Page 12/The Battalion/Wednesday,January 25, 1984
1
Inflation rates in 1983
best since Nixon's term
to:
United Press International
C
V, I
. I
WASHINGTON — Con
sumer prices rose 0.3 percent in
December and just 3.8 percent
in all of 1983, the best inflation
rate since Nixon administration
price controls more than a de
cade ago, the government said
Tuesday.
Only used cars and tobacco
showed annual inflation of 10
percent or more last year, a
sharp contrast from 1979 when
the rate for everything soared to
13.3 percent.
Energy prices dropped 0.5
percent last year, the biggest de
cline in that area in 20 years, and
the most significant break for
consumers.
“Today’s news is very hear
tening, especially for those on
fixed incomes,” a White House
spokesman said. “We’re on the
way to sustained growth with
low inflation, and that’s good
news for everybody.”
Natural gas prices were up
only 5.2 percent for the year, not
even close to 1982’s 25.4 percent
increase. Gasoline prices drop
ped 1.6 percent during 1983,
climbing just 0.1 percent in De
cember.
The broad category of fuel
oil, bottled gas, and coal costs
dropped a record 9.4 percent
last year, even though fuel oil
alone started to go up in price at
the end of December.
The 1983 inflation rate, the
best since the 3.4 percent of
1971 and 1972, was a more dra
matic improvement than com
parison with 1982’s 3.9 percent
suggests.
If the Labor Department
switched its Consumer Price In
dex to read rents instead of
home ownership costs a year
earlier, 1982’s inflation rate
would have been 5 percent —
1.1 points higher than 1983, the
department said.
The president’s chief eco
nomist, Martin Feldstein, said
the CPI reflected the trends
throughout the economy.
“By virtually every major in
flation index, the line is being
held on cost,” he said. “Unlike
1972, inflation this year was low
without price controls.”
Food costs in December, up
0.3 percent, also would have
been higher had the price sur
vey been later in the month,
when a freeze destroyed more
than a fifth of Florida’s orange
crop and devastated vegetable
crops in both Texas and Florida.
Food prices for the whole
year were up only 2.7 percent,
the least since 1976.
December’s inflation report
promises to be the best for some
time, because the January index
will register the fuel oil and pro
duce surges. But analysts still
agree that 1984’s inflation rate
should show only gentle acceler
ation, to around 5 percent.
U.S. water plan criticized
Warp
United Press International
PHILADELPHIA — The
Reagan administration’s bat
tle plan to protect the nation’s
ground water supply states
the responsibility — but not
the money — to carry out the
job, a House subcommittee
chairman said Tuesday.
Rep. Mike Synar, D-Okla.,
leveled the charge in a speech
to a national conference on
water pollution attended by
some 360 leading scientists,
engineers, environmentalists
and government regulators.
The Environmental Pro
tection Agency was slated to
unveil its long-awaited
“ground water protection
strategy” this month, but the
agency has postponed its re
lease until May, an EPA
spokesman in Washington
said Tuesday.
Synar, chairman of a
House government opera
tions subcommittee, said he
has learned the agency’s latest
draft proposal for protecting
precious underground water
from toxic chemical contami
nation recognizes “states have
the primary responsibility for
managing and protecting
ground water.”
“It also indicates that slates
are best suited to undertake
direct implementation and
enforcement of ground water
protection programs,” he
said, adding the administra
tion has “no plans for addi
tional Financial assistance to
states in carrying out these in
creased reponsibilities.”
Americans get about half
their drinking water from
underground storage areas
known as aquifers. Some ma
jor metropolitan areas are
heavily dependent on ground
water, including San Antonio,
Long Island, N.Y.; Memphis,
Tenn.; Dayton, Ohio; Tus-
con, Ariz.; and Miami, Fla.
“To ask state and local gov
ernments to assume greater
responsibility in these areas,
knowing they lack the neces
sary resources and without
providing financial support, is
simply passing the buck,” Sy
nar asserted.
The EPA’s proposed
ground water policy, he said,
would place aquifers into
three catagories:
• Greatest protection would
be given to “special aquifers,
defined as those which are
especially vulnerable to con
tamination, and which are the
sole or an essential source of
drinking water for a given
area, or vital to a sensitiveeco- Br 5
logical system.” P,.; ^ ^
1 “Second priority would be F
given to aquifers currendtLh huh >
SIR..
used of potentially usable for
drinking water.”
• “Lowest priority wouldbe
given to aquifers that are not
considerea potential sources I
of drinking water becauseo(
salinity (salt content) or ex
isting contamination.”
The administration plan
also would develop programs
to deal with ground water
threats from storage tanks
and surface waste sites, Synar
said.
Fhe EPA declined immediate f
comment on Synar’s speech,
but a top agency water pollu
lion official, Marion Mlay.to-1K
day will address the two-day H
water conference at the presti- f
gious Academy of NaturalSci-P| | ^
ences of Philadelphia.
——United
“The stabilization of inflation
in 1983 is the most remarkable
economic achievement of the
last three years,” economist Jer
ry Jasinowski said, speaking for
the National Association of
Manufacturers.
Cattlemen urged to help government s
United Press International
PROFESSOR! PUBUSHING
The reasons usually men
tioned for 1983’s good inflation
performance concern the in
tense competition with foreign
imports for American spending
money, and the shortage of cash
among those still unemployed
or in industries unable to join in
the recovery.
