e Battalion
pi. 72 No. 102
!4 Pages
2 Sections
Thursday, February 22, 1979
College Station, Texas
News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
inside
This man watches the late
show for his research project —
the movies of the 1950s. Those
films reveal America, he says.
See page 5.
New Orleans police ignore
state order to end strike
United Press International
NEW ORLEANS — A state judge
Wednesday issued a preliminary injunc
tion ordering an end to the 5-day-old
policemen’s strike that canceled Mardi
Gras parades, but there was no immediate
indication the men would obey the order.
Two temporary restrainting orders by
the same judge, Civil District Court Judge
Richard Garvey, went unheeded by the
more than 1,000 striking policemen.
Garvey declined to issue a contempt ci
tation on his own if the men refused to
obey the order, but he said the city could
seek to file a contempt proceeding if it
wanted. Such action could lead to the ar
rest of strikers, a development that union
leaders said would trigger walkouts in the
fire and sanitation departments.
“The court understands that the filing of
a contempt citation might upset the deli
cate balance of negotiations,” Garvey said
in explaining his reason for not issuing a
contempt citation.
The city and the Police Association of
New Orleans were meeting for the third
consecutive day with federal mediators
trying to resolve the labor dispute when
Garvey’s ruling was handed down. A
mediator reported progress after the pre
vious session but offered no prediction
about how soon the walkout would end.
“That’s one question I sure would like to
give yoti an answer to,” said mediator
Ansel Garrett.
Outside a police station, strikers walked
their picket lines in silence as French
Quarter shoplifters became more brazen
and hotels scurried to salvage Mardi Gras
business by arranging to bus tourists to
carnival parades in the suburbs.
More than 1,300 of the city’s 1,460
police voted last Friday night to strike
after Mayor Ernest Morial refused to
submit to binding arbitration to reach a
contract. The city also rejected union de
mands to include ranking officers in the
bargaining unit.
Members of the Chamber of Commerce
filed suit Tuesday to block any possible
binding arbitration, saying it would hurt
the city. A state judge refused to issue a
temporary restraining order, but a hearing
on the suit was scheduled Thursday.
The police talks have been deadlocked
since last Friday, despite the presence of
Garrett at marathon bargaining sessions
Monday and Tuesday. The wear and tear
of the negotiations showed briefly Tuesday
on union leader Vincent Bruno.
“If the talks break down, cave ’em in,
wreck the city,” said Bruno, president of
the Police Association of Louisiana.
Bruno later apologized to “all the citi
zens of New Orleans” for his statement,
but said he would call for other city work
ers to join the strike unless progress was
made soon.
The lack of progress also had an impact
outside the bargaining sessions.
Leaders of the 18 major carnival organi
zations that make up the heart of Mardi
Gras Tuesday announced unexpectedly
they had canceled their parades because of
the strike.
“It is wrong to use Mardi Gras as
blackmail in this dispute,” leaders of the
18 parade groups said in a joint statement.
“The same procedure can be used each
year and we re not going to let our organi
zations be used as puppets in such a plan.”
The mayor, serving his first term, had
canceled 10 parades on a day-by-day basis
after the strike began last Friday, but
leaders of the remaining 18 organizations
said they made their move in unison for
the sake of the Mardi Gras tradition.
“Nothing but harm can come to the
spirit of New Orleans Mardi Gras through
the day-by-day suspense of these cancella
tions,” the groups said.
At least one of the organizations, known
locally as “krewes,” vowed to parade in the
suburbs and others were expected to fol
low. The first of the New Orleans parades
— The Krewe of Pegasus — got a permit
to march in suburban Kenner, La., Wed
nesday night.
And there were indications Rex, the
King of Carnival, would be asked to
parade in the suburbs.
“It is regretful that events of the past
several days have caused the cancellation
of this year’s Mardi Gras,” Mayor Morial
said in a statement Tuesday night. “I am
sure that the action taken by the various
carnival krewes was done after much de
liberation and thought.
“It is obvious that despite the substan
tial investment of private resources in the
activities of the several krewes, they took
their action in the interest of the public
safety and security of the citizens.”
