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KANSAN
84th Year, No. 86
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
130 Years Displayed In Photo Show
Friday, February 8, 1974
See Story Page 3'
Legislature Gives Okay To No-Fault
TOPEKA (AP) — The Kansas Legislature completed action today on a new non-fuel automobile insurance bill and sent it to Gov. Robert Docking who is expected to
The new law then would go to the Kansas Supreme Court for a ruling on its compliance.
It replaced a bill passed by the 1973 session which went into effect Jan. 1. That law was declared unconstitutional by Shawnee County District Court Judge William R. Carpenter three days after it went into effect,
The new law is designed to correct defects in the law cited by Carpenter.
One Supreme Court has agreed to study the new law and has set a March 1 hearing date and granted a stay of Carpenter's ruling pending its decision on the new bill.
The Senate approved 27-12 some technical amendments made by the house, which had included a ban on the use of plastic bags.
A spokesman said that the governor hadn't had an opportunity to study the bill, but that Docking remained generally in favor of no-fault auto insurance.
If the new bill meets Docking's general criteria of providing adequate protection for motorists without raising insurance premiums, the spokesman said, the governor can be expected to sign it so that New Jersey Court can study it as soon as possible.
Kansan Staff Photo by DAVE REGIER
Insurance companies writing auto insurance in Kansas were required Jan. 1 to provide no-fault riders for Kansas policyholders.
Those riders provide medical liability coverage at limits set in the 1973 law, to be paid without assessment of blame in case of injury accidents.
Under the law, an injured person cannot sue for pain and suffering damages unless a court finds that the injury was
Sand Art
An injured person can bring suit for expenses above this threshold.
The threshold provision has stired strong opposition from the Kansas Trial Lawyers
Robert Stoufer, Lawrence graduate student in practice, teaches the course. He forms pictures or
oesthes by pouring different colors of sand into clear glass bottles. See story page. 5.
Paxson Claims Lauter Fabricated Threats for Campaign Publicity
By LINDA WEINSTEIN
Charges of political threats were denied yesterday by Richard Paxson, Baxter Springs senior and manager of the Beiser-Hunter student body elections campaign.
But Passion said no threat was made and accused Lauter of fabricating or distorting
Rich Lauer, Evanston, III., senior and student senator, has contended that Paxon threatened to oust him from the senate to force him to contested the opposition Rifol-Scott campaign.
"Laufer had fabricated this story to gain campaign publicity," Paxson said.
Lauter said he had considered retracting his allegation "because I felt bad because my friendship with Richard (Paxson) was in jeopardy. I have always tried to win a role from my personal relationship. I began to feel guilty about the whole thing."
However, he said, "I can't retract statements I feel were true. I felt that there was some threat, whether veiled or not, but that one was made."
Paxson claimed that Lauer was the fafoacto manager for the Rolfs-Scott
ticket, and, therefore, had political reasons to state that threats had been made.
The Beiser-Hunter campaign members, Launder ater, "had been led to believe that I was supporting them. I don't ever want to outright that I supported John (Beiser);
Paxson said Lauer had "very much been walking the line during this election."
"I told Lauter this evening that if he wanted to support Rufus, I didn't care," Pauley said. "I don't care."
"However, he admitted he knew about our campaign plans. I took him into my confidence about our campaign. He knew about our platform before it was even an incident."
But Paxson said that Lauter's disclosure of confidential Beaulieu-Hunter campaign strategies didn't lead him to threaten Lauter's senate seat.
Lauer was armed to the ex officio senate seat of president of the Unorganized Housing Association (UHA) by his predecessor, Peter George, late in 1972.
There is a provision in the Senate Senate code for the UHA committee. However, the UHA committee does not provide any codes.
Heath Sets Election Date As Worker Unrest Grows
"There is some doubt even in my own mind," Lauer said, "whether the committee should exist. I don't feel an organization like that is meaningful."
"What bothered me was not the actual getting rid of the seat, but the reflection any expose would have on my position and honor or pride. I felt it was a slam on my integrity."
The miners' president, Jorge Gormley, said he personally favored postponing the strike, but some militants predicted that their men would be killed of the pits even if the strike was deferred.
had been virtually inactive since its inception.
LONDON (AP)—Prime Minister Edward Heath announced yesterday that a national election will be held Feb. 28 in Britain. He is hoping for an overwhelming vote of public support that would crush mounting insurrection, including a threatened coalition's勇士r兴起
HEATH'S DECISION to hold elections drew prompt fire from within his own party. Enoch Powell, an influential legislator who has often opposed Heath in the past, called the elections "an act of gross irresponsibility" and said he would not be a canvasser.
