k
Che Battalion
Weather
Vol. 67 No. 297
College Station, Texas
Thursday, October 11, 1973
THURSDAY — Flash flood
warnings have been issued for
the northwest portions of south
central Texas. Considerable
cloudiness with showers and
thundershowers expected to
night. The high today will be
about 82° with tonight’s low
..around 70°.
Keep Clear Of The Man Who
Does Not Value His Own
Character.
Shakedowns, Bribes Tied to Agnew
WASHINGTON UP) — Govern
ment prosecutors portray Spiro
T. Agnew as a politician cooperat
ing with and encouraging a tra
dition of illegal shakedowns and
bribes from Maryland contractors.
In an extraordinary document,
the prosecutors say there is no
question that Agnew and the con
tractors knew the payoffs were
made in exchange for lucrative
state of Maryland business.
The 40-page outline of evidence
was made public by the Justice
Department Wednesday at the
time Agnew resigned as vice pres
ident and pleaded no contest to
one count of income tax evasion.
At the hearing in Baltimore,
Agnew asserted he is innocent of
the other allegations of bribery
and extortion.
Atty. Gen. Elliot L. Richardson
told the court that the Justice De
partment had agreed to a single
count plea in an arrangement that
included the vice president’s resig
nation.
Richardson said the agreement
encompassing the resignation and
plea must be perceived as just
and honorable by the American
people. The government there
fore insisted, he said, that there
be full disclosure of the evidence
against Agnew.
U.S. Atty. George Beall and his
staff reported evidence of a
shakedown scheme involving Ag
new for a decade, including the
time he was vice president. At
least one facet ceased only when
the federal investigation began,
they said.
The government said its case
centered on Agnew’s dealings
with four key figures:
—I. H. “Bud” Hammerman, a
Baltimore business tycoon and
►nanager of Agnew’s guberna
torial campaign.
—Jerome B. Wolff, now the
(president of Greiner Environ
mental Systems, an engineering
firm, who was state Road Com
mission chairman while Agnew
was governor.
—Allen Green, president of the
engineering firm bearing his
name.
—Lester Matz, president of two
engineering companies, Matz,
Childs and Associates, and a
sister firm.
Agnew, said the prosecutors,
made no secret of his feelings
that he was suffering a financial
burden by serving as governor
and then as vice president, where
his salary was $62,500 plus other
increments.
With Wolff’s assistance, Ham
merman organized a kickback
scheme which netted them and
Agnew thousands of dollars in
illegal payoffs during the time
Agnew was governor, the prose
cutors said.
Green and Matz made regular
payments to Agnew at various
points in his career, including his
years as vice president, the pros
ecutors said.
The Justice Department’s com
pilation of the evidence gathered
by the investigation said that in
the spring of 1967, soon after
Agnew became governor, Agnew
told Hammerman “that it was
customary for engineers to make
substantial cash payments in re
turn for engineering contracts
with the state of Maryland.”
Agnew agreed to give Ham
merman and Wolff each a fourth
of the cash payments, keeping
half for himself the report said.
The report also said, Ham
merman also successfully solic
ited cash from a financial insti
tution and the state in return
Dope Prisoners
Receive Setback
AUSTIN (AP)—It was Blue Wednesday for 800 Tex
ans, including 14 lifers, who are locked in prison for mari
juana offenses.
The Court of Criminal Appeals ruled unconstitutional
the legislature’s attempt to give them an early out through
resentencing under new, more lenient penalties for posses
sion and sale of the drug.
While the legislature “acted with worthy motives,” it
usurped the governor’s clemency powers under the Texas
Constitution when it authorized judges to lighten sentences,
the unanimous court said.
Charles Purnell, Gov. Dolph Briscoe’s executive assist
ant, said the governor would issue a statement Thursday
on what actions he would take.
The governor said earlier this year that he opposed
resentencing but would consider clemency for marijuana
offenders on an individual case basis-
The decision was a victory for Dist. Atty. Bob Smith
of Austin, who filed suit to block a resentencing hearing
by District Court Judge Tom Blackwell for Frank Demolli,
now serving a 25-year sentence for possession of 21 pounds
of marijuana.
