The Michigan Daily-Saturday, May 26, 1979-Page 15
Carter asks for help from Democrats
WASHINGTON (AP) - President
Carter conceded yesterday that the
public sees its political leadership as
suffering from "paralysis, stagnation
and drift" and asked Democrats to
close ranks behind him in dealing with
the nation's problems.
In an appearance before the
Democratic National Committee's
spring meeting, Carter said the country
faces severe problems and that the
public obviously has doubts about
whether elected officials are equal to
the challenge.
THE PRESIDENT also said he looks
forward to the 1980 elections, despite
the problems he faces.
Carter told the Democrats he was not
announcing his plans to seek re-
election, "but I have never backed
down from a fight."
The president said if he does run, he
will take his effort to every precinct in
the nation "and I have no doubt it would
be successful."
IN A BLUNT address to the party
leaders, Carter warned the Democrats
that the public sees the government,
which the Democrats dominate, as
stricken with "paralysis, stagnation
and drift."
"The American people do not like it,
and neither do I," he said.
"You are leaders of our party. I need
your help and support. If those of us in
positions of responsibility are unwilling
to take the heat, to make unpopular
decisions, to stand up and fight for
them, to offer answeres to complex
questions, then we will have failed in
our hour of history.
"WE HAVE NEVER failed our coun-
try, as Democrats, and I don't believe
we will fail it now," he said.
Carter's comments came at the close
of a turbulent week of intra-party
squabbling, including the beginnings of
a movement to dump him from the
Democrats' 1980 ticket.
Earlier in the week, the House
Democratic Caucus rejected Carter
energy policies in harsh language. And
five House Democrats announced plans
to seek an alternative to Carter for the
next presidential nomination.
Democrats in Cleveland also were
putting together a movement to draft
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), for
the party's presidential nomination.
Adequate gas predicted for weekend motorists
From AP and UPI
Michigan motorists should have few
problems getting gasoline for the
Memorial Day holiday weekend, but
they might find themselves waiting
behind a State Police patrol car at the
pump in some areas of the state.
Troopers at the Rockford post in
western Michigan said yesterday they
had only 100 gallons of gasoline
available for the 30 cruisers that will be
patrolling the highways over the long
weekend.
OTHER POSTS around the, state,
especially those in the Detroit area,
said they were either low on gasoline or
out altogether for patrol cars. And that
means they'll have to go to retail
stations along with the rest of the
motoring public for a fill-up.
The Automobile Club of Michigan
said yesterday its spot check of 243
stations along the state's main travel
routes found all planning to be open
during the daylight hours today, 71 per
cent tomorrow and 86 per cent on
Memorial Day.
In the Detroit area, the Auto Club
said all 98 of the stations it surveyed
plan to be open during the daytime
today but only 38 per cent tomorrow
and 47 per cent Monday.
HOWEVER, ONLY four of the 19
Shell stations in the Grand Rapids area
said they expected to have enough fuel
to last through the weekend. Three said
they expected to run out by last night,
10 were planning to close today,
tomorrow and Monday.
PUBLIC CONFERENCE SCHEDULED:
Experts plan for June Gasohol Day
LANSING (UPI) - A statewide,
public conference is planned for June 20
to win support for the use of gasohol as
an immediate solution to dwindling
gasoline supplies.
Sen. Richard Allen (R-Ithaca), a key
supporter of the gasoline-ethyl alcohol
blend, told a news conference yester-
day a number of gasohol experts and
advocates will attend the Gasohol Day
conference to present evidence in favor
of its use by the average motorist.
"UP UNTIL now, no coordinated ef-
fort has been put forth to convince the
legislature that gasohol development
and production is feasible and
necessary," Allen said.
"Hopefully, as a result of Gasohol
Day, we'll be able to gather support to
show that the public is willing to use
gasohol and wants to have this alter-
native," he said.
Gasohol is a blend of 90 per cent
gasoline and 10 per cent ethyl alcohol
distilled from crops or crop residues.
