February 16, 1973

D L Malbin, retired acting justice of NYS Sup Ct in Bklyn, NYC, former NYS Sen J E Parisi and 28 officers and trustees of an independent union are charged on Feb 15 with using union's funds for living and entertainment expenses; Malbin, who served 40 yrs on bench in various cts, is accused of 7 counts of aiding and abetting conspiracy that reptdly cost union's gen, welfare and pension funds more than $50,000; after his retirement in '66, Appellate Div apptd him 1st admr of a panel to provide lawyers for indigent defendants in Bklyn, Queens and Staten Island; Parisi is similarly accused on 9 counts; conviction on each count carries maximum prison sentence of 5 yrs and $10,000 fine; 165-count indictment, unsealed before Judge J F Dooling Jr in Fed ct, Bklyn, is climax of a yr-long investigation by US Labor Dept and Bklyn Strike Force Against Organized Crime; charges center on asserted illegal use of union funds for personal expenditures at annual convs beginning in '68; union, with hq at 100 Livingston St, Bklyn, is said to be run by small group of men, including pres I M Horowitz, 2 relatives of reputed members of the Mafia, a convicted robber and officials who had been expelled or had resigned from other unions; union is estimated to have 20,000 members in NYC met area; if convicted, Horowitz faces up to 100 yrs in prison; he was pres of Local 222 when it was part of Internatl Jewelry Workers Union

NY Times survey on various actions taken by state govts and Amer med profession in light of recent Sup Ct decision on abortion; state-by-state rev indicates that 9 states have introduced legis that would bring their laws into conformity with decision and equal number are working on new legis; in more than 12 states, Attys Gen or local cts have declared existing laws null and void, but in at least 5 states legal or judicial authorities have supported old restrictive laws; in several states, Attys Gen rept they are waiting for state legis or local cts to act; only Va has rejected bill that would have brought law into line with Ct ruling; med profession has taken little action; legislators in at least 15 states are seeking to introduce resolutions that would ultimately give fetus const rights; it appears likely that resistance from right-to-life movement may delay establishment of abortion facilities in some areas, particularly in states where med leaders share movement's views

Pres Nixon on Feb 15 proposes that Cong gradually eliminate payments to farmers to subsidize their crops; plan, which has cost Govt more than $48-million, would end system under which Govt has set limits on how much a farmer may grow and remain eligible for subsidies; Nixon asserts that by allowing increased supplies of farm products, food prices could be held in check; farm bloc leaders in Cong are expected to show strong resistance to plan; Agr Dept says that Nixon Adm had in mind a transition period of about 3 yrs before direct subsidies are ended; Nixon holds that aim of farm plan is to reduce farmers' dependence on Govt payments, to give farmers more freedom in planting decisions and to pave way for increased crop exports; claims that system of acreage allotments to limit farm production is outdated; Agr Asst Sec Brunthaver says that, except for land being held out of cultivation, there will be no controls on specific crops; notes that under plan farmers will be free to plant whatever they please

Canada and Cuba sign agreement on Feb 15 aimed at extradition and punishment of airplane hijackers

H Kamm survey of current situation in Cambodia; repts Cambodians are fearful that peace will continue to elude them and have come to believe that Lon Nol Govt is incompetent, that the army is too impotent to make peace or war and cannot protect vital interests of Cambodians; finds Cambodians are looking hopefully, even pleadingly, to US to solve their problems; holds US policy has changed, that it does not wish to serve as viceroy or proconsul of Cambodia but encourages Cambodian opposition figures to confront Lon Nol with their views and make repub democratic form of Govt work; repts Cambodians are fearful of expressing opposition; links Lon Nol Govt's growing arbitrariness and open power of his brother Brig Gen Lon Non; cites examples of Lon Nol's decisive pol influence and impact on current scene