Smith had contended the legislature approved resen
tencing, despite Atty. Gen. John Hill’s warning of uncon-
situationality, to satisfy “a vociferous minority.”
Numerous other prosecutors opposed resentencing be
cause it would tie up their staffs in court fighting at
tempts by convicts to get lighter sentences.
Until Aug. 27, the punishment range for possession
was two years to life. Dealers could get up to life, also.
But the new law provides only misdemeanor penalties —
fines and county jail sentences up to one year — for pos
session of four ounces or less.
Possession of more than four ounces and pushing
would remain felonies, but with a maximum 10-year pen
alty.
The high court said the constitution gave only the
governor, subject to recommendations by the Board of
Pardons and Paroles, the power to commute prison sen
tences.
It also said the resentencing provision gave a judge no
choice but to shorten a prison sentence or release a convict
who petitioned for a new sentence. Probationers — esti
mated as high as 40,000-also could petition for resentencing.
“From the very wording of the statute it is clear that
it extends commutation to those previously convicted of
certain offenses as a mere gift or a matter of clemency
upon a filing of a resentencing petition. This is clearly
violative of the constitutional provision placing the power
of clemency in the hands of the governor, acting upon the
recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Paroles,” the
court said.
Sam Houston Clinton Jr., lawyer for Demolli, said a
motion for rehearing might be filed, asking the court to
change its mind.
granted that firm a major role
in financing a large state bond
issue. That, too, was done at
Agnew’s instructions, it said.
Soon after election as governor,
Green began the practice of de
livering to Agnew six to nine
times a year an envelope contain
ing $2,000 to $3,000, the account
said. The prosecutor said both
Green and Agnew clearly under
stood the payments were to buy
state works for Green’s engineer
ing firm.
After Agnew was elected vice
president, Agnew told Green that
Green had benefitted a great deal
from Agnew’s admiinstration and
“then went on to complain about
the continuing financial burden”
he would experience as vice presi
dent and to suggest that Green
continue his payments, the ac
count continued.
“To Green’s surprise,” the re
port said, “Mr. Agnew went on
to state expressly that he hoped
to be able to be helpful to Mr.
Green with respect to the award
ing of federal engineering con
tracts to Green’s company." Green
continued payments to Agnew
through December 1972, usually
in quarterly sums of about $2,000
and did not discontinue the prac
tice until the government inves
tigation began, the report said.
“As for Matz, the prosecutor
said he began kicking back five
per cent of his fees from Balti
more County contracts to Agnew
during Agnew’s days as Baltimore
County executive in the early
1960s.
When Agnew became governor,
Matz interrupted the payoffs un
til the summer of 1968, when
Matz and his partner figured they
owed Agnew $20,000 for state
work their company had received
during Agnew’s term and deliv
ered the sum to the governor, the
account said.
(See Agnew, page 4)
m\
yOjESfeiHS If %
CUTTING GRASS or smoking it? Air pollution is clearly evident as this maintenance
worker cuts the lawn in the Hughes-Keathley-Moses courtyard. The clouds of smoke and
noxious fumes caused windows to be closed and the outdoors to be vacated. (Photo by
Kathy Curtis)
Awaits Senate Vote
Liquor Resolution
Presented
Tickets Remain Available
For Sonny and Cher Concert
Sonny and Cher will perform at
G. Rollie White Coliseum Sunday
at 8 p.m.
The box office opens Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday
from 1 p.m. until showtime. Seats
are still available in each differ
ent section.
The singing duo’s appearance
is arranged for Town Hall by
Southwest Concerts of Houston.
Town Hall season tickets do not
apply to this show.
Their records sell in the millions
with films such as “Good Times”
and “Chastity,” which Sonny
wrote and produced, to their cred
its.
The couple is also known for
their variety show which has been
returned to the air and is shown
on Wednesdays on KBTX-TV,
CBS.
Sonny and Cher cut their first
record, “Baby Don’t Go,” in 1965,
and “Just You” followed. Both
records were hits only in Los An
geles and Dallas. Still determined,
the duo came back with the well
known “I Got You Babe” and sold
over three million copies of it.
