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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1978)
L Page 6 THE BATTALION MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1978 Comment asked on farm controls United Press International WASHINGTON-The American public has been asked for com ments before final regulations are written to implement registration of foreign purchases of American farms. Officials said Thursday public comment is sought, particularly on whether foreign owners of small parcels should be required to sign up and if owners of tiny shares of large pieces of land should register A public hearing will be held Thursday at the Agriculture Depart ment. Written comments must be received by Jan. 5, just seven days before a congressionally imposed deadline for final regulations. Once the regulations go into effect, foreign owners of farmland have six months to register with the government. New purchasers will have three months. Reports will be made available for public inspection. The agriculture secretary is directed under the law to analyze the information and make reports to the president. Congress and state departments of agriculture. Taught accounting, aided businessmen Local banker uses skills in Pakistan By REGINA MOEHLMAN Battalion Reporter The country is small, only 55,000 square miles in area. It produces mainly jute and rice. The climate is savage, floods, cyclones and monsoons. The 73 million people are poor. given to tropical existing on an average yearly in come of $80. The country of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was overpopulated and underdeveloped when George Ble vins accepted an offer by Texas A&M University to participate in a SPECIAL CREATION — OR ORGANIC EVOLUTION??? How did man get to be man? Some say an omnipotent, omniscient God “specially” created mankind “in His image” — ex nihilo creation, fiat creation. Others say man is the result of millions of years of evolutionary development — the accidental product of chance and environment. Sir Julian Huxley once commented that Charles Darwin, through the theory of organic evolution he advocated, had “removed the idea of God from the sphere of rational thinking.” The Bible says “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Who is right? . . 4 . . What are the evidences (scientific, philosophical, etc.) for or against organic evolution and special creation? Does either theory purport to substantiate itself with sound evidences which can be investigated by an open-minded person? Or are these “open and shut” cases with little left to be said? If you are a person who thinks organic evolution to be true; If you are a person who thinks special creation to be true; If you are a person who wants to link the two together as truthful through "theistic evolution”; If you are a person who is with holding judgment until more evidence is available — then perhaps this is for you. On January 17, 1978 (continue) college exchange program with Pakistan. For two years, 1954 to 1956, Blevins was to teach account ing in the government college at Chittagong, East Pakistan. He was also to conduct seminars for university professors and work with the presidents of the college to upgrade the overall structure of the business college. “When I arrived, conditibns were awful,” Blevins said. “We were up stairs over several stores which used to be barracks in World War II for American fliers in the middle of downtown Chittagong.” He said that "on rainy days we couldn’t hold school.” Not only were the facilities bad, the students were poorly equipped for college, he said. Because “everyone wanted to be an engi neer, he said, he usually got the lowest quality students who had failed in engineering or agriculture. “"When I arrived, conditions were awful,” Blevins said. "We were upstairs over several stores which used to be barracks in World War II for American fliers in the middle of downtown Chittagong.” He said that "on rainy days we couldn't hold school.” a a a TIME MA|KE Pay Off Help Supply Critically Needed Plasma While You Earn Extra CASH At: Plasma Products, Inc. Blevins explained that the best education the schools in East Pakis tan could offer would barely equal American junior college standards, though the desire for higher educa tion was great. College entrance depended on marks made in high school, Blevins said. He says that he blames the high schools for the low level of educa tion in East Pakistan. “Village schools,” as they are called, are “large dobe huts with open windows for light and ventilation with only benches to sit on," he explained. The schools, which conduct classes on all levels, are taught in English by one man. “There are, of course, no women allowed," he said, and attendance is completely voluntary. Since there are no rules concern ing school attendance, harvest sea son usually ends village boys studies. Blevins said the average age of a Bangladesh high school student is 10. By the age of 12, they “have disappeared into the rice fields. Blevins said that aid on the lower levels of education might be more beneficial than at the college age. “We tried to instill the idea of adapting better ways, better admin istration ways, to covering the whole area of education. He added that though changes were slow and difficult to install, “we didn’t be come exasperated.” After all the slow, hard work, Blevins said, “Our greatest fear was that they would revert back to their old ways.” Returning to its old ways would have been disasterous for East Pakistan, he said. As a young coun