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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1980)
*4 The Battau Vol. 73 No. 140 16 Pages Wednesday, April 16, 1980 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 Millions mail |ax returns It last minute H United Press International '^Millions of Americans waited until the Hninute to mail their federal income tax sturns, just in time for the “Apr 15” post- but President Carter set a good ex- jft|le by filing his return early — and ning a more than $16,000 refund. Internal Revenue Service said that ol April 4 only about 60 million of the Inated 93 million American taxpayers J filed returns. Most received refunds faging $590.53. average American household paid Je than $6,100 in federal taxes for 1979. resident Carter paid nearly $65,000 in Hnne taxes and claimed a $16,703.50 re- und I As April 15 drew toward midnight, mil- lls of Americans made the mad dash to post office to get their returns post marked in time. ■Every year they’re out there like this,” aid a superintendent at the post office at Srancl Central in New York City. “People idf scared. I don’t see why. They’re still 'oing to get their money back if it’s oaarked the 16th. A local resident strains to put her last-minute tax return into a mailbox outside of the College Station post office. Many persons throughout the nation chose to tempt fate by waiting until just before Tues day’s midnight deadline to mail their returns. Photo by Cathy Kirkham reveals tax return, phi i° s opher Sartre dead at age 74 Expects others to do same United Press International ike most American wage earners, the presidential candidates have filed their in- xime tax returns. So far, only the content of President Carter’s is known — and that is the core of today’s political argument. [; tNo sooner had the Carter return been filed than White House press secretary Jody Powell gave copies of it to reporters and demanded that all presidential candi dates do likewise. ffien. Edward Kennedy’s office said the data would be published “as soon as mecha nically possible,” without making it clear whether the return itself would be made public. But Ronald Reagan — who was embar rassed while governor of California by the disclosure he had paid no state taxes in 1971 — refused to publish his return and said he would reveal only the “disclosures re quired by law, as I did as governor.” Reagan said he considers it unfair to re quire such information only from people in public life and not from the general public. Last week, he said this year’s tax bite is the largest since he has been paying taxes. There was no immediate word from the other Republican candidates George Bush and John Anderson. But Powell’s real target was Kennedy — and a Kennedy press aide, Jim Flug, re sponded in kind. “I would simply note,” Powell said, “that more than six years ago, Senator Kennedy stated if he became a presidential candidate he would make public his net worth and tax returns.” He said Kennedy so far has put out only “bits and pieces” of financial information and a disclosure statement that is required by the Senate. Flug called the remark a “cheap shot,” since Kennedy “issued a fiscal statement when he announced his candidacy. That statement was a detailed summary of his tax return, but did not include the return itself nor his total net worth. 15,000 Ford employees o be laid off indefinitely United Press International he recession economists have been pre dicting for so long may be at hand, with isome 15,000 Ford Motor Co. employees i learning the hard way the meaning of an economic slowdown. Bin order to cut its growing losses, Ford [said Tuesday it is closing indefinitely its Mahwah, N.J., car assembly plant, elimi nating shifts at four other plants, and phas ing out two manufacturing plants, lln total, about 15,000 Ford employees will be laid off indefinitely because of the cutbacks. The company already has 41,000 workers on indefinite layoff. ^ Ford’s car sales so far this year are off nearly 28 percent from last year, and it is not alone. U.S. automakers reported early April sales slumped 24.4 percent below the same riod last year. All domestic automakers d sales declines except Volkswagen of America, which managed to hold steady with last year’s levels. As sales of new cars continue to slump, several auto-related industries are report ing lower earnings. Stockholders of Un iroyal Inc., which makes tires and other auto components, were told the company expected a first quarter loss of $12 million compared to $6 million profit in the first quarter a year ago. Fleetwood Enteprises Inc. of California, a travel trailer and motor home manufac turer, said it was closing nine of its plants across the country, which will put 650 of its employees out of work. A steep drop in all industrial production was reported Tuesday by the Federal Re serve Board, the U.S. money manager. If production continues to fall, the American factory worker will pay for it — in jobs. Treasury Secretary G. William Miller, acknowledging the economic slowdown was beginning, said in Washington the un employment rate probably would rise to 7.25 percent by the end of the year. It is now 6.2 percent. The Fed reported industrial output on a seasonally adjusted basis fell 0.8 percent in March, following a decline of 0.2 percent in February. Construction supplies took the worst beating with production falling 3.6 percent — further evidence the housing industry is in serious trouble. “I think we’re now seeing the onset of a recession,” said William Cox, the Com merce Department’s deputy chief eco nomist. “For the average manufacturing worker, it means some of them are likely to face layoffs in the course of the coming months, ” Cox said. “For young people or people just