THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
No. 165
The University of Kansas—Lawrence. Kansas
Tuesday, July 22, 1975
Students and food stamps
See page 2
Mail union wins raises for 3 years
WASHINGTON (AP) - Postal workers won a three-year contract that will provide scheduled raises totaling $1,500 over three years. The company says no additional, nostalgic sources said yesterday.
By the third year of the contract, which covers about 600,000 workers, the additional cost to the Postal Service will be $900 million a year.
In the two-year contract that expired at midnight Sunday, the cost-of-living feature added $70 million to scheduled increases, and added $500 a year for the average postal worker.
There is no way to calculate the value of the cost-of-living clause, however. It provides, at six-month intervals, increases in consumer price index, and a point increase in the Consumer Price Index.
In terms of the effect on postage rates, the Postal Service could raise $900 million by increasing the first-class rate 1/4 cents. However, higher increases than that are needed, the Postal Service says, to cover other expenses that have risen because of the cost-of-living increase of the earlier cost-of-living increase. The contributed to a deficit that totaled about $850 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30.
The average postal clerk, postman or pickup truck driver now makes about $13,500 a year at top scale, plus fringe benefits.
Also won in the contract was a provision protecting workers against layoffs, an incentive to increase employment.
Sources said the increase will occur in four steps: $400 a year immediately, $250 a year later and $100 a year November 1976, and $800 a year on July 21, 1977. The Postal Service also agreed to increases in some fringe benefits, including health insurance and allowances for workers.
Staff photo by DON PIERCE
Agreement on the contract was reached early morning, more than two hours after the old contract expired, averting threats of an assault against handlers, which would have been illegal.
The agreement must still be ratified by the four unions involved—the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, the Laborers International Union, and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association.
In addition to its union work force, the Postal Service has about 100,000 nomination
Cheer up
Members of the Yates Center cheerleading squad practice their yells in front of Templeium. KU's host to 178 cheerleaders in a week-long cheerleading clinic which ends Thursday.
Loop fight stirring again
Kansan Staff Reporter
By LYNN PEARSON
Last week, Dry Ray Dyz, Lawrence graduate student, submitted his resignation as a director of the School.
The proposed Haskell Loop Project, which received approval from the city commission last fall, is the object of a simmering controversy for the second time
Dryz has said that it will make the neighbor a drive-through, not live-in, neighborhood.
ANALYSIS
provement Association because of the group's continued support of the Haskell Loop project and what he called its neglect in working class people in the neighborhood.
City Commissioner Carl Mibek said last week that he wasn't sure that the Haskell Loop was the most desirable thing for the people of east Lawrence.
The land around the loop will deteriorate and will probably be rezoned commercial or residential. But he wouldn't happen with this commission, he said, because it is committed to keeping the area residential. But, he said, there is a future commission of a future commission from rezoning the land.
The Haskell Loop, which is funded through the Community Development Act, was planned to improve the transportation system through east Lawrence.
The loop is designed to provide access to downtown Lawrence from the proposed U.S. 59 bypass, and will sweep through east Lawrence.
Binns, agreeing with Mibeck, said that he had many reservations about the loop project, but that he was approaching the issue with an open mind.
Three new commissioners were elected in April, two from the east Lawrence neighborhood. The two, Mibek and Donald Bins, added to Fred Pence who was selected by the commission, compose a three member majority from east Lawrence.
The new commission will put the Loop project to a vote, probably in September.
Mayor Barkley Clark said last week that he thought it would pass the commission.
The city commission authorized City Manager Buford Watson to begin land acquisition for the Haskell Loop project in October 1974. The plans for the loop have been made and books since the 1964 Compete Project, Plan included it in its long range goals.
Watson said that the loop was necessary to the city because there are no arterial streets running north and south in east Lawrence.
Watson also said the new road would separate industrial land to the east of the city.
residents circulated a petition opposing the loop and got more than 50 signatures. They presented the petition to the city commission and asked for a public hearing on the issue.
In fall 1974, there was considerable controversy centered on the Haskell Loop
The commissioners agreed to attend the next East Lawrence Improvement Association meeting rather than to hold a hearing on the proposed association vote to endorse the loop.
The city has almost finished the land acquisition for the Haskell Loop.
"A lot of people over here would like to see the city spend that money on housing instead of the Haskell Loop," Dryz said. "We're trying to keep with the city and feel helpless to stop it."
Mayor Clark said that it would be more economically unsound to bake the cookies.
U.S., Soviets make 3rd major grain deal
NEW YORK (AP)—The third major U.S.-Soviet grain deal of 1975 was reported yesterday as Continental Grain Co. announced completion of an agreement to sell 5.6 million metric tons of corn and barley to the Soviet Union for more than $800 million.
