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muGiAMAMECOK VOL. LXV NO. 54 The University of South Carolpa, Columbia, S.C. -n,' THURSDAY.ARLI,17 Bottle ] BY SCOTT KEARNS Of The Gamecock staff Consumers, the environment and the economy will all benefit if the State Legislature passes a bottle bill now in the House Agricultural and Material Resources Committee. The proposed bottle-bill, which is modeled after the Oregon bottle bill will ban all non returnable beverage containers and tab tops and place a nickel deposit on all containers sold. The bill which should come out of committee within the next two weeks has 38 co-sponsors * who believe it will reduce litter along South Carolina highways. An Oregon state analysis of the Oregon bottle bill shows beverage container litter in that state has been reduced .by 88 per cent from 1972 to 1973 while the sales of refillable containers increased from 44.6 per cent to 93.15 per cent. South Carolina en vironmentalists are optimistic about the outcome of the bottle bill in the House, -but expect trouble from the Senate. Brion FOLLIES--One of the activities featured in "Greek Week" was the Greek Follies, which were held Tuesday night. Page 2. Infirmary i BY MARK DILLARD Of The Gamecock staff A report defending treatment of a student at USC's health center has been made by Dr. Isao Hirata, health center director. The report resulted from a letter published in last Thur sday's Gamecock from Frank Knight, a student, complaining about difficulties in getting treatment after spilling undiluted shampoo in his eye. Charles H. Witten, Dean of Student Affairs and USC President William H. Patterson received the report. In the letter Knight said on the night of March 29 he found the health center locked and, after getting a nurse to the door, had to stand outside and explain what had happened before she would bill woi Blackwelder of the En vironmental Coalition spoke in favor of the proposed bottle bill at industry-packed public hearings on April 1. Beverage manufacturers are opposed to the legislation. In a public hearing on Virginia's bottle bill, beverage manufacturing employes were ordered to attend the meetings by their employers. Beverage manufacturing lobbyists at the April hearing claimed the returnable bottle will affect the sale of beverages by reducing consumer desirability. However, since the Oregon bill was passed, beverage sales have increased, without any significant increase in the cost of the beverages. In some states considering bottle bill legislation, manufacturers have increased the price of their returnable bottles to make them seem more expensive however it is not known whether that practice is being repeated in South Carolina. Beverages in non-returnable bottles will be cheaper even with the cost of the container included in the price. Non-returnables cost more to produce and On the inside TRACK--The University of Florida downed the Gamecocks in track In a meet that produced two school records. Page 7. ssues defen let him enter. "Once inside, a form to be filled out was shoved under my face before treatment could begin," the letter said. Because he was frustrated, the letter continued, he said "an off color word." "The word was harmless and directed at no on, but because of this, I was forced to stand there even longer and wait to be treated, while the nurse lectured on the proper language to use in front of a lady." Knight said he was treated by the nurse instead of a doctor and hbas had to go to a hospital at Fort Jackson five times since then because of damage to his cornea. In his report,- Hirata wrote, "Tfhe duty nurse followed procedures precisely as rrescribed, rendered primary reatmient precisely a Lld beni manufacturers pass the price increases on to the consumer. Half the cost of a can of beer is in the can alone, the other half if composed of labor and agricultural products. Although beverage industry spokesmen say the use of non returnables will adversely affect employment in South Carolina, News analysis some prominent economists disagree. The Governor's Council of Economic Advisors in Maryland reported returnable bottles in that state would create 1,500 additional jobs generating $18.5 million in personal income and $1.1 million in state taxes. Because the population of South Carolina is roughly half of Maryland's population, it's likely that almost 800 new jobs would be created by the bottle bill with more than $9 million in personal FILMS: Let's face It, a true grit belongs on a horse. 