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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 1974)
Caldwell may enter speaker contest AUSTIN, Tex. (AP) — Rep. Neil I Caldwell, highly regarded chairman of the House Appropriations Com mittee, said Wednesday he would enter the Speaker’s race if the front runner does not promise to pre serve “reform” rules adopted by the [ House last year. The Angleton lawmaker issued I the challenge to conservative Rep. Bill Clayton, D-Springlake, who claims pledges of support from 98 representatives or House | nominees. Clayton said he agrees with [ Caldwell on most of the key rules. “If Clayton doesn’t specifically I say what the rules should be and if he intends to change the rules fun damentally, I think he should be challenged,” Caldwell said in an in- 1 terview. Caldwell, who was under some I pressure last year to run for speaker, is pledged to liberal Rep. Carl Parker. Parker embarked Wednes- I day on a campaign to unglue the | coalition backing Clayton. Caldwell said he would enter the I race if Clayton foils to make a com- ! mitment to preserve House rules [ passed in 1973 that: —Weaken the speaker’s control of committees by allocating half the I seats on a panel — excluding the [ chairman and vice chairman — on a seniority basis. —Restrict House-Senate confer ence committees to adjusting areas of difference between the two chambers on bills. —Require five days’ notice be fore committee hearings and 24-hours advance publication of daily House calendars to prevent the leadership from ramming bills through without adequate study. “I am not threatening Billy — I wouldn’t if I could... I hope his re sponse is one I can accept, and if it is, power to him. I’ll be in the amend corner,” Caldwell said. Clayton later said, “As far as re form, I think you are going to find it extended beyond what it has been. ” He said he agreed completely with Caldwell on the conference committee and notice rules but said he needed to spend more time analyzing the seniority rules. “I haven’t thought a lot about rules, yet,” Clayton said. “I think certainly seniority should play a role. I don’t know whether we should keep what we have or try something different, but I definitely don’t think it should be kicked out, he said. The House elects its presiding of ficer in January, with 76 votes re quired if all 150 representatives are present. Parker said he had between 55 and 60 pledges of support but would release no names until after the November election. “Obviously, Mr. Clayton has more names he can publish than I do. But the alliance he has put to gether is an uncomfortable alliance...Some of them are having second thoughts — on both sides of the liberal-conservative spectrum,” Parker said. “The speaker’s race is not over... I will be a candidate for Speaker of the House till January unless a ma jority of the people who pledged to me advise me to do otherwise,” he said. Clayton, a Democrat from Springlake, northwest of Lubbock, \ claimed victory at a news confer- ence Tuesday after Rep. Fred Head, D-Athens, withdrew from the race in his favor. Clayton re leased a list of 83 representatives and House nominees who he said had pledged to support him. Parker, D-Port Arthur, said he would take his candidacy to such constituent groups as racial and ethnic minorities, labor, environ mentalists, old people and refor mers, past and present, who might object to Clayton’s conservative re cord. “These groups can be heard from. If indeed they speak out, they can have a say in who the next speaker will be,” Parker said. The Speaker is one of the three most powerful men in Texas gov ernment because his committee ap pointments and parliamentary deci sion often make a difference in the kind of bills that become laws. Both Clayton and Parker have promised publicly not to use the power of the Speaker to push their pet legislation. During the day, the two remain ing minor candidates for speaker. Rep. Dave Finney, D-Fort Worth, and Rep. Jim Nugent, D-Kerrville, formally withdrew from the race. Nugent and several of his suppor ters pledged to support Clayton after talking to both Clayton and Parker in Nugent’s office Tuesday night. “At this time, it appears that Rep. Bill Clayton has won the speaker’s race, and I want to congratulate him for conducting his campaign in an honest and dignified manner that befits the office,” Finney said in his statement. One big question was why nearly a score of liberals had supported Clayton, an arch-conservative who was a top lieutenant of former Speaker Gus Mutscher. Mutscher’s iron-handed control of legislation from the Speaker’s office, coupled with his conviction for conspiracy to accept a bribe, led to the successful movement to “reform” House rules and certain government procedures in 1973. Several liberals said their opposi tion to Parker derived from his re fusal to fight Mutscher in 1971 with the “Dirty 30” coalition. They con tended in interviews that Parker tends to be too expedient while Clayton can be trusted. / ii ” V COWHIDE AND COMANCHEROS grace the halls of the MSC. William Pahlmann, the interior designer for the new building, seems to have foreseen the coming of the art exhibit now on display. (Photo by Chris Svatek) Che Battalion Vol. 68 No. 3 College Station, Texas Thursday, September 5, 1974 mi Appeals honored / m j Alleged cheater found innocent in hearing '■f* •/ ^ . : / =#1 m sf'J V /< kN' I A i HEAVY RAINFALL recently has caused the grass around Sbisa Dining Hall to take off on a new growth spurt while preventing proper maintenance of the area. (Photo by Rodger Mallison) By HANK WAHRMUND A second year veterinary medicine student charged with cheating was found innocent by the Student Disciplinary Appeals Panel yesterday. The panel’s ruling will be hand- carried to President Jack K. Wil