November 16, 1972

Hundreds of Navy wives at North Is where aircraft carrier Constellation is docked conduct demonstration in support of ship's skipper Capt Ward following crew's presentation of petition Nov 15 endorsing capt's action of putting ashore dissident factions that instigated shipboard demonstrations; blacks complain that attempt to conduct orderly shipboard protest was interrupted by influx of marines bearing loaded rifles, adding that their request to speak with Capt Ward was never granted; contend that many of them were receiving adm discharges as part of attempt to relieve severe overcrowding; Ward ascribes his action in putting blacks ashore to atmosphere of tension created by their 'peaceful meetings' and to fact that he had received threats that 'ship would be torn up'; illus

Confidential rept to Civil Service com of Personnel Council, which is studying NYC's Civil Service system, concludes that system is an inadequate, outdated, rigid, largely 'meritless' and possibly superfluous bureaucracy that 'seems to discriminate' against the mast qualified applicants for public service; declares 'serious question' exists as to whether present Civil Service system is necessary any longer in light of overlap in function between it and the more recently evolved collective bargaining system; assessment with accompanying recommendations, completed in Feb by officials in City Admr's office, provides basis for Mayor Lindsay adm's current attempt to negotiate broad changes in personnel policies with munic union leaders and other groups; city officials on Nov 15 seek to minimize importance of never‐released study, holding it is only one of many internal repts prepared for com; com sources say rept was only significant document discussed; among rept's recommendations, which Deputy Mayor E K Hamilton notes city is 'in process of establishing' by adm action, is change designed to give supervisors more power in deciding which applicants for city jobs will be hired; Hamilton adds that under change, probationary employes would be automatically dismissed at end of trial period, usually 6 mos, unless supervisor recommends that they be hired; presently, probationary employes are considered hired unless superior recommends otherwise; there are indications that leaders of city's munic unions will not allow changes without fight, including ct challenges; rept recommendations detailed

NYC Mayor Lindsay's legis repr R A Brown on Nov 15 profiles bill in '73 NYS Legis that would increase state aid by $2.7‐million a yr for NYC's maintenance of interstate and arterial hwys within city

Govs Cahill and Rockefeller announce simultaneously on Nov 15 that Port Auth of NY and NJ will embark on major mass transit program for met area; describe agreement with agency as 'dramatic and significant breakthrough' in efforts to involve auth in mass transit projects; program will cost $650‐million and take 5 yrs to complete; included in plans are provisions for rail links between midtown Manhattan and Newark and Kennedy Airports, extension of PATH to Plainfield, NJ, and direct rail service into Penn Station for Erie‐Lackawanna commuters; plan is dependent on legis in both NY and NJ to nullify '62 Port Auth covenant barring use of auth funds for mass transit projects other than PATH; both Govs say they will press for such action; say auth will proceed with necessary detailed engineering planning and negotiations without waiting for '62 covenant to be eliminated; both states actually hope to use as little auth money as possible, anticipating Fed mass transit and airport aid will cover substantial portion of estimated $650‐million capital improvement costs; T W Kheel foresees lengthy bondholder suits protesting elimination of '62 covenant; sees auth involvement still 'off in dim future'; map showing proposed changes; illus of Cahill and MTA Chmn Ronan, who spoke for Rockefeller at news conf

Nov 16: US command repts, Nov 15, US planes staged one of heaviest days of raids of the war on N Vietnamese southern panhandle; over 800 tactical air strikes reptd; 11 missions by B‐52s also flown over area; raids are aimed at blocking flow of N Vietnamese supplies to troops in S Vietnam; ground fighting continues to be below avg levels in S Vietnam; fighting wanes near Quangtri city; US planes continue raids over S Vietnam, mostly in Quangtri Prov; map