The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 09, 1980, Image 1
Battalion d ‘i m ; ont inued t,n S' | Vol. 74 No. 7 ie new til 14 Pages Serving the Texas A&M University community Tuesday, September 9, 1980 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 The Weather Yesterday Today High 85 High 88 Low 74 Low 74 Humidity. . . 100% Humidity . . . 95% Rain .. .38 inches Chance of rain . . . . . . 75% layton Brilab trial ow set Thursday So meone dj Campbel held to J, day, tod^B United Press International r on theiaBOUSTON — A federal judge Monday delayed the start of 1 up withf Bse Speaker Bill Clayton’s Brilab trial until Thursday so his d touclidui "Wers can seek Supreme Court help in obtaining testimony of a ad to la■ the FBI called “the most knowledgeable person” in the e lon’Tli(i:j[H er y case - ig kickoffi® e ^ ense lawyers want co-defendant L.G. Moore, a five-state i knew it! bf’ -’Oritative of the Union of Operating Engineers, to testify at rand news '■ton's trial. The FBI said Moore was “the most knowledgeable i, in frontS 011 ‘ n tbe various criminal conspiracies” that make up the ing his fc ^ il *' cases across the Southwest. >r Housti ® i cause Moore could not be compelled to testify against him- land forD . ’ ^ district Judge Robert O’Conor last month granted him 24 0 f43p S feparate trial. O’Conor also said Moore’s testimony in Clayton’s "H could not be used against him later in his own trial except for - p'Q Wederal prosecutors appealed the ruling and Sunday the 5th f gS. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans removed the Hective order. Moore’s lawyer said Monday his client would 1(1,testify for Clayton without the limited immunity. ■The waters are too deep and there are too many sharks in those vaters, defense lawyer Michael Ramsey said, with Clayton “rarin to go” for the scheduled start of jury ■ction Tuesday, O’Conor delayed the trial two days to enable ■speaker’s attorneys to ask the Supreme Court to overrule the iJew Orleans’ court’s decision. B unsuccessful in the attempt to obtain Moore’s testimony, Bton said he still was optimistic about acquittal. ; “1 think we can prove up everything that needs to be proved up ■way,” said Clayton, who has pushed for his case to come to trial Bkly since his indictment in June on racketeering, conspiracy, raud and extortion charges. Clayton said he had spent the last two weeks dividing time 25 r between his West Texas farm, his Capitol office and in preparing for trial. Clayton is to be tried with Austin lawyers Randall Wood and Donald Ray, whom the government alleges aided and abetted Clayton in a scheme to have him influence handling of a $76 million state employees’ insurance contract in exchange for a $5,000 bribe and the promise of $600,000 more. Clayton admitted last February that he took $5,000 from an FBI informant posing as a Prudential Insurance Co. agent during a Nov. 8 meeting in his office. But he said he did not plan to keep the money. He said he did not refuse it because it was offered in the presence of Moore, the man who introduced the informant to the speaker, and Clayton did not want to embarrass his longtime friend. During a pretrial hearing O’Conor expressed “grave concerns” about the government’s Brilab tactics, suggesting the informant “thrust” the money on Clayton and saying Clayton’s rights to be free of government induced wrongdoing apparently were ignored. Moore, the informant’s admitted dupe, contacted labor and political officials in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma seeking their help in winning multi-million dollar insurance con tracts. Prosecutors want to prove those contacted accepted kick- backs on the insurance commissions. Clayton’s lawyers hope to contrast his reputation with that of the informant, Joseph Hauser, a convicted Beverly Hills, Calif., swindler paid $65,000 by the Justice Department for helping make the Brilab cases. Prosecutors will argue Clayton violated the law when he failed to report the $5,000 as a political contribution, but defense attor neys claim that failure only supports the wealthy Spring Lake farmer’s contention that he never intended to keep the money. Rain soaked the campus Monday, bringing out umbrel las of every size and color. Weathermen say the rains the area has been experiencing for the last few days are indirectly a result of tropical storm Danielle. The fore- Staff photo by Pat O’Malley cast says there should he scattered showers today and Wednesday, but the skies should clear by Thursday or Friday. League decides Wednesday if Anderson will join debates Danielle drenches CS jj.. United Press International independent candidate John Anderson fearently has met most of the criteria set .forth by the League of Women Voters for an invitation to participate in presidential debates, but whether debates will be held at all is still debatable. KThe League is expected to announce pednesday whether Anderson has met its conditions for participating in the national- . , ly televised debates, the first of which is ClIGS tentatively set for Sept. 21 in Baltimore. I I But the chance of actually holding the ® debates dimmed late Monday when pres idential press secretary Jody Powell said position to a three-way debate is growing [onger in the White House, ince Republican candidate Ronald lagan has insisted at least the first debate r IntramuralBist include Anderson, the possibility is big success #® m >ng there may be no debates at all this highest part*®; 15 peoplep® re perfectly willing to participate in ssts that rent activity sail thisse around 60 ERY multi-candidate debates, involving three, four or five candidates,” Powell said, but: “There’s got to be assurance there