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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 1984)
Tuesday, November 13, 1984/The Battalion/Page 7 M Ml ffl Birth rate falls, affects Japan economically United Press International DALLAS — Birth control mea sures in Japan have proved so ef fec tive they now threaten the country’s productivity by reducing the num- per of young people available for work, a Texas A&M sociologist said. The Japanese birth rate fell from 34 per 1,000 persons in 1947 to 17 per 1,000 in the first half of the 1960s, setting off a trend that soon will force companies to bid against one another for fewer starting em ployees, Professor Jon Alston said. Alston, who presented his find ings to the Second Japan-United States Business Conference in To kyo, warned the birth rate decline will jeopardize Japan’s social stability and economic successes in the next two decades. Alston, who specializes in the so- dology of work, said the Japanese corporate structure is founded on the principles of lifetime employ ment and seniority. The seniority principle does not allow a younger employee to earn more than older employees, Alston said. Senior executives, in turn, are encouraged to invest in employees and upgrade their skills over the years. T he system reduces employee competition for promotion because they know faithf ul service eventually will be rewarded, Alston said. With fewer younger employees available, Alston said, “The end re sult will be to raise starting salaries faster than those received by older workers — a strategy that is bound localise discontent. v ‘This demographic ‘pinch’ of younger workers will cause Japan’s abor costs to be less and less compet itive, especially in comparison to in dustrializing Third World countries like the Philippines and Korea (which have) an excess of younger workers ... Japanese companies will become more like their Western counterparts.” Alston said the birth control pro gram in Japan was a consequence of its own history. The loss of its colo nies in China and Korea after World War I, forced the Japanese to move back to their already overcrowded land, creating a severe population pressure. “The country had to take immedi ate steps to control its population and the government instituted one of the strongest programs after 1945,” Alston said. Urbanization caused a further birth rate decline in Japan, one of the most heavily urbanized countries in the world. “The Japanese have been aware of this problem of falling birth rate for quite some time but are not able to do much to change the situation,” Alston said. “It is almost impossible for the government to reverse the trend. Some countries in Western Europe have tried measures to boost the birth rates but for most part they have been failures.” Alston said, in the short-term, Ja pan will try to overcome the problem by increasing the productivity of its workers through automation. “But I maintain this cannot work in the longer run because the grow ing shortage of younger workers will eventually negate those efforts,” Alston said. “Also, Japan is a strong tradition-bound society and its cul ture respects age. The emphasis on seniority will tend to limit social change and innovations. We in the United States have not encountered this problem because we prefer the figure of the young over that of the wisdom of age.” What’s up Tuesday RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION: is meeting at 7 p.m. in 150 Blpcker. T he theme is cheap sunglasses — wear yours. AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: is meeting at 5:30 p.m. in 105C LAED. Jim Keeter of San Antonio will speak. RANGE CLUB: Gerald Proctor, a manager form Granada Land and Cattle Go., will speak on their grazing systems and how Granada has been effected by droughts. The pro gram is at 7 p.m. in 215 AN1N. MSC MADRIGAL DINNERS: the committee is meeting at 7 p.m. in 230 MSC. STUDENT GOVERNMENT FINANCE COMMITTEE: is meeting at 7 p.m. in 203 MSC. TAMU HORSEMAN’S ASSOCIATION: there will be a Pe~ ruvian Peso riding demonstration at 7 p.m. in the Animal Science Pavilion. BRAZOS VALLEY SIERRA CLUB: “The Garden of Eden,” a nature conservancy film, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. in 507 Rudder. BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION: a lecture on em bryo transfer will be presented at 7 p.m. in 201 VMS. GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY: is meeting at 8 p.m. in 707 O&M. POLITICAL SCIENCE SOCIETY AND PI SIGMA AL PHA: are meeting in 510 Rudder at 7:30 p.m. to discuss future events. LE CERCLE FRANCAIS: the French club is meeting at 7 p.m. in 502 Rudder. Dues will be collected and party plans will be discussed. TAMU ONE WHEELERS: is meeting at 6 p.m. in the Grove. HISTORY CLUB: is meeting at 7 p.m. in 204 Sterling C. Evans Library. AGGIE GOP: is meeting at 7 p.m. in 206 MSC. Aggieland pictures will be taken after the meeting. TEXAS A&M FORUM: is sponsoring a debate on the ques tion of A&M emphasizing athletics over academics at 7 p.m. in 701 Rudder. TEXAS A&M ANTIQUE AUTO CLUB: is meeting at 7 p.m. in 308 Rudder. AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS: is meeting at 7 p.m. in 203 Zachry. Aggieland pictures will be taken and a business meeting will be held. TAMU ROADRUNNERS: is meeting at 7 p.m. in 501 Rud der. Nutrition and the runner will fie discussed. TAU BETA PI: is offering free tutoring in freshman and sophomore level engineering courses from 5 to 8 p.m. ev ery Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in 119C Zachry. Items for What’s Up should be submitted to The Battab ion, 216 Reed McDonald, no less than three days prior to desired publication date. Chi Omega SONGFEST 84 presented by CHI OMEGA in conjunction with the STUDENT GOVERNMENT UNITED WAY FUND DRIVE ^3.00 in advance TICKETS. 