March 14, 1974

NYS Gov Malcolm Wilson will reptdly recommend that state bond issue of $250‐million for commuter and upstate rr improvements be put to voters in fall; resurrection of bond issue is seen reflecting impression that gasoline shortage and threat of abandonment of rail lines have made public more amenable to such financing; small size of proposal in comparison with $3.5‐billion proposal rejected last yr and planned use of funds mainly for rrs outside NYC, balancing Gov's downstate fare‐subsidy plan, noted; Wilson's aides say bond issue will be proposed as part of Gov's transit package; possibility of bond issue is raised by Repub Legis leaders, Assembly Speaker Perry Duryea and Sen majority leader Warren Anderson, through their Transit Com chmn, Sen John Caemmerer and Assemblyman George J Farrell; Caemmerer and Farrell emphasize state needs new source of capital to prevent abandonment of rrs and take advantage of aid formulas under Rail Reorganization Act; Caemmerer details benefits of bond issue (M)

WILLCOX & GIBBS makes sloth inspection machines (WG‐AMEX) — Advt.

Sen approves, 54‐33, bill classifying as capital offenses killing of Pres, Vice Pres, Pres‐elect, heads of foreign govts and foreign diplomats (S)

Kissinger to go to Moscow Mar 24 for 3 or 4 days for talks with Brezhnev and other Soviet officials on Middle East, arms control and other issues in advance of Nixon's expected trip to Moscow in June (S)

Harry L Sears ends 7 days of testimony in Mitchell‐Stans trial by stating he was under 'severe pressure’ when, just before start of trial, he told prosecutor he had committed crime in his involvement with financier Robert L Vesco; former Vesco aide Laurence B Richardson Jr takes stand and relates how he and Vesco met with Stans in Mar ‘72 and discussed how much Vesco would have to contribute to Pres Nixon's re‐election to put him ‘in front row’ of contributors; claims Vesco agreed to Stans’ figure of $500,000 in cash; says when Vesco asked for help in bringing to settlement ongoing SEC investigation of his business affairs Stans held whispered telephone conversation with John Mitchell; claims he does not know if Vesco met with Mitchell on that day; says he visited Stans again in Apr, accompanied by Sears, and delivered briefcase containing Vesco's $200,000 cash contribution; quotes Stans as saying ‘Mitchell and Sears are handling that’ when asked about Vesco's problem with SEC; in related development, FTC chmn Lewis A Engman tells HR Commerce Com that just before election day, at behest of John D Ehrlichman he telephoned G Bradford Cook, then counsel to SEC, to ask status of Vesco case; courtroom sketch (M)