One of the krewes that canceled its
parade was Bacchus, a lavish group featur
ing top-name entertainers as its king each
year. Bacchus officials said they would stay
off the streets next Sunday, but would
parade their floats — with television actor
Ron Howard as king — inside the
Louisiana Superdome while thousands at
tended a dance that traditionally kicks off
the festivities.
Library move
Date changes again
Israelis seeking oil
from peace talks
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The foreign ministers of Egypt and Israel, once again in the
seclusion of Camp David, Wednesday began the latest attempt to break the
deadlock in the Middle East peace negotiations.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil, also named foreign minister by his
government, and Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan arrived separately in
Washington Tuesday and immediately were flown by helicopter to the snow-
covered mountains of western Maryland where they were in total isolation from
newsmen.
They arrived just over five months after the end of the Camp David summit
brought hopes for early agreement on an Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty.
Those hopes disappeared in fundamental disagreement over “linkage” — how
the treaty should be tied to a wider settlement involving Palestinian self-
government on the West Bank and Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin said Tuesday the Camp David talks
will include discussions about the supply of oil and increasing U.S. aid.
Begin did not give further details, but a State Department spokesman con
firmed the Israelis are seeking a firm agreement from Egypt to sell them oil from
the Sinai fields at commercial prices.
The issue has taken on new importance since the new Moslem regime in Iran
announced it would no longer sell oil to Israel. The Israelis got an estimated 60
percent of their daily supply, about 40,000 barrels, from Iran.
The Israeli Knesset’s Foreign Affairs Committee also said Dayan should make
every effort to insure the U.S. aid to support the Israeli pullout from the Sinai
should be in the form of a grant, and not a loan.
That reverses the earlier Israeli position in which the money — estimated to be
$1.4 billion — would be in the form of a long-term, low-interest loan.
hack to March 10
All ‘hands’ on deck
Roy Wood and Larry Myers stand ready at the “helm” as U.S.N. Lt.
DanThigpenn, a Naval Science instructor, checks out the “boiler room.”
Naval Science 302 students drew attention Wednesday as they sailed the
Seas of Ruder Fountain.
Battalion photo by Colin Crombie
By STEVE LEE
Battalion Staff
The first move-in date for the new li
brary addition has been changed from May
back to March 10.
Dr. Irene Hoadley, director of libraries
for Texas A&M University, said the fear of
a labor shortage in May caused the latest
change. Beard Transfer and Storage Com
pany of Bryan, which has the contract for
the move, told the University there could
be a shortage of manpower for a May
move-in. Hoadley and other school offi
cials met with representatives of Beard
Transfer and Storage Company of Bryan,
which has the contract for the move, and
agreed to achieve the move in phases, be
ginning in March and ending in early fall
of this year.
Original plans had called for the move to
begin in March. The change to the May
move-in date was made two weeks ago
when it was discovered that the new
shelves for the addition would not arrive in
few state bill would merge
ax assessing in Brazos County
0
® So®o
8
CD 2> ® 5'S
S® 35b
° °Uc
3 2 s'£9
0) 0 0
—■< "'f 1 ?
(9 X C
U X t 0
(U ffl-0 5
c/> 5) ® ^ 0
3 0 ='0
hist
~<d ri-c®
v rfrot
XT ® fl
(U ' %
o -5«
a ® 9
(D ;•£
£ |S
s ’il
3
C 3®
0??
52 c
time for the spring break move, she ex
plained.
Now just “work areas,” such as adminis
trative offices, and processing and acquisi
tion departments, will be moved, along
with most of the library furniture, Hoadley
said.
Hoadley could not say when the move
into the new addition would be complete.
“My best guess is that all books and ev
erything will be moved by the first sum
mer session, ” she said. “I bope it is before
that.”
The library will be open during the first
phase of the move, although the two pres
ent main entrances to the library will be
closed for good. The new main entrance to
the library complex will open on the east
side of the addition.
Dr. Haskell M. Monroe, dean of facul
ties and associate vice-president for
academic affairs, explained the moving
company’s busiest season begins in May.
