1 ‘‘Battle of Prairie Yiew up to legislature
r MARK WEAVER
:s in (}B Writer
;sdayi t;
astern,
Public discussion on the Battle of Prairie
:W A&M came to an official halt Friday
Austin with many opposite views hurled
the Capital building,
at was the last day that the public
speak for or against the removal of
fie View from the TAMU system. The
tion Committee of the Constitutional
ion Convention will now weigh all tes-
y and decide upon the destiny of
ie View.
■esident Jack K. Williams of TAMU
rairie View President Alvin I. Thomas
among those testifying in defense of
ping Prairie View under the TAMU Sys-
iBoard of Directors.
“I’m not here to argue for or against
establishing a separate Board of Directors
for Prairie View,” Dr. Williams said, al
though his comments reflected a satisfaction
with the present situation. “Dr. Thomas has
the Board’s full backing in his decisions.”
Prairie View Major Eristus Sams and
Randolph Strickland, a former student body
president at Prairie View A&M, testified at
the hearing in support of creating a sep
arate board of directors for Prairie View.
Sams argued that a separate board would
allow Prairie View to contribute in its own
way without having to rely on the System
for funds and guidelines. Strickland said
his school is lacking in academic excellence
and would be able to progress under a sep
arate board.
State Rep. Craig Washington of Hous
ton proposed that a pro-rated amount of the
Permanent University Fund be allocated to
Prairie View, an amount determined by its
proportion of the student enrollment in the
TAMU System.
The Available University Fund was
established in the last century with a land
grant of two million acres in West Texas.
Mineral rights, land sales and investments
have made that initial grant, now called the
Permanent University Fund, worth over
?670 million.
Yearly income from that money, which
is never spent, is put into the Available Uni
versity Fund for the University of Texas
and TAMU Systems. Last year it was over
$30 million.
Under the present constitution, one-third
of that money goes to TAMU.
Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a member of
the Education subcommittee and a ’64 grad
uate of Prairie View, advocates dividing the
TAMU System’s share equally between
TAMU and Prairie View.
Dr. Thomas made no attempt to be neu
tral but advocated strongly that Prairie
View remain under the cloak of the TAMU
System. He listed participation in the Per
manent University Funds, federal land-
grant funds, legal and computer services as
key advantages to remaining in the System.
In addition to the loss of funds, Dr.
Thomas said separating from the System
would destroy “a cooperative relationship
which has existed for 95 years.” He added
that the Centennial Council, a group which
included Prairie View alumni, recommended
after a 16 month study that the school re
main in the system.
Cbe Battalion
ol. 67 No. 342
College Station, Texas
Tuesday, February 5, 1974
THE BEST of several worlds met and introduced them
selves to each other Friday night at President Williams'
reception for foreign students. Sue Charreu, manning the
Thailand display, was one of several foreign students there
to exhibit their native crafts and culture. Native dances
and music were demonstrated and various foods served in
this encounter for communication and understanding. (Pho
to by Roger Mallison)
TnithBriscZ New federal budget
walks narrow path
AUSTIN OP) — Another red hot governor’s contest
| was promised Texas voters Monday as former state Rep.
Frances Farenthold made a last minute decision to chal
lenge Gov. Dolph Briscoe.
J The other big name Democratic office holders escaped
■ competition in the primaries but several will face Republi-
[can opponents in the November election.
Briscoe emerged the winner over Mrs. Farenthold, an
[outspoken liberal leader in the 1971 legislature, in a run-
■ off, then went on to defeat former state Sen. Henry Grov-
[ er, Houston, and Ramsey Muniz, Raza Unida Party, in the
1972 general election.
Grover also is a gubernatorial candidate this year, fac-
■ ing two other GOP candidates in their party primary.
Muniz joined the battle again Friday when he handed
over his filing fee — in 1,000 one-dollar bills — to the Raza
Unida headquarters in San Antonio.
The winner next November will become the first Texas
governor to serve a four-year term, as approved by voters
J in 1972. Other top elected officials also will get four-year
I terms for the first time.
Also in the Democratic governor’s race is Steve Alex
ander, a Waco businessman, and W. H. Posey, Galena Park,
who paid last minute filing fees. Alexander made an un-
| successful race for Congress in 1972.
Posey ran for governor in the Democratic primary two
years ago.
