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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 1974)
1 Rocky calls for immediate nomination hearings WASHINGTON (AP) — Nelson A. Rockefeller has called for im mediate hearings by the two con gressional committees probing his nomination as vice president, say ing he is being tried in the press without a chance to present all the facts. Rockefeller aides said the former New York governor telephoned Se nate Rules Committee Chairman Howard W. Cannon in Las Vegas and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Peter W. Rodino Jr. in Washington on Tuesday. He urged Cannon to reconvene the Senate hearings “tomorrow, Wednesday morning if possible — and certainly before the end of the week,” aides said. A spokesman for Cannon said no hearings were planned for Wednes day and the senator had made no plans to meet with the committee. A spokesman for Rockefeller said ear lier that Cannon agreed to poll his committee on whether a resump tion of hearings would be possible this week. The request had been disclosed by President Ford inadvertently an hour earlier. Ford mentioned it to Senate Democratic Whip Robert C. iSyrd at a bill-signing ceremony while the two were standing near a she gain •nghissi d 29 Ic Che Battalion Vol. 68. No. 24 College Station, Texas Friday, October 11, 1974 rt'li live microphone, and newsmen overheard his comments. Rockefeller said in a statement: “My nomination is being tried in the press and not before the appropriate committees of Congress, without my having the opportunity to pres ent all the facts. “This is being done on the basis of selective leaks from my income tax returns and gift tax returns, all of which were submitted to the com mittees in confidence, ” Rockefeller said. The House committee has been conducting an inquiry into the Roc kefeller nominations and the Senate panel is considering reopening its earlier hearings, but neither had been expected to hold hearings until after the November elections. Republicans on the Senate com mittee also urged speedy hearings Tuesday. Earlier in the day Ford expressed complete faith in the integrity of Rockefeller. A White House spokesman said Ford fully supports Rockefeller and “has complete faith in Gov. Rockefeller’s integrity.” But Byrd commented that a 1970 campaign biography of Arthur Goldberg “is pretty reminiscent of the dirty tricks of the Nixon era.” Goldberg was Rockefeller’s gubernatorial opponent in New York that year, and the book was financed by Rockefeller’s brother, Laurance. Ford economic menu offers 10-course meal KANSAS CITY (AP) — President Ford presented a 12-point program for Americans to become voluntary inflation fighters and energy savers Tuesday night. He warned Congress that if it doesn’t accept the “marshmallows” in his economic proposals he may come back with “some tough tur key. ” Ford followed up last week’s economic speech to Congress in a speech to the Future Farmers of America FFA convention and to the nation by television, calling on citi zens to postpone unnecessary bor rowing, save more, shop for bar gains and drive more slowly. “Believe you me, all of us here tonight, we are going to bite the bullet, Ford was assured by Mark Mayfield, president of the 500,000-member organization. Ford said Americans are already responding to his call to battle infla tion, declaring "a great citizens’ mobilization has begun and is be ginning to roll,” while chiding law makers and other critics for their lukewarm response to his proposals. Noting that some said he bad of fered “only a marshmallow” instead ofasking the nation to “bite the bul let, Ford declared that Congress rejected a proposed delay in federal pay raises and hasn’t “shown much appetite for the other marshmal lows’ in my latest message” that in cluded a 5 per cent surtax. “But if they don’t like my menu, I may be back with some tough tur key,” the President said, adding, “L sense that the American people are President to tell all on pardon CHICAGO (AP)—President Ford will testify that fie was asked eight days before Richard M. Nixon left the White House if he would pardon Nixon in the event of a res ignation, the Chicago Tribune said in its Wednesday editions. Quoting White House sources, the newspaper said Alexander M. Haigjr., Nixon’s chief of staff, posed a hypothetical question about the pardon to Ford, who then was vice president. If Nixon did resign, Haig asked, would he receive a full pardon and escape criminal prosecution, the newspaper said. President Ford will tell the House judiciary subcommittee Thursday, however, that he made no promises to Haig and refused to make a deal involving Nixon’s resig nation, the Tribune said. News reports last month said Haig had persuaded Ford to grant the pardon, but the White House has steadfastly denied any such role. When Deputy White House Press Secretary John Hushen was asked whether Haig had urged Ford to grant the pardon, Hushen said, No, Al Haig’s role is described to me . . . as basically neutral. He was certainly in favor of the pardon, but he did not lobby for it. ” A