Russian purchases will aid wheat farmers
By CYNDI HUGHES
Staff Renorter
The Soviet Union's raising need for grain will help increase higher wheat prices before the end of 1979, a key factor in the recovery.
Roy D. Lai, professor of political science and East European studies, said the Soviets' 1797 crop yield may force them to import "with certainty, 15 percent of the crop" because of a 30 million metric tons of grain this next winter."
The Soviet demand for grain will remain high through 1980 and possibly the rest of the century, especially if past grain production patterns hold, Laird said.
"Look at the wide fluctuation pattern of the spring wheat yields for the last 13 years," he said. "Last year's bumper crop, by Soviet standards, of around 20 bushels an acre, was exceptional, and was preceded in 1977 by an average yield of 13 bushels an acre."
THE HARBINESS of last winter resulted in a serious winter wheat kill and was followed by a wet t
April and a dry May that damaged the wheat crop,
Laire said.
Soviet spring wheat, two-thirds of the wheat crop,
is grown mostly in areas where regular high yields
are difficult to obtain. he gain. inadequate grain
supply, especially in the Soviets, prevents holding grain from year to year.
With a storage capacity of only 35 million tons for imported grain, the Soviets will probably use much of that for human consumption, rather than for industrial uses. This could reduce their livestock program, he said.
"SINCE IT TAKES a period of time to build up livestock numbers, a vicious circle develops for the Soviets," he said. "The less meat their population has, the more small grain and potatoes they must have for the national diet and the more wheat must be imported."
The soviets would produce 170 to 210 million metric tons of grains this year, compared with 327 million
A market analyst for an international market development company in Washington and Friday after the United Nations General Assembly.
Nancy Hovatter, analyst for Great Plains Wheat, Inc., said the USDA attributed the low figures to the long, cool, damp spring and poor soil conditions in the Soviet Union.
Hovatter said that three factors showed the Soviets planned to purchase large amounts of grain.
Secondly, the Soviets have chartered a large number of vessels from the shipping industry for training.
FIRST, THE SOVIETS will buy 15 million metric tons of wheat and corn from the United States in accordance with the Five-year Grans Agreement between the two nations.
Finally, increased Soviet gold selling may also indicate purchasing plans, she said.
By June 29, the Union United had bought 10.3 million metric tons of corn for livestock production and 3.1 million metric tons of cotton.
Laird said another customer for American wheat will be China.
The United States and China recently signed a most favored nation agreement, which the USDA predicts will cause a record level of American imports to China.
But they have already made commitments to buy,
but now the speculation is over how much they will
pay.
The weather for Chinese crops has so far been favorable, but the growing season is still in progress.
Hovatter said reports of flooding in China last week prompted speculation about increases in Chinese
The 1978-79 marketing year that ended June 1 win probably yielded about 49 million metric tons of wheat, slightly more than last year's total of 48.952 million metric tons, she said.
USDA PROJECTIONS for 1979-40 range from 47.2 to 56.5 million metric tons. Howett said.
In Kansas, Terrence W. Nygaard, state grain marketing coordinator, said wheat sold for $4.18 per bushel Thursday, a 20-cent jump from Wednesday's price.
"Things look better for the Kansas farmer," he said. "This upturn is what we needed."
Moe Johnson, state statistician, said he expected the Kansas harvest to yield about 313.7 million bushels in 1979, compared with 306 million bushels in 1984.
However, wet weather has delayed the state's harvest, he said.
As of last Monday, only 10 percent of the wheat had been cut," he said. About 35 percent was harvested.
JOINNSON PREDICTED completion of harvest in the third week of July, if the wet weather conditions
The United States is the only supplier selling wheat now, with Canada, Argentina and Australia, the other wheat exporters, experiencing domestic problems, Havotair said.
Staff photo by MICHAEL PATTERSON
Pick a little
Four-year-old Gwyneth Sigmon sits biding her time while her father, Kurt Sigmond, and Marianne Scheel perform at the opening of the Douglas County Fldling and Pickin contest held yesterday afternoon in the Lawrence Community Building. Steve Mason, far right, one of the event's sponsors, assists on bass.
Showers do not cloud park fiddlin' and pickin'
THE SUMMER SESSION
Musicians played everything from traditional folk songs to modern folkrock songs on a variety of instruments including banjo, fiddles, guitars, guts and an autoharp.
There were 24 entrants in the contest, and a winner was chosen in each category. Deborah Stavin, Lawrence, won in folk singing; Ashley Jones, Lawrence, won in guitar; Leo Poach, Lawrence, won in Mary and Mary Schnaus, Eudora, won in fiddle.
The fiddlin' and pickin' contest was the second in a series of five Happenings in the Park planned for this summer. Future happenings include a Music Festival, a Youth Happening, each to be held in one of the Lawrence area parks.
