Weather
Partly cloudy and mild today with
perature in the high 70s. Low
night 64, high tomorrow 77.
Saturday will have a 50 per cent
pee of rain from dawn until 2
Sunday will be partly cloudy and
nild with a 10-20 per cent chance of
ain
Cbe Battalion
Vol. 68 No. 108 College Station, Texas Friday, April 16, 1976
Barcelona increase
‘mistake/ firm says
This auto stuffing contest (these guys crowded in
19) near Rudder Fountain was one of several
events held during “Gas Week.” The MSC Re
creation Committee’s events were to “get ev
eryone outside the buildings and themselves,’
said chairman Doug Branch.
By JIM CRAWLEY
An announced $180 per month rent in
crease has been reduced by the owners of
the Barcelona apartments. A spokesman
for the owner said the original increase was
“a mistake. ”
The $180 increase was publicly disclosed
at last Thursday’s College Station City
Council meeting by newly-elected Coun
cilman Lane Stephenson. The rate was
raised from the present $280 per month for
a two bedroom-two bath apartment to $460
for the same apartment.
The revised rent increase calls for the
rent on a two bedroom-two bath apartment
to be $380 per month.
Charles Kaufmann, of the Max Kaplan
firm which owns Barcelona, said the in
crease was necessary because taxes and
utilities have increased at a faster pace than
the apartments’ rent.
Another employe of the Kaplan firm,
Enid Meyer, said the change in the amount
of the increase was due to a re-evaluation
of the rate structure.
Mst run-off election to he set
• Florida luf
ividual fa'i
ost the im
a sudden
te And\ M By LeANN ROBY
nee. Jaimthil year’s Student Government elec-
ationalh S arc not over yet, according to Susan
ini.shed fee. Student Government Election
ms. amission chairman.
un-off elections were held yesterday
^ ,IS '* alf races not decided in the Student
) and anai, ernment g enera i election last week,
weeks ^j. iss 0 f 1979 treasurer is still unde-
igusta, (( l|p r iee said the Election Commission
favorites a tht Judicial Board will decide later this
k Ivhen the run-off will be held,
ini shed race for treasurer, Michelle Marti
irn to leadiected 197 votes, David Person picked
mors. LiwH
repei limits underspent
t least 11
will he f
teams lia'l
up 190 votes, and Mark Hryhorchuk got 73
votes, making another run-off election for
this position necessary.
The new vice-president of finance is
Scott Gregson, elected by 116 votes. Greg-
son picked up 679 votes to opponent Hal
Brunson’s 563 votes.
In the race for graduate senator. College
of Business, Charlie Snyder won by 5 vot
es. In last week’s general election, no one
ran for this position but a run-off was held
yesterday between Snyder and rival Hal
Richards, both write-ins.
Class of’77 vice-president is Susan Fon
taine, who collected 139 votes and won the
race by 21 votes. Competitor Mark Smith
gained 118 votes. Susan Colgan beat oppo
nent Scott Turner by seven votes to be
come the new treasurer. Colgan collected
122 votes to Turner’s 115.
Class of ’78 vice-president is Richard
Tocquigny who was elected by only 8 vot
es. He collected 230 votes to opponent
Mark Mohr’s 222 votes. The new sec
retary-treasurer is Gail Hawley who gained
307 votes to beat competitor Mark Sicilio
by 166 votes.
Class of’79 president is Ronald Lastovica
who picked up 211 votes over opponent
Brad Wakeman’s 184.
Results on the referendum on football
ticket distribution systems in last week’s
general election are: the random allocation
system—2,488 votes; the first come, first
serve system—2,294.
This is the largest voter turnout in A&M
history for a run-off election, according to
Price. She said approximately 1300 stu
dents voted which is double the amount for
past elections.
ell leaders outspend others
afW By DAVID WHITE
k_/Iv/l n|iddition to time expenditure, Fred
■Cl) 1 re spent $60 to win the office of stu
ff body president. This is less than most
1 leader candidates spent on their cam
’s father'll? 11 ^
and 1 All candidates for yell leader spent over
so moner’[ exce P t John Barnes and Bill
the 75a bitehead who spent $15 and $20 respec-
„rs livini! ply There were 19 candidates for the
somehotfj Positions.
06.
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Associated Press
o is con CORPUS CHRISTI —Twelve men who
lie statiot gambled into a saucer-like survival cap-
mes. lie before an oil drilling platform sank in
®MI^®vind-whipped Gulf of Mexico were
W * un ri dead in the capsized capsule early
Ji pL'day, the Coast Guard said.
S/Two Navy scuba divers, battling 15-foot
JBk D^as, made their way to a hatch beneath the
• * m iKerturned capsule and sighted an unde-
I I Vfitmined number of bodies in the flooded
iterior of the capsule, the Coast Guard
tokesman reported.
r AN T1 h . divers made the grim discovery as
(VRLO fJVeral tugs and larger craft, including the
avy s aircraft carrier Lexington, stood by
McClure’s opponents, Duane
Thompson and Richard Maulsby Scruggs,
spent $70 and $25 respectively.
