Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M^University
Tuesday
April 24, 1979
Auto rip-offs go on
Last week my beloved VW started weaving across the road like an Aggie out on
Saturday night. No big deal, right? Take it to a mechanic, get an estimate and have
it repaired. Wrong.
I went to five different garages and got five different opinions. Repair estimates
ranged from $60 to $350.
The first two shops couldn’t tell me what was causing this mysterious wobble in
the steering wheel. They wouldn’t even put it up on the rack and inspect it. Too
busy, they said. Bring it back in a week. A few educated guesses later, I ended up
at another garage down the road. This guy agreed to put it up and take a look at it.
No sooner had the air in the hydraulic lift hissed to a silence than he said, “You
need new shocks.”
Not knowing much about cars, I would have agreed with him had I not just
spent $200 during spring break to have them replaced.
“Must be your steering damper then,” he said. But I had that replaced at the
same time, I replied. “Then I don’t know what’s the matter with it. Sorry,” he
said.
So much for College Station garages. I move on down to Bryan. The first man
wanted to replace my tie rods and my steering box. For a mere $350, I could have
peace of mind and not worry that my car was going to careen into a ditch as I drive
down the highway.
Being a poor college student, I decided my life wasn’t worth $350, so I went to
yet another garage.
This time, my steering damper only needed to be tightened, but the ends of my
tie rods are worn and should be replaced. How much? “Oh, a couple hundred
dollars should do it,” the mechanic said.
But to whom? I asked.
How can you find an honest mechanic these days? If you don’t have some
working knowledge of your car or a pocketbook to back you up, there’s no hope.
If most consumers are like me, they will take the cheapest route — have the
least amount of work possible done just to get the car running. But even then, you
are faced with chosing which path to follow in this myriad of “helpful” advice.
Some basic mechanics courses are taught at Texas A&M. For people who know
little or nothing of the workings of an auto engine. Free University offers a powder
puff mechanics course. In the Ag Engineering department, there is a course that
teaches the principles of maintenance and adjustments of the electrical, ignition,
fuel, lubricating and cooling systems.
Or you can consult the neighborhood mechanical genius who loves nothing
better than to get his hooks into the vital parts of someone else’s car, especially if
he’s never seen that brand of car before. Free advice is worth what it costs you.
You say your car is acting up and you don’t know what’s wrong? I can’t tell you
that. But if you ever want to know anything about Volkswagons, just look me up.
I’ll be driving the green bug with a “For Sale” sign on it.
Revenge on Japan
By KAZUO MIKAMI
NEW YORK — Japan is coming under
increasingly strong economic pressure
from the United States and Western
Europe. Ostensibly the reason is its huge
trade surplus, but two experts think the
real cause is animosity and jealousy, stem
ming from Japan’s post-war economic suc
cess.
Herman Kahn, a noted American
futorologist, and Thomas Pepper, Japan di
rector of the Hudson Institute, a policy
research organization, say in a book to be
published here in May that the pressure is
applied “in part, not out of long run consid
erations — but mainly, it seems to us, out of
a sense of irritation, frustration, and even
revenge. ”
Kahn and Pepper say there is an increas
ingly widespread feeling in the United
States and Western Europe that the
Japanese have benefited more than any
body from the international trading sys
tem, yet have done little to help make it
work well.
The feeling of irritation is shared —
though for quite different reasons — by the
Japanese themselves, Kahn and Pepper
say.
The economists’ book, “The Japanese
Challenge: the Success and Failure of Eco
nomic Success” (Thomas Y. Crowell), says
the Japanese feel they have been very suc
cessful in beating the West at its own game,
and now the West is trying to change the
rules in the middle of the game.
“The Japanese believe their success rests
on their propensity to work hard, to save
and invest huge sums, to apply themselves
diligently and creatively, and to be willing
to take great risks,” according to Kahn and
Pepper.
The Japanese, therefore, feel entitled to
success, but believe that the West is trying.
by sheer force and unfair tactics, to hold
them back.
Japan has taken unfair advantage of the
world trading system, Kahn and Pepper
say, by placing, encouraging, or tolerating
various explicit and implicit barriers to im
ports of manufactured goods.
But like it or not, they say, that is either
past history or, to the degree that it con
tinues today, a much less important part of
the overall situation than the current condi
tions of excess capacity hanging over the
Japanese domestic economy.
Partly because of excessive investment 5
to 10 years ago, they say, many Japanese
manufacturing plants are relatively modern
and there is little possibility they can be
scrapped or retired.
For this reason also Japanese manufac
turers are under great pressure to produce
and sell, even at prices below average
costs.
Japan is a country with high income but a
much lower level of accumulated wealth,
lagging behind other developed countries
in almost every aspect of social infrastruc
ture or amenities.
Kahn and Pepper suggest what they call
a “Yonzenso” plan designed to more than
double the “real tangible wealth” of the
nation in a decade through large-scale pub
lic and private investments in super high
ways, housing, education, social welfare
and social insurance programs.
