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THE RED AND
Georgia's only collegiate daily newspaper
NOVEMBER 30. 1977
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA. ATHENS. GEORGIA 300*7
BLACK
*377
Inside
New frat film
released. For
more, see p.7.
LJC.7ARIE.-;
VOLUME K4. NUMBER 47
Confirmation of justices
aided by minimal evidence
By MATT PRICHARD
Campus editor
Three justices were verified as being confirmed by the
inter-branch ad hoc investigating committee since there was no
evidence that they had not been confirmed, according to Greg
Jocoy, Student Government Association (SGA) minister to
consumer affairs.
"It was sort of an ‘innocent until proven guilty’ thing. They
stand confirmed,” he said.
The decision to confirm the justices was made “Based on the
evidence presented to this committee and the complete lack of
evidence to the contrary,” according to the final report of the
committee.
The justices had actually been confirmed by the Student
Senate last March, even though they were not present at the
meeting at which they believed they were confirmed, according
to the committee report
The evidence presented to the committee involved the
testimony of the three justices, of Chuck Graham, chief justice
of the Student Judiciary and of Roger Hunt, a member of the
Judicial Council.
“The other persons who were requested to testify either
declined or could not be located,” the report stated.
"I had no intention to testify," Mark Segura, former Senate
Judicial Committee Chairman, said.
Segura was "in charge of seeing to it that it was done (that
the justices were confirmed),” according to Jocoy
"I felt from the beginning that there was no need for an ad
hoc committee I resigned from the senate and I want nothing
to do with it," Segura said.
"I think he was being self-defeating (by questioning the
confirmations) But, I’m glad he did It cleared it up," Jocoy
said. "Segura had told us (the committee) that he had said
everything he wanted to say, but it seems he had a lot more to
say,” Jocoy said in reference to Segura's comments in the Nov.
29 issue of The Red and Black.
“The whole thing was carried out as revenge against me It
was used as a political football." Segura said
"I think Mark was unhappy and dissatisfied with the way
things have gone, but I don't believe there was a conspiracy to
get rid of Mark,” Jocoy said
A request has been made that justices that come up for
reappointment before a senate meeting tonight be present for
questioning, according to Jocoy The request was made as a
result of the problems with the confirmations of the other
justices, he added.
Appointments are made by the executive branch in
communication with the legislative branch, according to Jocoy
“It’s not just a "yes-man” situation, altough they’re generally
confirmed,” he added.
Photo by DAVID CROSBY
Get it while you can
If you want to avoid the crowds and pressure of last minute
Christmas shopping, now's your chance The special events
division of University Union is sponsoring a gift bazaare
which will continue through 3 p m Thursday A nice selection
of gifts are available in Memorial so if you have a few free
minutes it may be worthwhile to check it out. For more, see p.
Council divided
on porno statute
By ED GRISAMORE
Feature editor
Athens councilmen are apparently divided on the issue of an anti-obscenity
ordinance for the city and on whether the matter should be decided by public
referendum.
The council’s finance committee is presently studying several different
anti-obscenity laws and there is a possibility an ordinance will be proposed by the
committee at the next monthly council meeting in December
Among the ordinances that are being studied by the committee are the Philadelphia
ordinance (which was passed almost verbatim by the county commission earlier this
month) and the Augusta ordinance which, in effect, is a strict zoning law that would
limit the placement of obscenity-related establishment.
THE COUNTY commission, which passed its obscenity law without a public
referendum, has received substantial feedback from many parts of the community,
particularly the University.
Councilman Calvin Bridges, who believes the council will pass whichever ordinance
the committee proposes, said he is against a referendum on the issue.
"I think we are fairly well representative of community beliefs," Bridges said. "Too
often we tend to hide behind a referendum when we don't want to face the facts.”
Finance committee chairman Lewis Shropshire Jr. is also against a referendum.
