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Viewpoint
The Battalion Wednesday
Texas A&M University March 15, 1978
Tuning in
While the Panama Canal treaties debates in the U.S. Senate may give the
impression to readers of the news accounts that it is just another desultory
near-filibuster, something else is coming through to those citizens who have
had the time and interest to stay with the radio broadcasts of the debate
brought by the National Public Radio network. , • l ,
No doubt it is pleasing to the senators to leam that they are being heard
and appreciated out there, and if they can achieve an individual sense of
statesmanship through the knowledge that millions are listening and evalua
ting, that should be all to the good. ^ .
Frank Manakiewicz, president of National Public Radio, was in town last
week for a broadcasting convention, and he found satisfaction in estimating
that 10 million were tuned in on the Panama Canal show. That s a lot more
listeners than the Congressional Record has readers.
San Francisco Chronicle
'tab itAO? ©H7J meat
ATRUCK-EATIN'PAWGt,..
VEIL,I GOT WORSE NEWS GRIFFIN,
IG0T1W5 THING FLOORED i
The other side
of the story
By WILLIAM RASPBERRY
WASHINGTON — Look at it one way
and you see 160,000 self-centered, de
fiant, violence-prone miners, deaf to the
appeals of their union leadership, blind to
the suffering of their fellow citizens and
hell-bent on destroying the American
economy.
Look at it another way, as I have been
trying to do in recent days, and you see
that the miners are victims right along
with the rest of us and that they don’t dare
give in.
It’s hard, initially, to see any of the cur
rent disaster from the miners’ point of
Commentary
view. The $10 hourly pay in the contract
offer they so overwhelmingly rejected — a
pay raise of some 38 percent — sounds
pretty good.
The initial impression was of tremen
dous White House pressure on the coal
operators to settle at virtually any cost,
and of eventual capitulation to outlandish
union demands. We talked about the costs
of the economic package to the economy as
a whole: what it would do to the price of
energy, of steel; how it would feed infla
tion, and the rest.
And all these things ae fairly accurate.
But now the reporters and the commen
tators are bringing us another side of the
controversy. The miners are defiant and
beyond the control of the United Mine
Workers leadership, all right,' but We re
finally beginning to.s^je that lYufhe'y wasn’t
the problem from thedbeginning.
What we are beginning to hear now are
reports of outrageous abuse of the miners
by their bosses, of abrogation — in spirit if
not in fact — of earlier contract provisions
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — With little public-
notice, Congress is about to pass a bill that
will affect the future work opportunities
of almost every American. It is a measure
opposed by most business organizations
and viewed with skepticism by the AFL-
CIO, and yet there is hardly a politician
ready to raise a word of caution about it.
It is the bill that would ban any manda
tory retirement age for federal workers and
give almost all private-sector employees
protection against involuntary retirement
up to the age of 70, instead of the present
ceiling of 65.
The political appeal of the measure is
indicated by the fact that it passed the
House last year with only four dissenting
votes. And it was approved in slightly dif
ferent form, by the Senate, with only seven
“nays.”
A conference committee of the two
bodies now has agreed on a compromise
version of the bill, which may be up for
Letters to the editor
Decision in
and the miners’ total, thoroughly justified,
lack of faith in the willingness of the
operators to do right by them.
I’ve just seen an excellent piece by
Thomas N. Bethell in the March issue of
the Washington Monthly. Even discount
ing for the fact that Bethell used to work
for the UMW, it’s impossible to come
away from his article without a lot of sym
pathy for the miners.'"
Above all, he, makes you understand
why the miners are so adamant in their
refusal to give up the idea of wildcat
expegt to receive something that will make
a contract with the United Mine Workers
worthy and valuable. A contract with your
association has no value because it is not
respected by the United Mine Workers.”
Next, a rank-and-file miner reacting to a
proposal for an explicit no-strike provision:
“Our people have a deep-seated prejudice
against this. They are not going to surren
der the right to strike if they feel they have
a just cause to strike for. ”
Finally, a member of the UMW leader
ship: “When the contract is made and
they were not made last week, or last
month. The first is from the negotiations of
1923; the second is from 1914; the third
dates back to 1902.
