8
Wednesday, March 31, 1976
University Daily Kansan
Local Amtrak service in trouble
By CHERYL HAWLEY
Staff Writer
The fate of Lawrence's only passenger railroad service, hinges on federal budget allocations to Amtrak for fiscal 1977.
If President Gerald Ford's proposed $60-million budget cut of Amtrak's funds is passed this year, the Chicago-Houston route that stops in Lawrence might be one of 19 Amtrak routes that will be dropped, John Mills, Amtrak district service supervisor, said Friday. Amtrak's present appropriations end Oct. 1.
Full funding of the passenger service has been recommended by the Senate and
Copland to talk on music panel
Composer Aaron Copland and four KU faculty members will present a panel discussion on American music 2 p.m. today in Swartwout Hall.
Copland is known for his diversity of style. He has received several awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the New York City Prize in Award in 1946 for "Appalachian Spring."
He has composed the scores for several films and many of his compositions have been recorded by major companies in the United States and abroad.
He is in the Kansas City area primarily as a guest conductor for the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra. He also will conduct an ensemble in Ottawa Saturday.
Joining Copland on the panel are Stuart Levine, professor of American Studies; Thomas Foster, associate dean of the School of Fine Arts; and James Moeser, dean of the School of Fine Arts. Charles Theory and Composition will moderate.
The panel discussion is open to the public at no charge
Driver takes walk, refuses traffic ticket
A small foreign car was stopped by KU police Monday after it had been seen driving on the sidewalk in front of Watson Library.
The car, a Honda Civic, was stopped at 1400 Louisiana, where police said the driver refused to sign a citation and immediately drove away.
An arrest warrant has been issued, but no arrest has yet been made.
House Commerce committees. A congressional committee met last week to discuss the rail service. Mills said he expected a decision to be made before Congress recesses.
The closing of the Chicago-Houston route would disrupt the daily transportation of the 288 people a day who use the Lawrence Amtrak service, Mills said. Many of these passengers are University of Kansas students, he said. The Chicago-Houston route is especially popular during holiday and semester vacations, he said.
Mills said Amtrak's nationwide service for January 1976 had increased nine per cent over January 1975. Then, 16,376 passengers used Amtrak, Mills said, and in January 1976, 17,869 passengers used Amtrak.
This increased use of Amtrak is one of several factors Mills cited as reasons why this would be a bad time to reduce Amtrak's services. The other reason is that we are being upgraded its services by replacing
The Chicago-Hoston route rents space in Lawrence and the track is good, Mills said, but it is operating at an annual loss of $5 million to $7 million.
outdated equipment, bad tracks and entire stations.
Amtrak's upgrading of its stations throughout the country has had a direct effect upon its finances, he said. An indirect and negative influence has been the bankruptcy of Penn Central Railroad, Mills said.
The inability of any railroad to be given permission to operate Congress's willingness to appropriate and implement it.
*Why should we be penalized because Central in the Northeast is going bankrupt, but South?*
*What should we do?*
Amtrak has started new programs to offset its financial losses, Mills said. It is beginning to get contracts to carry mail and a U.S. rail-pass has been established on an international route, the company said. Day pass to anywhere in the United States for $150. Passes for 20 and 31 days costing
$200 and $250 also are offered. Mills said the pass would be popular among students.
One KU student who has ridden the Chicago-Houston route several times is Gary Bedore, Chicago freshman. He said he preferred Amtrak because it was less expensive than airplane flights and quicker than bus trips.
"It's a relaxed way to travel. It's convenient," Bedore said, "I've heard conductors say you are paying for a spot—not a seat."
Overcrowding is a problem, Bedore said. But despite that inconvenience, Bedore said, he didn't think the route should be discontinued.
Mills said a cut in Amtrak's budget would stop the service before it had had a fair trial. He said he thought the improvements in the past five years and an increased number of passengers each year would help reduce Amtrak's losses.
Getting Amtrak on a profit basis has been one of Congress's goals since the creation of the passenger service by the 1970 Rail Passenger Service Act.
NOTICE
TO: All organizations allocated funds by the Student Senate from the Student Activity Fee
FROM: Student Senate
1. Attend a TRAINING SESION conducted by the Student Senate Treasurer. See the schedule listed below.
All officers who are to be responsible for the expenditure of allocated funds MUST:
2. Sign a CAPITAL DISPOSITION CONTRACT with the Student Senate.
3. Obtain ADVANCE WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION for each expenditure from funds allocated to the organization.
No funds will be made available until these requirements have been met.
Under the act, Amtrak must run experimental routes for two years. A Washington, D.C., to Denver route with a Lawrence stop-over has been proposed. It will be in May. The $2.5 million to start the new route has already been appropriated.
Treasurer's Training Sessions have been scheduled for the following times:
APRIL
THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 3:30 p.m.
No other sessions will be held this month. Contact the Student Senate Treasurer's Office at 864-3746 to sign up for one of these sessions, or for additional information.
funded from the
Student Senate activity fee
---
ATTN.: GRAD STUDENTS
--would like to remind you of:
--would like to remind you of:
2. IF YOU DIDN'T GET
   YOUR MARCH GNP,
   GET ONE FROM GSC
   OFFICE.
Deadline April 1.
1. Vote now for graduate student council
2. executive committee.
3. Ballot in March GNP.
4. Deadline April 1.
3. GSC meeting April 1.
Expires Mar. 31, 1978
3. GSC meeting April 1.
4. Need grad student
Interested in lobbying
for fee waivers.
Call 864-4914
Deadline April 1
Paid for by student
activity fee.
Winning photographs will be on display at University State Terrace Bank, 26th and Iowa. This display will be open to the public for viewing Wednesday, April 7th.
Reg. Price $1.90
ATTENTION University Student Photographers
Final entries due April 1st, Thursday, 5 p.m., SUA office.
Judging, 10 a.m., Friday, April 2nd Walnut Room
50c OFF— with this Coupon
REUBEN SANDWICH
Hot Cornbeef, Swiss Cheese and Bavarian Kraut served on cottage rye.
MISS STREET DELI
- We Thank You for Your Patronage for the past 5 years with these fine specials
Reg. Price $1.95
5th Anniversary SALE
Expires Mar. 31, 1976
GOV. JIMMY CARTER
WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU OF:
THE UPCOMING DEMOCRATIC DELEGATE
SELECTION CAUCUS; Sat., April 3rd, at
1:00 p.m., West Jr. High School,
2700 Harvard; and that:
YOU MUST BE A REGISTERED DEMOCRAT IN DOUGLAS COUNTY IN ORDER TO BE ADMITTED. Registration closes Friday,
April 2nd, at 5:00 p.m. Douglas County Court House, 11th & Mass.
For more information call:
Dan Watkins—842-8794 or Scott Siebels—843-5721
Paid for by the Douglas County Jimmy Carter Presidential Campaign
PRESENTS
Chicago Chamber Orchestra
Sunday, April 4
8:00 p.m. $3.00
George Plimpton Monday, April 5 8:00 p.m. $1.50
American Chamber Ballet Wednesday, April 7 8:00 p.m. $3.00
Tickets on sale now at SUA ticket offices in Kansas Union