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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1979)
Page 10 THE BATTALION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1979 FORX STEAKHOUSE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN GOOD FOOD, FUN ANE> FRIENDS. 2528 S. Texas College Station Lobbyists attack funeral cost United Press International WASHINGTON — Consumer, labor and public interest groups charged Wednesday that “ghoulish” i lobbyists are trying to kill controls over the funeral industry that would 'save Americans up to $300 million a year in funeral costs. “It’s time to bury our dead with decency and dignity,” said Bess Myerson, former New York City consumer affairs commissioner. Some funeral directors, she said, see “our dead as their production line and overstate their bills “be yond decency.” Northgate Beer Games Beer Whiskey Open Daily at 3 p.m. — Sun. at 6 p.m. She appeared at a news confer ence along with representatives of more than a dozen groups, several members of Congress and President Carter’s consumer adviser, Esther Peterson. They urged the House to reject a proposal to scrap the Fed eral Trade Commission’s crackdown on the $3 billion-a-year funeral in dustry. The FTC project, which has been in the works for most of this decade, would require funeral directors to itemize their prices, rather than quote them only in package sums. It also would bar them from sell ing consumers a casket for a crema tion if not required by law or from demanding embalming when it is not legally needed. In addition, the rules would prohibit funeral direc tors from disparaging cheaper alter natives to the traditional burial serv- iuneral industry and “various indus trial groups” are attempting to gain behind the scenes what they could not do at the FTC — even though they had a fair hearing there. “This is the most nefarious type of lobbying,” he said. “There are literally dozens of other industries waiting to see if the amendment passes,” warned Rep. Norman Dicks, D-Wash. Heavy lobbying by the funeral industry and other anti-FTC forces has resulted in a vote, scheduled tentatively today, that would tell the FTC to drop the project. Rep. Bob Eckhardt, D-Texas, said “ghoulish lobbyists” from the Rep. Ben Rosenthal, D-N.Y., de clined to predict how the vote will go. “We have the commitments; we don’t know if we have the votes,” he said. Myerson noted there are about 2 million funerals every year, and said, “As a result of not being in formed and not asking questions the American people pay $3 billion each year for funeral arrangements at least $200 million of which is overpaid.” Other groups supporting the ef fort included the AFL-CIO, the American Association of Retired Persons, National Retired Teachers Association, Ralph Nader’s Con gress Watch and Common Cause. 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The original “Are You a Teasip?” poster — On Sale Friday & Saturday at Rudder Fountain • at the Academic Bldg. • in Sbisa Dining Hall (in case of rain, on sale inside the Memorial Student Center) also available from these local merchants: Loupot’s Bookstore Bother’s Bookstore Texas Aggie Bookstore or in Room 216, Reed McDonald Bldg. for Theses & Dissertation Copying The deadline for Theses & Dissertations is approaching fast — don’t wait ’til it’s too late! We’re not overbooked — we can do it right now! United Press International ATLANTA — With a possible three-virus flu season approaching, including a return of Russian in fluenza, federal health officials have funded a $5.8 million immunization effort to protect people in high risk groups. The flu battle may start as early as late November, said Dr. David Brandlin-Bennett, an influenza ex pert at the national Center for Dis ease Control. The money will be used to provide free flu shots to people with chronic illnesses and those over 65. The CDC estimates there are about 44 million Americans in these two categories, many of whom will not be reached by the modest federal free vaccination program. Brandlin-Bennett said the $5.8 million will provide 2.6 million doses of vaccine. This, coupled with 1.4 million doses left over from a similar program last winter, will give doctors and clinics across the country four million doses to ad minister to high risk individuals. The vaccine will give protection against the A-USSR or A-Brazil flu virus, the A-Texas strain and B-Hong Kong flu. Brandlin-Bennett said the CDC, which will administer the project, has approved the immunization programs of 43 states, two ter ritories and six cites. SLAPENO |heese thi IfO MUM 5 Tbisa: 11 ; Hie. DRPUS Cl Ilnake plar — New® wive! nnsylvania, if% ape p re . Seven states Virginia, P Nevada, Alaska and Idaho clined to join the vaccinatiot ACKPACK “They probably had some Ik a seminar about the program, Brr in Room ‘ Bennett said. ENCING < Public apathy toward ii# |yhite. D vaccinations has been a pH since the abortive 1976 sviHRISTIAIS immunization project tk in Room ; called off because of questio*^ cerning the safety of the vat'^ 11 1 ^ ( : “There is still some apathysP 56 “eld a' flu shots but it is difficult ItH how much, Brandlin-Bennetp Drug firms, he said, “sold If’ vaccine last year than thej|^ have before. ’ ISC BASE! Despite declining publici: J ‘Schulte w in flu vaccinations, BnH-^diy Gil Bennett said the outlook for a successful conclusion oil fort to vaccinate four milliocfc risk individuals this fall and INGING C He said people in danger MSC Loi fering severe illness or deatM influenza apparently conti HEAVEN < have confidence in the protec#: as a quart fects of flu vaccine and many Abe shown pected to get the shots. ■! 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