What the miners are fighting, through
(and frequently in spite of) their severely
weakened union, is the historically despo
tic attitude of the operators. Bargaining-
table gains, with arbitration as the
enforcement machinery of last resort,
mean nothing when the operators insist on
taking every single grievance to arbitration
instead of resolving the issues right at the
mines.
The result of the operator’s high
handedness has been a needless backlog of
unresolved complaints — some of them as
critical as safety measures and some as tri
vial as improved shower facilities — and a
deep reservoir of miner bitterness.
The recourse of the miners has been to
strike the local mines, whether the UMW
sanctions the strike or not. There is no way
the miners would give up the right to
strike (which they would have done under
the rejected proposal), even in exchange
for substantial pay increases.
That wasn’t the only problem with the
White House - forced, UMW-approved of
fer, but it was enough to force its rejection
by the rank and file.
Meanwhile, we all suffer. If the miners
refuse to return to the mines under Taft-
Hartley, the implications for national dis
aster are vast. Even if they do go back to
work, the money-cost of the contract will
send shockwaves through the whole
economy.
Either way, the miners’ adamnacy will
cost us all deafly. Rut the mindSrs aren’t
the only culprits, or even the principal
ones. That distinction has to go to the
operators.
(c) 1978, The Washington Post
strikes —** \Vfli'fe stoppages uiot sanctioned
by their .umor^le^d^jjtoi
their only levenfge irr enfbrcm'g the gains
they make at the bargaining table.
Bethell offers three instructive quotes.
First, a spokesman for the operators at the
bargaining table: “We are asking and shall
signed, if we expect the operators to carry
out those proyis.iyns that are advantageous
to us, we in turn must carry out just as
explicitly those provisions which are unfa
vorable to us.”
The three statements are a reasonable
representation of what is going on. But
Sneaking past old age
approval in the House as early as this week.
It is a politically appealing measure, de
scribed by proponents as an answer to the
evils of “age discrimination.” But, from
another perspective; it can also be called an
I m all right, Jack bill. For if it becomes
law, it means that those of us who have jobs
already can hold onto them longer, if we
wish, while younger people, scrambling for
Commentary
a foothold on the employment ladder, wait
still longer in the cold.
The hearings on this measure, which
whisked through Congress with extraordi
nary speed, are full of noble sentiment
about the rights of senior citizens. But they
are conspicuously lacking in anything that
can be called a solid estimate of the legisla
tion’s impact on a job market where teena
gers are having a tough time finding entry-
level opportunities, and minority youth
unemployment rates in some cities run up
to 40 percent.
It is known that voluntary early retire
ment before the traditional age of 65 has
become more and more popular in the past
decade.
Relying on that trend, the U.S. Depart
ment of Labor told Congress that it esti
mates that only 150,000 to 200,000 older
workers would take advantage of the bill’s
protection against forced retirement at age
65. Even a shift of 200,000 jobs from the
young to the normally retired is a social
decision of some consequence. But there
are indications the effects may be much
larger than that.
Arthur C. Prine, Jr., testifying for the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said it was
“very clear to us that if this legislation goes
th rough, it is going to undermine in many
companies the affirmative action programs
which provide for improved opportunities
for young and minority workers.” Vernon
Jordan of the National Urban League ex
pressed the same fear and so did Bert
Seidman, director of the Social Security
department of the AFL-CIO.”
Despite Seidman’s reasoned objections,
the AFL-CIO has now adopted a position of
neutrality toward the legislation, after win
ning a provision “grandfathering in” all
existing union contracts that have madnat-
ory retirement provisions at an age younger
than 70. “We decided,” said one AFL-CIO
lobbyist, “just to let Congress go its way.”
The Carter administration, no more
eager than Congress to affront the elderly
and their lobbies, is giving the bill its bless
ing. So there is little to halt its progress.
