878 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

law and I'm against any control. Now, I appointed General Reckord
not on the basis of his directorship in the NRA, but on the basis of
the fact that he has done a tremendous amount of study in this area —
on the basis that he is for the kind of law that I have just mentioned
with the exception that I haven't discussed with him the ban on pri-
vate sales. I think he's probably totally in favor of the trafficking be-
tween states and by mail order. He and I share a common antipathy
to trying to regulate rifles and shotguns. I don't see that the cost of
this could possibly be borne. If it costs a tremendous amount of
money to regulate the transfer of a $2, 000 or $3, 000 automobile, think
of what it's going to cost to regulate and register rifles, shotguns and
handguns. And as I indicated previously, it doesn't mean anything,
it doesn't do the job. The real point that we're trying to get at is to
find out why people are turning to violence, not the methods that they
are using to turn to it.

(Bowie State Sewage Problem)

Q. Governor, do you have any comments on the story in an after-
noon newspaper that said your office deliberately attempted to sup-
press information about the sewage problem at Bowie State?
A. Well, I think you've got to look at the word "suppress. " If by
attempting to suppress you mean that we didn't advertise it, I guess
we're guilty. Mr. Mester made this problem known to me a couple
of months ago. We began immediately to attempt to solve it as
quickly as we can. I'll admit that we didn't come out and announce
it. We have enough trouble without looking for trouble. But as far
as trying to suppress it or deliberately indicating that the trouble
didn't exist, upon inquiry, I'd have to plead innocent to that.

(Agnew Views and National Candidates)

Q. Governor, have you discussed your views on such things as Resur-
rection City with Mr. Nixon, Governor Rockefeller or Governor
Reagan? If you have, did they react favorably to them?
A. No, I haven't discussed those views with any of the candidates.
Q. How about civil disorders?

A. Well, I think they are all aware of what my views are on civil
disorders. But this is such a crucial and critical element of their
campaigns that they've each made rather definitive statements in that
regard.

Q. Do you feel that this civil disorder problem is the leading do-
mestic issue?
A. I certainly do. I think it is by far the leading domestic issue.