Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Wednesday
October 18, 1978
OCSA needs a start
Today is the deadline for filing for Off-Campus Student Association represen
tative positions.
The problem is that only six students have even filed for the 22 positions.
The organization started two years ago after much planning in an effort to
consolidate and represent the mass of off-campus students attending Texas
A&M.
The 23,000 students seem to be scarce when it comes to their own organiza
tion.
} The only qualifications for running are a 2.25 grade point ratio and residency
in the zone they would represent.
I The organization is still a fledgling. But it could be as important as the
0n-campus organizations that unite students in common goals, like the Resi
dence Hall Association or Student Government.
I The deadline is 3 p.m. How about it?
The oil embargo threat - 5 years later
By JOHN F. SIMS In Europe, Germany and Holland ban- A Shell Oil Co. spokesman, for instance, working stocks and inste
UPI Business Writer ne< ^ except emergency use of au- warned: “We can weather a short em- pation of oil or natural g
tomobiles on Sundavs. Oneen Juliana and harcrn bnf- an ^vt^nd^d \x/mdd APT rennrt said
J WASHINGTON — Just suppose the
(^amp David Middle East summit be
tween Egypt and Israel had failed.
‘ And suppose President Sadat of Egypt
Had been able to persuade his oil-rich Arab
ftiends the only weapon that might bring
pressure to bear on Israel would be an
gmbargo on oil deliveries to the United
States.
i If the Arab oil producing countries went
along with it, what would be the effect on
the United States?
‘ Five years ago today, in the middle of
the Yom Kippur war, the Arab oil pro
ducers put into effect an oil embargo
aimed at swaying world support in favor of
the Arab side of the conflict.
In 1973, the United States depended on
Arab oil producers for 13.6 percent of total
imports and 4.8 percent of total supplies.
Where do we stand five years later?
In the first three months of this year the
Arab producers provided 49.6 percent of
total U.S. imports and 15.5 percent of
U.S. needs.
The United States depends on Arab oil
much more now than it ever did.
Robert Hemphill, a deputy assistant
secretary at the Department of Energy,
said President Carter had given formula
tion of a national energy policy such a high
priority precisely because of America’s in
creased reliance on imported Arab oil.
What are the chances of another oil em
bargo?
“It is difficult to discount completely,”
Hemphill said, as long as Israel remains at
Ibgg’erheads with its' Middle East
neighbors.
“The cost of another embargo would be
so vast that it is wise to take any and all
precautions possible,” he said.
Frank Ikard, president of the American
Petroleum Institute, said: “Five years
after the Arab oil embargo the nation has
accomplished little toward alleviating the
effects of a possible new one.
“To put it bluntly, should an embargo
occur tomorrow, we could be more vul
nerable than ever,” he said.
In fact, before the Camp David summit
there were reports that President Sadat
had asked Arab oil producers if they would
back his political efforts with an oil em
bargo if necessary. Their answer, if the re
ports are correct, is not known.
| The embargo began Oct. 18, 1973, and
lasted until March 18, 1974.
The cutbacks imposed gradually by the
Arab oil producers reduced the availability
df Arab oil from 20.8 million barrels a day
ih October, 1973, to 15.8 million barrels
by December.
The total Arab cut was of 5 million bar
rels a day. Increased production in
Canada, Iran and Nigeria made up about
600,000 barrels a day.
The cutback was on the order of seven
percent of total daily production, but
shortages were widely felt.
In Europe, Germany and Holland ban
ned all except emergency use of au
tomobiles on Sundays. Queen Juliana and
the rest of the Dutch royal family rode
bicycles to set an example.
The blow for European countries was
cushioned by their stockpiles of as much as
two months of average need.
Arab attitudes toward consumer nations
changed as the latter changed their Mid
dle East policies.
Britain, which significantly shifted its
pro-Israeli stance to clear-cut support of
the Arab position early in the October
war, was placed on the Arab “priority” list
to receive oil imports as usual. But the oil
companies still cut exports to Britain de
spite angry confrontations with then Prime
Minister Edward Heath.
Japan, which depends on imports for
about 98 percent of its oil needs, issued a
series of statements designed to appease
Arab exporters and week by week shifted
away from support of Israel.
American oil experts have said the em
bargo worked so well in the United States
because of U.S. government regulations.
To “share the shortage,” the government
prohibited refiners from processing more
than a certain amount of crude oil even if it
had been available.
