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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1978)
The Battalion Vol. 71 No. 99 Thursday, February 16, 1978 News Dept. 845-2611 10 Pages College Station, Texas Business Dept. 845-2611 r Inside Thursday: Answers to Paul Arnett, p. 2. Funds trickle in to divers, p. 6. Aggies defeat TCU 88-72, p. 10. V nergy goal: changing fear to trust By TRICIA BRUNHART | goal of the politics of energy is to change the tone Ination from “fear and uncertainty to relative confi- ice and predictability, said Under Secretary of jrgy Dale D. Myers Wednesday. Myers gave the note address at the 23rd annual Student Conference National Affairs at Texas A&M University. ipers, who once served as associate administrator for jed space flight at the National Aeronautics and I Administration (NASA) in Washington, said there ehension in the nation because people are won- ■ing if society has enough energy, jiding the turmoil of “popular discontent is the ■ challenge of the politics of energy, he said. Mers contrasted the energy situation today to that of ars ago. He said there was a relatively stable eco- order then, which relied on the security of the supply of energy. The United States was the Itone of collective security of energy for many na- ! he said. ;oil embargo of 1973 had a disruptive influence on estern alliance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organi- i(NATO), Myers said. There was a hectic scramble ile the allies tried to secure their own energy supply, ■should have made it clear that the U.S. is depen- lon energy, he said. In 1973, Myers said, the United States was spending $6 million per day on oil, and today oil costs the country $9 million per day. While imports rose by half, the price of oil rose six times. After the embargo, the consumer price index rose from 14 percent during 1970-73 to 28 percent from 1973-76, said Myers, The United States’ production of oil has decreased, Myers said, and the world’s production of oil should level out in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Demand will be greater than the supply, and this will cause a major increase in the price of oil, he said. He added that energy conservation is only part of the solution. We are running out of oil and gas in this gas tank called earth,’ Myers said. Most new energy sources are expensive when com pared to natural gas and oil, Myers said. In order to support solar energy, development con gress and 22 states are supporting a tax credit for solar energy, Myers said. Homeowners have to make a major capital investment before they can use solar energy so the tax credit can help, he said. But after they have solar facilities they save money, he added. Myers advocated an increase in coal use but said there are problems with outdated transportation systems. environmental regulation and the labor-management structure. He added there also should be an expansion of nuclear power. Several members of the audience questioned Myers on the issue of nuclear power. He said nuclear power is intended to be used as a last resort, and rigid safeguards are currently being devised. Myers said he still considers nuclear energy a necessary part of energy. Nuclear waste is a “top priority problem” and more must be done about it, he said. Myers, a 1943 graduate of the University of Washing ton, worked for Rockwell International as an aeronautical engineer and later as chief engineer of the Missile De velopment Division of North America Aviation. After working with the space program, he returned to Rockwell to serve as president of the North American Aircraft Operations. Myers was appointed under secre tary of energy in 1976. Today Congressman Morris Udall will speak at 12:30 p.m. and a panel discussion between Rep. Bob Krueger (D-Tex.) and Rep. Toby Moffett (D-Conn.) begins at 8 p.m. Both will be held in Rudder Theater. Friday’s schedule includes an 8 a. m. panel on future energy technologies (in room 201 MSC) and a discussion by industry representatives at 12:15 p.m. in Rudder Theater. he negative body language How to fend off salespeople By CHERYL HICKMAN )od afternoon. 1 represent the Acme any, and I’d like to sell you a J/.ine subscription. Or maybe you Hsome new pots and pans. Bor-to-door salespersons can provide |nieservices and merchandise that might lard to find in a store. But some mli, especially those who are unsure Min handle an aggressive salesperson liler door-to-door a nuisance and h! (he possibility of a confrontation. llTexas A&M University students liv- ff-campus seem to attract salesper- especially for magazines. Some stu- report that they have been pfes- into buying a product they really t want. Hall, a sophomore economics major jxas A&M, said she was pressured last tester into buying a magazine subscrip- Haff said she was in her apartment ig ready to go out when a girl came to !oor. pe acted like she knew one of my mates, said Hall. T was getting i to leave and she wouldn t go until I ;ht a magazine. ter the girl left. Hall called the police, en the police got here, I saw the girl 5 to another apartment and I pointed mt,’ she said. “They went and talked and she hasn’t been back, nny Seal, an industrial psychology er at Texas A&M, suggested that ents use body language to put off persons. Seal said that “unresponsive vior such as breaking eye contact, ing away from the person, crossing arms across your chest, or putting hands on your hips should discourage Ispersons. |A smart salesman will realize he’s not ling anywhere and he’ll back off, Seal owever, if body language