Viewpoint
The Battalion Wednesday
Texas A&M University March 8, 1978
Carter’s patience is costly politics
We’ve said here before that President Carter’s unwillingness to invoke the
Taft-Hartley Act earlier in the coal strike was a big mistake. Carter will
probably find out in the next month how big a mistake that was.
Collectively, the Appalachian coal miners are a very clannish group of
people, fiercely independent and stubbornly determined. To them, a gov
ernment back-to-work order is merely a piece of paper. The law is more the
word of the local union boss than governmental edict. So it might be ex
pected that unhappy miners will ignore the 80-day cooling off period of
Taft-Hartley and take matter into their own hands. Carter has readied troops
if there is violence, but that’s a weak precaution for a situation that never
should have arisen.
Carter waited too late to exercise his powers. The fuse was lit weeks ago
after negotiations on the miners’ contract bogged to a standstill, and belated
injunctions won’t stop what’s coming. Taft-Hartley is only a delay, not a
solution by any means. The miners are tired of waiting and leery of political
machinery. Industry, too, is indignant after having conceded much in the
bargaining process only to be flatly rejected. Taft-Hartley isn’t going to cool
many tempers now.
It’s not too far fetched to predict escalating violence in the cooling off
period. Some miners blow up a coal train, the local troops move in. Sud
denly, the Appalachian mining family is enraged, and possibly federal inter
vention needed to back up the local authorities. If Carter was having prob
lems with his national image last week, he best not look up yet.
If he’s lucky enough to find only minor discontent among the miners in the
next 80 days, he still won’t be out of the woods. It’s hard to fool the rest of the
country when finally the results of this record-breaking standoff start hitting
home. It will take some time to begin getting coal out of the mines and into
homes and businesses again. Meanwhile, the costly shortage, eventually
charged to the consumer, drags on and will continue for at least another
Preparing f° r Flood v*-oo late. .
month. Even then, don t expect the higher prices of just about everything to
go down. And since the strike is not really over, come June the process may
start over again.
Carter has blown it coming and going in this one. Sure, it was a tough
situation, but the use of Taft-Hartley as a temporary solution early on when it
would have been stronger and less painful was not a hidden alternative. The
extent of this mistake is now a matter of degree.
./•A.
Student campaign will set precedent
By JIM CRAWLEY
I have a confession to make. The mayo-
rial prospect named Karl Crawley is not a
front for me to run for mayor. The candi
date with the same last name as mine also
has the same parents I do. In fact, he’s my
brother.
Now I know how William F. Buckley
felt upon hearing that his brother, James,
was running for U.S. Senator from New
York.
The 19-year-old candidate is an
environmental design sophomore living in
Aston Hall on campus. His motive for fil
ing was just to get his name on the April 1
ballot. With the simple, no-cost filing sys
tem in College Station this presented no
problems for Crawley.
With no filing fee, the prospective can
didate only needs 25 signatures from regis
tered voters in College Station. After
handing these signatures to the city secre
tary and signing a financial statement and a
loyalty oath, the prospect is on the ballot.
It only took Crawley a few hours of asking
friends, classmates and professors to sign
his petitions.
Since getting his name on the ballot
Crawley has taken to the campaign trail,
albeit in a modest way. Where he origi
nally planned only to get his name on the
ballot and nothing else, he has begun to
take aim at the issues of the campaign. He
doesn’t plan to spend any money on the
campaign. He is more than willing to an
swer any questions and to give his pos
itions and solutions to the problems of the
community.
Politics
So far, he has made no impossible
stands on the issues concerning the resi
dents of College Station. His main thrust
has been for an increase of the city’s recre
ational facilities. Crawley wants more park
space and construction of an indoor recrea
tion center.
The change in his stance, from laughing
to seriously looking at the issues, is an im
portant change for Crawley and the stu
dents of Texas A&M.
Students here are notoriously uncon
cerned with city politics. A streetside poll
of students would elicit responses ranging
from uninformed to “I have no right to be
concerned with local elections since I
won’t be here in four years.” Only a few
students are of the belief that they should
involve themselves in the politics of the
area.
Most students don’t realize that during
the four years they attend Texas A&M,
they are constantly influenced by deci
sions made by the local city councils.
As the city influences more students,
Aggies will have to become more involved
in the decision-making process of the city.
Within the past two years, the Greeks and
student government have been the only
student groups to present their ideas and
opinions before the council on a regular
basis.
The Greeks have been concerned about
a two-year old ordinance that restricts the
building of fraternity and sorority houses
within College Station. The ordinance re
quires that for each new organization’s
house a chapter must obtain a conditional
use permit from the city. This permit
places certain restrictions on the location
and plans for the meeting house or apart
ments.
Student government has fried () r n and off
to increase the drinking hours within the
city. They were partially successful when
they got the weekly total raised by one
hour on Fridays. With a liaison on the
council, student government should have
more political clout than any other student
group in the city.
These developments in the political
maturing of the A&M student can be fur
ther advanced by any student campaigning
for a city-wide office. But the advantage is
present only if the student-candidate is
conscious of his actions and motives.