“Some such program,” they say, “would
stand the best chance of solving the short
and long-term problems of success now
plaguing Japan — sopping up current ex
cess capacity, getting private investment
moving again, returning the consumer to
the market, and reducing the enormous
trade surpluses that bedevil Japan’s rela
tions with the United States, Europe, and
increasingly, other countries in Asia.”
Letters to the Editor
KK hems, haws
Editor:
My bicycle was stolen a little over a month
ago. When I discovered it was missing the
first thing I did was file a report with Uni
versity Police. As I left their office they
said, “You’d be surprised how many of
these bikes we recover.”
In light of my experiences this weekend I
would indeed be surprised. While jogging
Sunday morning I spotted my bike chained
to a post beneath the walkway across from
a DeWare field house. Again the first thing I
’ did^was report it'to'University Police. I
soon. discovere4.iL,\WaSL my v jnisfbrfune to
have found the bike on a Sunday morning.
After thirty minutes of consultation be
tween the dispatcher, an officer and a
girlfriend they decided they could not find
a record of my theft report. It must be, they
concluded, locked up upstairs. No one had
a key, and after another thirty minutes of
hemming and hawing (which included a
trip over to look at the bike) they refused to
take any action and suggested I come back
Monday morning to talk to the sergeant.
Monday morning wasn’t much better.
The key to the room with the records was
found, but the theft report was not. A list
was found tht made mention of my report,
but the person who compiled the list (and
who also files the reports) had copied down
the name of my apartment complex instead
of my last name. “He’s about to retire,”
explained the woman who was looking for
the report.
They decided to forget the theft report
and after more consultation gathered the
bureaucratic courage to take decisive ac
tion. Twenty-five hours after I spotted my
bicycle we took off to cut the lock. Needless
to say, it was no longer there.
If I ever see my bicycle again, I will not
hesitate to cut the lock off myself and take it
home. In the improbable event the thief
reports it stolen, I have every confidence
that the University Police will never figure
out I took it back.
I heard a lot of complaints this weekend
about how many bikes were stolen from
campus. Is it any wonder why?
— Jay P. Lukens
Graduate student
Appreciate peace
Editor;
Israel and Egypt have achieved an honest
peace treaty lately. Some people, though,
seem to prefer denouncing it instead of
appreciating its enormous values for more
than 30 million people who selected peace
instead of killing.
Actually, this letter is in response to Mr.
Amer Sheikh’s April 16 letter. The presi
dent of the Texas A&M Muslim Students
Association has managed to mislead too
many people by writing incorrect facts and
wrong ideas. I hope they were only a result
of lack of knowledge.
First, he bases some of his accusations on
UN resolutions which call for Israeli with
drawal from all occupied territories. A bet
ter survey shows that the 242 Security
Council resolution states: “... establishment
of a just and lasting peace in the region
should include the withdrawal of Israeli
armed forces from occupied territories in
the present conflict...” (Nov. 22, 1967, the
UN Monthly Chronicle, December 1967).
This is not violated by any means by the
Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty.
Then, he “proves” that Israel as a coun
try, preparing for peace, doesn’t need mili
tary aid. I wish there was no need for that.
If Israel could count on the other Arab
countries to follow Egypt, it would gladly
give the money and return occupied areas.
Later he talks about the Palestianian
problem. Trying to doubt the democracy in
Israel, he forgets that there are Palestinian
movements in Israel and they are free to
express their ideas in public. For example,
not long ago a big session was held by Pales
tinian students at the Hebrew University at
Jerusalem. However, demoncracy doesn’t
mean freedom of violence. The only times
the army and police forces act, are against
violent demonstrations which risk life and
peace. (By the way, I wonder whether the
Arab countries grant the Jews in their coun
tries even a small part of the rights the
Palestinians have in Israel.)
Finally, reminding justice for Palesti
nians, I wonder what solutions he has. How
can Israel trust an organization like the
PLO to be a good neighbor when those
terrorists declare day and night that their
target is killing and wounding innocent Is
raeli citizens? Maybe they should improve
and change their ways and realize that
peace cannot be forced with violence.
Maybe they should follow some UN basic
notions against killing innocent people.
Peace can come to the Middle-East by
understanding and not fighting. That is the
only right way for justice.
—Tal Nahir, ’81
Thotz
By Doug Graham
Let me guess...You bad -to hold down 3 Jobs
do pay •for school, work -for chaviTies, -Sell blood,
Qnd -v-ake 2.3 Vi ours.
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sociology / doa I has
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recuperating irorvi
Wongouens.
CCmon, Sir, have a loeart.^
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Move 5*
Pet a spider today
Editor:
Have you ever wondered why anyone
would have a tarantula for a pet, let alone
handle it and then call it beautiful? By join
ing the American Tarantula Society you’ll
soon realize why a tarantula can be such a
unique and interesting pet and not the
dangerous, if not deadly, spider most be
lieve it to be.
If anyone would like to know more about
the ATS (or even tarantulas) and how to join
it, give me a call at 693-4771.
—Greg Martin, ’81
Letters to Dr. Miller
The Battalion is offering a new reader’s
letter section to give students more access
to the newspaper and to the University.