According to some, if price restrictions
had been lifted American oil companies
could have paid the kind of prices that
would have brought the United States all
the oil it needed from non-Arab sources.
The evidence does not really support
that view. The German government, for
instance, decided to rely on market forces
to keep up essential supplies. But despite
the fact Germany was paying higher prices
for oil than, say, France, it still was among
the worst affected.
Later analysis revealed the Arab oil em
bargo was 91 percent effective.
Economists are divided on how badly
the United States would be affected by a
new embargo.
Some, looking at the simple fact half
America’s oil imports are from Arab coun
tries, fear a disastrous worst.
A Shell Oil Co. spokesman, for instance,
warned: “We can weather a short em
bargo, but an extended embargo would
entail a disruptive change and possibly a
major economic recession. ”
Others, bearing in mind customary dis
sension within the Arab world, an im
proved stockpile situation and the proba
bility of better organization of supplies,
are more hopeful.
The United States itself has virtually no
“shut-in” production capacity — wbich
means there is almost no leeway to pro
duce more oil domestically in an
emergency.
Non-Arab oil exporting countries —
Iran, Nigeria, Indonesia, Venezuela,
Canada and others — have some excess
capacity they could bring into play. But
the total would fall far short of making up
the difference.
Three years ago the United States de
cided that by 1982 it would establish a
strategic oil reserve of about 500 million
analysis
barrels, enough at that time to ensure
about three months supply.
President Carter revised the plan to
make 1980 the target date for the three-
month reserve.
But by August the nation had only six
days supply in underground storage. The
Department of Energy plans to have 125
million barrels stored by the end of the
year.
One, interesting development noted by
the American Petroleum Institute has
been a quantum leap in orders for storage
tanks.
In the two years that followed the Arab
oil embargo, American businesses and
consumers — apart from the oil companies
— sharply increased their purchases of oil
and gas storage tanks.
“Since petroleum demand declined dur
ing this period, the increased capacity was
not required to maintain a stable level of
working stocks and instead reflects antici
pation of oil or natural gas shortages,” an
API report said.
The storage tank orders indicated a
trend toward more private sector stockpil
ing, although economists say that the
amount of oil in storage is difficult to mea
sure.
It is also possible that buying the petro
leum products now in storage over the
years has inflated consumption figures at
least slightly.
What could have been done in the last
five years to improve the situation?
“Any number of things,” according to
Hemphill. “For example: President Ford
proposed the gradual decontrol of the
price of crude oil and President Carter
proposed the crude oil equalization tax
that would have had the same effect on the
market. The congress did not act on
either. ”
According to the oil companies, the real
problem has been a continuing burden of
government regulation, and unrealistically
low prices which they say have deterred
exploration.
That argument does not sit easily with
the facts that 1) exploration activity is at its
highest level ever and 2) that newly-found
petroleum can be priced at the world mar
ket level.
Jerry McAfee, chairman and chief
executive of Gulf Oil, told UPI there had
been some progress in the last five years.
“But the country has procrastinated in a
fundamental area — in erasing the myth of
cheap energy, and in eliminating the un
realistic pricing structures that serve as a
disincentive for producers, and a n incen
tive for consumers, he said.
“Despite the well-meaning efforts of
three presidents and nearly six sessions of
congress our existing ‘energy program’ is a
labyrinth of laws, regulations, taxes and
subsidies that encourage consumption,
discourage U.S. production and increase
U.S. reliance on imports.”
McAfee called on President Carter to
use executive authority rather than wait
for congress to take the necessary steps.
“Whatever the fete of President Carter’s
energy program the president already has
within his authority — under existing
legislation — the power to increase crude
oil prices incrementally to near the world
market level by 1981,” he said.
“This, plus phased deregulation of
natural gas prices, would not only encour
age morese of fuel but would offer impetus
to increase our domestic supplies. And it
would help supply the tremendous capital
required to develop invaluable alternate
fuels. ”
Shell Oil, reviewing the period since
the embargo, added: “It has taken us five
years just to reach a point where more
than 50 percent of the people agree that
there is a energy problem.
“The major question is how rapidly can
we now move toward resolving the prob
lem,” a Shell spokesman said.
Letters to the Editor
Football season isn’t over, Ags
Editor:
Saturday night, I attended the
A&M-UH football game. After the game
was over, I overheard many people,
mostly former students, saying that A&M
“might as well throw in the towel after that
one!”
