December 20, 1974

NYC and group of leaders representing munic unions agree to seek voluntary retirement of city employes aged 63 to 70 to save jobs of 860 younger employes who are scheduled to be dismissed in budget-cutting layoffs recently announced by Mayor Beame; agreement is alternative to earlier plan, which would have forced retirement of 860 older Civil Service employes to save jobs of younger workers--plan that was declared illegal by US Labor Sec Peter J Brennan; First Deputy Mayor James A Cavanagh, in announcing alternative, repts that to give union actuaries time to find prospective volunteers, 510 employes scheduled to be dismissed will receive mo's reprieve; 510 represent part of 1st wave of 1,510 munic layoffs announced by Beame Nov 22 in effort to decrease deficit in city's $11.1-billion expense budget (L)

judicial source repts that Gov-elect Carey has recd recommendations from his court reform study panel that most judges should be apptd rather than elected with Gov's choices ltd to list of possible appointees screened by 11-member review panel

Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller sworn in on Dec 19 as 41st Vice Pres of US by Chief Justice Burger, televised ceremony in Sen chamber; escorted to Sen by Pres Ford; members of Rockefeller family, Cong, Cabinet and NYS dignitaries watch ceremony; Rockefeller was earlier approved by HR, 287-128; Ford, in statement, hails confirmation; Rockefeller makes inaugural statement, assumes seat as Sen presiding officer after welcomes from Sens Robert C Byrd and Hugh Scott; 66 members of HR had argued for and against his confirmation; votes against him seemed to come from coalition of liberal Dems and conservative Repubs; 134 Dems voted yes and 99 voted no, 13 were regis as not voting and 1 voted present; 153 Repubs voted yes, 29 voted no and 5 were listed as not voting; Rockefeller becomes 2d Vice Pres to be chosen without public vote; Pres Ford was 1st; Repr Peter W Rodino Jr, and Repr John J Rhodes, in statement, supported confirmation; Reprs Robert W Kastenmeier, Wright Patman, Otis G Pike, Samuel S Stratton and Herman Badillo opposed it; Repr Shirley Chisholm also supported Rockefeller; Rockefeller illus being sworn in by Burger; illus with Pres Ford; illus speaking in Sen chamber (L)

The chief prosecutor at the Watergate cover‐up trial began his final argument to the jury yesterday after 46 days of testimony. The prosecutor, James F. Neal, mocked and scorned the five defendants. Page 18.

State Dept officials rept Soviet Amb Dobrynin told Sec Kissinger Dec 18 that USSR is angry at Cong adoption of ceiling on Export-Import Bank credits to Moscow, regarding this as failure of US to live up to its side of detente; move follows Soviet disavowal of deal on emigration for trade benefits; developments underscore fragility of whole relationship between US and USSR and complexity of Kissinger's serving in effect as middleman between Cong and USSR (M)