May 18, 1971

HR Ways and Means Com, 13‐12, votes to add $2.6‐billion increase in Soc Security benefits to omnibus welfare bill; votes, 22‐3, to rept pkg for HR floor action; both moves seen increasing likelihood that welfare reform program will win full HR approval, probably by mid‐June; Campaign For Adequate Welfare Reform Now, coalition of 17 civic and religious groups, announces it will seek to defeat bill; spokesman J L Rauh declares bill is worse than present welfare system and worse than Nixon plan that was first introduced

all 6 faculty members of Puerto Rican Studies Program at Manhattan Community Coll, NYC, threaten to resign because of what they call ‘administration's inept attempts to control drug problem'; charge that better than 30% of student body is addicted to hard core drugs; meet with coll pres E Draper to demand that he explain why school has not done more to halt drug traffic; faculty members and students discuss situation; illus

current status of guerrilla movement, defeated, divided, cut off from Syrian financial aid and quarreling over its future role and strategy, discussed; some leaders are considering assuming pol instead of mil role while others are talking of going underground and waging war of assassination, sabotage and terror against Hussein Govt

Nixon urges Cong pass legis proposed in ‘70 giving Pres stand‐by emergency powers to step into transportation disputes

The stock market suffered its sharpest decline in 11 months yesterday amid predictions that major banks soon might raise their prime lending rates to corporations. The nationwide strike of railroad signalmen—and fears that it might slow the economic recovery—also contributed to the market drop.