Page 6-Thursday, August 2, 1979-The Michigan Daily
GM chief: crunch on auto makers to last
DETROIT (UPI)-Unlike the 1973-74 gasoline
crunch, this year's fuel shortages and surging prices
likely will have a lasting impact on the auto industry,
General Motors Corp. (GM) President Elliott 'Pete"
Estes said yesterday.
In a way, he said, that's good.
IT MEANS THE industry can cater to consumer
demand for fuel-efficient cars rather than to gover-
nment dictate, Estes said.
The assessment appeared to conflict with those of
several other industry officials, who have predicted
motorists will return to buying larger cars when
gasoline availability worries have eased.
"Our U.S. customers, concerned about the
availability and price of gasoline, are buying with fuel
efficiency paramount in their thinking," Estes said in a
speech at a University of Michigan management
seminar at Traverse City. "It seems clear that this will
continue to be the case in the future. -
"THERE IS EVERY reason to believe that the im-
pact of the fuel shortages and higher prices that
arrived in 1979 will be longer lasting than they were in
1973-74.
"A cat which sits on a hot stove and gets burned
might forget and do it again. But twice burned is a hard
lesson learned," Estes said.
Estes predicted two other forces will shape the in-
dustry in the future: competition to capture expanding
world markets, and the drive toward new technology
as represented in the electric ar and the versatile tur-
bine engine.
IN IGNORING gas-guzzlers and turning since March,
to smaller, fuel-efficient cars, consumers "seem to be
reasserting themselves as our No. 1 taskmaster," he
said.
"The advantage of working to meet the customer's
demands rather than the government's is obvious: the
risk that the industry will invest billions to produce
cars that the public doesn't want to buy is greatly
reduced."
Estes refused to concede that the government was
correct in imposing fuel economy standards on the in-
dustry or that additional regulations are
needed-requiring costly "gold-plated technology"-to
further improve gas mileage.
"JUST LOOK AT the distortions-the mess-that we
have because of the regulation of energy-prices and
allocation-in this country," he said.
WEDNESDAY IS "GUESAT NIGHT I
"BARGAIN DAY" TWO ADULTS
$1.50 UNTIL 5:30 II ADMITTED FOR THE
- 1
Political leaders urge
gov't to help Chrysler
DETROIT (UPI) - Political leaders "Before Congress considers a billion
'responded yesterday to the financial dollar tax subsidy or loan guarantee for
plight of Chrysler Corp. with ex- Chrysler like that once extended to
pressions of concern and appeals for Lockheed, members need to be convin-
action on the automaker's request for ced that Chrysler is doing everything
government help. possible to help itself," Rep. Henry
Chrysler announced Tuesday it lost Reuss (D-Wis.), said.
$207.1 million in the second quarter of "Congress would also want to be con-
this year, its largest quarterly loss and vinced that Chrysler has definitive and
more red ink than is recorded in all of realistic plans for getting back on solid
last year. ground," Reuss said.
TOP CHRYSLER executives said "THE FACT that the economy may
they are counting on $1 billion in federal be heading into a recession deepens the
tax relief and a two-year waiver of auto worry about possible failure of such a
exhaust emission standards to return to giant corporation, even if its difficulties
profitability. are substantially of its own making.
U.S. Sen. Donald Riegle, (D-Mich.), Immediately after Chrysler reported
said he met with Treasury Secretary- its loss, the treasury department said it
designate G. William Miller in is studying the company's financial
Washington and discussed Chrysler's position and will forward its findings to
situation in a "frank exchange of government policymakers.
views." Gov. William Milliken said the state
"I am convinced that Miller under- is prepared to help the No. 3 automaker
stands the urgency of the situation and - but that the real solution lies with the
the importance to the nation of keeping federal government.
Chrysler in operation," Riegle said. "We continue to maintain a very
"THE CARTER administration is special interest and concern to be help-
giving the problem a top priority and I ful rather than to hinder Chrysler's ef-
think is close to developing a policy forts in working its way into a strong
position on how best to strengthen position in the market," Milliken said.
Chrysler."
'U' profs offer advice for
aidin Black English users
(Continued from Page 3icurrence among Black English
r
The FIRST Certified
Crazy Person's Comedy
PETER ALAN
FALK ARKIN
(UPPER LEVEL)
TODAY o 1:15-3' 40-7:20-9:50
FRIDAY and SATURDAY
ENDS TONIGHT
Last 2 Shows 7:15-9:45
Last 2 Shows 7:00-9:35
"'ALLEN' Isacorkar, a walloper, a rouser,
..sce.cher anda town offn." Ge." Shl*t
12:20-2:40-500-7:25-9:55
ARE YOU READY FOR
A GOOD TIME?
BILL MURRAY,
not hear certain sounds in "white
English" just as English-speakers
learning a foreign tongue often do not
hear sounds which are different from
the ones they normally speak. Smith
added, however, that it is possible to
"train children to make the distin-
ctions."
ACCORDING TO Smith, three areas
of Black English have been studied at
the University. In 1975, Assistant
Classical Studies and Latin Prof. Glenn
Knudsvig completed his dissertation
which contained "instructional
material for children in which they're
trained to hear and speak Black
English and school English, find
equivalents between the two languages,
and develop the ability to move back
and forth between them."
Smith said that by working with
Black English-speaking children for 30
minutes a day for six weeks, Knudsvig
increased the youngsters level of school
English from approximately 29 per cent
to approximately 95 per cent.
Earlier this year, Corrine Erikson
Strand nuhlished he'r dissertationnon-
speakers, Smith said. Strand now
teaches this method to a pre-school
language class in Muskegon.
THE FINAL AREA of study is in the
"Rules of Negation." This area, studied
by doctoral candidate Hollis Ar-
mstrong, focuses on the use of
negatives by Black English speakers.
Armstrong explained that he is trying
to combine these three methods to
begin teaching Black English speakers
in the first grade.
He said eh hopes his program will be
ready for implementation by Septem-
ber, but implementation could take
another year. Armstrong added he
would like to work in Ann Arbor, but
would work elsewhere if necessary.
Burling also said he believes society's
attitudes toward Black English
speaking should be changed. "People
sneer at you if you don't have good table
manners, and people sneer at you" if
you use Black English, he said.
"Schools have been trying this (to
change Black English speakers) for a
couple of hundred years and have
failed," Burling said. "That's a
challenge that's defeating. (The Child)
has failed before he's begun."