There were four categories in the contest: folk singing and guitar, banjo and fiddle playing. The crowd of 400 people often joined the musicians in singing, clapping and stomping along with the music.
After three hours of performances by individual contestants, all the musicians gathered on stage for a finale of "Will the circle be Unbroken."
Yesterday's rain might have forced a change of location for the Lawrence Happening in the Park Fiddin' and Pickin' contest, but it don't dampen the atmosphere of the event. The contest was held in the Lawrence Community Center, 115 W. 11th St., instead of in South Park as originally planned.
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
KANSAN
Monday, July 9, 1979
Vol. 89, No. 158
10 cents off campus
free on campus
Gift sets up art library in Spencer
Bv BONNIE DUNHAM
Staff Reporter
Former KU Chancellor Franklin D. Murray said yesterday that a California-based foundation had donated $500,000 that will be used to help Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art.
The establishment of an art library in the museum was the center of controversy between faculty members and administrators last fall.
Murphy, chancellor at KU from 1951 through 1960, was reached through his Los Angeles office where he now serves on the board of directors for Times-Mirror Co. He was also a member of whether he was a member of the foundation that donated the money for the art library.
"I GOT A foundation to put up the money.
They wish to remain anonymous." Murphy said.
Del Shankel, executive vice chancellor,
said the money, donated through the Kansas
University Endowment Association, would be used for architectural drawings and for finishing an area for the library on Level 1 of the Spencer Museum of Art.
"It certainly is not an abbreviated reading room. It is the creation of a major library at the museum." Shankel said.
However, specific decisions on which materials would be moved from Watson's art library to Spencer Museum and to other places had not yet been made, he said. For example, it is unknown where the architectural materials will be located.
Some duplicate art books will be purchased to replace the Watson Library collection after the transfer of the books to the Spencer Museum. Shankel said
CHARLES KAHN, dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Design, said he had spent the last few years
"The University has now said two things," Kahn said. "They have said there will be no more branch libraries, but this seems to indicate a policy that you can establish a branch library if you can get a private gift."
However, Shankel said that the location of a library in Spencer Museum was decided many years ago when KU was still establishing a number of branch libraries.
"The decision now is to go for fewer branch libraries," Shankel said. "This is not something that we could have consulted on. I think that the decision had been made
many years ago and was simply awaiting funds to do it."
MURPHY SAID an agreement NASA made with himself and with others several years ago that the museum would have a library.
"The whole building was designed to be a complete unit from the teaching standpoint, to the art museum and now the art library," Murphy said.
"It is this new grant that I have been able to get from the foundation that has made it possible to complete the museum. This is not a kind of is not some kind of unique plot or anything."
Gerhard Zuther, professor of English and a University Senate executive committee member, said he was unaware of the library move.
“This is news to me. My understanding was that they would check it out with a representative of the faculty government,” Zuther said.
TWO FACULTY members, George Worth and Richard Hardin, circulated petitions last October opposing the move of the art library from Watson.
Worth, chairman of the department of English, is in England for the summer.
Hardin, professor of English, said the move was "unfortunate because it is going to inconvenience a lot of people. In effect we are going to have to fund another library."
After completion of the new art library, funding for staff and maintenance will probably be through the libraries system, according to Shankel.
"I THINK THERE will undoubtedly be some unhappy people, but given the generally overcrowded conditions at our library and the need to have added space during renovation of Watson, this really does make it a little more difficult to run it will produce a very fine art library."
Jim Ranz, dean of libraries, said three weeks ago before he left for vacation that the art collection was on the assumption that the art library would remain on the third floor at the main library. However, he said, the possibility of a museum Deer Museum was kept in mind in the plan.
He called the location of the art library "kind of a no-win situation." Because the art reference materials were used by so many people, he was no way everyone could be kept happy.
Athletic merger in effect; few drastic changes
The University of Kansas men's and women's athletic departments merged July 1, but it will make little apparent difference between KU teams compete, at least for a while.
"There have been very few changes made as this point," Marian Washington, assistant coach for the week. "Bob Marcus has to have an opportunity to get a feel for women's athletics and determine how to restructure the team." There will be that many drastic changes made.
THE MERGER SO far has had its greatest effect on the governing bodies of the athletic programs. The membership of the Merger was approved by the board, according to Del Shankel, executive vice chancellor. The University representative to the Association of Intercollegiate Women for Women was substituted for the athletic director as a voting member of the board.
The merger officially went into effect July 1, the beginning of KU's fiscal year.
The Women's Athletics Advisory Board, an ad hoc board formed, according to Shankel, for the transition period leading up to the merger, was dissolved.
