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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1975)
r Weather i Mostly cloudy and mild Tuesday and Wednesday. 30% chance light rain today decreasing to 20% tomor row. High today 75; low to night 67; high Wednesday Che Battalion Inside Muster P* 3 Corps awards P> 6 Baseball P* ® Vol. 68 No. 108 College Station, Texas Tuesday, April 22, 1975 J-board Dunn enjoined from holding SG meeting Cosmic Cowboy Gives Concert Photo by Jack Holm Michael Murphey performed for a near full house in G. Rollie last Saturday. The pro gressive country-rock artist got off to a slow start, but finally captivated the audience with “Canadian River Song,” gaining a triple By JIM CRAWLEY Staff Writer Three Student Government Judi cial Board members enjoined Stu dent Body president JeffDunn from holding today’s Senate meeting. Because of the injunction, no bus iness will be conducted at the meet ing. The injunction, issued by Mike Perrin, Don Hegi and Wesley Har ris, was the result of a 5-2 decision by the board to rerun the off- campus undergraduate senator election. Off-campus, student Jimmy Ar nold, sophomore, asked the three board members to keep the Senate from meeting in regular session. The board’s decision allows Tom Donahue, senior, to run in the un dergraduate election instead of the graduate race he was accidentally placed in during the regular elec tion. Donahue plans to attend TAMU until the spring of 1976 as an undergraduate. During the hearing Donahue contended the commission was at fault concerning his placement on the graduate ballot instead of the undergraduate. Donahue stated that 12 other candidates had not placed the word “undergraduate” on their filing forms, yet were placed on the undergraduate ballot. Election Commission Member, Barry Brooks said they assumed Donahue was a graduating senior and would be a graduate student next fall because of a TAMU Registrar’s report. Brooks also remarked that hold ing the election again would be dif ficult. Donahue replied, “Is it too much to ask for fair treatment?” Brooks said, “It would be a great hinderance to the Senate if a seventh of its members had not been selected the the first meet ing.” In other board business, mem bers heard arguments between Kin Bush and Tom Kollaja and the Elec tion Commission. Bush and Kollaja were appealing the decision by the commission to rerun the College of Architecture at-large senator elec tions. The commission decided to rerun the election after it was discovered Vietnamese situation (AP) — President Nguyen Van Thieu resigned Monday to pave the way for a political settlement of the Vietnam war. But it could be too late to keep the Communists from seizing the last quarter of South Vie tnam by force. Thieu and others predicted more bloodshed as North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces massed around Saigon. President Ford’s top military ad visers and Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger urged Congress to ap prove additional military aid to South Vietnam, saying it could strengthen the will of government troops to fight and possibly gain a negotiated settlement instead of a complete collapse. After hearing the testimony, a House committee approved a measure granting $330 million in arms and economic aid. In Paris, French Foreign Minis ter Jean Sauvagnargues said France is making “constant efforts” to get political talks started and they prob ably would be held in Saigon rather than in the French capital. He indi cated a cease-fire would have to ac company political negotiations and said “we are doing everything we can so that this process begins as shortly as possible.” Thieu s resignation, in a tearful, nationally televised address that in cluded a bitter denunciation of the United States, removed him as a major symbolic obstacle to a negotiated settlement. But some U.S. officials questioned if the North Vietnamese-Viet Cong were interested now. “It sounds like a cliche, but Saigon is just hanging there, ripe for the picking, a State Department official in Washington said. “I can’t see why they would wait and let the fruit fall when they can just reach for it now. Thieu quit with a blast at his long-time supporter, the United States, as having “led the South Vie tnamese people to death.” He criti- titeed Kissinger for agreeing to the presence of North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam at the Paris peace talks three years ago. The Viet Cong’s first reaction was that the “Thieu clique,” meaning his government and any successors designated by him, must leave to pave the way for talks which might lead to a negotiated settlement of the Vietnam war. Gen. Frederick C. Weyand, Army chief of staff' and President Ford’s military adviser, said in Washington that South Vietnam was no longer defensible and that the South Vietnamese’ will to resist “is going to erode quite rapidly as the last vestige of hope is removed. ” However, he said Thieu s resigna tion was part of an effort to clear the way for a government able to negotiate a settlement. The probability of continued fighting despite Thieu’s resignation was heightened by the fact that the Communist side has amassed over whelming military strength around Saigon. It was also likely because the Communists have said that not only Thieu but his whole “clique” must be ousted before talks can re- that Shelley White was placed on the ballot by accident. White was supposed to be on the sophomore Agriculture senatorial ballot but through a clerical mistake was placed on the Architecture at-large ballot. Randy Hohlaus, the original fourth place candidate, requested the