The Battalion
Vol. 73 No. 77 Wednesday, January 9, 1980 USPS 045 360
8 Pages College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611
Tensions mount between
superpowers
Mondale says Russia lied
ibout Afghanistan invasion
United Press International
SAN ANTONIO — Vice President Wal-
:r Mondale said Tuesday the Russians
'ere lying about why they sent SO.tXX)
■oops in Afghanistan and urged Americans
(unify to make the Soviet Union pay a
rice for what he termed “brutal, totally
njustified and naked use of force. ”
“Their answers are not to be believed.
Mat it is is a brutal invasion and nothing
be. And if you can do it once, what’s
Tong with doing it again? Mondale, his
oice rising angrily, told 1,500 Democrats
athered to salute 19-year congressiotal
eteranRep. Henry B. Gonzalez, D-Texis.
Mondale called on Americans — partitii-
rly fanners — to support the administre-
on s move to limit grain sales to the Soviet
Inion and other economic measures tint
light be taken to protest the Russians’ ae
ons in Afghanistan.
He said the administration was “doint
hatever we can to prevent any segment
om paying an undue price’’ for the curtail-
lent of trade with the Soviets, by purchas-
ig the grain that would have gone to Bus-
a. He said the administration also would
alt the export of technology to the Soviet
Union.
"We are determined that the Soviet Un
ion will pay a price for what they did in
Afghanistan. We cannot as a civilized na
tion, we cannot as a civilized world let them
do what they’re doing there and then say
‘business as usual.’ I plead with all Amer
icans to understand and join together to say
as a single people, ‘we condemn aggression
and we will not stand for it.’”
Mondale also won applause from the
political gathering when he called for the
immediate release of the 50 American hos
tages being held by Iranian dissidents. "We
demand the return of those hostages un
harmed nowl” he said.
He called the Soviet troop movements
into Afghanistan, “one of the most trouble
some developments since World War II”
and said “the justification which the Soviets
issue is totally contrary to fact.”
Mondale’s four-hour visit to San Antonio
was billed by local Democrats as the kickoff
of the Carter-Mondale campaign in pre
dominantly Mexican-American South
Texas, an area which national party leaders
say is an important part of their plan to
carry Texas and the nation next fall.
Comptroller expects
state budget surplus
United Press International
AUSTIN — Comptroller Bob Bullock
said Tuesday the state can expect a $124
million surplus at the end of the current
(iennium, hut said a skittish world eco-
lomy could force the state into a tax in
crease within a few years.
Bullock’s official estimate is in sharp con
trast to predictions from Gov. Bill Cle
ments last month that the state could have a
surplus of up to $1 billion, and that he
would ask the Legislature during its special
session to return much of that surplus to
citizens in the form of tax relief.
The comptroller’s updated revenue esti
mate predicts the biennium ending Aug.
31, 1981, will have a surplus of $124 mil
lion, with perhaps an additional $200 mil
lion if state agencies are restrained in
spending funds already authorized by the
Legislature.
Ttinay be little more than wishful think
ing to hope the state agencies won’t spend
it, Bullock said.
He said the agencies in the past some
times have not spent all the money autho
rized, but said, “This time around they are
pinched by inflation and may well spend
jCvery dime the Legislature approved.”
The comptroller said skyrocketing oil
prices are the biggest factor causing a recal
culation of state income projections, and
varned that increased oil and gas tax re
tenues will be offset by declines in other
tex sources.
; "Texas will stay afloat, but we ll see the
toves lapping at the sides of the ship of
fcite,” he said.
Bullock said increased oil production
Utes, natural gas production taxes and lub
ricant sales tax will bring in $641.8 million
r»>re than previously estimated, but said
illation and troubles in the economy will
cut the state about $536.2 million in re-
dteed income from eight other tax sources.
He estimated inheritance taxes will be
$31.6 million lower than previously esti-
mlpd, sales taxes $139.6 million lower,
hotel and motel taxes $1.6 million lower,
teacher retirement reimbursement $50
mifcon lower, motor fuels $55.3 million
loxaer, motor vehicle sales taxes $143.3 mil-
lionlower and insurance taxes $123.2 mil-
lionlower.