PROMOTERS SAY it has no adverse
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Plutonium-carrying truck
crashes in N. Michigan
CADILLAC (UPI) - A truck or 1,436 grams, of plutonium-238, which
rrying about three pounds of radioac- has an 86.4-year half-life, said Donald
ve plutonium crashed into a car on a Van Farowe, chief of the state health
)rthern Michigan highway, killing department's radiological health
ree persons, but authorities said division in Lansing.
sterday there was no danger of a The truck also was carrying
diation leak. beryllium, but Van Farowe said that
Police said the car carrying the three material is dangerous only under cer-
tims pulled into the path of the truck tain circumstances.
hursday night just west of this resort VAN FAROWE noted that the truck,
immunity. a 23-ton vehicle, is designed to
THE TRUCK, owned by the Birdwell withstand strong shocks.
ivision of Seismographic Services "The truck is a very large truck,"
orp. of Tulsa, Okla., was traveling Van Farowe said. "It was hardly even
om Manistee in western Michigan to damaged. The material is so heavily
ount Pleasant, 106 miles east. shielded - protected in lead and steel
Killed in the crash were the driver of - even if it melts the shield melts stays
e car, Harvey Kaufman, 69, of aroundsthe source.
oshen, Ind.; his wife, Lillie, 49; and "This is one of those things where it is
s brother, Fred, 56, of Sarasota, Fla. such a low risk it's almost ridiculous to
ruck driver Richard Crane, 25, of consider it a hazardous material when
ount Pleasant, suffered minor in- it's in transport," he said.
ries.
State police said they contacted
ealth officials shortly after~ the ac- Henry IV of France issued the Edict
dent, of Nantes promising civil rights to
THE TRUCK was carrying oil well French Protestants in 1598. By the
gging equipment which enables edict, Henry ended the Wars of Religion
illing companies to determine what and granted the Huguenots freedom of
nd of rock they are drilling through private and public worship, subsidies
ad whether that rock contains any oil. for their schools and the right to fortify
The equipment contains four curies, their towns.
effect on auto performance. In some
cases, performance is improved, they
say.
However, it is between five and seven
cents per gallon more expensive than
straight gasoline.
Among those who are trying to
promote gasohol use are Howard Liet-
zke, an officer of a new corporation in-
vestigating the feasibility of building a
plant to distill ethyl alcohol and make
edible proteins and oils from corn.
LIETZKE SAID such a plant could
produce 20 million gallons of alcohol a
year, and more could be made
available if there was a demand.
"We need a more total commitment
from the public than what we have
now," Lietzke said.
Gasohol currently is being sold at
several mid-Michigan gas stations,
some of them operated by a Michigan
Farm Bureau affiliate.
FARM BUREAU spokesman Bob
Smith said the firm has found a steady
market for the product.
"Consumers buying gasohol in the
stations that we know about are coming
back," he said. The reason most
customers cite for buying gasohol, he
said, is a desire to stretch the nation's
fuel and reduce the dependence on
foreign imports.
Several bills have been introduced in
the legislature to foster gasohol use, in-
cluding one that would require a com-
plete switch to gasohol by 1984.
Three stations along main tourist
routes were limiting purchases to $5 $7
and $10 but none in the Detroit area, the
Auto Club said.
The first dollar-a-gallon gas price in
Michigan - aside from isolated areas
- surfaced as the holiday weekend got
under way. Kildea's Kar Kare, an East
Lansing Sunoco outlet, was charging
$1.02 for a gallon of high-octane,
unleaded gasoline.
"THE PEOPLE who buy this kind of
gas expect to pay for it," said owner
Joseph Kildea.
One customer who paid $18 for a fill-
up at Kildea's station said "Sure as hell
beats walking."
An Associated Press survey found
that many stations across the country
were running low on fuel as the end of
the May allocation period nears. In ad-
dition, many station operators said they
planned to close for part of the weekend
off.
A SURVEY of 5,973 stations by the
American Automobile Association
found that 59 per cent plan to be open
today, 46 per cent tomorrow and 61 per
cent on Monday.
In California, where gasoline supplies
have been the tightest, merchants at
most popular parks and resorts said
they were optimistic that the shortage
had passed its worst stages.
The demand for gasoline by holiday
travelers led to a new idea in merchan-
dising in Richmond, Va., where Capitol
Floors and Decorating Inc. advertised
that, through Memorial Day, it would
give awaysa gallon of gasoline for every
square yard of floor covering pur-
chased.
Billiard Room
Open 1 pm
Memorial Day
at the UNION
Reduced Rates
all day.
ALL YOU CAN EATI
ITALIAN BUFFET $4e25
includes unlimited trips to
the soup and salad bar.
Every Sunday at 1M
Daily Specials Sun-Thurs
114 E. Washington
DOWNTOWN
665-3231