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DIAL 4-5444
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION
The Battalion
DIAL 4-5444
STUDENT TRI WEEKLY
NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE
VOL. 40
122 ADMINISTRATION BLDG.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, SATURDAY MORNING, JAN. 4, 1941
Z725
NO. 37
Board Votes Removal of 30-Cent Guest Charge As
Cadet Committee Appeals; Subsistence Is Reduced
AAA Building Drive Is Started
Plans Being
Pushed to Keep
$900,000 Payroll
Active solicitation for the $50,-
000 fund, to insure the construct
ion of a building to house the
Agricultural Adjustment Admin
istration, now located at Texas A.
& M. College, and also to insure
the continued location of that agen
cy, with its more than 400 em
ployees and $900,000 annual pay
roll, was continued Thursday
morning by the committee in
charge.
This committee, representing
Bryan and College Station, is head
ed by George G. Chance, chairman.
Ford Munnerlyn is vice chairman
and other members are J. Webb
Howell, Judge A. S. Ware and O.
W. Kelley. F. L. Henderson and
Coulter Hoppess, the latter the at
torney for the Bryan Housing Au
thority, are sitting in on committee
sessions as legal advisors.
The committee, which met Thurs
day morning and Friday morning
at the Bryan and Brazos County
Chamber of Commerce, at which
time announcement of the progress
that has been made was possible.
Chairman Chance stated Thurs
day morning that while every ef
fort would be made to see all pros
pects, any person not seen, desiring
to contribute to the fund, should
go to the office of the chamber of
commerce and sign up for his sub
scription.
At present the committee is
working with the idea that the
(Continued on Page 4)
Dean Kyle To Be
Principal Speaker At
Merit Award Banquet
E. J. Kyle, Dean of the School
of Agriculture, will be the princi
pal speaker at the Merit Award
Banquet, Jan. 10, during the 14th
annual meeting of the Texas Agric
ultural Workers Association. The
banquet will honor some outstand
ing Texan for distinguished service
to Texas Agriculture.
The meeting as a whole will
consider how Texas Agriculture can
best meet the new problems and
responsibilities that face it in a
nation geared to the total defense
program. Agriculture will play a
a leading role in the national de
fense program, and Texas, as one
of the most important agricultur
al states in the Union, can be de
pended upon to adjust its agricul
ture to defense needs.
Exit Nisbet and Fuermann
Plans Afoot to Have Exchange Of
Editors With Other Papers For Day
Replies Received
From Daily Texan
And TSCW Lass-0
A day’s vacation for the editors
of the Battalion.
Such is the prospect in store
when the editors of various south
west collegiate papers will ex
change papers for a day.
In inaugurating the plan Bob Nis
bet, editor-in-chief, and George
Fuermann, associate editor, are in
viting editors of other papers to
College Station to edit the Battal
ion for one day and will in return
edit their publication for one day
—the dates to be arranged by mu
tual agreement.
Replies to the invitation have
been received from the Daily Tex
an of the University of Texas and
from the Lass-0 of T.S.C.W.
Arrangements with Boyd Sin
clair of the Daily Texan are that
he and Jack Dolph, Texan associ
ate editor, will edit the Battalion
of Thursday, January 17. A definite
return date has not been set, but
will probably occur in February.
Reply from Dorothy Schmittgens
of T.S.C.W. agrees to journey
to College Station for the Febru
ary 13 editorship.
Complete arrangements will be
made when the editors of other
school papers answer the invitat
ions.
“The purpose in extending these
(Continued on Page 4)
Marvin Sledge Is
Latest Ex-Student
Called to Active Duty
The latest Ax-Aggie assigned
to active duty in the U. S. Army is
Captain Marvin Sledge of Cresson,
Texas.
Sledge was assigned to active
duty as Adjutant, 1st Material
Squadron at Hamilton Field, Cal
ifornia, according to an announce
ment by the Commanding General
there. He is a graduate of Texas
A. & M. receiving his B. S. degree
in 1931 along with his commission
as 2nd Lieutenant Infantry Re
serve. On February 12, 1940, he
was promoted to the rank of Cap
tain.
Jack Shelton
To Take New Job
With FCA on Jan 15
Jack Shelton, vice-director and
state agent, Texas A. & M. Ex
tension service, will leave his pres
ent position on January 15 to be
come general agent for the Farm
Credit Administration in the Tex-
; district.