United Press International
KABUL, Afghanistan — Russian forces
backed by heavy armor overran the rugged
Afghan countryside to wipe out rebel oppo
sition and Afghan army defectors. Western
diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
In the mile-high city of Kabul, the streets
and main government buildings are
guarded by Afghan soldiers by day. But at
night, when an 11 p.m. to 4 a. m. curfew is
imposed, the heavily armed Soviets re
portedly take up positions at strategic
points.
After gaining control of all major towns
and highways, the Soviet 16th Motorized
Rifle Division, supported by air force heli
copters, is driving through the snow-
covered Hindu Kush mountains in Badakh-
shan, Takhar and Pakita provinces, where
they have encountered only isolated resist
ance, diplomats said Tuesday.
The Soviet war machine is far superior to
that of the embattled Moslem insurgents,
many of whom fjKht with antiquated
weapons. But the fierce rebels still carry
out terrorist attacks on the narrow dusty
streets of the ancient capital.
Reports from Pakistan said more than
1,500 Afghan nationals, including army
personnel and civilian officials were killed
by Soviet troops when they occupied the
southern provincial capital and important
airport site of Kandahar.
In new retaliatory moves against the
Soviet invasion. President Carter Tuesday
canceled plans for a new consulate in Kiev,
ordered 17 Russian diplomats home, cut
the number of flights the Soviet airline
Aeroflot is allowed into the United States
and sent out officials to limit Soviet fishing
in American waters.
Research funds
lacking Miller
United Press International
SAN FRANCISCO — Federal support
of agricultural research is lagging seriously,
the president of Texas A&M University has
charged.
Speaking Monday at the annual meeting
of the American Association for the Adv
ancement of Science, Dr. Jarvis E. Miller
said federal funding for research in the food
and agricultural sciences has not kept pace
with inflation.
Miller said the federal government’s role
in agricultural research includes planning,
funding, coordination and evaluation.
While aggreeing that all the functions were
important, Miller said the compelling need
is for additional funding.
“Rather than taking the lead to see the
needs are met, the federal government has
failed even to maintain its reasonable share
of the effort under way, he said.
Miller said that while about 40 percent of
the nation’s publicly supported food and
agricultural research is performed by in-
house agencies of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, the remaining amount is done
by the - various state agricultural experi
ment stations (SAES). He said less than 20
percent of the experiment stations’ funds
come from federal sources.
He said state funding has increased for
the SAES.
“Federal funding, however, both to the
SAES and the US DA in-house research
agencies has declined. In fact, it has not
even kept pace with increasing costs,” he
said.
Moslem holy day j
brings out Iranians
United Press International
TEHRAN, Iran — H u n d r e d s of
thousands of demonstrators Wednesday
poured into the streets of Tehran on an
Islamic holy day, answering a call by Iran’s
clergy for countrywide protests against
American and Soviet imperialism.
As the marchers grouped together, the
force behind the protests Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini — prepared for 15 days
of seclusion.
Khomeini is perhaps the only person in
Iran who can free the 50 American hos
tages, now in their 67 day of captivity. But
spokesmen at his headquarters in the Mos
lem holy city of Qom, claiming the Islamis
strongman was exhausted, said he was
going into seclusion for 15 days starting
Saturday.
His withdrawal all but guaranteed the
hostages will spend the rest of January lock
ed up in the U.S. Embassy.
Generic beer
The package is plain, the price low.
By DEBBI PIGG
Special to The Battalion
Many people in Colorado, Utah and
Wyoming are giving up their Miller,
Michelob or Pearl, and turning to the bot
tled beer with the white label and no
brand.
Generic beer, like other generic pro
ducts, is cheaper than its national brand
counterparts. A six-pack of Falstaff costs
about $2. A six-pack of generic beer, which
is also made by Falstaff, sells for $1.69.
Dale Peterson, marketing director of the
Falstaff Bottling Co. said the quality of the
two beers is the same.
So, what s the difference?
