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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1982)
N national Inflation hurts children, too Kids’ expenses soaring equ United Press International Every month the U.S. Depart ment of Labor releases the news that everyone already knows: “The cost of living has gone up.” Adults bemoan the cost of owning a home, driving a car or buying the family groceries. Another segment of the population — the kids — may not know how and why, but they do know something’s up — the prices. Take Danny Hammerman, a Dubuque, Iowa, fifth grader. Danny found what a Catch-22 dealing with inflation can be. “Each time I save up for an album, all of a sudden it’ll go up more,” the 11-year-old said. “Then I have to save some more or sometimes I go half with my sister.” Danny said he’s never discus sed a raise in his $1 allowance because it’s already set by his pa rents. To kids, inflation is more than just a term in science class mean ing how a bicycle tire is filled Now You Know United Press International In history’s largest military evacuation, 1,200 Allied naval and civilian craft carried 338,226 British and French troops from the Nazi-beseiged beachhead at Dunkerque in World War II. I Something Else Hair Salon Student Special Haircut 8 00 Reg. 10 00 Perm 28 00 Reg. 35 00 w/blow dry 12 00 Reg. 14 00 Manicure 5 00 Reg. 7 00 M-F 8-7 with coupon Sat. 8-12:00 No appointment necessary 693-9877 404 E. University iB l I i I i I I I I I I i i ■ with air. To them, it’s a matter of being able to afford the bicycle. The concern adults show for the increasing prices of consum-, er goods is shared by their chil dren. A small random sampling indicates kids today really do worry about the cost of such items as soda pop, candy and movies. If parents wonder about the real value of their next paycheck, their children wonder how much of an allowance they’ll get out of that paycheck. Sometimes the negotiations take on the sound of labor- management talks. Jeremy Shaw, 11, another Dubuque fifth grader, said he now gets a $2 a week allowance. He explained that it’s a 100 per cent increase from a few weeks ago because he took on the added responsibility of doing the dishes. “I agreed to do it because I thought I was getting older, and I could do more (around the house),” said Jeremy, whose father is laid off. But Jeremy’s classmate Treva Leib, 11, said she was turned down when she asked for a $1 increase in her $1 allowance. She said her parents told her “things are going up too much, and the bills are going up.” AUTO INSURANCE FOR AGGIES: Call: George Webb Farmers Insurance Group 3400 S. College 823-8051 Texas A&M Theatre Arts Program Presents THE GLASS MENAGERIE By Tennessee Williams 8:00 Rudder Forum Feb 25-27 March 4-6 Tixs available at the Rudder Box Office Stu $2.50 Non-Stu $3.50 ALLEN Oldsmobile Cadillac Honda SALES - SERVICE “Where satisfaction is standard equipment’ ’ 2401 Texas Ave. 779-3516 1i Everyone knows the day of the nickel candy bar has gone the way of the soda jerk and the 10-cent popcorn, which was eaten regularly through those Saturday matinees. A look at some of the statistics reveals in flation does have its hold over kids. The U.S. Labor Department reports that since December, 19/7, the cost of carbonated soft drinks has jumped an average 42.4 percent; candy and chew ing gum 46.8 percent; toys, hob bies and music equipment 29.4 percent; and keeping a pet 37.2 percent. Entertainment, such as movies, rock concerts and ball games, has increased 28 per cent. About the smallest increase in prices of items affecting chil dren is in the clothing depart ment. Cost of boys’ clothing has increased 16.4 percent, com pared to a modest 9.7 percent increase in girls’ clothing in the last four years. However, for Debbie Greifenkamp, 15, of Villa Park, Ill., that pair of $40 designer jeans cost her 40 hours of baby sitting. In fact, teenagers say it has become almost essential for them to hold a job so that they can make up for, or supplement, an allowance. Who’s to blame and what’s to be done about inflation? The answers of teens and their younger counterparts sound vaguely similar to their parents’ answers: “Give us better quality for the prices,” “Lower prices and we ll spend more,” “Reduce spending on welfare and create more jobs,” “Increase wages.” Some blame the Reagan