8 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

Q. I assume that you have read the Legislative Council's list of pro-
posed bills. Do you have any thoughts on which of those bills you may
give special interest to as far as your office is concerned, that you will
support?

A. I am going to surprise you and be candid and say I have not read
that list. I will read it, and I certainly would be interested to know
what bills are on the list and to attempt to work with the Legislative
Council in putting a unified push behind those that I think fall into
my program.

Q. The one that I have uppermost in my mind is the revision of the
State's criminal insanity rule. Do you have any thoughts on that?

A. As a lawyer I have thoughts on that, yes. I don't think that the
present rule is a realistic measure, although I do think that the evalu-
ation of a proper rule is most difficult and one that should be left to
the Bar Association and to people who are expert in these areas.

Q. How about these proposals to make the prime interest rate 8 per-
cent? Do you favor that?

A. I think that it's unrealistic to figure that in the tight money mar-
ket that we're going through, and even in normal circumstances, that
a 6 percent interest rate strictly enforced is a proper measure of what
should be paid. However, if the interest rate is raised, as it has been
in many states, it's very important to protect the public by putting
down the possibility of hampering surcharges, the gimmicks that are
used to get around the (5 percent rate. To simply raise the rate and
leave the gimmicks available would be an intolerable burden on the
public.

Q. Would you favor an 8 percent rate?

A. No, I didn't say I favored an 8 percent interest rate. I indicated
that, from what my advisers have told me, many states have found
the 6 percent rate unrealistic, and I do want to study this. But I don't
want to advocate any increase in the 6 percent rate unless the add-on
charge techniques and many other techniques that are used to really
circumvent the overall interest charge have been avoided—the point

system for example.

Q. Mr. Agnew, do you care to disclose here, today, any of your so-
called green bag appointments?

A. I haven't even thought of the green bag as yet. I really haven't.
I have been interested in trying to find the best people possible for