Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1979)
Battalion lscri Ptsthisk 'Hod, Cwm pletedaj :nt m tics." UNM ,t | avva official, r ' l tl ’ e ls '''catioii 0 f||j s a , nd transcm lnd Goldsteia wing the .. '* () ^ a taped u 1 the two : c‘d a $300 on Gilbertf, ege in "Mining plaji om, freshi' ’ () rk, has., ■oials late lb football plat, her students Msketball meet its the latestdi the lack of i "he Harrison ursday. ■ 73 No. 69 16 Pages. Monday, December 10, 1979 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 and Hull-Di Wharton Valley Via s Salado in otton Centi x-man states erIes 33.50 Ei 37.50 a 33.50 a J 37.50 n 33.50 a Sugarplums, Kleenex and chickenwire The New Beginning 4-H Club formed a Christmas dream from such mundane objects as tissue and lumber for the 1979 Holiday Parade in Bryan Sunday. About 75 floats, decorated cars and marching groups paraded down Texas Avenue from Villa Maria to Luby’s Cafeteria, while local residents and dignitaries looked on. Battalion photo by Lynn Blanco arter re-election committee says ^jLran providing campaign ‘boost’ Batt. 3 Foods, IX. 00 P.M. 'AY ECIAL I Steak ravy es and other and Butte ea Symposium at A&M addresses energy crisis i United Press International AUSTIN — Top officials of President arter’s re-election campaign told Texas emocrats during a weekend fund-raiser e Iranian crisis is giving him a unique loost for re-election as the only experi- ffleed candidate for the White House. Two cabinet members, a presidential ssistant, Lady Bird Johnson and top Texas )emocratic officeholders were among 130 lersons at a $l,000-a-head brunch Satur- lay to raise money for Carter’s re-election committee. Carter originally was scheduled to speak at the brunch and a fund-raising luncheon but canceled the appearance to remain at the White House because of the American hostages being held in Iran. “A lot of people talk about Jimmy Car ter’s lack of leadership,” said Labor Secret ary Ray Marshall. “It’s obvious to the American people now if it shouldn’t have been earlier that that was sheer nonsense. ” Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas, said the consistency, determination and strength Carter has demonstrated in the Iran crisis have earned him respect. “On Oct. 9 when President Carter’s fu ture was as dark as it had ever been I be came the first member of the United States Senate to endorse him for re-election,” Bentsen said. Energy Secretary Charles W. Duncan said the situation in Iran and the outlook for continued oil imports from OPEC coun tries to the United States — prospects he termed “very disturbing” — demonstrate the need for policies Carter has proposed and implemented to curtail use and prom ote domestic energy production. “If there was ever a vivid demonstration that we are overly dependent on foreign sources of oil it’s the situation that is going on today in Iran,’’ Duncan said. Duncan said there may be shortages in 1980 as OPEC nations curtail output. “The supply that we will actually have and the price that we will have to pay are beyond our control,” he said. By MARCY BOYCE Battalion Reporter Government regulation and the windfall rofits tax are two obstacles delaying the ent of an energy self-sufficient United tates, said representatives at the Energy iymposium on campus Thursday and riday. Organized by the Chemical Engineering )epartment at Texas A&M University, the ymposium in the Rudder Tower complex irought together representatives from oil, hemical and mining companies, in addi tion to politicians and bankers, for a series )f speeches and panel discussions on the nergy crisis. One problem area cited at the meeting vas the windfall profits tax. The tax would discourage energy companies from invest ing in domestic production, John G. Win ger, vice president of the Chase Manhattan Bank said Thursday. The tax will cause them to compete with Europe and Japan for foreign oil, he said. But more important. Winger said, as domestic production falls, the energy com panies will fail to meet the increasing de mands of industry. “We must maintain our productivity, but we can’t do that if industry does not have the energy supplies,” he said. T. Louis Austin, chairman of Texas Utili ties, said Friday the United States should depend on the market system to stabilize energy prices. “If we let the market system work, we can control the world price of oil and na tional gas by flooding the market with coal and nuclear (power),” he said. John Racz, representing the Carter Oil Co., said decisions made in Congress are extremely critical to determining the fu ture of synthetic fuel production. Currently, synthetic fuel is looked to as one of the major resources for resolving the energy crunch, he said. “Reserves in northwestern Colorado have more potential oil locked up in shale deposits than the total reserves of oil in the Middle East,” he said. As a subsidiary of Exxon, Racz said, Car ter Oil Co. is presently undertaking the East Texas Gasification Project which would utilize lignite reserves in Cherokee, Texas. When constructed the project could cost up to 4 billion, he said. But, Racz said, “If government keeps insisting upon maintaining price ceilings, its construction will require major govern ment subsidies.” And, Racz said, Exxon clearly prefers the free market system to any