"1 WOULD consider it unnecessary to have a public vote,” Shropshire maintained
“Our choices on the wording of a particular ordinance now are tied up with legalities
rather than technicalities ”
Councilmen George Hester and Jerry Nicholson, however, are firmly committed to
a referendum before passing obscenity law.
‘Tve had a lot of unique and interesting questions regarding the possibility of such
an ordinance," Hester said. “Most of the good points were raised by the University
community and have led me to believe that the people should have a voice in such a
matter ”
Nicholson echoed similar sentiments and said it would be unjustified to disallow any
vote on the issue.
"I firmly believe we need a total head count of the people concerned and interested
enough to vote before we pass any kind of law.” Nicholson said.
SEVERAL COUNCILMEN also appear divided on the question of their elected
“right" to impose moral standards on the community.
“We definitely need an ordinance of some type in the city and I want to be sure we
get the right one," Bridges said. "It's a two-step process First we should probably
zone establishments that sell obscene materials and then come back with retroactive
elimination.
“I think the county jumped ahead of itself when it began outlawing them from the
outset.”
Bridges said students, who have been extremely vocal in opposition to such a law,
would probably have a different view on the issue if it was their “permanent
community."
"They don’t mind seeing a place like this—where they are away from their
families—become more permissive than their home town."
Nicholson contended the law, if passed, also would be difficult to enforce
The councilmen said that the proposed ordinance would probably come up at the
December meeting, a time at which a majority of students would be away for the
holidays.
Photo by DAVID CROSBY
Bah humbug
They say misery loves company and while the owner of this car will no doubt be less
than pleased with the parking ticket about to be received, the meter maid doing the
honors doesn’t look too happy either Her demeaner is no doubt the result of both the
cold temperatures and steady drizzle which invaded Athens this week
Illustration by DEBBIE OSTEEN
Rubbish scavenger under eye of law
City ordinances
can be peculiar
By MIKE ROBERTS
Assistant city editor
The Clarke County government moved earlier this month to enact stricter
obscenity laws and the Athens City Council may do the same thing If this new
legislation passes, another paragraph will be added to older paragraphs regulating
decency or the lack of it in Athens
In a weighty, one and a half inch thick, red-jacketed volume that contains the
city codes and ordinances enacted since 1918. statutes regulating many items,
including clothing, may be found
One of those statutes deals with the apparel of employes of establishments which
sell alcohol
Passed in 1968. the statute says such employes "shall be clothed in clean and
proper attire and shall not be indecently clad "
The protection of minors could be the purpose of a pair of laws pertaining to the
playing of billiards and pocket billiards, better known as pool
APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL in 1918. one ordinance reads. “It shall be
unlawful for any person who has not reached the age of 18 years to play billiards or
be permitted to remain in a billiard room unless accompanied by a parent, or
with a written permit from parent or guardian witnessed by notary public with
seal "
A second ordinance, also enacted in 1918. was passed presumably to allow police
officers to peer into billiard establishments to insure no minors are inside
"No person who is the keeper of a billiard or pool table shall use any device
whatsoever, which shall have the effect of obstructing the view through the
windows or doors where such tables are kept, and the doors of the places where
such tables are kept shall be unlocked whenever the tables are in use.” the
statute reads
Clear windows and doors could aid police officers in keeping youngsters away
from possible instances of gambling, and the unlocked doors would allow any
youngster who might have wandered into the forbidden place to escape, if any
brawls broke out over the outcome of a game of eight-ball
FURTHER BACK in the alphabetically indexed volume, under the heading of
garbage, trash, and weeds, is an ordinance controlling collectors of various sorts
According to this 1946 law. "It shall be unlawful for any unauthorized person to
rummage in any garbage can or to hunt for any materials in any garbage can for
any purpose whatever on the streets of the city "
the section of the volume labeled Offenses-Miscellaneous'’ contains the
following
"It is unlawful for any person to spit or throw hulls, peelings, or other litter on
