The Battalion
Vol. 71 No. 130 Thursday, April 6, 1978 News Dept. 845-2611
10 Pages College Station, Texas Business Dept. 845-2611
Inside Thursday:
Yell leaders go too far, p. 2.
Nitrogen -f- oil = more oil, p. 6.
How women fare in A&M sports, p.
9.
Ags defeat Astros
1-0 in 10 innings
By DERRICK GRUBBS
Houston Astros’ shortstop Roger
Metzger took a long swig from a cold
can of Coors and answered the ques
tion without hesitation.
“Texas A&M really impressed
me. Anytime a college team can
beat a major league club, it’s to their
credit. Their pitching wasn’t over
powering, but they definitely had an
idea of where the strike zone was. ”
The reason for the praise was
A&M’s ten-inning 1-0 victory over
Houston in an exhibition baseball
I game before a crowd of 2,691 at
Olsen Field.
The two teams had played to a
scoreless tie after nine innings, but
I the Ags pushed across the winning
run on three straight singles in the
bottom of the tenth.
The rally started with one out
when catcher Buster Turner singled
and advanced to third base on a
single by rightfielder Gary Bryant.
A&M coach Tom Chandler placed
freshman Rodney Hodde as a pinch
hitter for second basemand Randy
Woodruff. The first-year man from
i Burton lined an 0-1 pitch into
right-centerfield to score Turner
I with the winning run.
Until that point, neither team had
staged many serious threats. A&M
did not advance a runner to second
base until the sixth inning. The As
tros had only one runner reach sec-
I ond and that wasn’t until the eight
inning on back-to-back singles by
Metzger and second baseman Julio
Gonzales.
Houston started the same lineup
\ that they will open with against the
Cincinnati Reds. The starters are
Bob Watson, Cesar Cedeno, Enos
| Cabell, Art Howe, Terry Puhl, Jose
| Cruz and Roger Metzger.
Starting catcher Joe Ferguson had
| to leave the game in the second
1 when he aggravated a rib injury suf
fered earlier in tbe spring.
The starting pitcher for the As-
I tros, Floyd Bannister, went the first
[ seven innings and proved why he
I was Houston’s number-one draft
; choice in 1976. The all-American
from Arizona State yielded only four
; hits, walked one and struck out se
ll ven.
Bannister was relieved by rookie
Tom Dixon, who had just made the
club Tuesday following the final cut
(See Aggies, page 10)
The Houston Astros completed their pre-season
tour Wednesday with an exhibition game against
the Aggies. And although outscored, the Astros
stole the show. Youngsters passed programs and
Battalion photo by Jana Ha/.lett
baseballs to Houston’s Joaquin Andujar (above,
right) before the game. Above, second baseman
Julio Gonazlez tags out Aggie shortstop Robert
Bonner, as Astro Roger Metzger runs behind.
Republicans taking stand,
state party chairman says
I
By PAUL BARTON
State Republican Party Chairman Ray Barnhart said
Wednesday night that now “it is almost respectable to be a
Republican. ” He spoke at a meeting of the Young Ameri
cans for Freedom at the Memorial Student Center.
Barnhart said that more people are being attracted to the
party because, “We re standing for something and not rely
ing on stratagems and platitudes. Later, he added, “We re
trying to address issues that affect people.”
A former state legislator from Houston, Barnhart was co-
chairman of the Texas Citizens for Reagan campaign com
mittee in Texas in 1976.
He said that in the past the Republican party has been a
failure in Texas. One of its problems, he said, was not being
able to relate to people. However, he said that was changing
now. For example, Barnhart said the Republican Executive
Committee now meets quarterly in order to give people a
chance to challenge party leadership and share ideas.
Barnhart also said that in the future more people will be
attracted to the party because it gives them “a chance to
express themselves. More Republicans are running for
local office than ever before, Barnhart added.
In comparing parties, Barnhart said Democrats are more
concerned with electing people to office while Republicans
“cause-oriented” and said members of the party are not
afraid to discuss issues. In contrast, he accused the Demo
crats of trying to surpress discussion within their party in
order to present a unified front.
