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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1974)
Page 2 THE BATTALION FRIDAY. APRIL 26. 1974 Lease Line— Ethics group adopts watchdog role By BARB SEARS The Apartment Association is a recently formed group of apart ment owners and managers, or ganized to assist landlords and aid communication among them. The local chapter has about 12 members, including the owners of Plantation Oaks, Barcelona, Travis House and others. The organization has had dif ficulty both in attracting mem bers and in deciding policy. How ever, it has not been secretive about its meetings and have in vited participation by members of the Fair Housing Commission. Several of the recent undertak ings of the Apartment Associa tion have been activities which will have a direct effect on local tenants. The Apartment Association is establishing an “Ethics Commit tee” which will be charged with a watchdog role as it relates to the conduct of member apartment complexes. This includes renting policy and treatment of tenants. The five-member panel will in clude one students from the Fair Housing Commission; two of the other members will be landlords, and one will be a businessman. These ratios seem to give a def inite bias to the committee, which may become apparent when ten ants appeal to it on deposit-re turn cases or other problems. However, decisions by the com mittee are not legally binding, and further action may be sought through the court system. The Ethics Committee could be a ma jor strength of the Apartment Association if it can prove itself a rational and unbiased decision making panel. Such action would give credence to the claim that the organization does not wish to shelter any “bad” landlords. The Ethics Committee is also supposed to reprimand member landlords who stray outside of the accepted policy standards. However, one of these maverick activities may include offering one-month’s free rent to new rent ers. It will be unfortunate for those landlords and the tenants who would be attracted by such an offer if such a negative policy is actively pursued by the com mittee and the Apartment Asso ciation. Recently, it was brought to my attention that the leaders of the Apartment Association were urg ing members to convert to nine- month or year leases, rather than maintain semester leases which are more favorable for students who rent. Originally, my sources had indicated that most of the local apartments had responded, and were planning to convert to nine-month leases. However, to their credit, many landlords recognized their depen dence on students as tenants, and the students’ need for flexibility in rental situations. The members of the Apartment Association had extensive discussions of the mat ter, but did not reach agreement on a policy. Many of the land lords are maintaining their semes ter lease policies, and should be commended. The include Sonnen- blick, Parkway and Monaco apartments. It seems fairly cer tain that Barcelona and Travis House Apartments are going to change to nine-month leases. ALLEN Oldsmobile Cadillac SALES - SERVICE “Where satisfaction is standard equipment*' 2401 Texas Ave. 823-8002 MIKE MISTOVICH Business Machines Electronic Calculators 1 i '^ == Victor Adders Royal — S-CM Typewriters Sales - Rental - Service 909 S. Main 822-6000 Listen up Cursing said all right for CADET SLOUCH noisy places Editor: ^iiiniiiiiiiniMiiiiiiiiiinMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiimiiiiniiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiimiiiniiimiiiiiiiiiiimmiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiniiiiMiiiiimiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiimiiinmnniiii This is in reference to a letter written by an agent of the Liquor Control Board. He made the statement that I could have violated someone else’s ^Zclitox d Juf. Rod Sfxoo* giiiiiiiniiiminiiiiiiiiniMiiiiinniiiiiiHimiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiimiimtmiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiimMiiiimmmin'Hiiii; Last night Student Government Radio announced in a broadcast that an investigation of an alleged kickback given to Shariq Yosufzai, former student government vice president, was being conducted by the administration. The broadcast also charged The Battalion with withholding this information from the students for a month. What it failed to mention was that the investigation concluded a month ago, according to Dean of Men Charles Powell, and the case dismissed. However, Dean Powell did not reveal this until after the SG broadcast. The Battalion did know a month ago that a student named Joe Walker had accused Yosufzai of accepting a kickback in connection with a loan made through the Campus Chest. The few students and administrators near the situation refused to enlighten The Battalion with concrete, useful information. With only hearsay evidence the public airing of the accusation would have unjustly slurred Yosufzai’s reputation. Battalion efforts at deter mining what action was to be taken met with repeated failure. SG Radio’s broadcast forced Dean Powell to end his closed-mouth policy and clear the air once and for all. right by “raving blasphemies and assorted profanities.” I don’t think this would have been pos sible taking into consideration the establishment that I attend. There were at the minimum of 100 people present making a good deal of noise along with a live band which was making more noise than music. What I am getting at is that anybody who heard me would have had to been actively listening to what I said (i.e., my friend who I was ad dressing or an L.C.B. agent standing close by). I am sure what I said was no worse than what anybody else said though I won’t defend my self on that basis. What I do feel is that if a law is on the statutes then it should be en forced completely and not selec tively for if it is only selectively enforced it then only means harrassment. I will agree with Mr. Broughton that profanity in a quiet restau rant is out of place but in a place where no one can hear it, who can it hurt? Bill Echols 'MEDIA CAUSED LOSS OF ESTEEM FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS.'—Sen. Edward J. Gurney (R.-Fla.) Cbt Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texafe A&M, is tl ,e edUor or o, „,e rorUer o, ,l,e anide ond ore l“ u ^ necessarily those of the University administration or May, and once a week during summer school. the Board of Directors. The Battalion is a non-profit, T . „„ 7 ~ 7 , ' . , Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school self-supporting enterprise operated by students as a year; $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 6% University and Community newspaper. sales tax - Advertising rate furnished on request. Address: 1 1 The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, LETTERS POLICY Texas 77843. Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for and are subject to being cut to that length or less if reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it or not longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit otherwise credited in the paper and local new* of spontaneous , , .. , , , , , ... . origin published herein. Right of reproduction of all other such letters and does not guarantee to publish any matter herein are also reserved. letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Editor Rod Speer Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Managing Editor Will Anderson Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas Assistant to the Editor Greg Moses 77813. News Editor T. C. Gallucci Photo Editor Gary Baldasari Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim Sports Editor Kevin Coffey Lindsey, chairman ; Dr. Tom Adair, Dr. R. A. Albanese, Dr. Ass’t. Sports Editor Ted Boriskie and E ia?Fab h eV W ' ^ Harrison ’ Randy Ross ’ T - chet Edward3 < Staff writers Vickie Ash will, LaTonya Perrin, 1 Mary Russo, Tony Gallucci, Cliff Lewis, Brad Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Ellis, Hank W^ahrmund, Norine Harris, Sally Services. Inc, New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Hamilton, Julia Jones. 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