entering the labor force, it means jobs will be scarcer, harder to find.” House and Senate Republicans used the occasion of “Income Tax Day” to blame President Carter and Democratic mem bers of Congress for soaring inflation and high taxes. Cubans to go to Costa Rica United Press International SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Costa Rica sent two jets to Havana today to airlift out 253 of 10,800 Cubans stranded in the Peru vian Embassy in the start of operation “Bridge of Freedom.” The aircraft landed in Havana after a two- hour flight but were held up for at least 2 l A hours. Officials at San Jose’s Juan Santa Maria International airport said they had no explanation for the holdup. “Everything is ready and a rendezvous with the 253 Cubans is set,” one of the officials helping to coordinate the freedom shuttle said. Approval for the mission was given Tues day when Cuban President Fidel Castro authorized the departure of 253 Cubans from the jammed Peruvian diplomatic compound. But the Cuban leader, who has disputed the right of some of the people inside the compound to leave, said nothing about the rest of the 10,800 Cubans who have been at the embassy since April 4. Costa Rican government spokesman Carlos Aguilar said he has learned that 4,800 of the 10,800 in the embassy have been told they can leave the Communist island nation. A Costa Ricana airlines BAC-111 lifted off from the Juan Santa Maria International Airport at 11:45 p.m., followed one'hour later by a Boeing 727 of the LACSA air lines. The airlift is under the aegis of the Gene va-based Intergovernmental Committee of European Migration. The evacuation of all 10,800 Cubans would be a record for the group. Jose Luis Monteil, the European Migra tion Committee representative for Costa Rica and Panama, said his group will pro vide food and medicine for the 253 refugees when they touch down in San Jose early today. Jorge Poveda, a spokesman for the Costa Rican presidency, said the 253 who will arrive on the first “bridge of freedom” flight will be allowed to stay in Costa Rica for six weeks until their final destination is deter mined. The United States has agreed to accept 3.500 of the Cubans, Peru 1,000 and Spain 500. Canada, West Germany, Belgium and Ecuador may take some of the others. Diplomatic officials could give no firm reason for Castro’s wanting to retain abso lute control over who will be allowed to leave first. One diplomat said Castro may want to block the possible evacuation of the 25 Cubans who started the stampede on the embassy by rushing it and killing one Cuban policeman. Another said Castro may be trying to insure that the first 5,000 Cubans to leave are “the most anti-social elements” — peo ple who may have lengthy criminal re cords. The ICEM group, an autonomous orga nization with 33 member countries, flew 4.500 people out of Chile after the right- wing military coup that toppled Marxist President Salvador Allende in 1973. United Press International PARIS — Jean-Paul Sartre, the French philosopher who influenced literature and thought throughout the world for four de cades, died at the age of 74 with his lifelong companion feminist author Simone de Beauvoir at his bedside. He died Tuesday night at Broussais Hos pital, where he was admitted March 20 suffering from pulmonary edema, a lung disorder. The philosopher’s adopted daughter, Arlette El Kaim, and Liliane Siegel, who wrote one of the last works published about Sartre, also were with Sartre during his last hours. “I can only say that we have lost someone irreplaceable,” Miss Siegel said. Small groups of people gathered at the hospital to mourn the death of the father of the school of thought known as existen tialism. Today’s edition of the newspaper Libera tion, which was founded by Sartre, pub lished a large photograph of the philo sopher on its front page. “The immense Sartre, who dominated this century as Voltaire and Hugo did theirs, was a man among men, a seeker and inventor of liberties,” the newspaper said in a commentary. Sartre, one of the best-known and most respected philosophers of the century, popularized the principles of existential ism, which state a man is what he does and is responsible only to himself and fellow men. Sartre shunned all honors, even reject ing the Nobel Prize for literature in 1964. He contended accepting the prize would have limited the impact of his literary work. Carter seeks plan for Palestinians United Press International WASHINGTON — President Carter says it would be “a tragedy” if Israel and Egypt fail to agree on a plan for future self-rule by the Palestinians living on the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip. Carter, who holds a third and final round of meetings today with Israeli Prime Minis ter Menachem Begin, said the two sides have made a lot of progress since the Camp David peace accords were signed, but “dif ficult issues” still remain to be solved. “It would be a tragedy having come this far to fail,” Carter said at a White House dinner for Begin Tuesday night. Israeli officials expect Carter will know today how Egyptian President Anwar Sadat feels about Begin’s proposal to speed up the stalled autonomy negotiations with marathon talks for 20 days in Egypt fol lowed by a similar round in Israel. Under the terms of the peace treaty, anticipations are for Egypt and Israel to complete the negotations by May 26. Car ter and Sadat, who was in Washington last week, agreed the talks should be moved to Washington from the Middle East, but Be gin was against the idea. Israeli officials said if Sadat agrees to Be gin’s suggestion — a suggestion the White House would not confirm existed — the talks could be restarted as soon as next week. Begin said Tuesday, “there is hope” an agreement can be