Today
Peace mission
Confidential
P- 4 |
p. 5 $:
College Station, Texas
Thursday, May 2, 1974
Partly cloudy and warm
Thursday with south- |j
southwesterly winds 10-
14 m.p.h. High today 88°.
Low tonight 69°. Con-
tinued partly cloudy Fri-
day. High tomorrow 89°.
Nixon dodges subpoena
House says transcripts are not tapes
ONE COED CYCLIST easily adapted her mode of transpor
tation to the thunder showers that poured over College Sta
tion Wednesday. (Photo by Rodger Mallison)
\Presnal predicts
primary victory
any of the evidence.”
The committee approved a sim
ple letter proposed by Rep. Har
old D. Donahue, D-Mass., to the
President from Rodino saying
that as of 10 a. m. Tuesday, the
subpoena’s deadline, “You have
failed to comply with the com
mittee’s subpoena.”
Earlier in the evening, Rodi
no had rejected Nixon’s propos
al that only he adn Hutchinson
verify the transcripts released by
the White House. Rodino said
he would not listen to the tapes
without the committee’s lawyers
present.
Doar had disclosed earlier that
the staff had been able to deciph
er sections of the key March 21,
1973, White House conversation
on, hush money for the Water
gate burglars that are marked
“unintelligible” in the transcripts
the President reeased.
That tape, which was not in
cluded in the committee’s sub
poena, was given to the panel
earlier by the White House when
Nixon agreed to let the commit
tee have all the tapes that had
been previously turned over to
the special prosecutor.
Rep. John Conyers Jr. D-Mich.,
then moved to have the President
cited for contempt of Congress
but it was tabled killed—by a
vote of 32 to 5.
The five included Conyers and
Reps. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.,
Elizabeth Holtzman, D. N. Y.
Waldie and Robert W. Kasten-
meier, D-Wis. Rep. Robert F.
Drian, D-Mass., abstained.
The one Republican joining
Democrats in approving the fi
nal letter saying the President
had failed to comply with the
subpoena was Cohen.
The two Democrats who joined
Republicans in voting against
the final action were Conyers and
Waldie, who voted later to cite
the President for contempt.
■SI
State Representative Bill Pres-
nal says he will easily defeat his
two opponents in Saturday’s Dem
ocratic primary.
“We’re going to win, there’s no
doubt about it,” Presnal told The
Battalion Tuesday.
Presnal stresses his seniority in
the Texas House as an invaluable
asset to the voters of Brazos and
Robertson counties. Because of
the usual election turnover of in
cumbents, Presnal claims his re-
election would enhance his pres
ent seniority status.
The six-year incumbent says
his past stand on public educa
tion shows his support for the
TAMU System. He helped lead
the fight to preserve the Perma
nent University Fund in the re
writing of the Texas Constitu
tion. The fund provides over $10
million to the system annually.
“We set up the State Higher
Education Assistance Fund
(SHEAF) to help the other state
colleges and universities, and
they said they could live with
that program,” Presnal says.
Presnal opposes any form of
referendum, recall or initiative in
the new constitution. He claims
special interest groups will hire
public relations personnel to pro
mote their interests through such
proposals.
“On the horse racing issue, I
support any sport of racing but
I’m opposed to parimutuel bet
ting,” he said. “I think the nega
tive aspects outweigh any good
ones, and the voters can decide
the issue themselves in the pri
mary.
“I feel that a lady would go
out and spend her grocery money
to bet if it were legalized here.
I think the incentive to gamble
is much stronger when betting
is available.
Presnal has been a farmer-
rancher in the Brazos area for
over 17 years working for the
Producers Co-op and several oth
er agricultural groups. He points
out that his legislative duties
have prevented him from being
as deeply involved in community
activities recently as he would
have liked.
“I view state representative as
a self-service concept, one that
must be responsive to the people
at all times,” Presnal said.
WASHINGTON <A>) _ Sharply
splitting along party lines, the
House impeachment inquiry vot
ed Wednesday night to tell Pres
ident Nixon he has “failed to
comply” with its subpeona for
Watergate tapes.
The committee approved, 20
to 18, with only one Republican
joining Democrats in voting to
send Nixon a letter saying that
he has failed to comply by pub
licly releasing edited transcripts
rather than turning over sub
poenaed tapes. Two Democrats
joined Republicans in voting no.
Rep. Jerome R. Waldie, D-
Calif., laid groundwork for pos
sibly citing noncompliance as an
impeachable offense against the
President in the future.
Waldie askel special impeach
ment counsel John Doar if the
President’s willful refusal to
comply with the House subpoena
is an impeachable offense and
Doar replied: ‘I believe it could
be an impeachable offense under
these circumstances.”
Republicans contended that Pre
sident Nixon has substantially
complied with the subpoena by
See related story, page 3
publicly releasing transcripts
that they contended in some
cases are better than the tapes
themselves.
