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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1977)
t least a ye* over the se of suspkj that the l' ■cl some rdi sought Tex., snuih ite to sign i] Inside Today: Looking at the College Station city staff, p. 6 Thinking about career prospects, pgs. 10-12. Checking out the UPI Football poll, p. 14. The Battalion Vol. 71 No. 45 16 Pages Wednesday, November 2, 1977 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 enator stresses conservatism By JOHNNIE HENDON e Republican party must take a con- itive stand on controversial issues to ablish itself in Texas, said Senator ;er Mengden. engden, state senator from District 13 ouston, spoke on "The Republican mergence in Texas for Political m at Texas A&M Tuesday. I engden said the four basic issues are I and order, the right to work, constitu- lal limitations on taxation and limita- ,ors on terms of office for gov ernors, litors and representatives. I eadded that most people, even liber- | are in favor of limiting legislators Ins —except legislators. “Republicans must overcome the ‘Country Club Syndrome. They have to get out and work where the people are, Mengden said. Mengden said most people in Texas, ac cording to Republican polls, favor the con servative side of most issues. He said Republicans should favor de regulation of natural gas, the right to work laws, oral confession laws and holding on to the Panama Canal. “There is so much apathy in the state now because people don t feel that they have a choice, Mengden said. Mengden said the Democrats take a more politically liberal stand than the Re publicans who provide a conservative choice. However, the Republican party is afraid of controversial issues, Mengden said. Also, the Democrats get credit for Repub lican inspired programs, he said. He said he outlined the anti-crime package that Governor Dolph Briscoe has suggested. “The Republicans drop it and Gov. Briscoe picks it up, Mengden said. Mengden also said he disagrees with the National Republican Committee, which wants to have an opening to the left. “We re not winning anything anyway, be said, in support of his complete con servative program. Mengden also favors the repeal of the Equal Rights Amendment in Texas, another issue he feels the Republicans should take a conservative stand on. Although he voted for the ERA in 1972, Mengden said he is afraid of what the fed eral courts will do on issues such as homosexual marriages and women in combat. T ve always introduced a bill that wouldn’t allow homosexuals to be a recog nized entity on a campus, said Mengden, but I can t get it passed yet. He said these issues should not be de cided by judges in New York or Washing ton, where they cannot be touched by the people being affected. “I think we ve had as much help from government as we can stand," added Mengden. Mengden is called “Mad Dog because he is reported to howl and bark when ap proaching the micxophone during floor debate. He was also a member of the “Dirty Thirty" who opposed the leadership of Texas House Speaker Gus Mutscher. Mengden said, “It s alleged that when the 30 votes lit up in front of Mutscher against his plan, he said ‘Those thirty dirty expletive deleted! Mengden served for two years in the House of Representatives before his elec tion to the Senate in 1972 and reelection in 1976. Walter Mengden . . . . . . Republicans afraid of ‘hot’ House rejects bill for federal agency liman fti a ins on e the NCI bation ;i| tl reemili lelp in ol Slip, Slosh, Splish, Splash. . A group of Texas A&M students scurry to class Tuesday after a cold front brought rain to the area. Battalion stall photo l nitcd Press International WASHINGTON — A major consumer bill was scrubbed in the Houston Tuesday, but Congress stayed hard at work on other troublesome issues, including energy, So cial Security, abortions and marijuana. The consumer bill, a compromise plan to create a federal consumer protection agency, was pulled back from a planned floor vote after House Speaker Thomas O Neill calculated that there were not enough votes for the bill. Supporters of the measure expressed confidence the legislation will be approved when Congress convenes for its new ses sion in January. The lawmakers are planning to adjourn the current session late this month, but several major issues remain to be dealt with before then. On the energy issue, a House-Senate conference committee moved on to new subjects Tuesday after failing to decide what to do about gas-guzzling cars. The committee s staff was directed to try to work out a blend of the House position, which supports a tax on fuel-wasting cars, and the Senate position, which calls for a ban on such vehicles. The committee members turned their Residents apprehensive about bonfire By MARK POWER Each year's bonfire provides a season of irapetition and a night of inspiration for lousands of Texas A&M students. But for me College Station residents and fire antrol officials, the chill winds of late lOvember bring apprehension of the fire that could wipe out a neighborhood. “All it would take for us to be wiped out would be one burning tree,” said Ed Mil ler, resident in the area directly