THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
Track squads start indoors
Vol. 89, No. 76
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
See story and photo page 7
Friday, January 19, 1979
Tractorcade's farmers undaunted by rain, cold
Staff Writer
By LORI LINENBERGER
TOPEKA—They came from farms throughout the states of Colorado and Kansas to join their colleagues yesterday. They were the tractorcade headed for Washington, D.C.
They are the farmers of the American Agriculture Movement and they have many things in common, but their most interesting thing is that win what they think is duly their. Their number is gradually increasing as they travel across the country in a caravan of tractors, pickups and mobile homes to protest low farm prices and to seek parity.
Their spirit is irrepressible and they proved it yesterday as they chugged their 80 or so tractors into the Ben Mar-a-Lon mine. Topeka for a hot meal and a night's rest.
IT WAS COLD and wet, but the womans, clad in blue jean coveralls and muddy work boots, seemed oblivious to the weather as they jumped down from the cabs of their tractors and shook and stretched their joints and muscles loose.
All denied being bothered by the pouring rain.
"We're used to this. We work outside every day so we getba" Laveur gets the bag out and just thinking about rolling my sleeping bag out next to my tractor to keep it com-
Larry Williken, a farmer from Williamsburg, said he had the same sentiments as Walker.
"This is just another day for us," he said. "We've had years of experience with this kind of weather, growing food for you to eat."
One farmer from Leota said he was eager to get back on the road to Washington.
"YOU KNOW WHY we're going to Washington?" he asked. "To save rural America, that's why, and in doing so, we'll be saving the rest of it."
The symbols of the protest movement—the tractors—appeared to be the real messengers for the farmers.
They carried brightly colored flags and large posters explaining, in varying ways, the mission of the tractorade
"No farmers, no food, no kidding," one poster said. Another asked, "What in the hell does Sara Carter know about human beings?" The government demanded, "We want parents, not charity."
One tractor supported an outhouse on its back with written directions telling Carter to "stit on it." The lead tractor was the same model as the American flies described the back.
After spending eight hours on the road yesterday traveling from Salina to Topeka, the farmers were ready to eat, and they headed to Kansas City this morning.
THE TRACTORCADE, which started in Colorado and is just one string of the total caravan traveling from different points in the country to Washington, will travel as far as St. Louis today if the weather permits.
A spokesman for the American Agriculture Movement, which organized the demonstration, sounded hopeful that the rain would not be impaired by the freezing rains.
"We may get iced in, and in that case,
we'll just lay over for a day," she said.
"But we'll get started again as soon as
possible."
The tractorcarade traveled Interstate 70 in Kansas, but Missouri Governor Joseph Teasdale ordered the caravan off 170 while crossing Missouri, the AAM headquarters.
The farmers plan to reach Washington by Feb. 2 for an extended rally.
"We're going to try to get him to change his mind," she said, "but we aren't going to do anything without anyone's permission."
TEASDALE TOLD the AAM that the minimum speed limit of 40 mph on 170 would have to be followed to insure the safety of both the tractorcade and regular motorists. The tractors and regular motorists travelring at an average speed of 15 mph.
those traveling highways today, but the zeal and spirit of the farmers remained undaunted.
of problem from Salina to Topena," LL. Carl G. Gray of the Topeka office on the Highway Patrol said yesterday, "And, we were able to be smooth all the way through the state."
"we can't get the Interstate, we'll have to use Highway 50," the spokesman said. "Being safety conscious, we don't like the idea of using 50, but we have an important message to carry, so we'll follow orders."
Travel through Kansas was unentevil as far as the Kansas Highway Patrol was concerned. The tractoracar apparently presented no problems for other travelers zoining by the crawling caravan.
"It could be pretty treacherous," one farmer said, "but we'll be ready for whatever happens."
The freezing rain will pose a threat for
"We have not heard reports of any type
Staff Photo by ALAN ZLOTKY
Travelina tractors
Tractors from as far away as Colorado began arriving in Topeka yesterday afternoon a rally supporting the American Agriculture Movement. The tractorcade will continue
Ice storm hits Lawrence
From Staff and Wire Reports
A new winter storm struck Lawrence with rain and freezing rain, causing some flooded night and last and leaves streets glazed with ice.
Lawrence's storm was part of a storm which spread ice across western Kansas yesterday and later struck eastern Kansas and Missouri, while road crews still battled snow left by last weekend's storm.
