By MARK RANKIN
Does anyone remember Whiskey
Bridge? For the uninitiated. Whis
key Bridge was a makeshift liquor
store just across the Brazos River
which saved many an Aggie from
many a night of sobriety back in the
dark ages, when prohibition ling
ered in College Station. As I re
member, the establishment was run
by a kindly couple who hadn’t taken
enough economics to know what a
commanding position they had with
respect to the Aggies. They had, in
effect, monopoly power but didn’t
know it. We appreciated Whiskey
Bridge, especially those of us who
weren’t of age. To make a long story
short, however, Whiskey Bridge
has gone the way of the Chicken
Ranch. Murdered. Unlike the
Ranch which fell prey to the man
with the blue hair. Whiskey Bridge
was the victim of a highly efficient
henchman that we have come to
know as the market. It is not coinci
dence that Whiskey Bridge came
falling down shortly after the advent
of wetness in College Station.
During the last three or so years,
the A&M community has seen the
development of a liquor market,
loved by some and hated by others.
There is no telling how much of a
monetary significance has been felt
as a result of the introduction of the
market, but we can assume that it is
great. We can at least assume that
the liquor industry has helped to
pay the salaries of the College Sta
tion Police. At any rate, it is safe to
assert that the advent of the booze
market has had a decided effect on
the social and economic well being
of the community.
It is fairly obvious what the stu
dent reaction has been to this new
found friend. For the most part they
have gone beserk, but let’s look at
the supply side of the question; how
has the booze market reacted to the
students. At present there are about
seven booze parlors located within a
close proximity of the campus, not
counting those places which serve
food primarily. Of these, at least
three are establishments which
should be considered booze clubs as
compared to the booze joints which
comprise the remainder. This is an
important differentiation since we
would expect prices to be higher in
the clubs than in the joints, and, in
essence, these actually comprise
two separate markets. The bulk of
the club market consists of girl and
boy Aggies engaged in the date. In
the joint market, however, we are
more likely to find free-lance drink
ers. Other characteristics of these
markets include the fact that more
students tend to enter as the day
progresses and similarly, as the
week progresses. Demand for li
quor seems to be at its low early in
the day on Monday, reaching its
peak late Saturday night. In terms of
economics, we can say that the elas
ticity of demand for liquor is high
early in the week becoming more
and more inelastic as the week goes
on. As we will see, this has a pro
found effect on the price of that
commodity. Superficial observation
Superficial observation would
present us with the opinion that the
price of getting smashed is fairly
constant throughout the week.
After all, the owners of these estab*
lishments don’t lower or raise prices
according to the relative demand
. . . or do they? They do in fact, and
we can argue that those who do not
either don’t understand how to in
crease profits, or possibly they have
priced their product in such a way
that they are comfortable with their
margin and the increased revenue
doesn’t mean that much to them.;
This practice of varying prices often
goes un-noticed for what it is. In fact
the practice is more often consi
dered as benevolence or cruelty on
the part of the bar owner.
HOW THE OWNERS
LOWER PRICES AND IN
CREASE REVENUE
At times when market demand is
low and relatively elastic, the liquor
monger can lower his prices, and
because of the relatively horizontal
nature of the demand curve, the in
crease in the quantity demanded
will more than outweigh the drop in
price resulting in a net gain to total
revenue. Most commonly this price
cut comes in the form of the “Happy
Hour’’ (presumedly so named be
cause the owner is reaping greater
total revenue than he would of at the
higher price.) The most rational of
the Happy Hour gimicks is the one
where you “buy one and get one
free ”. This is essentially the same as
cutting the price in half with the
added advantage being that if the
customer decides to leave after
“buying one” but before “getting
one free ”, the bar owner is just that
much better off since the customer
has paid for two drinks, declining to
drink the latter. If you will think
about it there are many instances
where local establishments cut
prices in this and similar manners
but you will also notice that when
they do it is during a slack time
when the relative elasticity of de
mand is high. Believe me they
aren’t losing money.
HOW THE OWNERS RAISE
PRICES AND INCREASE
REVENUE
By the same token, it is a fairly
common practice for the owner to
increase his prices at times when he
may capture additonal revenue by
doing so. Some may care to point
out that, emperically, any time the
prices are raised, revenue will also
rise. This, of course, is not true and
we can again demonstrate with the
use of the trusty demand curve. As I
have said, there are times when the
demand for liquor is relatively
great, making the associated de
mand curve relatively inelastic.