NEW ORLEANS — U.S.
Agriculture Secretary John
Block encouraged 4,000 cattle
men Tuesday to abandon their
wariness of government and
join in shaping America’s re
lationship with nations around
the world.
Block praised members of
the National Cattlemen’s Asso-
"•'•tion for their commitment to
tree enterprise, but chided them
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Spring Break
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/or more information call
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for standing back when their
contributions could help set
goals for agriculture and inter
national trade.
“A strong agricultural eco
nomy is essential to maintaining
American influence around the
world,” he said.
“If we are a reliable supplier
of food and fiber to other coun
tries, we strengthen America
throughout the world. An agri
culture that is thriving will mean
power to America.”
As Block and Vice President
George Bush addressed the
NCA convention, about 20
animal rights acitivists picketed
in protest of National Meat
Week. The demonstrators en
couraged consumers to eat less
meat in defiance of the indus
try’s current campaign.
In his address. Block said
there were many crucial ques
tions left unanswered about the
1985 farm bill, including who
would get government assist
ance, and how much would be
given.
He said input from the cattle
men was especially important
now — as the American public
neared its limit of how much aid
it was willing to “shell out."
“The broadest participation
is what we want,” Block said. “I
feel the role of government is
creating a climate in which the
agriculture industry can contri-
OKY<
Huhiro
d a C
bute the most to thiscoumry rdered th;
the world.” .5 percent
He said he had met rece ear to sat
with Chinese Premier Zhilnited St
Ziyang during his visit to thebRsday.
ited Slates, exploring oplioil The C;
for U.S. trade. Though theijBsed a Fi
cussions centered on no panirlal last Fr
lar commodity, they showMease in
great potential, Block said, iscal 198
“ I f you’re looking at a coclpt il, but c
try with a billion people, surd'll-
there’s something you can Japan’s
them," he said. ■delens
.ibeial-De
I n a sjreech to the NCA’sgt p die Fina
eral session, retiring preside^
W.J. Waldrip enchoed
i .til for ( altlemen to makeilierl
presence felt in 1985 farmler.I
lation.
Re
I \ v ✓
Economist warns against
unregulated farm market
United
United Press International
He said many complex issues
/T
LUBBOCK — Federal farm
legislation has seen major revi
sions only four times in the last
50 years, state agricultural ex-
1 tension economist Ronald Knut-
Culpepper Plaza * son ° f College Station said
* 1 1 Tuesday.
“Two-thirds of the time we
fine tune” farm policy, Knutson
told about 120 people attending
an annual policy conference
sponsored by the extension ser
vice.
“I think the odds are that
we’ll tend to fine tune the 1981
farm bill and I think if we’re not
going to go that way then far
mers are going to have to get in
the middle of the battle,” Knut
son predicted of the upcoming
farm bill.
would be debated by Congress
dng the formation of i
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1625 Texas Ave.
College Station
693-2689
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>9
during the formation of the
1985 farm bill, including pro
duction control options, target
prices and loan rales.
The only major changes to
farm legislation in the last 50
years came during 1938, 1956,
1965 and 1977, Knutson said,
adding the last major change
was the establishment of farmer-
owned grain reserves.
Knutson suggested that
target prices should be tied to
production costs and a range of
production control options
should be examined. He warned
farmers that minimal govern
ment involvement or a free mar
ket could be harsh on them.
“Free market cotton policies
probably would be politically
H WASI
dent Reaj
(million to
I 1985 1
velopmen
authoritai
unacceptable to producers. Dtljne repoi
dine in producer number coT
bined with increased pricean| Admin
income uncertainty likely woutfirmed las
be politically intolerable,” Km dent will
son said. Hn of su<
“Political pressure to depafdGWS
from free market policies whK|
farm prices are low would t*
irresistible—particularly in i
years of national elections," I*
added.
United
Several members of a prodii| mgpp
ers panel agreed with Knutsoiil|J cha]
comments on a free market re |, reseil
many,” lai
“The free market does note j mernor
ist and it will not exist,” si| PUA
CO-OP STUDENT
ASSOCIATION
meeting: THUR. JAN.26
402RUDDER
^ 7 : OOp.m.
FIRST SPRING^
MEETING ^
former, present, future co-op's
invited
Grain Sorghum Produce:{ srae jj s w
Association official Robe cain un]
Green of Dalhart. He is theassyj s j t
ciation’s vice president for lejtl
lation.
Police
em Hill
| dinner
“We cannout export oun anunymo
out of problems,” he addeejives had
advocating instead producdo:|ill him, ]
controls. Mo bomb
Plains Cotton Growers pres: At the
dent Tommy FondrenofLoreJfficial v
zo agreed American farmeisween Isn
would not be able to compeiiurfaced
with foreign producersonafretBonn’s p
market because they must oHaudi Ar;
government regulatiordews as
than foreign producers.
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•Founding President Brazos Animal Shelter, Inc
MONDAY EVENING
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Salisoury Steak
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Thursday, January 26
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Italian Candle Light Spaghetti Dinner
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Choice of Salad Dressing — Hot Garlic Bread
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Mashed
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Served with
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Cornbread Dressing ,
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Giblet Gravy
And your choice of any
One vegetable
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