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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1978)
aafiftaft&asaSft ■S«nV*' Battalion il. 72 No. 65 •10 Pages armers ,Hr S0t ; ' tr H \®' n m ' ‘'"Pyedil,, ‘' Vh ° «njovdi (|lla rterl) ac h ' V<,s p v entki s intry to ^ first f 0r J ~ United Press International ^ wi th Iwo MOLLEGE STATION — Texas Ag- A "’entdon,! Iture Commissioner Reagan Brown enio on. id he was disappointed more farmers r j t , re not particpating in the National nie “" jn Summit. The 200 farmers who Tuesday, December 5, 1978 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 \ Vas | ( j • |ght tractors and trucks to protest their ‘firmer trv^ id. -i^ r could no have agreed more, rf th " ^ l e dissident farmers, members of the cki Irican Agriculture Movement, crashed i,., 0rilf lopening day of the meeting on the i Is A&M University campus, entered s W j|| (a |. jauditorium where former Treasury Mtethevid letary John Connally was speaking and ’ "orkandm ar> d whistled at remarks critical of de Sun BoS' prrrference’s first report on interna- igies wills. *fiat mucli loam I trade. HIS later in the day, the farmers had their organizers decided to allow them rticipate in the conference, e made every effort to get them in- fcd and now that they are involved we I it’s great, ” said Allen Paul, president le Agriculture Council of America. T lit ended up on a positive note. There j I some strong feelings to here that led to be aired. ” ^RENIN! paid McCathern, an AAM leader HP TFY‘t n H ere fi° rc l, Texas, spoke at an after- ^ ' ii session on nutrition. DURINt Id like for you people to understand ICIPAN1 5 Sf farmers ma y s o un< d a little different n the people you are used to talking to - llwe are going broke whether your MEXICO |tics show it or not. Our bank state- ACH EF Illis l 10w he said. . le protesting farmers had contended VI, 0HIL1} lask forces that prepared five reports 1C MINIS r P resente d to the conference were 5M PPAl | nafec l economists and busi- IM rnUt an( j h a( j \ittle input from farm- pis is a national farm conference and OFFEI STUDEN 3E 3). Id's gain summit we re farmers,” said Jerome Friemel an AAM member from Hereford. “Ninety percent of the people here are not farm ers, have never operated a farm, have never been forced to take a loss on a farm, and I’m not sure they are qualified to set the future direction when they don’t understand the seriousness of the prob lem. “Only 1 out of 10 people on these task forces are farmers and the farmers had ab solutely no input. If they made any suggestions, they were overruled by a 9-1 margin.” The task force report on international trade advocated a free world market in which prices and supplies could adjust to world market conditions. National Farmers Union President Tony Dechant drew applause from the protest ing farmers, saying the task force report on international trade ignored the importance of prices for American farm products. “And when it refers to them at all, it seems concerned principally about keep ing prices low,” Dechant said. “The paper seems to assume that there is something fair, logical and perhaps even sacred about low grain prices in the world markets.” Brown concurred with the farmers on their non-involvement and said the $90 registration fee and other expenses may have detened some farmers. “I’m a little disappointed that there are not more grass roots agriculture people here, he said. “I understand there are some farmers here and I hope they will have an opportunity to have some input.” The three-day meeting is sponsored by Texas A&M and the Agriculture Council of America. Farmers from all over the United States came to Texas A&M to air their disapproval of National Farm Summit Conference presently being held on Battalion photo by Becky Meyer campus. Monday, the farmers blocked several streets on campus. They were also lined up in the middle section of Wellborn Road. Ag cagers win The Aggie basketball team Monday night beat the Oral Roberts Titans, a team that Coach Shelby Metcalf says is “better than we are. ” The 85-79 victory gives the Ags a 4-1 pre season record. See page 9. Plane lost in Rockies, United Press International DENVER — Ground teams searched in a blizzard late Monday for a twin-engine plane with 22 persons aboard believed crashed in the Colorado Rockies on a flight from Steamboat Springs to Denver, fed eral officials said. Gary Mucho of the National Transporta tion Safety Board in Denver said the pilot of Rocky Mountain Airlines Flight 217 had radioed to Stapleton International Airport in Denver that he was icing up and was returning to Steamboat Springs. The twin-engine Otter had taken off