ustxtxb_obs_1969_01_24_50_00014-00000_000.pdf

TEXAS’ LEADING BUMPERSTRIP SIGN MAKER [FUTURA PRESS INC Hickory 2-8682 Hickory 2-2426 1714 SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE P.O. BOX 3485 AUSTIN, TEXAS “Rostow Appointment ‘Tragedy and Disgrace’. ” A Tribune editorial pointed out that some of his writings have the taint of a “one worlder.” “Do Texans want to see an end to American nationhood?” the Tribune asked. “Do Texans want this country stripped of the means of self de fense, with the only ‘substantial military force’ in the world possessed by an inter national organization, the UN or any other? We think not. And we think that informed Texans will object strenuously to their children being taught such ideas.” V Gov. John Connally, as expected, re appointed UT regents chairman Frank C. Erwin, Jr., to another six-year term on the school’s governing board. Selected to fill the vacancies of out-going regents Mrs. J. Lee Johnson and Rabbi Levi Olan were Dan C. Williams, presi dent of Southland Life Insurance Com pany in Dallas, and Jenkens Garrett, a former FBI agent who practices law in Fort Worth. Garrett is co-owner of newspapers in Grand Prairie, Arlington, Irving and Pasadena. Rostam Kavoussi, president of the UT Students’ Association, urged the governor to reappoint Rabbi Olan to the board. The student assembly had requested that Connally consult with its president and a committee of the faculty council before naming regents. Since the governor never responded to the request, Kavoussi decided to make a public recommendation. “The intellectual growth of the university seems to be the rabbi’s major interest, which is not necessarily true of some of the other regents,” Kavoussi, a native of Iran, said. “He is not just interested in the financial aspects of the university or making rules to make sure students behave themselves. He has taken part in many student activities, and there has been a certain mutual trust between him and the students.” vg Connally announced the appoint ments the afternoon of Jan. 10, and the three regents were sworn in on the morning of Jan. 11. It is common practice of officially install new appointees before they are approved by the senate. The body is not expected to act on the appointments for at least two weeks. wor Gov. Preston Smith has endorsed in theory the proposal by Gov. Connally’s Committee on Public School Education to do away with about 900 of the state’s school districts. Smith says he does not necessarily agree with the committee on which districts should go. The new governor has said he does not expect the legislature to approve the consolidation of school districts. V House Speaker Gus Mutscher says he probably will oppose enforced merging of school districts. ITHE LEGISLATURE Hellos and Goodbyes Austin They came again The elected officials with retinues of proper wives, curvaceous secretaries and pompous young aides. The silk-suited, bald-pated lobbyists clouding the galleries and the halls like a horde of greedy locusts. The home folks, come to see Government in Action. The first day of the 61st session was given over to oath-taking and the beatification of minor officials; the bigger fish would have inaugural ceremonies later. A motley, brawling, not-so-conscitried to put forward its best public image. The ceremonies were characterized not so much by grace or eloquence as by the sort of heavy piousness one might find at a fraternity initiation or a DAR dinner. As was decided more than a year ago, the house elected Brenham legislator Gus Mutscher speaker. Mutscher was nominated by Rep. Tommy Shannon of Fort Worth, who described him as a “determined and courageous man,” a man 14 The Texas Observer who first assumed the burden of leadership at the University of Texas, where he was international vice-president of Gamma Delta, a religious fraternity. Clyde Haynes, Orange County, seconded the nomination, calling the 36-year-old bachelor, “a member’s member.” Menton Murray, Cameron County, and Jack Ogg, Harris County, followed with more speeches to the effect that Texas has no better friend than Gus Mutscher. The new speaker, suffering from a sore throat, made brief thank-yous. Bill Neatly, appropriations poobah, introduced the speaker’s immediate family in glowing terms. He then asked visitors from Mutscher’s home district to stand. Approximately half the persons in the packed gallery rose to their feet. With Mutscher’s recommendation, the house passed a new set of internal rules. House members ignored a number of reforms suggested by Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes. They abandoned the system, supported by Barnes, under which the speaker would fill vacancies in committees while members \(other than chairmen and by virtue of their seniority. Mutscher will name all committee members. Instead of reducing the number of committees to 25, as Barnes proposed, the house increased them from 44 to 45. Under Mutscher’s rules, house conference committee members are not limited to adjusting the difference between house and senate bills. Barnes is critical ATHENA MONTESSORI SCHOOL RED RIVER AT 41ST Opposite Hancock Center GR 6-9700 or GL 4-4239 Leo Nitch, Director of the way in which conference committees often write new provisions into blils. \(Mutscher also is backing away from his earlier support of annual legislative sessions, a proposal supported by Barnes and opposed by Gov. Preston ON THE SENATE side, the spenders beat the non-spenders on the first vote of the session. During a closeddoor caucus, senators voted either 16 to 14 or 17 to 13, depending on one’s source, to increase office expense allowances from $85 to $125 a day. The fight was a hard one, and liberal senators were pleased that a coalition of liberals and moderates carried the issue. Many conservative senators and some members of the lobby opposed the expense increase on the basis of economy. \(Some lobbyists, it appears, would rather have legislators rely on the “third house’s” partisan research rather than having the money to hire aides to investigate probpense increase was passed by voice vote on the senate floor. Eight men were recorded as voting against it: A. M. Aikin, Lubbock, Ralph Hall of Rockwall, Bill Patman of Ganado, Grady Hazlewood of Amarillo, Pete Snelson of Midland, J. P. Word of Meridian and Charles F. Herring of Austin. Liberal Sen. Don Kennard of Fort Worth unanimously was elected president pro tempore of the senate. The honor goes to the man with the longest tenure in the senate who has never before held the position. G OV. JOHN Connally made his farewell to the legislature in a speech to