The Michigan Daily-Thursday, May 3, 1979-Page 3
South Afriea
govt. to
okay bla k
labor unions
From Reuter and AP
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - South
Africa said yesterday it will support
legislation to end racial segregation in
the nation's industrial work force,
which would be the first official step
toward dismantling this white-ruled
nation's apartheid system.
Labor Minister Fanie Botha said that
legislation giving full union rights to
South African blacks should be in-
troduted in Parliament within two
weeks.
He said the government accepts "in
principle" the possibility of implemen-
ting other recommendations, including
establishment of apprenticeships for
blacks and creation of integrated work
facilities.
THE MOVE follows the publication
Tuesday of the first part of the long-
awaited Wiehahn Commission report
on labor legislation in South Africa.
The 60-page Wiehahn Commission
report is the first of several scheduled
to be released this year and deals only
with urban blacks in industrial jobs.
Later reports by the commission will
address farming, migrant workers and
miners, officials said. The panel is
headed by Nic Wiehahn, a white South
African professor and labor expert.
"The government will be guided by
the majority opinion," Botha said. "I
have full confidence that the labor
unions will support the government in
accepting these principles."
BOTHA SAID the practice of closed
shops - where union membership is
obligatory - would remain, "but there
will be an embargo on the extension of
See SOUTH, Page 13
Palisades nuclear
plant closed two
weeks for repairs
SEAN McGUIRE and his dog, Sweden, reach Key West, Florida after their
7,000 mile trek across North America. Beginning his 'hike' at Alaska's Yukon
River, McGuire walked the 307 days to call attention to the Alaska land legisla-
tion now before Congress.
Cross-continpt hike
or Alaskan ilderness
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. (AP) -
Consumers Power Co. officials said
yesterday it will be at least two weeks
before Palisades nuclear power plant
can resume operations.
The plant had been shut down for
repairs when a Bechtel Power Corp.
study indicated a possible problem with
its ability to withstand an earthquake..
Consumers Power officials say it will
not resume operations until it can
withstand an earthquake four times
more severe than any ever felt in
Michigan.
MIKE KOSCIIIK, a spokesman at the
firm's Jackson headquarters, said that
criterion was based on an 1899 ear-
thquake recorded at St. Joseph, Mich.
Since then, only two earthquakes have
originated in Michigan.
The current problem is the pipes that
link accumulators storing water to
cover the radioactive core if normal
coolant in the reactor is lost in an
emergency.
The problem was discovered Tuesday
when Bechtel, which did the design
engineering for Palisades, reported a
study of computer models questioned
the ability of the pipe supports to
withstand an earthquake.
BOB WISCHMEYER, another Con-
sumers spokesman at Jackson, said,
"We didn't have as great a safety
margin as we thought" for the
pipelines. "We can't mess around with
it."
A similar design problem prompted
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Com-
mission (NRC) to temporarily close
five other nuclear plants in the eastern
United States.
Palisades' problem probably can be
corrected by installing a shock-
absorbing pipe support, company of-
ficials said.
CONSUMER'S OTHER Michigan
shoreline nuclear plant near
Charlevoix, Big Rock, is closed because
of a leak of radioactive coolant water on
the floor of the nuclear vessel.
The computer code analysis at the
Palisades facility was performed
because Consumers plans to replace
two defective steam generators used to
turn the turbines that produce the elec-
tricity.
An NRC hearing on that plan was
scheduled for next week in St. Joseph.
Environmentalists are expected to tell
the NRC at that meeting that Palisades
should not be allowed to reopen.
By VICKI HENDERSON
Sean McGuire wore out eight pairs
of running shoes when he walked 7,000
miles across North America. McGuire
and his dog Sweden averaged 30 miles A
day in their 307 day journey from
Alaska's Yukon River to Key West,
Florida in support of the Alaska Land
legislation now before Congress.
The Lands bill was first introduced to
the U.S. House of Representatives by
Rep. Morris Udall (D-Ariz.) and passed
by a 9 to 1 margin. It proposed to create
about 100 million acres of new national
parks, wildlife refuges, and wild and
scenic rivers. Forty per cent of the state
(a total of 149 million acres) wouli remain,
See CROSS-CONTINENT, Page 13
today -
IDs and the I-M buildings
People in possession of University ID cards which
are validated for Winter term, but not forspring,
still can use them to get into the various intramural
buildings on campus until May 12, an employee of
the Central Campus Recreation Building said
yesterday. Past that date, however, students not
registered for spring term must purehase a Con-
tinuing Students' Pass for ten bucks. The pass en-
titles you to use the buildings as if you were
registered for spring classes. The pass is good at all
campus rec buildings.
Higher education and the Beatles
Princeton University has moved into the era of
rock and roll, according to Reuter news service.
The Ivy League school is offering, for the first time,
a non-credit undergraduate course called
"Listening to the Beatles." Instructor Michael
Schiano, 22, says that "studying the Beatles is very
much an intellectual or academic pursuit." Seventy
students have enrolled inthe course. Schiano main-
tains that studying the Beatles is as valid as
analysing Brahms. "If that much music can be
liked by that many people, there is something in
there of quality. My ears tell me the music is very
good," Schiano says. Schiano's students will be
examining the meaning behind such songs as "I
Want to Hold Your Hand," "Help," and "Eight
Days a Week." Sounds likea "Revolution" in "Long
and Winding Road" of higher education.
Cold turkey down under
Cigarette smokers in Mayborough, Queensland.
Australia, a town of 21,523, began a 41-hour
moritorium on tobacco yesterday, urged on by a
radio disc j-ckey. Neighbors are watching their
smoking friends, ready to chastise them if they dare
light up. "Plenty of people like myself have been
looking for an excuse to give up smoking," said
Mayborough's mayor. Jock Anderson, who gave up
tobacco 24 days ago. "This campaign has given us
the final nudge. I gave up smoking before the cam-
paign toset an example. Sure, there are some young
people still smoking, showing off for the cameras.
But the bulk of the city's thousands of smokers have
butted out for the period." Television crews from
Japan and London and journalists from all over
Australia have converged on Mayborough to wit-
ness the cold turkey days. "It's the best publicity
gimmick we have even had," said Anderson.
Happenings,. ..
... are non-existent today. Take the day off.
On the outside
Because yesterday was the first day of classes,
the Daily's weather forecasters remained inside
Angell Halt instead of looking over their maps. In-
stead, we contacted a surce high in the ad-
ministration late yesterday afternoon, and he told
us that it will rain today, probably thundershowers.
And he said the high temperature will be near the
mid-60s. And he said the winds will be 10-20 mile:
per hour, out of the south east. And he added that the
low will be around 50'.