Cloudy with
thunderstorms
Highs in 70s
Lows in 60s
It is not fair that Bryan’s
club and bar owners must
stop alcohol sales at
midnight
-Battalion Editorial Board
Page 9
“Memoirs of an fli
Invisible Man”
Chevy Chase
plays
familiar role in
special effects
treat
Page 7
Aggies rally
but fall short
to Baylor
The Battalion
Vol. 91 No. 105 College Station, Texas
‘Serving Texas A&M since 1893”
10 Pages Tuesday, March 3, 1992
Manufacturing, construction industries rise out of recession
WASHINGTON (AP) - Two hard-hit
sectors of the economy got upbeat news
Monday as a key manufacturing barome
ter climbed out of recession territory in
February and the construction industry
enjoyed its best showing since last spring.
The Commerce Department reported
that consumers boosted their spending a
lackluster 0.2 percent in January, while
their incomes actually fell by 0.1 percent.
Private economists said the mixed re
ports were typical of an economy at a
turning point with some sectors doing
better than others and supported the pre
vailing view that the country should be
launched into a sustained recovery some
time during the spring.
Analysts were particularly impressed
with the increase in the National Associa
tion of Purchasing Management's month
ly index, which jumped to 52.4 percent,
up from 47.4 percent the month before.
A reading below 50 percent is viewed
as indicating a recession in manufacturing
while a reading above 50 percent signals
an expanding manufacturing sector. It
marked the first time the index has been
above the 50 percent mark since last
November.
Economists said the closely-watched
manufacturing survey was good news for
the one-fifth of the economy engaged in
manufacturing, a sector that had ap
peared to be leading the country out of re
cession last spring only to falter during
the summer.
In a separate report, the Commerce
Department said that construction spend
ing increased 1.3 percent in January, the
first advance since October and the
strongest gain since last April.
The strength was centered in residen
tial construction, a sector considered cru
cial to leading the country out of reces
sion.
Analysts pointed to other statistics
Monday showing that personal incomes
edged down 0.1 percent in January, the
first decline since November.
Because of the weak income growth,
Americans were hesitant to boost spend
ing, especially for big ticket items. Person
al consumption spending grew a tiny 0.2
percent in January, the poorest showing
since an outright decline in October.
Among the highlights of Monday's
economic reports:
— The individual impact of the econo
my's troubles last year was illustrated by
a report showing that bankruptcies hit an
all-time high of 944,000 in 1991, up 20 per
cent from the previous year.
According to the American Bankrupt
cy Institute, the new record included 92
percent individual bankruptcies and 8
percent business bankruptcy filings.
— America's merchandise trade
deficit, measured on a balance of pay
ments basis, shrank by almost one-third
last year to $73.6 billion as a record level
for exports and the recession helped to
give the country its best trade perfor
mance since 1983.
— The small increase in personal
spending, coming at a time when incomes
were falling, meant that Americans' sav
ings rate dropped to 5.3 percent in Jan
uary, down from 5.5 percent in December.
The February purchasing managers
survey showed a big jump in new orders
with strength also noted in production.
Manufacturing employment was down
according to the survey but not as sharply
as in previous months.
ORTRUN GINGERICH/The Battalion
Larger than life
The “Recruiting Video” on the first floor of Rudder Tower was as part of a program to update Texas A&M University. There is
opened on October 26, 1991. Leslie Appelt donated the money also a sports video, and more videos are being put together.
Cold War
budgeting
continues
Proposed intelligence spending stays
high despite demise of former U.S.S.R.
WASHINGTON (AP) - De
spite the demise of the Soviet
Union, the Bush administration is
proposing a secret intelligence
budget near Cold War levels, ac
cording to sources inside and out
side the government.
Spending is estimated at $30
billion for next year — about
where it stood when Soviet com
munism was considered a major
threat.
Some members of Congress,
which will eventually vote on the
intelligence budget without re
vealing its contents, think the
spies and analysts ought to be tak
ing cuts along the lines of those
faced by the military. But the
White House counters that intelli
gence activities will be all the
more vital after the armed forces
are cut.
Officials won't comment pub
licly on the intelligence budget.
But Defense Secretary Dick Ch
eney, asked recently whether in
telligence cuts would equal those
in defense, responded:
“Let's just say (CIA Director)
Bob Gates is a happy man."
The administration's proposed
budget for next year does take a
bite from intelligence spending.
But it is nowhere near as much as
the 7 percent cut in the defense
budget of which it is a part, ac
cording to indications from official
and private sources. And that's
not sitting well with some law
makers.
“The intelligence budget has
got to reflect developments in the
world," said Sen. Howard Met-
zenbaum, D-Ohio.