Why are these Ags ready to give up on
our team, coach, and season so easy? Sure,
we lost the game. But is that the end of the
season? Are we out of the conference race?
No way!
Don’t tell me that I’m just freshman and
I don’t know enought about A&M football
to say these things. One doesn’t have to be
a student here to know how far Coach Bel-
lard has brought the Aggies.
I’m sure that our football team doesn’t
have this attitude. Is there a reason for us
to?
— Mark Hudgens, ‘82
‘ P.S. Beat the hell outta Baylor, Ags! At
least I know you can still do it!
Sadistic killing
Editor:
In reply to the letter about the death of
Edna the cat, we would like to comment.
Anyone wlio enjoys killing harmless ani
mals for the sake of killing or for fun is, at
least, expressing psychotic tendencies.
It’s a shame that an Aggie could be so
cruel and immature. The fact that he ad
mitted to the crime seems to imply that he
is proud of his sadistic deed. One such in
dividual should read Eric Berne’s “Games
People Play,” paying special attention to
the game he is playing.
To those readers who are pet owners, it
should be easy to understand the grief
caused by the loss of a pet and the anger
felt by knowing the act was DELIBER
ATE.
— Randoll Beggs, ‘80
Ron Wells, ’79
Karl Owen, ‘79
Editor’s note: this letter was accom
panied by two other signatures.
Keep sports fun
Editor:
I just got back to my dorm room after
officiating two flag football games. I’m not
in a very good mood because I have had to
put up with complaining, moaning and
roaning from opposing teams for two
ours.
Sure there are times when you expect to
get “bad” teams in terms of sportsman
ship. Also, there are “bad apples” on every
team, so there is sure to be someone giv
ing it to you most every game. But folks,
this is getting ridiculous.
Teams are showing up hostile towards
officials, openly in contempt (and ignorant)
of intramural rules, and generally acting
like horses butts.
This isn’t happening just occassionally,
but for the majority of men’s games and
some women’s games (co-recreational
seems, for the most part, to be immune
from this sickness).
All of you are missing the real joy of
fered from participating in intramurals.
These leagues are not the NFL, nor the
officials the best in the nation (however,
they do a good job considering their level
of experience and pay scale — if you don’t
agree please come by and apply. James
Welford is an equal opportunity employer
and invites anyone who can do the job to
come and try).
Intramurals is an avenue for fun and fel
lowship with other students. It also offers a
medium of competition which many
enjoy. This is all lost when people are con
stantly “hot and bothered” by other teams,
or an official’s call, or their own ineffectual
performance.
Let’s put the fim back in intramurals. I
know it goes against human nature to be
agreeable, respectful of officials, play by
the rules, control our tempers, and have
the maturity to congratulate the other
team when they make a good play (rather
than chalking up to luck). But if we all put
in a little effort it is possible and I believe
the rewards will be readily seen.
Of course it may be that acting like
“Good Ags” on the playing field is too
much of a price to pay to give up such
pleasurable activities as cussing out offi
cials, intentionally roughing up other
players, and getting mad at ourselves for
not measuring up to our own over-inflated
evaluations of our physical abilities.
— Scott Lane, ’80
New readers’
letter section
The Battalion is offering a new
reader’s letter section to give stu
dents more access to the newspaper
and to the University.
“Talk with Dr. Miller” is a forum
for readers to address questions to
the administration about University
policies and procedures.
Questions should be addressed to
The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald,
and should specify that they are to
be used for this column. Names and
phone numbers will be required on
all questions and Dr. Miller has the
option to decline to answer a ques
tion or request others on the staff or
faculty to answer it.
Questions and answers will be
published on the editoriat page.
Top of the News
LOCAL
Absentee voting opens today
Absentee voting begins today at the Brazos County clerk’s office.
Balloting opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. each day, Monday
through Friday, until Nov. 3. Residents wishing to vote absentee
must bring their yellow voter registration card.
STATE
Prisoner costs up in county jails
Harris County commissioners have voted to send a letter to a
federal judge requesting that 33 county-housed prisoners testifying in
an inmate lawsuit, be moved to a Texas Department of Corrections
unit at Sugar Land. County Judge Jon Lindsay said the federal gov
ernment should build its own jail to house federal prisoners and
relieve the county of that burden. The commissioners voted Monday
to have county auditors determine exactly what it costs to hold pris
oners in county facilities. Lindsay requested last week that the $8-a-
prisoner-a-day cost that the county assesses the Justice Department
be raised to $25. He said it cost at least $14 a day to house the
prisoners. “I want to discourage them (federal officials) from sending
any federal prisoners to us,” Lindsay said. Other officials doubted it
cost more than $8-a-day to care for the inmates. The county ordinarily
houses about 75 federal prisoners at any given time.