"We cannot afford the luxury of tearing ourselves apart any more," Heath said. "It is time for you to say to the extremists and the insurgents that we have a simple misused. We have had enough."
As Heath was making his announcement, locomotive engineers staged a one-day walkout in an eastern district of Britain. For the past seven weeks they have been on a work-by-the-book campaign to back pay demands.
"It should never have become a campaign issue or have been a reflection on any kind of the situation."
same boat and if you sink us now we will all down."
Paxson he thought the UHA should have been done away with long ago
Paxson said he learned just yesterday that he was the vice president of UHA—and had been for some time.
Government Haggles To End Shutdown...
WASHINGTON (AP) - Negotiators for the federal government and striking independent truckers reached tentative agreement yesterday to end the eight-day-old highway shutdown. The government immediately began putting its part of the bargain into effect.
White House press secretary Gerald L. Warren said the Nixon administration believed the action would resolve the truck strike, but an Associated Press survey of trucks across the country showed sentiment was strong against the settlement
Heath coupled his announcement with an appeal to leaders of the country's 280,000 coal miners to postpone their strike, calculated for Sunday, until after the three-week campaign. The union's policy-making body was to discuss Heath's appeal today.
IN A NATIONWIDE television address last night, the prime minister made it clear that the ministers' demands for pay were above all what his government had set to combat infaltation.
Warren also said an interdepartmental task force had developed "firm contingency plans" to keep the highways open if trucks decided to continue their protests.
When asked if this meant federal troops might be called to duty, Warren declined comment. He confirmed, however, that the Army's Defense was represented on the task force.
Those demands will be the prime issue in the elections, he said. The ballot, he said, would give voters a chance to tell the miners, "Times are hard. We’re all in the
John C. Sawhil, Federal Energy Office deputy administrator, said that the use of troops to keep the highways open if necessary was being considered.
"WE HOPE THAT won't be necessary," he said. "But if it is necessary, then that's the step we'll take."
U. S. Secretary of Transportation Claude S. Brinnegar also said that checks with several governors generally indicated that truck traffic was higher than Wednesday and that the truck stops were returning to more normal operations.
Sawhill said the final decision would be made by the Justice Department.
Pennsylvania Gov. Milton Shapp, who mediated the sessions between the truckers and the government, said he believed the settlement represented a major breakthrough for independent truckers because for the first time, owner-operators were "recognized as a separate segment of the trucking industry."
He said he believed the actions would bring "prompt, positive assistance to the truck drivers."
BRINEGAR SAID the Federal Highway Administration had established truck counts at 15 locations in the Midwest and had arranged to receive daily reports on fuel availability and truck-stock operations, which would be passed on to drivers.
Shapp said he had been told traffic truck was already up 20 per cent in some states. He said he planned to visit with truckers along the Pennsylvania turnpike today, explaining the program to them.
The first governmental actions came from the Federal Energy Office and the Department of Transportation.
HE INVITED Truckers to phone complaints of alleged price-gouging or supply problems to this number: 800-424-8660. Simon said the FEO and the Internal Revenue Service would immediately check on such complaints.
The energy office announced over-the-highway truckers would be given 100 per cent of their current fuel needs, rather than 110 per cent of their 1972 fuel usage.
trucks on interstate highways. It also said it would check into the difference in state laws on truck sizes and weights.
In addition, energy chief William Simon said he was setting up a complaint service with a toll-free telephone number to begin operation Monday morning.
It said this change would make available to truck stops an additional 76,000 barrels of diesel fuel per day. Trucks using gasoline were promised similar treatment.
The Department of Transportation announced it would review the question of increasing permissible weights and sizes of
The department said such differences between states "cause numerous inefficiencies including wasteful uses of fuel."
The Interstate Commerce Commission announced it would let truckers file for fuel-related rate hikes without having to supply supporting data. The ICC said it would help improve the rates as compiled by the Cost of Living Council sufficient to justify the rate changes.
The ICC also announced it would permit the nation's common motor carriers to file on 24 hours notice a six per cent surcharge for freight rates to offset the higher price of air.
The actions announced yesterday were in addition to earlier government decisions designed to halt protests by truck drivers.
...But Truckers Seem Determined to Strike
"It's a sellout," said Roger Galloway of Overdrive magazine, one influential organization that pushed for the shutdown which has brought guerrilla warfare tactics in some areas and left more than 100,000 workers laid off.
By the Associated Press
Truck traffic was reported increasing in several states yesterday, but the sentiment of many strikers and some of their fellow activists strongly against an end to the shutdown.
Independent truckers�might in various parts of the country last night appeared to be voting overwhelmingly to continue their campaign, rather than accept a proposed settlement.