election be held over. Hohlaus argued that White’s 29 votes could have been cast in his favor thus giv ing him a narrow victory in one of the two places. Bush and Kollaja argued to the board that there was only a small chance that all 29 votes would be cast for Hohlaus. After board member Russell Hamley excused himself for per sonal reasons, the board decided 4-2 to hold the election over on May 1. The board agreed only the top four vote-getters would be placed in the special election. The four candi dates are Kin Bush, Tom Kollaja, Doug Gates and Randy Hohlaus. The board was scheduled to hear another election appeal from a resi dent living in Fowler Hall, but can celled it when the plaintiff failed to appear and one of the board mem bers left the hearings. Board Chairman Sam Walser said the hearing would be rescheduled. The complaint stated that Fowler-Keathley-Hughes ballots were not available in the Krueger- Dunn Commons polling place. Brooks told The Battalion that the commission will hold another con stitutional amendment referendum on May 1. The third amendment on the April 15 ballot was incorrectly stated. Brooks’said the referendum election was part of an out-of-court settlement between the Election Commission and Duane Thompson, SG vice president for rules and reg ulations. Thompson told Brooks the form in the ballot was not passed by the Senate. The amendment concerns a time limit on getting signatures for a referendum petition. Thompson had filed for a Judicial Board hear ing. In addition to the Architecture senator and off-campus under graduate places, the May 1 election will include races for senators in the Colleges of Agriculture and Educa tion. A run-off election for Milner- Legett-Hotard-Walton senate posi tion will also be included on the bal lot. CS votes no action on Millican project Thieu lashes U.S., resigns Photo by Steve Krauss Fish Drill Team Performs The Fish Drill Team gave a show for the Aggie parents at the Parents Day ceremonies Sunday in Kyle Field, ally begin. Opposition politicians in Saigon said Thieu’s resignation will be meaningless unless it leads to the rapid formation of a government capable of negotiating an end of the war with the Communist side. Thieu said in his televised resig nation speech that because of a lack of U. S. help. South Vietnam was not strong enough to withstand the North Vietnamese-Viet Cong offen sive that began in early March and has swept up three-fourths of the country. In Washington, a State Depart ment spokesman said the United States was notified in advance of Thieu’s resignation and would be sympathetic to any request Thieu made to take refuge in the United States. There was no immediate com ment on Thieu’s charges that the United States was responsible for the military debacle. The Communist-led advances continued even as Thieu said he was quitting office, with the fall of the 20th of South Vietnam’s 44 pro vinces apparently imminent and North Vietnamese and Viet Cong divisions virtually at the gates of Saigon. About 1,000 Americans and Vietnamese were airlifted to the Philippines in the biggest such evacuation from Saigon yet, and another 100 Vietnamese flew to Guam. Thieu said that, as provided in the constitution, he would be replaced by 71-year-old Vice President Tran Van Huong. Huong, nearly blind and crippled, called for the South Vietnamese people to unite “be cause we will die if we do other wise.” There was speculation that other leaders might emerge soon in an ef fort to bring about negotiations for an end to 15 years ofbloody warfare. The Viet Cong delegation in Paris called for a total U.S. withdrawal from South Vietnam, the ouster of (See THIEU, pg. 4) By STEVE GRAY City Editor The controversial proposed Mil lican Dam project apparently will neither be supported nor opposed by the College Station City Council for the time being. The council voted Monday to adopt a resolution favoring Con gressional re-evaluation of the pro ject and allow the city to study the proposed dam and make recom mendations later. The council voted Thursday to reject its original resol ution supporting appropriation of $700,000 by Congress for continued planning and design of the dam. Congressional hearings on the appropriations will be held April 29 and 30. A year ago the council had sup ported the project, citing the need for a future water supply. The prop osed dam would be located south east of the city on the Navasota River near Millican. Councilman Homer Adams and Mayor O. M. Holt voted against the resolution because they favor the dam. Councilman Jim Gardner also voted no, saying he wanted a stronger resolution against further appropriations. Cornelius Van Bavel, president of the local Environmental Action Council (EAC), told the council the EAC is opposed to further funding of pre-construction plans for the dam. “It’s no secret that the EAC has taken a stand against the project,” Van Bavel said. “The dam is poorly designed economically, environ mentally and technologically.” Van Bavel said the EAC had not been opposed to the project until this year when it learned there was no assurance from official agencies that the project was “environmen tally safe.” He said he will be in Washington, D.C. later this month to oppose any further appropria tions during Congressional hear- ings. “This project will not produce another (Lake) Somerville because there are no plans for boat ramps or other recreational facilities,” Van Bavel said. Van Bavel said that no such facilities would be installed “unless local governments paid for at least half of the costs.” He also charged that there had been no plans submitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is