ustxtxb_obs_1967_02_17_50_00005-00000_000.pdf

Dallas. Jim Collins, who ran well against Pool last fall, and Frank Crowley, a popular county commissioner, are eying this race in 1968. Pool, many Republicans think, was lucky in 1966, when some hearings of the House Committee on unAmerican Activities proved a timely boon for his re-election hopes. V Also boosting the Republicans’ stock in this state is the wave of national G.O.P. leaders who will speak in Texas this. year. Sen. Jacob Javits of New York addressed the Young Republicans at the University of Texas last month: scheduled for Texas speeches soon are Sen. Peter Dominick of Colorado, Sen. Everett Dirksen of Illinois, and, perhaps, Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller of Arkansas. V A sure sign that the Republicans are gaining stature is the intra-party wrangling that has broken out. Such squabbles have largely been Democratic functions in years past. Harris and Dallas county Republicans are in a lather. In Houston the more conservative faction of the party has elected its own party committees, challenging the authority of county chairman James Mayor. In Dallas the difficulty has arisen over the appointment of John Leedom to the state G.O.P. executive committee. Leedom had lost favor in Dallas where, as county chairman, he was felt by many party workers to be an ineffective leader. Word of Leedom’s impending appointment wasn’t circulated in Dallas until the night before when a Dallas Republican who was attending the state committee meeting in Austin learned of the move and called his wife at home. The wife quickly organized a telegram campaign to discourage the appointment, but in vain. V Dallas’ new G.O.P. chairman, Fred Agnich, has been working, since his appointment, to broaden the appeal of the party there. “Far-outers” in ‘ the county organization have been removed. The emphasis now is on responsible conservatism, Agnich says, and not the narrow variety that characterized the 1964 Goldwater campaign. Out-ofstate Republicans of various persuasions will be invited to Dallas party functions. The Democrats V Gov. Connally is sounding more like he’ll try for a fourth term in 1968. Lt. Gov. Preston Smith and at least one liberal are virtually certain to challenge Connally. It is said that Smith has already amassed $200,000 in a campaign chest. V The growing list of challengers whom Sen. Ralph Yarborough might have to deal with in 1970 now includes the name of Atty. Gen. Crawford Martin, added by the Dallas News. At one time or other the names of Connally, former Atty. Gen. Waggoner Carr, Fort Worth Cong. Jim Wright, San Antonio Cong. Henry B. Gonzalez, former Cong. Joe Kilgore \( who was considerCong. Bush have been mentioned for the ’70 race. gof Dallas Democrats are grumpy with one another again. County chairman Joe Rich, a conservative, said he would resign from the large Democratic Men of Dallas County group because the organization’s leaders don’t represent a sufficient variety of political opinion; they’re too liberal. Liberal Mike McKool responded that Rich had never worried about philosophical balance when appointing precinct chairmen or when passing out tasks to certain of the county executive committee. Dave Moss, elected as new president of the Democratic Men, soothed Rich’s feelings by appointing him and three other conservatives to the Organization’s leadership. Texas Topics Voter registration was surprisingly heavy this year. Most officials said it was because it was free. There are some observers who feel, however, that another reason, at least in South Texas, may be the still-increasing political interest among Latin Americans. School and city elections may elicit unusually heavy Latin turnouts. For example, at Robstown, near Corpus Christi, registration is about double what it was last year. Robstown is three-fourths. Latin. All-time registration records are reportAmaRio tion highs were recorded in Bexar \(San Wichicounties lost population in the six years after the 1960 census, according to estimates of the University of Texas’ popu-. lation research center. In the 1960-’66 decade 56% of the counties declined. Most of the losers in the sixties are rural counties, but some metropolitan areas are losing, too. Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito dropped by 9,320; other lesser declines were reported for the Odessa and Wichita Falls areas. Very slight gains Abilene, McAllen-Pharr-Edinburg, Midland, and Waco. The largest gain was recorded by the Houston area, which grew by 298,793 \( making it the state’s largest percentage of growth, 3.5%, was best for the period; that city added 250,500 for a total of 1,334,101 in its area, second only to Houston. Of Texas’ estimated 10.5 million persons 7.5 million live in the 22 metropolitan centers. V The Dallas Chamber of Commerce plans to spend $1.5 million in the next three years to improve the city’s image. A survey of leading U.S. business execu tives disclosed that Dallas is considered below other cities of this region in prog ressive spirit, economic growth, political attitude, living costs, labor relations, and such. Another survey found that the city is considered “a haven for political extremists, controlled by rich, unsophisticated oilmen, and filled with boorish braggarts.” V All right, who invited former Bishop James A. Pike and the Rev. Malcolm Boyd \( the “Coffeehouse Priest,” formerly Council of Churches meeting in Dallas this week? Bishop C. Avery Mason said he didn’t do it, nor did anyone else of his Dallas Episcopal diocese. Well, anyway, the Revs. Pike and Boyd are coming. Bishop Mason has promised that “We will try to inform the local press that any ideas these men pass along . . . are not necessarily shared by us.” V The March. of Dimes’ annual door-to door solicitation was not permitted in Fort Worth last month, the city council decided, because the National Foundation, which sponsors the drive, has administrative costs exceeding 20%. V The shortage of policemen must be getting serious. Billboards are being used to advertise police careers in Houston and Dallas. V A. W. Moursund of Johnson City, as sociate of President Johnson’s, doesn /t want to be reappointed to the State Parks and Wildlife Commission. His term expired Feb. 1. Moursund, among others, has been criticized for the handling of the LBJ State Park fund. Mr. and Mrs. Earl W. Sweeney have decided to accept the $62,500 which a condemnation commission had offered for their land. The Sweeneys had been saying they wanted more money. Their 54 acres is last sizeable tract required for the LBJ State Park. Pollution News w r The first regulation has been adopted by the Texas Air Control Board. Future regulations will cover emission of sulphurous gasses and open burning. June 30 is the deadline for compliance with Regulation No. 1; if this is impossible, an industry or municipality can take until Dec. 31. After that an official variance from the standards must be granted by the board. V It is not known at this point what changes the board made in its first regulation, as proposed at a public hear the regulation, as adopted Jan. 31, were not to be available until this week, after the Observer went to press. Houston Councilman Bill Elliott, who frequently speaks out against pollution, has criticized the board for relaxing at least one pro posed standard, the limits on airborne particles emitted in residential areas. El liott charged that pressure from industry must have caused at least this one change. V Meanwhile, Harris county anti-pollu tion director Walter Quebedeaux’ practice of naming polluters of the month February 17, 1967 5