May 18, 1974

record heat on May 17 results in extensive delays on LIRR when two third rails buckle at station in Woodside, Queens (S)

Repr Roncallo acquitted on May 17 of all charges of extortion and conspiracy by Fed grand jury, Westbury, NY; immediately announces that he will ask HR to investigate indictment; his por; co‐defendant Deputy Comr Frank Antetomaso also acquitted; they had been charged with coercing William F Cosulich, head of engineering co doing business with Town of Oyster Bay in Sept ‘70 into making $1,000 contribution when Roncallo was Town Repub leader; courtroom scene as verdict is rendered described; Roncallo says that he is studying civil suit ‘against all those individuals responsible for my unjust persecution'; says that he will ask Nassau County Dist Atty William Cahn to examine trial record for perjury; says that Asst US Atty Peter R Schlam and his asst Robert Katzberg told him that he would be indicted unless he ‘came up with programed testimony against Cahn and Assemblyman Joseph M Margiotta'; Schlam, who was reptdly hospitalized because of overdose of barbiturates allegedly given him by someone, is still guarded by marshals

NYC Fire Dept suspends sale of new uniforms to firemen amid complaints that new clothing is highly flammable; comr repr Robert Perez says Public Works Dept lab tests show uniforms are ‘in compliance’ with Fed Commerce Dept flammability standards, but that Comr John T O'Hagan has also decided to order no more from mfr pending outcome of further tests and study; rule requiring wearing of new uniforms on duty is reptdly not being enforced; Uniformed Firefighters Assn, which set standards for uniform jointly with dept, confirms there have been many safety complaints but withholds judgment pending tests next wk by ind lab; more than 30,000 uniforms, which are polyester and cotton, have been sold by dept supply stores over last 6 mos; firemen have only been required to wear uniforms since Jan 1; complaints increased after Fireman Louis Picconi was found with his uniform trousers melted and fused onto his legs in Apr 30 fire (M)

Commerce Dept revises 1st qr of ‘74 data on inflation and GNP; econ performance was somewhat worse than previously reptd; inflation rate raised from earlier estimate of 10.8% to 11.5%; decline in real GNP raised from earlier estimate of 5.8% to 6.3%; data for Apr indicate some improvement; Econ Advisers Council last wk told Congressional Joint Econ Com it sees 1% rise in real GNP for whole yr; Commerce Dept repts corp pretax profits, swollen by impact of inflation on inventories, rose $12.7‐billion, or 10%, in 1st qr to $140.1‐billion; chart showing corp profits after taxes, qrly, ‘71‐1st qr of ‘74; chart showing GNP, seasonally adjusted, in terms of ‘58 dollars and current dollars, 4th qr of ‘71‐1st qr of ‘74 (M)

May 18: Israeli planes strike Lebanon for 2d day on May 17, bombing villages in eastern part of country; raids, which follow killing of 20 Israeli students by 3 Palestinian guerrillas in village of Maalot, are lighter than on May 16; Lebanese Defence Ministry says villages near base of Mt Hermon were strafed and struck with rockets resulting in death of woman; Syrian mil communique says Syrian fighters intercepted Israeli jets attacking targets in Lebanon and ‘chased them out of Lebanese air space'; repts that 1 Israel plane was seen crashing; says all Syrian planes returned safely; Israeli spokesman says all Israeli planes returned; official Lebanese rept on casualties in May 16 bombing of Palestinian refugee camps and southern villages says there were 48 dead, 20 missing and 174 wounded; say 120 homes were destroyed; Lebanese Information Min Fahmi Shahine condemns Israeli air raid; calls on world opinion to condemn Israel's action; Palestine Liberation Orgn political dept head Farouk Kaddoumi says 53 bodies were found in ruins at Nabatieh and Ein al Helweh refugee camps near Saida; UN Relief Adm for Palestinian Refugees confirms figures; Kaddoumi says answer to Israeli attack will be ‘acceleration of Palestinian action inside Israel'; map (M)