'Bran nigan' proves it. Page 11. se report prescribed, and because of patient belligerence, profanity and bursts of violence, sum moned police for her own protection precisely as policy prescribes." Knight said of the report, "I'd like to know what was violent. I did say 'shit,' but I'd like to know what was violent. That's just completely untrue." The main point of his letter, Knight said, ..was to. complain about the infirmary elosing and having no doctor on duty at night. "That was the main thing, that with a university this big, the infirmary was closed." The infirmary closes at 4:45 on week. days with a nurse inside for emergencies. "As far as the initial treatment, Continued on Page 5 Efit con revenue and close to $500,000 in state taxes generated. Under the proposed legislation, the Bottle Bill will offer more benefits than drawbacks argued by manufacturers. The Palmetto State bottle bill will make it easier for consumers to use non returnable bottle by establishing container redemption centers owned and operated by license private citizens. And containers will have to be certified under the pending law and dealers will have to accept the containers they sell and refund the nickel deposit. Returnable bottles will also reduce energy consumption in the state. Approximately 4.9 trillion British Thermal Units (BTU's) of energy will be saved through the use of returnables. That is enough energy to heat 49,000 homes in the state for one year. Natural resources will also be conserved without affecting South Carolina's economy. More than 60 per cent of the bauxite used in manufacturing aluminum cans is mined outside the United USC poet leave of a James Dickey, USC's poet-in residence, will interrupt his six year tenure at the University to go on a one-year leave of ab sence. His last classroom session promises to be an eerie one, in which he will unveil the mysterious oilverskin, a disfigured writer who leads a life of seclusion and eccentricity. For Dickey, who will resume his duties fall, 1976, his vacation will hardly be a holiday. "Oh, I plan to do a little traveling," Dickey admitted, "possibly go to Italy, but most of my.time will be devoted to work. I've got a lot of things I want to do." Dickey is in the process of completing two novels and a book of poetry. He also hopes to finish work on two films, having already scripted a teleplay and an original play. Crucible distribut The editors of "The Crucible' have announced they will distribute their spring issue at an Arts Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 18 on Gibbes Green behind McKissick Library. The event is an arts and crafts festival presenting local artisans and students an opportunity to display and sell their wares. In addition to the artists, there will be entertainment. Carolina Alive will perform from 12:20 to 1:10 and various other forms of en tertainment will be scheduled throughout the day. sumters States, and none of it is mined in South Carolina. Aluminum cans also require more energy to produce than returnable bottles and have a half-life of 25,OO years which means that only half of the materials will decompose in that time adding to waste disposal probleMs. Returnable bottles could reduce the amount of solid waste disposed of in municipal land fills by one half. Although the Environmental Coalition is hopeful that the Bottle Bill will make it through the Senate they think that con sumers could help in passing the consumer-oriented bill by voicing their opinion to their represen tatives. Only a handful of con sumers were on hand for the April 1 public hearing and ac cording to Blackwelder, representatives could interpret this as an indication of consumer support for the bill. If the bill is passed, it will go into effect on July 4, 1976, probably the biggest use day for beverage containers in the United States. to take bsence "Yeah, I'll be keeping pretty busy," he said. "I'll be writing essays, journals, a lot of poetry, stories, TV plays. . . just a little bit of everything. I have a lot of personal things I need to do, and I also want to initiate new things, different genres." As for his cloak-and-dagger correspondence with Silverskin, Dickey has reportedly shared his companion's works with his students, and says the phantom like figure "produces astonishingly good poetry." Dickey confessed he knew little about Silverskin, except he is rumored to have come from Argentina and he lives in a closet. He added Silverskin derived his name from working for years in South American silver mines. This reclusive genius, Dickey Continued on Page 4 ion Friday The distribution point for the spring issue and registration table for the arts festival will be the western end of the pedestrian bridge over Pickens Street. Students who submitted material to the fall and spring issue of "The Crucible" may pick up their submissions at the registration table. Visitors to the festival are being asked to stay on the sidewalk and off the grass and not to throw their trash on the ground. Registration for the festival will start at 9:30 a.m.