July 23, 1970

HR Agr Com, by voice vote, approves amendment to Nixon Adm farm bill to impose $55,000 yrly limit an subsidies paid to individual farmers

Con Ed announces that its most powerful generator 'Big Allis' in Ravenswood, Queens, with capacity of 1-million kws, will be out of service for at least rest of summer; illus; loss follows by less than mo disclosure that Indian Pt plant will be inoperative until mid-Sept; co repr T A Griffin Jr guardly optimistic about effects; warns selective power shutdowns are possible; PSC Chmn Swidler concedes knowledge of some instability problem with unit; adds loss is substantial threat to maintenance of service in event of heat wave; cutback brings utility's reserve power capacity below 20% margin of safety; utility's theoretical total installed generating capacity (if all units were functioning at their limit) is about 8.3-million kws with guarantee of 520,000 kws from other cos, bringing total capacity to about 8.8-million; loss of both Indian Pt plant and Big Allis cuts capacity by 1,260,000 kws to 7,540,000, below expected peak demand for summer of 7,725,000; FPC repr says reserves are no longer adequate; reasons for present breakdown and immediate damage discussed; fact that during previous day's relatively cool weather Con Ed produced 5,795,000 kws and purchased 935,000 kws to meet peak demand of 6,339,000 kws noted; Mayor Lindsay calls shutdown distressing

retired Police Asst Chief Inspector T Renaghan arrested on charge of contempt for refusing to tell grand jury whether he had been offered bribe; Detective J Keely, whose testimony linked Renaghan with underworld figures, also arrested on charges of perjury as well as contempt; indictments charge Renaghan with allegedly 1st telling jury that he could not remember and then saying that he would not that reputed bookmaker H Mulligan had offered him bribe if he would transfer a detective from 1 unit to another; charges against Keely stem from his alleged 'evasiveness' when asked about Renaghan, Mulligan and reputed underworld figures

Natl Acad of Sciences 8-man panel rept to FDA holds present and projected use of taccharin poses no known health hazard to humans; urges scientists to conduct studies on saccharin's cancer-producing properties, interactions with other drugs and on change in patterns of consumption since cyclamate was banned; Comr Edwards, making indirect reference to Bryan's lab experiments on mice, repts panel discounted experimental methods not involving oral adm; says his 'top staff advisers' will rev rept; saccharin is now most widely used sweetener in diet foods and drinks; acad predicts Amers will use 4-million lbs in '70, 1.5-million above '68 level; Dr J M Coon was panel chmn; 7 other members listed

Econ Advisers Council ex-Chmn Ackley, ex-member Wallich and Prof P A Samuelson oppose wage-price controls except in emergency situations, Cong Joint Econ Com hearing; Ackley indicates support for Cong granting Nixon stand-by authority to impose controls; he and Samuelson back use by Nixon of his office's prestige and persuasive power to effect more restraint in wage-price decisions