MORE SUMMITS? See Editorial Page 3k0 ilatli CHIPPER High-near 700 See Today for details Vol. LIX, No. 20 Ann Arbor, Michigan-Friday, September 29, 1978 Ten Cents Fourteen Pages Striking rail clerks. ordered back to jobs Mad dash Daily Photo by WAYNE CABLE Larry Silbart dashes toward the entrane of the Old Architecture and Design building as he attempts to make his course changes before the computer shuts down. Yesterday was the last day for regular CRISP drop/add registration. NO HARMFUL EFFECTS DETECTED IN MICH. SAMPLE: PBB found in 90%, of residents WASHINGTON (AP - President Carter stepped in yesterday to end a crippling nationwide rail strike by or- dering rail clerks back to their jobs for 60 days. But the head of the striking union refused to commit himself immediately to obeying the order., THE PRESIDENT said he was using his emergency powers to halt the three- day walkout because "we have almost a complete shutdown of rail service in our country." The 42-state strike has tied up ship- ments of autos, food, coal and other vital freight shipments, forced some worker layoffs due to parts shortages, and stranded thousands of daily rail commuters. "This will take the railroad workers back to the job," Carter said. "If there is opposition to this action then I would not-hesitate to go to federal court to en- force it." FRED KROLL, president of the striking clerks union, said in a statement following the president's an- nouncement that the union "will determine its course of future action on the basis of the nature of the gover- nment's guarantees of a variety of protection for all railroad workers on the Norfolk & Western." The nationwide strike began Tuesday when the union extended its 80-day strike against N&W to most other major carriers. A union spokesman, asked if Kroll was defying the president, would only acknowledge that there was nothing in Kroll's statement "sending people back tow rok." The spokesman, who asked not to be identified, said the union leader had not issued an order to end picketing. CARTER ACTED after a marathon, 26-hour bargaining session by union and railroad negotiators failed to achieve a settlement by yesterday mid-day deadline imposed by the government. Carter said at a nationally televised and broadcast news conference that he has issued orders that create an emergency board to recommend terms for a settlement. Carter ordered an end to the walkout under emergency powers provided by the National Railway Labor Act. LABOR SECRETARY Ray Marshall announced earlier that government in- tervention was expected, telling repor- ters that his efforts to have the parties negotiate an agrgement had failed. The Norfolk and Western Railway and the Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks "have been unable to reach an agreement during the past 26 hours," said Marshall. The secretary said that earlier in the day the federal agency that mediates railraod disputes had recommended that the president move to halt the strike under the labor act. MARSHALL HAD ordered the two sides to negotiate around the clock for 24 hours in hopes of reaching an Conferees agree on tuition tax crei agreement before a noon deadline. But, sources said, the secretary extended that deadline for another 90 minutes to make a final personal effort to mediate a settlement. As an alternative, Carter could have asked Congress for emergency legislation to end the crippling strike. Under the law, workers must stay on the job for a 60-day "cooling-off" period-30 days for the board to prepare its report and another 30 days for the government to try to get the two sides to settle. If there is no settlement at the end of the 60 days, the union would be free to resume its strike. When that has happened in the past, presidents have been required under the law to seek emergency congressional legislation to avert a strike. The last time the law was in- vgked was in 1975, when President Gerald Ford averted a threated strike by the railway clerks. By ELISA ISAACSON Your roommate may have it or your neighbor may have it. In fact, nine out of 10 Michigan residents do have the toxic chemical PBB in their bodies, although no harmful effects have been detected yet, a recently released state- funded test reveals. "Just about everyone in the state sin- ce 1973 has PBB in their system," said Fred Fry of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The researchers "just haven's analyzed enough test results" to determine whether the chemical is causing health problems among the general public, he added. IN THE STUDY, tested persons reported such ailments as headaches, nervousness, weight gain, joint pains and anemia, but according to John Cook of the State Department of Public Health, researchers said the results show "no unexpected frequency of ab- normal conditions." Skeptical resear- chers believe the inconclusiveness of the analysis, led by Irving Selikoff of New York's Mt. Sinai Hospital, remains S. Africa elects Botha new prime ministe r CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)- Pieter Willem Botha, whose tough record as defense minister earned him- the nickname "Pete the Weapon," became South Africa's new prime minister yesterday and vowed to im- prove relations between the gover- nment and the nation's black majority. The balding, 62-year-old successor to John Vorster emerged the winner of a three-way battle within the ruling, Afrikaner-dominated National Party in a closed door party caucus. The National Party has controlled the white minority government since 1948. BOTHA, THE most senior member of the Cabinet with 12 years as minister of defense, strode to the front steps of the Parliament building after his election and promised "law and order" for the country. But he said one of his goals will be "to apply a positive policy to im- prove the relations between the dif- ferent population communities, taking into account the inalienable right of self determination of all peoples." At a news conference after his speech, Botha announced he would retain his portfolio as defense minister. He said he intended to make no im- mediate changes in the Cabinet and would keep the defense job "as long as I believe it to be suitable and practical." During his vars as defense minister. because no control study of the general health of uncontaminated persons was used to compare the findings. "We need some basis for comparison, and that we don't have yet," he said. "I expect by the time they complete the analysis that they will try to compare it with similar tests in the United States. An "unexpectedly" high concen- tration of alkaline