“There's a general consensus
that there should be some cuts,"
added Metzenbaum, a member of
the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Democrats believe the intelli
gence budget, which doubled dur
ing the 1980s, should be shaved at
least another 2 or 3 percent, bring
ing it closer to the defense cuts. '
Spending on spy satellites is a
likely target, now that the former
Soviet Union is dismantling many
of its nuclear weapons and consol
idating the rest.
George Bush Jr. lauds
father during CS visit
Byjayme Blaschke
The Battalion
George Bush Jr., son of Pres
ident George Bush, made a brief
campaign stop in College Sta
tion Monday, urging the crowd
atEasterwood Airport to vote
for his father in Texas' March 10
primary.
America was experiencing a
mid-life crisis, which caused the
nation to question the country's
leadership. Bush said. If Ameri
ca were to change leaders now,
the Democrats' effect on the
economy would be disastrous.
"The President needs our
help, not our doubt," Bush said.
"Things are getting better in
Texas, but we can't let congress
tinker with the economy.
"We've bottomed out and
are heading back, and we can't
stand to nave any of these
Democrats elected president,"
he said. "We need to put George
Bush back in the White House
for another four years."
Bush downplayed polls
showing the President's ap
proval rating was at an all-time
low, and insisted George Bush
would win big in Texas.
George Bush Jr.
"The President hasn't been
embarrassed in the primaries,
he won (New Hampshire) 2 to
1/' Bush said. "A person can
only come in second in a two
person race so long before he's
considered out of the contest.
"We fully intend in Texas to
win every single delegate," he
said.
Bush also stressed his par
ents' fundamental values as ma-
See President’s/Page 5
Rodeo funds provide scholarships
Participants receive fraction
of money raised from auction
By Ursula J. Burrell
The Battalion
Spending at the 1992 Houston
Livestock Show and Rodeo is
over, yet the money raised contin
ues to change hands year-round in
the form of scholarships.
"This year's auction purchases
raises the cumulative total to over
$25 million that the HLS&R has
acquired for scholarships," said
Leroy Shafer, assistant general
manager for the HLS&R.
The top animals are sold at
four junior auctions sponsored by
the show, but the participants who
have animals in the show receive
only a fraction of the money raised
during the auction.
Shafer said the maximum
prices a junior exhibitor receives
ranges from $50,000 for the grand
champion steer exhibitor to $5,000
for the lower placing broilers
(chickens) and turkeys in the poul
try auction.
"Any amount over the maxi
mum prices go into the HLS&R
Educational Fund to endow schol
arships in the name of the buyer,"
he said.
Youngsters from across Texas
arrive each year hoping they have
produced champion animals.
"The four junior market auc
tions are for youngsters ranging in
age from nine to 19," said Suzi
Brown, assistant manager for the
HLS&R.
This year two regular HLS&R
buyers, Tom and Mary Steele,
bought the grand champion steer
for $200,000 at the junior market
steer auction. Jim and Linda Mc-
Ingvale of Gallery Furniture of
Houston paid $82,000 for the re
serve grand champion steer.
Jim Mclngvale, better known
to television viewers as "Mattress
Mac," also bought the grand
champion pen of broilers for
$75,000 at the junior market poul
try auction.
Shafer said the recession did
not have any negative effects on
livestock bidding this year.
"A recession does not mean
anything to people who have a lot
of money and are secure," he said.
"If I am person who has the mon
ey to give someone $200,000 for . .
. an animal worth $1,000 then . . .
a recession does not bother me
one way or the other."
Democrats strive to keep senator's seat
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Democrats
scrambled to save Sen. Brock Adams' seat
Monday after he dropped his re-election bid
arpid allegations he sexually harassed eight
women. Popular Democratic Gov. Booth Gard
ner said he would not decide whether to run
for more than a week.
Adams resisted continued calls for his res
ignation from Democrats and Republicans
alike.
Gardner told a news conference he would
not decide whether to seek Adams' seat until
after the state Legislature adjourns March 12.
Gardner also declined to immediately call
for Adams' resignation.
'T think ... he can make the judgment as to
whether he is, in fact, serving effectively and if
he is not, I think he'll be the first to know,"
Gardner said. “But on speculation that he
doesn't see that and others of us do, then I
would talk with him by private phone before
making a public statement/'
Asked if he believed the allegations against
Adams, Gardner replied, “I'm not going to
make any judgment."
Adams dropped his bid for a second term
Sunday, hours after The Seattle Times pub
lished accounts from unidentified former em
ployees and associates.
Adams, 65, told reporters: “I have a job to
do and I'm not resigning this office."
Adams didn't return a telephone call Mon
day from The Associated Press, but he told
KING-TV: “I'm not going to step down. I'm
working."
On Monday, the Times quoted the woman
who alleged she was raped as saying she was
happy Adams was out of the race.
“I feel sorry for his wife and daughter.
They had to know about it," the woman said.
“I don't have any regrets (about speaking out)
because it needed to be done."