south of Jersey street. “The fire wouldn’t go house to house, it would travel tree to tree and roast everybody. Ed and Norma Miller are owners and operators of Bi-City Hobby-Craft, a shop in downtown Bryan. The Miller home is located due south of the bonfire site, at the corner of Guernsey and Welch. Since the fire has been moved to the field behind Duncan Hall, sparks from the 80-foot-high flames have blown across Jer sey street and threatened to start fires all over that neighborhood, according to people in that neighborhood. “Any strong wind blows sparks right over the house, says Norma Miller. “Last time we had a norther blow through on bonfire night, the sky looked like a meteor shower. Burning embers carried aloft by the bonfire draft may worry residents, but the Millers fear firetrucks could not navigate the narrow streets during bonfire because of the parking problem. “People park bumper-to-bumper on both sides of our street and even other cars have a hard time getting through, ” said Ed Miller. Streets in the area south of campus be tween Dexter and Wellborn are mostly eight feet wide. Cars are generally about six feet wide. If cars park along both sides of the easement, right-of-way becomes non-existent. Fire officials share the concern of local residents in the “fire path” downwind of the bonfire. “We man everything we have to try and provide security for the city,” said College station Fire Marshall Harry Davis. “We keep moving about and chasing sparks al most 10 blocks at the peak of the fire. Each year the College Station Fire De partment blocks off streets for emergency access to the area south of the bonfire in the event of a fire. Davis Said roadblocks are established to keep piarking to a minimum and to assure ent. y for fire vehi cles. “Officers at the roadblocks are issued phone books to check identities of drivers wanting to park, Davis said. The phone book addresses are used to check out stories of drivers claiming to live in the area, Davis explained. “We have to keep parking to a minimum and the trucks have to keep moving ox- drivers will box them in,” Davis said. “Moving around is puxely in self-defense. ” The fire department has all of the city staff on call to fight potential fix es and man roadblocks. Staff are kept on call and on- duty until midnight or after the center pole falls. Estimates on the cost of bonfire protec tion vary, and Councilman Gary Halter places the figure at $2,500. “The fire is very important to the com munity, said Halter. “We will spend any thing necessaxy to protect those people, pxobably more than last year. Davis said the manpower required will cost nearly $500, but did not know what any additional costs would be. Fires have been a xeal threat to the neighborhood. In 1964 a number of small xoof blazes broke out and there was one major 2 alarm house fixe. Last year, Dun can Hall roof was almost destroyed hy sparks. If a north wind lofts spax ks across Jersey street this yeai\ the dry weather patterns of late October and early November turn trees into excellent tinder. Records at the Texas A&M Univeristy Weather Station show that the 30 days prior to bonfire are traditionally dry spells, arid that northerly w inds have dominated on bonfire night. The fire department has little comfort ing advice for xesidents south of the bon fire. Davis advises residents to follow all the tips provided in the fixe depaxtment bulletin that is issued to the community pxior to bonfixe. “Be sure to clean your roofline and gut ters bonfire to keep them from debris, said Davis. “Keep a garden hose handy to extingxush sparks and try to wet the roof if it is wooden shingles. attention to the qxiestion of how to force or encourage industry to switch from the use of oil and natural gas to other energy sources, particulaxly coal. Another conference committee con tinued its efforts to resolve the issue of federal funding for abortions, a dispute that is holding up approval of a $60 billion appropriations bill. The two sides moved closer to agieement and planned to meet again today, but the issue still threatens to defy compromise and Congxess may have to provide a stop-gap appropriations mea sure. Another potential House-Senate split was developing following the Senate Fi nance Committee s decision to make exxi- ployers bear the biggest share of a planned increase in Social Security taxes. The House last week approved a plan to require employers and employees to bear the increases equally. The tax hike is xe- quired to ensuxe that the Social Security fund will remain solvent in future years. The Senate Judiciary Committee recon sidered its earlier decision to de criminalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. The panel vetoed that plan and instead voted to retain criminal penal ties, but without imposing criminal rec ords on casual users of marijuana. The Judiciary Committee also worked on xevision of laws dealing with obscene materials. It rejected a proposal to elimi nate criminal penalties for the distribution of obscene materials, but agreed to block federal prosecution in states where such materials are legal. The Senate Energy Committee ap proved Pxesident Carter s