floors of churches, public halls, theaters, or other public places
The law also says offenders may be fined $25 for the first offense. $50 for the
second offense, and $100 for the third offense
More legislation, ahead of its time in the control of noise pollution, protects
citizens from eardrum damage This law prohibits excessively loud noise in the
handling and destruction of boxes and bales
And junk dealers had best beware of the city statutes which say it is "unlawful
for any junk dealer, junk peddler, junk buyer, or junk gatherer to handle
junk before sunrise or after sunset ”
State unemployment drops
By MIKE YIRTANEN
Assistant state editor
Georgia's unemployment is below the
national average and continuing to
decline, while national unemployment
has increased in the last few months
But the difference may be the result of
different tabulation methods
Unemployment for the nation rose from
6 9 per cent in August to seven per cent
in September, according to John Stenson
of the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
October estimates show another increase
to 7.1 per cent, or 6.872,000 persons
unemployed. Stenson said
However. Georgia's unemployment fell
from 6.2 to 5.8 per cent, to 132.434
unemployed persons, according to David
Coggins of the Georgia Department of
Labor, Reports and Analysis Office
i.iciober estimates will be completed next
week, he said.
ALL STATISTICS show a substantial
decline in unemployment from last year,
when the national rate peaked at eight
per cent in November Georgia’s rate hit
eight per cent in August
National estimates have been static
since April, Stenson said Meanwhile.
Georgia's unemployment has continued
to show a decline, according to Coggins
The statistics are based on different
mathematical models By definition both
full and part-time employes and persons
not actively seeking work are excluded
from both sets of statistics.
Georgia's figures are "only prelimi
nary estimates based on a methodology
provided by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics." Coggins said. "We do not
include discouraged job seekers ”
An "insured employed, building-block
approach" is used to determine state and
local estimates, according to Raymond
Konstant of the Bureau of Labor
Statistics
Actual counts for persons collecting or
applying for unemployment insurance
benefits are used. Konstant said, then
adjusted to include unemployed persons
not eligible for benefits persons whose
benefits have expired, those who have not
qualified for the insurance and unem
ployed workers in industries not covered
by the program
The lack of standard criterion for each
state is a problem. Konstant said State
esiimates are adjusted with a correction
factor to balance them, he said
National estimates are determined by a
random sampling of 50.000 households
across the country and seasonally
adjusted. Stenson said Anyone who
works even one hour a week is
considered employed and does not appear
in the statistics, he added
Seasonal adjustments are made to
eliminate typical annual employment
patterns, for example the influx of
students into the labor force in June,
according to Stenson
“It takes out seasonal patterns and
makes the data comparable from one
month to the next," Stenson said
"Otherwise you couldn't really compare
the figures, except for the same month
every year ”
The drop in Georgia's unemploy ment in
September while the national average
rose might he attributable to the lack of
seasonal adjustments for state statistics,
Stenson said
This lack of adjustments, according to
Coggins, makes Georgia's statistics more
accurate
"You don't get any sort of accurate
picture if it’s seasonally adjusted,"
Coggins said "The numbers would stay
the same from one month to the next."
"August unemployment is traditionally
higher because of teachers and students
who are still in the labor force, and in
September it generally drops a little,"
Coggins continued "But you can't really
talk in generalities because it depends on
so many factors and atypical situations,
like strikes .”
DISCOURAGED JOB seekers are not
included in the official unemployment
statistics or compiled at all on a state or
local basis, Konstant said Quarterly
national estimates are compiled, he
added
Most recent quarterly national esti
mates are compiled, he added
Most recent quarterly national esti
mates. for July, August and September,
place 7 per cent of the population 16
years old and older in this category,
Stenson said This is an estimated
1.104,000 persons who are “not included
in the labor force” and who “want a job
but are not seeking a job," he said
Their inclusion would raise the national
unemployment estimate to almost eight
million persons. Stenson said.