Also, the separate administrations of the athletic departments were merged. Bob Marcum remains as athletic director, having jurisdiction over both the women's and men's programs. Washington holds the dual position of associate athletic director and women's basketball coach. She has 18 positions in which she choose of the two positions she will hold regularly. She said last week she hoped to announce her decision within the next few weeks.
MARCUM SAID that some functions of the athletic programs have been combined, including academic advising, recruiting and business operations. The two sports information offices will soon become one, and the two athletic teams will be duplicated in the past, will also merge.
people leave and take other positions, we are able to combine some sports, as we have
"We made a commitment that no one would lose his job because of the merger."
An important reason for the merger is money. The Title IX regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education require equal funding on a per capita basis for both male and female athletes. The consolidation may reduce athletic spending by eliminating duplication in some areas, but the new funding structure will also put
IN THE PAST, the university's athletics have been funded by student activity fees, and a significant portion of their budget.
Now, a large part of the women's funding will have to come from KUAC. A request for increased athletic funding was refused by the Board of Regards during its June meetings.
"You always run into problems of dollar availability." he said.
This particular problem may have contributed to opposition to the merger on the
"SOME OF THE variety sports here at KU have only recently received full fund-raising support, you come along and ask to split up that team with ask for women's sports as well, you're going to have a certain amount of resistance. It's not a significant difference, but an economical one."
These differences will be worked out, according to the administrators involved.
part of some of the coaches and athletes in the men's program, Marcum said.
"I think we're going to have a smoother transition because of the amount of time it took to get the differences worked out," Shankel said.
Washington said, "I think that everyone involved is hopeful that things are going to be better. Everyone's going to have to continue working and being patient and being sensitive. I think that when they sense the positivity of this initiative, they can help to eliminate the ambivalent feelings."
Study to look at schools' finances
By VALERIE HOWARD
Staff Reporter
A state legislative committee is looking into the possibility of changing the rules for tenure and retirement for teachers in Kansas Board of Regents schools.
However, one KU professor and a state legislator who are involved with higher education said they were concerned about the results of the study.
Proposal 43 asks for a review of the financing of all Kansas institutions of higher education, with emphasis on the Regents schools. The proposals include an analysis of other ways to allocate state funding and an analysis of the imposition of including enrollments on state fiscal policies. HOW?
Some changes might be needed because of declining enrollment at the schools, according to State Rep. Mike Hayden, R-Atwood, who chairs the Special Committee on Ways and Means. The committee is underdering two proposals, numbers 43 and 45.
THE OTHER PROPOSAL, 45, deals only with ways Regents schools can adjust faculty staffing. Hayden said his committee would assess the schools' current plans, policies and money-saving alternatives, such as early retirement plans for faculty.
University Professors, said, "It is the right kind of people who set the target and target success, tenure and return."
"I think they are looking for scapegoats. If they make a misjudgment it will be an alarm."
STATE REP. MIKE GLOVER, D- Lawrence, a member of the committee, said, "It is a very serious constitutional process to take tenure away.
T. P. Srinivasan, president of the KU chapter of the American Association of
He said that without a tenure system, the breadth of ability must not be attacqh to high qualified graduates.
"It may even be a matter of academic research. Professors should be allowed to teach."
Glover said he would work with professors and students of Legislature about the historical bank records.
"At this point I don't see any major legislation coming out of our work on Proposal 43 and 45, because we are basically trying to educate ourselves," he said.
Hayden said he did not see any policy changes coming from the committee in the report.
**BIRNISVAN SAID** that as far as faculty salaries were concerned, faculty members have already suffered a 10 percent loss in salary due to use of high inflation and low salary increases.
"This year the Regentia asked for a 7 percent raise against an expected inflation rate of 3.5 percent."
"There has been no talk of unionization here," he said, "but no group can stand that fatal blow to morale. If things keep deteriorating someone has to step up and speak. And once you do that, call it by any name, it's a union."
Jordan Haines, chairman of the Board of Regents, said the Regents thought their formula funding proposal might solve future funding problems.
"The idea did not come from a decline in enrollment, but it evolved as a better funding response to the University budgets," he said.
HE SAID THAT, historically, funding had been computed according to the number of cases.
"We want to change this and compare ourselves to other public schools and take a broad mean or median for the cost of a credit hour," he said.
"A decline in enrollment will not be felt immediately. Rather, there will be a leveling effect," he said. "A 1 percent change will go to change the needs for faculty."
The Regents formula funding proposal compares KU's costs with those of the universities of North Carolina, Iowa, or Colorado and Oregon, he said. Comparisons will be costed and the budget for fiscal year 1981 will be based on these comparisons, Haines said.
Rockin' out
Photo by TIM ONTKO
More than a thousand people turned out to see and hear Devo at the Lawrence Office House Friday night. In addition to their showed several of their short films. See review page three.