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.