Two other grain exporters announced last week that they had sold 3.2 million metric tons of wheat to the Soviet Union, a move that brought some protests from urging and longshoremen who are considering refusing to load the grain for shipment.
Agriculture Department sources have said repeatedly they don't expect the sales of their bulk of souring prices that followed the bulk of export deals involving 19 million metric tons of grain. They say the United States expects harvests this year and can afford the exports.
The sales price of the 4.5 million metric tons of corn and 1.1 million metric tons of
barley involved in yesterday's deal was not announced, but a Continental spokesman said the transaction was worth more than $600 million.
Agriculture Department spokesmen in Washington confirmed that the corn and barley sale had taken place. A spokesman said it was "absolutely confidential." Continental, but couldn't confirm the fact.
A Continental spokesman said the grain would be shipped starting with the new harvest in October. He said the shipments probably continue through next August.
The grain could come from any part of the company's international operations, the spokesman said, but added, "We are boping corn can largely originate in this country."
The Agriculture Department said the sale was reported as an "all origins" contract, meaning the grain may come from a country selected by the exporter.
American farmers are expecting record harvests this year of 153.6 million metric tons of corn - up 30 per cent from last year's total - and 59.5 million metric tons of wheat.
That would be equal to six billion bushels of corn and 2.2 billion bushels of wheat.
Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz has said Americans would use about 800 million bushels of wheat for domestic consumption, export and to build up depleted stocklines.
USDA officials have said that the Soviet Union, hard hit by bad weather in its grain belt, may buy up to 10 million metric tons of grain this year from all sources. Other industry experts say the total could be 15 million tons or more.
The Canadian Wheat Board announced last Thursday that the Soviets had bought two million long tons—slightly more than 4.5 million short tons—from Canada, with shipment to start in the fall.
Dockmen balk at grain loading
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MIAMI BEACH (AP)-AFL-CIO President George Meany offered conditional support Monday for an expected refusal by longshoremen to load American wheat on ships destined for the Soviet Union.
Meany, here to address a convention of the International Longshoremen's Association, said that while he was not completely familiar with the resolution
being offered to delegates, he would support the union's decision.
"I haven't been asked about it, and I don't know all the details. But if the union votes that way, I would support it," Meany said in an interview.
Earlier, ILA President Thomas Gleason said he expected passage of the proposal that the union's 132,000 members from Maine to Texas refuse to load about 3.2
million tons of grain planned for sale to the Russians.
Gleason said he expected to ask to meet with Ford Administration officials if the resolution was approved tomorrow or Thursday.
"Why should we sell them wheat at all?" Meany asked. "This is an act of cooperation to help them out. But I'd like to see a two-way street."
Top grain seller indicted
NEW ORLEANS (AP)-A federal indictment issued yesterday accused Bunge Corp. of New York, one of the world's largest grain exporters, and 13 present or former executives, of cheating on grain shipments to foreign customers.
Burge is one of several grain companies being investigated in a federal inquiry reported to involve millions of dollars in short-weighting and misgrading of grain.
For 12 years, the indictment said, the Bunge employees stole grain by short-weighting cargo that was loaded onto ships in waters in Destrehan, La., and Galveston, Tex.
said a grand jury is continuing the investigation.
Assist. U.S. Atty. Cornelius Heusel, coordinator of the wide-ranging investigation,
Top executives named in the indictment were Vice President Walton F. Mulloy, head of the company's office in Kansas City, Mo., and Clayton E. Wilcox of Hindsley, Ill.; assistant vice president and regional director Jorge's St. Louis and Destrehan offices.
All persons indicted were charged with conspiring "among themselves and with other unrained parties to embezzle, steal and convert to themselves large quantities of goods from the country to foreign ports during the 12 years covered by the indictment."
Among other things, the indictment said,
there were 33 fictitious sales between 1965
Clinical facility cost to be studied
Max Lucas, assistant to the chancellor, and last night that representatives of the University of Chicago's chitcet's office and the state department of health would fly to Washington, D.C., early next week to inspect a hospital whose clinical facility's believed similar to the clinical facility's.
University officials will try next week to determine whether about $3 million in fireproofing costs can be cut from the new clinical facility at the KU Medical Center.
At issue is whether the clinical facility's steel truss system must be completely fireproofed. The hospital in Washington has only partial fireproofing of its skeleton, Lucas said, and KU officials want to determine whether it meets Kansas
building codes and whether its construction is similar enough to allow the same
The change is important, Lucas said, because if the University can save $3 million by changing the fireproofing, it can perhaps bring the project into line with its budget by making other relatively minor changes that improve the plans may be necessary, he said.
