Morgan’s child labor column lacks logicUnfortunately, like most “economists” of the day, Morgan fails to realize life is not played out on paper.Has Morgan traveled to a country plagued by poverty and seen first-hand what goes on? I doubt it from what is expressed in the column.I have only taken rudimentary economics courses, but having lived in South Africa, a country better off than most but far from optimal economic conditions, real life logic sets in.Morgan argues children need to work in the mines and in factories to help economies grow. This theory has some basis, but the truth of the matter is there are not enough available jobs for the adult population.Adults and children are forced to work on the streets as vendors or resort to crime to survive in poor countries because the economic foundation to keep unemployment solely to the frictional variety is not in place. In South Africa, the unemployment rate is more than 40 percent.For Morgan to characterize unions as only concerned about self interest is unfair. An unregulated economy leads to the abuse of workers. Morgan must realize there are capable adults willing to take jobs who cannot find them. Introducing child laborers who are willing to work for even less would drive more adults out of employment.Child labor would not increase production, but rather shift the labor force. In a particularly fragile world economy, businesses are not looking to make risky investments to increase production drastically. Cheap child labor would replace adult workers, possibly creating turmoil.When the basis of your thinking comes from merely theory and fails to acknowledge practicality, it will be flawed. I challenge Morgan to put down the books and visit a developing nation.Steve Wolfmass communication freshman– –Excessive salaries at the top cost usWhen just seven years ago the LSU Chancellor’s salary was suddenly doubled to an astronomical number, some faculty members warned of its long-term dangers. First, a salary so much greater than academic ones would soon attract people from the business and other worlds who would lack academic credentials and appreciation of its culture. This is exactly what happened with the very next chancellor. Second, large salaries would permeate to mid-level administrators. This, too, happened. Today, administrators earn far more than professors with decades of distinguished records in research and teaching. Thereby, the reward structure at the University is skewed toward management, not excellence in academic activities. More administration is not the way to become a great university.The skewed salary scale has accompanied an increasingly corporate structure. With notable exceptions, administrators have adopted a “masters of the universe” imperial style of making unilateral decisions, resisting accounting to faculty. They forget that a university, unlike a corporation, is characterized by shared governance with the faculty, which has a wealth of expertise.The current fury over AIG bonuses points to another danger. Many AIG employees are not to blame, but the excesses of some at the top tar and damage them all. Similarly, the Chronicle of Higher Education, in reporting on March 17 drastic budget cuts for universities in Arizona, says there was no sympathy for universities on the part of legislators “railing against the salaries of some university leaders.” The same has been reported in New Mexico. Populist wrath against extravagance and squandering public monies does not distinguish between administrators and the university. There has to be fairness and balance in the pay scales of public employees. If the president of the U.S. earns $400,000 and cabinet secretaries half that amount, there is no justification for chancellors and presidents of public universities to get more.With growing concern over rising tuition and costs that might shut them and their children out of higher education even in public universities, taxpayers are likely to be outraged by excessive salaries at the top. Perhaps the University can even lead the rest of academia by returning to a more reasonable pay scale for its administrators before being pushed to do so.A.R.P. Rauphysics and astronomy professor