Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1983)
illlll = Page 6/The Battalion/Thursday, September, 15 1983 SUNDAY thru THURSDAY OPEN BAR all night $1 White, officials criticize Reagan Call & exotic drinks for more info 693-2818 niiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiimiimimmmiimimiimimiiimmmmmimiiirn United Press International FORT STOCKTON — The baked brown West Texas terrain, yellowing mesquite trees and hungry cattle impressed state offi cials, who criticized President Reagan for turning his back on ranchers and farmers hurt by a stubborn drought. “The devastation we saw today, the drought, brings all the statis tics home,” Texas agriculture commissioner Jim Hightower said Tuesday. “There’s no politics to this. We re talking about people who MS. SHIRT SALES 25% OFF ALL MEN’S and WOMEN’S LONG SLEEVE DRESS SHIRTS. 3 DAYS ONLY THURS., FRI., & SAT. R. RUSH & CO. CULPEPPER PLAZA OPEN THURS. TILL 8 P.M. are hurting in Texas.” Rep. Kent Hance, D-Texas, added: “This is quite a devastating sight to see. ” Gov. Mark White, who led a tour of two of West Texas’ 23 drought-sticken counties, said it was “shocking” that Reagan’s administration has refused to approve feed subsidies for ran chers or release stockpiled grain to help them feed their livestock this winter. “If we were out here just asking the president to make it rain, then that’s one thing,” he said. “But this is something the president can do with the snap of his fin gers.” White said he would contact President Reagan directly and urged farmers and ranchers to mount a letter-writing campaign to the president. “There are some things that can be done directly,” he said. “We re here to try and bring this into focus and bring it to the attention of the president. ” The three officials and a group of reporters made stops in two of the hardest hit counties, Upton and Pecos counties. U.S. Agriculture Secretary John Block did not respond to White’s invitation to join the tour. Ranchers in the two counties told White that a drought loan program offered by the U.S. De partment of Agriculture was use less because most ranchers could not qualify for the loans or did not want to borrow more money. “The loan program won’t do any good the way it’s set up now, ” said Feller Hughs, who operates the Slash Hook Ranch near McCamey. “You can beat their in terest rates at the bank.” Upton County sheep rancher Shank Bloxom said what ranchers need most is access to enough feed to get their livestock through the winter. White and Hightower have been unsuccessful in convincing Block to release some 17.5 million bushels of corn stockpiled in the Texas Panhandle since the grain embargo of 1980. They claim much of the com is unfit for human consumption and is costing the USDA some $5 mil lion a year in storage costs. Cattlemen have been hit with rising feed costs since they have not been able to graze their lives tock on parched ranges this sum mer. Most areas of West Texas have received less than two inches of rain in 1983 and the last signifi cant rainfall in some areas dates back to July 1982. Many ranchers have been forced to sell off most of their herds because of the lack of grass for their livestock. Charlie Nebb, head of the Far West District Texas Agricultural Extension Service, said because of the large volume of cattle being brought to market, prices have dropped an average of $30 a head. Hance, an announced candi date to succeed retiring Sen. John Tower, R-Texas, said, “It’s been very perplexing to me that the sec retary (Block) has not moved on this, ” he told a group of about 50 ranchers. “It’s tipie to set politics aside and actually do something for peo ple that have the need,” said Hightower. Mattox s woes nothing new United Press International AUSTIN — From his up bringing in a rough East Dallas neighborhood to his numerous bids for elective office, Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox has followed a path strewn with pitfalls that might have tempted others to retire. Mattox is now accused of offering a bribe to a Houston law firm if it would back off an effort to question his sister, Janice Mattox, about a case in volving Mobil Oil Corp. A non-smoking, non drinking Baptist who at one point considered becoming a minister, the 40-year-old Mat tox is fond of noting the adversi ty he has overcome. FBI Abscam operation in 191 Mattox now hopes the same charmed existence that brought him two terms in the Texas House, election three timesto Congress and finally the post of | attorney general can tug ] free of