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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1977)
Tie Battalion " r Wi? 1,71 n °- 47 Friday, November 4, 1977 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 Inside Today: So you think you’ve got the flu, p. 5. A flood of Letters to the Editor, p. 2. Dallas’ lackluster Cowboys, p. 9. -J conomists see i : I io improvement ted SMI' Ken Hfiicri P I'nited Press International ASHINGTON — Unemployment has in hovering stubbornly around 7 per- since last April, and administration nomists expect no dramatic improve- during 1977. ew layoffs in the steel industry were . ected to be reflected in the Labor De- tmenfs report today on employment in ober — a month when employment normally reaches an annual peak, dministration economists predict un- jloyment will go no lower than 6.5 per tin 1977, or 6 per cent in 197S. These dictions promise only slight improve- nt over the 6.9 per cent rate in Sep- ber. ome independent economists even be- the administration’s figures are too juristic. They foresee a further eco slowdown — possibly even another :ssion — in 1978. resident Carter clearly is not satisfied the current performance of the nomy, particularly the U.S. labor mar- Thus he has promised to propose SSY additional stimuli early next year as part of his tax reform bill. Although the administration added sev eral hundred thousand new jobs to the economy in 1977 under its public service employment and public works programs, these jobs have provided little hope for 7 million jobless Americans. Moreover there have been an estimated 60,000 layoff’s in the ailing steel industry over the past year, combined with some furloughs during October for autoworkers. One of the options still open to Carter is the Humphrey-Hawkins “full employ ment’ bill, which labor and black groups have been seeking for several years. Car ter is now considering a compromise ver sion of the hill. Black groups pressed their case for Humphrey-Hawkins after minority unem ployment returned to a recession high level of 14.5 per cent in August. Adminis tration officials now believe that increase was a "fluke. Minority unemployment fell back 13. 1 per cent in September. to Councilman tries o get more lanes CIA director faces sentence United Press International WASHINGTON — Richard Helms, former CIA director and ambassador to Iran, today faced a judge s decision on whether he should go to jail for not fully and completely revealing covert U.S. ef forts to influence a Chilean election. Helms, in a bargain with the Justice Department which averted a public trial, pleaded no contest to a pair of reduced federal misdemeanor charges. The de partment said it feared a public trial might jeopardize national secrets. It also recom mended that Helms receive a fine but no jail term in exchange for the no-contest plea Monday. But U.S. District Judge Barrington Parker publicly announced he was not bound by the agreement between Helms and federal prosecutors. The maximum possible sentences were 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine on each of two mis demeanor counts filed against the 62- year-old Helms. The possibility that Helms would not receive a jail sentence set the stage for a debate on newspaper editorial pages. Some questioned the appearance of a “double standard ” of justice. A standard in which the poor go to jail and influential former officials like Helms, do not. Attorney General Griffin Bell has de fended his decision to file a reduced charge that Helms would accept without trial rather than risk having to produce se cret documents for the defense. The charges accused Helms of failing to give full and complete answers when ques tioned on two occasions by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1973 about CIA activity in Chile in 1970. While Helms indicated that the CIA had not been involved, it was later re vealed the CIA funded various individuals and groups in Chile in an effort to prevent election of the late Salvador Allende as president. Bell pointed out that Helms believed he was bound by his oath as CIA director and a contract he signed on leaving the CIA, pledging he would never reveal any sensi tive information about operations of the defense agency. By JEAN HENKHAUS Insuccessful attempts to put bike lanes ng Texas Avenue may force bicyclists that road entirely. Working with the College Station Safety mmittee, Councilman Anne Hazen said t she has been trying to sell the idea of ting bike paths along some of College tion’s busiest thoroughfares. These in- de Texas Avenue, Jersey Street, Uni- sity Drive and Texas Highway 30. Were probably going to have to pro- it all bike riding on Texas Avenue, Id councilman Anne Hazen. (The reasoning for putting th'r lanes fe is simple, said Hazen. Safety. TBicyclists use those roads and they Illy have not been constructed for this le of use,” she said. |The roads generally are without curbs |d gutters, and merely “drop-off" along sside of the road, she added. |But the committee has run into prob- |ns, partly because these are all state [ids, Hazen explained. [D.D. Williamson of the State Highway ending Department said that there have |en efforts to gain bike paths for the area [using federal funding. Using an accident cost-benefit ratio, the Bailment