“We should accept the mate
rial in good faith and make fur
ther representations in the fu
ture if necessary,” said the com
mittee’s senior Republican Ed
ward Hutchinson of Michigan.
The President has supplied the
committee with a great deal of
information, said Rep. Robert
McClory, Republican of Illinois, SOMETHIG IS MISSIG on this curbside warnig- in front of the Reed McDonald Services
“That is a substantial and ade- Ruildig-. (Photo by Kathy Young)
quate response to our subpoena.”
But chairman Peter W. Rod
ino Jr., D-N.J. said “the Pres-
dent has not complied with our
subpoena.
“We did not subpoena an edit
ed White House version of par
tial transcripts of portions of
presidential conversations,” Ro
dino said. “We did not subpoena
presidential interpretation of
what is necessary or relevant
for our inquiry. And we did not
subpoena a lawyer’s argument
presented before we have heard
Elsewhere Wednesday, the
White House moved toward a
new court test with the special
Watergate prosecutor’s by asking
a federal judge to throw out the
prosecutor’s subpoena asking for
tapes and records of 64 presiden
tial conversations.
At the outset of the rare even
ing session, the congressmen
were told by special impeach
ment counsel John Doar that the
committee's staff has already de
ciphered portions of the key
March 21, 1973, White House dis
cussion of hush money for the
Watergate burglars that are
marked inaduible in the trans
cripts that Nixon released to the
public Tuesday.
That tape, which was not in
cluded in the committee’s sub
poena, was given to the panel
earlier by the White House when
Nixon agreed to let the commit
tee have all the tapes that had
been previously turned over to
the special prosecutor.
Doar also opposed Nixon’s of
fer to let only Rodino and Rep.
Edward Hutchinson of Michigan,
the committee’s senior Republi
can go to the White House to
compare the edited transcripts
with the original tapes to be sure
all relevant material had been
put into the transcripts.
Doar told the committee that
with all due respect he did not
believe it would be prudent for
the two senior congressmen to
try to determine relevancy of
tapes ot the White House with
out benefit of trained lawyers.
Rodino said he agreed. “It
would be impossible for me to
take the responsibility to advise
(See NIXON’S p. 4)
Joyce stresses honesty, morality
By HANK WAHRMUND
“I want to thank the residents
of Brazos and Robertson counties
for the good things they have
done for me,” says Lloyd Joyce.
Joyce says he can be of big
service to his community by serv
ing as its state representative.
Joyce supplies area ranchers
Ward, Davis appointments
hot debate in Senate
cause
Controversial appointments tied
up the Senate for hours Wednes
day night.
The two appointments that
were being hotly debated by the
Senate were the chairmanship of
the Judicial Board and one of the
appointees to the Student Pub
lications Board.
Jerri Ward was the nominee
for the Judicial Board chairman.
Ward is a freshman political sci
ence major. Several senators said
their constituents had expressed
views that Ward should not be
appointed.
“The men of my area felt she
does not have the maturity nec
essary for this position since she
is a freshman,” said Ed Minnich
(Law-Puryear-Athletic).
“In the Senate last year, Jerri
always voiced well considered and
level-headed opinions on issues,”
said Raiford Ball (science), “and
I think she does have the ma
turity to do a good job.”
The question of the qualifica
tions of the other applicants for
the position was brought up by
several senators at different
times. Steve Eberhard, SG presi
dent, told the Senate he did not
feel obligated to compare her
qualifications to the others after
he had decided to appoint her.
When questioned about why the
Senate could not hear the qualifi
cations of the other candidates,
Eberhard replied that the consti
tution makes it his choice and
does not require him to do so.
Ward was approved by a vote
of 42 for, 14 against and five
abstentions. A vote of two-thirds
of the senators present and vot
ing was required.
Jerri Ward
The other appointment concern
ed Bill Davis, 1974-75 president
of the MSC, becoming a member
of the Student Publications Board.
Objections were raised concerning
his relationship with student pub-
See roll call vote, page 3
lications. Again, several senators
said their constituents had ex
pressed desires to see his ap
pointment refused.
“My constituents have express
ed the feeling that Bill sees The
Battalion as responsible not just
for news, but to provide public
relations for the MSC,” said Hank
Maddux (Corps).
Other senators said they felt
that putting someone on the board
who was not involved in journal
ism, and The Battalion in par
ticular, would be good for the
adversary position of the Publi
cations Board.
“Just being against the policies
of The Battalion is not enough
reason not to approve him,” said
Tom Walker (agriculture). “As
a matter of fact, it might help
keep The Battalion on its toes.”
Davis’ appointment was refused
by a roll call vote with 39 for,
21 against and 4 abstentions. It
takes a two-thirds majority to ap
prove the University Committee
appointments.