liams, who is the final authority in disciplinary appeals. He can accept or reject the panel’s recommenda tion that the charge of academic dis honesty be removed from the student’s university records. The student was accused of copy ing from a classmate’s laboratory ex amination last spring. He received a zero on the quiz instead of the 76 he said he had earned. Without the 76 points, the stu dent would fail the course and be dismissed from the veterinary medicine college. To lift his suspen sion he hired Bryan attorney Travis Bryan to plead his case before the appeals panel. TAMU System At torney James A. Amis defended the professor’s action during the quasi courtroom proceedings. The professor’s case against the student was seen as insufficient evi dence to support a charge of academic dishonesty, the panel said. If President Williams concurs with the panel’s ruling, the student will be allowed to re-enroll in the veterinary medicine college and re tain a grade of 76 on lus examina tion. The panel ruled earlier in a sepa rate case to reinstate another stu dent charged with cheating, but said he would have to remain on conduct probation. This meeting was a closed session at the request of the student. Panel faculty members are Dr. William R. Smith, professor of psychology and panel chairman; Dr. rj 1 flyJunior joins Corps to study Weather Clear to partly Thursday and Friday. Both days mild afternoons and cool nights. High in mid 80’s. Nights upper 50’s. AW*; j:';: •X vl cloudy ;.:j: •*.* X* X* :j:j X; X* X* I S Academic suspension appeal okayed Corps women hold meeting to organize The Battalion assigned a repor ter and a photographer to this or ganizational meeting of women in the Corps, but they were refused admission by John Chappelle, Cadet Corps Commander. He was backed in this decision by John Koldus, vice president for student services, who thought that the group was not covered by the Texas Open Meetings Law. By HANK WAHRMUND TAMU junior biology major John Wurtz successfully appealed his academic suspension for insufficient grade points yesterday. Appearing with Wurtz before the Academic Appeals Panel were juniors Steve Bohlmann and Frank Reagan, both members of the Corps of Cadets. The three insisted Wurtz should be given another chance to improve his academic standing while studying under cadet supervi sion. Wurtz said he had never enrolled in the Corps, but wanted to now because the Corps scholastic policies would help him. Wurtz admitted his appeal was emotionally based, but emphasized his desire to remain in a familiar academic environment while con centrating on his classwork. Bohlmann and Reagan promised to oversee Wurtz’ study habits as he tries to earn enough grade points to be removed from scholastic proba tion. The panel deliberated 45 minutes before announcing his readmittance to TAMU. Panel faculty members include: Dr. Phillip W. Ljungdahl, associate professor of accounting; John B. Beckham, associate dean, college of science; Dr. Anthony F. Gangi, pro fessor of geophysics; Dr. Douglas Von Gonten, associate professor of petroleum engineering; and Harry panel chairman. major; Michael Perrin, senior The panel’s decision will be for- Student panel members are: John economics major; and Shannon warded to Wurtz academic dean, Nash, senior economics major. Walker, sophomore political sci- who will be required to reinstate Debi Blackmon, senior journalism ence major. Wurtz. I I A I I f I ^ ‘ m(m ' “ ’ 11 V if: .. M- . I *1 5* J ill silM — 1 w *•>.''' Mr™-***., ——« SOME FACULTY parking lots look very empty this fall. Lot seven located behind the Services P. Kroitor, professor of English and Building has numerous empty spaces. Bonnie V. Beaver, assistant profes sor of veterinary anatomy; Dr. Lan- nes H. Hope, professor of educa tional psychology; Dr. Allan C. Ashcraft, professor of history; and Dr. Melvin B. Calliham, depart ment head for veterinary medicine and surgery. Student panel members include seniors Deborah Blackmon and Michael Perrin; junior Don Hegi; and sophomore David Hampe. Police study emptied lots, higher costs Absence of cars in faculty parking lots has prompted the University Police to take action. Absence of cars inf acuity parking lots has prompted the University Police to take action. “Beginning Tuesday, a survey will be taken of how many faculty members are using their allotted parking spots,” said Police Chief O. L. Luther. “If a sufficient nqmberof places are unused, students will be allowed to use them,” he said. The faculty use of carpools is not the reason behind the vacant lots in Luther’s thinking. He suggests that it’s due to the greater use of motor cycles and bicycles in a move toward a more economic mode of transpor tation by both students and faculty. (Parking fees were doubled this year.) To cope with the parking problem of increasing numbers of off-campus students, two parking lots were built last year across the railroad tracks. The police say that there have been 26 cars using the 1050 capacity lots. “The fact that student parking lots are jammed causes me to think that the off-campus students are using these lots. There have also been a great number of parking violations for illegal use of certain lots, drive ways and the like,” said Luther. Addressing the bike parking situ ation, two conflicting stories arose. “There should be several new bike racks installed around campus to handle that parking problem,” said Luther. Yet in direct conflict Eugene Ray, director of ground maintenance, said there are pres ently no plans to install more racks since the money to finance the prog ram is nonexistant. , Funds to put in the racks are raised through bike registration fees and enough money to finance more racks was not raised. Last year was the first year for bicycle registration to be enforced on campus.