Bids for construction of the $50-million facility exceed the architect's estimate by $4.5 million and the appropriated funds by $9 million.
Lacas said the group hoped to complete its study in time for administrators to discuss it at a meeting next Wednesday at the Med Center.
and 1970 of 857,449 bushels of corn, wheat,
soybeans and sorghum valued at more than
$3 million.
Short-weighting was accomplished by manipulating the elevator scales during loading, then issuing false weight certificates and falsifying records.
Maximum punishment would be five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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Grain export frauds protested by Butz
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz said yesterday that fraud "is going to stop being a way of doing business in the U.S. grain trade."
Butz said he had been told that such business should be overlooked.
He said he had instructed his department to look into every aspect of the growing grain fraud and added that any tinge of corruption was too much.
Commenting to newsman on grain frauds that have been uncovered in Houston, New Orleans and other ports, Butz said he had issued instructions two years ago, when the fraud began to surface, that every case was to be investigated thoroughly.
Asked whether grain inspection at such ports might be taken over by the federal government, Butz said he favored some type of "uniform posture" for grain inspection, but he refused to endorse a strictly federal program.
Electrified car will not go far, but it's clean
By BRAD JONES Kansas Staff Reporter
Construction of an electric car will be a research project for some electrical engineering classes next year, Art Brempel, director of electrical engineering, said Friday.
Breehl said the engineering department had just received the body of a 1953 MG-1100, bought in Topeka, which will be equipped during the year with four electrical motors and 18 to 24 car batteries for power.
THE CAR WILL BE the project of two semesters of a senior design class taught by Dale Rummer, associate professor of electrical engineering.
Although the $7 required to buy the car body came out of department funds, Breiphol said, he asked Kansas City Power and Light, Kansas City, Mo.; Kansas Power and Kansas Gas and Electric; and the Center for Research, Inc., to help pay for the project.
The exact number of batteries to be used to power the motors, he said, will be a decision of the students. Since the batteries weigh nearly 40 pounds each, students will have to decide how much weight the car can hold and still make efficient use of stored power.
restoring parts for the car, with the assistance of a mechanic. Two technicians in the department.
This summer Breipohl is finding and
Pate said the vehicle would use four electrical airplane generators that were converted to motors. The car would have two motors and an electric drive, with two motors on each wheel.
BREIPHOL, SAID that after the batteries had been charged overnight by being plugged into a conventional electrical socket, they were moved to 50 miles at a speed of 30 to 35 miles an hour.
"It will be built with the thought in mind that it will be confined to use in the Lawrence area," he said. "Because of the gravity of the situation, we need recharge, and because in order to get that
many miles, the car must be driven at slow speeds, electric cars for long distance travel are, at this point, somewhat imprical."
Pate said electrical power for automobiles was impractical because Americans were more interested in fast, powerful cars that could travel hundreds of miles than the conservation and occasional disadvantages that electric cars present.
BREIPHOL, SAID that, in the long run, if fuel costs continue to rise, electric cars will become less valuable because cost much to recharge the car every night, he said, and the car would produce no air or noise pollution. As research continues, he hopes that we can store energy for a longer period might help.
"It comes down to a question of economics," Pate said. "As people continue to pay the high fuel costs, the inconvenience and cost of electric cars may become accepted."
Breiphol said cars used in the early 1900's before gas became economical were built on the same essential plan that electric cars are today.
Rose has been working on a secondhand okakwane, which he hopes will run for 30 months.
"I helped refurbish an old electric car that the city owned while I was mayor," he said. "It was just kind of an interesting thing to do."
"It is very easy for people to develop their own plans for a car," he said. "We are not the first group to build one in a research sense. The University of Florida at Tampa has been involved in electrical automation for a number of years."
JACK ROSE, FORMER Lawrence mayor, has been working on his own electric car for the past five months. With a couple of months work left, Rose said the major problem he had thus far was furious about parking fees and few local auto parts stores carried them.
"I started checking how many miles I drove every day. When I found out that I rarely drive more than 20 miles, I decided to try to build myself a commuter car. If I can drive, I should be able to commute that a soak. But I think all the hills around here might cause a great loss in range."
BREIPHOL SAID converting the car to electrical energy wouldn't be the last stage
"Ultimately, we want to try to make our car solar powered in some way," he said. "But the current state of research on the idea, but it appears to be somewhat impractical. Still, we want to do more thinking along this line of utilizing energy sources, and solar energy would be one of them."
George Brown, a technician in the department, said that as plans for solar automation appeared now, it would take a month in the sunlight for a car adequately built with solar conversion equipment to build up energy to propel it for one day.