month after Nixon’s Aug. 8 res ignation, Ford announced he was pardoning Nixon for any crimes he may have committed as president Brezhnev plans visit to Cairo MOSCOW (AP)—Soviet Com munist party leader Leonid Brezh nev will visit Cairo in January for talks with President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, the Soviet news agency Tass announced today. hungry for some tougher stuff' to chew tonight.” Earlier Tuesday, the White house asked the major television and radio networks for free time to carry Ford’s speech after they de cided against broadcasting it as a news event. All major radio and television networks decided later to broadcast the address. In his speech. Ford called for cre ation of local citizens’ action com mittees, including labor and man agement representatives in every community to report by Thanksgiv ing “which plants, stores or other enterprises are doing the best job of ho Id ing the li ne on costs and prices. ” He said he would then award them flags bearing the anti-inflation “WIN” emblem — “Whip Inflation Now” — to individuals, companies and other groups that fight inflation and save energy. He also urged every governor to form a statewide “WIN Committee” to coordinate the voluntary anti inflation efforts and said this will “lead to greater civic efforts by mill ions of Americans and a focused aw areness of what directions public policy should take toward economic justice for all.” Ford warned the country that “we will not be out of the economic trenches by'Christmas. ” But he said, “Every battle in history has been won by the side that has held on just five minutes longer.” In listing ways ordinary citizens can fight inflation, the President added two recommendations — re duce waste and guard health — to the 10 points recommended by his Citizens’ Action Committee to Fight Inflation headed by columnist Sylvia Porter. Its 10 recommendations are: —“Bring budgeting back in style” by balancing family budgets and ex pecting government officials to do the same. —Postpone unnecessary borrow- Jordan still unsure on Rocky vote HOUSTON (AP)—Rep. Barbara Jordan, D-Tex., says she has not de cided how she will vote on Nelson Rockefeller’s nomination as vice president but that his cash gifts to aides and public officials “raise seri ous questions.” “A little conflict of interest for a vice president doesn’t make much difference, but it would make a great deal of difference for a presi dent,” said the Houston member of the House Judiciary Committee. She said the committee must hold Rockefeller to a high standard of conduct because, if confirmed, he would be next in line for the presi dency. For this reason, she added, the gifts “raise serious questions about his fitness to be president.” Miss Jordan, a black, made her comments while opening her cam paign headquarters for reelection to a second term from the Texas 18th district. ing and wait for interest rates come down “as they will.” —“Save as much as you can — and watch your money grow. ” —“Conserve energy” by observ ing the 55-mile speed limit using public transit and car pools and walking more. —Business and labor should only raise prices or wages to the extent that costs or services absolutely re quire. —“Insist on productivity im provements where you work” to waste less time and material. —“Shop wisely, look for bargains. . . and brag about the fact you are a bargain hunter.” —Work to eliminate “outmoded regulations that keep costs of goods p*" and services high and to enforce regulations that advance efficiency, health and safety.” —“Plant WIN gardens for your self or within your community” and pool other skills. —Assist recycling programs and reuse scrap materials. FIRE BROKE out in a Hughes dormitory room Tuesday when a refrigerator caught on fire. Firemen put out the fire with extinguishers and the room was damaged slightly by the smoke and fire. (Photo by Glen Johnson) ‘Inflation-fighter Mansfield wants controls WASHINGTON (AP)—Fuel ra-’ tioning and tough controls on wages, prices and profits are neces sary to solve the nation’s economic problems, Senate Democratic Leader Mike Mansfield said Tues day. In a nationally broadcast Democ ratic response to President Ford’s economic program, Mansfield also called for allocation of credit, a broad system of tying workers’ wages to living costs and a tax break for the poor. Ford’s inflation-fighting prog ram, built around a 5 percent surtax on middle-income families, “bears too close a resemblance to the fiscal and monetary policies of the previ ous administration, policies which have long since proved to be inade quate to meet the emergency,” the Montana Democrat said. “To 'Whip Inflation Now’—WIN, as the slogan goes—will require ac tion, action that encompasses some thing more and different than a 10-point program which begins by imposing greater tax burdens on families with annual incomes of $15,000; more than increased ac reage allotments for peanuts, cotton and rice production,” Mansfield stated. His program embraced generally what he told Ford’s White House summit meeting last month. It is based on a broader