The three-way GOP contest has Grover, Jim Gran-
berry, former mayor of Lubbock, and Odell McBrayer, Fort
Worth attorney.
A committeeman for the American Party, Sam Mc
Donnell, filed as a candidate for governor on the Ameri
can party ticket.
The only other Democratic primary contest, for the
job of comptroller to replace retiring Robert S. Calvert,
pits former secretary of state Bob Bullock against Calvert
chief assist, Hugh Edburg, Austin, and Buddy Kirk of
Houston.
Nick Rowe of McAllen, who spent five years in a Viet-
cong prison before escaping, and Tom Cole, Houston, are
trying for the Republican nomination for comptroller.
In the Republican primary, Troy Skates, Leander, and
Gaylord Marshall, will see which one faces Lt. Gov. Bill
Hobby, Democrat.
Atty. Gen. John Hill, Democrat, got a last-minute
general election foe in Tom Cole, Houston attorney, Re
publican.
illiam Kunstler
ijto speak at A&M
Flicks
offer
variety
WASHINGTON (&) — President Nixon
sent to Congress Monday a $304.4-billion
budget designed to balance the economy be
tween the pitfalls of persistent inflation and
rising unemployment.
Federal spending in fiscal 1975 would be
equivalent to about $1,500 for every man,
woman and child in America.
The budget provides for a deficit of $9.4
billion and includes increased spending for
defense, energy research, transportation and
economic-security programs.
“In the face of economic uncertainty,” the
President told Congress, “my budget recom
mendations provide for a fiscal policy that
would support high employment while re
straining inflation.”
But if the balancing act fails, whether be
cause of the energy shortage or other rea
sons, the administration made clear it would
Band dance Kunstler affair
honors leader reac hes Austin
William Kunstler is coming to
IAMU March 3, despite action
taken by SCON A chairman Steve
'ozub last week.
Kunstler will now appear
rough the efforts of the Brazos
Valley chapter of the American
livil Liberties Union.
Marty Hokanson, president of
TAMU ACLU, said, “We read
e article in The Battalion about
Kunstler being cancelled. It said
something about how he’d still
come if some organization spon
sored him, and we decided it would
be a fine opportunity. Kunstler
informed us that he would come
for whatever we could raise to
support him.
“We’ve got everything set up,”
he continued, “including a room
in Rudder Tower.”
The Texas Aggie Band turns
music making over to someone
else Saturday, for the annual
Band Dance.
Bandmen will play at the 7:30
p. m. Texas A&M-TCU basketball
game. From 9 p. m. to 1 a. m.,
the music will be produced by the
Maynard Gimble Orchestra of
Houston.
The dance at the Zachry En
gineering Center will honor Maj.
Joe Haney and Lt. Joe McMullen.
They are in the first year as di
rector and asociate director, re
spectively, of the Aggie Band.
Guests will include retired
bandmaster Lt. Col. and Mrs. E. V.
Adams, TAMU officials and deans
and officers of the Texas Aggie
Band Association, according to
Dean Kyle, band operations of
ficer.
Last chance
to drop class
Today is the last day to drop
a course without penalty to your
record or your pocketbook.
Classes dropped by today are
eligible for a refund but any lat
er drops will forfeit the fee.
Many problems arise during
midterm grades because of con
fusion from the add-drop period.
Revised schedules should be pick
ed up to ensure the process of
picking up or deleting classes
was accomplished correctly.
The SCONA decision to not invite William Kunstler
has had repercussions as far away as the Constitutional
Convention in Austin.
Last Friday, John Nash, planning chairman for the
19th Student Conference on National Affairs testified at
the convention using the cancellation of Kunstler as his
major point in favor of retaining the Permanent University
Fund.
“One of our considerations was the possibility that the
advent of Kunstler could be used as a weapon against A&M
in the debate over the Permanent University Fund,” he
said. In a later interview he added that “one of the people
high in the administration said there is a chance this could
occur.”
“SCONA has always attempted to present a broad
spectrum of viewpoints, regardless of our personal opinions
regarding the speakers,” said Nash. The planning chair
man also feels that if there were no Permanent University
Funds, SCONA and other similar groups in universities
across the state would easily be pushed into inviting only
those speakers approved by the persons funding the com
mittee.
“Were the university be forced to depend on incre
mental, yearly financing, this sort of pressure would be
continued,” said Nash.