When this is the case, the local li
quor monger can increase revenue
by raising prices. The effects of the
higher price outweigh the decrease
in quantity demanded and the total
revenue rises as a result. Now ad
mittedly it is not as common for an
owner to increase prices as it is for
him to lower them but we know that
these prices do rise as the demand
becomes more inelastic since no one
keeps Happy Hour prices on into
the night. This phenomena rep
resents a relative rise in prices as
the day progresses but there are
ready examples of more implicit
price increases above the “normal
level (if we choose to use the 8 p.m.
price as the norm instead of the 5
p.m. one.) These increases usually
come in the form of a “cover
charge.” The cover charge may
seem a means to prevent free riding
when a band or some other form of
entertainment is present, and this
may be part of it, but the cover
charge is much more significant as a
means of raising revenue during
times of inelastic demand. In fact it
has been shown that on the average
more liquor is consumed when en
tertainment is present. This seems
to indicate that the idea of the cover
charge as a user fee is largely an
invalid one. You may have noticed
that there are no more than a few
places around which actually use
the cover charge but you will also
note that those who do have a more
or less distinct appeal and thus a
more inelastic demand curve than
those that are more “commonplace”
and are subject to more competition
which raises the elasticity of de
mand. It has been said that in the
last three years, and especially re
cently, the local liquor market has
become “saturated,” that is it is no
longer economically feasible for
new establishments to come into
the market, but it should be in
teresting to watch the behavior of
this market in the next few years as
the student population continues to
grow. I ask that you remember one
thing; the character of the market is
determined by the character of the
student demand. The market has
replaced Whiskey Bridge, miles
away, with the “hot spots”, across
the street. Maybe a student pub is
next.
VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE
By WAYNE RIFE
Well, it’s that time of the year
again. The city elections are here
and the candidates are starting to
get their campaigns rolling in full
steam. Now all that’s left for us, the
voters of this community, is to get
out and vote.
There are two precincts in Col
lege Station where the majority of
the TAMU students register to
vote. Figures from the recent voter
registration drive reveal that there
are 3,900 registered in Precinct 20,
which is the campus box. In Pre
cinct 21, the Northgate area, there
are a little over 2,000 registered
voters. Now all of this is impressive.
It looks as if A&M students are re
ally an enthusiastic bunch of stu
dents, interested in their local gov
ernment and in exercising their
constitutional right to vote. Well,
the fact of the matter is that we are
primary the story was a little better,
but not much. Out of the same 2,905
registered students of Precinct 20,
we had a whopping increase of 15
votes to make it 186 who voted. In
Precinct 21 the story was better.
not what these figures show. As far^ Ninety-four more people decided to
as A&M students being interested
in voting, it’s like saying t.u. is going
to lay down Saturday and give us the
game.
Of the 2,905 registered voters of
Precinct 20, in last year’s City
Council election, only 171 voted. In
Precinct 21 the story was the same.
Out of 1,929 registered student vot
ers, only 88 decided it was worth
their time to vote. In the May ’74
vote, but what is 182 out of 1,929?
Nothing.
Well folks, fellow students, Ags,
j there it is. NOW WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Our
national government finally decided
to give 18-year-olds the right to
vote. If we are as responsible as we
say we are, we should at least take
time to cast our ballot.
Now some of you are probably
saying, this is only a city election, its
not as if we were electing the Presi
dent of the U.S. But you’re wrong.
Anyone who lives in one area for
four years is certainly affected by
any decision made by the im
mediate government in that area.
So next time you complain about
the way the city runs things, just
remember it is you who didn’t get
out and vote. But don’t wait till that
happens. All that you have to do as a
registered voter in C.S. is go to your
polling place on April 1 and vote for
the candidate of your choice. (P.S.
JEAILY)
For the uninformed ...
This editorial is for those uninformed, habitual gripers who attend this
university.
★★★
A&M students tend to complain about issues from tennis courts to
exotic animal heads. The Battalion is no exception, for it has often re
ceived the brunt of extended criticism. However, my two weeks spent
learning how to run The Battalion for the two-day interim period enables
me to be one of the few students qualified to make a judgment on the
present staffs capabilities.
