March 11, 1973

Canadian delegate on control comm M Gauvin, Mar 10, criticizes 2 delegates for obstructing investigation of alleged Communist violations of cease-fire at Khe Sanh; complains that delegations blocked publication of rept on fighting for small central port of Sa Huynh because it showed that S Vietnamese were now in control of port; 2 delegations under fire are reportedly Poland and Hungary; Gauvin por

Bermuda Gov Sir R Sharpies is killed on grounds of Govt House, Hamilton (Bermuda)

Statistics for '72 that will be released by FBI later in Mar will show what law enforcement officials say is 1st 1-yr decline in car thefts in US history; preliminary figures indicate that 904,000 motor vehicles were stolen last yr, 4% fewer than in '71; officials attribute decline largely to increasing effectiveness of federally mandated antitheft devices, required on autos built since Jan '70, that lock car's steering wheel and transmission when ignition key is removed; NY Times survey of 10 major cities finds that car thefts dropped avg of almost 10% in '72; repts that trend continued through Jan and Feb '73; says decline was somewhat smaller in rural areas; preliminary estimates indicate there was smaller increase approximately 1% in suburban areas, apparently due in part to higher population growth in suburbia; Natl Auto Theft Prevention Bur Comr M Murphy says commercial thefts by organized rings are still increasing; motor vehicle thefts in NYC totaled 76,000, 21.5% less than in '71; Chicago repts 9% decline, to 32,000; Los Angeles, 6% decline to 34,000, and Baltimore, 11% decline to 8,000; illus

special assistant to Atty Gen R E Erickson announces on Mar 10 end of Fed roadblock at Wounded Knee (SD), to aid in peaceful negotiations with 200 militant Indians of American Indian Movement who seized village on Feb 27; chmn of Oglala Sioux Tribal Council R Wilson appears angry and resentful over what AIM leaders R C Means and D J Banks view as victory for Indians; Erickson schedules Mar 22 and Mar 23 meeting for leaders of tribes in Dakotas to discuss regional security forces to guard against occupations and discuss grievances; Indians accept National Council of Churches proposal to drop demand for ouster of Wilson tribal govt in exchange for meeting with Interior Dept official about their grievance; Rev J P Adams says Indian Affairs Bur acting head M Franklin will meet with Indian leaders; illus

Quasi-governmental group Educ Comm of the States on Mar 10 issues rept portraying current system of financing pss in almost all states as chaotic and unjust, NY Times survey; findings will provide ammunition for group's members in their urgent effort to bring equity to property-tax financing system; members of group are govs, 2 legislators, school officers and laymen from each of 43 states plus Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands; virtually every state is under pressure of Texas case, Rodriguez v. San Antonio Ind School Dist, and Calif case, Serrano V. Priest, to make property taxes more equitable; both cases challenge const of tax financing system that allows vast disparities in amount that school dists have for children's educ; abolition of property-tax financing of educ has been recommended by various govt and private groups beginning in early '60's; comm found, however, that there is strong opposition in every part of country to abolishing local property tax in favor of state and Fed financing; opposition is seen to lie in yrs of tradition and familiarity with present system, desire for local control of schools and realization that new sources of funding will be hard to find; possible effects of Sup Ct decision upholding Texas or Calif case noted; rept also finds that ratio of assessed valuation per pupil between wealthiest and poorest dists in each state ranges from 1.7 to 1 in ND to 182.8 to 1 in Kan; map of ratios; 30 states require no training or certification of local tax assessors; only 15 states provide money to localities to upgrade poor assessment practices; 21 states do not even require use of tax maps for assessment purposes