will also be a one-on-one debate. There is no assur ance at this point.” Anderson, campaigning in upstate New York Monday, said, “If the president wants to stonewall it. I think it could become one of the major issues of the 1980 campaign and I think it is an issue on which we could win.” A Carter aide said he assumes the League will invite Anderson, and Reagan will accept because that would avoid a one- on-one debate with Carter and help boost Anderson, which, the aide said, would tend to help Reagan. President Carter’s only campaign trip this week is today — a quick trip to Perth Amboy, N.J., for the dedication of a new steel plant. Reagan was in the Midwest courting blue-collar and ethnic votes Monday. He dined with Gerald Ford in Chicago Monday night. Afterward, Ford said it was “unconscionable” for Carter to exclude Anderson from the debates. Anderson’s campaign, meanwhile, fought attempts in Maryland and North Carolina to keep him off the state ballots. An appeals court heard arguments on the cases, which earlier were decided in Anderson’s favor, and will announce its de cision later. Anderson filed his own suit in Georgia, challenging the decision of the secretary of state’s office that said he failed to qualify for the ballot of the president’s home state be cause too many petition signatures were invalid. But he got good news from Florida, where plans to challenge the state’s certifi cation in court were dropped abruptly mi nutes before the court closed for the day. Common sights on the rain-soaked campus Monday were umbrellas, soggy heads and future track stars. The rains the area has been experiencing for the last few days are indirectly a result of tropical storm Danielle. The rains are occurring from moisture instability created by the storm, a spokesman for the Texas A&M meteorology department said. There should be some scattered showers today and Wednesday and the skies should clear by Thursday or Friday, he said. The rainfall was measured at 0.38 inches Monday at Easterwood Air port. Sunday’s rainfall was 1.7 inches. Charles Sistrunk, county extension agent, said the rain has not significantly helped area farmers. Sistrunk said the rain has delayed the cotton harvest that was in progress up until last weekend and the harvest will not resume until the weather clears. The grain harvest was completed before the rains hit, he said. The rain could be beneficial for the pastureland, however. If the pastures get enough water it could mean an additional cutting of hay, Ssitrunk said. There had been eight weather-related car accidents reported in the area by 6 p.m. Monday, the College Station police said. No accidents bad been reported at Texas A&M. Mailbox shortage worst ever By SHERRY A. EVANS Battalion Reporter More than 500 Texas A&M University students were still having difficulty receiv ing mail Monday because College Station post offices have no boxes available for rent. Monday’s waiting list for those wishing to rent boxes included 320 at Northgate and over 200 at Aggieland Station (MSC). Only three or four unrented boxes were available at the post office in the Redmond Terrace Shopping Center. Employees of all three post offices agreed that they have in the past always had plenty of boxes to accommodate the stu dents as well as the general public. Stanley Patrick, a spokesman for the post office at Northgate, attributes much of the problem to the construction of two new modular dormitories, Hobby and Neeley. its jump to 33,313 a mystery to predictor H Mel Lasell is trying to figure out what j-j -Went wrong. 1 The computer told him earlier this year up forClass'F * 1 ^ J ust over 32,000 students should be on the old sys4^' s carn P us - Instead, the computer now •„ J says 33,313 students had enrolled by Fri- •<•(1 to theC*| r ’ the last da y to register. ^ Responsibility for accuracy of the enroll ment prediction lies with Lasell, associate ector of the Office of Planning and Insti- teams to >rth. Ho] ect the apf tutional Analys • team, il change 1 for f< s forfeit to he team ei# ) per team. He hopes to receive final but unofficial ’ures from the registrar’s office today so he can find where the computer program is off. “We project what we’ll have in each ma jor at each level, ” he explained. “We ll com pare what we projected with what showed up.” The differences, he said, should ex plain the unexpected jump in enrollment. The prediction comes from three sources. His office, using the past three years as a base, estimates the number of sophomores, juniors and seniors. The admissions office estimates the number of freshman, and the graduate college estimates its own enroll ment. If enrollment stays at 33,313, the com puter underestimated the figure by 3.67 percent. Last year the computer missed by only 0.77 percent. mday, Sep- J will close itember 16- otry fee and /ill be pro- IM Depart- learn tfe iller begins working for the governor’s office SR0 crowd i the whirl- ned to the 1 comment- e that “Aj!