administration, saying it has fal len back on its word to balance government spending and curb inflation. Others support the president and say his programs need a chance to work. As to who’s the hardest hit by inflation, there’s just as wide a variety of answers: the elderly, the poor, the disabled, the job less. Mary Ellen Tretina, 15, also of Villa Park, views teens as the hardest hit by inflation. “I would say we are more affected than anyone else,” Mary Ellen said, “since legally we’re under age, we can’t find very good paying jobs.” Not quite a living doll photo by Jane Ho Tom Ratliff, a junior biology major from Cedar Lane, gives mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Reusa Annie, a doll used for practicing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation techniques. Ratlifft of 42 students certified at CPRi tion classes held at G. Rollie Whitt iseum last Monday through W’edn Some blame overtime for unemployment rise} United Press International NEW YORK — Whenever the unemployment rate in the Un ited States is rising, some suspect that excessive overtime is a cause. That is so because many of the overtime hours worked in American factories, offices and shops are regularly scheduled and conceivably could be turned into regular jobs. A recent Department of Labor study said factory work ers averaged 3.4 hours of over- ime a week, which if turned into 'ull-time jobs, would increase otal employment of production workers by 1.7 percent. OOOOOOOOOOO^ Campus “different spokes for different folks” 403 University (Northgate) Open 10-7 Mon.-Fri. 10-5 Sat. 846-BIKE The Co-op Student Association & the Cooperative Education Department Present THE CO-OP FAIR Monday, March 1, 1982 Lobby of ZACHRY ENGINEERING CENTER 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Representatives from the following companies will be looking for prospective co-op students and full-time employees: An AFL-CIO spokesman said that would mean one million more full-time jobs. Rep. John Conyers of Michi gan, one of tfie states hardest hit by factory unemployment, has at various times introduced bills to curb the use of scheduled overtime by raising the pre mium pay for it. Two researchers, Ronald C. Ehrenberg of Cornell and Paul L. Schumann of the University of Minnesota, did a simulation test to determine how the Con yers proposals would work out if enacted and have published a book about it entitled “Longer Hours Or More Jobs?” (ILR Cornell Wed is Bonus Nile On THE S I K ELI THE REAL ERICK IS: 7:35 STAYING ALIVE 9 30 VICE S^VIXIMD JJ^J ... TVs Rool Story. CINEMA l&fl 846-6714 Open 7:00 Corner Univ & College 7 Academy Award Nominatipns CHARIOTS pu or rirc 7:20 9:45 Publication N.Y.). 1 1k:\ com hided thtfi ing the premium pajffl time would cut its usam average of 20 |K-rcentfl raise full-tune employafl percent. But ihcy J doubt that the Con yeti would accomplish this.l factors, such as recession lighting by workers, ihtl lem of inarching skills tl poor geographic distrfl working skills . in d 1| pliance with the proqH put constraints on thell of new jobs. Ehrenberg said he ail matin investigated Ml plover and uc- km reactT the proposals to curb ova or make ii nmic c xpenM had concluded it is notal idea because very little ovtj work is done by lo\v-inq|[ ployees. They found families come of less than $4,0 hardly $ 10 a year on liiejJ in overtime pay. Mostovef goes to workers in the $21 and-up wage brackets caused in part by scardfi led workers in high tdeta fields. Therefore, Ehrei and Sebum man conclude creasing premium pay fori time might simply havt| effect of increasing the v between poor and welfl workers instead of in|T the number of fulltime won DOW CHEMICAL USA AMF TUBOSCOPE UNION CARBIDE CORP. TRW OPTRON TXT/TEXSTEAM LONE STAR STEEL CO. MONSANTO NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY H. B. ZACHRY CONSTRUCTION CO. DIETING? Even though we do not prescribe diets, we make it possible for many to enjoy a nutritious meal while they follow their doctor's orders. You will be delighted with the wide selection of low calorie, sugar, free and fat free foods in the Souper Salad Area, Sbisa Dining Center Basement. SCHULMAN 6 THEATRES 2002 E. 29th „ . . 775-2468 Tonight Is KTAM Family Night Adults^SOPersonsunderlSF ree 7:45 9:50 7:30 9:45 CANNERY ROW Nick Nolle Arthur I Dudley Moore Liza Minnelli