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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 17, 1984)
Tuesday, July 17, 1984/The Battalion/Page 3 ~'A&M group can’t lobby some issues u By JULIE ENNIS Reporter | Two student leaders representing more than 250,000 students from 20 Texas colleges and universities lob bied in Washington recently to op- bose a national drinking age. One university not represented in the co alition was Texas A&M. Bjirhe coalition was coordinated by the University of Texas’ Texas Stu dent Lobby, the lobbying arm of the UT Students’ Association. Ejohn Hatch, director of the Texas A&M Legislative Study Group, says Texas A&M did not join the coali tion because the Legislative Study Group’s bylaws limit the LSG to par- rapation only in statewide legis lative issues. f A lack of funds and manpower to Hby against national legislation were factors that helped determine H restriction, he says. KTwo years ago, Texas A&M lob- Died in Austin to raise the drinking age to 19, Hatch says. WAs soon as the drinking age be came a national issue, the Legislative Ictidy Group couldn’t participate,” he says. liTexas A&M cannot officially par- J|ipate in the coalition, so students n|t want to express their opinions should first register to vote, Hatch ?ays, and then write their congress men and senators. “Many people think that writing their congressmen isn’t worthwhile — it is,” he says. “They value opin ions from citizens interested in the issues.” Hatch, a junior business major from Big Spring, says the LSG is similiar to the Texas Student Lobby. The LSG was officially designated three years ago by then student body president Pat Pearson, to represent Texas A&M in Austin. Since then the LSG has grown into a 30-member committee that re searches state legislative issues relat ing to Texas A&M. Last year the LSG researched is sues such as tuition, minority re cruitment, international student fees, faculty salaries, and the Perma nent University Fund, Hatch says. The LSG answers to the student body president and the Student Sen ate . Hatch says the Student Senate recommends current issues to the LSG. “After an issue is recommended to us by the Senate, an issue coordi nator is assigned from the LSG to re search it with the help of his commit tee,” he says. The issue coordinator represents Texas A&M students in Austin. “The committees determine the pros and the cons and a ‘position’ pa- * * i ■ New Zealand wants renegotiation Shultz defends U.S. alliance John Hatch per is presented to the (Texas A&M) Senate.” He says the amendment to raise the national drinking age was over whelmingly passed by the U.S. Sen ate despite the efforts of the Texas Student Lobby representatives. “It looks pretty bleak for the TSL,” Hatch says. The defeat in the Senate, Hatch says, is likely to cause the Texas Stu dent Lobby to redirect its efforts to ward reeducating the congressmen in Washington. This, he says, would provide time for a stronger grass roots student lobbying effort and maybe reverse the decision in the House. United Press International WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Secretary of State George Shultz Monday defended the United States’ defense alliance with New Zealand and Australia as an “unshakeable relationship” despite demands to have the treaty renegotiated. Shultz made the comments at the opening of an annual ANZUS alli ance meeting, overshadowed by the New Zealand Labor Party’s election victory Saturday on a platform call ing for a renegotiated treaty ban ning nuclear-armed and nuclear- powered ships from the nation’s ports. New Zealand officials said the nu clear ships issue did not arise during the first day of the two-day meeting, which brought together representa tives of the United States, Australia and New Zealand. But Australian officials told re porters their American counterparts were concerned that a nuclear ship ban could threaten the ANZUS treaty — and sour relations between the United States and New Zealand. Without mentioning the nuclear ship ban, Shultz defended the AN ZUS alliance at the opening session and said Wellington and Washing ton had an “unshakeable relationship. “There is no greater testament to the friendship between two peoples than a resolute commitment, such as that embodied in the ANZUS treaty, to come to the defense of a valued ally,” Shultz said. Prime Minister-elect David Lange, who does not assume office until next week and was not represented at the ANZUS meeting, has said he wants to renegotiate the three-na tion defense treaty and ban U.S. nu clear-powered and nuclear-armed ships from New Zealand’s ports. Political observers said Lange was under pressure to moderate his AN ZUS policy, although his Labor Par ty’s powerful anti-nuclear left wing would resist. Shultz was expected to meet Lange Tuesday before leaving Well ington, the final stop on his two- week, six-nation tour of Asia and the Pacific. He has already visited Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Indone sia and Australia. Shultz met Monday with outgoing Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon, whose National Party ruled nine years before its defeat at the polls Saturday. Fighting flares near airport te Car owners can save police Beat with prompt renewal :il the co* ives.” By LINDA SANTINOCETO tbout shif& Reporter xidtic coiB) wners 0 f- ]979 or neW er vehicles who have to renew their license jrovided plates in July or August will save . Otherwismoney if they do so before Aug. 1. , s ■* Hi he tax package to fund the edu- : Chief a vard the cation reform bill, which includes an JdlCrease in vehicle registration fees, Wl lake effect Aug. 1 — Gov. Mark vbar. Ht While signed the lax bill Friday. I talked loKriiis means some vehicle owners ie noddewill be seeing an increase in their