15' daily Survey finds apartment rents doubled Editor's Note: This is the second in a three-part series ' examing landlord-tenant relations in State College. Today's article discusses the costs of renting an apart ment. Tomorrow's story will look at security deposits. By MARK FEATHERSTONE Daily Collegian Staff Writer The cost of renting an apartment in State College has more than doubled since 1972 with 75 percent of that increase since 1976. By averaging yearly costs for apartment complexes, The Daily Collegian found that the average cost of a furnished one-bedroom apartment with a 12-month lease with heat and utilities included increased from $174 a month in 1972 to an estimated $359 a month in fall of 1981. Some of the apartments surveyed also included parking and/or electricity. The apartments surveyed were Beaver Hill, Cedar brook, Penn Tower, Parkway Plaza, Lion's Gate, Uni versity Towers and Beaver Terrace. And though separate figures for room and board in University residence halls were not available before 1974, the room part of room and board increased 48 percent from 1974 to 1981 from $ll6 per month in 1974 (based on double occupancy) to $172 for Fall Term 1981 while apartment prices increased 91 percent for the same period. Not only did State College apartment prices increase faster than those of University residence halls, but faster than the national apartment price average as well. The yearly rate of increase was higher than the national rate in all but two of the years since 1972 and Former prisoner discusses Ireland By ELLYN HARLEY Daily Collegian Staff Writer From January of 1977 to Decem ber of 1979, Irish Republican Army member Seamus DeLaney, who had been scheduled to speak at the Uni versity Saturday as part of the Hori * zons spring festival, was a prisoner in the Long Kesh H-Block in Belfast, Northern Ireland. When first imprisoned, DeLaney was a cellmate of IRA member Bobby Sands, the Westminster member of Britain's Parliament who died Tuesday, the 66th day of his hunger strike to gain political pris oner status for himself, three other hunger strikers and other IRA pris oners at Long Kesh. "Bobby Sands was no different from anyone else," DeLaney, said in a telephone interview Sunday. "The hunger strikes are the only thing left to bring the situation in Northern Ireland to the attention of the world. The hunger strikers are prepared to die for their country." DeLaney, 21, who does not have a visa to be in the United States, has spoken in several cities such as Boston and Philadelphia where he thought he would be well received and relatively, safe. He also ap peared on the ABC news program "Nightline," to tell of his experi ences in prison. But DeLaney said he "stays as low as possible" and avoids places where there might be a danger of his detention by U.S. authorities. "I never say I'll be anywhere, I just arrive," he said. "There's a lot of places I don't go for things like that (speeches). I would be stupid to go and get arrested." Apparently, DeLaney did not ar rive in State College because the Northern Ireland Concern Group here thought the local Federal Bu reau of Investigation had become "interested" in the speaker. The Northern Ireland Concern Group thought DeLaney would be safer if he did not come because other Irish political exiles have been arrested and jailed or deported. However, a special agent with the FBI branch in State College, 444 E. College Ave., who asked to remain unidentified said he was not aware that DeLaney, or anyone connected with the IRA had been scheduled to speak on campus. The agent said the State College FBI had no investiga tive powers or jurisdiction in the case. "We don't have any investigative powers over anything DeLaney has done. He hasn't committed any crime the FBI has any jurisdiction over," he said. Media representative for the FBl's Philadelphia division, Mike Wald, also said the FBI is not looking for DeLaney and his case is a matter for the Department of Immigration and Naturalization Service. "The FBI has no warrant on Sea mus DeLaney and no interest to arrest him. We don't know about the INS position. It's their (INS's) prob lem. It's nothing the FBI can get into or begin to undertand." In Washington; D.C., INS public BINDERY 202 PATTEE ...01 . . • . W agi Uni®n ma . . • , . Tuesday May 12,1981 By CINDY COX ' . . Vol. 81, No. 170 16 panes Daily Collegian Staff Writer University Park, Pa. 16802 the 4 CO M' the average year-to-year increase was 9.2 percent locally compared to a 6.1 percent average nationally. Madeline Weaver, manager of Park Forest apart ments, 901-E W. Aaron Drive, said one major reason apartment prices have risen by larger amounts recently especially in apartments where the landlord pays for the heat is the huge increases in energy prices in the past few years. However, because the company's main office is in Pittsburgh, Weaver said she does not have exact figures of how much more the complex expects to pay for heating apartments. • She also said she did not know if apartment prices in State College have increased faster than the national average. According to figures published in the Statistical Abstract of the United States, fuel and utility prices increased 6.8 percent, 11.2 percent and 12.6 