The Observer 1

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On newstands or
$ 4 per year by mai I AN OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE INCORPORATED VILLAQE OF FARMINGDALE
SERVING GREATER FARMINGDALE. BETHPAGE & MELVILLE
Vol. 6 No. 9 Serond Class Postage has been paid at Farminqda! ec N„ Y.. 11735 Thursday, October 24, 1968
No Goblins In UNICEF,
Library Board Decides
Vote 3- 2
The Farmingdale Public Library Board of Trust­ees
voted at a special meeting held Tuesday night
at the Main Street building, to continue to cooperate
with the trick- or- treatcollections for UNICEF. The
special meeting was called due to the voiciferous
opposition to the UNICEF program by Trustee Carl
E. Gorton at the regular meeting held two weeks ago
at the South Farmingdale Branch. At that time
Gorton showed a film, produced by the John Birch
Society depicting the United Nations as a Communist
organization, which Gorton said would prove that
UNICEF was also ' unAmerican'.
Kobert Callahan, Chairman of
the Farmingdale Public Library
Board of Trustees stated, " For
many years the Library has co­operated
with the UNICEF Hal­loween
drive for food and medi­cal
relief funds. This coopera­tion
encompassed informative
programs on the work of UNICEF
around the world as wellas serv­ing
as a collection center for
UNICEF funds. This year the
need seems even greater due to
the hostilities in Nigeria and
Biafra. In mid- September, the
UNICEF ship Orient Exporter
unloaded 5.000 tons of food at
off- shore islands and in Lagos
for refugees in Federally owned
territories. At present the Bi-afran
refugees receiving relief
are in camps under Nigerian
Federal control. Four UNICEF
chartered helicopters have been
airlifting supplies since early
last week. It is estimated that
200- 300,000 refugees in the re­gion
of Calabar have received
foodstuffs. The entire Biafran
relief project is being coordina­ted
by the International Red Cross
— UNICEF being one of the sev­eral
private and governmental
aid programs.
' In view of the pressing needs
for relief funds this year, the
Library Director requests Board
authorization for special promo­tion
of the needs and work of
UNICEF."
Callahan also delivered the
substance of an oral report ob­tained
from Library Attorney,
Kendrick C. Smith who said that
although the Junior Red Cross
i s the only organization for which
funds are allowed to be collected
in public schools, the library
could assist any charitable cam­paign
as long as it did not actual­ly
col lee the n. « > ney. Callahan
said that the library did not
collect the UNICEF funds, that
it acted as an informational agen­cy.
The Farmingdale churches
and temples this year are even
distributing the containers.
Trustee Gorton asked Library
Director Dow how much time
was involved on the part of li­brary
staff for assisting. The
answer was neglible.
Trustee Warren Altmann said
that he objected to the library's
cooperation with UNICEF since
it does not matter how good a
charity is or is not, taxpayers
have diverse opinions on the
merit of different charities and
it should be an individual mat­ter.
" This isn't the role of
the library"
Library Director OrrinB. Dow
said, " A library function is to
focus attention on the work of
UNICEF so that children when
collecting can have a greater
feeling of fulfilment." Dow said
that no one of responsibility has
taken issue with UNICEF, that
the Vatican c o n t r i b u t e s to
UNICEF and UNICEF won the
Nobel Peace prize in 1965.
Altmann said that Dow was
speaking about heads of organi­zations,
not people who pay taxes.
Dow spoke of the cooperation
given the Salvation Army during
the Rotary Kettle drive, and that
the library was willing to coop­erate
with all charities, if they
ask for such help.
Altmann asked whether the li­brary
helped other charities in
the same manner. " Do other
charities receive the same con­centrated
effort to push it?" Dow
explained that it was a program
of education and that a library's
function is to be a community
agency and to give attention to
issues in which the community
is interested.