54.00 at door or call 693~5340 Single-issue Catholics rebuked United Press International WASHINGTON — The presi dent of the nation’s Roman Catholic jiishops Monday rebuked single-is sue Catholics who make abortion the Church’s only issue on the public agenda. “We oppose a single-issue strategy because only by addressing a broad spectrum of issues can we do justice to the moral tradition we possess as a church and thereby demonstrate the moral challenges we face as a na tion,” Bishop James Malone of Youngstown, Ohio, told the opening session of the annual meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. “The inner logic of Catholic moral principles has taught us to join issues rather than to isolate them,” Malone said. Malone’s speech put him and the conference leadership squarely on the' side of what has been called the consistent ethic of life movement, led by Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago, and opposed to other in fluential prelates who stress abortion as the primary public policy issue for Catholics. The speech also hinted that the bishops’ conference may shift its strategy on the aboi tion issue while not ending its strong opposition. “There is room for honest debate about how we should respond in law and policy to the challenge of restor ing legal protection to the unborn, but the debate should not be whether a response is needed,” Ma lone said. In the past, the bishops have been united behind the drive to secure passage of a constitutional amend ment that would overturn the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Malone strongly endorsed the work of the bishops’ committee in writing a draft statement on the church and the U.S. economy, un derscoring the committee’s denun ciation of continued poverty in the’ United States. “Poverty is a direct attack on the image of God found in the least of our neighbors,” he said. “The moral quality of a society is judged not by how it honors the powerful but by how it respects the claims and needs of the powerless.” Defiant minister might be defrocked United Press International CLAIRTON, Pa. — The Lu theran Church has begun proceed ings that could lead to the defrock ing of the Rev. D. Douglas Roth, who has defied his bishop and the courts by preaching despite being suspended from his duties. Bishop Kenneth R. May of the Pittsburgh-area Lutheran Church of America synod said he has ap pointed a five-member committee to investigate Roth. May said that if the panel deter mines Roth displayed “willful disre gard of the constitution and bylaws” of the church, the Lutheran church will begin procedures to revoke Roth’s ordination. May suspended Roth from his du ties Oct. 17 after some congregation members complained about his in volvement with the Denominational Ministry Strategy, a controversial clergymen’s labor activist group. The parishioners also were an gered that earlier in the year about $4,000 out of the church’s $8,000 benevolence fund had been allo cated for the Denominational Min istry Strategy. Since his suspension, Roth has preached every Sunday in defiance of May’s order. Roth unlocked the doors of Trin ity Lutheran Church Sunday and preached without incident. Roth said if he was not arrested “within a little while” Monday he would continue his pastoral duties. He remained in the church Monday. A sheriff’s department spokes man said Roth probably would be ar rested today. “It’s a state holiday (Veterans Day), and we wouldn’t want him locked up overnight,” the spokes man said. “If anything happens it’ll probably be tomorrow.” Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Emil Narick upheld May’s ac tion Nov. 2 and ordered Roth to stop preaching. Roth ignored that order and bar ricaded himself inside the church Nov. 5, skipping a hearing on a con tempt of court citation Friday. Na rick then issued a warrant for his ar rest, fined him $1,200 and sentenced him to 90 days in jail. Allegheny County Sheriff Eugene Coon tried three times to arrest Roth Friday. He was prevented from en tering the church by members of the Network to Save the Mon-Ohio Val leys, a secular labor activist group af filiated with the Denominational. Ministry Strategy. m4c zetow&isp /oo/fing fe, in d u c to4 t'n: GOURMET COOKING ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING TRIP PLANNING WATER SPORTS MASSAGE FOREIGN LANGUAGES OTHER ... FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL S45-1515 ASK FOR ^ MSC Career Development Presents The How To’s of Wed. Nov. 14 7:30 p.m. This could mean your furtwre a unique opportunity for Foresters Biological Sciences 0m* -.,..1 •: ‘ - v ►-i- -- „ For you, and the world itself. As a Peace Corps volunteer, you can put your degree to work at a challenging, demandingand unique oppor tunity. You'll be meeting new people, learn ing a new language, experiencing a new culture and gaining a whole new outlook. And while you're building your future, you'll help peo ple in developing countries meet their ener gy and housing needs. Forestry sector needs include ... Biology, Botany, Natural Resourc es, Environmental sciences, Ornamental Hor ticulture degrees, and of course foresters INFORMATION BOOTH Wednesday-Thursday Nov. 14 & 15 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. MSC FREE FILM SHOWING Wed., Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m. Room 401 Rudder Tower INTERVIEWS Wed.-Thurs., Nov. 14&15 Career Planning and Placement Center Rudder Tower You must bring completed application.