Cbe
Battalion
Vol. 68 No. 125
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, July 2, 1975
£
m
r«i
£3
4B
m
m
S i
ml:
b j*' r ^|
m
WM
rjM
I
!L , w> . ^
Construction closes pool
The diving platforms of Wofford Cain Pool stand idle because of the facilities’ recent closing. Daily
operations at the pool have been discontinued because of construction of an adjacent parking lot
(foreground). Construction personnel say that lime used in preparing the parking lot surface blows
into the pool water and contaminates it.
U.S.-Thailand relations
cooled by foreign policy
Thailand is pulling down its pro
file with the United States because
of heavy-handed American foreign
policy, says a TAMU professor.
But the only free American ally in
Southeast Asia will not completely
sever relations, said Dr. W. David
Maxwell.
He said historically friendly
U.S. Thai relations are being mod
ified because of the Mayaguez inci
dent and use of Thair bases to move
U.S. Marines into the area.
"When we bounded the Marines
through there without a boo, you’,
"When we bounced the Marines
through there without a boo, you’,
the U. S. put Thailand in a strain
vis-a-vis relations with other coun
tries, said Dr. Maxwell, a frequent
visitor in Thailand.
“Form is more important to them
than substance, said Maxwell who
specializes in business economics
and public policy.
“The reaction in large print was
that the U. S. must be out of Thai
land in 18 months. Small print says
unless conditions warrant other
wise. But for now, they must get
the U. S. out.”
Maxwell, dean of TAMU’s Col
lege of Liberal Arts, has helped
evaluate economic assistance to
Thailand for the Agency for Interna
tional Development (AID) and the
State Department on invitation of
the Thai government.
He was a visiting scholar at
Thammasat University in Bangkok
in 1965-66. He went back in the
summer of 1967 on a university pro
ject, and has made three visits
since. The last was in December-
January, 1975. It was as head of a
joint Thai-American evaluative
team.
Last summer, he participated in a
seminar at Cheng Mai. Composed
mostly of leading Thai educators
and officials, it provided “the first
real statement of what the Thai want
to do with their country.”
A book on the seminar, “essen
tially a commentary of leading Thai
educators, will be published this
fall by D. C. Heath and Co. in its
Lexington Books series. Maxwell
and Dr. W. Lee Baldwin, Dart
mouth College economics chair
man, co-edited the volume titled
“The Role of Foreign Investment
and Assistance in Thailand’s
Economic and Social Develop
ment. ”
“All authors of the original papers
it includes are Thais or Americans
working for Thailand institutions of
long standing,” Maxwell said. In the
preface, the editors note that Thai
land “has the potential of crossing
the line into the ranks of the more
highly developed nations of Asia,
such as Japan and Singapore.”
Maxwell believes the right kind of
U. S. aid would assure it.
“The anomaly of our foreign aid
policy, he remarked, “is that it
can’t allocate where help can make a
difference. U. S. aid to Thailand has
never been great, because the need
isn’t felt to be there.
In contrast, Maxwell said, that
the entire American foreign aid
budget could be applied in Bang
ladesh “without ever making a
(See RELATIONS . . . Page 4)
Utility rates debated
C.S. counter draws fire
College Station officials last week
sent a letter to Bryan officials con
taining counterproposals for utility
rate increases.
Bryan has proposed a 20 percent
increase in water rates, a 12.34 per
cent increase in electric rates and a
25 percent increase in sewer rates.
College Station’s counter
proposal offered a 10 percent in-
This Atomic World’
touring Texas this fall
A 73-school fall tour schedule for
a program on nuclear energy and its
uses has been arranged at TAMU.
“This Atomic World will go to
high schools in South and Southeast
Texas.
The demonstration-lecture is
sponsored by TAMU’s College of
Engineering in cooperation with
Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
Orlan L. Ihms will open “This
Atomic World Sept. 3 at Sabinal
High School. Touring through
Laredo, Kingsville, Corpus Christi
and Victoria — plus points between
— he concludes the fall tour Dec. 19
at Tidehaven High School.