from Steamboat Springs at 6:55 p.m. Monday with 19 passengers, two crew members and another person whose status was not immediately clear. Mucho said officials reported receiving a transmission from an emergency locator transmitter, which planes carry to allow location in the event of a crash, about 15 miles east of Steamboat Springs. Maj. Steve Blucher of the Colorado Civil Air Patrol said the Federal Aviation Administration had diverted an Air Force C-130 plane that was in the area and had picked up the ELT signal tracking the sig nal to a point south of Walden, Colo. Monday night, then lost it. Mucho said a main NTSB team from Washington, D.C., would arrive in Col orado Tuesday morning. The Jackson County Sheriff's office, the Routte County Sheriff's Department and the Colorado State Patrol said all available officers were searching in an area near Highway 14 south of Walden, Colo. The FAA office in Denver said it lost radio contact with the plane shortly after it left Steamboat Springs, and the plane had been flying too low for radar contact. ^lean-up begins blighted states Connally says farmers need help from U.S. to enter world market United Press International jtels opened free rooms for the home- Civil Defense workers who col- p estimates of damages today to back Edwin Edwards’ planned call for IIaid to help clean up an 8-mile strip )ssier City flattened by a weekend no. be bodies have been recovered from ris in Louisiana, Arkansas and iissippi left by violent winds that through the area following a cold isters burst open homes, flattened esses and tossed cars and uprooted Sunday night. Fan-up crews in Bossier City worked iter cold Monday picking up the age. Mayor Marvin Anding lifted a to-dawn curfew Monday, but warned tial looters to stay away from the de- jtion area. fe re just not going to put up with lism and looting and hood-ism,” he 5 arrests for looting were reported lay night. n. J. Bennett Johnston, D-La., d the city Monday and said victims ^ibly will be eligible for low-interest al disaster loans. IB think we will have no difficulty in get- MPSBossier City designated as a federal area, ” the senator said, mage tentatively was estimated at 0Wk $100 million in the Bossier City area. The tornadoes struck northeast Louisiana and south central Arkansas be fore dawn Sunday, spawned by a strong cold weather system mixing with unsea sonably warm late autumn air. Tempera tures dropped to freezing by dawn Monday compared with weekend temper atures near 70. National Guardsmen, hurriedly scrounging parkas and heavy gloves to supplement their standard-issue tropical uniforms, moved into the area to help the cleanup and guard against looters. “Nobody figured it’d be 32 degrees and they’re predicting 28 degrees,” said Maj. Gen. O.J. Daigle Jr. “So we re having to buy civilian-type clothing to put them in. ” Some of the 1,500 homeless found shel ter at several area motels, many offering empty rooms free-of-charge to tornado victims. “We’ve got some victims here and we’re putting up the National Guard,” said a room clerk at the Chateau Motel Hotel in Shreveport. Reservations at several small hotels de stroyed or damaged were honored at the Shreveport Hilton Hotel. In Bossier City, utility crews worked to restore power to an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 customers without service. South western Electric Power Co. said some of its main transmission cables were blown away by the Bossier City storm. By STEVE LEE Battalion Campus Editor Former Texas Gov. John Connally called for government to take a strong stand in helping the farmer to get his surplus commodities into the world’s mar kets. Connally made the remarks in a speech to about 500 people at the National Farm Summit Monday in the Memorial Student Center. “We can’t get the attention of the American people and thus the Congress of the United States long enough to say that we have to have some resolution of how to deal with the surplus commodities that we produce in order to feed a hungry world,” Connally said. He emphasized that the world market today is a controlled market and not a free enterprise market. For this reason, he said, the farmer shouldn’t assume the duty to overproduce and the United States, alone, shouldn’t bear the responsibility to help feed the world. “How is a Kansas wheat farmer or a Col orado livestock producer going to be able to negotiate with the Soviet Union? He can’t,” Connally said. He said that although Americans want to be free of government intervention, the government owes the farmers and other citizens some assistance. Government needs to assure that “American com modities have a greater access to the mar kets of the