conducting the study of the proposed dam site, for setting aside additional land equal in “recrea tional value” to that which would be covered by water. According to the Corps’ study, approximately 122,000 acres would be inundated as a result of the prop osed project. “The only real beneficiary of the lake,” Van Bavel said, "would be electrical power plants which would use about 85 per cent of the water for cooling purposes. It seems as though we are making commit ments for cooling future nuclear power plants in the area.” But Van Bavel said surface water was not necessary to cool such facilities. “This area has plenty of under ground water for cooling power plants, ” he said. “The city of Bryan is completing its final power plant and they will use underground water to cool it.” Large deposits of lignite might also be covered up by the dam’s water, said Van Bavel. “There is a four-mile wide field of lignite near the dam site that would be suitable for strip mining and 30 to 40 per cent of that lignite lies at the deepest part of the proposed lake,” he said. Frank Thurmond, a member of the board of directors of the Brazos River Authority (BRA), presented to the council a survey of 18 cities with nearby lakes that were con tacted by the B-CS Chamber of Commerce. The survey showed that such cities had benefitted from artificial lakes created by dams. “Questions have been raised about the adverse effects of such projects on local communities,” Thurmond said. “In each case it was decided that the lakes have contri- buted to the economies and land values of surrounding areas cleared away every year,” he said. Thurmond said, however, that such wooded areas are now being preserved because buyers from nearby metropolitan areas are look ing for secluded wooden spots for vacation get-aways. “This lake will be similar to Lake Somerville and Lake Texoma as far as recreational facilities are con cerned,” Thurmond said. Councilman Larry Bravenec told Thurmond he had some doubts about the proposed lake’s appear ance. “I just have visions of this being a shallow, muddy lake,” he said. “It might be pretty in some areas, like Somerville, but other parts of the lake might not.” Councilman Gary Halter said he thought the problem of flood control might also arise. But Thurmond said the dam would help alleviate that situation. Thurmond also said the BRA would accept the responsibility for insuring that local governments would help fond costs of construct ing recreational facilities around the lake. The BRA, a state agency, has completed eight dam projects on the Brazos River and its tributaries, including Lake Somerville. He said he was optimistic about the recreational benefits that would be derived from the dam. “I have faith that the project will conform to the requirement that equal land of recreational value will be set aside,” Thunnond said. Thurmond said the federal gov ernment would buy back land that would surround the lake, a minimum of 300 feet beyond the maximum flood level stage which may vary between 400-500 feet from the shoreline. The council, after spending about 10 minutes’ deliberation, decided not to send a delegate to Washing ton, D.C. to attend the appropria tions hearings. The majority of the council decided it did not want to spend taxpayers’ money on the trip. •jfc Student Body President JeffDunn was to have held a press conference at 3:30 today in the MSC. Ijj; •A In an advance copy of his speech, Dunn called for TAMU President Jack K. Williams to meet with :|:|: ;$ the Senate Executive Committee to answer questions concerning future student input into decision i:j: making. > Details of the conference will be reported in tomorrow’s Battalion. Consol supports increase By JERRY NEEDHAM Staff Writer The A&M Consolidated School Board voted Monday night to send a letter to the appropriate state legis lative committees and to the gover nor supporting increased teacher salaries. The letter, proposed by board member Joe Natowitz, will be sent to the House appropriations com mittee which will be holding hear ings on the matter on May 23 and 24. Bids for the school district's de pository contract will be presented to the board at their next regular meeting May 19. The depositor acts as the treasurer for the district and must be a bank. Every two years the depository contract comes up for renewal with the upcoming bids being taken for the period of Sept. 1, 1975 to Aug. 31, 1977. Because of a state law, the only eligible bidders for the district are the two banks located in College Station, Bank of A&M and Univer sity National Bank. The board also voted to continue the current student transfer policy and to set the tuition rate in August based on actual 1974-75 expendi tures. Only those out-of-district students who attended A&M Con solidated Schools last year are eligi ble for transfers. The tuition rate is expected to increase from the cur rent $550 to approximately $900 a year. May 1 is the deadline for ap plication for transfers. Board members also discussed the problem of high school students using the restrooms to smoke. Supt. Fred Hopson said the high school has had continual problems with vandalism of restrooms. The front doors to some restrooms have been replaced with wooden panels to de crease smoking instances and in crease ventilation. Hopson said the panels in no way invade privacy. Board president Nancy Donald son appointed committee members for the upcoming year. The ap pointments are temporary (as long as the committee is needed) and the committee members are to act in an advisory and fact-finding capacity’ only. Twenty-four appointments; were made to nine committees.