recommenda tion for a privately financed, $10 billion natural gas pipeline project across Canada. The pipeline is planned to bring natural gas from Alaska’s oil fields to the lower 48 states. First Ladies celebrate century-old friendship L nited Press International EL PASO — Rosalynn Carter and Cax- men Romano de Lopez Portillo will mark the amicable end of a bitter boundary dis pute Thursday by dramatizing on the banks of the languid Rio Grande the friendly ties between the United States and Mexico. Mrs. Caiier and Mrs. Lopez Portillo, wife of Mexico’s president, will meet at noon on the Bridge of the Americas before proceeding to ceremonies at the Chamizal park and Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. The festivities in the xiverside memorial celebrate the 10th anniversary of the crea tion of the park, which sits on territory once hotly disputed between the U.S. and Mexico. The scrap of land, known as the Chami zal, was originally part of Mexico but ended up on the American side when the muddy xiver changed its course. The par ties reached a settlement to return the 437 acres to Mexico by diverting the Rio Grande down a concrete-lined canal. After speaking at the Chamizal cere monies, the first ladies will visit the cul- tural center in Juarez. Mrs. Lopez Portillo will brief Mrs. Carter and her party on cultural, educational and economic de velopment plans for the border area. Mrs. Lopez Portillo also plans to give a luncheon in honor of Mrs. Carter at the Fiesta Real Hotel, featuring a Mexican bal let. Afterwaxd, they will visit the Pxonaf cul tural center for dedication of the new “Esto es Mexico (this is Mexico),” an ex hibit of artistic treasures from all corners of the Republic of Mexico. Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Lopez Portillo will cross the border to the Chamizal Na tional Memorial in El Paso. Mrs. Carter will host a cultural festival and reception honoring Mrs. Lopez Portillo there. Among the high ranking dignitaries from the U.S. participating in the events are Assistant Secretary of State Terence Todman, U.S. Ambassador Patrick J. Lucey, Assistant Secretary of Commexce Fabian Chavez, Grace Olivaxez, Commu nity Services Administxation director, and Joseph Duffey, chairman of the National Endowment of Humanities. Judge resigns in ‘Son of Sam’ trial Battalion photo hy Paige Beaslev The Aggie bonfire is constructed each year behind Duncan dining hall on the A&M campus. But the work begins at the cutting area, where men gather logs for the project. Col. James R. Woodall (left) talks to cadets during a rest period Sunday. Woodall is commandant of the Corps of Cadets. United Press International NEW YORK — The judge assigned to handle the Son of Sam murder trial has stepped out of the case because of criticism, by the legal community, of his pretrial comments to the news media. “I asked to be relieved and they relieved me, ” State Supreme Court Justice John R. Starkey said Tuesday. Starkey’s decision to pull out was the latest in a string of bizarre incidents that have marked the case since the massive manhunt for the killer of six young men and women in New York’s lovers’ lanes ended with the arrest of a suspect Aug. 10. Several of those incidents involved Starkey’s handling of the case. They included: • Starkey’s decision to allow the broadcast media to play back on the air, tapes of talks between a court-appointed psychiatrist and the man accused in the “Son of Sam” killings, David Berkowitz. Starkey later told the New York Daily News he was sorry he released the tapes. • Berkowitz, claim during sanity hearings he was ordered to kill by evil de mons, creatures who spoke to him through the howling of a neighbor’s dog. • An interview with the New York Post in which Starkey said he would not accept a guilty plea from Berkowitz if the suspect continued to insist he was driven to murder by demons. • Earlier claims by a literary agent that he had 10 hours of taped conversations with Berkowitz. Staxkey, following an investigation of his own, defermined those tapes did not exist. Some legal observers felt several of Staxkey’s actions — particularly the ail ing of the tapes — could provide grounds for reversal on appeal should Berkowitz be convicted. Starkey ruled last week that Berkowitz was mentally competent to stand trial for the July 31 slaying of Stacey Moskowitz, the last victim in the case. The “Son of Sam” case baffled New Yoxk’s Police Department — a force huger than the armies of 95 per cent of the member nations of the United Nations — fox - more than a year. It began in the shadows of lovers’ lanes throughout the city and quickly drew worldwide attention. Some t said the manhunt for “Son of Sam” eclipsed the searches for the Boston Strangler and London’s Jack the Ripper. The court’s administrative judge, Charles R. Rubin, said Justice Joseph Coi so would succeed Starkey in presiding over Berkowitz’ trial. Rubin said in a statement that Stax key “has decided that the best intex est of all concerned would Jxe served if he wex e to be x elieved of his assignment in this case. Accordingly, his request has been granted.” Staxkey, 71, refused to comment fuither on the matter.