mechanism such as subusidies. Dr. Arthur Stern, of the department of environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina, agreed there is too much government regulation. Mexican oil companies are also limited by government regulation, said Jesus Cha varria Garcia, a Pemex representative. Pemex is Mexico’s national oil company. Wounded athlete in stable condition Texas A&M football player Ed Patterson, who was shot in the head during a scuffle last Wednesday, is still in stable condition in St. Joseph Hospital, said Assistant to Athletic Director Billy Pickard. “It’s just a wait-and-see situation,” Pickard said Sunday night. “They are waiting before they remove the bullet fragments from his head. Rebels recapture complex in Iran United Press International TABRIZ, Iran — In his most personal attack yet. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini today called President Carter a traitor and urged Americans not to vote for him. He also blamed the United States for inciting a major crisis in northwest Iran. “Carter has been a bad politician and president for the American people and is not qualified to be president,” Khomeini told students in the holy city of Qom. “He has been a traitor to the American people. The people of America must know this and not vote for Carter.” Khomeini directly implicated the Un ited States in the current troubles in north west Iran. He said dissidents who seized the broadcast complex in Tabriz were “American spies. These are men from the (occupied American) embassy.” Files on these spies and traitors had been uncovered at the embassy, proving their roles, the ayatollah charged. Khomeini’s latest attack was part of an escalating campaign by the government and militants holding the 50 American hos tages to blame the United States for the violence in Iran’s Azerbaijan region. Diplomatic sources said this campaign, designed to rally the nation against a com mon enemy, could greatly complicate any diplomatic moves to secure the release of the captives held for the 37th day. As Khomeini spoke, anti-government dissidents reoccupied the radio complex in Tabriz and a high-powered government delegation arrived for mediation talks to try to settle the fighting between supporters of moderate Ayatollah Kazem Shariatrnadari and Khomeini’s loyalist revoluionary guards. The dissidents had occupied the com pound for four days, initially demanding changes in the new Islamic constitution and then expanding their demands for autonomy for the region. Shariatrnadari supporters boycotted last week’s voting for the Islamic constitution because they oppose its provisions assuring Khomeini virtual unlimited power as Iran’s leader. At least nine persons have been killed and 60 others wounded in the fighting that erupted Sunday and tapered off early today. In Tehran, diplomatic reports said an envoy of U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim was among several “unofficial’ ambassadors in the Iranian capital working with Khomeini’s government to try to se cure the speedy release of the American hostages. The crisis in Tabriz, the unofficial capital of Turkish-speaking Iran and the Azerbai jan provinces, exploded into gun battles Sunday afternoon when loyalist revolution ary guards recaptured the radio and televi sion complex from followers of Shariatma- dari. The demonstrators in turn then hand ed it over to the army before reoccupying it. In the Hague, the Netherlands, the In ternational Court of Justice scheduled hearings today on a U.S. request for an interim order directing Iran to immediate ly release the 50 American hostages. President Carter sent Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti to present Washing ton’s case. The United States announced envoys of other foreign nations were also trying to persuade Tehran to release the captives. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance began a European trip in London in an effort to step up diplomatic and economic pressure on Iran. Restaurant fire hearings scheduled to begin today United Press International COVINGTON, Ky. — Barring settle ments or granting of a mistrial motion, 28 defendants — mostly aluminum wire and device makers — go to trial today in the first trial over the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire. It has been reported that a few small firms had virtually completed settlements with the fire victims, although nothing had been filed in federal court. Major aluminum companies have also filed for a mistrial for what they termed a “carnival atmosphere” during jury selec tion last Monday. Anaconda, Kaiser Alumi num and General Electric all asked for the declaration of a mistrial. Opening statements sire scheduled for Monday morning. Lawyers for the victims assert “old technology” aluminum wiring contributed to the blaze that raced through the crowded Southgate, Ky. club May 28, 1977, killing 165. It is believed the fire was started by electrical problems. The trial start was delayed for a week because of scheduling conflicts. The motion for a mistrial said there were several procedural errors in jury selection. “Because of the extremely crowded courtroom conditions, almost a schoolroom cafeteria atmosphere, it was impossible to observe the entire jury panel at any time during the selection of the jury,” the mo