world, ” Connally said. “Instead of coming and telling us that we can’t build a 5-acre pond on our farm or ranch without our permission,” he said, “the Congress of the United States ought to be concerning itself on how do they bring about international agreements with respect to the utilization of surplus com modities in this country and other coun tries of the world, in order to make them available to a hungry world.” Connally said that “it makes no sense’ for the United States to feed the world when the country is not energy self- sufficient itself. He said that alternate forms of energy, such as nuclear power, coal and gas, are not being developed — energy that is vital to crop production. He identified the post-World War II era as a beginning of America’s trend toward foreign dependency. He said that at that time the United States had the best mili tary, a full economic regime and the belief that resources would always be plentiful. And Americans became wasteful, Con nally said. This changed when Arab nations im posed the oil embargo in 1973, the former secretary of the treasury said. “The Arab nations showed us and the rest of the industrial world that they could bring the industrialized nations of the world to its knees in 30 days,” Connally said. “And up to this point, we have made no real effort to become more self- sufficient in the energy resources, and this is nothing short of criminal in this coun try.” Connally said the United States tries too hard to please other countries to win their respect. He said the only way for the coun try to gain respect is to become self- sufficient. Please see related story page 5. Connally also identified America’s $30 billion trade deficit last year as a major problem. He said the deficit, which is nearing another record $30 billion figure, means the country is buying more than it is selling. This causes the American dollar to decrease in value on the world money market, he said. Connally said that one reason for the deficit is that the United States has to buy 50 percent of its crude oil from other coun tries. However, he said the United States fails to get more agricultural commodities into the market because of the devaluation of the dollar. He said these goods should be sold for twice what they receive now. Aside from a stronger governmental stand, Connally called for more basic re search and development in agriculture. He said the tendency is wrong for people to assume “there are no new horizons to conquer.” At the outset of his speech, Connally said he was glad the American Agriculture Movement (AAM) was present at the summit. Although he doesn’t agree with all its demands, he said the AAM is help ing to alert the public to problems facing the farmer. He said the movement will continue to play an important role as long as the problems are there. Consol lawyer says board said too much about firing ood-ole-hoy’ to cut live album tonight Volley’ Liid Bol ie tean 1 tOlUlM' t. After uthwest d 3rcl ir pick up food a* By LYLE LOVETT Battalion Reporter Austin-based singer-songwriter- od-ole-boy Mike Williams will cord a live album tonight at a local ili parlor. He has performed there before d is returning to do the album be- use of the “great audience precipi- tion.” Grins Beer Garden and Ihili Parlor is located at 4410 Col- ge Main. Williams has recorded two al ums, both on Austin’s B.F. Deal ecords. In between songs on his jrst album, The Radio Show, also a /e recording, Williams best de- ribes his music: This gets rid of all that question out what we re doin’, is it pop or or folk or rock or country or hatever. It all boils down to either elly rubbin’ music or butt bumpin’ husic. And right now we re gonna o a butt-bumpin’ tune.” Williams is from North Carolina, fe spent seven years in Denver and 'as been living in Texas “not long nough” — a little more than two 'ears. He presents himself onstage like m old friend passing through town 'dth just enough time to tell some lories and sing a few songs, invar- ably making people smile in the Process. T hardly ever get in any trouble LTexas.” he says on another cut Folk Singer Mike Williams from The Radio Show, “’cause I’ve found out how to get along with good-ole-boys. ” “Just lay it on back. And the most important thing of all —'any qf you folks out there look kinda weird and get in a tight spot down in Texas, remember this — don’t show any fear. Just walk right up, stick your hand out and say, howdy, and be fore the guy’s had a chance to punch you out or turn around and leave or whatever he’s gonna do, he’s al ready said. Just fine, how are you? “It’s automatic. Then see, he’s locked into the conversation. He’s gotta be nice to