phosphates, a body, chemical measured in liver function tests, was discovered in the eon- taminated subjects, but Cook said "the meaning of this tabulation is not yet clear," as liver problems were not among the diseases detected in a study of farmers who were in direct contact with contaminated animals. THE ANIMALS were contaminated in 1973 when PBB - polybrominated biphenyl - a toxic fire retardant, was inadvertently combined with livestock feed. Since then, almost the entire populatibn of Michigan has been affec- ted through meat and dairy products sold in supermarkets. Symptoms attributed to PBIB poisoning, as revealed by a 1976 study conducted by Selikoff of 1,029 Michigan farmers, include skin rashes, joint aches and neurological problems such See PBB, Page 14 WASHINGTON (AP)-Senate and House conferees agreed yesterday on a bill that would allow a tax credit of up to $250 per student each year to help offset college tuition costs. The provision was approved only af- ter the House conferees reluctantly dropped their insistence that the credit also be made available to parents of pupils in private elementary and secondary schools. IF THE COLLEGE credit wins final approval of the House and Senate, it will go to President Carter, who on several occasions has emphasized he opposes the tax-credit approach to education. He views the plan as wasteful because the credit would go to rich and poor alike without regard to need. Local Dems lack leadership The compromise approved by the conference would start retroactive to Aug. 1, 1978, with a maximum credit of $100, and rise to $150 next year and to $250 in 1980. The credit would be for 35 per cent o expenditures for tuition, fees and cer- tain other costs of vocational and college education. HALF-TIME STUDENTS woul( become eligible for the credit starting in 1980. When fully effective, the credit woulc cost the government about $1 billion a year in lost tax revenues. The bill woulc end the credit Dec. 31. 1981. Sen. William Roth (R-Del.), chiel sponsor of the coll.ege credit, said aftei See CONFEREES, Page 14 -Friday " The Gay Academic Union plans a teach-in which will be partially funded by MSA. See story, Page 2. * Republican State Represen- tative Melvin Larsen, running against incumbent Richard Austin for Secretary of State, talks about the importance of the position. See story, Page 2. * Wolverine gridiron star Jerry Meter discusses the impor- tance of the team concept in foot- ball. See story, Page 11. For happenings, weather . anti local briefs, see TODAY, page 3. By JUDY RAKOWSKY A Daily News Analysis When the Republicans trounced the Democrats last April in the city-wide election-capturing seven out of 10 council seats and the mayor's post-the minority party predicted a frustrating year full of unanswered pleas and defeated legislation.j For the most part, that prophecy has been fulfilled. This is an off year for the Democrats due to their minority status on City Council and the questionable strength of their candidates up for the November elections. THELOCAL Democratic party's ef- fectivenss has been constrained by GOP domination on Council, the absen- ce of a strong legislative leader within its caucus, as well as a divergence in Candidates and seats shuffled, then redealt policy goals between parties. The Democrats direct more of their proposals toward the needs for housing and social services; the Republicans aim their legislation toward economic development, parking structures, and street repairs. A belated reshuffling of several Ann Arbor-based candidates for the November election has caused some confusion, and it's all due to one man: Ed Pierce. FROM THE OUTSET, Pierce plannd to challenge incumbent Carl Pursell for the Second Congressional District seat. Then, according to local party leader Victor Adamo, some supporters told Pierce they could not promise the sustained campaign efforts they had devoted to his last campaign, in which Pursell narrowly beat their candidate.. Next, Pierce-upon discovering State Senator Gilbert Bursley's impending retirement-decided late in the winter to run for that seat instead. Unfor- tunatly, Ypsilanti Mayor George Goodman was then already a candidte for the same seat. A remarkably frien- dly race ensued, which left Goodman in Ypsilanti and Pierce to contend with the Republican opposition after the primary. Another political casualty of Pierce's change of heart was Rep. Perry Bullard (D-53rd District), who had to give up a race for the state Senate. Bullard decided to bid for re-election instead of opposing Pierce in a primary for the state Senate. Bullard will chair the Judiciary Committee of the state House if he is sent back. THE MIX-AND-MATCH of can- didates and offices left the Democrats with no candidates to oppose Congressman Carl Pursell. Councilman Earl Greene (D-Second Ward) agreed to play the role of the sacrificial lamb for his party in that race. However, Greene's candidacy was hampered by a significant detail: the Board of Can- vassers ruled his name could not be on the ballot because of some illegible See CITY, Page 2 Minority services open their doors By JOHN SINKEVICS The romantic sounds of mariachi guitarists, dramatic poetry readings, and Native American music drew hun- dreds of curious and concerned studen- y ts and faculty members-including a hurried University President Robben Fleming-to yesterday's second annual Office of Minority Student Services' open house in the Pendleton Room of the Union. The open house featured a variety of dramatic and musical acts from Asian-American, Hispanic, Black, and Native American cultures, but although the atmosphere was cheerful and casual, many students attending the event expressed, serious misgivings over University administration at- titudes towards the enrollment and representation of minority students. $:< ."I THINK THIS is a good start." said Coalition for the Use of Learning Skills, the Michigan Student Assembly, the University Admissions Office, and other University groups. Pamphlets describing the various interests were distributed, and members were on hand to answer questions. "Our organization (MSS) is designed to reduce the red tape and bureaucratic hassles that the minority student often encounters," explained Richard Garland, the Black Representative on the MSS staff (who works with representatives for Asian-Americans, Native Ameicans, and Hispanic studen- ts). "THERE ARE times when a student needs a service from a person who has an understanding and a sensitivity to his background and his problems," said Garland, referring to the four represen- tatives.