percent respectively in 1978, 1979 and 1980. The University estimated that the prices it will pay for fuel, oil to heat residence halls next year will increase about 30 percent, according to the minutes of the March 1981 board of trustees meeting. Another reason, Weaver said, is that inflation has driven up prices of almost everything else as well. She said that is one of the reasons why Park Forest apartments is gradually getting out of the furniture rental business. As used furniture wears out, the com plex is not replacing the furniture because its prices like everything else have risen dramatically in the past few years, she said. Maintenance and repair costs also have risen in the past few years as employees have tried to keep up with information officer Verne Jervis said if ,DeLaney were apprehended without a visa and proven an illeagal alien, he would be deported. • Accordingly, the Northern Ireland Concern Group took no chances with DeLaney. A member of the Shm Fein Party, the political wing of the IRA, DeLa ney was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He said he was charged with three incidents of bombing and the attempted murder of an officer of. the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Delaney said he was beaten by members of the British Police Force Special Branch for a confession. He was in prison 18 months before his jury -less trial. "The only evidence was the con fession I had signed as . a result of the beatings. There was only one judge. He sentenced me to 31 years," DeLa ney said. In the HUB workshop Saturday night, Irish Northern Aid activist Donal deßoiste who spoke in place of DeLaney on the HUB lawn Saturday afternoon, said about 80 percent of convictions of Irish nationalists are by confession. After he was convicted, DeLaney said he went "on the blanket," a term used to describe prisoners who refuse to wear prison clothes and are not allowed to wear their own clothes and, therefore, are covered only by blankets. He said he partici pated in three separate five-day hunger strikes with other prisoners to improve conditions for the Long Kesh H-Block inmates. "When a man in prison goes on a hunger strike he does so of his own free will, not on command of the IRA, although he will let the IRA know about it." After another 18 months in prison, DeLaney was freed. "There were six doctors to prove that I was beaten (to force a confes sion). I had 27 marks on my body while I was in police custody." DeLaney said he has been in the United States for six weeks, but that he eventually plans to go back to Belfast. Like other IRA nationalists he believes "there is never going to be any peaceful solution in Northern Ireland until the British government declares their intent to get out." "Bobby Sands was never a terror ist. He was a freedom fighter for his country," DeLaney said. "When George Washington and Patrick Henry were around, they were called terrorists (by the British) and now they're heroes. "My personal feeling is that the British Government murdered a member of their own Parliament. It will show what kind of government is persecuting the Irish people." Some also believe the United States is aiding in the British perse cution of Irish nationalists. Jimmy Kelly, chairman of the Cahalane Unit of Irish Northern Aid in Phila delphia, gave the example of an Irish nationalist from southern Ire land. Michael O'Rourke was first arrested October 30, 1979, in Phila delphia on the charge of not having a visa, though he actually had an Continued on Page 9 Evangelists get jeers from students , N SAM ~` y ',~t By MARK GREEN Daily Collegian Staff Writer A crowd of onlookers which seldom numbered less than 200, laughed, chanted and argued on the steps of Schwab Auditori um yesterday as. . three evangelists brought their brand of fire and brimstone to University. Jed Smock, Cindy Lasseter and Greg Hall preached to a very vocal but orderly crowd throughout the day until Universi ty police asked the preachers to move about 4:30 p.m. The three are on campus until tomorrow and are to speak at 7:30 tonight in 104 Eisenhower Chapel. University Police Services Officer Paul Stamm said he asked Smock to stop speaking or move to another place after he received complaints about the crowd's noise. "He does have the right to freedom of speech," Stamm said, fy Pars, _ - Published by Students of The Pennsylvania State University inflation, Weaver said. The increase in dorm contract prices is also partially caused by these factors. The University estimates an 11.9 percent increase in salary and benefits next year and a materials and supplies expense increase between 10 and 12 percent. Yates Mast, University student legal adviser, said that though the effects of inflation and fuel price increases have been a factor in recent rent increases, a more important factor is the law of supply and demand. With 32,000 students at University Park and room for only a little more than 12,000 in University residence halls, the apartment owners know that no matter how much they charge, students will have to pay it because they must live somewhere, Mast said. Supply and demand is also the reason why leases in State College are comparatively more restrictive than those of other municipalities of State College's size, Mast said. If for some reason'the student population at Univer sity Park would drop by 10,000 students, the apartment situation would change dramatically, Mast said. Joseph Wysocki, a housing specialist at the Universi ty, said that though the housing market is tight across the country, it is especially acute in State College. Nationally, fewer homes are being built because of high mortgage rates which keeps the housing supply constant while demand increases. "If people could buy houses, they'd be willing to move out of apartments," Wysocki said. "There are fewer places available to students. You have to be married or a professional." ~~<,.. fY 4.. •:!