Flooding occurred last night at 19th and Naismith streets. Although resident directors at Oliver and Naismith hills said neither residence hall was threatened by the water, several cars stalled near the intersection.
Kai Voeol, Kansas City freshman, was driving east on 19th Street when he drove into the backed up water, stalling his car.
"I had water up to my door, all of a sudden. It was so dark I couldn't see the water until I was in it." Vereen said.
Pizza Hut, 804 Massachusetts St., was the only business to report water backed up into the building.
RICK BROWN, manager of the Pizza Hut, said the flooding occurred because of a low spot behind the building.
"There is no place for the water to drain when it gets behind the building—except in our back door," Brown said.
Elsewhere in the state, Topeka and Kansas City also had problems with stalled traffic and flooding because of the storm.
"There was about two feet of water at a lot of intersections and cars are stalled all over town just at quitting time," a Topeka
Police in the Kansas City area reported numerous minor accidents and cars stalled in several flooded intersections and low-lying
In Overland Park, several intersections were covered with water and power outages caused problems with traffic signals, snarling
THE STORM ALSO knocked down power lines, leaving more than 10,000 people in the Kansas City area without electricity.
There were several live wires down and KCP&L crews were working to restore power
A spokesman for Kansas City Power and Light Co. said power
advisors covered a large area, including Johnson County in Kansas.
A spokesman for Kansas City Power said the company
The National Weather Service issued a traveler* warning for today, saying that driving conditions would be hazardous. Light rain and snow will occur.
There is a chance of snow flurries tonight and low temperatures will be in the teens.
KU oil reserves boosted
By DAVID SIMPSON
Staff Reporter
The University of Kansas received more than 25,000 gallons of much needed fuel oil yesterday to add to its dwindling supply, and the university plant of plant maintenance, said yesterday.
We received four loads of fuel oil today and we're anticipating getting two more
On Wednesday the University was down to a five-day supply of fuel oil reserves to heat the campus. On a peak day, KU might be 18,000 gallons of oil in its heating process.
The University, which has been using fuel oil reserves since Jan. 1, to heat the campus, has an interruptable contract with the Kansas Public Service Gas Company that allows natural gas to be cut off when demand is high.
RODGER ORKE, director of Facilities Operations, said that even though fuel supplies had been dwindling, the University was able to adequate reserves for the rest of the winter.
Oroke said that in addition to the reservers received yesterday, another supplier would have given them their payment.
per day to the University beginning in a few days.
"I don't think the University will run out of fuel oil," Groke said. "As long as supplies are available and can be replenished there will be no cutbacks. When we know that we need more machines to make papers, we will then have to begin accelerating implementation of contingency plans."
OROKE SAID there were no plans now to use the contingency plan devised for the disaster.
ASK briefs presidents on issues
See FUEL back page
Staff Reporter
By CAROL BEIER
TOPEKA-Six of seven student body presidents from Board of Regents schools were briefed yesterday morning on student issue legislation by Hannes Zacharias, executive director of Associated Students of Kansas, a student lobbying group.
Legislation discussed at the meeting included minimum wage and state scholarship increases, decriminalization of marijuana, amendments to the Landlord-Tenant Art and the Small Claims Court Act and removal of the sales tax on food items.
Zacharias explained information on the status of priority issues to the Student Advisory Committee to the Board of Regents, which is made up of the student body presidents and one other student representative from each school. Representatives did not attend yesterday's meeting.
See related stories page three
A strategy session is scheduled for today, to consider introduction of a bill that would decrease the penalty for possession of less than an ounce of maijuarrion. Zacharias said.
ZACHARIAS SAID the minimum wage and state scholarship issues were waiting on Gov. John Carlin's budget address, planned for Tuesday in the state capital.
"One possibility would be to introduce the bill through the Judiciary Committee in the Senate and have it referred back to that committee before it goes out to the floor," he said.
The governor is expected to support reduction of the present penalty for possession. The penalty would be changed from a $2,000 fine and possible year in prison to a $5,000 fine.
Zacharias expressed optimism for the passage of four proposals concerning
reform of the Universal Landlord-Tenant Act and the Small Claims Court Act.
The proposals would amend the current statutes to eliminate some of the problems involved in small claims court suits by raising the limit on claims from $300 to $1000 and eliminating the need for an attorney's services in collection of claims.
One of the proposals is aimed at making termination more equitable for the clients.