The frivolity of getting one’s name on
the ballot just-for-the-hell-of-it can do ir
reparable harm to student efforts to gain
political power. Such stupidity by a single
student could cause the non-student resi
dents of College Station to vote down any
and all future student-candidates.
The student-candidate, especially one
for mayor, must not antagonize the non
student electorate, unless the political
power of the students is strong enough to
withstand any and all attacks by the politi
cal powers-to-be. The candidate must be
honest in his wish to fairly and accurately
represent all the citizens of College Sta
tion, not just the students.
Crawley has kept a low profile because
of his refusal to spend campaign funds.
This is advantageous at this time. If he had
decided to run an emotional, high-profile'
campaign which attacked the incumbant
mayor, he could have caused a backlash
from the permanent residents of College
Station that would have been felt for years
to come.
Although he probably won’t win the
mayorial election, Crawley probably can t
hurt the chance of another student run
ning for a council position in the future.
Letters to the editor
Railroad track move is a costly alternative
Editor:
Due to recfcnt events in Florida, the
board of regents has asked the railroads to
move their existing track away from cam
pus. When the explosion in Florida oc
curred, I knew this would happen. People
always seem to overreact every time a rail
road accident occurs. The board of regents
seem to be forgetting several important
facts.
The explosion is Florida was caused by
sabotage, not by bad track or equipment.
The Southern Pacific’s track was just up
graded last semester. Derailments on the
section of track adjacent to the campus are
not likely to happen.
Noise doesn’t really seem to be a prob
lem to me. I have found that the noise in
dorms of people playing their stereos is
louder than a passing train.
Laying new track is not exactly cheap.
In order for the railroad to move, a new
route will have to be planned, new land
will have to be purchased and leveled,
new track will have to be laid, and the old
track will have to be removed. Who does
the board of regents expect to pay for this,
the Southern Pacific? A company does not
make an expensive move just to keep some
people happy. If the board of regents
wants the railroad to move, they should
help the railroad pay for the move.
Slouch
by Jim Earle
“WITHOUT QUESTION, ONE OF THE MOODIEST
GUYS I KNOW!”
I think the board of regents should take
a harder look at their proposal.
— Peter Bonney, ’81
Thanks, RHA
Editor:
On behalf of the Texas Residence Hall
Association I would like to publicly thank
my friends who did so much to make the
TRHA Conference a success. Their untir
ing efforts yielded a super convention that
will be remembered for a long time. My
sincere thanks to Curtis Cline, Jim
Snyder, Pete Brennan, Kristie Johnson,
Jim Calle, Patti Laferty, April Robertson,
Ann Tessem, Troy Ross, Libby Wal
lingford, Dubb Smith, Dale Gaskill, Kathy
McCoy, Nolen Mears, and the countless
other workers and delegates who partici
pated .
— Greg Henington
President TRHA
Canal vote
Editor:
In protest of the ratification of the
Panama Canal Treaties, I write this letter
for a matter of record and to express my
deep concern. After visiting the Canal
Zone and Panama (the difference of day
light and dark) on two occasions, I have
reason to believe this ratification would
bring devastating effects upon our coun
try, our children and our children’s chil
dren through the years to come. This is
frightening when we know our future is in
the hands of vote-seeking politicians,
brainwashed by the Carter Administra
tion.
After writing Senators Tower and
Bentsen, I learned Senator Tower will
vote to keep our canal in Panama. Senator
Bentsen will vote to pay Panama to take it
from us. To quote Sunday, March 5, 1978
Eagle “Bentsen said his office had re
ceived about 26,000 letters opposing the
ratification compared to about 300 letters
in favor. Texans were asked whether they
favored the proposed treaties that would
turn ownership and control of the Panama
Canal over to the Republic of Panama.
Almost 80 percent responded with a NO
answer. ”
Yet, knowing this. Senator Lloyd
Bentsen and a great number of other
senators are going to vote “their way and
not vote the voice of their constituents!
This is something to remember at election
time. Panamanians received the privilege
to vote on the treaty ratification. Why
weren’t we, the people of the United States,
given that same privilege to vote on such
an issue so vital and important to our very
own future?
We are being “sold down the canal
without a boat or a paddle or a passport!
— Mrs. Helen Pugh
Little help
Editor:
This letter is not to you, it is to the good
Ag who ran into my car (a green Gremlin,
since you didn t stop long enough to
notice). You will be happy to know that my
car is drivable, and that I am not hurt,
physically. You have, however, destroyed
my faith in most Aggies. And to you Aggies
who walked by and wondered whether I
was crying and whether you could help,
but then decided not to get involved —
yes, I was crying and yes you could have
helped. But that’s okay. I have some
friends (non-students) who came to my re
scue.
