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daily neb r ask an
monday, february 5, 1979
Drinking age doesn't belong in constitution-Thone
By Randy Essex
Gov. Charles Thone said Friday he does
not think a drinking age belongs in the
state constitution and he will not advocate
a change in the present age.
Thone made the remarks at his weekly
press conference.
However, Thone said he will sign a bill
increasing the drinking age if the Legisla-ture-"in
its wisdom "-passes such a bill.
He said he will not advocate any change be
cause the lawmakers have already spoken
on the matter, killing drinking age increases
the last two years.
Grand Island Sen. Ralph Kelley has intro
duced two bills to raise the age from 19 to
21. LB221 would change the age by law,
and LB3S0 would provide a constitutional
amendment that would have to be
approved by voters.
A drinking age does not belong in the
constitution because it would "clutter
the constitution with a special situation,"
he said .
He opposed a constitutional amendment
to limit spending of political subdivisions
for the same reason, he said.
On other subjects, Thone said his of
fice is working hard to find department
heads for welfare, correction and public
institution divisions of state government.
Thone also said his budget, announced
Thursday, reflects his plan to have "qual
ity administration through quality em
ployees." His plan to provide 6.5 percent pay in
creases to state employees and cut the
number of employees is a beginning of the
plan, he said.
There are too many state bureaucrats,
he said, and some employees are less than
high quality. He added that the state does
have some good workers, and he plans to
reward them by stressing merit raises.
Thone said he was pleased by reaction
to his budget from individual senators and
the Legislature as a whole.
Property tax bills will receive high prior
ity if and when they reach his desk, he
said. Existing laws are sufficient to equalize
property assessments and tax bases state
wide and he will not hesitate to make sure
the law is followed, he said.
As chairman of the State Board of
Equalization, Thone has the power to help
decide when counties have been negligent
in updating and equalizing property values.
Under law, such counties may be penalized
by withholding state funds.
Neligh Sen. John DeCamp has filed
suit, charging that the State Board has not
carried out its duties. Thone said he hopes
the state Supreme Court decides what
action is needed in ruling on the suit.
Ag research fails to help small farmers, suit says
By Carla Engstrom
A lawsuit which challenges the Univer
sity of California's agricultural research by
claiming it favors corporate farming over
small farmers may affect NU's agricultural
research, according to Ralph Abascal, a
member of California Rural Legal
Assistance.
The suit was filed in Oakland, Calif, by
California Rural Legal Assistance on be
half of 19 farm workers who say mechan
ized agriculture is pushing them out of
work.
Abascal said mechanization has been
the product of land grant colleges like
NU.
He said he did not believe small
farmers', laborers' or consumers' interests
are being served by complicated research.
Change research
The goal of the Center for Rural Affairs
of Wal thill, which sponsored the press con
ference, is to "reorientate Nebraska's re
search," Abascal said.
Nebraska has iost 1,000 farmers every
year since 1935 and mechanization is push
ing them out of business, said Gene
Severens, legal counsel for the center's
small farm advocacy project.
"We don't have any lawsuits planned
now (against NU)," said Marty Strange,
say it in
all in natural white pine
your name or emblem
75C a lettter
stacked names
?LOO a letter
MP
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900 s 13th lincoln 432-7940
IMMIGRATION
LAWYER
Stanley A. Krieger
1004
City Nat'l Bank Bldg.
Omaha, Ne
68102
(402)342-8015
Member, Assn. of
Immigration and
Nationality Lawyers
co-director of the center. He added that a
law suit would be a last resort.
"Agriculture research comes cheap to
those who know how to buy it," said
Abascal.
Abascal said a business sometimes can
get $100,000 worth of agricultural research
by putting up $5,000, and the business
dictates guidelines for the research.
Public interest
Howard Ottoson, dean and director of
the Agricultural Experiment station, said
buying $100,000 worth of research for
$5,000 is "poppycock."
A condition for using any grant fund is
not to compromise the guidelines and goals
set out by the staff, Ottoson said.
However, he added, "You respect the.
source that gives you money," and he said
that source usually is state or federal aid.
Strange said Nebraska developments
such as the center-pivot irrigation system
have led to more mechanization of
farming. He said the irrigation system has
increased energy use and costs while
increasing corn production.
Hog factories
Ottoson said Nebraska did not develop
the irrigation system and he said he doesn't
see center pivot irrigation "as a creature
of large farming."
The system is used by family sized
farms, Ottoson said.
Hog factories, where hogs are raised in
confined spaces are another instance where
families are being pushed out of business
by research. Strange said.
"It's true a number of large scale hog
enterprises use confined hogs, but you can
produce a small number of hogs in
confined areas," Ottoson said.
He said one could probably find
research that favors large farms, but he
added research is geared to meet all farm
needs in Nebraska.
Ottoson also said NU does weigh the
consequences of productivity against
things such as environmental impact.
"But 1 think society has agreed that
productivity is an important goal," he said.
The United States could not be a major
exporter of food if it weren't for produc
tivity, Ottoson explained.
If the United States uses agriculture
technology of the early 1950s, it would
take twice as much labor as it does today,
he said.
Good or bad
"You decide if that's good or bad,"
Ottoson said.
Ottoson also said the station has input
from 20 to 30 groups, such as the Sandhills
Cattlemen Association and the poultry
association.
"We welcome suggestions and have
several advisory committees made up of
lay people in Scottsbluff, North Platte
and Concord," Ottoson said.
Vice Chancellor of the Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources Mar
tin Massengale also has a citizen advisory
council of about 130 people from all
over the state, Ottoson said.
7 nebraskan
mi
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Publications number 144080
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The Daily Nebraskan is published by the UNL
Publications Board on Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday during fall and spring
semesters, except during vacation.
Address: Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union
34, 14th and R streets, Lincoln, Neb. 68588.
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February Is
BLACK HISTORY
MONTH
Check on these programs
Tues., Feb. 6 - Everything You Wanted To Know
About Blacks, But Were Afraid To Ask!
1 1 :30-1 30, Nebraska Union Main Lounge
Wed., Feb. 7 - Pan Africanism in Perspective,
12:00-1 : 30 (Room to be posted)
Thurs., Feb. 8 - Black Women In Nebraska History,
Nebraska Union Room 232 or 242,
3:00 p.m.. Bertha Calloway- Great
Plains Black Museum
Fri., Feb. 9 - "Black Men In Pt rspective": - Union
Main Lounge-1 1 :30-1 :00 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 10 Movie "Blue Collar" Starring Richard
Pryor and "Five on the Black Hand
Side, " Nebraska Ballroom, showing
at 6 and 9:30 p.m.
Events to continue throurxut tht month
Sponsored by University Program Council-Cultural Center,
Special Services, Muti-Cutural Affairs,
Malone Center, Nebraska Committee for the Humanities, Student Y
