd some of these most important stories and in-depth reports on the stories you'll want to know more about. Start your day in full. Join me tomorrow for MORNING EDITION. That's Monday through Friday at 6:00 o'clock in the morning here on New Hampshire Public Radio. All things considered is funded by the VOA and other NPR member stations and by contributors to the NPR news and information fund including the National Geographic Society committed to

educating young people about geography. The Public Welfare Foundation the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for coverage of health care issues and Jennifer and Ted Stanley. Stay tuned now for All Things Considered from National Public Radio. It's 5:00. 5:30 read. Africa eases bans on political activity in this half hour of All Things Considered.