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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1976)
Weather Sunny and warm today with a high in the mid-80s. The low to night in the high 50s. Winds will be blowing from the south at 5-8 m.p.h. Partially cloudy tomorrow. No rain is expected. Cbe Battalion Vol. 68 No. 110 College Station, Texas Wednesday, April 21, 1976 University Archives Muster 1956 State Land Commissioner Earl Rudder speaks to a crowd in front of the Memorial Student Center as the Singing Cadets, A&M President Dr. David H. Morgan (hand on chin) and other officials watch. The group was gathered for Texas A&M’s traditional ceremony to honor friends who have died in the past year. A&M’s centennial Muster observance begins at 5:30 p.m. in G. Rollie White. McClure says Ags open-minded By LISA JUNOD Fred McClure is a bit amused by all the attention he’s been receiving as the first black to be student body president at Texas A&M. “Had it not been for the fact that I am black, then the election at Texas A&M would have been a regular election all over again,” McClure said. “I’m definitely proud of my heritage and the fact that I am black. Although A&M has a reputation for being an extremely con servative university, I think that this elec tion is a sign of the open-mindedness, not only of students at Texas A&M, but the open-mindedness I think young people have today. “I think it’s the beginning of a change of attitude, especially when it comes to racial lines that might have separated people in the past. “Hopefully, today’s young people are looking at individuals for what they can contribute and for what they stand for, as opposed to what color their skin might be, how long their hair might be, or what in stitution they might attend. I think that’s a very good sign,” McClure said. McClure, a junior agricultural econom ics major from San Augustine, was elected student body president last week by an 855 vote margin over his closest opponent. McClure was surprised and pleased at the voter turnout, one of the largest in recent FRED McCLURE Student Body President A&M history, and views it as a ‘go ahead’ sign from the students. “Evidently the young people here on campus also believe in some of the things I believe in, and think that I might be able to get things done. “I guess the major factor that encouraged me to run is that I, hopefully, can help the students of Texas A&M. I felt that I would be able to, in some way, make life at this institution a more meaningful and viable | experience.” Making academic life meaningful to ; more than 24,000 students will be a dif- ; ficult task, but McClure has had plenty of ; experience in diplomacy and public rela- ; tions. McClure began his political career when ; he was elected president of his seventh I grade class, and has since held dozens of 1 elective offices. McClure believes that he received his , most valuable experience while working j with the Future Farmers of America. While in high school, McClure served as president of his local, district and area FFA chapters. Then, in the summer following high school graduation, McClure was elected state president of the FFA and postponed his college studies to spend a year traveling around the state. The following summer McClure started college at A&M, but dropped out in Oc tober when he was elected national secre tary of the organization. As a national offi cer, McClure spent a year traveling across the United States, a year which he believes gave him a broader outlook on the opinions of young people nationwide. Had it not been for his involvement with the FFA, McClure might never have come , to A&M. He had planned since elemen tary school to attend the University of (See McClure, Page 5.) ilThree-month inflation is I K IAS ' Associated Press ( Falling prices at the gasoline pump and he third big monthly drop in grocery costs held the rise in consumer prices to two- tenths of a per cent in March, the govern ment said today. ■he March increase compared with Feb- ■uary consumer price rise of one-tenth of a per cent and an increase offour-tenths of a )ei cent in January. The January-to-March igures left consumers with the lowest three-month inflation rate in almost four years. The Labor Department said the increase for the three months ending in March — a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.9 per cent — was the smallest three-month in crease since June 1972. It compared with an average increase of about 7 per cent for each calendar quarter in 1975. Lower beef prices led the decline at grocery counters where prices fell another 1.2 per cent in March. Grocery prices fell 1.5 per cent in February after a decline of four-tenths of a per cent in January. Gasoline prices fell 1.3 per cent instead of moving up as they usually do in March. The cut in the nation’s inflation rate has exceeded even the most optimistic proj ections, but the Ford administration had cautioned that the declines in food and fuel are not likely to be sustained. Despite the slowing of inflation, the pur- smallest chasing power of the average American worker fell seven-tenths of a per cent in March because weekly earnings were held back by a reduction in working hours. However, over the year purchasing power was up 4.3 per cent. The Consumer Price Index stood at 167.5 in March, meaning that it cost con sumers 8167.50 to buy the same variety of goods and services purchased for $100 in 1967. Over the past year, prices have risen in four years 6.1 per cent, the smallest gain in any 12- month period since the year ending July, 1973. The Agriculture Department reported earlier this month that consumer food prices on the average held steady early this year, but cautioned shoppers to expect in creases in the coming months, although at a slower rate than in recent years. The leveling off of food prices was largely due to sharp declines in meat prices, which ! officials say have already started climbing. Several major oil companies recently announced increases in gasoline prices, which had declined in late 1975. But Com- | iez said gasoline prices usually rise at this time of the year and unless the new in creases are larger than the normal seasonal | push they may not be reflected in the con sumer price index. LES 117 I I r Index | President Ford may ask for bigger i Minutemen missiles. Page 5. . Princess Anne was injured in a horse show yesterday. Page 4. Israel placed one West Bank town under curfew as Arabs continue to riot. Page 4. ; Fighting continues in Lebanon in ‘ spite of the President’s resigna tion. Page 4. |Can the Aggies win with the Wishbone offense? Sports editor Paul Arnett comments on its strengths and weaknesses. Page 10. Texas prisons are experiencing many problems because of a 42 per cent increase in the inmate population over the last six years. Page 9. o.: Texas primaries bring comments and wives to the forefront. Page 8. Unanimous decision allows Student senators court-ordered low-rent housing Associated Press WASHINGTON — Federal courts can order the government to build subsidized low-rent housing in predominantly white suburbs, the Supreme Court ruled yester day. In an 8-0 decision on a Chicago case that has been in the courts for 10 years, the justices rejected government arguments that court orders would unduly interfere with local authorities. The decision touched on a current presi dential campaign issue stemming from former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter’s re mark he could “see nothing wrong with ethnic purity being maintained” in neighborhoods. He also said he would not permit discrimination. He later apologized for using the words “ethnic purity.” The key question in the case was whether the court’s 1974 decision that judges may not ordinarily order busing of pupils across school district lines also applies to housing. The court said it does not. Such a ruling, it said, would erect “an arbitrary and mechanical shield for those found to have engaged in unconstitutional conduct.” In an opinion by Justice Potter Stewart, the court said the basis of the 1974 decision was that innocent suburbs could not be required to take steps to correct the faults of cities. It said the housing situation was different because the federal Department of Hous ing and Urban Development’s actions had resulted in unconstitutional segregation by concentrating public housing in black ghet tos. It said the “relevant geographic area” for correcting this was “the Chicago housing market, not the Chicago city limits.” The court’s decision sends the case back to a federal judge in Chicago with instruc tions to consider, but not necessarily im pose, a “metropolitan area order.” During those arguments. Solicitor Gen eral Robert H. Bork told the justices that “court-ordered metropolitan relief in this, no matter how gentle it’s gone about, no matter how it’s framed, is bound to require HLTD to ignore the safeguards of local au tonomy and local political processes.” Under a federal law passed in 1974, HUD can contract directly with private owners and developers for low-income housing. Local governments have the right to comment on proposed projects and to require that they comply with zoning and land-use restrictions. learn duties y plans By RANDY DUSEK Newly elected senators were advised of their duties by Fred McClure, student body president and senate speaker,and the vice-presidents of the five executive com mittees at their first meeting last night. There was no agenda for the meeting and most of the time was spent getting ac quainted. McClure informed the senators of some of the parliamentary rules that were used during the meetings. He also explained the absence policy under which a senator could be dismissed if he accumu lated ten points under the plan. McClure announced that a new speaker would be elected at the next meeting to be held on May 5. The speaker doesn’t have to be a member of the senate but can be any stu dent at Texas A&M with a GPR of above 2.5. After the initial orientation, the senators split up into groups and met with the vice- presidents of the various executive com mittees. Each one explained the duties of; his committee and what was expected of the senators serving on it. Stan Stanfield, vice-president for academic affairs,, announced that the pro fessor evaluations the senate had been working on would be published in the Bat talion Friday. It was also announced the Book Mart will be open during dead week and the week of final exams. The Book Mart is sponsored by the senate and will allow students to receive more money for their books when they sell them at the end of the semester. They will also be able to buy the used books for a lower price than in the past. T Busi- lecom- oritieS' )0 Life iesAv- Bryan Council changes city’s fiscal year Members of the Bryan City Council yes terday agreed to