what may be the biggest I and most complex challenge he [ has faced. Mattox’s problems began iu,I early June when published re-.] ports questioned whether he properly reported the sourceot ( $125,(Xk) in loans to his — The years he spent work ing on loading docks and selling Bibles door-to-door to pay his way through Baylor University and Southern Methodist Uni versity law school. — The fact he has never lost in a bid for elective office, even though the campaigns were some of the most acrimonious in recent Texas history and that he carried a reputation as a rebel liberal in a conservative state. — His ability to overcome a highly-publicized arrest in Dal las’s Lee Park in 1972 and suc cessfully avoid the sting of the campaign. Mattox claimed the came from personal funds, kl the campaign loan closely pan- lied a loan for the sameamouat that Mattox’s brother and sister | received from a Seattle bank. A grand jury investigation | was announced a short timela- ter and the inquiry quickly grew when an attorney for the prom inent firm of Fulbright 4| Jaworski publicly accused! tox of threatening the fi public bond business. Attorney Tom McDade, 4o | represented Mobil ina$1.7bil- lion oil-lease case against tie I state, said Mattox threatnedto! financially barm the firm’sboml business unless he dropped attempts to question Mattox'! sister in connection with (he | Mobil case. Briscoe won t IMPORT WORLD 1809-A. S. COLLEGE STEVE RICHARDS—OWNER PHONE 775-5890. 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE FACTORY TRAINED ON—VW PORSCHE AUDI SUBARU FOREIGN AUTO SPECIALISTS run for Senate United Press International SAN ANTONIO — Former Gov. Dolph Briscoe, who earlier announced his interest in running for the U.S. Senate, said he could not enter the race because drought conditions on his ranch required his full attention. “I have said today that condi tions are such that it is impossible for me to leave our ranching busi ness in the drought area and de- Don't be left out of the book! The Aggieland yearbook Freshmen Sophomores Sept. 12-16 19-23 26-30 Oct. 3-7 Pavillion 10-14 Pavillion Juniors Nov. 7-11 14-18 Nov. 28-Dec. 2 Dec. 5-9 Pavillion Seniors, Grad, Vet, Med Oct. 10-14 17-21 24-28 Oct. 31-Nov. 4 Pavillion I i I I I Photographs will be taken at the Yearbook Associates Office at 1700 S. Kyle behind Culpepper Plaza. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. During the weeks Oct. 3-7, Oct. 10- 14, Oct. 31-Nov. 4, Dec. 5-9, photographs will be taken at the Pavillion on campus. For more information call Dena L. Brown at 845-2681. UNIQUE APPAREL GIFTS, IMPORTS r Presents Mexican Fiesta Fashions AGGIELAND INN PENTHOUSE ROOM Friday September 16 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Saturday September 17 9 a.m.-6 p.m. EMBROIDERED DRESSES, BLOUSES SKIRTS - BELTS k VESTS THE FINEST IN ETHNIC APPAREL VISIT US TODAY MC VISA AE WELCOME vote full time to the campaign Briscoe said Tuesday. Briscoe was elected govemoiii 1972, hut was defeated in a if election bid in the 1978 Demo® tic primary by former Attorw General John Hill. “At this time there’s no * that I can leave the problems® ated by this extended droughl Briscoe said. He insisted the only thii keeping him out of the race ra dry conditions on his 440,000-aw Patricia from Si chem Con frets United Press HOUSTON - fficials of Cont oncemed about ranch that spreads across soult 1 ^ SS1 ^ U ™§ f west Texas. fe with various, ) to discuss airline i spokesman said. I. Continental s Hicks said a meet opportunity, he said. “The drought started last (ij when it didn’t rain,” he said, thought we’d get rain by 1 spring, early summer... The tint has passed and the drought not. “It makes it impossible for melo leave the ranching business.” Briscoe said if the drougll broke, he would not automatical reenter the race for the seatbeii! vacated by retiring Republic® John Tower. “If that happens, wedj the situation then, but I don’tsee that happening, " he said. Rep. Kent Hance of Lubbock state Sen. Lloyd Doggett ofAu# and former Rep. Bob Krueger/ New Braunfels have announce!; their candidacies for the Demo cratic nomination to the Senate December & May Grads M.E., Chem. E., and M.B.A.'s with technical undergraduate degrees: what does an engineer do in MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT? FIND OUT! PROCTER & GAMBLE will be hosting an open house Thursday, Sept. 15th, 7:00 p.m. MSC, Room 212 Sign-up for interviews will be September 19-23 at the Placement Center •xzrr. An Cep k/ar Presei TWs S«pt( 730 *1.50 .Q ErevnJc. r- leadi