Page 6 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1977 Proposed gas tax could hurt Texas, researcher says President Carter’s proposed gasoline tax could put a dent in the Texas economy, a transportation researcher said at Texas A&M University. Dr. C. V. Wootan, head of Texas A&M’s Texas Transporta tion Institute (TTI), spoke at the opening session of the 18th Transportation Conference last week. “The ‘gas-guzzler’ tax could be a powerful weapon in the fuel-reduction arsenal,” Wootan explained. “A recently de veloped model at TTI shows that if the gasoline tax was im posed in 1979 and continued as proposed, by 1990, gasoline consumption in Texas would be reduced by 3.2 billion gallons over what would otherwise be expected, a reduction of over 30 per cent.” There are obvious implications, he said. (The new tax would go to the federal government while the 30 per cent reduction in gas sales would mean that same 30 per cent reduction from the state’s tax revenues which gains five cents for every gallon of gasoline sold.) “What appears to be a reasonable assumption today can be a very unreasonable assumption tomorrow,” Wootan noted. “However, the figures I have quoted represent some of the best information we have available regarding future energy consumption.” “I consider the single most overriding weakness in the Carter proposal to be the lack of a progressive development policy. It concentrates on saving without providing needed incentives for development of either new finds of existing fuels or entirely new types of energy. ” Since the transportation industry uses a lot of fuel, it will be very sensitive to any changes in energy policies, he said. “In a very real sense, automobile travel is the only mode that currently exists for the large majority of people, particu larly those of us in Texas, ” Wootan said. “Consequently, any policy or set of policies that fails to realign consumer-motorist incentives and to provide viable alternatives for mobility, is going to have very little beneficial effect upon transportation,” he said. Coal is the great hope for Texas and the nation’s future energy needs. However, Tom Berg, chairman of the Board of Trustees of San Antonio’s Gas and Electric Utility, said that coal may go the route of natural gas as a cheap energy source. Zeroing in on the key problem of transportation cost of coal, Berg pointed out that “already the transportation cost of coal costs 150 per cent of the coitself and the rate escalating enormously. The status'" coal as a low cost could quickly change.” “Utilities throughout the South ?5 t are committii Western coal because it is abundant,^ er g said. “It thick seams with good mining ratic which means portionately less overburden, making more easily suij mined.” “However, a rough calculation slws that before 1980’s, the utilities of Texas will be rejving 3,200 of coal a week. There’s no telling ho many other industries will have to convert to coal 1 that time, bui traffic problems will be very complex anqidoubtedlyo the greatest challenges the railroads he ever faced predicted. “We have found that there are a nuni r of critical 11 tions on the railroad network which cann handle the ected 1985 traffic and it will simply be phyally impossii Berg went on. “And, this study was madbefore Presi Carter outlined the national goals to incret production the use of coal from 600 million to a billiorims of coal by 1985.” IS HEALTH 1 BEAUTY AIDS Clairol SHORT & SASSY 7 oz. bH. List «1» list ‘I s ’ Deodorant BAN ROLL ON ’ 5 J cm. Vrtalis List *f 9 SUPER HOLD 5 "• w Quick Acting BUFFERIN List t? 29 100 ct. W. THESE PRICES GOOD THURS, FRI^AT MAY 19,20, &21, 1977 i OMAT beans . 4n TUNA LINERS Light Chunk. W oz. can •fy Hefty .Trash Can „ to ct. box OO Chef Boy Ar Dee Meatballs & SPAGHETTI 40 oz. can YELLOW 0NK4 2 V E ib. Oscar Mayer MEAT 1 h*. WIENERS / 9 BACON Family Sliced lb. SAUSAGE NEUHOFF'S GERMAN FAMILY SMOKED Ib. BEEF LIVER ♦ * * Swift Premium Proten Sliced 59* fS E - HAM 'A £££„. Famhy (pack I CUT UP contains; 3 breast portions with backs 3 lag portions with backs 3 wings plus giblets Ib. Automatic Dishwasher Detergent 50 oz. box Wiggly BREAD LIMIT 4 24 oz. 11 ICE CREAM loaves LIMIT 2 'A gal. ctn. with $5.00 purchase Ival Vita Sliced I peaches! Peter Pan PEANUT Ajax BUTT DETERGENT: Mi ^ 29 oz. ^ *2J6can UNIT 4 40