determines the need for bike psin specific areas in monetary values, foperty damages that occur as a result of Icidents allow about $400. Personal in- |ryequals $3,400, while fatalities involv- bikes amount to almost 80,000, [illiams said. Recently a ‘‘demonstration project ’ like is was sent to Washington to appeal for |nds. The report and plane! were consid- ed, but was ousted in favor of three (her plans submitted for this region. If ; funds had been granted, the bike lane [eject would have been funded 80 per- ntfederally and 20 percent locally. INow there is a study underway to de- ine the future needs of bicyclists as west campus expands. Williamson es- ates that at least 20 percent of the cam- population will be using the west side campus in the near future/This means it pedestrians as well as bicyclists will fed to cross Wellborn road to get to ses.Williamson said he hopes to come up with a system of getting students across the highway safely. Because of the rising costs of fuel, Williamson said he thinks more and more people will begin using bicycles. Councilman Hazen said that students who are really' interested in having bike paths created should get involved and let citv officials know what they think. Battalion photo by Susan Webb Smiling service Texas A&M President Jarvis Miller dined in Sbisa Thrusday night and was the guest of Mclnnis Hall. The hostesses for the dinner are, from left to right, Lynn Knaupp, a junior from Boerne, Debbie Broughton, a junior from Houston, and Nancy Shiring, a sophomore from Rockdale. The girls serve as" hostesses for special dinners the dorm holds each month. RHA backs to dedicate By CAROLYN BLOSSER The Resident Hall Association (RHA) voted last night to send a letter to Dr. John Koldus, Vice President of Student Serv ices, requesting that the grounds sur rounding the Memorial Student Center be TACB monitors industrial pollution Amendments may halt growth By SCOTT PERKINS Industrial growth in the Bryan-College Station area may be restricted by the 1977 amendments to the Federal Clean Air Act. This observation was made Thursday night by representatives of the Texas Air Control Board (TACB) in a meeting with citizens of the area. The amendments require the state to designate which areas of Texas meet the national standards for each of five types of pollutants, and which do not. Under the amendments, if Brazos County is designated an “attainment area” (one which meets the national standards) a limit would be placed on how much more pollution could be added by new indus tries. “In effect, you can seal the growth of an area, said Steve Blackhurst, an engineer with TACB. The meeting, which was held in the Bryan Utilities Building, was part of an ef fort by the TACB to inform the citizens of Texas of the amendments and their effects, and to ask for help in designation of “at tainment and “nonattainment ’ areas. “It’s a complex issue, and we don’t have a lot of time to decide on it,” Blackhurst said. TACB is supposed to make recom mendations to the state by December 7 so they can be reviewed and sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by February 7. Blackhurst said that since the TACB was holding the public hear ings, they would probably not make the December 7 date. Blackhurst said that current recom mendations would give Brazos County an “attainment rating in all five categories. These are the amounts of particulate mat ter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, photochemical oxidants, and nitrogen dioxide in the air. According to the amendments, if an area has an “attainment rating, any industry wishing to move into the area must undergo testing to determine how much pollution it will add to the area before it can start construction.A measurement of the air quality of the area must also be taken. This data must be gathered over a period of one year. As it stands now, any area which does not have an air quality monitoring system is considered as being an “attainment area. Brazos County is such an area. Blackhurst suggested that if such an area wishes to attract new industry, it might consider setting up its own monitoring sys tem. He pointed out that this way, the area would have an air quality standard ready, and the industry would not have to wait the one year for readings to be taken. The TACB has said monitors in th state are currently located in areas where pollutant levels are expected to be highest, and due to the high cost of the monitors, the cost to additional information ratio would not be enough to justify more monitors. However, Blackhurst warned that if an area set up the monitor, it may find that its rating is actually one of “nonattainment. If an area receives a “nonattainment” rating’ it must take steps to lower its pollu tion level, or be in jeopardy of losing fed eral EPA funds. In addition, any new in dustry wishing to move into the area must persuade some existing industry to lower its pollution output so the addition of the new industry will not raise the overall level. The problems there are obvious, Blackhurst said. He explained that the existing industries could refuse to lower their pollution output, and lock-out new industries. . “The idea is great on paper, but whether or not it s workable is debatable, Blackhurst said. The next public hearing will be De