you.” Williams said he is doing another album because he has some songs that “need recordin’” and said he wants another live album because of the “magic that happens during a live performance. “You can’t replace that in the studio,” he said. The performance will start about 9 and will cost $2. If you come to Grins tonight you’ll get a taste of Mike Williams. No, you probably haven’t heard him on the radio, and you haven’t seen him in G. Rollie White, and you sure haven’t yelled “beat the hell outta anybody ’ during one of his performances. If you have, he’s more than likely told you to be quiet. Some musicians don’t mind not being big-time. They just enjoy what they do and want other people to enjoy it too. Williams gives a glimpse of his point of view in the liner notes to his first album: “Life’s finest adventures seem to happen when I am trying to do something else. Actually, we were trying to record a commercial for a feminine hygiene product, but the company turned it down because of a few missed licks. Dennis (a musi cian on the recording) pointed out that what we had was probably a record album. That’s all right — last time I tried to cut a record album it came out sounding like a commer cial for a feminine hygiene product. This business is so weird. I just take ’em as they come.” By DOUG GRAHAM Battalion Staff Some College Station citizens de manded explanations Monday night at the A&M Consolidated Independent School District board meeting. They wanted to know why Superinten dent Fred Hopson’s contract had been terminated Nov. 20. The board said it has been silent to avoid lawsuits. The termination cost the board $54,400. Because his contract had been ended two years early, Hopson received one year’s salary, $34,400, and $20,000 in damages. He was also given use of a car until he locates a new job and $2,500 in relocation expenses. The people wanted the board to elabo rate on its earlier statement that the ter mination was due to “disagreements con cerning educational policy and policy im plementation. ” The board did not address their request. Board President Bruce Robeck said the board is following advice from its attorney. Jack Woods. Woods said the board is trying to avoid possible lawsuits. While an explanation could be given without giving grounds for a lawsuit, he said, it is better to be silent. Woods said that individual board mem bers are not empowered to speak for the entire board. If one board member spoke, he alone would be liable. The board could give an explanation. Woods said, if the explanation were given in resolution form. But Woods still said he does not favor speaking. “If I had been sitting on the board and listening to my advice, my ad vice would be to talk even less than they (the board) have talked.” The silence decision was both legal and political advice, he said. Woods added that, in fact, he was acting more as a politi cal counsel. He said an explanation would have started reactions that would have divided the board as each man tried to defend his decision. When the board operates as one. Woods said he can represent all of its members. If it doesn’t, then each man would stand alone. But taxpayers will have their say, he said. “Some citizens are going to be angry about the position we took. They have a recourse. And that recourse is the ballot box.” The primary concern, said Woods, is to avoid legal problems. He said the word “termination” for ending the contract was used because it was deliberately vague. For instance, “termination” does not carry the connotation of “fired” or “can ned.” The board also approved a federal grant application and listened to a presentation about landscaping and playgrounds. The $153,648 grant is a Head Start Child Development grant for both Bryan and College Station. The HEW program is a full-day pro gram for 75 preschool children in the A&M Consolidated School District. The Bryan program is an eight-week summer session involving 275 children. The board watched a slide demonstra tion of new concepts in playgrounds. Modern playgrounds, the board heard, must be designed with safety and child development in mind. Different equip ment enocurages developement of differ ent motor skills. A child-oriented modular playground was presented that could cost around $17,000. Conventional playgrounds cost $20,000 or more, said representatives of the Col lege Hills Elementary School Parent Teachers Organization. They said the PTO has been working for several years to raise money for a playground, but are far short of the necessary funds. Robeck said the money may be available in unused building or equipment funds, and the board voted to look into the matter at the next meeting.