But the issue is there — whether we like
it or not. There are hard choices involved.
Every elderly third-grade teacher who de
cides to stay in the classroom an extra five
years means that five more classes will be
taught by a 1935 college-graduate, rather
than a 1975 graduate.
(c) 1978, The Washington Post
Austin could go one step further
Editor:
The following is a copy of a letter sent to
The Daily Texan, the student newspaper at
t.u.
To the students at Austin,
We, as students of Texas A&M Univer
sity, know the trials and tribulations of stu
dent governement. Like you, our often ig
nored, abused and inefficient student gov
ernment is more concerned with interpret
ing the myriad of rules and regulations that
established it instead of finding a way to get
juniors sideline football tickets instead of
endzone tickets for football games.
In response to your referendum last
week, we would like to congratulate you for
voting to abolish your antiquated student
government. Pprhaps if we re lucky, next
year you’ll abolish your school.
George Cowan, ’79 John Carter, ’81
Kevin O’Connor, ’81 Geoff Hackett, ’81
Don Jeffers, ’80 Richard Turner, ’78
Edwin Pickle, ’78 Brian Molehusen, ’78
Bruce Shaffer, ’81 Glyn LeBlanc, ’81
Marvin Morris, 78 G reg Berlocher, ’78
D.E. Freed, ’80 Marvin Chernosky, ’80
Greg Houston, ’79 Tony Jennings, ’81
Jeff Brown, ’81 J on Scott, ’80
Al Machemehl, ’79
FM service
Editor:
I was disappointed on Monday, March 6
to hear that after two weeks of coverage our
young radio station, KAMU-FM, was dis
continuing their broadcasts of National
Public Radio’s coverage of the U.S. Senate
debates on the Panama Canal treaties. I
had enjoyed this first-time-in-history live
coverage of the U. S. Senate in an important’
foreign policy debate. It gave me insights,
not just into the Panama Canal decision,
but into the strange working of the Senate
itself. I must add that KAMU-FM does
carry a one hour summary of the Senate
debates each evening, and I appreciate it.
This brings up the whole question of
KAMU-FM s purpose as a community
service radio station. The KAMU-FM
people apparently see as their chief role in
community service the broadcasting of
“easy listening’ music. But such music is
already provided both by commercial radio
stations and home music systems. And if
KAMU-FM is going to be primarily an easy
listening music station isn’t it competing
unfairly with commercial radio stations
who must subject their listeners to obnoxi
ous commercials while KAMU-FM can
broadcast uninterrupted music?
I feel that KAMU-FM’s major role is
community service should be the broad
casting of programs dealing with interna
tional, national, and local social, political,
economic, cultural and humanitarian af
fairs. The Senate debates on the Panama
Canal treaties and the weekly broadcasts of
the Naitonal Press Club luncheon are two
examples. Then KAMU-FM would be an
alternative to commercial radio rather than
just another station. It would provide lis
teners with programs that could be heard
on no other station. It would provide pro
grams which serve to increase the listeners
awareness on a wide range of vital topics.
Many such enlighting programs are being
produced by National Public Radio but not
broadcast by KAMU-FM.
I ask then, who makes the decisions con
cerning KAMU-FM’s programming? What
do other people feel KAMU-FM’s role
should be in providing the community with
a radio service?
—Douglas Schwepler
Editor’s note: Questions concerning
KAMU-FM programming may be di
rected to the station manager, Don Si
mons, at Texas A&M Educational Televi
sion on campus.