He said the company’s veteran employees
could be available for the March move-in,
but not for a May move-in assignment.
Monroe was one of the administrators
who met with Hoadley and the company,
along with Dr. John M. Prescott, vice-
president for academic affairs, and Dr.
Howard L. Vestal, vice-president for
business affairs. Logan Council and Leroy
Johnson, of the Texas A&M physical plant.
were also in on the decision. The Library
Council, made ffp of faculty and student
representatives, was not involved.
“We were changing the rules in the
middle of the game,” Hoadley said of the
prior decision to change the move-in to
May. She said the bid had been made for a
March move-in. The books in the present
Sterling C. Evans Library building will
remain, unless the new shelves arrive in
time for the move. Hoadley is not optimis
tic that the shelves will be on time because
of a steel hauler’s strike that began in
November and lasted through mid-
January. The library will receive the
shelves from Estey Co., based in New Jer
sey, a large manufacturer of library shelv
ing.
Hoadley said the number of phases it
takes to complete the move will depend on
when the shelves are received. The first
phase of the move is planned to end March
19, when students return from spring
break. Books will be moved as soon as the
shelves come in.
While the books will still be in the pres
ent building, the main study areas will be
in the addition where, she said, conditions
should be more quiet for study.
With student use and moving going on
at the same time, Hoadley is concerned
about possible confusion and distractions
to those using the library over the break.
“There’s apt to be some confusion,” she
said. “There are a number of people that
we will have to accommodate.
She indicated that the possible inconve
niences would be better than closing the
library during the break, which she said
would not be feasible. Special assistance
would need to be given to those students
conducting research over the break, she
said. Also, Hoadley anticipates that a
number of signs will need to be posted,
telling students where certain services or
offices have been moved.
Monroe said the movers are also con
cerned.
“They hope to disrupt student and fac
ulty as little as possible,” he said. “If this
proves to be too disruptive, then they will
stop.”
Hoadley said that library use in January
and February have been heavier than
usual, indicating, she said, that a lot of
students have anticipated the spring break
move by doing prior research.
She said that the remodeling of the
present Evans building will take from
three to six months, with a final move-iri
planned for early fall.
Hoadley said originally, contractors
predicted the move-in could take place
last November, and a Christmas break
move was speculated.
By DOUG GRAHAM
Battalion Staff
What occurs when five different agen-
s perform within a single area?
Duplication of effort, say most of the Tax
sessor-Collectors in the Brazos Conty,
five entities that have separate tax of-
K in Brazos County: the county itself,
cities of Bryan and College Station, the
'an Independent School District, and
M Consolidated Independent School
strict. Each of these offices not only
ps records, levies taxes, and issues var-
u permits, but estimates the value of
^estate in its jurisdiction.
This causes a certain amount of duplica-
n since the property in each city is as-
sed by a school district and by the
“nty. This situation is typical of all Texas
unties.
Because of this, state Representative
ayne Peveto, D-Orange, will be intro-
ingabill to consolidate the appraising
ices of most taxing districts within a
unty. He will do this either today or
Monday, according to an aide. The
collection function would not be com-
ied.
Dov. Bill Clements supports this ap-
>ach to property appraisal. In his Wed-
s day address to the Legislature, Cle
ats said he wanted several things
ssed this year including, “Creation of a
gle appraisal office within each county
aded by an elected official,
feveto’s bill, a staffer said, would set up
nty-wide tax appraisal offices. The
funds for the appraisal office would be
supplied by the school boards and city
governments it served. They would pay in
proportion to the amount of money they
receive from property taxes.
If, for instance, College Station, Consol
and BISD each recieved $25,000 from
property taxes while Bryan received
$75,000, Bryan would pay one-half the ap
praisal office’s budget while the others
would pay one-sixth each.
Peveto’s plan differs from Clements’ in
that Clements wants the office to be
headed by an elected official, while Peveto
envisions the office electing a chairman
from its own members.
A companion bill has already been in
troduced in the Texas Senate by Sen.
Grant Jones, D-Abilene, as Senate Bill
621.