change the city’s budget from a 12 month period to 15 months for 1976-1977. The city has been operating in the past with a budget which runs from July 1 to June 30 each year. In the special meeting, council members decided on a fiscal year ieginning each Oct. 1. In order to execute his change, the 1976-1977 budget will run om July 1, 1976 to Sept. 30, 1977. Bryan Mayor Lloyd Joyce said an i)ctober-based budget would allow the city :o work in the same budget time span as ther member cities in the Texas Munici- ial Power Pool, and that this was one of the easons for the change. He also said that the delay between the election of council members in April and developing the gear’s budget in October would give new lembers more time to develop a better nderstanding of the budget. The new ordinance will be brought be fore the city council at its next regular meeting April 27 for official consideration. Watch for evaluations Ward system slated for council discussion Reconsideration of the ward system, re zoning requests and liquor hours are a few of the subjects on the agenda of tomorrow’s College Station City Council meeting. College Station Mayor Larry Bravenec will ask for recommendations concerning a re-evaluation of the ward system. This re view may involve a straw vote, he said. A public hearing is scheduled on a re quest by Tri-County Teacher’s Credit Union to rezone the area at the corner of MacArthur Street and University Drive. The credit union wants to change the zon ing from Duplex Residential to General Commercial. The council will vote on the request fol lowing the public hearing. Another public hearing will be held con cerning the amending of a current zoning ordinance to allow fraternity or sorority houses in certain commercial and apart ment zones as a conditional use. Pre-registration class lists ready Fall pre-registration schedules are now available in the registrar’s office in the Coke building. Pre-registration for the fall semester 1976, will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, April 26 and end at 5 p.m. April 30. Only students that are currently en rolled for the present spring semester will be allowed to pre-register during this time. Jeff Dunn, former Texas A&M student government president; Jerri Ward, vice- president of external affairs; and Robert • Harvey, engineering senator, will present a request for extended liquor hours in Col lege Station to the council. Dunn said the request is the result of a student government poll in which more than 80 per cent of those participating pre ferred a longer curfew. The extension re quested is Fridays and Saturdays until 2 a.m. The liquor ordinance currently has the curfew at midnight on Fridays and 1 a.m. on Saturdays. Citizen interest to be explored Town Meeting ’76, acitizen involvement project for residents of Brazos County, will be held April 24 at Bryan High School from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting, according to coordinator Claude Skinner, is to give the citizens of the county a chance to dis cuss and define problems in the area and develop solutions to these problems. The results of the day’s work will be presented to the local governing bodies as a form of mandate of the citizens, Skinner said. A $1 registration fee will include lunch. Child care will also be available. The Bryan-College Station Jaycees have do nated $600 to the project. Volunteers are needed and are asked to call David Beal at 822-4518 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. T exan army fought for independence 140 years ago Associated Press SAN JACINTO MONUMENT, Tex. — It began with a song and a cannon shot. And 140 years ago today — in a sense — we all became those strange critters called Texans. The battle between Gen. Sam Houston’s rag-tag army and Mexico’s Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna has been characterized by some his torians as one of the most decisive ever fought in this hemisphere. On this oak-studded savannah be tween Houston and La Porte one finds scant evidence of what hap pened to make San Jacinto the cradle of Texas independence. Houston’s army of about 800 men had retreated to this ground on the San Jacinto River and waited for the Mexican army. Santa Anna’s army of some 1,600 men arrived — worn out from their long march — and they at once set out to take an afternoon siesta. Santa Anna never heard the Tex ans’ four-man band play the then- familiar strains of “Will You Come to the Bower?” just before the first shots were fired from two six-pound cannons. The Texans fired several salvos of grape shot (scraps of chain, nails, miniballs) at the sleeping Mexicans. The yell — “Remember the Alamo” then became their battle cry. The fight lasted 18 minutes. Hous ton lost a handful of men. Santa Anna lost 630, plus another 208 captured. Little did the men who rode or walked away from this humid, mosquito-infested site, know what they had started. The 570-foot monument which now stakes this plain permits visitors to the top of the dome to see — on a clear day — metropolitan Houston. Beneath its spire lie hundreds of acres of chemical plants, refineries, freeways, smog, a ship channel tied to the sea, the nation’s space head quarters, and the USS Texas berthed some few hundred yards away. Beyond the smog and haze — all the way to El Paso, north to the Red River, south to the Gulf— are some 12 million persons who call them selves “Texans.”