Cher recorded as a single, “All
I Really Want to Do” and it went
right to the top of the charts.
Sonny then released “Laugh At
Me” and they had five records in
the top 100, a feat achieved by
only one other record artist, Elvis
Presley.
Sonny and Cher made their
night club debut at the Elmwood
Casino in Canada to gain expe
rience before hitting the Las Ve
gas circuit and the Flamingo Ho
tel. Their nightclub tour was cli
maxed in 1971 in the Famed Grove
of Los Angeles’ Ambassador Ho
tel. Since then they have played
to standing room only to break
many house records.
The duo have received rave re
views and top ratings on their
weekly TV variety show.
Reserved seats on the coliseum
main floor and west side are $7
each, student tickets are $4 each
and public general admission are
$6 each.
The possibility of liberalizing
Texas A&M with the legalization
of liquor on-campus highlighted
the Student Senate meeting Wed
nesday night.
Rules and Regulations Commit
tee Chairman Curt Marsh pre
sented to the senate a resolution
allowing for the possession and
private consumption of alcohol
on-campus.
If approved, the resolution will
be sent to the Board of Directors.
Specifically, the resolution
would allow alcoholic beverages
permitted in all campus housing
facilities as long as the person is
18 years old. Consumption would
only be allowed within the rooms
and beverages would have to be
carried in some form of covering
or wrapper outside the rooms.
On-campus liquor sales would
be prohibited and all on-campus
living facilities would be subject
to alcoholic beverage possession
limits as defined by civil law.
The resolution also stated that
individuals responsible for the
disruption of hall life stemming
from the use of alcohol would be
subject to discipline and possibly
civil charges.
“If the administration does not
want to enforce the rules as they
exist, we should not have them,”
said Clint Hackney, non-senator
member of the Rules and Regula
tions Committee.
Marsh said that since Senate
Bill 123 has declared all persons
18 years and over to be full adults
in Texas the proposal is reason
able since “virtually all A&M stu
dents are over this limit.”
“Students’ dormitory rooms
and apartments are considered
the private and personal domain
of those students living in them,”
continued Marsh.
“The bag around the bottle out
side of the rooms is to keep you
from drinking it in the hall,” said
Hackney. “The rationale in just
keeping the liquor in the rooms is
basically to keep the proposal as
conservative as possible.”
Other universities such as
North Texas State, University of
Texas and Stephen F. Austin
have already legalized alcohol on
their campuses with similar re
strictions, according to Marsh.
In other action, Senators ap
proved a Writ of Mandamus reso
lution which allows the student
body to take some action against
their senator or member of the
Executive Committee if necessary.
Basically, this by-law addition
defines the responsibilities of a
senator. As defined, a senator
must become informed on all leg
islative issues and make his or
her views available to his constit
uents and to participate actively
on a senate committee or project.
Failure of any senator to ful
fill his duties is a cause for ac
tion against him, said Marsh.
“This would have to be issued
by the judicial committee after
hearing all sides of a case against
a senator. I’m sure the judicial
committee would take into ac
count the past efforts of any
senator to reach his constituency.”
E x t er n a 1 Affairs Committee
Chairman Barb Sears brought an
organizational proposal for the
student handbook before the sen
ate for discussion.
Presently the handbook has no
structure and the resolution, if
passed Oct. 24, would put the book
under the jurisdiction of the Stu
dent Publications Board, Sears
Traffic Panel Has
To Krueger-Dunn
University National Bank
“On the side of Texas A&M.”
Adv.
LLOYD COULSON (left) is congratulated for winning a Spoiler, the door prize given
by the newly-opened Pit Stop Enterprises, 215 University Dr. The Spoiler gives a car
greaater stability.
The Krueger-Dunn parking
problem may be solved if the
decision reached by the Univer
sity Traffic Panel Wednesday
afternoon is adhered to by the
administration and students.
The panel’s proposal gives pri
ority to Krueger residents, re
gardless of classification, in the
K-D lot. The remaining rows in
the lot would be for Dunn resi
dents with maroon stickers, leav
ing the overflow and students
with green stickers parking in
lots 50 and 48.