cember 9 in Austin. Blackhurst said any citizen wishing to make a statement can either appear at that hearing, or may mail a formal letter to the TACB which will be entered into the record of that hearing. proposal grounds officially recognized as a memorial. Lynn Andrus, RHA Vice President,! proposed the resolution which passed overwhelmingly with a voice vote. The letter to Koldus, written by RHA President Joe Nixon, asks that the MSG grounds be officially memorialized “to those Aggies whose lives were taken in the defense of this nation’s freedom. The MSC is an important means of expressing the students gratitude to those generous Ag gies.” The letter states that the beauty of the Student Center is enhanced by the well- kept lawns and facilities and “it would be a terrible misfortune if Aggie spirit were al lowed to degenerate with the disintegra tion of the grass. In other action RHA decided to develop long range plans to utilize the grounds sur rounding the Quonset Hut and build softball fields, volleyball courts, shooting ranges and picnic areas. A&M is "real cow college’ ischarged principal holds staff ostage for 4 hours yesterday United Press International IDURHAM, N.C. — A discharged prin- ipal held his faculty at gunpoint for four lours and threatened to kill them Thurs- §y. He was talked into surrendering by school superintendent who once ved as a Secret Service bodyguard for sident John F. Kennedy. My instincts told me he was very scri ps and the wrong move could have wt'hed him off,” said Frank Yeager, the superintendent schools. of Durham County Yeager, along with 31 other persons, was taken hostage by Clarence Carl Blan ton during a meeting at Bethesda Elemen tary School. Yeager had just announced Blanton would be replaced. Blanton, in his 50s, released all his hos tages except Yeager and Assistant Princi pal Alexander Gerald after four hours. He arter expected to compromise United Press International WASHINGTON — President Carter is ipected to decide in a week or so hether to endorse a compromise full em- oyment bill. The bill s now backed by oth the Congressional Black Caucus and ite House It is believed the revised Humphrey- awkins bill would set an interim goal of ound 4 percent unemployment, later iving toward full employment. It would emphasize creation of jobs in the private sector as the primary way to cut jobless ness. Carter also plans an address to the na tion on energy Tuesday night. A high administration source told UPI “we are about a week away from a final decision on the Humphrey-Hawkins bill. Carter said in a 1976 campaign position paper that he would strive to cut unem ployment to 4 percent or less by the end of his first term. surrendered to Yeager about 45 minutes later. He was charged with one count of kid napping and admitted to the Duke Medi cal Center for psychiatric examination. Children were not at the school because of a teacher workday. The ordeal took place without the knowledge of police. They were not summoned until Blanton surrendered. Blanton was armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, a .38-caliber pistol, a .22-caliber pistol and a hunting knife. Yeager said he threatened to kill two women teachers, who had complained about him to the cen tral office. He also threatened to cut off the hands of three others. Yeager said Blanton told them he had a “message from God” to kill the hostages. “The only thing I know is that he’s been under a lot of pressure lately,” Blanton’s wife said after the incident. “I think his mind just snapped.” Blanton spent 24 years in public schools as a teacher and principal. He had been principal at Bethesda since 1968. By KIM TYSON Baltalion Campus Editor Some call Texas A&M a cow college, and after Thursday’s performance, it’s no wonder. News of an invasion of two-horned beasts rang through classrooms when two heifers and one steer escaped from a meat judging class. One trampled through a row of bikes in front of the Commons dormitories and munched some of the hedges in front of the building. Glenn Ferris, area coordinator for the dorms, said approximately 35 stu dents gathered to help catch the beast. “It created some excitment and a little diversion for everybody, Ferris said. He said he was concerned about whether the cow would come through the plate glass windows. That particular animal was cornered by some stu dents and hauled back to the pen. Another took off and clammered around the library. leaping from flower bed walls and parading down the Corps quadrangle. The steer ended up hiding behind a large bush. A number of suggestions were offered for methods of “capture. ” Laughs and yells rang out from the rooms upstairs. “Are the KK (University Police) going to give her a ticket for not having a parking sticker?” quipped one cadet. A loud “whoop” went out after some 30 bystanders coaxed the cow from her hiding place. Wide-eyed and mooing the cow bolted across the quad, weaving through the crowd. It eventually took refuge in another bush. Finally, the steer was nabbed with two ropes secured to its legs and five people sitting atop. The third was last seen heading toward A&M Con solidated Middle School off Jersey Street. The cattle were being appraised by the class for before-slaughter meat quality. Battalion photos by Larry Parker and Jim Crawley