V
Battalion
Serving the Texas A&M University community
Wednesday, August 19, 1981
College Station, Texas
USPS 045 360
Phone 845-2611
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Students warned against becoming ‘obsolete’
1,300 graduate in summer commencement
Wiliam 0. Trogdon, president of Tarleton State University, gave the commencement address Saturday.
A long-time educator, speaking to
more than 1,300 summer graduates of
Texas A&M University, warned the stu
dents to avoid becoming obsolete.
“I am concerned that too many of us
have confused the pursuit of happiness
with the pursuit of enjoyment or plea
sure,” said Dr. William O. Trogdon,
president of Tarleton State University.
“History has shown that lasting hap
piness is founded on accomplishments,
discoveries and solving problems,”
Trogdon said. “Decisions must be
made, not once, but continuously.
“Your education has provided you
with the discipline to persist,” he said.
Eighty-two students received docto
rate degrees, 294 received master’s de
grees and 970 received bachelor’s de
grees during the ceremony at G. Rollie
White Coliseum Saturday. Some 35 of
the graduates also were commissioned
during the ceremony as United States’
military officers.
Texas A&M Regent Royce E. Wisen-
baker, in authorizing the degree pre
sentations, told the graduates and audi
ence of parents and friends that the di
ploma they would receive is a “symbol
not only of the superior academic excell
ence of the institution, but also visible
evidence that you possess those person
al characteristics for which Aggies are
known and esteemed.”
A degree in mechanical engineering
was awarded posthumously to William
Wayne Overman of Andrews, who was
killed early this summer in an oilfield
accident. His wife walked across the
stage to accept the diploma.
4ir strike should be no surprise
to government, economist says
A Texas A&M University economist says govern-
nent officials who supported public employee unions
n the 1960s shouldn’t have been surprised by the
legal air traffic controllers’ strike.
“It’s common for government officials to praise
inions in order to win support from their members
ad gain more votes during election,” Dr. Morgan
leynolds said, “but when unions like the air control-
ersgoout on strike and cause the kinds of hardships
ve’ve seen lately, you don’t see too many officials
(raising them.”
The rewards of organizing and maintaining a labor
inion are obvious, he added, but unions are diff icult to
ustain without government assistance. Reynolds
rgues that without government help, there would be
'ery few unions.
“Most union sympathizers would admit labor orga-
lizations are the beneficiaries of regulatory favors by
'ovemment,” he said, “but there is some question as
owhether their net economic effect is beneficial. ”
Reynolds called labor unions “the major anti-
lompetitive force on labor markets and one in which
nonopoly rewards are the real goals. ” The economist
lointed to union slogans such as, “Take Competition
)ut of Wages” and “Take Labor Out of Competition”
s examples of their position.
Reynolds emphasized that a union’s economic clout
omesfrom its ability to strike. He said most corpora-
ions would rather work out union demands for higher
rages or better working conditions than suffer econo
mic pains, threats and violence often associated with
strikes.
“Reagan has a lot of backbone to challenge the air
controllers,” the Texas A&M economist said. “Most
private firms would not have the guts to fire union
members and bring workers in from outside.”
In a report for the University’s Center for Education
and Research in Free Enterprise, Reynolds said the
defense of unions depends on a series of faulty econo
mic notions.
These include the mistaken beliefs that unions pro
vide protection from employeers’ superior bargaining
power, that high living standards in the United States
are due to a strong union movement, and that unions
protect employees from the abuse of managerial au
thority.
“Employers do not have so-called bargaining pow
er,” Reynolds said. “Individual employers are not free
to fix wages wherever they wish, because if they
choose very high wages, employment must be
rationed anong the excess supply of eager, qualified
applicants.”
Referring to the fallacy that unions create higher
living standards, Reynolds said, “The sad fact is that
unions, tough bargaining and politiking do not create
real wealth. A highly productive economy and its
attendant high real wages depend upon accumulating
capital, skilled labor and adopting government poli
cies which provide incentives for individuals to be
productive.”
“The United Kingdom is much more unionized than
the United States, but real wages there are about 40
percent lower, and British unions are as militant as
any,” Reynolds said.
He explained that unions din t compete with com
panies, but against those who sell substitutes for their
members’ services, which means other labor — mem
bers of rival unions foreign workers, strike breakers
and nonunion workers.
“Violence, or the threat of violence, is the device
that keeps competitors out of the unionized sector,”
Reunolds said. “This is an unavoidable consequence of
any system of unionized labor markets.”
On the myth that unions protect workers against the
abuse of managerial authority, Reynolds says workers
are not captives. In a competitive labor market, em
ployers are forced by competition for productive labor
to offer rates and working conditions that cater to the
preferences of workers, he said.
“It pays companies to develop reputations for deal
ing fairly with employees because it keeps labor costs
lower than they would otherwise be,” the economist
continued. “A competitive labor market is the ulti
mate protection for employees, not union proce
dures.”
Reynolds said in cases where a union succeeds in
controlling much of the grievance process, it is unclear
which workers will be helped or harmed by the
change.
Controllers claim system is unsafe
Control system to be investigated
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Three inquiries are under way
nto the nation’s air traffic control system which strik-
ngcontrollers contend is unsafe and has drawn private
spressions of concern from pilots.
Although the government maintains the skies are as
iafe now as they were before thousands of controllers
valked out 17 days ago, the National Transportation
iafety Board said Tuesday it plans a comparative study
)fpre-strike and post-strike conditions.
At the same time, Transportation Secretary Drew
Lewis announced creation of a three-member task
force to evaluate working conditions which many con
trollers have long complained create on-the-job stress.
