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Battalion
il. 72 No. 65
•10 Pages
armers
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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
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tOlUlM'
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uthwest
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pick up
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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.