On the Panama Canal issue, he said it was an act of “dup
licity” to talk about justice and then turn the canal over to a
dictator. He also said the treaty reflected “part of our global
retreat.” For these reasons, he said it would lead to a “di-
minishment of the stature of the U.S.“
Senate extends
campus elections
By Liz Newlin
Battalion Staff
The student senate voted to keep the
campus election polls open until Friday,
from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. because many of the
polls opened late or were closed on Wed
nesday.
In their Wednesday night meeting, the
senate also recommended increasing stu
dent service fees by $1 to help pay for a
year-long test of the on-campus shuttle
bus system.
Mike Humphrey, student body presi
dent, requested the voting extension near
the end of the more than four-hour-long
meeting, the last for the current senate
season. The senate also approved his re
quest that Sbisa Dining Hall polls be open
until 7 p.m. Thursday. All others were to
be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.
A lack of poll workers caused the delays,
Humphrey said. He refused to “brand
anyone as incompetent,” but he noted that
election commissions in the past have
been successful in recruiting enough
workers.
Humphrey was also instrumental in
guiding the bill to increase student service
fees through the senate. He told senators
the on-campus shuttle system would cost
$60-65,000 next year, adding that Univer
sity officials favored a plan where the stu
dent service fees would provide two-thirds
of the funds and Memorial Student Center
Book Store profits would provide the other
third. The students’ share will be about
$40,000. About $60,000 should be gener
ated from the $1 increase, Humphrey
said, and the “extra money will be used to
pay increasing costs of the off-campus
shuttle bus system.
A report from E.C. Oates, chairman of
the shuttle bus operations committee,
showed that an average of about 1,300 rid
ers use the six-bus on-campus system each
day. Average cost per passenger carried is
46 cents. The senate agreed with Oates
that next year’s test should use four buses
instead of six.
In other business, senators voted to
switch companies in their refrigerator re
ntal program.
Refrigerators from the new contractor
will be new and larger, Humphrey said.
Student government refrigerator profits
will rise from $6-7,000 to about $10,000
per year, he said. Cost to the students
probably also will rise, he said, from $52 a
year to not more than $60 a year.
Senators also made changes in the stu
dent body constitution that students will
approve or disapprove in a referendum on
April 19. The most controversial change
was the creation of an “executive vice pres
ident” from the executive director’s post.
Under the proposed constitution, the stu
dent body president will appoint the vice
president. The appointment is subject to
two-thirds majority approval by the se
nate.
Succession to the presidency also was
changed. The newly-created executive
vice president would assume the post au
tomatically. If he resigned, the senate
would select a new president from the
student body. Gone would be the provi
sion that only vice presidents are eligible
for the top post.
Senators narrowly defeated a bill to
raise the number of freshmen senators
from five to seven. A later attempt to re
consider the bill also was disapproved.
The senate amended its budget to in
crease funds for Parents’ Day, which is fi
nanced solely by student government.
This is a change from past years, when the
University helped pay for the awards
ceremony and printing.
Senators also approved a resolution to
investigate a low cost, long-distance tele
phone service for students.
Resolutions supporting efforts to relo
cate the railroad tracks west of the main
campus and to evaluate the use of bicycle
storage facilities also received approval
from the out-going senate.
South Texas officials
named in federal suit
United Press International
BROWNSVILLE — Attorneys for 210 farmers have filed a federal suit against
law enforcement and city officials of McAllen and Hidalgo. The farmers were
routed with tear gas and nightsticks last month when they blockaded an interna
tional bridge.
The suit was mailed to the defendent Wednesday on behalf of the American
Agriculture Movement, the Texas Farmers Union and as a class action on behalf of
the farmers who demonstrated from as far away as Georgia.
The 2J0 farmers are asking for damages, totaling $14.7 million — $70,000 each.
Filed by the Texas Civil Liberties Union, the suit also charges the Hidalgo
County Sheriff's Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety with
violating the farmers civil rights.
As part of the nationwide farmers strike, the farmers traveled to Hidalgo in
March to demonostrate against the import of Mexican agriculture products.
U.S. farmers maintained that Mexican fruits and vegetables were treated with
inexpensive chemicals outlawed in the United States. They also contended that
the import of this less expensively cultivated produce tended to depress U.S.
prices.
The air hoses were slashed on a truck loaded with Mexican onions on the
international bridge at Hidalgo. Police responded by firing tear gas into the crowd
of farmers. At least five men and one woman were injured.