Resident advisors Barb Cowen
and Bob Lockhart, representing
Krueger and Dunn residents,
came before the committee to ex
plain the problem in the lot.
According to Lockhart, the
parking lot fills up about 9 p.m.
which leaves those students ar
riving after that time no place to
park.
“Girls say they’d rather risk a
ticket and park in the Corps lot
rather than have to walk from
Zachry late at night,” said
Cowen.
“The K-D lot allows 407 park
ing places for over 600 cars,” said
Lockhart. “If students risk park
ing in the Corps lot, they also
risk vandalism to their cars.”
Lockhart’s proposal to the ad
visory panel asked for day stu
dent parking spaces along Bizzell
Street and a row of Corps park
ing to be given to K-D. He added
that spaces along the front of
the K-D Complex on Lubbock
Street would give more spaces
for residents.
“The problem is one of secur
ity,” said Roger Miller, assistant
to TAMU president. “We have
to insure the girls a safe place
to park and the guys will have
to park according to the seniority
system.”
Miller suggested that vandal
ism would be alleviated if stu
dents would park where they
were supposed to until another
solution was reached.
Ron Miori, another panel mem
ber, said many students will be
unhappy with the new system
which would possibly give three-
fourths of the lot to the Krueger
residents.
“These students must realize
that they are paying the same
price for a parking sticker as
Hart Hall residents who don’t
have parking spaces near them.”
Traffic Panel members also
discussed the possibility of mak
ing Lewis Street one-way with
additional parking spaces along
one side to alleviate the K-D
problem. The plan was defeated
because long-range planning for
the university has Lewis Street
set as a two direction road.
Panel chairman Dr. W. G.
Stover, also project chairman for
Texas Transportation Inc., said
parking lanes on Lewis Street
would make the street too narrow
for two-way traffic, especially
since large trucks use it to get
to Duncan Dining Hall.
Krueger-Dunn Dorm Councils
have put up a $50 reward for
anyone with information leading
to the arrest and conviction of
car vandals in hopes of solving
the problem, said Lockhart.
The panel recommended the re
said.
“This would allow the Student
Publications Board to select the
editor of the handbook,” continued
Sears.
Sears’ proposal also asked that
the two-year-old handbook be set
for release at the beginning of the
summer to allow use of the hand
book for summer orientation ses
sions.
Student senators approved a
budget allocation of $130 for the
Texas A&M Scholastic Service.
Co-sponsored by Phi Eta Sigma
and Student Government, TAMSS
asked for a $12 increase over last
year because expenses the service
incurred during the year totaled
$183.74.
The difference in the budget
allocated TAMSS by SG is ab
sorbed by Phi Eta Sigma and the
Dean of Engineering’s Office.
(See Senate, page 6)
Answers
Parking!
moval of' the one-way signs on
Roberts and Hubbard streets as
both streets dead end in both
directions.
Traffic Panel members also
recommended that yield signs be
put on these streets to slow down
exiting traffic. This would also
remove the stop signs on the cor
ner of Spence and Roberts
streets.
In the Oct. 3 meeting of the
panel, members recommended
thatHenderson Street be opened
to one-way traffic going south
temporarily until the new athletic
dorm is completed. The recom
mendation allows for short term
parking (30 minutes) in lot 32
after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all
day on weekends.
The panel also recommended
that 15 parallel parking spaces
be available on the south side of
Henderson Street. Henderson
Street will be closed after the
new athletic dorm has been com
pleted and lot 20 made available
for short term parking after 5
p.m. weekdays and on weekends.
The panel suggested that lot 27
be used for short-term parking
for visitors to the women’s dorms
upon opening of the University
Health Center.
The panel’s recommendations
will be forwarded to Dr. John J.
Koldus, TAMU Vice President
for Student Services. The Traffic
Panel is an advisory group and
recommends changes in policy.
Contrary to the Wednesday Bat
talion, Traffic Appeals Panel
handles only tickets, and the
Traffic Panel meets for recom
mendation purposes.