“We sell large quantities of beer in alu
minum barrels to Top Co in Illinois,”
Peterson said. “Top Co bottles the beer and
distributes it. All we do is supply them with
a high-quality product.
“The marketing staff at Falstaff'made the
decision to sell our beer to Top Co about
eight months ago,” he said. “It was a tough
decision. We could only guess how such a
move would affect our corporate profits.
“Generic products could be a marketing
breakthrough, an idea that appeals to the
people who are proud to save money,”
Peterson said. But if sales Hop and our
name is associated with the product, it
could be disaster.
Selling Falstaff beer to Top Co has not
affected company profits, Peterson said.
“Right nowj we re all still holding out
breath. This generic idea is so new that the
chips could fall either way.”
Generic beer has been on the market in
Colorado, Wyoming and Utah since Sep
tember. It will be marketed in Texas and
Oklahoma early in 1980.
Top Co president Marcel Lussier said
the beer was released in the three states
first because the area has a wide acceptance
rate to generic products.
“People in these areas have responded
very well to generic products,” Lussier
said. “We though that people would be less
intimidated by a generic beer here. They
already believe in our other products.”
Lussier said there is some difficulty get
ting the public to accept generic beer.
“People are very personal about their
beer,” he explained. “They think different
brand imply different personalities. I think
people may be having a hard time’relating
generic products to their own personali
ties.
Things are not going as well as hoped,
Lussier said.
“To be honest, we are dissappointed in
sales to date, but hope they will improve,”
he said. “VVe are currently researching dif
ferent containers and their selling possibili
ties. We are looking hard at the idea of
selling the beer in kegs. That’s where other
beer bottlers sell a large quantity of their
product. ”
Colorado college students have differing
opinions about generic beer. A few were
asked if they would serve it at a party.
“Hell, no,” Joe Davis, a senior majoring
in physical education, said. “I only»serve
high-class beer to my friends. The price
doesn’t make any difference, but my
friends do.” '
Chuck Bailey, a college junior majoring
in marketing, disagreed with Davis. “It’s all
the same stuff,” he said as he loaded eight
six-packs into his shopping cart at a super
market in Gunnison, Colo. “Everybody
knows that. I’m a college student and I’m
on a strict budget. Generic beer helps me
live a little easier. Besides, at beer parties
most of it gets poured in my roommate’s
aquarium or on my plants. Any beer will
kill plants and fish.”
Lussier agrees with Bailey. “It (the beer)
is all the same. “It is bottled by a different
company and has a different lable. Because
we do buy in large quantities, our contain
ers are less expensive, our lables are not
printed in color and we do not advertise,
we can afford to sell the same product for
less than its producer can.”
Peterson explained why Falstaff decided
to sell its beer to Top Co.
“It brings us profits,” Petersons aid. “We
can sell more beer to Top Co at a higher
profit margin than we can bottle, distribute
and advertise the same amount ourselves.
“We may have created our own mons
ter,” he said. “The nation may see a return
to basic products soon, with a de-emphasis
on advertising and a slight price decrease. ”
Lussier said it could happen, theoretic
ally.
“Generic foods are based on a different
marketing concept than advertising, he
said. “We believe Americans are ready to
save money. If people will support our pro
ducts and our ideals, we believe our pro
ducts would drastically influence America’s
market system. Companies might adver
tise less. Prices might go down.
Lussier would not release any specific
figures bn total sales of generic beer, total
profits or any specific market research, and
Peterson would not release Falstaff profit
information.
Sales of the beer are apparently surpris
ing store managers.
“I’d like to know what profits Top Co is
making,” Sue Allen, assistant manager at
City Market in Gunnison, said. “The lower
prices seem particularly attractive to col
lege students and housewives. A lot of peo
ple are buying generic beer. ”
Rick Thompson, marketing director.
City Market Food Chain in Grand Junc
tion, Colo., was also surprised by generic
beer sales. “We began carrying all generic
products as an experiment. It’s the best
decision we could have made. No one could
predict how customers would react, but
they like generic products. And they like
generic beer. It’s one of our best sellers.”