There was no real relation to the winners
and the amount of money spent by the
candidates, said Susan Price, student elec
tion commissioner. However, most candi
dates took advantage of the increased limit
for campaign spending, she said.
The student senate amended the rules
governing elections. It raised campaign
men drown
vhen oil rig topples
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era night of futile rescue efforts. Several
popters hovered overhead.
[he Coast Guard had initially said there
14 men trapped in the capsule but
[sed the count downward by two after a
ck with survivors who had abandoned
drilling platform Ocean Express mi
nutes before it capsized 40 miles east of
Corpus Christi. The big rig went down
about 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
The heavy seas and winds topping 50
miles per hour stalled attempts to reach the
trapped men for hours, bouncing the cap
sule around like a top in the raging sea.
Lines fixed to the device broke as attempts
were made to right the capsule, which was
floating with its entranceway facing into the
sea.
Rescue authorities said 17 men left the
platform in one survival capsule, bobbed
about for a time in the water and were
hoisted aboard one of the tugs which hus
tled alongside.
They reported there were 19 aboard a
second capsule and seven escaped before it
flipped over, trapping the others inside.
Tugs took the seven aboard, all apparently
bruised but not injured seriously.
It was more than six hours afterward be-
(See “Rent,” Page 4.)
spending allowances from $15 to $50 for
senators and class officers and from $35 to
$100 for executive positions.
The senate raised the limit because they
felt that it couldn’t cover the rising costs of
materials, especially plywood for signs.
About 10 candidates had approached the
limit, Price said, and none had gone over.
The increase in the budget allowance did
not affect any of the candidates’ decision to
run, but some voiced disapproval of the
increase.
Robbie Tucker, senior yell leader-elect,
said he spend $92 on his campaign. He was
against the budget increase.
“It’s getting to the point where you have
to pay a lot to be elected. I liked it better at
$35,” he said.
Pee Wee Sellars, who was defeated in his
campaign for senior yell leader, spent $40.
“I would have liked to have spent more
but I couldn’t afford it,” he said.
The other winning yell leaders’ expendi
tures were: Frank Shannon, $97.36; Joe
D. Mickler, $66; Tim Macmanus, $85, and
Joe Reagan, $87.
In the race for vice-president of student
services, Troie Pruitt was re-elected over
Gregg Ball, who spent no money for his
campaign, concentrating instead on mak
ing himself known by word-of-mouth.
Pruitt re-used signs she made last year so
her campaign costs came to an eshmated
$14.
In the race for vice-president of finance,
the winner, Scott Gregson, spent $90 in
the election and $20 of the alloted $25 for
the run-off. His opponent, Hal Brunson,
spent $90 in the election and $16 in the
run-off.
The unopposed vice-presidential candi
dates all spent some money on their cam
paigns, except Jerri Ward, who was re
elected vice-president for external affairs.
Index
In today’s column, David Broder
analyzes Jimmy Carter’s cam
paign technique. Page 2.
Lloyd Bentsen and Phil Gramm,
both campaigning for the Dem
ocratic Senate nomination, at
tacked each other in their cam
paigns yesterday. Page 2.
Presidential hopeful Henry Jackson
gives his views on big govern
ment. Page 2.
Your guide to weekend entertain
ment and calendar of events.
Page 3.
News from around the world.
Roundup, Page 6.
Bill Schwennson has been named
head drum major of the Aggie
Band. Page 6.
A&M has signed two all-state bas
ketball players. Page 8.
★★★
We were wrong
An advertisement printed in yes
terday’s Battalion incorrectly said
that Julian Bond was to have spoken
at noon today. Lynn Gibson, chair
man of Political Forum, reports that
the speech was cancelled more than
a week ago, but because of a mixup,
the ad was not cancelled.
“We feel we have a new approach,”
Meyer said. She explained that, under the
revised rent increase, each student would
sign a separate lease. If a roommate
moved, the student wouldn’t be responsi
ble for the unpaid rent of the roommate.
“We re not afraid to admit a mistake,”
Meyer added.
Kaufmann said the apartments had in
curred a loss of $122,000 last year because
of the high taxes and utilities. He said the
costs are the same year-round, while the
apartments are nearly empty during the
summer months.
Saying the increase was “purely
economic.in nature,” Kaufman compared
the 12-month apartment market in Hous
ton with the eight and a half month market
in College Station.
"You have to attempt to nearly approach
the rent price of the 12-month market be
cause of the low summer market in College
Station, said Kaufmann.
The Kaplan employes said the occu
pancy rate of the Barcelona complex flue-
A quarter per call
tuated from 85 to 90 per cent during the
school year to only 20 per cent in the sum
mer.