Shelton came to the Extension
Service in 1935 from Brown Coun
ty where he had been managing
a ranch for the Luling foundation
for two years. Prior to that time,
he served as county agricultural
agent in Denton and Cooke coun
ties.
Born in Rockwood, Shelton is
a graduate of Texas A. & M. He
served in World War I with the
rank of captain and major. For 9
years he was a member of the
board of directors of the American
Jersey Cattle Club, and for a time
served in the capacity of president
of that organization.
•\*V
i
Ele Baggett
New Guidon
For RV’s Is First
In College History
For the first time in the history
of the Texas A. & M. Ross Vol
unteer Company there will be a
company guidon. This was unani
mously decided upon in the first
meeting of the R. V.’s and plans
are now complete.
The guidon jvill be very similar
to the Cavalry guidon, being the
same shape, and divided into two
parts. The top half consists of the
gold crest of the company on a
white background, while the lower
half is a gold field with the name
“Ross Volunteers” in white. All
edges of the flag will be decorated
with gold fringe, and the flag it
self will be mounted on an alumi
num staff with a gold and white
tassel at the top.
"Poor Boys’ School" Gets
Still Cheaper—21c Per Meal
Money in the pocket, weight imf
the wallet, or what have you—the
recent reduction in the mainten
ance made by the board of direct-
tors will mean to each student the
saving of six cents per day or a-
bout $1.80 a month.
Figures released by the pres
ident’s office indicate that the days
- missed because of the early dismis
sal for Christmas holidays will be
made up in the maintenance for
January, and that maintenance for
that month will be reduced $2.75
besides the 6 cents a day reduction.
With these changes the month
of January will require payment
of only $16.75 for board or adding
the charges for room rent and laun
dry, the total for the month
amounts to exactly $24, and it is
payable beginning today until Jan
uary 8. The figure of $24 is a re
duction from the original figure
of $28.50 as quoted in the college
catalog.
Total payable for the beginning
of the second semester under the
new change will amount to $57.25
and the maintenance for March
to be $26.75.
Presbyterian Choir
To Sing ‘The Messiah’
The Presbyterian Church Choir
of College Station will sing The
Messiah, most famous of all ora
torios based on the birth of Christ,
on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 11 a. m. in
Guion Hall.
The choir is under the direction
of Irving Dietz. Soloists will be
Mrs. H. H. Garretson, soprano;
Walter Lee Porter, bass; and Mr.
Dietz, tenor. The choir and solo
ists will be accompanied by Sarah
Watts and Caroline Mitchell, pian
ist; Marion Lyle, organist; and
Cynthia Lancaster, harpist.
The performance will consist of
six recitatives and airs as solo
work, five choruses for full choir,
the overture by Mr. Lyle, and the
“Pastoral Symphony” introducing
the New Testament account of the
first Christmas by Miss Lancaster.
D. H. Williams
Elected Chamber
Of Commerce Head
D. W. Williams, head of the De
partment of Animal Husbandry,
was elected president of the Bryan
and Brazos County Chamber of
Commerce at the recent meeting of
the board of directors.
John M. Lawrence Jr., was chosen
first vice president, and J. M.
Bullock, second vice-president. J.
H. Beard was named treasurer,
and D. L. Wilson was re-elected
secretary and manager. Miss Dixie
Mathis was re-elected assistant sec
retary.
Williams will name immediately
the heads of the various commit
tees, in order that the committees
may organize and decide on their
objectives and budget requirements
so that they may submit them at
the annual meeting at College
Thursday night, Jan. 9. At this
time the amount of financing for
the coming year will be determin
ed.
At the annual meeting, Dr. Tho
mas H. Taylor, president of How-
(Continued on Page 4).
Becker, Richey, Nisbet,
Fuermann and Chappell
Holmgreen
Named To
Make-Up Cadet Committee New Position
Ele Baggett
Seriously Hurt
While Hunting Deer
Ele B. Baggett, editor of the
Longhorn, was seriously injured in
a hunting accident near Ozona Dec.
17. He was shot in both legs by a
high powered .22 rifle.
Baggett was hunting on the Mas-
sie West ranch near his home town,
Ozona, with Jack Aycock of San
Angelo, and Tommy Foster of Sterl
ing City, both of B Infantry. A deer
had been wounded, and in chasing it
down a hillside, Baggett tripped and
fell, discharging his gun. The bullet
passed through the right knee and
inflicted a flesh wound in the left
leg. Aycock and Foster immediately
applied tourniquets to stop the loss
of blood, and Aycock went for help.
