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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1979)
Page 6 THE BATTALION TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1979 Tractorcade to D.C. under way United Press International HEREFORD — Ignoring wintry weather, hundreds of Texas farmers climbed aboard their tractors Monday to join caravans at Abilene and Amarillo for an 1,800-mile “tractorcade” to the nation’s capital, American Agriculture Movement spokesmen said. Spokesman Mike McCathem at AAM’s state headquarters in Hereford was jubilant, estimating 200 tractors and 500 supporters as sembled on Interstates 40 and 20 after leaving Amarillo and Abilene. “I think it’s going real well,” he said. A Department of Public Safety dispatcher said 262 vehicles left Amarillo shortly after 9 a.m. Monday. McCathern said the cara van eased into the left-hand lane on Interstate 40 and allowed other ve hicles to pass. The farmers atop tractors travel ing 18 to 20 mph out of Amarillo were en route to Sayre, Okla., 125 miles away, the first tractorcade rest stop. A rally was scheduled in Sayre about 7 p.m., organizers said. To the south, at Abilene, about 50 tractors and 100 support vehicles formed a 4.5-mile long caravan on Interstate 20, the DPS said. The Abilene group was scheduled to stop overnight in Weatherford, about 40 miles west of Fort Worth, spokeswoman Barbara Chambers said. Ultimately, farmers hope to at tract as many as 50,000 agricultural producers to Washington, D.C., for a Feb. 2 rendezvous. Gerald McCathern, a veteran spokesman for the AAM and Mike McCathern’s father, accompanied the procession that departed Amarillo Monday and said thousands of farmers would demon strate upon arriving in Washington. “It may inconvenience some bureaucrats in Washington,” the elder McCathern said, “but they have been inconveniencing us for 30 years.” Mike McCathern, who pointed to figures released recently by the Texas Crop and Livestock Reporting Service that indicate 4,000 Texas farms will be phased out this year. says the nation’s leaders must understand the farmer’s dilemma. “We’ve asked (the Congress) to implement the 1977 farm bill to its fullest which would be 90 percent parity loans to be paid back with interest,” McCathem said. McCathern said farmers need to have the power to borrow more money against their commodities, “until we can pass a new, and hope fully more favorable farm bill, in 1980. This will help slow down the exodus from the farm.” COLLEGE SURVIVAL THERTS GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY! There is. One free Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics lesson will prove it to you. Today take the free Reading Dynamics lesson and you can dramatically increase your reading speed in that one free lesson. Why let the responsibilities that college demands deprive you of enjoying the college life? With Reading Dynamics you can handle both— all the reading you’re expected to do and know, plus still have time to do what you want to do. Today you can increase your reading speed, dramatically at the free Reading Dynamics lesson. You’ve got nothing to lose but a lot of cramming and sleepless nights. Reading Dynamics. Now you know there is a better way. Take the free lesson and kiss your “No-Snooze” goodbye. SCHEDULE OF FREE LESSONS Aggieland Inn January 16 Tuesday 3:30 p.m./5:30 p.m./7:30 \1 □ EVELYN January 17 Wednesday p.m. 3:30 p.m./5:30 p.m./7:30 p.m. WOOD READING DYNAMICS 1978 Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics. Inc L3 Ill G.W. Strake Jia: state secretary ? ran United Pres* International United Pr AUSTIN — Governor-elect Bill Clements announced Mo? CHATS WOI has selected George W. Strake Jr., a wealthy Houston oilriays after he re state chairman of Clements’ campaign for governor, to be secday and “turne state. Goodman marr Strake, 43, will take office when Clements becomes govdreams — hi: inaugural ceremonies at noon Tuesday on the Capitol step grandmother, will succeed Steve Oaks, who served as secretary of statt On Jan: 29, outgoing Gov. Dolph Briscoe. celebrate the Two Houston senators said Monday they were unsure heir wedding them represented Strake in the Senate, but predicted noprot-uded months confirmation of Clements’ most significant appointee of tkfXnnmentary. first GOP administration in 105 years. Goodman p Sen. Jack Ogg, a Democrat, said he believes Strake livei'alls her “G.R' senatorial district, but said Clements did not contact himkL on d° n 18 moi nouncing his selection of