doesn’t k, Seal said the salesperson should be told “in a polite manner, that you’re not interested.” If this doesn’t work, the re quest to leave should be rephrased into a command, he said. “If you get an aggressive salesman and you’re aggressive right back to him, he should back off,” said Seal said. As a last resort, a student can call the police and make a complaint against the salesperson. Spokesmen at both the Bryan and College Station police departments said they will send officers to investigate salesmen if they receive a complaint. In College Station, any salesperson who works for a commercial company must go to the police station and get a permit from the city before he can begin his rounds. Salesperson for non-profit organizations like churches and schools are not required to have permits. Salespersons in Bryan do not have to have permits to work, but they are sup posed to check in with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) when they arrive in town. If they do not, however, there is no penalty. Leroy Balmain, executive director of the BBB, warned everyone to be careful when dealing with door-to-door salesper son. “Never sign a contract unless you’ve read it and it meets with your approval,” said Balmain. Usually at the start of each semester several magazines sales’ crews come to Bryan-College Station and begin a massive sales campaign. Some students feel pres sured and others feel sorry for the sales person so they subscribe to a magazine they normally wouldn’t buy. Balmain said that as far as he knows there haven’t been any sales’ crews in Bryan-College Station since early January. Students are encouraged to call the BBB if they feel skeptical about the reputation of the salesperson’s company. The BBB keeps files on all companies and salesper sons who register with them. They can tell a student whether or not the company is reputable, but they cannot counsel anyone on whether or not to buy from the sales person. Students living on the Texas A&M cam pus are protected from salespersons by the Concessions Committee. This committee screens all salespersons and issues permits to the few who are allowed to sell their products on campus. A policy statement put out by the com mittee states: “No solicitation shall be permitted in the residence halls after 7:30 p.m. and prior to 8:00 a.m. nor shall door- to-door solicitation be permitted, other than for newspapers". Newspaper salespersons can go door- to-door only during the first week of a reg ular semester and the first two days of a summer session. They are also banned from going to any one room more than once unless the people in the room ask them to come back. Ron Blatchley, chairman of the Conces sions Committee, said no private enterprises are allowed to sell on campus unless they have a contract with the Uni versity. Texas A&M students who want to make extra money by selling products for such companies as Avon or Tupperware can apply for permits from the committee, but they are not allowed to sell door-to-door. DALE MYERS Strike negotiations resume at White House United Press International WASHINGTON — The soft coal indus try and United Mine Workers union — with a persuasive boost from President Carter — were back to full-scale negotia tions today in an effort to end the record coal strike. Bargainers for the two sides met for 90 minutes Wednesday night in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and laid the groundwork for the renewed sessions chaired by Labor Secretary Ray Marshall today. The effects of the strike, which began Extension granted or fine payments BY ANDREA VALLS exas A&M University students failing pay traffic violation fines are being nted a four-week “grace period” by liege Station Police Department before ing issued an additional $28.50 late e. This four-week time allowance is an in- Uive for students to pay their traffic kets, said Bernard Kapella, crime pre- ntion officer for the department. He t ded that hy March 13, students will be t a summons for failure to appear with $28.50 fine. hckets dismissed If offenders take defensive driving By BILL WILSON [Tickets appealed in the court of Judge [en Robisom stand an excellent chance of ping dismissed if the offender goes to a elensive driving class. The Lions Club offers the course onthly, usually on the third weekend el the month. If the number of people larrants it, another class will be held P the following weekend. The enrollment |e is $10. The same course is offered in Bryan by ftp Optimists Club for $15. It too, is of- Ired on a monthly basis. Their classes Isually meet during the week. I The class certificate can also be used to Iwer insurance rates. Some insurance lompanies offer a 10 percent discount on |omprehensive insurance for completion fan accredited defensive driving course. The judge has the option of offering the lefensive driving course to the defendant, nd-or making him pay the fine. Kapella said police have a problem with students failing to pay traffic violation fines. “We have a whole slew of tickets, about 200, that people haven’t paid since last June,” said Kapella. “When they signed that ticket, they signed a promise to appear in court. If they don’t appear, then we will fine them $28.50 for another offense, that of failure to appear in court,” he added. Traffic violators must appear in court within 10 days of the date the ticket was issued. Failure to appear in court results in the $28.50 fine in addition to the cost of the original ticket, said Kapella. In cases where the late fine is not paid within 10 days, a warrant for arrest is