During the three hours until help
arrived, Baggett lost a great
amount of blood, and on arrival at
the San Angelo General Hospital,
it was necessary to give him four
blood transfusions. He is out of
danger and resting well now, how
ever.
Baggett is expected to be back
in school at mid-term, although
it is feared that a stiff right knee
will result from the accident. He
is editor of the Longhon, was pres
ident of his junior class, and is in
Who’s Who in American Colleges
and Universities. His work on the
Longhorn is being taken over by
the Managing Editor, Morton Rob
inson.
Aycock and Foster were very in
strumental in saving Baggett’s life.
(Continued on Page 4)
Walton Leaves
Today For Annual
Meet in Washington
President T. O. Walton, chair
man of the Executive Committee of
the 52 Land Grant Colleges in the
United States and Possessions,
leaves today at noon by train for
Washington, D. C. to attend the
regular January committee meet
ing.
Dr. Walton was elected chairman
of the committee in January 1939.
The meeting is an annual affair
that is held each January to dis
cuss problems, and matters of in
terest to the Land Grant Colleges.
Guest Charge Removal and Subsistence*
Reduction From 23 to 21 Cents Per Meal
Get Three-Month Trial, Directors Vote
The 30-cent guest charge in A. & M. dining halls was
removed at the regular meeting of the board of directors
held Sunday, December 22.
A student committee, composed of Cadet Colonel Wil
liam A. Becker, Senior Class President Tom B. Richey, Bat
talion Editor Bob Nisbet, Battalion Associate Editor George
Fuermann and Field Artillery Band Captain Roy J. Chap
pell, petitioned the board for the removal of the charge, and
the petition was favorably acted upon.
At the same time, the board of directors authorized a
two-cent-per-meal reduction in subsistence, reducing the
meal cost from 23 to 21 cents. This represents an approxi
mate saving of $1.80 per month per cadet, or $16.20 for the
nine-month long session.
The removal of the 30-cent guest charge and the reduction of
subsistence are both tentative measures. Board President F. M. Law
pointed out, and will be reconsidered three months hence. “However,”
Law added, “the removal of the 30-cent guest charge is probably a
permanent thing.”
Board members present at the meeting, besides Law of Houston,
included E. J. Kiest of Dallas, Joe Utay of Dallas, A. H. Demke of
Stephenville, G. R. White of Brady and vice-president W. G. Lacy of
Waco. President T. O. Walton and Mrs. Melle Williamson, acting sec
retary of the board, were also in attendance.
The five cadets entered the board room shortly after 11 a. m. and
Becker opened the discussion for the committee. He pointed out the
feeling of resentment throughout the student body where the guest
charge was concerned and added that the tradition of taking guests
in the mess halls was one which the corps was reluctant to see die.
“Most guests,” Becker added, “are relatives, close friends or sweet
hearts of the cadets escorting them into the mess hall.”
Fuermann added that, “The good will and prestige won by the
college through the unique privilege of taking guests into our 'Liess
halls is worth ten-fold the alleged $9000-cost each year.” He added
that the charge made people feel like customers rather than guests.
“We realize that the board has passed this ruling because it feels that
a few students were benefiting at the expense of many,” he added, “but
this is not the case.”
Nisbet then told the board of the class meetings at which the en
tire student body (with the exception of the then-unorganized fresh
man class) had unamimously voted for a return to the old system.
At this point Kiest interrupted with several questions which were
answered by the cadet committee.
Chappell pointed out that the student body realized that there
were certain occasions such as football games on the campus which
fully merited the guest charge. “The corps realizes this,” he said,
“and heartily indorses a plan whereby strangers are charged for their
meals at football games.”
Board’s Attitude Caused By Desire
To Reduce Subsistence To Minimum
Kiest stated the board’s attitude in making the charge in the first
place, explaining that the board was doing all in its power to reduce
the subsistence charge as low as possible.
“We don’t want something for nothing,” Nisbet pointed out. “We
realize that we will have to pay for this privilege.”
Here Becker again stressed the value of the tradition to the corps.
Two more points favoring the corps’ viewpoint were added when
Fuermann declared that a survey made by the committee revealed
that for every guest taken in the mess hall, 30 cadets missed that meal.
“More than that,” he added, “Mr. Hotard is forced to prepare for the
maximum number of persons possible. As a general rule, therefore,
there will thus be some waste which could easily be consumed in a
valuable way by guests.”