Designed to acquaint students
with ways nuclear energy makes life
better for people, the program cov
ers sources and applications. Spe
cial electronic equipment helps
Ihms simplify concepts for presen
tation.
Along with the 40-minute assem
bly program, he also talks to science
classes on more complex topics and
career possibilities in nuclear
energy.
Beginning its 10th year in Texas
through TAMU, the program also
allows the demonstrator-lecturer to
speak to civic and service organiza
tions.
Ihms will be starting his fifth year
at the helm of “This Atomic World.”
He has given virtually a program a
day when school is in session since
September, 1971. He had a two-
week “vacation’ last fall while
another TAMU graduate, Ed
Kasper, carried the ball.
General program supervision is
under Prof. John Denison in the
College of Engineering’s Electric
Power Institute. Schedules are ar
ranged by Coleman Loyd, physics
professor and former National Sci
ence Foundation programs coor
dinator at TAMU.
crease in water rates, a 9.8 percent
increase in electric rates and no in
crease in sewer rates. The full 25
percent increase in sewer rates has
since been agreed to by College Sta
tion officials.
After receiving College Station’s
counterproposal, Bryan sent a letter
to College Station officials stating,
“We are retaining a law firm
specializing in utility rate cases to
assist the city attorney in represent
ing Bryan in this matter. A threat of
court action mgy be implied in the
letter but is not stated.
Bob Bell, College Station Mayor
Pro-Tern, said, “I don’t really want
to do business with anyone but
Bryan, but I want to do it at a price
that’s fair to both parties involved. ”
Bell said the disagreement lies
not in the fact that a price increase is
warranted but in what the cost of
delivering the utilities to College
Station really is. He said the coun-
cilmen and city manager analyzed
the figures given them by Bryan and
determined that the prices did not
seem to be fair.
If College Station and Bryan have
continued and extended difficulties
in settling rates, one or the other of
the cities may decide to back out of
renewing the contract when it ends
in 1979. College Station could have
to buy power from other sources,
which could mean a sizable setback-
in the economy of Brazos County.
Council approves budget
Property taxes going up
By JERRY NEEDHAM
City Editor
The College Station city budget
for fiscal year 1975-76 was approved
by city councilmen Thursday even
ing along with an ad valorem tax
increase.
The new budget of $4.74 million
dollars represents an increase of 16
per cent over last year’s budget.
Councilmen increased the city’s
ad valorem tax from 37.5 cents to 43
cents per $ 100 valuation based on 80
per cent of fair market value. The
Clayton to deliver
graduation address
Speaker of the Texas House of
Representatives, Bill Clayton, will
deliver the main address at Texas
A&M University’s summer com
mencement exercises Aug. 15, an
nounced TAMU President Jack K.
Williams.
Clayton, a 1950TAMU graduate,
is serving his seventh consecutive
term in the House of Representa
tives. He was elected this year to
preside over the chamber.
He is a member of the executive
committee of the National Confer
ence of State Legislatures, vice
chairman of the Southern Legisla
tive Conference, former chairman
of the Intergovernmental Relations
Committee of the National Legisla
tive Conference and a member of
the governing board of the Council
of State Governments.
Clayton is an acknowledged
leader in the field of water conserva
tion and has played a key role in
every piece of major water legisla
tion during his tenure. He has
served on all water and conservation
committees and chaired many of
them.
He is also a member of the advis
ory board for Water, Inc., and for
merly served as its executive direc
tor. He is a former chairman of the
Interstate Conference on Water
Problems.
The West Texas Water Institute
presented Clayton its first award for
meritorious contributions in water
development. The Fort Worth
Press also cited him for outstanding
service in waver conservation.
A native of Olney, Clayton was
reared in Springlake. After graduat
ing from high school there, he at
tended Allen Academy before be
ginning his studies for an agricul
tural economics degree at TAMU.
new tax gives an effective rate of
34.4 cents per $100 valuation while
the old rate was 30 cents per $100
valuation. Less than eight per cent
of the city’s revenues come from the
ad valorem tax.
The last ad valorem tax increase
in College Station was in 1958 when
the effective rate was raised from 20
cents to 30 cents per $100.