try, it was desperately in need of aid. Texas A&M offered aid in 1954 when it contracted with the federal government to develop an inter college exchange program to aid underdeveloped nations. This pro gram sent professors from the col leges of engineering, veterinary medicine and business to foreign colleges. Blevins was also involved in sev eral other areas besides teaching. At the request of the Pakistan govern ment, Blevins investigated the State Bank of Pakistan to help "stream line internal operations.” He also worked with local officials in the port of Chittagong to "help untangle the red tape” involved in the shipment of supplies for the Texas A&M projects, he said. Also on the local level, Blevins worked with Chittagong busi nessmen to help locate and develop raw materials and finished products which they could trade. Blevins said these merchants "were sharp as tacks and interested in building up world markets.” A native of Corpus Christi, Ble vins received his B.B.A. in interna tional trade from the University of Texas in 1941. Following graduation, Blevins worked for several small business firms gaining experience as an au ditor and accountant, he said. Currently, Blevins serves as vice president in charge of credit at First W X By I Batt Western bo That’s ; SiWti liversity. Since polo out 60 year o people wh ne many ch O.D. Butle >nt of an i n I cM, says, I [M for man until the ;en away fr< 13." Polo was ( xas A&M ke McCleai un since it 10 was use* said. Kfter the In , campus, ied until P >re was a p( |nts and fo Wh was th [ohn Armst t of the 1 le, provide e, Butler We had a Ire the first ide a big di [Since then mostly bi 5 riding ci 'olo games mer stud yed, Me UK George Blevins National Bank of Bryan. Blevins is a member of the University of Texas Ex-Student Association, First Bap tist Church of Bryan and is active in the local Democratic Party. Blevins is married and has one daughter. gh, each horse an About a n , , , u, student bodies would be left for sev(f,<lents. Th davs. SHIRTS 693-9308 Woodstone Center 907 Harvay Rd. (Hwy. 30) -We Sell Shirts" OpGIl 9-9 Since there are no rules concern ing school attendance, harvest season usually ends village boys' studies. Blevins said the average age of a Bangladesh high school student is 10. By the age of 12, they "have disappeared into the rice fields.” In a similar The food was not nutritional.! mer studei said. “We were horribly di weight and had lost all ot energy. They returned to Texas, he because the country is “had. women and they wanted their! to be born in America. However, it is not the periences that Blevins rememla ree j behin T did not suffer from dii shock, he said, hut ratherhasii happy memories. T would like to go back sorael and see what has happened to iCleary sa It was the birth of that daughter that ended Blevins’ tour in Bangladesh. "There were no doctors and the conditions were unsanitary,” he said. Conditions were so bad, Blevins said, that people would starve to death on the streets and often their friends and to the college. Computei ^iruiairuieiaMaiaMoT&i 313 College Main in College Station SOPHOMORES YEARBOOK PICTURES A-T MUST BE TAKEN THIS WEEK (DEC. 11-DEC. 15) barker suggests tough gift In 1968, p :xas A&M Club wi Butler said idder, the M, to obt to use th mer of the In 1968, i inter, east m Univer; iw Main 1 Texas McCleary ich people He said n one who i Aggies. Membersl rse of the lo in this Of the 18 affiliat cCleary sa McCleary 20 c< ates whicl Relax or Study in Our Comfortable Beds While You Donate — Great Atmosphere - $1 0OO Per Donation — Earn Extra — Call for more information 846-46 United Press International MINN EAPOLIS - At Davta lm department store, Christmassm pers can let the computer help® cide what to buy. As Dayton’s, the first depart store in the country to installaw puter terminal system forcustoj use, the micro-processor basedl minal is encased in the chesto cartoon character bundled in flaps, snow mittens and hoots necessary to fight a Minuet winter. J The cartoon, which is being 11 in all Dayton’s Christmas advej ing, is mounted on the fronto 8-foot-high display piece decoJ to look like a bright green from Santa. , .. Customers operating the e nal, which looks like a 15-wc ^ vision screen, can carry on a con sation with the computer con« ing department locations, hours, where the restrooms are what to buy Aunt Caro w Moines. , w.. Visitors to the storesaud can view the computers rep on a 7-foot screen. Four of the touch : scre I to» nals were installed 111 t downtown store in late No and during the first four received 71,135 touches average of 336 touches per Pt AW'40 percent of those tackle the computer choose egory of gift suggest! 0 ^ ^ After the computei iec > I from the shopper on age a ^ I range interest, it sum items. On the chddren j such gifts as fancy long dren’s Theater tickets, at) j parakeet from the I _ g *•.11,, cllimr item — u "’.. liversity ( arest Tex; i, he ad rapidly selling item War Paint — for soaping P bath tub. The adult gift list nic dudes'!! of modest cost and some t •Sally until iJ the buyer back fi nancl j . illC Christmas. Sugges re ii plastic laminated ‘cs- , for all of 1979, a compk , cleaning service, a, ^ i aSS es a pair of 14 karat g s wlii r We ,hi„k the comp^tti will be in the stoie J mans Eve, 7''' be p ' " helpful. •«> d J?S , T,,fJlesP' ton’s vice president tion- , ..11 maintains But Dayton s still m* s( sonalized custome . sen 1 and a popular,tel P ni y ice and a P 0 P U ' ,,,. ‘..stoine called “Holly BeH soc , ^ deal with people fm needs. w Ud