June 27, 1972

DO YOU KNOW ANY IMPORTANT MAN IN BUSINESS WHO DOES NOT READ FORBES MAGAZINE?—ADVT.

US Sup Ct delays expected major decision on const of anti-abortion laws until next term

USAF on June 26 unveils F-14 fighter, St Louis, Mo; craft is designed to maintain US air superiority into 1980s; described; illus

US mil spokesman in Saigon says, June 26, diminishing US involvement in ground combat and stress instead on air war results in reorgn and shift of components of 7th Air Force; details; Maj Gen A D Slay becomes dir of operations for US command; US troop strength cut by 6,100 last wk, to 54,000; as of July 1 that number will be 49,000; US Army Vietnam, which has provided logistical support for Army exclusively, renamed US Army Vietnam/MACV Support Command and given mission of providing supplies for all US units remaining in Vietnam

Erie-Lackawanna announces, June 26, it is filing for reorganization under Fed Bankruptcy Act; blames collapse on effects of tropical storm Agnes; ry pres G W Maxwell says storm, which inundated Northeast, caused extensive flooding of ry's main line, widespread damage and drastic declines in revenue receipts; says failure of recent freight increases to offset wage increases approved by Fed Pay Bd earlier in '72 contributed to bankruptcy, largest case of its kind since '70 Penn Central collapse; rr has operated at a deficit in 3 of last 5 yrs; bankruptcy petition detailed

builders, architects and union officials who provided Information on graft during 6-wk investigation by NY Times into corruption in NYC construction indus also describe deeply ingrained system of sanctions that has withstood Govt investigations and brings retaliation to those who resist; there have been few arrests for bribery and even fewer convictions; since 1968 only 17 inspectors have been arrested and most received suspended sentences and those paying bribes are never arrested; Investigation Comr Ruskin and Dist Attys have concentrated on prosecuting inspectors, not contractors; W Knapp, chmn of comm investigating police corruption, believes key to situation is to prosecute bribers; Ruskin disagrees and says that if you arrest contractors it looks 'as if you are protecting city; some who have tried to fight graft by themselves have been victims of retaliation, including F Schonfeld, sec-treas of Internatl Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades, and C Walker, Harlem atty who brought about arrest and discharge 10 yrs ago of Bldgs Dept inspector trying to collect graft and for 4 yrs has not been able to get permanent certificate of occupancy for coop supermarket she organized; an architect who tried to get bldg plans approved without services of expediter was refused; 2 days later, for $225 fee, expediter got same plans approved without difficulty; Bldg Comr Stein had signs posted on walls of Bldgs Dept offices 9 mos ago stating 'Bribery Is a Crime' but only result is that bribes are not taken as openly as before; some prestigious architectural firms claim they get plans approved without payoffs but others confess they are not really sure if their expediters are paying bribes; some construction firms keep close tabs on 'expense money' but many don't want accounting; to many builders, bribery seems no worse than paying fines or huge permits to city such as fee charged by Sanitation Dept for use of city dump; extent of corruption of Govt officials is also diminished by extent of union corruption; most builders contend that their bribery is acceptable because it only buys efficiency and does not allow them to break laws; Bldgs Dept has cases where laws were broken but W J Glinsman, pres of inspectors' union, says this brand of corruption leaves such obvious evidence that it is seldom feasible; most architects and contractors put blame on erratic enforcement of bldg code, rather than code itself, for encouraging corruption; illus

Cuban Premier Castro arrives in Moscow, June 26, on official visit marking steady improvement of ties after period of strains between Cuba and USSR; is met at airport by Soviet leader Brezhnev, Pres Podgorny and Premier Kosygin; illus; in his consultations, he is expected to seek assurances that improved US-USSR ties will not affect Soviet commitment to Cuba, which has depended heavily on Soviet econ aid

Security Council meets

Pres Nixon on June 26 rules out any freeze or direct controls over prices of raw agr products

US intelligence officer in Saigon repts, June 26, that US has established 25-mi-wide buffer zone in N Vietnam along Chinese border within which it does not bomb; says that N Vietnamese, aware of zone, work within it to build transfer facilities for supplies brought from across the border; repts increase in traffic from China; says N Vietnamese, since mining of Haiphong, are digging a trench for an oil pipeline into China and that USAF will wait until they put the pipe in before destroying the work; map

EEC members agree on June 26 to defend existing fixed currency relationships by buying more US dollars if necessary and to tighten further exch controls in wake of Brit departure from EEC fixed rate fluctuations; reject option of generalized float of EEC currencies against dollar; Eur authorities reptdly anticipate strong dollar by end of '72 or mid '73 and are willing to help support it until then

Lincoln Center Library repr says East NY Savings Bank offer to match fund of those opening new accts with contributions to library is worth hundreds of thousands in publicity; amt contributed is still undetermined