government role in the economy—a role that even some congressional Democrats con sider counterproductive. Dancer backs Mills' story but denies being on payroll OIL PAINTINGS by a former student of A&M were on display Saturday in the Forsyth Alumni Center. The paintings were of current Aggie football players. The oils were for sale and a portion of the money made on sales went to the Former Student Association. WASHINGTON (AP)—Rep. Wilbur D. Mills’ version of what transpired when park police stop ped his car “is exactly what hap pened,” says the former dancer who plunged into the Washington Tidal Basin in the incident. Annabel Battistella, 38, who has avoided talking to reporters since the bizarre episode Oct. 7, broke her silence in a telephone interview in which she expressed fears for her future and anger at press accounts. The press, she said, “is trying to destroy a great man and me and my chances for going back to school. ” Mills, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and one of the most powerful men in Congress, released a statement sev eral days after the incident occur red. He has not appeared in Con gress since. A native of Argentina, Mrs. Batis- tella backed up Mills’ statement but refused to elaborate on it. “I’m not going to say any more—whatever damage has been done is enough,” she said. She denied a statement by her husband, Eduardo, that she began working for Mills as a personal sec retary a year and a half ago. A check of Mills’ congressional payroll records back to 1971 did not show Mrs. Battistella’s name. Battistella, who said he runs an import business in Washington, made the statement in an interview in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “I was not on his (Mills’) payroll,” Mrs. Battistella said. “I did decorate his apartment, I am not a profes sional interior decorator, but I man age very well.” Mills, an Arkansas Democrat, paid her for the decorating job, she said, but she refused to say how much. Mills’ account of the events of Oct. 7 said the evening began with a bon voyage party for a cousin of Mrs. Battistella who was returning to her native Argentina. Mills’ wife, Polly, had a broken foot and insisted he take the party Election reform Political financing law signed regulated WASHINGTON (AP) — Declar ing that “the times demand this legislation,” President Ford signed Tuesday a far-reaching, Watergate- inspired campaign spending reform bill. “There are certain periods in our nation’s history when it becomes necessary to face up to certain un pleasant truths. We have passed through One of those periods,” Ford said in a clear reference to the Watergate scandal. “The unpleasant truth is that big-money influence has come to play an unseeming role in our elec toral process,” he added in a state ment released as he signed the measure, which he said “will help right that wrong. ” Starting next year, the law im poses limits on the amount of money that any person or group can give and on the amounts candidates can spend in campaigns for federal office — president. House and Senate. It also provides for public financ ing of presidential campaigns, but not for House and Senate races, and establishes an independent com mission to enforce the law. “By removing whatever influence big money and special interests may have on our federal electoral pro cess, this bill should stand as a landmark of campaign reform legis lation,” Ford said. He said he supported the aim ol the legislation, but “I still have some reservations about it — espe cially aobut the use of federal funds to finance elections.” The federal financing comes from a $1 checkoff which taxpayers may authorize when they filed their an nual income tax returns. “I maintain my strong hope that the voluntary contribution will not become mandatory and that it will not in the future be extended to congressional races,” Ford said in his statement. Major party nominees for presi dent automatically would be as sured of $20 million for their general election campaigns, and minor party nominees would qualify for an amount in proportion to their party’s past voting strength. out while she stayed home, he said. “Mrs. Mills went out with us all the time,” Mrs. Battistella said. “We were always with other people—never alone.” The party had some refresh ments, Mills said, Mrs. Battistella became ill and, as they were being driven home, attempted to leave the car. “In the ensuing struggle her elbow hit my glasses and broke them, resulting in a number of small cuts around my nose,” he said. Park police who stopped the un lighted, speeding car said Mills emerged with his face bleeding and his breath smelling of alcohol. Mrs. Battistella refused to discuss these details, but she disagreed with the police account in one re spect. Police said she jumped into the Tidal Basin, a backwater of the Potomac River. A policeman pulled her out of the water. - Today-, Today in the Batt Center fees p. 3 New doctor p. 4 Adjustment board p. 6 Weather Fair and cool Tuesday with a high of 67°. Winds from the north 10-16 mph. Low tonite 45°. Clear and mild Wednesday; high 69°.