is sued. Kapella added that violators will either pay the fine or sit in jail at the rate of $5.00 per day until appearing before court. For instance if a student fails to pay a ticket and the late fine of $40, he would spend eight days in jail. “Rather than embarrass a student by ar resting him at school for failure to pay his fines, we would rather alert him that there is a warrant out for his arrest by letter,” said Kapella. “It’s not that they are not paying inten tionally, it’s just that they forget,” he said. Kapella said since many students ride bicycles, several of the tickets include bicycle violations. “Bicycle fines are the same as automobile fines,” he said, “so the tickets could range form $12.50 for run ning a stop sign to $28.50 for speeding. “Before we didn’t have enough man power to follow up with failures to appear notices and warrants for arrest. But now we have the manpower and we’re going to use it to keep up with the work,” said Kapella. Remember that ticket you received last semes ter for speeding down Texas Avenue? Well, now is the time to pay for that traffic violation at the Battalion photo by Michael Free College Station Police Department. Beginning March 13, late fines of $28.50 will be attached to your ticket as a late penalty. Ali deposed after close 15 rounds United Press International LAS VEGAS — Muhammad Ali grew old in the ring at the age of 36 and in a split decision reluctantly bequeathed his heavyweight championship to 24-year-old upstart Leon Spinks. Relentless Father Time was in Spinks’ Every punch Spinks threw. Father Time was there to double it. Every dance Ali began, Father Time was there to stop the music: Ali aged 10 years in an hour. “I really felt my age holding me back,” Ali said moments after the fight, the blood still fresh on his lower lip and his brow swollen. Spinks, virtually unmarked, fought an inspired 15-round bout, attacking Ali with unleashed fury, completing his rise from a St. Louis ghetto to sport’s richest prize. Only 18% months ago Spinks won the Olympic 178-pound gold medal and now, 20 pounds heavier, he scored one of the greatest upsets in ring history. “I want to relax, enjoy myself and blow a few dollars,” Spinks said as he hugged his friends and relatives in the tumultuous after-fight scene. “I’ve had two dreams — to be the Olympic champion and to be the world heavyweight champion. I’ve got them both now. I’ve got everything.” Ali didn’t argue with the narrow deci sion. He didn’t claim he’d been robbed. Instead, he sat somberly with his wife and close friends and spoke in whispers with an almost vacant expression on his face. “I don’t know if I can come back again, ” he said softly. “I’m tired. Very tired. I want to have a rematch. I want to be the first man to win the title three times. “People said to me. You were robbed. I wasn’t robbed. The man was aggressive. He landed some of the best punches. I was on the defense, he was on the offense. An estimated 70 million viewers across the United States saw the fight and count less millions more watched it throughout Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa. Dec. 6, have caused energy disruption in several states. Ohio and Indiana are the hardest hit, and major utilities there have announced they will reduce power next week, a step that could lead to cutbacks in commercial and industrial operations and possibly mass layoffs. In addition, the nation’s top automakers said energy reductions may lead to the layoff of hundreds of thousands of workers by the end of the month. It was the longest continuous nationwide strike in history. Carter spoke for five minutes at the out set of Wednesday night’s session, and ac cording to press secretary Jody Powell, urged the negotiators to reach a quick set tlement to prevent harm to the nation. The president, who has warned of a pos sible back-to-work order if talks fail, said if the new negotiations break down “it would hurt both the operators and the union, but . . . most important of all it would hurt the country.” Carter has power under the Taft-Harley Act to order the miners back to work for an 80-day cooling off period. Both Marshall and UMW president Ar nold Miller were optimistic as they left the session. “Were most anxious to come back to morrow and get down to business,” said Miller. “I’m somewhat optimistic that ifwe follow the format we set here tonight, we ll get very close to where we want to go to. Marshall said the mood “was good, heated in some cases. “It wasn’t angry,” he added. “Just . . . firmly stated positions. T thought it went well, Marshall said. “The positions were laid out in general terms. It set a good foundation for our work tomorrow. Industry officials left the scene without commenting. Earlier in the day. Miller expanded the union team from six to nine, adding three members of the UMW bargaining council, who had voted 30-6 to reject a tentative settlement reached by Miller. The Bituminous Coal Operators Associa tion at first refused Carter's call for the White House session, but changed position within three hours with Marshall s inter cession. The rejected coal pact would have boosted miners’ average pay from $7.80 to $10.15 an hour over three years, guaran teed medical benefits cut off during the strike, and restructured the union's de pleted pension funds. Rank-and-file miners, however, were in furiated by a provision allowing coal operators to fine wildcat strikers up to $20 a day. And they were unhappy with the pen sion changes, elimination of cost-of-living increases and with controversial produc tion incentives.