li- k the boai^ ense plate renewal fees. it?” W-laitte Hanus, supervisor of the ‘ , , motor vehicle division of the Brazos Cotinty tax office, said the tax hike ill not affect people who have to re new their plates in July if they do so before Aug. 1. Anyone who needs to renew plates in August can do so in July and still pay the old rales, Ha nus said. The law bases registration fees on the vehicle’s age instead of weight. Some people are better off wait ing until the new rates take effect, she added. If you have a 1978 car and are paying $33.80, your license plate renewal fee will be $28.30. The new fees will cost owners of 1978 or older cars $28.30 to register. For a 1979, 1980 or 1981 model the new fee will be $38.30. All 1982 or newer models will cost owners $46.30 to register. The following incidents were re ported to the University Police De partmem through Monday. MISDEMEANOR THEFT: • A green Vista ten-speed bicycle was stolen from a student's apart mem porch. • A red and black Huffy Winds' print ten-speed bicycle was stolen from the Underwood Hall bike rack. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: • The passenger door window was broken on a 1978 Ford Mustang parked on Lamar Street. ASSAULT: • A student reported that while site was walking across the Academic mall, an oriental man rode up to her on a bicycle and grabbed her around the neck. She broke away from him and he fled the scene. Investigating officers were unable to locate the man. . ^ : United Press International BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian troops Monday took control of vil lages in northern Lebanon to end five days of clashes between two pro- Syrian militias, but fighting flared near Beirut’s newly reopened air port. But the outbursts of sniper fire and shelling in the capital did not appear to disrupt Beirut’s 12-day- old, Syrian-mediated security plan that allowed the Lebanese army to take over rival Christian and Moslem strongholds and reopen key crossing points along the Green Line dividing the city. Christian and Moslem radios re ported light anti-aircraft, machine gun and mortar fire between two vil lages less than 1 mile south of Beirut International Airport. A police spokesman described the clashes as “brief and had no imme diate report of casualties. He said the sporadic fighting lasted for about two hours in the late af ternoon and did not disrupt air traf fic. Beirut’s port and airport re opened a week ago, 154 days after they were closed during a Moslem revolt. In northern Lebanon, Syrian troops took over positions in em battled villages where the 1,500-man private “Marada” army of former President Suleiman Franjieh and the rival 1,000-strong militia of the Syr ian Social Nationalist Party fought for five days. Beirut radio said the militiamen disengaged peacefully, allowing Syr ian troops to take over their posi tions, one day after their leaders agreed to a peace plan arranged in Damascus. The artillery, rocket and heavy machine-gun battles that began last Wednesday left at least 30 people dead and wounded 150 others be fore ending Sunday, the respected An Nahar newspaper reported. British dockworkers join strike United Press International LONDON — Dockworkers at Britain’s last major port to operate normally Monday joined a week-old dock strike and Prime Minister Mar garet Thatcher met with Cabinet ministers to review the country’s mounting labor troubles. Longshoremen at Dover, Britain’s “gateway” to Europe, voted two-to- one to stop handling all cargo bound for the continent, union officials said. The strike at Dover, which took effect at noon, will not affect the 30,000 vacationers and 7,000 cars that pour through the port daily this time of year, the peak holiday sea son. Maritime traffic at more than 60 major ports, including Liverpool, London, Glasgow and Felixstowe, has been halted by the walkout, which flared July 10 when a contract laborer, rather than a dockworker, was used to shovel iron ore at a northern port. Although that dispute was re solved, the dockworkers’ union is now demanding guarantees of fu ture work. Union and port officials are scheduled to take part Tuesday in separate talks with government arbitrators. The longshoremen’s walkout in creased pressure on Britain’s econ omy, already pressed by an 18-week- old coal miners’ strike that has closed 135 of Britain’s 175 coal mines. Thatcher has vowed to invoke emergency powers enabling the gov ernment to use troops to move es sential supplies from strikebound ports if necessary. ?/i- Amend® a rating an bill by! are a be follow ; consider pa rents if: rformers jerformen: nstrumei ping agai consists lachine. has ^ je more iekl runnf >ard Editor Robin Bla tl DcnaBro"’’' nic Langf 0 " Ed Alan 11 ibMcGl°l' on ' Sarah 0a'« Karen Blo^' crfB rracic H0'“ Peter Rno 11, :ric EvanO* posuF? mtatiofl’ APARTMENT HUNTING GOT YOU SWAMPED? If you’re bogged down in your apartment search, don’t lose hope. Help is on the way! This summer, there’s Treehouse Village, a brand new community of one- and two-bedroom apartments, including the popular two- bedroom roommate floor plan. Within walking distance to the A&M campus, Treehouse Village offers convenience and a wild assortment of features - including fireplaces, ceiling fans and dry bars. And to soothe the savage in you after a beastly day of classes, relax in Treehouse Village’s pool, heated Jacuzzi, party pavilion or on the private jogging trail. Don’t settle for less. Hold out for Tree- house Village Apartments, your oasis in the apartment jungle. TREEHOUSE •VILLAGE- APARTMENTS LEASE NOW FOR FALL 1984. Treehouse Village Apartments. From $305. For information, visit the Treehouse Village Apartments Leasing Office at 800 Marion Pugh Blvd. at Luther Street 409/764-8892 Professionally managed by Callaway Properties.