•• "and as long as he is not interfering with others' rights there is no problem. But we did have the complaints." Stamm said he believes Smock will spend the two remaining days of his stay preaching on the lawn of Old Main. Smock, in a later telephone conversation, said he will be back at Schwab today because of the extra student traffic the location offers. "If there's any problem we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "I will act according to how the spirit of God moves me. First of all, I have to obey God and then man. "Had it been earlier in the day I wouldn't have moved," Smock said, "but we were just about to wind it up anyway. I felt the problem was in the students' response, not in my speaking. "Freedom of speech is so precious that we have to withstand minor disturbances from time to time," he said. In recent contractual discussions, ex ecutives of Teamsters Local No. 8 have ignored the erosion of tradesmen's wages and are instead focusing on the issue of student hours to gain votes in union elections, local members allege. Union President Earl Lutz responded that the local is fair to all members and would like to get an equal percentage raise for all workers. "Anyone who would make these allega tions probably didn't bother to attend the meeting held to discuss the upcoming contract," Lutz said. "If they had, they would have heard that all members will be treated fairly." Unskilled workers make up the majori ty of the local and the number of student hours has the biggest effect on them, local member Joseph Duda said. Union officials are making the number of student hours the main issue to gain most of these unskilled votes in re-elec tions next December, Duda said. Because the contract has a section dealing with student hours, problems with that issue can better be handled through grievances, local member Jef frey Selvage said. The main concern of tradesmen within the union is eroding wages, Duda said. In 1967, tradesmen made more than twice as much as the lowest grade of unskilled worker. Today, Duda said, tradesmen make less than twice as much because tradesmen have not received adequate raises. "Wages have been a sore point with tradesmen," he said. "A flat percentage increase will not solve the erosion that has been occurring since 1967." Union members must approve a con ybe Photo by Renee Jacobs issue ignoring tract, and a primarily unskilled union would not approve a contract with bigger raises for skilled workers, Duda said. "They (unskilled workers) operate by the loaf-of-bread theory," he said. "They say a loaf of bread costs you the same as it costs me so why should you get more money?" Another problem tradesmen have with the contract is with subcontracting work, Duda said. The present contract has no clause limiting the number of subcon tracted hours, which mainly affects tradesmen and the work they do, he added. Local member David Hironimus said the present subcontracting in the HUB for air conditioning and duct work could have been done by union members. Lutz said subcontracting has substan tially been reduced in the past few years because of the union's efforts and the cost of living. Local member G. Calvin Williams said skilled workers should get a larger in crease because of their education. "I spent four years in an apprentice ship in electronics," Williams said. "I don't see anyone in foods, housing or janitorial in an apprenticeship. In elec tronics the field is constantly changing, we always have to learn new things. But, how many ways can you cook food or clean a place?" Tension exists between skilled and unskilled union members because of dis agreements over wages, Williams said. Lutz said union allegations lead to problems within the union. "The union is made up of all phases of the University operation," he said. "This type of comment is not in the interest of unity for the union." Photo by Chuck Andrasko Sometimes the students chanted and sometimes they argued, but mostly they were amused at the firey ser mons of evangelist Cindy Lasseter and her colleagues Jed Smock and Greg Hall who spoke to the crowd in front of Schwab Auditorium.' inside • The lady mudwrestlers leave State College Page 7 • Gerry Cooney knocks out Ken Norton 54 seconds into their heavy weight bout Page 10 weather Partly cloudy, breezy and cooler with showers possible with a high of 57. Some sunshine tomorrow with a mild afternoon high of 63. Sunshine on Thursday, will be fol- lowed by increasing cloudiness as temperature approaches 70.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers