The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 8

The Salina Journal Tuesday, July 5, 1983 Page 8 Kansas joins exclusive 'billion-dollar-plus' ag export fraternity 0 nf Arfennsss. and North Carolina recorded higher expo: WASHINGTON (UPI) Despite last year's trade slump, 13 states each exported more than $1 billion worth of American agricultural products in 1982 more than most countries can claim. The members of the exclusive billion-dollar-plus fraternity include, in order of total farm exports: Illinois, Iowa, California, Texas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Arkansas, North Carolina and Ohio. The figures, reported in the latest issue of the Agriculture Department's "Farmline" magazine, show Illinois, with exports valued at $3.3 billion, led the other states in farm exports. It has held the top slot for nine of the last 10 years, being edged out by Iowa in 1981.

Last year, Iowa came in second, with slightly more than $3 billion worth of agricultural exports. Both Illinois and Iowa owe their fame to soybean and feed grain sales. Although California, with $2.85 billion in agricultural export sales, was ranked third overall in the 1982 ratings, it placed first in fruits, vegetables and nut exports and second in cotton and rice exports. "King Cotton," once a title that was the domain of the southeastern states, now goes to Texas, which led all other states in exports of cotton, as well as cattle hides and tallow in 1982. Texas, which was ranked fourth overall in agri- cultural exports last year, was also a major exporter of wheat and rice and placed second in live animal and meat exports.

Among the other leaders, Kansas ranked first in wheat export sales, North Carolina in tobacco, Arkansas in rice and poultry, and North Dakota in sunflower seeds and oil. For most of the billion-dollar export states, however, sales value was down in 1982, reflecting the weak trade pattern that prevailed nationwide. U.S. agricultural exports, dampened by the world-wide recession, slipped to $39.1 billion in fiscal 1982, off 11 percent from the previous year's record. Of the top 13 states, only four Missouri, North Dakota, Arkansas, and North Carolina recorded higher export values in 1982 than they the year before.

Ohio, with $1.05 billion worth of farm exports last year, dropped from the 9th place slot it held in 1981 to the 13th position in 1982. Washington, which qualifed as number 14 in the billion-dollar ranksing in 1981 with exports estimated at $1.04 billion, was dropped from last year's list as it 1982 farm exports totaled only $946 million. Had Illinois and Iowa been ranked among the world's nations in total value of agricultural exports in 1981, they would have been ahead of such counties as Spain, India, South Africa, Hungary, Colombia, Mexico, the Soviet Union and China. Hotdogs, beer bring taste of home cooking to Marines in Lebanon BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) U.S. Marines serving in the international peace-keeping forces in Lebanon observed Independence Day Monday with hot dogs, beer and sports events, including a 52-mile marathon race.

"We had some barbeques, drank beer, played some games. It was a real treat. The Marines don't get breaks too often," said Maj. John Shotwell. "It is a pretty monotonous life for the marines here, with the patrols and the sentry duties.

But they are under a lot of pressure because inherent in what they do is a little bit of danger," Shotwell said. No special Fourth of July ceremonies were scheduled for the Marines or Navy in Lebanon during the day. The big celebration actually was held Sunday when an estimated 500 civilians, mostly U.S. Embassy employees and other Americans living in Beirut, were hosted by the 1,800 sailors of the 6th Fleet. "I'd rather be spending July Fourth with my wife and kids," said one of the lonelier sailors.

Ruckelshaus: EPA needs more money to clean up wastes WASHINGTON (UPI) To rid the nation of toxic waste dumps, the Environmental Protection Agency needs public credibility and more money than it has in the $1.6 billion Superfund, EPA administrator William I Ruckelshaus says. The Superfund can "make a dent" in i the problem, but 'we'll need more money, no question about that," Ruck- elshaus said in a copyright interview with U.S. News World Report pub- Ruckelshaus MuA week Ruckelshaus said cleaning up the dumps is one of the gravest environmental problems facing the country, "particularly where they pose a threat to human health and drinking-water supplies." He said the law requires owners of the dumps "if we can find them" to pay for the cleanup costs. "We won't be able to recover all the cost by any means, but we can recover some," he said. Ruckelshaus said he recently made a helicopter flight over northern New Jersey to view toxic waste dumps there.

"I couldn't believe how many drums there were down there in abandoned alleys, back yards, everywhere." But Ruckelshaus said EPA could not solve any of the nation's environmental problems unless the agency restores its credibility with the American public. Ruckelshaus was chosen by Presi- dent Reagan last March to replace Anne Burford as head of the EPA after half a dozen congressional panels intensified investigations into wrongdoing there and its top officials either resigned under pressure or quit. Ruckelshaus said he has more support now than he experienced when he was the EPA's first administrator during the Nixon administration. He said he shares the administration's belief "that improvements can be made in the current statutory and regulatory framework." Ruckelshaus was asked if the administration set out to reverse the environment movement and then changed its mind when it ran into trouble that resulted in his appointment. "If the administration was guilty of anything, it was in not paying enough attention to what was going on putting people in these agencies and not paying enough attention to them, not giving them enough help and instructions about how to go about making these changes," he said.

Because of the turmoil, morale plunged at the agency, he said. "I think it will take a while to restore morale and get everybody's attention focused on what he or she is supposed to be doing," he said. Ruckelshaus said the true cost of enforcing strong environmental laws probably isn't understood by most Americans. He said while it would be a mistake to think the public is not willing to pay higher taxes to help solve public health and environmental problems, that may not be true where the price is in lost jobs instead of money. PARCHMAN, Miss.

(UPI) U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist refused Monday to remove a stay order barring Wednesday's scheduled execution of convicted child murderer Jimmy Lee Gray. Supreme Court spokeswoman Toni House said in Washington that Rehnquist made no comment in denying a request by Mississippi officials that he lift the stay and allow Gray's execution to be carried out as scheduled at Wednesday. It was the second defeat in two days for state officials seeking to proceed with the execution. Justice Byron R.

White had refused Sunday night to lift the stay. Mississippi Attorney General Bill Allain said earlier if Rehnquist refused to lift the stay order, the state would ask the entire Supreme Court to take the action when it meets in Washington Tuesday. Allain, reached at his office in Jack- son, said if the Supreme Court vacates the stay the execution could still proceed Wednesday. Gray, 34, was scheduled to die in the gas chamber at the state prison for the sexual assault, kidnapping and murder of 3-year-old Deressa Jean Scales in Pascagoula in 1976. The 5th U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans granted a stay of execution Saturday, saying it wanted to wait for a Supreme Court ruling this week expected to set guidelines for capital punishment appeals. The three- judge panel also asked the state to submit briefs showing why Gray should not be allowed to challenge the constitutionality of the gas chamber. Allain said if the state loses its bid before the full Supreme Court, it could take several weeks to schedule another execution date if the stay is eventually lifted. He said the Supreme Court could render a decision Tuesday or Wednesday and the state still could carry out its first execution since 1964. In issuing the stay, a three-judge panel in New Orleans said it wanted to wait for further guidance from the Supreme Court on how death penalty appeals should be handled.

U.S. sailor faces death penalty MOMBASA, Kenya (UPI) U.S. Navy sailor James William Tyson pleaded innocent Monday at the opening of his trial on charges of strangling a Kenyan bar girl in a dock-side rooming house last April. His lawyer said Tyson, 21, of Riverdale, Md. had "an airtight alibi." If convicted Tyson, a fireman aboard the aircraft carrier USS America faces a possible death sentence.

Tyson is charged with strangling Lucy Kabura, 25, whose naked body was found on a bed in the sleazy Tan- gana rooming house near the Mombasa dockyard during a goodwill visit by his ship to the port in east Africa. Dressed in blue jeans, sneakers and a red T-shirt, Tyson was led handcuffed into the courtroom through a crowd of howling spectators. Two U.S. consular officials were at his side. Tyson's mother and the parents of the victim were also present in the packed courtroom.

The case has attracted nation-wide attention in Kenya where many local people are still bitter over the light sentence handed to U.S sailor Frank Joseph Sundstrom in a similar case three years ago. Sundstrom, then 19 and an apprentice fireman aboard the USS La Salle, was fined $35 and released in custody of the navy after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of Kenyan prostitute Monica Njeri. Sundstrom, who admitted hitting Miss Njeri over the head with a beer bottle, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter rather than face a murder trial and possible death sentence in the 1980 case. The U.S. government later paid the victim's family $14,000 in compensation.

Tyson turned down a similar plea bargain and has maintained his innocence throughout. He is being defended by Prem Prinja, the same attorney who defended Sundstrom. The trial before the Kenyan high court was expected to last two weeks. At least 31 prosecution and 11 defense witnesses were scheduled to appear. Elsewhere, the West German government bought freedom for another group of prisoners held in Communist East Germany, a Western civil rights organization said Monday.

The International Society for Human Rights said the ransomed prisoners arrived by bus Wednesday the Herleshausen highway crossing point on the East-West German border. BRANN'S PARKING LOT SALE WILL SAVE YOU UP TO ON THE FURNITURE, CARPET AND BEDDING IN OUR PARKING LOT. EVERYTHING IN OUR STORE WILL BE ON SALE TOO! THURSDAY, JULY 7 NOON-8 PM BRANN'S FURNITURE Mississippi officials fail to convince justice to OK execution of child slayer Newspapers. Where readers snip, shop, shop In the past 90 days, of readers clipped ads from their they felt was worth reading again, passing on, shopping from. Or saving with: newspapers carried 93 billion manufacturers' year, of the total distributed.

And of adults clipped coupons. Any way you slice it, that's impressive. More information? Call Mac Morris, vice president, National Sales, Newspaper Advertising Bureau, (212) 5571865. Or call your Salina Journal advertising representative at 823-6363. Surveys, 1982 1982 1 ifcuBfiiMi 1 1 he Journal NEWSPAPER POWER.

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