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Wednesday, April 6,1994
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Lead found in crayons imported from China
WASHINGTON — Parents, check your kids' crayon boxes. Millions of crayons imported from China contain enough lead to be harmful to children and should be thrown away or returned for refunds, the government said yesterday.
The Associated Press
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said three brands, including one sold by the chain Toys R Us, presented "a lead poisoning hazard to young children who might eat or chew on these crayons."
Eight other brands, it said, have lead, but not at high enough levels to produce lead poisoning, "assuming a typical scenario of a child chewing on small pieces of lead-containing cravons over a span of time."
"No children's product, especially crayons, should contain lead," said Ann Brown, chair of the safety commission. "Throw these crayons in the trash or take them to the store for a refund."
Ken Giles, a safety commission representative, said the recalled brands represented "a relatively small percentage of the market." The largest-selling brand in the United States, the American-made Crayola, he said, contains no detectable lead.
Crayola makes two billion crayons a
year and is the world's leader in crayons. It holds more than half of the $130 million-a-year market.
Crayons consist of paraffin, a tasteless, colorless substance obtained from petrolgum, and pigment. Pigment, which comes from earth, can contain trace elements of lead.
"We go to extreme effort to ensure our products are safe for kids to use," said Brad Drexler, a Crayola representative. He said that imported crayons held only three to five percent of the market share.
Lead has long been recognized as a hazardous substance, especially to young children, infants and fetuses, because it can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning. The most common source of lead ingested by children is paint.
The three Chinese-import crayons deemed most hazardous were "12 Jumbo Crayons," distributed by Concord Enterprises of Los Angeles, with 430 cases sold; "Safe 48 Non-Toxic I'm a Toys R Us Kid! Crayons," with 100,000 packages distributed by that firm in 1990-91 and 2,000 distributed last year; and "12 Crayons, glory" and "18 Crayons That Pain," distributed by Glory Stationery Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Los Angeles, but none sold at the retail level.
U.S. goods popular in Vietnam
The Associated Press
HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam's first international trade fair since the end of the 19-year U.S. economic embargo opened yesterday with American corporate giants Coca-Cola and Chrysler Corp., stealing the show.
Young Vietnamese, drawn by a pair of towering inflatable Coke bottles, clustered around cafe tables to sample free cans of the American cola. Others mobbed the nearby Chrysler exhibit to study the engines and plush interiors of the latest model cars from Detroit.
About 200 foreign and 150 Vietnamese companies exhibited at the fair, the country's fourth and biggest so far. The high figures attest to the potential many business executives see in communist Vietnam, a land of more than 70 million people that is converting to a free market.
impressed by the enthusiastic response to the company's cars and Jeeps.
"They're asking intelligent questions about the engine, its performance and its mileage," he said, pointing to a luxury New Yorker sedan where several young men were craning their necks for a good look under the hood.
James Rockwell, a Hanoi-based consultant for Chrysler, said he was
An irritated guard made a vain effort to push back a crush of people lunging for glossy photo packages of the American vehicles.
Crowds were thin to nonexistent at the other automobile exhibits, which included France's Peugeot and the Mekong Corp., an automotive joint venture among Japanese, South Korean and Vietnamese partners.
"I don't know if the enthusiasm is for the cars or just that they come from the U.S," said Carlo Audero, regional manager of the Italian company Iveco, which builds trucks for Mekong.
Zulus support king with march in province city
The Associated Press
EMPANGENI, South Africa
EMPAGENI, South Africa — Nationalist Zulus brandishing spears, clubs and sticks defied a state of emergency to march yesterday in this Natal province city.
Police said that 88 people had been killed in political violence in the Zulu-dominated province since Thursday, when the state of emergency was declared. The death toll could climb as casualty reports from far-flung rural settlements reach regional police.
Despite earlier vows to disarm marchers, police and troops did nothing when the Zulu arrived in buses yesterday to support their king's demand for a sovereign Zulu state.
"You couldn't disarm them ... without a lot of bloodshed," police MaJ. Margaret Kruger said after 10,000 people swarmed through Empangeni, about 90 miles north of Durban. "They would go for the police ... and the police would open fire."
Zulus say that the traditional weapons they carry at rallies and other public gatherings are an essential part of their culture and that any attempts to seize them insult Zulu tradition.
Among the 88 people killed since the emergency was imposed were 10 people shot Sunday in Ndwedwe, north of Durban. The area has been hard hit by the war between Zulu members of the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party.
The region's violence is rooted in the Zulu nationalists' opposition to the April election, which will include the Black majority for the first time and most likely will put the ANC in power. The result will be diminished power for Zulu leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who is chief minister of KwaZulu.
After the election, KwaZulu and the other tribal hdalemels created under apartheid will be abolished as part of the ANC's plan to create a unitary state where all ethnic groups live as one.
Don't Miss Your Chance!
Student Union Activities is looking for Committee Members for the 1994-95 school year.
Committees include: Feature Films, Fine Arts, Forums,
Live Music, Public Relations, Special Events,
Spectrum Films, and Recreation & Travel.
Committee Member informational meetings will be held
• Tuesday, April 5, in the Southwest Lobby of the Burge Union at 7:30 p.m.
or
• Wednesday, April 6, in the Frontier Room of the Burge Union at 7:30 p.m.
Applications for committee members will be available only at these informational meetings
First committee meeting: Sunday, April 10, Kansas Union, 12-4 pm (Required)
For more information call 864-3477
JOBS! YEAR-ROUND PART-TIME JOBS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
ROADWAYPACKAGESYSTEM
- Earn up to $7.50 +$1/hr. tuition assistance
- Work 3 to 5 Hours a day, up to 25 hours a week
- Jobs available for loaders and unloaders
Shifts Available (Monday-Friday) 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ($7+$1/hr tuition assistance) 8:30 p.m.to 12:30 a.m. ($7+$1/hr tuition assistance) 1:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.*($7.50+$1/hr tuition assistance) *This shift works Tuesday morning-Saturday morning
REQUIREMENTS
- YOUMUSTBE18+YEARSOLD
•YOUMUSTHAVEYOUROWNTRANSPORTATION
•YOUMUSTBEABLETOPERFORMMANUALLABOR
RPS will be on campus throughout the semester. Contact your placement center for interview times.
Or apply in person at Roadway
Package Systems,
333 N.
James St.
913-321-4410
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