Lewis also said the Federal Aviation Administration
las asked the Flight Safety Foundation, a non-profit
ntemational organization supported by the airlines,
odoan independent safety study. Lewis said he has
confidence in the system, but “we just figure it would
nake the public more comfortable” to have an outside
eview.
Safety has been a recurring issue since the Profes-
ional Air Traffic Controllers Organization began its
llegal strike Aug. 3.
The NTSB, responsible for investigating civil avia
ion accidents, said it will study the air traffic control
iystem to gather data for use in future probes.
Although it will not specifically judge whether the
system is safe, the board can make safety recommen
dations, a spokesman said.
“It’s going to be an information-gathering project
which will provide us with data on pre-strike and
post-strike air traffic control operations,” he said.
In another development Tuesday, internal docu
ments from the Air Line Pilots Association said fatigue
and improper qualifications among controllers have
undermined air safety.
The memos were prepared last week by an ALFA
committee. Copies of the memos, the contents of
which were first reported by the Washington Post,
were obtained by United Press International.
An ALPA spokesman contacted late Tuesday said
many concerns in the memos have since been addres
sed to the group’s satisfaction.
“As of now, we’re still in the position of saying the
system is indeed safe,” said the spokesman, who asked
not to be identified.
In an Aug. 10 memo to ALPA President J. J. O’Don
nell, committee chairman Tom Sheppard said three
trends had emerged “which indicate a decreasing level
of safety in the present modified air traffic control
system.”
The factors listed were: “fatigue and improper qual-
ificiations” of controllers now on duty, increased milit
ary and general aviation flying under visual flight rules
(requiring no guidance by controllers) at altitudes be
low 18,000 feet and the closing of some airport towers
“with levels of activity which normally require
towers.”
Since PATCO began its strike, the FAA has oper
ated the air traffic control system at reduced capacity
with supervisory amd military personnel and non
striking controllers.
Domestic commercial flights have been reduced to
about 75 percent of normal levels, costing the airlines
about $30 million a day and forcing them to order
wide-scale layoffs.
Trans-Atlantic flights today returned to normal fol
lowing a two-day boycott of U. S. flights by Portuguese
controllers.
The job action, in sympathy of strikingU.S. control
lers, forced about 100 U.S.-European flights to take a
more northerly route to avoid Portuguese air space,
resulting in some delays of up to four hours.
PATCO Tuesday released a batch of reports listing
15 alleged near-collisions and 24 examples of alleged
fatigue, lack of qualifications or inexperience among
controllers now on duty.
The FAA said there had been 11 “near-misses” since
the walkout began, compared to 31 for the same period
last year.
Staff photo by Greg Gammon
These cadets were commissioned as second lieutenants in
the U.S. Marine Corps during commencement exercies in
G. Rollie White Coliseum Saturday.
A&M student leaders
to attend conference
By KATHY O’CONNELL
Battalion Staff
Student leaders from Texas A&M
University will have the opportunity to
meet with their peers and University
administrators to discuss current cam
pus issues this weekend.
The Fall Leadership Conference will
be held Aug. 21 - Aug. 23 at the Texas
Power and Light Youth Camp in Tri
nidad.
Delegates to the conference will be
members of Student Government, the
Memorial Student Center Council, the
Residence Hall Association, the Off-
Campus Aggies, honor societies and
several other student organizations.
Assistant MSC Director Richard
Reynolds said approximately 175 Texas
A&M students will hear a keynote
address from Donald Wass, a consultant
with a Dallas firm.
Reynolds said the consultant has pre
viously spoken on the campus for the
executive development seminars,
which are sponsored by the Continuing
Education Department. The seminars
are held for executives throughout the
nation, Reynolds said.
He said he is honored that Wass has
agreed to address the student leaders,
because this is the first time he will
speak to a group of volunteer student
leaders.
Reynolds said the conference will ac
quaint student leaders with one
another, so that they will call upon each
other for help during the year.
The students will also meet with Uni
versity Administrators, including Presi
dent Dr. Charles H. Samson; Vice Pre-
sdident for Student Services Dr. John J.
Koldus III and Personal Counseling
Service Director Dr. Wade Birch.
Reynolds said the administrators will
hold panel discussions on familiariza
tion and motivation of students as lead
ers. Four former Texas A&M student
leaders will hold a panel discussion on
how their experiences at Texas A&M
have helped them in later life.
Office hours are different
during break before classes
During the current period before
students return to campus for the fall
semester, most campus facilities are
operating under different hours.
Schedules are as follows:
Sterling C. Evans Library
Monday—Friday . . . 8a.m.-5p.m.
and Saturday and Sunday
1p.m.-5p.m.
Creamery
Continues regular hours Monday —
Friday 8:15 a.m. — 5 p.m.
MCS Main Desk
Open 24 hours a day
Check cashing: August 19-24
8:30 a.m.-10p.m.
Beginning August 24
8:30 a.m.-8p.m.
MSC Bowling and Games
Closed August 19 — 23
Open Monday (August 24) — Thurs
day 8 a.m.-11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday. . 8a.m.-1p.m.
Sunday 1p.m.-11 p.m.
Intramural Department
East Kyle Field and G. Rollie White
Coliseum:
M onday — F riday
8 a.m.-midnight
Saturday and Sunday
8 a.m.-10p.m.
Deware Fieldhouse:
Closed August 19-28
Wofford Cain Pool:
Monday—Friday . . 12p.m.-6p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
1 p.m.-6 p.m.
Tennis Courts:
Courts are open all the time on a first
come-first served basis, except for
reservations..
Reservations can be made Mon
day through Friday from 5 p.m. to 11
p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from
8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
I.D.s are required to make reser
vations.
The Battalion:
This issue of The Battalion is the first
of two issues to be published in the
two-week period before the begin
ning of fall semester classes. The
second issue will be published Aug.
26.