Other University Committees
had changes, resulting from nom
inees asking to be dropped from
the appointments. Susan Fon
taine, Gerard Pelletier and Min
nich asked to be removed from
the Laundry Committee. In their
positions were placed Lee Billing
sley, Allen McCord and Tom
Odom.
Two nominees were removed
from the Duncan Menu Board for
similar reasons. These were Bob
Ingram and Lee Billingsley. In
their places, the Senate approved
John Ebner and Rusty Martin.
Other appointments approved
by the Senate were for three Sen
ate seats and three Judicial Board
places. The Senate seats were
filled by Don Hanson, Bill Jacobs
and Julie Reedy for graduate
seats from Agriculture, Engineer
ing and off-campus living areas
respectively.
The Judicial Board appoint
ments were two sophomore places
to take effect next year. These
seats went to Shannon Walker
and David Hempe. The senior
seat which will be effective im
mediately was given to Doug
Thorpe.
and farmers with agricultural
commodities through his highly
successful business, Lloyd Joyce
Agri-Services. Started in 1971,
Joyce’s business had $1,000,000 in
sales last year.
“I graduated from A&M in 1956
so I naturally favor retaining the
Permanent Fund to finance it.
Anyone living in this area would
support A&M because they realize
A&M and agriculture rank one,
two here,” he said.
Joyce takes an active part in
youth-oriented clubs, saying young
people are the greatest asset any
community has. He favors up
grading public education by rais
ing teachers’ salaries to a na*-
tionally competitive level to at
tract superior personnel.
In addition, he supports the
equal rights amendment which
would prohibit discrimination be
cause of sex.
Joyce challenges incumbent Bill
Presnal’s stand that experienced
legislators should be returned to
office.
“Length of service doesn’t make
you a leader,” Joyce said. “When
a politician starts talking about
experience and expertise, I think
he wants to cover up his voting
record or something.”
Joyce believes the wrong people
are rewriting the state constitu
tion.
“Having the legislators rewrite
it is like having the Dallas Cow
boys referee their own football
game,” he said.
Joyce acknowledges that the new
constitution is not finalized and
said he reserves final judgment
on it. He said citizen delegates
should have rewritten it.
“I don’t favor the constitution
saying legislators can set their
own pay,” Joyce said. “I under
stand that our representatives
aren’t paid well enough. But I
think that since all elected of
ficials shoul be paid more, we
should also get more out of them.
“My success in business allows
me to serve without being ‘bought
out’ by special interests in Austin.
I’m not for sale. No group came
up urging me to run,” Joyce said.
“I’m not saying anyone in this
election is ‘sold out’ or anything.
I’m talking about politicians in
general,” Joyce added.
If elected, Joyce said he would
limit expanding the number of
state colleges to curtail expenses
and special interest battles for
state funds.
Joyce says honesty and clean
leadership must be restored to
state government. He stressed
his belief in the principles of
Christian morality.
“An honest legislator will be
both conservative and liberal.”
Joyce said. “He will weigh all
sides of an issue and then do what
is best for the majority of the
people he represents.”
Critics of Joyce claim his can
didacy is illegal, saying his posi
tion on the Bryan city council
should prohibit him from running.
However, Joyce says it’s legal be
cause he has never accepted pay
from the city.
Joyce takes a firm stand against
horse racing in Texas, saying it
would bring an undesirable situ
ation to the state.
Senate approves
no-fault insurance
WASHINGTON <A>)_The Sen
ate on Wednesday passed a far-
reaching bill requiring the states
to adopt no-fault automobile in
surance.
On a 53-42 vote, senators gave
final approval to the measure
demanding that automobile in
surance in each state guarantee
compensation to accident victims
regardless of who caused the ac
cident.
The bill, opposed by the Nixon
administration, now goes to the
House.
Sponsors, led by Sens. Frank
Moss, D-Utah, say no-fault will
cut premiums and assure quick
payment of medical, rehabilita
tion and loss-of-wage benefits
arising from traffic accidents.
The bill, attacked as unconsti
tutional, also would bar a victim
or his survivors from suing the
other driver’s insurance company
for “pain and suffering” unless
he died, was seriously and per
manently injured or was totally
disabled for more than 90 days.
Opponents contended that each
state should be allowed to adopt
the type of auto insurance best
suited to its needs. They pre
dicted the Supreme Court would
strike down the bill on grounds
Congress has no authority to re
quire the states to administer a
federal program.
The only federal responsibility
under the no-fault bill would be
to see that each state plan meets
the federal standards—that is,
that it assures minimum bene
fits to victims and restricts the
right to sue.
Within four years after Con
gress finally passes the bill, ev
ery state would have to enact a
no-fault plan meeting the fed
eral standards.
University National Bank
“On the side of Texas A&M.”
Adv.