Strake. Governors ordinarily clear objection cam ments with home town senators before they are announced horities. The F Sen. Walter Mengden, one of four Republicans in the Ser, riarria ge regi he isn’t sure which district Strake lives in, but said Clements;- ou Pl e the la the nomination with him before announcing it. hat a man cam Strake has never held public office before, but has been; a th er ^ wife; Republican party politics. He worked in Jack Cox’s unsuccess:. Goodman s governor campaign against then Democrat John B. Connall ;a 'h ^ whc campaigns of Sen. John G. Tower, R-Texas, and was adelegat: 111 | Stu Pj ,, ~ 1976 Republican National Convention when the Texas delf” 0 * 11 ’ 11>( unanimously backed the presidential bid of Ronald Reagan ul ® ^ ^ ^ ^ Strake is an independent oil operator. He managed oilopr- 0()( ] )n (|l mi for the company owned by his father until 1969, and wentir\L rrv r* r j ness for himself after his father died. " s Lmi\y o, donths later tl Nugent, Clapp cle confirmation hurd ; f ows in a pr pouthern Califi Now Goodm United Pres* International AUSTIN — Railroad Commis sioner Jim Nugent and Ken Clapp, a former top aide to Gov. Dolph Bris coe, Monday easily cleared the first steps in their bid for Senate confir mation to the positions handed them by Briscoe only days before he leaves office. Nugent, appointed to the Rail road Commission Jan. 4 to succeed Jon Newton, told the Senate Nomi nations Committee he has sold stocks in oil and gas and transporta tion firms which could have pres ented a conflict of interest with his duties on the agency, which regu lates the state s petroleum and transportration industries. Newton resigned from the com-' mission because of a potential con flict of interst brought about by the discovery of oil and gas on ranch land inherited by his wife, and there was speculation Nugent’s holdings in oil and gas stocks could cause him similar conflicts. Nugent said he still owns portions of two or three producing mineral interests, but those are being liq uidated as rapidly as legal problems can be resolved. “Insofar as I or my attorney can determine, I now own no stock in any company that has any conflict with regulation by the Railroad Commission,” he said. Sen. Roy Blake, D-Nacogdoches, commended Nugent for selling his petroleum and transportation stocks rather than placing them in a blind trust during his term on the regu latory agency. Blake expressed con cern that blind trusts do not adequately erase the potential for conflicts of interest by commission ers who own stock in energy produc ing companies. Clapp, a former administrative narriage is stal vith excitemer I’m really v We are two in assistant to Briscoe, w, aV e a strong 1c by the governor to a ether. Everybc Texas Employment Co: iwn opinions. Both he and Nugeqappy, who cai proved by the commi* “I'm myself votes, and their nomisWe look forwi sent to the full Senatei ; very day is a tfon. long as you ! if mind you ca Ex-Moon partment com ._ ian Fernande aide gets^itd , iouthern Cal W 43iT'k d Ifldodest dinner O toilette JU lisco dancing United Preu lnttnuv' on K tlle coast AUSTIN — SenatorsQuestions al closed caucus Monda 11 ^ ^ s Kelly Arnold, a formeri* 0 ^ s Cosines: tive aide to Sen. Williai Goodman, a Bryan, as sergeant-at-r^ a Century Senate after failing a \d oas to ror j agree on the appoint:: have 1 wife of a Texas falror le«. JVei tae P ast V position. ls together y Marceil Hubbard, AFL-CIO president M Qoodman s p bard, had been appointed wedding > sition last summer, to t" 6 i<ae win the support of the: parents senators necessary to re. 1 ^ involved bv during the Senate’s first fondly We s < week week. Mrs. Hubbard then As |f d what 1 . from contention for the If 1 * position. a,d hai , , , ear-olds to de Arnold, 27, currently. And what wi examiner with the Lnp Budget Board, and forme “p ()1 . our a for Moore, the Democ^ anning a littll the Senate, who preside imple and qui caucus. Arnold said he will > $20,000 a year job only: H vinced it will he a nent position. PRE FRENCH'S /frv “ CARE-A-LOT SCHOI ** Introduces McirCal INFANT CA" ‘Qualified staff ‘Strict child staff ratio ‘Full & half-day programs ‘New modern facility 900 University Oaks (off Hwy 30) 693-1987 or 693-3011 We do offer kindergarten, day care, night care,ar school care. Mary Piazza, director Don't Get Behind STAY AHEAD WITH SPEED READIN Classes start January 22 Business & Communication 846-5794 Sen CALL TODAY! MONO! SI Sails Mush Whipf You One Roll or Corr Col FRIO bre pile Hi Cl Poll or c T t