Gorton asked a question re­garding
a film on UNICEF that
the library planned to use as a
program. He asked whether in­formation
would also be distribu­ted
that UNICEF funds go to
Communist countries. Gorton
then charged that the money ended
up by being used in countries
that were against the United
States. Gorton decried the fact
that, members of the Board did
not see the light about UNICEF
after witnessing the film pro­duced
by the John Birch Society
which Gorton said proved with
facts that the United Nations was
a Communist conspiracy. Gor­ton
said that there was no means
of control and investigation for
the spending of UNICEF funds.
" Why is it that the Board dis­regards
such a factual informa­tion
concerning the nature of the
organization when there is such
abundent information of the UN's
Communist nature?"
Trustee Albert Meyer s t e in
countered, that he did not be­lieve
the film information to be
factual.
Gorton replied, " Baloney. I
say that the facts are facts and
they are not refutable."
Callahan said, " We knew what
was in the film before it was pre­sented.
It was distorted."
Trustee Meyerstein said that
there were books andbooks writ­ten
stating to the contrary of what
the film depicted. We have our-opinion
and you will not convert
us.
Gorton went on to say that the
library board was a legally con­stituted
board and that he believed
that the board was not acting in
the interests of the community by
cooperating with UNICEF. It is
detrimental to the interests of the
United States."
Callahan charged that t h e re
was a " good bit of paranoid
behind the John Birch Society
and these attacks."
In making the motion Trustee
Mrs. Khan Musa said that the
United States has been a mem­ber
of the UN for many years
and has supported UNICEF and
that many brilliant men for many
years have praised it, and she
would prefer toaccepttheiropin-ion.
The vote was passed three to
two. Altmann who voted no with
action said " I do not believe as
a tax supported institution we
should single out certain chari­ties
and support them. I believe
this is not the function of the
library."
Ginsberg To Act On
Grade Crossing Elimination
Assemblyman Martin Ginsberg
this week, assured residents of
Bethpage he will introduce legis­lation
at the forthcoming session
of the State Legislature to man­date
an early start on the long
advocated Long Island Rail Road
grade crossing elimination pro-
( Continued on Page 12}
UNICEF Volunteers To Sell Cards At Post Office
Once again this year, U. N. L-C.
E. F. greeting cards and cal­endars
will be sold by volunteers
in post offices throughout the
country. They will be sold local­ly
in the Farmingdale Post Of­fice
on November 9, 16 and 23
between the hours of 8: 00 aumu
and 12: 00 noon.
In announcing the sale, Otto
W„ Taylor, who heads up the
local U. N. I. C. E. F. Sale Com­mittee,
indicated that U. NJ. C0-
E. F. cards help provide needy
children with the chance for a
better and longer life. The pro­ceeds
from one box of cards
priced at $ 1.50 will protect 50
children against tuberculosis.
" These cards, sold by volun­teers,
can spell the difference
between life and death for count­less
boys and girls in Latin
America, Asia, Africa and the
Middle East," Taylor said. Pro­ceeds
from the world sale last
year netted U. N. I. C. E„ F. more
than $ 3,000,000, nearly 10% of
its total income.
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Michael N. Petito
( left) receives congratulations from Gus Coletti,
Democratic candidate for Oyster Bay Town Coun­cilman,
after Petito received 1968 " Man Of The
Year" award from the Columbus Council, Sons of
Italy, in Farmingdale. Dinner honoring Petito drew
over 700 persons at Sons of Italy Hall.
Gorton Ousted From Birch Society
Carl F. Gorton of 76 Lockwood
Avenue, Farmingdale and a
Trustee of the Farmingdale Pub­lic
Library, has been ousted from
the John Birch Society, it was
reported this week. The reason
was not disclosed.
According to the report.
Harvard Winters, the Nassau-
Suffolk staff coordinator said that
Gorton's membership had been
terminated as of October 1. He
did not divulge a reason, saying
that it was not the organization's
policy to explain such actions.