"They sold these guys down the river," he said.
The Washington settlement denounced by some strikers provides for delivery to truck stops all the diesel fuel needed by drivers and permission for truckers to get more money for the cargo they haul in direct proportion to increased fuel costs.
IT WAS ALSO said to provide for an immediate freight rate surcharge to the carrier.
In another strike-related development, the House passed 374 to 6 and sent to President Nixon legislation allowing independent drivers to begin passing on to shippers next Friday fuel price increases they have incurred since last May 15.
The inevitable result of these actions, if implemented, will be higher prices for the fuel. Trucking officials say diesel fuel has increased about 15 cents a gallon since last May, and because trucks get only about five miles per gallon, the increases could be significant.
According to reports received from reporters, strikers and their spokesmen, at a country last night at which drivers voted to keep their rusps parked. There were no reports of groups voting to go back on truck traffic was up by 20 or 30 per cent.
BUT MOST DRIVERS and trucker spokesman reached in an Associated Press spot check said it was too little, too late. They said by allowing a surcharge in freight rates rather than rolling back fuel prices, the cost of increased costs was on the consumer.
The Washington settlement was reached by negotiators for the government and for some of the dozens of independent truckers' groups which have sprung up overnight to represent the estimated 100,000 men who work on the highway to receive hourly wakes as do the Teamsters.
A few of the truckers and their spokesman took a wait-and-see attitude until they could hear details of the proposal, spokesperson for the company, and dependents said they preferred acceptance.
Independent truck drivers in Kansas and Missouri, still defiant in their protest of increased fuel prices and decreased speed to improve their efforts to snarl road transportation.
An estimated 500 truckers at a meeting in Kansas City, Kan., yelled approval to a continuation of their shutdown when asked by J. W. "River Rat" Edwards, president of the Owners-Operators and Independent Drivers Association of America.
Settlement rejection votes were noted in Kansas City; Joplin, Mo.; Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz; Coates, Minn.; Palmyra, Ill.; and Moorehead, Morn.
Kissinger Signs Agreement on Panama Canal
An agreement to guide negotiation of a treaty that would eventually return the Panama Canal to Panama was signed yesterday by Secretary of State
Ronald Reagan.
The treaty is to replace the Convention of 1903 under which the United States gained exclusive jurisdiction in perpetuity by the canal through the Mississippi River, and thus to override the territory.
The new treaty is to guarantee U.S. operation and defense of the canal, but will have an expiration date, after which Panama will assume total control
Senate Divided on Emergency Energy Bill
A Senate split by the issue of oil prices debated emergency energy legislation although there was little chance of acting soon. The debate centered on a provision that would roll back the price of unregulated domestic crude oil to the $2.5 barrier level of oil still controlled by Phase 4.
senate interior chairman Henry M. Jackson, D-Wash, has estimated that the rollback, which would affect roughly one-quarter of the oil drilled in the Gulf of Mexico, could be avoided.
Federal energy chief William E. Simon has called the rollback unworkable, arguing that it would destroy incentives for the oil companies to
Skylab Astronauts Return to Earth Today
The men of Skylab 3 were to splash down in the Pacific Ocean today to man's longest space mission, a 34-million mile, 34-day voyage of scientific
Ervin Panel to Give Watergate Files to House
The Senate Wategate committee voted unanimously to turn over all of its investigative files to the House panel considering the impeachment of
Astronauts Gerald P. Carr, William R. Pogue and Edward G. Gibson were to return to earth at 11 a.m. Lawrence time 178 miles southwest of San Francisco.
The committee also agreed to postpone issuance of its final report to avoid conflict with indictments expected later this month from the Watergate
Patricia Hearst's Kidnapers Identified
The mysteries Symbionse Liberation Army (SLA) said in a letter to the bureaucracy, in which they had kicked newspaper papers for Patricia Heartz, according to the FB and KKPA.
The SLA, a revolutionary organization linked to the slaying of an Oakland school official last November, said Heartwart would be executed if authorities could get her to surrender.
The letter was accompanied by a gasoline credit card belonging to the girl's father, Randoph A. Hearst, president and editor of the San Francisco Examiner, the FBI said, Mrs. Hearst later confirmed that her daughter was carrying credit cards belonging to her father.
Nixon May Release Tapes, Ford Says
President Nixon is actively considering the public release of Watergate-related tapes and documents, Vice President Gerald R. Ford said in
"It's a matter of timing on the part of attorneys when the decision will be made." Ford said.
However, he said he had no specific information on whether the tapes that might be released included recordings of conversations between Nixon and his fired White House counsel, John W. Dean III. He didn't indicate what form such a release might take, such as verbatim transcripts or summaries.