But don’t get me wrong. I have not lost
my faith in all Aggies. I was in an accident
two weeks ago (yes 1 am a jinx) in Gid-
dings, Texas. Many people helped includ
ing some Aggies. So it appears there are
some good Ags in the world, just not in
Aggieland. Since I can think of no other
way to ensure that there are good Ags in
Aggieland, I am going to get up off my lazy
can and become one myself. So:
To anyone, anywhere, who has a prob
lem and needs a friend; if I am around I
will help: if I am not around try to call me,
I will try to help.
— Cathy Pudlewski, ’80
Readers’ Forum
Guest viewpoints, in addi
tion to Letters to the Editor,
are welcome. All pieces sub
mitted to Readers’ forum
should be:
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•line
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Top of the News
Campus
Influenza drug study reports due
Volunteers in the Influenza Drug Study are reminded to to turn in i ,lc M> °
their weekly reports and receive their payment at the University a nl
Beutel Health Center reception desk on Thursday or Friday, during answei,
normal clinic hours. ptrance
Bookstore profit funding meeting
There will be an informal meeting for all eligible student organiza
tions who wish to apply for bookstore profit funding. The meetingwill
be at 5 p.m. Thursday in Room 301 of Rudder Tower. Budget re
quests must be submitted by March 31.
Deadline for Parents of the Year
Deadline for submitting recommendations for Parents of the Year
is 5 p.m., March 20. Recommendations will be available in and
should be submitted to the Student Government office, Room216in
the Memorial Student Center.
Applications for grants due soon
The last day for receiving applications for Basic Educational Oppor
tunity Grants for the 1977-78 academic year is next Wednesday. The
applications must arrive at the Basic Grant Office, P.O. Box B, Iowa
City, Iowa 52240 by that date to be processed for this 1977-78
academic year.
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State
Canal impact on Texas reviewed
Texas Speaker Bill Clayton has asked a special panel to decide
whether ratification of the Panama Canal treaties would cost Texas
jobs. Monday Clayton told the panel in Austin he hoped they could
submit an impact statement to the state’s senators by the end of the
week. Clayton said a similar study showed Maryland woidd lose about
700 jobs if the canal treaties are ratified by' the Senate. “None of us
knows exactly what the impact on Texas woidd be, he said. “Wehave
some suspicions it could be a severe impact on Texas under certain
conditions.”
S.A. mayor asked to resign
In a squabble between the five Anglo and six minority members of
the San Antonio city council, a Mexican-American councilman has
asked Mayor Lila Cockrell to resign. “1 don’t think she has any busi
ness being at the helm of this city . Councilman Joe Alderete said.
The ethnic split began when five Mexican-Americans and one black
were elected to the council from single-member districts forced on
the city by a Justice Department edict two years ago. The split wide
ned the past few weeks when Cockrell and the other four Anglo
council members lined up in opposition to a $98.4 million capital
improvements bond issue.
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Striking farmers stop trucks
Dissident farmers from the Dakotas to Texas peacefully stopped
trucks Tuesday urging the men who transport the nation’s food sup
ply to respect their strike against low agriculture prices. There was no
reported violence add, for the most part, the picketing consisted only
ol handing out pamphlets and pressing American Agriculture Move
ment stickers on vehicle bumpers. “We re trying to disrupt the sup
ply of food to the grocery stores, said Mike Paschel at the American
Agriculture Movement’s Texas headquarters in Hereford, Texas.
“We don’t want to starve anybody,” he said. “We’d just like to get
their attention. We want to make sure Congress knows we re still out
here.
Nation
Vicksburg explosion injures 3
A Vicksburg, Miss, chemical plant that produces a cotton poison
exploded Tuesday spewing fire, smoke and noxious fumes that in
jured at least three persons and forced the evacuations of thousands
from schools, homes and businesses along both banks of the Miss
issippi River. Authorities sealed off the area around the Vicksburg
Chemical Co., which exploded during the late moring hours. High
ways and a major river bridge were closed by police.
Bullet remains in Hustler editor
One of two bullets that struck Hustler magazine publisher Larry
Flynt remains lodged in his abdomen and will have to be removed
later, a spokesman for Flynt said Tuesday in Lawrenceville, Ga.
Flynt underwent a second operation early Tuesday to stop excessive
bleeding from two bullet wounds in his abdomen. He was reported in
critical condition but stronger and more alert. Flynt was shot by a
sniper Monday. Police are still searching the area of the shooting for
clues.
Non-union miners to be protected
The governor of Virginia today declared a state of emergency
Tuesday and joined other coal-producing states in providing protec
tion for non-union miners and truckers. Gov. John N. Dalton dou
bled the number of state police assigned to coal fields in southwest
Virginia and placed hundreds of National Guardsmen on alert incase
they are needed to protect miners who want to comply with Presi
dent Carter’s order to end their three-month strike and return to
work. “We are intent in Virginia to see to it that anyone who wants to
move coal or mine coal is protected, Dalton said.
Weather
Mostly cloudy and cool today turning and cold tonight. High
today upper 50s, low tonight near 40. High tomorrow upper
60s. Winds from the north at 10-15 mph. Fair and warm
through the weekend with highs in the upper 70s and lows in
the low 50s.
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