November 11, 1974

NYC taxi indus, beset by inflationary economics that have sent fares up and quality of service down, now finds its various factions engaged in angry struggle in which traditional structure of business is being questioned; basic to conflict is whether large fleets, which have long dominated taxi service in city, can or should survive; fleet critics contend that recent 17.5% fare increase was necessary only to preserve fleets; fleet owners say their way of doing business is best because it assures public of round-the-clock service; say new fare rise is inadequate to offset their spiraling operating costs and should be regarded as only 1st step toward massive fare increase; growing aspect of indus struggle concerns recent innovation of 2-cab, 2-man minifleets; owner-drivers see them as threats to their existence because they lower value of medallions; Taxi Comm Chmn Moses Kove says indus is changing from fleet domination to expanding influence by individual owner-drivers and minifleets; would like to see indus' power, now concentrated among 68 fleet owners, dispersed; Ind Taxi Owners Guild pres Sal Baron opposes trend to minifleets; Met Taxicab Trade Bd pres Joseph Acierno contends owners should receive abatement on taxes when buying new taxis and should not be made to pay $100-a-yr medallion use fee, or $100 annual st-use tax; says they should also receive abatement on 8c a gallon tax on gasoline; comm Deputy Comr Stanley Katz and indus spokesman Arthur Gore comment; charts compare cost of 1-mi taxicab ride in major US cities and indus expenses as estimated by fleet owners and taxi comm; illus (L)

1st in series of articles on worker democracy focuses on Scandinavian factory workers; discusses far-reaching reform program to make work more challenging and satisfying; key to experimental program is worker autonomy; article notes that while experiment ordinarily would meet resistance from labor and mgt many Western indus nations, faced with high degree of worker discontent, are beginning to welcome ideas to heighten worker morale; notes that when workers are offered degree of authority productivity increases; illus (M)

ORLEY, W. Va., Nov. 10—The coal strike has begun.

NYS Lt Gov-elect Mary Anne Krupsak's announcement that she will refuse to attend Dem party's 'miniconv' in Kansas City as protest over way NYS delegation was chosen is seen another indication that outspoken Krupsak will not be shy about speaking up against Dem leadership (M)

Brit Sec for N Ireland Merlyn Rees says Brit Govt has no intention of withdrawing 15,000 Brit troops or yielding to demands for setting date for withdrawal, int; acknowledges that public opinion in Eng 'has had enough' of sectarian violence in Ulster and frustrations over finding solutions but troop withdrawal would lead to 'real civil war between Roman Caths and Prots; seeks to stem increasing demands in GB for drastic shift in policy that would bring troops home; 'Troops Out Movement,' including at least 6 Labor MPs, has been formed to campaign for withdrawal in view of 'abysmal failure' of Brit policy; since '69, 229 soldiers have been killed and nearly 1,400 wounded in Ulster; Rees says that stepped-up IRA campaign in GB could spur pleas to pull out troops; says it could also lead to proposals for tougher action in N Ireland and tougher penalties for terrorists; says there has been decline of violence in recent mos; deplores continuing flow of money from Irish Amers to IRA; says latest Brit plan, calling for 'const conv' of elected delegates to be chosen in elections in '75 to try to draft proposals for new pol structure, faces formidable hurdles (M)