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'.