I have been the entire route of selecting editors, reporters, photo
graphers and spending better than eight hours a day in the Reed
McDonald Bldg. The Battalion staff gets paid nothing in comparison to the
amount of work and time that is spent in preparing a newspaper for those
unappreciative students.
The Batt office receives many other college newspapers in the mail each
day and without a doubt, A&M s paper compares more than favorably
with all of them.
★★★
All the same . . .
The Battalion Staff is afflicted by a false sense of persecution that is also
present in America’s press today. This idea stems from their interpreta
tion of the meaning of “freedom of the press.” They interpret this as the
right to print anything regardless of its impact on the jobs, reputations
and freedoms of others. They feel that any restrictions on the press are
violations of its freedom. However, what they fail to realize is that a
completely free society is both impossible and impractical. When one
person exercises his freedom, without controls, he often infringes on
another’s rights. This has long been an incomprehensible fact for
America’s press.
The Battalion staff is under the influence of this “American press
syndrome, ” but at times does reveal “flickers of hope” in becoming a more
broad-minded press which is fair to all concerned.
★★★
Considering everything . . .
The Battalion staff members do work hard for a worthy cause with little
compensation. I simply request that before students make any more
accusations of A&M newspaper inferiority, they take the time to visit the
Batt office. They will soon discover the problems and amount of time that
is involved in providing a newspaper for A&M students.
DAVID KASPAR
Interim Staff Editor
'OMIGOD! THEY'VE LOST THEIR EARPLUGS!'
Che Battalion
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor
or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of
the university administration or the Board of Directors. The
Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise operated
by students as a university and community newspaper.
Editorial policy is determined by the editor.
LETTERS POUCY
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are
subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial
staff reserves theright to edit such letters and does not guaran
tee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the
address of the writer and list a telephone number for verifica
tion. , f
Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room
217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843.
Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim Lindsey, chairman; Dr.
Tom Adair, Dr. R. A. Albanese, Dr. H. E. Hierth, W. C. Harrison, Steve
Eberhard, Don Hegi, and John Nash, Jr.
Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Services, Inc., ,
New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.
MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press Association
The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is published in College
Station, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods, ■
September through Klay, and once a week during summer school.
Mail subscriptions are $5.00 per semester; $9.50 per school year; $10.50 per
full year. All subscriptions subject to 59r sales tax. Advertising rate furnished
on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 317, Services Building, College'
Station, Texas 77843.
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all
news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local
news of spontaneous origin published herein. Right of repr<5duction of all
other matter herein are also reserved.
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas.
Editor
Assistant Editor
Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Photo Editor
City Editor
Campus Editor
Copy and News Editor.
. . . .David Kaspar
David Pierce
James Breedlove
Paul McGrath
. .Jimmy Richards
. . Wayne T. Rife
. . Josh Utterback
. . .Susan Carstens
E.E.SENI0RS
LOOK into the engineering opportunities open in rural elec
trification and telephony
ASK your Placement Office for pamphlets telling what the
Rural Electrification Administration offers for a challenging
career with all advantages of Federal Civil Service
SIGN UP for a personal interview with the Recruiting
Representative who will be at your Placement
Office March 11, 1975
NO DISCRIMINATION
THE AGGIE PLAYERS
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
THE FORUM
RUDDER CENTER
FEB. 26-27-28
MARCH 1-6-7-8
8:00 pm
emit
by ARTHUR MILLER
Reg. 17.00
THE STYLE: JR. LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS
SIZES 3-13
WASHABLE NYLON JERSEY
FABULOUS ASSORTMENT OF
SPRING PRINTS
TICKETS ON SALE AT RUDDER CENTER BOX OFFICE
STUDENTS
OTHERS
$1.50-$1.75-$2.00
$2.00-$2.25-$2.50
PEANUTS
Reporters . . . Dub Shook, Mike Kimmey, Tray Henderson, Donald Falk, Sayeful
Islam, Janie Nettles, Dan Kaspar, Henry Franke, Doris Koch, Stan Sisco, Jimmy
Arnold, Beth Krugler.
THERE'S TALkN
60IN6 AROMP
THAT I SHOl/lPN'T
LET W DOMINATE
MS....
Photographers Dean Clemens, Jack Holm, David Kimmel.
Artists and cartoonists Dr. James H. Earle, Nguyen Dziem,
Brad Foster, Rodney Hammack, Tom Brents, Scott Morgan.