Kiest and Law again came in with questions at this point.
Utay then pointed out the board’s attitude in respect to this mat
ter and stressed the fact that the board was anxious to cooperate with
the student body at all times. “I wonder,” Utay asked, “if the student
body would want to have coupons good for a certain number of guest
meals?” The committee replied in the negative.
Demke followed by a series of questions which were answered by
Richey, Nisbet and Chappell.
Shortly thereafter the meeting was adjourned for lunch and fol
lowing that the board voted to approve the student petition.
Banquef Honoring A&M 25-Year
Employees Postponed Indefinitely
The banquet honoring seven em--f ored become members of the Twen-
ployees of Texas A. & M. who
have spent 25 years in the service
of the college has been postponed
indefinitely. The banquet was orig
inally scheduled for December 20, in
Sbisa Hall, but due to the early dis
missal of school for the Christmas
holidays, the occasion was can
celled until sometime next semes
ter. '
The honorary affair, sponsored
He will return Friday, January by the Former Students Associa-
10th by train in order to attend tion of which Bert Pfaff, ’25, is
the A. & M. Board of Directors president, is given to all college
meeting which is to be held Sat- employees who have served 25
urday, January 11th here on the years and it has become a worthy
j campus at A. & M. tradition of the school. Those hon-
Appointment of E. N. Holmgreen,
administrative officer in charge of
the Agricultural Adjustment Ad
ministration in Texas, as business
manager of Texas A. & M. College
was announced today by Dr. T. O.
Walton, president of the college.
The appointment, effective Febru
ary 1, was made by the A. & M.
Board of Directors at a meeting in
Dallas December 31.
Succeeding Holmgreen in the
AAA will be B. F. Vance, assistant
administrative officer. Vance’s ap
pointment was made by the State
AAA committee and is subject to
the approval of the Washington
office.
Holmgreen will be the first bus
iness manager of the College, a
position created by the Board of
Directors. A. H. Demke, of Ste
phenville headed the Board of Di
rectors committee which made the
selection.
Holmgreen graduated from Tex
as A. & M. College in 1922, re
ceiving a degree of Bachelor of
Science in agriculture. After two
years with a private concern, he
became assistant county agricul
tural agent in Dallas county. From
(Continued on Page 4)
WTAW To Get
More Power With
New Appropriation
College Station’s WTAW is dress
ing up for the New Year with in
creased power and new custom
made equipment to be constructed
by either the Collins Radio Co., Inc.,
R. C. A., or some other builder of
radio transmitters.
The meeting of the Board of Di
rectors held on the campus re
cently appropriated $6000 for the
equipment and increased the power
for the college broadcasting sys
tem.
The permission was received sev
eral months ago from the Federal
Communications Commission to
make this increase in power which
doubles the former power of 500
watts to 1000 watts.
The necessary instrument needs
have already been sent o the Tex
as Board of Control which will
award the contracts in the near
future.
If national defense requirements
on radio transmitter manufactur
ers do not hold up the program,
WTAW should be operating with
the new equipment by March. All
of the new equipment will be in
stalled at the present site of WT
AW’s operating location on the hill
northeast of the college beneath
the recently constructed 220 foot
vertical antenna radiator.
ty-five year Club and they are to be
presented engraved walking canes
by Pfaff.
A. L. Darnell, professor of dairy
husbandry; S. C. Hoyle, editor of
college publications; Dr. E. B. Rey
nolds, chief of the division of ag
ronomy of the Agricultural Ex
periment Station; R. E. Karper,
agronomist in charge of sorghum
investigation at Lubbock for the
Experiment Station; M. P. Holle-
man, chief clerk, Experiment Stat
ion; Sam Step toe (colored), con
nected with the entomology de
partment, and Cable Henry (color-
continued on Page 4)
Plans For New
Baptist Church
Are Being Rushed
Plans for the new Baptist
Church at A. & M. are being rush
ed to completion since the Exec
utive Board of the Texas Baptist
Convention voted to give $25,000
to help complete this work.
The work will be started soon
after school is out in June. Part
of the old building will be preserv
ed for services until the new build
ing is completed. The new building
is to be made of brick and is to
be made of etaion vbmwyfp mrdl
be constructed in a “T” shape, and
the main auditorium will seat 1250
people. Also, the basement of the
church will include a stage con
structed at one end. Officials of
the church have planned the new
church so that more additions
can be added if the need arises.