Even with the increase College
Station still retains the distinction of
having one of the lowest tax rates for
cities of comparable size in Texas.
Bryan’s effective tax rate is 44 cents
per $100 valuation.
With a few additions and dele
tions the water-well contract with
the Whalen Corp. was accepted by
the Council.
The city’s liabilty was limited to
$25,000 for the project for drilling to
a depth of 1800 feet.
In the event sulfurous water is
found, Whalen Corp. agreed to buy
equipment to aerate the water to
remove the hydrogen sulfide gas. In
exchange College Station agreed to
increase the minimum daily con
sumption by 30,000 gallons if bad
water is found.
If aeration towers are needed
they would be placed next to the
well at University Drive andTarrow
St. It was brought out during the
meeting that the foul-smelling hyd
rogen sulfide gas is lighter than air
and therefore would rise and not
become a public nuisance.
Dates for public hearings con
cerning the telephone rate increase
were set for July 17 and Sept. 9. The
Sept, date was chosen to insure that
TAMU students would have a
chance to give their opinions of the
rate increase. Bill Erwin, division
manager for General Telephone,
said the phone company would pre
fer opinions to be in writing for
easier handling.
Acting on the Parks and Recrea
tion Board’s recommendation, the
Council agreed to changes in
swimming pool fees. Beginning in
July a family pass can be purchased
for $20 a month or an annual family
pass can be purchased for $100.
Speaker Clayton
IliiiBUliiefe-
Book mart opening
The Student Government Book Mart will be open from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. daily July 7-11 to purchase and sell books.
Thereafter, the Book Mart will be open on Tuesdays and Fri
days.
The Book Mart buys textbooks at 60 per cent of retail value
and sells them for 65 per cent of retail value. All other book
stores in the urea buy at 50 per cent unci sell at 75 per cent.
The Book Mart is operated by students and is located on the
second floor of the Memorial Student Center in the Student
Programs Office.
Todav Students get holiday
J TAMU summer students take a holiday from classes Fri-
Inside
Willie’s picnic p. 2
Hurricanes p. 4
Drivers p. 3
Weather
Mostly cloudy, warm and
humid. 30 per cent chance
late afternoon and evening
showers. Low tonight 72;
high Wednesday and
Thursday 86.
day.
The U. S. Independence Day break will allow three full
days preparation for first summer term examinations. Finals are
scheduled July 8 and 9, two full class days after the three-day
holiday weekend.
The tests begin Tuesday evening, July 8, and will be com
pleted July 9, Wednesday, according to Registrar Robert Lacey.
Friday also is a faculty-staff holiday at TAMU.
Second session registration will be held July 10, with clas
ses beginning Friday, July 11.
Rent refrigerators
Students wishing to return or rent Student Government
Refrigerators should do so from 3 to 5 p.m. during the week of
July 8-11.
Those returning refrigerators are requested to return them
clean and defrosted to the basement of the old hospital.
A $10 deposit and a $6 rental fee is required to rent a
refrigerator for the second summer session. Rentals are also
made in the basement of the o\dhospital.
Soviet agricultural scientists jot down notes and ask questions during their tour of the Agricultural Analytical Services laboratory
on the fourth floor of the Reed McDonald Building. photo i» Ten Ka,,e.
Soviets tour TAMU facilities
Five Soviet agricultural scientists yesterday toured the
TAMU campus as part of an extended exchange program bet
ween the United States and the Soviet Union.
The scientists are high-ranking Russian officials and experts
in the field of agriculture and livestock nutrition.
The delegation was led through the Agricultural Analytical
Services labs on the fourth floor of the Reed McDonald Building
by Dr. William Colvin, an associate professor at TAMU.
The visit was a result of an agricultural agreement signed at
a summit meeting in 1973 as part of the Administration’s policy
of detente with the Soviet Union.
The purpose of the visit is to exchange information on
agricultural science and animal production and to gain know
ledge of instruments for analysis used in agricultural science.
The scientists’ TAMU stop was one of many that will lead
them to universities all over the country. After leaving '’’AMU
yesterday the scientists were to visit •. Jaiq . . . . •
and from there move on to the Midwest.