tion said. Lawyers for the defendants also com plained the jury selection was ‘ almost in a carnival atmosphere, or like a Roman Holi day’ with the defense counsel appearing to the jurors as being unorganized, confused and totally unprepared as to the selection of a jury.” In another motion Friday, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Inc. of Chicago, one of the defendants, moved to bar all references to a federal agency’s claim that “old tech nology” aluminum wiring is hazardous. The motion was seen as part of a long standing dispute between the aluminum wire industry and the Consumer Produet Safety Commission. A recent report by the commission stated aluminum wire is 55 times more likely to cause an electrical fire than copper wire. ICIAL ening dinner i jee ;sing Butter- )f any e Unleashed dogs may be expensive for pet owners By TRICIA BRUNHART Special to the Battalion While several cases of rabies were reported throughout Texas last sum mer, local animal control officials say the number of reports in Brazos Coun ty is small. There remains, however, a problem with stray animals. County animal control is divided into three jurisdictions. The Sheriff’s Department handles calls outside the city limits. College Station’s police de partment handles calls in that city. Bryan recently reassigned its animal control unit from the police depart ment to the sanitation department. Charles Huneycutt, animal control officer in Bryan for three years, said the most common call he gets con cerns dogs running loose, particularly when they scatter trash. Bryan’s animal control unit receives about 15 to 40 calls a day, some of which could be labeled prank calls, Huneycutt said. Most of the calls the unit receives concern dogs, but they answer calls about any type of animal. Most calls are about animals that have bitten someone. “Every once in a while there’ll be a rash of cat bites, ” Huneycutt said. There hasn’t been much problem with rabies in this area, Huneycutt said. The most common disease among the stray animals is mange. To catch a dog, a 6-foot, wire-cage trap activated by a bone connected to a cable is usually used, he said. When they catch a biting animal, if it hasn’t had its shots, or they can’t find the owner, it will be quarantined for 10 days at a local veterinary clinic. If they don’t see the biting animal running loose, then the bite victim can file a complaint with the police depart ment. If the animal is running loose, its owner can be ticketed. The leash law in Bryan says a pet must be either on a leash or in a pen all the time, Huneycutt said. The first time a healthy dog is caught running loose the owner is given a warning ticket, but if it hap pens again, the owner is fined. Offic ers often have problems finding pet owners, who sometimes just won’t answer the door when an officer calls, he said. The first offense ticket is $28.50, the second is $38.50 and the third is $103.50 for letting a biting animal run loose. Huneycutt said there isn’t much of a problem with jursidiction between cities, because if a dog bites someone in College Station and then roams to Bryan, the animal control officers from both cities will meet at the city lines to decide what to do. Marc Hodges, a College Station humane officer for IV2 years, also said nuisance calls about dogs in people’s trash are the most common calls. But recently, he said, the department has had more problems with wild animals, such as opossums and raccoons. There haven’t been any cases of rabies reported as long as Hodges has worked as a humane officer. College Station’s leash law is similar to Bryan’s, prescribing that an animal must be on the owner’s property or on a leash. If not, the owner can be tick eted. First offense tickets are $18.50 and second offense tickets are $28.50. Animals that are caught are taken either to their owners or to Anderson Ridge Veterinary Clinic in College Station. It is often easier to impound an animal, because it’s difficult to find the owner at home, Hodges said. In cases where the animal has simp ly strayed, the owner can take the animal home, after paying a fine and assuring officers the animal will be leashed. But when the animal bites some one, the circumstances change. The person who was bitten decides whether the animal goes to the pound. Seventy percent of these animals go to the pound, he said. Hodges said that the unit gets eight to 15 calls a day. Cecyle Howard, a deputy sheriff with the Brazos County Sheriffs De partment, said county animal control usually concerns animals, usually cows, that wander onto the highway. In this situation, they try to contact the animal’s owner. The sheriffs department doesn’t answer animal nuisance calls because there are no animal ordinances out side the city limits, she said. The sher iff s department prefers to concentrate on enforcing what it considers to be more important areas of the law, Ho ward said. But the department did respond to several reports of rabid animals during the past summer, she said. These animals were taken to a local veterina rian for treatment. College Station humane officer Marc Hodges makes a routine check of his truck before he and his partner Battalion photo by Tricia Brunhartl go out on patrol. College Station’s police department handles animal control within the city limits.