The Week

■ Mrs. Madalyn Murray O’Hair (who started the ball rolling for the Supreme Court ban on prayer in public schools) is upset with the Apollo 8 crew for reading verses from Genesis while looping the moon on taxpayer money. She argues that Christianity is a minority religion. She’s nuts. 1) Genesis belongs not only to Christians but also to Jews and Moslems. 2) Among American taxpayers, it is the likes of Mrs. Murray who are the minority. 3) In the world at large (see 1968 World Almanac) Christians, Jews, and Moslems number 2,431,000,000—which makes Genesis top dog even without an electoral college.

■ Mr. Johnson’s Presidential Committee on Price Stability has come up with a proposal that businessmen voluntarily limit their profit margins. Will the knee-jerk populists never learn? We repeat the lesson: 1) Inflation is created by monetary authorities in Washington and no one else. 2) Profits are not a “cost” exacted by merchant dictators but a payment for entrepreneurial services. 3) Capital can be efficiently invested only when the rate of return (“profit”) is freely determined by market forces. 4) Capital inefficiently invested contributes to the same problems inflation contributes to: distorted prices, falling exports, stagnation. The report of the Presidential Committee should be burned.

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William F. Buckley Jr.

Frank Meyer

■ Mrs. Madalyn Murray O’Hair (who started the ball rolling for the Supreme Court ban on prayer in public schools) is upset with the Apollo 8 crew for reading verses from Genesis while looping the moon on taxpayer money. She argues that Christianity is a minority religion. She’s nuts. 1) Genesis belongs not only to Christians but also to Jews and Moslems. 2) Among American taxpayers, it is the likes of Mrs. Murray who are the minority. 3) In the world at large (see 1968 World Almanac) Christians, Jews, and Moslems number 2,431,000,000—which makes Genesis top dog even without an electoral college.

■ Mr. Johnson’s Presidential Committee on Price Stability has come up with a proposal that businessmen voluntarily limit their profit margins. Will the knee-jerk populists never learn? We repeat the lesson: 1) Inflation is created by monetary authorities in Washington and no one else. 2) Profits are not a “cost” exacted by merchant dictators but a payment for entrepreneurial services. 3) Capital can be efficiently invested only when the rate of return (“profit”) is freely determined by market forces. 4) Capital inefficiently invested contributes to the same problems inflation contributes to: distorted prices, falling exports, stagnation. The report of the Presidential Committee should be burned.