Top of the News
Campus
Symphonic band on the road
Texas A&M’s University Symphonic Band will be present x, ,
30-31 in performances at El Campo, Refiigio, Portlaml , i
ville. The 71-member band will perform 8 p.m. concerts c, KmgS
by the local high school bands in El Campo and Kin K svil? p nS n (1
organization will play for Refiigio and Gregory-Portland Hieh S K i
assemblies. All four tour performances will be in 24 hours C 1
ing its fourth year, the band is composed of students from 0 al]
ments of Texas A&M University. More than haff of its memCn"- eg '
„n t- a i3 i ■‘■cniuer!
all-male Texas Aggie Band.
all
softhe
Energy-saving advice available
Practical energy conservation advice is now available to Texas r
dents and businesses from the Texas Energy Extension Service(EES)
according to director Stephen Riter. In addition to the EF9 cm'
office at Texas A&M University, the service has five regionaloflU
operating energy conservation programs and responding to enem
related questions from the public. Area offices are operated bv t
University of Houston, University of Texas at San Antonio, Unive
sity of Texas at El Paso, University of Texas at Arlington and tt
Texas Agricultural Extension Service in Lubbock. All offices have a
variety of energy conservation publications available to the nublie
including information about insulation, air conditioning, heatpumm
windows, lighting, hot water conservation, and methods to incorno
rate energy efficiency into new homes. The EES office here <£
assistance to home builders, home buyers, savings and loan officers
real estate agents and appraisers, manufacturers, small businesses
public institutions, city governments, hospitals, architects and enei
neers. ^
State
Ranger settles in invasion suit
^ Ranger has settled a $1,250,000 federal invasion of privacy
suit out of court against Metro-Goldwyn Mayer and the National
Broadcasting Co. in the showing of the movie, “The Deadly Tower,’’
an attorney disclosed Tuesday — the day before trial was to have
begun. Attorney Donato Ramos, representing Ranger Ramiro Mar
tinez would not disclose terms of the out-of-court arrangement. “The
Deadly Tower was on based on the Aug. 1, 1966, sniping attack at
the University of Texas in Austin by Charles Whitman which killed 14
persons and wounded 32 others. Martinez, an Austin policeman at
h me > climbed the tower and he and another officer shot and
killed Whitman. Martinez and his wife, Vernell, sued for invasion of
privacy, breach of contract, fraud and for exemplary and punitive
damages in connection with the showing of the movie in 1975 and
again in 1977. The suit alleged that “such intrusion into plaintiffs
seclusion and personal lives was in no way related to the pertinent
incidents that The Deadly Tower’ purports to account.”
Zindler in on ticket-fixing
Marvin Zindler, reporter-commentator for KTRK-TV in Houston,
said the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct, at its regular meet
ing this weekend, will discuss alleged ticket-fixing by local police and
judges. A commission spokesman refused to reveal the subject of the
meeting Friday and Saturday in Austin, Texas. A jxilice spokesman
and the presiding municipal judge in Houston denied improper dis
missal of traffic citations. Zindler said the commission staff has asked
him to bring videotapes that he said prove illicit fixing of traffic cita
tions for friends and fellow officials.
TP&L rate increase challenged
World
Suspected hijacker Vietnam vet
Weather
Thursday. High today near 80, low tonight mid-40s.
tomorrow low 70s. Winds from the northwest at 10-15 mp >
diminishing tonight.
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The staff of the Public Utility Commission began presenting evi
dence Tuesday to show Texas Power & Light Co. is not entitled to a
requested $118 million rate increase. The commission staff an
nounced before the hearings began March 6 it would recommend an
increase for TP&L of $32 million — $86 million less than the com
pany requested. The PUC hired a Dallas firm to audit TP&L and its
parent company, Texas Utilities Co., before the rate case began.
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An unemployed 27-year-old man suspected of commandeering a
jetliner over the San Francisco Bay area and forcing it to fly to Den
ver was a Vietnam war veteran with a history of nervous disorders,
the FBI and the suspect’s father said Tuesday. Clayton Thomas
father said the hijacking “was just some pathetic cry for help. Thom
surrendered to FBI agents at Stapleton International Airport Monday
night after three crewmen on the United Air Lines 727 jumped
safety from the cockpit. Thomas was charged with air piracy and e
on $250,000 bond. His father said he was being treated for a nervou
disorder following a breakdown several years ago while in the Army,
and was taking a strong tranquilizer at the time of the hijacking.
Partly cloudy and mild today. Fair and cooler tonigM^
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