August 29, 1973

Eastern Seaboard utilities are unable to aid each other with surplus power as heat wave spurs large demand

Maryland's investigations into possible role of number of officials, including Vice Pres Agnew, in kickbacks from Md contractors on Aug 28 broadened to another front involving official charges against Baltimore Chief Judge D Foster, who has been under investigation for personally appearing to request zoning change on property he owned in Westminster, Md; he won zoning change and sold most of land to Monumental Properties Inc at profit of £470,000; exec council of Baltimore bar assn held that Chief Judge was in violation of judicial ethics and assn's findings were forwarded to Judicial Disabilities Comm, which will recommend action to Md Ct of Appeals; Monumental and its officers were listed as contributors of more than £10,000 to Agnew benefit dinner on May 19, ‘72

NYC Transit Auth to begin experimental ‘culture loop’ bus route on Sept 1 to run 17 mi through midtown and upper Manhattan with all‐day, multiride tickets costing $1; passengers will be allowed to get on and off as many times as they want at cultural insts along 22‐stop route, which incudes museums, churches, Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center, Central Park Zoo and UN; buses will operate on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10 AM to 6 PM; map of route and stops; MTA Chmn Ronan comments; says that other routes are planned if culture loop is success

MOSCOW, Aug. 28—Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, in a rare and bluntly outspoken interview with two Western newsmen, has declared that his life has been threatened. The Nobel Prize novelist, whose writings are banned in his homeland, added that if he was imprisoned or killed, “the main part of my works will be published.”

Survey by Natl Assn of Purchasing Mgt, reinforced by telephone ints with corporate officers across US, finds mfrs in last 2 wks have experienced strongest surge of price increases for materials they buy since Nixon Adm's original Phase I price freeze ended in 71; new increases represent bulge Adm said would appear at end of 2d freeze on Aug 13; higher costs certain to be passed on to consumers; E F Andrews, noting many cos will be permitted price increases next mo after pre‐notification, says ‘this is just the beginning'; purchasing agents survey finds some 70% of buyers reptd paying higher prices for supplies and raw materials during last 2 wks; equivalent figure for July was only 39%; some corporate execs quoted on situation