- Pickle-Ball By LIZ NEWLIN Battalion Staff I Dr. Jarvis Miller, former president of Jexas A&M University, is now “on loan” to ov. Bill Clements. The governor’s office asked Texas A&M’s I Board of regents if Miller could work on ilecial projects in higher education, said Jon C. Ford, the governor’s press sec tary. ft The board agreed to let Miller work part- time in Austin and continue paying his sal ary, he said. The governor can and often |oes request other state agencies to loan employees. “He (Clements) expected Dr. Miller ould have some time on his hands he uld devote to this,” Ford said in a tele- phone conversation Monday. “He’s got a |reat deal of respect for Dr. Miller, and fiey’ve been very good friends for the last Sear and a half. ” The two cemented their fiendship last September when the gov- Jrnor invited Miller to go on an agricultural Imur of Russia. I The former president started commuting to his new job across from the Capitol last Tuesday. He’s working primarily with the governor’s office of budget and planning, which is trying to increase efficiency in the management of higher education and other parts of state government. “He’s sort of a resource person,” Ford said, adding that Miller had been working with the governor and other university presidents on a similar project before being removed as University president. The re gents on July 10 reassigned Miller to un specified duties as special assistant to Chancellor Frank W.R. Hubert. Part of the new arrangement. Ford said, is that Texas A&M will continue to pay Miller’s salary for the rest of 1980. Accord ing to the 1980-81 budget, Miller’s annual compensation is $68,900 plus the house on campus. Miller has moved out of the house. Ford said he expects the “loan” will last until the end of the year. “After January, he (Miller) is going to accept re-assignment at A&M or go some where else,” Ford said. Miller was not available for comment. Battalion Staff Photo The first Silver Taps will be held tonight at 10:30 p.m. in front of the Academic Building. The ceremony, a tradition unique to Texas A&M University, will honor Aggies who died since Muster, last April 21. To remind students of today’s event, flags on campus are being flown at half-mast. Silver Taps to be held By DAWN SCOTTE FERGUSON Battalion Reporter Silver Taps, a tradition unique to Texas A&M University, will be held tonight to honor students who have died since Muster in April. To remind students of today’s event, flags on campus are flown at half-mast, and notices giving the time of the ceremony are posted on the doors of the library, the Rudder Tower Complex, and the Memorial Student Center. The names of the deceased are posted on the base of the flag pole in front of the Academic Building. At 10:30 p.m., the lights visible from the Lawrence Sullivan Ross sta tue are extinguished and students walk toward the area without talking to preserve the somberness and tranquil ity of the occasion. The 21-member Ross Volunteer fir ing squad approaches the flag pole, marching to a funeral cadence. Three rifle volleys of seven guns each are fired and buglers, unseen in the dark ness, play a special arrangement of taps three times. Before last year, Silver Taps was usually held the Tuesday after the death of the Aggie who was currently enrolled in Texas A&M. However, with the increasing student enroll ment and mobility, student deaths have risen. Because the ceremony was held with increasing frequency, the stu dent senate voted to hold Silver Taps once a month to preserve its special nature. Tonight’s Silver Taps will honor Antonio Cardona of Lamesa, Mark R. Dare of Houston, Gehrig D. Feuge of Rankin, Jeffrey H. Giles of Galveston, Kevin D. Hanlon of Saugus, Mass., Jayson G. Harris of Hamilton, Thomas H. Newman of New Braunfels, Jon Lee Raethka of Cypress, Juan X. Riojas of Eagle Pass, Sharon L. Turner of Austin and James M. Vanderwilt of Pasadena. This “hit a lot harder than anticipated,” he said, “putting tremendous pressure” on the post office. Because of the terms of the rental agree ments, Patrick said he “cannot re-rent (va cated boxes) until Sept. 15,” resulting in a “two-week lag (since Sept. 1) with boxes available but unable to rent.” To make matters worse, Patrick said, a number of box rental agreements will reach expiration soon. Patrick urged students to help the situation by notifying the post office if they plan to rent their boxes again. Patrick said the problem could have been avoided if the new modular dormitor ies had been equipped with mailbox deliv ery according to room numbers like the Commons complex. Harry Anderson, spokesman for the post office at Redmond Terrace, agreed with Patrick, but said he realized this procedure would be a “hassle” for the University. Anderson said that while his facility was not usually preferred by the students be cause of its location on Jersey Street near Texas Avenue, he rented out over 200 boxes to students last week. Employees of all three post offices say they will not allow two or more people to share a box — unless they have the same last name — because the mail can only be forwarded to the address of the boxholder. However, mail sent to a person in care of the boxholder will be acceptable on a tem porary basis until the present situation can be alleviated, they said. Patrick suggested general delivery mail service as one alternative for students who are unable to rent a box. However, general delivery service will be available only at the Northgate office with mail pickups during regular business hours only, he said. Patrick said his office is awaiting approval to put an additional 5,000 boxes in the Northgate post office, which presently con tains 10,081 boxes. Approximately 7,000 to 8,000 of those boxes are rented to students and the remaining to businesses and resi dents of the community, he said. Patrick said he hopes the new boxes can be installed within six months to one year, barring any complications involving approval of the plan, relocation of person nel or altering of equipment inside the post office. “We (at the Northgate post office) don’t anticipate clearing the entire waiting list,” Patrick said. But a spokesman of the Aggieland Sta tion, Omer Everett, said: “We will prob ably fill (all requests for boxes) but it may take awhile.” Everett recommended that people on the waiting list continue checking with the post offices because boxes are becoming available daily.