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Lloyd and labor Texas labor made its peace with Sen. Lloyd Bentsen at a cocktail party in Washington recently, but for Bentsen it seemed to be an uncomfortable peace. At the invitation of Gerald Brown of Austin, head of the state Building Trades Council, a spotty representation of national labor groups showed up at the Sheraton-Carlton Hotel, along with the Texas AFL-CIO’s President Hank Brown, for a party honoring Bentsen. It was not unlike a variety of cocktail parties held at the hotel for former Sen. Ralph W. Yarborough. Among those attending were Bernard Rapoport, the Waco insuranceman who was Yarborough’s finance chairman, former Sen. Eugene McCarthy, D-Minn., and several former Yarborough staff people. Bentsen gave a stiff speech in which he pledged to be “independent” in his thinking, but he did not mingle much. The International Association of Machinists has run a “sample poll” of its Texas members. Dated March, 1971, it asks who of four possible candidates for the ‘U.S. Senate next year would they vote for. The returns show Yarborough, 38.6%; Cong. Jim Wright, 33.1%; Barnes, 18.3%; Connally, 10%. \(The poll notes that 32% of the returns were from Fort Worth, Wright’s Yarborough run in 1972 and if so for what, 43.7% said for governor, 27.1% said for senator, and 29.2% said he should not run for either. In a presidential preferential among the Democrats, the IAM sample showed 44% for Muskie, 17% for Kennedy, 16% for Humphrey, 7% for McGovern, 4% for Jackson, 2% for Bayh, 2% for Hughes, and 10% for others. On Nixon, 44% rated him fair or better; 56% said he was poor or worse.. Baum resigns On May 5, Dr. Elmer Baum at last announced his resignation from the State Banking Board. His resignation was given to the governor less than 24 hours before Baum was due to be questioned by the Senate Committee on Nominations. Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes reportedly had told several visitors that Baum had no chance whatsoever of being confirmed by the Senate. Baum said he felt it would impose an unfair political rsik on Senate members to have to consider his confirmation while a federal court suit is pending against him. He retains his position as chairman of the State Democratic Executive Committee. On May 10 an anti-war guerilla theater troupe appeared in the Capitol rotunda and started to perform. 6 The Texas Observer Political Intelligence Their reception by most onlookers ranged from tepid to hostile and when the visiting Pampa High School choir, which was scheduled to perform later in the rotunda, stepped in and drowned out the anti-war group with song, there was general approval. One blazered cherub from Pampa was overheard remarking to a buddy as they trotted down in response to their leader’s summons, “Demonstrating in the Capitol! They should be shot!” Rep. Dan Kubiak has taken issue with the Observer’s interpretation team-backed appropriations bill and has produced some irrefutable evidence to support his contentions. Kubiak’s newsletters to his constituents dating back to last year reflect repeated promises not to vote for any appropriations bill calling for more than $400 million in new revenues. Kubiak also hauled out his anti-speaker voting record and it doesn’t look bad at all. A socialist Irony addicts were entranced with the May 3 appearance of Harold Wilson, former prime minister of Great Britain, before a joint sesion of the Legislature. Rep. W. S. Heatly headed the honorary delegation that led Wilson into the chamber. State dignitaries ringed Wilson admiringly on the podium and all hands gave him a standing ovation at the close of his speech. Wilson is a socialist and the head of England’s Labour Party. Lest anyone think there are Lenin lovers in the Legislature, it should be noted that the House passed to engrossment that same afternoon a bill designed, according to its author, to keep socialists off state campi. Rep. Dean Cobb of Dumas quoted Young Socialist Alliance literature to buttress his argument that there are dedicated revolutionaries among us. Cobb’s H.B. 314 will allow campus administrators to have any student removed from campus during a disturbance if he refuses or is unable to produce his student identification card or to explain why he is on campus. Students, faculty or employees can be barred from campus for 14 days if “there is reasonable cause to believe that such person has willfully disrputed the orderly operation of the college.” Students or employes suspended . or expelled because of disruptive activities could be barred from campus for up to one year. Maximum penalties are a $500 fine, six months in jail or both. Most Egregious Vote of the Month Award to: the Texas House of Representatives for its action May 5 repealing a congratulatory resolution that had passed without discussion the previous day on a voice vote. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Curtis Graves, commended NBC News for its documentary shown on May 2 entitled “This Child is Rated X.” The documentary treated the question of agreed judgment commitments of juveniles, especially as practiced in El Paso \(Observer Feb. 26 and frequent allegations of brutality by the personnel at the Gatesville School for Boys. Graves’ resolution made no mention, pro or con, of the caliber of the state’s care for juveniles; it simply commended NBC for a ‘fine job of reporting. Rep. Bob Salter pull down the resolution. The vote was 88-33 with 13 abstaining. A recent Associated Press feature on Ben Barnes quotes a source close to Barnes as saying the public feels that “everybody in the Capitol is under indictment” for the SEC stock fraud case. “And he feels,” the AP said, “that the whole thing came about because of `stupidity’ on the part of Speaker Gus Mutscher and Gov. Preston Smith.’ Houston Post president Bill Hobby says he’s definitely running for lieutenant governor next year. Hobby’s father was lieutenant governor and stepped up to the state’s highest office when Gov. James Ferguson was impeached in 1917. Sen. Ralph Hall of Rockwall is also likely to run for lieutenant governor. A number of liberals are being discussed as possible candidates. Sen. Charles Wilson of Lufkin seems at this point to be labor’s first choice, but Wilson might decide to run for John Dowdy’s congressional seat. Moderate Sen. Joe Christie of El Paso is also mentioned as a possible contender; Chicano isolated Yet another First for the Great State of Texas. According to a study by the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, the Lone Star State leads the country in keeping chicano children isolated in segregated public schools. By almost every yardstick the report used, it found Texas chicanos more isolated than those of the four other states that have a significant proportion of chicanos New Mexico, Arizona, California and Colorado. The report says that Texas has fewer chicano teachers, principals and school board members than the group’s percentage of the general population and that, like the students, the .chicano teachers and administrators are concentrated in the barrios.