AUSTRIA TWO ON THE SEESAW EVER SINCE WORLD WAR II EVEN THROUGH 
TEN YEARS OF SOVIET OCCUPATION THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN RUN 
JOINTLY BY THE CONSERVATIVE PEOPLE'S PARTY AND THE SOCIALIST PARTY, LIKE 
TWO POLITE, EQUALLY WEIGHTED COUSINS ON AN INERT SEESAW . SO 
SCRUPULOUSLY BALANCED IS THE COALITION AND THE PROPORZ SYSTEM OF DIVIDING 
UP THE JOBS THAT, ACCORDING TO VIENNESE TABLE TALK, IF THERE 
IS ONE PEOPLE'S PARTY PUTZFRAU (CHARWOMAN) IN A GOVERNMENT BUILDING, THERE 
MUST BE A SOCIALIST PUTZFRAU TOO . AFTER LAST NOVEMBER'S ELECTIONS, 
BALANCE BECAME STALEMATE ; THE TWO BIG PARTIES HAVE BEEN HAGGLING 
OVER A CABINET EVER SINCE . A GROUP OF VOCIFEROUS PEOPLE'S 
PARTY REFORMERS ARGUED FOR LESS OF THE TRADITIONAL COOPERATION WITH THE 
SOCIALISTS, BUT THE MEAGER VICTORY OF THE PEOPLE'S PARTY 81 SEATS 
TO 76 FOR THE SOCIALISTS WAS HARDLY A MANDATE FOR SWEEPING 
CHANGE . STILL, CONSERVATIVE CHANCELLOR ALFONS GORBACH SHARED THE REFORMERS' FEELING 
THAT THE EXTRA STRENGTH ENTITLED HIS PARTY TO AT LEAST ONE 
MORE MINISTRY . THE ONE IN MIND : THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, 
WHERE SOCIALIST BRUNO KREISKY WAS THE PRIME TARGET OF THE PEOPLE'S 
PARTY REFORMERS . THE CONSERVATIVES ARGUED THAT A SOCIALIST COULD NOT 
POSSIBLY PUT HIS HEART INTO THE VITAL NEGOTIATIONS FOR AUSTRIAN ASSOCIATE 
MEMBERSHIP IN THE COMMON MARKET, WHICH, AFTER ALL, WAS A TRIUMPH 
OF CAPITALISM . FOR MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS, THE SOCIALISTS AND 
PEOPLE'S PARTY NEGOTIATORS MET ALMOST DAILY IN THE ORNATE BALLHAUS PALACE 
TO ARGUE ABOUT THE CABINET, AND ALL THE WHILE AUSTRIA HUMMED 
ALONG HAPPILY UNDER A PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT THAT WAS PRECISELY IN THE 
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD . LAST WEEK THE BICKERING ENDED AT 
LAST WITH THE PEOPLE'S PARTY ON THE SHORT END . THE 
ABLE, PERSONABLE KREISKY STAYED ON AS FOREIGN MINISTER, AND THIS VICTORY 
FOR THE SOCIALISTS WAS COUNTERED ONLY BY THE ADDITION OF A 
FEW PEOPLE'S PARTY STATE SECRETARIES TO THE TRADE AND JUSTICE MINISTRIES 
. ANOTHER SOCIALIST, FORMER TRADE UNION BOSS FRANZ OLAH, TOOK OVER 
THE INTERIOR MINISTRY, WHERE HE IS IN CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY'S 
POLICE POWER . OLAH IS AN ABLE MAN, BUT FOR MANY 
AUSTRIANS HIS APPOINTMENT MEANS TROUBLE . ON HIS SECOND DAY IN 
OFFICE, HE TOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE THAT HE FELT IT PERFECTLY 
PROPER FOR HIS COPS TO STRIKE IF THEY WANTED TO . 
