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The Battalion
Serving the Texas A&M University community
Vol. 74 No. 113
10 Pages
Monday, March 9, 1981
College Station, Texas
USPS 045 360
Phone 845-2611
The Weather
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Today
Tomorrow
High ....
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High
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43
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Liability bill
debate awaited
United Press International
AUSTIN — Sen. Bill Meier, D-Euless,
ias given notice to Senate colleagues to
prepared to debate a controverial
roducts liability bill that would efifec-
. . Jively bar suits against the manufactur-
umiu) , s
of cancer-causing drugs and other
-products with long-term harmful
ffects.
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Meier, whose product liability legis
lation two years ago triggered a series of
Senate filibusters, said he will bring up
he bill any time he is assured of the
lecessary two-thirds majority vote — 21
'otes if all 31 senators are present.
He included the proposal on the Sen-
ite’s “intent calendar” last week, and is
eaving it on the agenda for this week so
upporters and opponents will know he
nay bring it up.
“I’m still trying to be sure we have the
vo-thirds vote. I think we’re real close
o having that amount,” Meier said.
“I’m counting noses every day to be
lure we have the right quorum present.
!\Ve have 20 or 21 votes in support of the
Jill, and one of two of those are suggest-
ig amendments and we re looking at
em,” Meier said.
Asked if he is willing to accept
changes to the bill in a swap for addition
al votes, the senator replied, “I’m will
ing to look at any amendments people
have. I don’t profess to have a lock on
the right way to do this, particularly
when I don’t have the votes.”
Meier’s bill would require product
liability suits be filed within two years of
the date of any injury resulting from a
defective or harmful product, or within
five years of the date the product is pur
chased. That would eliminate suits filed
as a result of cancer or other longterm
harmful effects.
It also would exclude evidence at pro
duct liability trials of any changes or
advances in technology made after the
product involved in the suit was manu
factured.
Sen. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, has
been the leading opponent of Meier’s
proposals to take away some of consum
ers’ advantages in products liability
cases.
Meier said the dean of the Senate,
Sen. Chet Brooks, D-Pasadena, is one
of the senators still undecided on
whether to support or oppose the bill,
and may seek some amendments in ex
change for his support.
fficials see ‘no end’ to C. S. building growth
By PHYLLIS HENDERSON
Battalion Reporter
The number of apartments in the Bryan-
ollege Station area is increasing at a tremen-
lous pace, and officials don’t see an end in sight.
Since 1976, 5,940 living units, in the form of
iuplexes, fourplexes or apartments, have been
built in the area. College Station, with 4,005 of
these units, accounts for 67.4 percent of the
icrease.
“It’s definitely a boom,” Coy Perry, a College
Station building official, said. “We just keep
owing.”
Bruce Bramlett, with Summitt Properties,
agreed. “I don’t think there’s any question that
lere’s been a boom, ” he said. “According to our
jesearch, there are 2,700 units under construc-
ion now.”
Perry said he expects the growth to continue
over the next few years. In 1980, he said, 940
units were added, more than doubling the 1979
figure of 390. “I imagine this year we’ll double
last year,” he said.
The growth of Texas A&M University and the
influx of new industries in the area are the major
causes of the increased numbers of apartments,
D.R. Cain, a College Station developer, said.
“I think A&M is going to continue to grow,”
Cain said. Industry’ will also continue to grow in
the area, he said, because it is a spin-off of the
growth of the University. These factors will
cause the number of apartments to continue to
increase over the next ten years, he said.
Jan Winniford, student development special
ist in the off-campus housing office, said apart
ment growth should continue increasing steadi
ly. “With increasing enrollments,” she said, “I
think you would assume Bryan-College Station
would continue growing.”
The major problem that may occur with this
increasing development is surpassing the mar
ket, Bramlett said. “We don’t think the market is
overbuilt now,” he said, “but that is something
everyone must look out for.”
Developers and officials are not in agreement
on where this development-will take place.
“South College Station will be the major
growth area,” Cain said, “because of the land
availability and the desirability of the area.”
Marielene Farrar, with A&M Apartment
Placement Service, agreed that south College
Station has the greatest growth potential.
Bramlett disagreed. “The areas around malls
and the western regions will experience the most
growth,” he said. Students are going to realize
south College Station is farther from the Univer
sity than Bryan, he said, and this will limit its
growth.
Students have been forced to the outskirts of
the city in recent years because of the increasing
labor force, Bramlett said. However, he said,
now there is going to be a “polarization of work
ing people away from areas of student-based
housing.” _
Although the supply of apartments is meeting
the demand now, Winniford said, in the fall
there will probably be a scarcity. “It’s tight in the
fall when enrollment is highest,” she said. When
enrollment drops in the spring, she said, more
apartments are available.