UNDER CURRENT laws, a landlord can terminate a rent contract with 30 days of the termination and 14 days of the termination date. However, the tenant can terminate only after the next
"We just want the same provisions for the landlord and the tenant." Zacharias.
However, he was not optimistic about the chances for passage of a bill allowing voter participation.
See ASK back page
Iranian can't leave troubles behind
Staff Reporter
Rv MARK L. OLSON
He shifted in a soft, cloth chair, one leg draped over the wooden chair arm, but he was not relaxed.
"I was in the street, in Teheran," Hassan said in broken English. "I heard a lot of people. There were some demonstrators down the street shouting 'Down with the shah.' Then I saw some soldiers shoot one of them down.
"The soldiers—they are all illiterate, some of them are like animals. It is because of the shack they kill the people. They don't
Hassan, who would allow himself to be identified only by his first name, is not a stranger to the stifte that has rocked Iran during the war with Iraq. He was born in the city of Hammam, near Hassan.
"THEY ONCE arrested my brother," Hassan said, "but they released him."
A senior at the University of Kansas, Hassan spent semester break at his family's home in the poorer southern section of Teheran. In his lap he held a handful of snapshots which showed the scenes of war that had been raised with the pictures and pictures of those recently killed by soldiers.
"The economic condition is very bad," he said, "but the people are satisfied because they would rather be poor than live under the ruins."
He said he went home to see if he could aid the movement to remove the shank from office, and found a city nearby brought to its doorstep.
HASSAN WAS quick to say that the Iranian people do not support the interim leader of the government, Prime Minister Shahpour Bakhtiar, who was appointed by the shah shortly before he stepped down from power this week.
Hassan was speaking of exiled Moslem leader Ayatollah Ruhabli Khomrani, who has led the opposition to the Hakkarat.
"He's a lair. He's the same as the shah," Hasan said. "Nakhtar is doing the same killing as the shah and the people won't accept it."
An avatollah is the highest priest in the Moslem religion.
"Iran is the most Islamic government in the world," he said.
"The revolution in Iran is 100 percent Islamic, except for maybe other countries."
THE MOSEM LEAD people have been directed by the ayatollah not to work with the communists in any way, Hassan said. According to Hassan, the Moslem Student Organization at KU is the only student group on campus that represents the revolutionary movement in Turkey.
He said he thought the people of Iran would like to have the Soviet troops in their allies, but not if they supported Dahl or were only interested in supporting them.
"Americans say 'Give us oil.' They are killing us by helping the clan and they take our oil and they give us nothing." Heeza said.
"Except for a few, Americans don't care about anything except their girlfriends. I really think that," he said.
Hassan said he was initially attracted to an American university after being turned down by Teheran University. He said it was not unusual to fail to get into an Iranian college. He estimated only 50,000 of 400,000 applicants a year were accepted.
"There are just not enough universities in Iran," he said.
STUDYING IN THE United States involves a lot more than many people realize, according to Hassan. The forms themselves are "a hassle," he said. There is an English exam, a paper stating that Hassan's father can pay his son's fees and his passport, which receives a visa stamp whenever he enters the country, Hassan said.
But the most important document, he said, was Form I-94, which must be renewed every year to certify that he is still a student. Hassan said he could be deported by the immigration authorities for not filing Form I-94.
"Yes, I know of two teachers in the school that don't give me my
grades," he said. "If my paper was an American paper, I
wouldn't have it."
According to Hassan, the forms do not guarantee he will be treated the same as his classmates.
He said that during tests, the Iranian students were separated from each other.
"I think they think all Iranians are cheaters," he said
HASSAN SAID his degree from KU will help him get a job when he returns to Iran...
As for the Americans in Iran, he said, most of them are military advisers, their to train SIS and the shan's secret police, to kill. He added that many had been taken by ISIS.
"In Mashhad, the government and the SAVAK agents burned a prison with the prisoners inside," he said, "but no one knows how."
Hassan said he had lost many of his friends, even those he knew in high school. He said there were about 45 in his high school class who went to a university where 15 of them were put in prison by agents and tortured. He said some of them had been released.
"THEY WERE jailed because they had some books, and wrote some leaflets." he said.
Despite the risk of reprisal against himself and his family by SVAK, Hassan said he would continue to protest the government,
Iranian soldiers have a new weapon for dispersing demonstrators, he said.
It is a machine that, according to Hassan, looks like a water nozzle, mounted on top of an arroved car. This model, however,