Officers said the farmers had not complied with demands to end a blockade of
traffic across the bridge to Reynosa, Mexico. But, the suit rejects that contention,
saying the farmers followed every police order and were moving to clear the area
when police began using the tear gas and nightsticks.
Most of the 210 farmers arrested spent 53 hours in the Hidalgo County Jail on
misdemeanor charges of obstructing a roadway, demanding that the charges be
dropped.
In the face of a counter-demonstration when 500 more angry farmers began a
demonstration outside the jail, Hidalgo County officials relented. They reduced
the charges to a Class C misdemeanor of attempting to block a passageway. The
farmers were released on cash bonds of $28.50 each.
The farmers announced they accepted the reduced charges only because the
demonstration outside had become “volatile. " As part of the release agreement,
the farmers returned to the same bridge on March 4 and blockaded it for 30
minutes while police stayed at a distance.
Along with monetary damages, the suit asks the U.S. District Court to expunge
records of their bond payments and order destruction of fingerprints and photo
graphs that they contend were illegally obtained while they were in custody.
The suit demands $60,000 for each farmer arrested for deprivation of rights to
free speech, peaceful assembly and freedom from infliction of cruel and unusual
punishment; $10,000 each for pain and humiliation caused by the arrests, and
$50,000 each in exemplary damages.
Candidate at local restaurant
Clements confident of victory
Battalion photo by Lee Roy Leschper Jr.
Republican candidate for governor Bill Clements (right) talks
politics with a Texas A&M student over a glass of beer. Clements
supporters sponsored a “Free beer and pizza” rally for Texas A&M
students at a local pizza parlor Wednesday. Clements’ wife Rita
listens attentatively.
By ANDREA VALLS
Pizza and politics.
Bill Clements, Republican gubernato
rial candidate, used this combination to
rally support from Texas A&M University
students at a local restaurant Wednesday
in College Station. Clements also spoke at
a press conference at Ramada Inn in Col
lege Station.
Clements said at the press conference
he received his “first concrete evidence”
that he will be the next Republican Gov
ernor of Texas from a recent statewide
survey. This survey, conducted by Lance
Tarrance and Associates, a political survey
company in Houston, indicates a 48 per
cent support of Clements, 22 percent for
his Republican primary opponent and 32
percent undecided.
Addressing his Democratic competi
tion, Clements said he thinks there will be
a run-off in the May 6 primary between
Governor Briscoe and Hill. “It all depends
on how the momentum of the race goes in
the next 30 days,” he said.
Turning to the problems of Texas farm
ers, Clements said that 100 percent parity
is not the solution. “This is only more gov
ernmental interference. I want the gov
ernment to open the free market of the
world for farmers. Let the farmer produce;
that’s what he does best,” said Clements.
Clements told students at the restaurant
that he is “not afraid of getting in front of
the issue for Texas farmers,” and that he is
extremely sympathetic to the farmer and
his economic plight.
If he were elected, Clements, an oil and
gas drilling contractor, said he would sup
port and fight for the immediate deregula
tion of natural gas and would support fur
ther oil and gas reserve exploration. “I
want to turn loose the government fetters
of regulation. Let American industry solve
this problem,” he said. “Conservatism
won’t do it, talks won’t do it . . . only de
regulation will change this issue,” he said.
Students questioned Clements about
his position on the controversial neutron
bomb issue. “Well, Mr. Carter’s made
another mistake,” he replied. “This is a
nuclear weapon system we need for NATO
relationships and trade negotiations,” he
said.
Clements said he is “totally opposed to
amnesty for illegal aliens.”
“Granting amnesty can only overload
our schools, our municipal districts, and
our tax structure,” he said. “If we grant
amnesty, we also grant instant citizenship
and instant Democrats to Texas,” said
Clements.
Clements said his candidacy in the
gubernatorial race should benefit other
Republican candidates throughout the
state. He said he is well-known in national
Republican politics, although he proclaims
not to be a politician.
Texas A&M students cheered for Cle
ments and even saluted him with a yell
conducted by three uniformed Texas
A&M yell leaders... “Beat the hell Outa
Dolph Briscoe.
Clements said he is very confident of
student support because he represents the
student’s dream , .a young person with no
thing, working his way to the top, he said.