“Every apartment we’ve got... will be in use
(in the fall),” Bramlett agreed.
Students should begin their search for fall
housing in the spring, Farrar said. “The best
time is in early April,” she said.
Students who wait until the fall to look for
housing often can’t find anything, Cain said.
“I’ve seen students sleeping in their cars until
something became available,” he said.
The increase in the number of apartments has
several effects, Bramlett said. “It makes for a
healthy economic atmosphere,” he said, “but
the community is losing its small-town atmos
phere.”
It also makes it difficult for the cities to main
tain the quality of services they provide, he said.
For example, he said, there have been problems
with phone service and garbage collection, but
“they’re not without effort.”
Bramlett said: “I hope they (the cities) can
keep up satisfactory services, and in time, get
even better. ”
Freeman considered
for A&M presidency
An official at the University of Pittsburgh is under con
sideration for the presidency of Texas A&M University, The
Battalion has learned.
Dr. Jack E. Freeman, senior vice chancellor for adminis
tration at Pittsburgh, visited the Texas A&M campus over the
weekend, talking to University vice presidents about the
permanent presidency, a Texas A&M source said Saturday.
Freeman checked into the MSG Hotel Friday and checked
out Saturday morning.
Dr. J.M. Prescott, vice president for academic affairs,
would not comment on Freeman’s visit. Freeman, in a tele
phone interview from his home in Pittsburgh, also had no
comment.
Freeman, 49, is a native of Fort Worth. He received his
bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in 1953. A retired
air force major, he has taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy
and has worked with the U.S.A.F. headquarters. He served
as president of the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown from
1971-1974.
Freeman’s name is the first to surface from the search
committee’s list of 20 nominees. The chancellor’s office has
said the list includes people from within and outside the
System.
The search committee, authorized by the Texas A&M
System Board of Regents, has narrowed over 400 nominees
down to 20. These names are being screened by a personnel
consulting firm, and a final list of candidates will be presented
to a special committee of regents.
That committee, including Board Chairman H.R. “Bum”
Bright, Vice Chairman John Blocker, Chancellor Frank W.R.
Hubert and former Chairman Clyde Wells, will recommend
one final candidate to the regents for consideration.
Miners protest benefit cut
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Coal miners by
the hundreds converged on Washington
today for a march on the White House to
protest President Reagan’s plans to cut
their black lung benefits by nearly $400
million next year.
The protest coincides with a two-day
“memorial period” walkout by 160,000
union members to honor dead and
dying black lung victims.
Black lung, a respiratory disease con
tracted by inhaling coal dust, costs 4,000
deaths annually, according to the Un
ited Mine Workers union.
The union estimated 8,000 miners
would take part in today’s rally outside
UMW headquarters and march to the
Ellipse, the grassy oval just south of the
White House.
Union President Sam Church Jr. was
to address the protesters from the head
quarters balcony, the first time the gal
lery has been used for a labor speech
since the days of union leader John L.
Lewis.
Miners from Pennsylvania, West Vir
ginia, Kentucky, Virginia and other coal
states, including Utah and Wyoming,
traveled by bus, plane and car to
Washington for the rally.
The miners oppose the administra
tion’s proposal to reduce the federal
black lung program by $378 million in
the fiscal 1982 budget. The 12-year-old
program provides benefits to 80,850
miners and theii families.
The union has acknowledged the
black lung disability trust fund owes the
government more than $1 billion and
needs to be put on a sound financial
footing. At present, it is financed by a
tax of 25 cents per ton on surface-mined
coal and 50 cents per ton on under
ground-mined coal — insufficient re
venue to pay for all current benefits.
Election filing closes today
Today is the final day for student elec
tion candidates to file applications. Ap
plications may be picked up and filed in
216A Memorial Student Center.
A notice in Friday’s Battalion incor
rectly stated that the filing deadline was
Tuesday. The Battalion regrets the
error.
Offices to be filled include: student
senators and student body officers; yell
leaders; class councils and the Graduate
Student Council; Off-Campus Aggies
and the Residence Halls Association.
Students wishing to run for a Student
Government position must turn in a
petition of signatures from their consti
tuency by 5:30 p.m. today.
Candidates for student body presi
dent must have an overall grade point
ratio of 2.5, while student senate vice
presidents and college and living area
senators must have a 2.25 overall.
Election dates are March 31 and April
1.
On March 30, The Battalion will in
clude a suppliment listing all offices and
their candidates along with interviews
and pictures of candidates for some of
the positions.