In an attempt to cut utility costs, several
local apartments are contemplating the in
stallation of electric meters for each apart
ment, as opposed to a master meter for the
entire complex. Under the individual
meter system, each tenant pays for his
utilities.
Kaufman said Barcelona will not be
changed to an individual meter system be
cause the per apartment cost of installing a
meter is approximately $200.
Disagreeing with the idea that apart
ment owners are trying to make a lot of
money in the tight housing market, Kauf
mann said, “If we fill up Barcelona this
August, with the new rates we ll hold our
own for the first time. I don’t think anyone
is trying to gouge the students.”
The Barcelona Apartments are located at
7(X) Dominick Dr. in College Station. The
complex has 250 units.
Pay phone tolls
rise 150 per cent
By DEBBY KRENEK
The next time you go out, be sure to take
some quarters in case you need to make a
phone call. General Telephone has raised
the cost of using a pay phone to 25 cents.
The 150 per cent increase was approved
in October 1975 by the College Station
City Council despite the fact that GTE was
receiving a rate of return higher than that
deemed qecessary by the council, accord
ing to Ordinance 980 concerning the case.
Although the increase was approved last
year, the conversion of pay phones in both
Bryan and College Station will not be com
pleted until the end of April, Bill Erwin,
division manager of GTE, said.
The increased revenue from these pay
stations is needed to cover increased labor
and operating costs, Erwin said.
“Pay stations get a lot more than their
normal share of usage. They require more
maintenance because of vandalism and
need to be self-compensating,” Erwin said.
Ordinance 980 on the GTE rate hike case
says that the council found that GTE was
not entitled to more than a 6.7 per cent
rate of return a $14,900,000 rate base, or
$998,300. Before the rate hike, GTE was
earning $1,150,243 giving them a rate of
return of 7.72 per cent.
The ordinance also stated that GTE
failed in its burden of proof to show any
increase in rates was justified. However,
the council approved the hike “in hopes of
avoiding costly litigation and in hopes that
GTE will upgrade its service.”
The use of common equipment was the
cause given by Erwin for the busy signals
one invariably gets when trying to dial the
693 extension at night.
“A certain number of switches operate a
(See “Pay Phone,” Page 4.)
Godbey speaks here,
slams Teague’s votes
Attacking U.S. Rep. Olin E. Teague’s
voting record in Congress, Democratic
hopeful Ron Godbey made a final bid for
votes last night in a personal campaign ap
pearance at the Memorial Student Center.
Godbey, campaigning for the Sixth Con
gressional seat, addressed approximately
50 students, completing a two-day visit to
Bryan-College Station.
The 41-year-old former Fort Worth
weatherman and municipal judge centered
his presentation on the voting record of
Congressman Teague.
“Back in I960,” said Godbey, “Mr.
Teague made one promise and one boast.
First, he promised that we would have the
Millican Dam; secondly, he boasted about
his 90 per cent voting. Today; well, we
don’t have the dam and his voting record
has declined to 58 per cent.”
Saying that he doesn’t like to talk about
someone when he can’t defend himself,
Godbey nevertheless said that the only
issue in the race is Teague’s record.
Godbey also chastised Congress on their
foolish spending of different National Sci
ence Foundation grants. He said many of
the studies are necessary, but some are
“boondoggles.”
Concerning the defense budget, the Re
serve officer said that military allocations
should be spent on weapons for conven
tional (no-nuclear) war. Godbey explained
that because of the “one-shot” syndrome of
American defense spending, the United
States is falling behind in the military
power race.
Godbey said Teague has opened offices
in the Dallas area of his district. Godbey, a
resident of Duncanville, a Dallas suburb,
cites his challenge of Teague as the reason
for the new offices.
The question-and-answer session after
the speech became a confrontation bet
ween a small group of Teague supporters,
seated in the back of the room, and the
candidate. The verbal exchange, between
Teague’s campus campaign coordinator
and Godbey supporters, was punctuated
by verbal barbs at both candidates on the
various issues.
Godbey, who drove to the meeting in his
worn 1970 Ford convertible, commented
that he didn’t have as much money as
Teague and that he didn’t have as many
contributors as the incumbent claimed to
have.
Godbey said he has good name recogni
tion in the northern part of the district,
where he is remembered as a radio and
television weatherman.
— Jim Crawley
Burning off gas
Twenty-four students sat for up to two hours and
’ifteen minutes yesterday eating jalepeno peppers
as fast as possible. The Jalepeno Eating Contest,
leld near Rudder Fountain, was part of Gas
Week. When the last pepper had been eaten,
Terry Bleck was declared the winner after eating
32 peppers. Mark MacDonald downed 58 to finish
econd. In these photos, contestants await the star
ter’s signal (left). Chuck Hinton samples one of the
jaleperios (center) and Laurie Jahn (right) expres
ses her opinion of the whole affair.
Staff photo by Kevin Venner
Photo Courtesy of Cathy RuedinRer
Staff photo by Kevin Venner