Correction
My article “Litigation Threat in Perspective” printed in your Winter 1978 issue contained a misprint in the last sentence of the second paragraph. That sentence as printed was: “The overwhelming majority of defense verdicts have been achieved by convincing Judges on the basis of legal doctrines.”
The sentence should have read: “The overwhelming majority of defense verdicts have been achieved by convincing juries on the basis of the facts, rather than by convincing Judges on the basis of legal doctrines.”
Richard C. McLean
Economic Survey
Sir,
With regard to your article (Winter ’78) on the NSAA economic survey, I now see a major unreliability factor that was not apparent, at least to me, before. The sampling mix changes from year to year, so comparisons can be very misleading. Slide Mountain has been in the statistics for a number of years. It has now been forced into bankruptcy and ceased to participate in the study. This represents a 100 percent loss of investment, yet by being a “drop-out”, your statistical sample will show a nice improvement, because our previous financial statements, filed under a number, showed a marginal performance.
Calvin F. Gunn
Slide Mountain, Nevada
P.S. We made a large investment in snowmaking to our sorrow. We were prepared for lack of early season snowfall, but three dry years so diminished available water resources that we couldn’t use that fancy installation when we needed it the most. —C.F.G.
Ted Farwell answers: “Two things to remember, Cal. First, that change is predictable from one sample to another. One of the basics of statistical analysis is that a sample fairly states what is going on in an industry. Secondly, the growth figures in the industry—such as change in skier visits—is taken each year from what the areas reporting in that year give as their past five-year record.” This prevents the single-year skew that concerns you.
Future of Skiing
Sir:
The editorial in the latest issue of Ski Area Management regarding the Future of Skiing—ASF Study has done more to put into focus the work of that committee than anything I have yet seen. You are to be congratulated.
John Fry, Editorial Director,
Ski Magazine
A Ski Fantasy
Sir:
Congratulations on Steve Bradley’s great satirical article entitled “A Ski Fantasy”. It is a sad situation when such bitter satire is hilarious.
My, but I wish I had Steve’s ability to write!
Howard V. More, President
TMSL, Inc. (Table Mt.)