Hill protests energy legislation
Attorney General John Hill, the Democratic nominee for gover
nor, says he will file a suit by next week challenging the mandatory
natural gas pricing provisions of the new Federal Energy Act. Hill,
speaking in San Antonio on Monday, said he has not decided whether
to include a protest against the mandatory allocation provision of the
new legislation. The provision gives the federal government power to
allocate natural gas produced in Texas to other states. The attorney
general said research for the suit is being done by his chief energy
aide, Piet Sehenkkan. He said the suit will challenge the federal
government’s authority to supervise pricing of natural gas produced
on state-owned lands, and will contend the federal government can
not control pricing of gas produced on private land where sale is to
customers within Texas.
Gas rate increase approved
Lone Star Gas Co. has won a battle for increased rates in five
counties, but has been ordered by the Texas Railroad Commission in
Austin to reduce its bills systemwide by about 0.2 percent due to
overcharges. Monday, the commission authorized Lone Star to raise
rates for customers in Leonard, Tioga, Wellington, Paducah and Pilot
Point. Lone Star was ordered to credit customers on the current
billing cycle for $86,952.55 in overcharges levied during September
and October of 1976. Joseph J. Piotrowski, director of the gas utilities
division, said an audit of Lone Star’s books disclosed the company had
failed to adjust its average cost of gas estimates during those two
months. The commission agreed to a 5 percent increase in Leonard,
4.8 percent in Tioga, 5.15 percent in Wellington, 5.6 percent in
Paducah and 7 percent for Pilot Point.
TRC okays discarding pipeline
The Texas Railroad Commission in Austin has voted unanimously
to allow LoVaca Gathering Co. to abandon a 31.8 mile pipeline in
South Texas that has leaked 135 million cubic feet of natural, gas per
year. The leaking line runs from Poth to Falls City to the Bee County
boundary. A hearing examiner said Monday it would cost $32,000 a
year for repairs and $9,000 for maintenance each year to keep the line
in operation. Cost of replacing the line is estimated at $1.6 million.
The examiner said at June 1978 prices, the cost of gas leaking from
the line would amount to $280,000 a year. LoVaca supplies gas from
the line in Wilson and Karnes Counties to Entex Inc. of Houston for
resale to 10 rural customers. All the customers agreed to convert to
propane.
WORLD
Vance to extend African talks
Secretary of State Cyrus Vance probably will extend his scheduled
two-day talks with South African leaders in Pretoria in a Camp
David-style attempt to reach agreement on the future of Namibia
(South West Africa), U.S. sources said Tuesday. South African
Foreign Minister Roelof Botha said at the start of the second day of
talks that “everyone is agreeable to stay on if necessary. ” Tight secu
rity and secrecy surrounds the talks at the Government Union build
ings in Pretoria. The negotiators are trying to head off a confrontation
with South Africa over its occupation of the disputed territory. An
escalating guerrilla campaign against South Africa’s presence
threatens increasing bloodshed unless Pretoria compromises on a
Western plan for U. N.-supervised elections and a transition to major
ity rule. The urgency of the discussions with South African leaders
was underscored by the deaths of 17 blacks in a landmine explosion in
the northern region of Namibia.
WEATHER
Sunny skies, mild temperatures clear and cool tonight. The
high will be in the mid-70s and the low in the mid to upper
40s. Winds will be East North Easterly at 5-10 mph.
The Battalion
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Kim Tyson
Managing Editor Liz Newlin
Assistant Managing Editor .Andy Williams
Sports Editor David Boggan
jCity Editor Jamie Aitken
Campus Editor Steve Lef
News Editors Debbie Parsons,
Beth Calhoun
Editorial Director . .Lee Roy Leschper,Jr
Staff Writers Karen Rogers, Mark
Patterson, Scott Pendleton,
Sean Petty, Michelle Scudder,
Marilyn Faulkenberry, Diane
Blake
Cartoonist Doug Graham
Photographer Ed Cunnius
Focus section editor Gary Welch
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are
those of the editor or of the writer of the
article and are not necessarily those of the
University administration or the Board of
Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, silf
supporting enterprise operated by students
as a university and community newspaper
Editorial policy is determined by the editor