“We re going to run this thing through
the Senate first,” Rick Fine, Peveto’s legis
lative aide, said. “It has always done well
and passed the House in the past. This
way we hope to avoid a useless fight.”
Peveto has submitted the bill unsuc
cessfully to three previous legislatures.
The Legislative Budget Board estimated
the consolidation of appraisal functions
could save up to $5 million a year, he
said. Tax bills to consolidate the apprais
ers’ offices were defeated. Fine said, be
cause they specified the formation of a
state board of evaluation to serve as a
higher court for the local boards.
Boards of evaluation are a recourse for a
homeowner or businessman who thinks
his property has been overvalued. They
exist in some form in all taxing districts;
Brazos County’s is the County Commis
sioners Court. Boards exist for the other
tax offices as well.
The state-wide board would have of
fered taxpayers something other than legal
recourse. Fine said, but opposition came
from senators who feared it would become
a new state bureaucracy.
The present bill omits the state-wide
board. Fine is confident that the bill with
this change and Clements’ backing, will
pass.
The bill does propose creation of a
county-wide equalization board, com
posed of anywhere from three to nine
members, depending on the population
and workload in a county.
The members of the board would be
elected by the tax districts. Each district
will have a number of votes depending on
the amount they receive from property
taxes. Fine explained.
Though local tax assessors agree in prin
ciple on the program, they disagree on the
management of the combined office.
“The way Peveto had the bill set up,”
said Buddy Winn, tax assessor for Brazos
County, “he didn’t want it under the
county assessor — I think it ought to be
under the county tax assessor-collector
under the state constitution.”
“I don’t say it because I’m a county as
sessor, but because that’s what the book
says.”
(Please turn to page 10.)
Former governor hits the home trail
^ - , ■ ...mil ..n ..."nr
Connally confident’ of carrying Texas
United Press International
AUSTIN — John B. Connally,
casual and comfortable with suppor
ters who three times elected him
Texas’ governor, shook hands and
greeted friends Wednesday at the
opening of his week-long tour of the
state to build support for the Repub
lican nomination for president.
Connally said the overflow crowd
was evidence of his potential
strength as a candidate. More than
1,000 supporters packed the Driskill
Hotel to hear the former Nixon
cabinet member campaign in Texas
for the first time in 13 years.
“I am confident that we can carry
Texas,” Connally told reporters, in
reference to a question about his
strength in the primaries.
Connally said it is not necessary
to win the New Hampshire primary
to be a strong contender in the pres
idential race but said the Florida
race was crucial.
Connally would make no com
mitment favoring a controversial bill
in the Texas Legislature that allows
for a Texas presidential primary in
March, although he did say he
would prefer it in April.
“I don’t care what kind of primary
they have,” Connally said. “All I
want to do is to have an opportunity
for Texans to express their will.”
The former Democrat is hoping a
coalition of Republicans, indepen
dents and friendly Democrats can
boost him to the GOP nomvion.
Connally made numerous refer
ences to President Carter’s prob
lems with foreign policy. Connally
John Connally made numerous
references to President Carters
problems with foreign policy.
He said the recent problems in
Iran began long ago and that
United States support began
much too late. “If we were going
to be an effective ally to the shah
we should have begun 18 months
or two years ago."
said the recent problems in Iran
began long ago and that United
States support began much too late.
“If we were going to be an effec
tive ally to the shah we should have
begun 18 months or two years ago,”
Connally said.
He added that the world now de
tects the United States as weak be
cause of what he labeled retrench
ment approaches to foreign prob
lems.
"Obviously, we have run into
problems because the world per
ceives us as weak and vacillating,”
Connally said.
Connally said his plans for con
trolling run-away inflation would be
to reduce federal spending and to
stop the large deficits in U.S. trade
accounts.
He said Carter may face difficulty
in winning the Democratic nomina
tion for a second term as president.
“Since June of 1977 I’ve said I
thought he would be a one-term
president, and I still think that to
day,” Connally answered.
From Austin, Connally left for
Waco, the second stop on his
seven-day tour that will include 17
other Texas cities.