The Michigan Daily-Friday, August 3, 1979-Page 3 Education Department: Boon or blunder? By PATRICIA HAGEN President Carter's proposed Department of Education has drawn much national comment and criticism. Michigan congressional members contacted reacted favorably to the plan while some University of- ficials offered reservations about the proposed 13th executive department. Reflecting common criticism of the plan, two University officials said the proposed U.S. agency could lead to more federal control of education and more administrative costs. A joint House-Senate conference committee began considering legislation this week authorizing the creation of the thirteenth executive department. While David Heebink, assistant to the University president, adn University Prof. Wilbur Cohen, who served as secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW), in 1968, say they are uncertain of the merits of another department, Rep. Carl Pursell (D-Ann Arbor), and Sen. Carl Levin (D- Mich.), are strongly in favor of establishing the cabinet-level unit. A separate department would "probably not im- mediately" effect the University in terms of programs, funding, or financial aid, according to Heebink. Heebink said Interim University President Allan Smith and most administrators are not in favor of transferring the Office of Education out of HEW. "We're pretty dubious about it, but we could live with it," Heebink said. "It could result in more centralization of government influence over education," Heebink added. He said educational institutions function best with as little federal control as possible. After the August congressional recess, members of the joint committee will attempt to strike a com- promise between different bills passed earlier this year by the Senate and the House. Neither supporters nor opponents predict easy passage of revised legislation because of controversial amendments tacked on the House version. If the measure is eventually passed by both houses, the new department would include all programs currently in the Office of Education in HEW, Plus some education programs now in other federal departments. Cohen said the proposed department "won't help the University of Michigan one iota." A separate department, the former HEW head ex- plained, will not be able to do any more than the current Office of Education even with a Cabinet secretary representing it. He called the legislation a "completely political move" by President Carter to win the votes of National Education Association mem- bers. "The whole argument about the separate depar- tment (being cheaper and more influential to the president) . . . is completely erroneous," Cohen said. The new department, he emphasized, "will cost more, See 'U', Page 14 Gas stations slowly adjusting p From the Associated Press Some service station operators apparently are dawdling in rolling back gasoline prices to bring their profit margins in line with the new federal ceiling, but others who are below the limit are quickly raising prices. And an Associated Press spot check of stations around the nation found few operators wanting to take advantage of another new federal rule allowing them to charge for wiping windows or checking under the hood. ANOTHER POTENTIAL extra charge, for credit card sales, was struck down yesterday by the Federal TradetCommissionn(FTC) in cooperation with the Energy Depar- tment, which issued the rules. The FTC said the credit card charge would violate the federal Truth in Lending Act. The new regulations went into effect Wednesday, but many dealers said they weren't aware of them. "If I didn't have friends in the business or pay attention to the newspapers, I wouldn't know anything," said Lee Hammon, an Exxon dealer in Raleigh, N.C. UNDER THE NEW profit margin rule, dealers can charge no more than 15.4 cents per gallon above the wholesale price of gasoline, before ump prices taxes are added. Previously, they were restricted to the same profit margin they had six years ago, plus a few costs for inflation. Dealers interviewed who were charging more than the legal limit in- See SERVICE, Page5 Area gas dealers hike prices By TIM YAGLE Several area gas station owners said yesterday the recent federally-imposed profit ceiling hasn't prompted them to raise prices, but rather the higher cost of wholesale gas has pushed retail prices above the dollar per gallon mark. The new profit ceiling allows gas station owners to raise prices a flat 15.4 cents per gallon above wholesale costs and state and federal taxes. Retail gas prices at the stations surveyed rose between three and seven cents per See AREA, Page5 Sheepish grin Daily Photo By JIM KRUZ The smile on this sheep' face seems to indicate it's enjoying the tender loving care rendered by it's owner, Kirk Van Natter, at the 4-H exhibition in Saline. today - Good intentions , "Grandma Marijuana" is the name, and selling pot the game. Lois Faulkner, a 68-year-old resident of Simi Valley, California, pleaded no contest Tuesday to charges of selling and possession of pot. Faulkner's attorney said he hoped the judge would not send Grandma Marijuana to jail because she's too frail to survive the trauma. Police explained that Faulkner had been giving and selling marijuana to children for years, although she had been warned of impending arrest. Faulkner claims marijuana tea alleviated her arthritis pain, and said she gave pot to the kids to relieve their depression, which she blamed on "noise pollution." Faulkner's brother, Joseph, 63, and Richard Lan- dreth, 23, also entered no contest pleas to the same charges. While some- elderly ladies hand out cookies, we bet the kids preferred visits to Grandma Marijuana's house. The better to see you with .., Jackson to speak at commencement Rev. Jesse Jackson, who jeft South Africa Wednesday after raising the ire of leaders of the racially segregated country with anti-apartheid remarks, will speak at the University's summer commencement Aug. 19. Jackson also will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from the University. Virginia Jones, dean of the School of Library Service at Atlanta University and recognized as a leader in the library science field, will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree. Graduation ceremonies for close to 2,000 University students will begin at 1:40-p.m. Aug. 19 at Hill Auditorium. Another pretty face Two interesting classified ads appeared in the Help Wanted column of the Daily yesterday. One of the city 's Fourth Avenue district landmarks placed two items searching for models. One ad offered up to $8 an 'our if the applicant telephoned, and the other offered $12 an hour if the applicant showed up in person. Inquiries to the business revealed that the higher paying job involved video cassettes. Early last month the name ar the establishment apparen- tly was left out of an ad, and several irate professional models complained to the Daily's ad- vertising staff. It seems clarity means everything in classifieds. Happenings... ... the International Center is having a picnic at Silver Lake at 3 p.m. Meet in the International Center Lounge at 2:50 p.m. with a dish for a potluck supper... Intrada, a chamber quartet, will perform in Liberty Plaza at 7 p.m.... Summer Repertory Theatre presents "Wedding Band" at 8 p.m. in the Power Center ... Martha Burns will be at the Ark at 9 p.m.... "The Son of Getron" will be presented at St. Thomas Church, at State St. and Kingsley St., at 9p.m. as part of the Ann Arbor Medival Festival .. . FILMS: Ann Arbor Public Library-Funny Face, 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m., library Meeting Room . . . U.S.-China People's Friendship Association-The Red Detachment of Women, 8 p.m., Kuenzel Room, Michigan Union . . . Ann Arbor Film Co- op-Richard Pryor, Filmed Live in Concert, 7 p.m., 8:40 p.m., 10:20 p.m., Aud. 3, MLB. . .Cinema II- A Man for All Seasons, 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m., Aud. A, Angell Hall... Cinema Guild-The Sound of Music, 7:30 p.m., Old A and A Aud. On the outside The sun will shine today, pushing the ol' tem- perature up to around 85°. The low will hover around 60*.