April 1, 1974

2d in NY Times series on problems confronting elec utilities in NYC area focuses on Con Ed; discusses opposition to Con Ed's expansion plans from environmentalists and critics who say that reduced elec demand resulting from energy crisis makes plans unnecessary; notes difficulties Con Ed faces in winning rate increases from PSC, in obtaining financing in bond mkt and even in collecting unpaid bills; describes customer complaints about utility's 'costly and wasteful' practices, particularly, preferential rates Con Ed gives to large users; map indicating Con Ed's generating stations (L)

Page

Deputy White House press sec Gerald L Warren denies published repts that Pres Nixon is seeking invitation to campaign in Mich's 8th Cong Dist for Repub candidate James Sparling; Detroit Free Press repts that state Repubs view such a visit as potentially damaging to Sparling but that negotiations are under way with Pres counselor Dean Burch (S)

USSR, Mar 31, endorses N Vietnamese demand that US halt 'violations' of truce accord agreement on shipments of materiel into S Vietnam; stand, issued in Tass statement, is sharpest on subject of Vietnam in many months; statement endorses Hanoi diplomatic note sent Mar 18 to parties that participated in Vietnam peace conf a yr ago; holds persistent tension in S Vietnam is result of 'grossly provocative activities' of Saigon Govt, backed by US 'imperialist circles,' which refuse to reckon with 2 zones of control, 2 adms and 2 armed forces existing in S Vietnam; USSR stand seen as response to Hanoi pressure; visit of N Vietnamese Premier Pham Van Dong to USSR in mid-Mar noted (M)

Survey on causes of US inflation notes majority of economists believe Govt must stop trying to drive econ so fast, 5% unemployment, which is roughly considered to be 'full'; adds efforts to get joblessness below 5% must rely on public-service employment programs for hard-to-employ; notes that creation of new, low-skilled public-service jobs has met resistance within govt, but outside conservative economists seem to be increasingly in favor of idea (S)