According to Nash, the speakers would not represent
as broad a spectrum of opinions if yearly funding were
a fact.
“I realize, having been affected, that the chilling effect
will exist even if there is no reason to believe that the
threat of fund cut-off will be exercised. Merely the pos
sibility is sufficient to severely circumscribe activities,”
Nash said.
Nash also feels that yearly funding is unwise since
it could stir up student unrest.
“And I would point out in conclusion that this type
of pressure could hardly be effective in controlling certain
irresponsible student groups who would be unlikely to
be concerned about the funding the university receives;
only responsible groups seeking to present a balanced pro
gram of speakers on their campus would suffer,” he con
cluded.
prefer higher prices to sharply higher unem
ployment.
The administration is prepared to accept
a 5.5-per-cent jobless rate, but would resort to
contingency spending plans to pump up the
economy if unemployment goes much above
that.
The proposed budget for the fiscal year
beginning July 1 compares with estimated
federal spending in the current fiscal year of
$274.7 billion, an increase of $29.8 billion.
The current year’s deficit is projected at
$4.7 billion.
Nixon said about 90 per cent of the in
crease in 1975 spending would result from
mandatory increases, such as for higher So
cial Security payments.
He said about three-quarters of the entire
budget is virtually uncontrollable because of
prior spending commitments and current pro
grams already sealed by law.
Nixon said the budget reflects efforts of
his administration to “identify and do well
those things which the federal government
should do.”
* * *
Nixon asked Congress for authority to
spend more money on defense in fiscal 1975
than in any single year since World War II.
The $85.8-billion spending request for the
coming fiscal year tops 1945, when the $79.9
billion spent was the largest ever for Ameri
ca's non-nuclear armed forces.
Despite the record high, Nixon said in his
budget proposal that unchecked inflation, the
energy crisis and the rising costs of the vol
unteer army make the new budget an austere
one.
Many of the new spending requests for
weapons and strategic force development were
necessitated by the Soviet Union’s apparent
determination to commit virtually unlimited
resources to its military forces, defense offi
cials say.
Among the more significant fiscal 1975
defense proposals:
—$7.5 billion for strategic weaponry in
cluding research on larger warheads for inter
continental ballistic missiles.
—Development of an idea rejected under
former Defense Secretary Robert S. Mc
Namara, namely intercontinental missiles
perched on railroad cars and thus hard to
detect because of their mobility.
—Development of a lightweight fighter
plane for both the Air Force and the Navy to
replace the F14 and F15 just now coming into
use for both services. Both the F14 and F15
are rated as top-notch matches for any Soviet
fighters but increasingly expensive to pro
duce.
A full length animated film in
German with English sub-titles
begins this week’s offering of
cinema entertainment for Ag
gies.
“Conference of the Animals,”
written by German writer and
humorist Erich Kaestner, con
cerns a world conference of ani
mals discussing how to keep
peace and unity among men. Made
in color in 1969, the film shows
free in Room 145 of the Physics
building, Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
The Arts Film Series presents
the second film in its Ingmar
Bergman festival, “Wild Straw
berries.” For the same $1 admis
sion, patrons can see the 1930s
cartoon short, “Betty Boop’s
Penthouse.” Both films show
Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and 10:00
p.m. in the University Center
Theater.
An adolescent love affair that
evolves into a young family is
the subject of “Friends,” with
music composed and performed
for the movie by Elton John.
“Friends,” and a companion fea
ture, “Brian’s Song,” will be pre
sented by the Aggie Cinema Fri
day and Saturday nights at 8:00
and 9:45, respectively. “Brian’s
Song” is a popular made-for-TV
movie about the career and trag
ic death of football star Brian
Piccolo, and his teammate, Gale
Sayers. Both movies show in the
University Center Theater for
$1.00.
The Arts Film Series’ Mid
night Movie this Friday is “Lu
minous Procurus,” and will be
shown for $1.00 in the Univer
sity Center Theater.
Today in the Bait
Contract courses p. 3
Ford wins Gallup p. 5
Truckers halt p. 6
Third in track p. 7
Weather
Partly cloudy and warm, high
70° Tuesday. Mostly cloudy to
partly cloudy Wednesday at 72°.
University National Bank
"On the side of Texas A&M.”
Adr.
Sergio Mendez and Brasil ’77—-a sparkling show with class