July 7, 1972

SAIGON, South Vietnam, Friday, July 7 — The South Vietnamese task force pushing north sought yesterday to clear enemy resistance for the final assault to retake Quang tri city. To the south, the North Vietnamese countered by raining their heaviest shell ing attack to date on the ner vous city of Hue.

Temporary NYC Comm to Investigate Govt Operations of NYS releases rept on July 7 charging NYS with 'bureaucratic lethargy' in failing to claim minimum of $250-million in Fed welfare funds since '69, press conf, City Hall; comm chmn W J vanden Heuvel says state did not even reply to lrs from city urging that application for funds be submitted; since application was finally submitted in June '72, after 27 mos of city complaints, Fed Govt has appropriated $590-million in additional funds based on application

gunman hijacks Pacific Southwest Boeing 727 on San Diego-Sacramento flight on July 7; orders craft to land in Oakland, where he receives $455,000 in ransom, parachutes and handcuffs; orders craft to leave for undisclosed destination after detaining 5 of 57 passengers as hostages; craft illus

July 7: (Challenges to Mayor Daley-led Delegation) Mayor Daley delegation and Dem Natl Com on behalf of Credentials Com file petitions in US Sup Ct on July 6 to appeal decisions brought against them on July 5; Chief Justice Burger issues no decision but is expected to choose shortly between effecting rulings of Ct of Appeals or staying them until Sup Ct reconvenes in Sept; case, unprecedented by any similar situation, revd; Daley delegation atty J H Torshen comments

Suffolk County has paid more than double estimated price for 11,000 ft of waterfront land in Southampton, LI, known as Tiana Beach, as result of complex series of manipulations by private owners, real estate brokers and town officials; land is to be used to create a county pk; Suffolk Dist Atty Aspland is conducting investigation into transaction; price rose from $3-million to $7.5-million between '68 and '69; at least 1 major corp, Viva Land Corp, was formed solely to handle 2 parcels of this land; J Strong, LI real estate broker connected with sale, is brother of R T Strong, county legislator who represents eastern LI; officials close to Dist Atty's office indicate that prominent local officials and real estate men may have been involved with other transactions during this time involving other land parcels in area; Suffolk County has had other investigations into land scandals in recent yrs, but this is 1st involving public funds