reached by May 26, adding as a note of caution, “We relate in lifelines, not deadlines.” “We shall continue negotiating until we reach the agreement,” Begin said. “The sky is not on our heads” even if the target date passes without an accord. The year-long autonomy negotiations will decide the future governance of the 1.1 million Palestinians living in the territories Israel has occupied since 1967. Israel’s plan calls for a limited form of autonomy while Egypt wants the Arabs to have a broader role in conducting their affairs under such a scheme. At the dinner, Carter said the Camp David accords signed by Israel, Egypt and the United States in 1978 remain the basis for the current negotiations. Begin has stressed that Israel will not deviate from what was spelled out in those agreements. Carter listed at least two of the “difficult issues” covered in more than four hours of talks Tuesday —- how to define a self- governing authority and how to set up proc edures for elections under such a newly established body. Iran may delay elections United Press International I'l TEHRAN, Iran — The ruling Revolu tionary Council is considering yet another i^ostponement of elections for Iran’s parlia ment, which could further delay a decision on freeing the 50 American hostages, the ars news agency reported today. The news agency said the postponement was under consideration and awaiting approval by the Council, Iran’s chief execu- pve body. The Pars report indicated the government announced the proposal but gave no reason for it. M Polling for the second and final phase of JIKlections to the Majlis, or parliament, was Ipriginally set to be held across the country pn May 2. But if the Council approves, the lling would take place one week later. Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Ruhol- h Khomeini has declared that the Majlis should decide the fate of the hostages, now captive inside the occupied U.S. Embassy mpound for 165 days. President Abolhassan BaniSadr also told European Economic Community nation nvoys that a decision on the hostages re- ase rested with the as yet unformed par- ■uament. The diplomats had asked him to let a specific date for the captives’ release. In another development, Iranian heavy artillery and troops were sent to the west ern border with Iraq to fend offlraqi attacks on Iran’s Bavaissi out post, reported va cated last week by Iraqi forces, reports said today. Iran’s Foreign Minister Sadegh Ghotb- zadeh said during a tour of the border that Iranian troops “are ready to drive right through the Iraqi ranks.” He said some even wished to “occupy Baghdad.” Several columns of Iranian troops took up positions in the Ham province, in the southwest, as authorities began evacuating Iranian refugees expelled from Iraq to the interior. The latest activity follows a promise by the Iranian militants holding the Amer icans that Amnesty International and other human rights groups will be permitted to visit the diplomatic compound and see the captives. Apparently eager to show the world their 50 American captives are being well tre ated, Moslem militants have promised that Amnesty International and other human rights groups may visit the occupied U.S. Embassy. The new offer, however, was offset by a militant warning that none of the hostages held for 165 days would be allowed to leave the mission to receive medical treatment. The statement Tuesday agreeing to visits by humanitarian groups was made by a militant spokesman after officials of the In ternational Red Cross, who toured the di plomatic compound Monday, reported having met separately with all the captives. In Washington, the State Department said messages collected by the Red Cross from the hostages to their families convinc ingly showed that all the captives in Tehran were alive and inside the embassy com pound. A department spokesman said the mes sages would be delivered by the end of the week. Dr. Bernhard Liebeskind, a Swiss inter nist who was a member of the Red Cross delegation, flew to Geneva to deliver his report and said the hostages were generally fit but their living conditions could be im proved. He was quoted by Tehran Radio as saying, “In general, they felt very well mentally as well. Only one was a little bit anxious and two others, in my opinion, were a bit depressed. ” Board names new editors Wayne Cook was nominated to be editor of the 1980 Aggieland and Dillard Stone was nominated to be editor of The Battalion Tuesday night. The Student Publications Board nominated the two journalism students; they must be approved by Dr. J. M. Pre scott, vice president for academic affairs. Cook was classes editor and features editor for the Aggieland. He also work ed as editor of his high school yearbook in Houston. He was selected unani mously by the publications board. Marilou Tenhet was the other candi date for the Aggieland editor’s post. “I look forward to working on next year’s book,” Cook said. “I’ll try to make the best book that A&M has ever had. ” Stone, a senior from Brazosport, was nominated for editor for both summer and fall. He has served as reporter for The Battalion one year, news editor for one semester, assistant managing editor one semester and copy editor one semester. The vote recommending Stone for the summer post was a unanimous 6-0. The board voted 4-2 to recommend him for the fall editorship. Other candidates considered for The Battalion post were Louie Arthur, Richard Oliver and Tim Sager. “I’d like to significantly improve both the quantity and quality of campus and local news, striving for increased accur acy and credibility,” Stone said. Dillard Stone counts votes on his fingers as the Student Publications Board names him editor of the Battalion for this summer and fall. Staff photo by Lee Roy Leschper Jr.