“Talk with Dr. Miller” is a forum for
readers to address questions to the admin
istration about University policies and pro
cedures.
‘ Questions should be addressed to The
Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, and should
specify that they are to be used for this
column. Names and phone numbers will be
required on all questions and Dr. Miller
has the option to decline to answer a ques
tion or request others on the staff or faculty
to answer it.
Questions and answers will be published
on the editorial page.
Top of the News
CAMPUS
Filing for committees to begin
University committee application forms were made available to
students Monday. The Student Activities Office in Room 221 of the
MSC has the forms and information about all University committees
on which students may serve. Filing ends May 3. Students who have a
2.0 GPR or better and who are in good standing are invited to apply.
STATE
Court grants Jurek new trial
The 5th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals Monday granted a new trial to
Texas death row inmate Jerry Lane Jurek, convicted of the Aug. 16,
1973, slaying of a Cuero policeman’s 10-year-old daughter. The ap
peals court, by a 2-1 ruling, said Jurek, 22, at the time but mentally
immature, was held without contact with his parents or a lawyerfor42
hours and coerced into signing two confessions that were major factors
in his conviction.
Senator criticizes budget plan
The Texas Senate Monday refused to consider one of Gov. Bill
Clements’ major proposals for increased control over the state bureau
cracy — a plan to give a special budget execution committee authority
to reduce appropriations of state departments and agencies. Sen. O.H.
Harris, R-Dallas, won a 18-13 margin for the proposed constitutional
amendment but fell three votes short of the two-thirds majority
needed to debate a measure in the Senate. “This in my view is perhaps
the most insidious and dangerous proposal we’ve had before us,’Sen.
Chet Brooks, D-Pasadena, said. “I’m afraid the protections we now
have would just be washed away.”
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The
NATION
Officials preparing for shutdown
U.S. nuclear officials, their spirits buoyed because the Three Mile
Island nuclear plant has cooled down enough to eliminate the possibil
ity of another dangerous bubble, are preparing a timetable to guide the
plant to a cold shutdown. Victor Stello, director of operating reactors
for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said Friday the plant, where
America’s worst nuclear accident occurred March 28, will not be
brought to a shutdown for at least several days. Stello reported the
temperatures in the reactor’s core cooling system dropped 57 degrees
to 175 degrees Fahrenheit in 24 hours. It was the first time the coolant
had been brought below water’s boiling point.
Steelhaulers shot by truck driver
Three picketing steelhaulers were hit by a shotgun blast at a
truckstop near Youngstown, Ohio, early Monday hut dissident
Teamsters vowed to continue the strike unless steelhaulers are allowed
to vote on their own on a new contract agreement reached during the
weekend. Police in Austintown Township, near Youngstown, said the
three pickets were shot by a trucker hauling steel whom they were
trying to detain. Police said the unidentified trucker would be charged
with felonious assault and possession of a sawed-off shotgun. William
E. Evans of Leetonia, Larry C. Greathouse of Warren and Scqtt E.
Smith, Hubbard, all in Ohio, were treated for minor injuries and
released.
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WORLD
Mother accidently kills daughter
A housewife whose husband and 4-year-old daughter were taken
hostage and killed in a Palestinian guerrilla raid, accidentally suffo
cated her 2-year-old daughter with a pillow while trying to stop her
from giving away their hiding place by crying, police sources in Tel
Aviv said Monday. An army communique, summing up the pre-dawn
raid Sunday on Nahariya, said only “the terrorists took over a flat in an
apartment building, where one little girl was killed. But police
sources said Samedar Haran apparently cut off her daughter, Taels,
oxygen supply as her husband, Danny, pleaded for the life of their
4-year-old, Eynat. The mother was hiding in another room and put a
pillow over Yael’s face when she started crying. The guerrillas took the
father and Eynat with them when they fled back to the beach where
Israeli security forces had found their rubber boat and were waitingfor
them.
T-shirt meal sustains fishermen
Two fishermen recounted Monday how they survived four days in
choppy waters by clinging to a wooden crate and eating a T-shirt after
Typhoon Cecil sank their boat. The government-owned Philippine
News Agency said Aniceto Mangubat and Emelito Pugador were
rescued Friday by a fishing boat off Masbate Island, 250 miles south
east of Manila. The two men said they were with seven other fishermen
in the motor vessel Marina Uno when they were caught in the typ
hoon’s 118 mph center winds April 16. “Our boat was literally lifted up
and slammed down the sea,” Pugador said. “We just tried to hold on to
anything afloat. ” Mangubat had his T-shirt on, which served as food for
four days. They ate sparingly, piece by piece, the agency quoted the
two survivors as saying during an interview Saturday. Combined
reports Monday showed 31 deaths from the typhoon, mostly drown-
ings.
i
WEATHER
Partly cloudy and mild with a low in the mid 60’s and a high of
80. Windw will be N-N.E. at 5-10 mph.
The Battalion
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Editor LizNi
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Sports Editor SeanPf
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