February 24, 1975

AFL‐CIO issues energy program calling for conversion of elec power plants from oil to coal, with appropriate application of tech to minimize pollution; urges energy policy that includes ‘stretch‐out’ of environmental restrictions on energy consumption and facilitates expansion of domestic energy; says energy and environmental programs should be viewed as compatible parts of single problem; says extension of emission control standards for auto should be linked to requirement that auto cos increase mileage per gal and lower prices for any cost reduction enjoyed as result of extension (S)

Ken Patton, chmn of NYS Gov Carey's task force on transportation, says study of Port Auth shows books and internal practices of auth in ‘model’ condition and sees no need for sweeping overhauls that critics of agency have proposed; says much of criticism is wrong and misdirected; holds he will try to be as constructive as possible in transition panel's memo on auth that he expects to submit to Carey in 2 wks; acknowledges there are grounds to criticize auth's performance but takes position that seems likely to differ from more critical assessments by NJ authorities now conducting their own inquiries into auth's bookkeeping and agency's chmn Dr William J Ronan; describes auth's bookkeeping as perfect and immaculate and notes he found no confirmation of critics' contentions that Port Auth finances are lumped together in way that conceals lucrative operations as well as money‐losers; says additional breakdowns of figures might make financial analysis easier; says he intends to urge Port Auth to expand such traditional functions as promoting trade and tourism and job development through port; expresses puzzlement over suspicion and paranoia by state toward agency and says Port Auth is notorious for being graft‐free; notes agency has never been involved in scandal while NYS and NJ each has over 100 officials in jail: current status of other inquiries into Port Auth outlined; Theodore W Kheel, traditional critic of Port Auth, denounces agency as tyranny of bureaucracy and reiterates calls for major reorganization, int (L)

Calif educ officials, on theory it is better to diagnose and correct learning problems during child's first few yrs of school than to provide costly remedial programs later, are pursuing massive effort to shift preponderance of educ resources toward very young; state‐funded program, called Early Childhood Educ (EDC), and conceived by Calif School Supt Wilson Riles, described; is based on mounting, though inconclusive, evidence that intellectual potential is fixed by age 8 or earlier and that hs dropping may be prevented by comparatively minor improvements in early grades, view which conflicts with another theory that holds cognitive ability is product of home background and heredity; NY Times independent review of Riles's statistics showing increase in student test scores finds little evidence to support claims of success or failure of program (L)

prosperous farming state of Iowa, which for mos has had lowest unemployment rate in nation, begins to feel impact of deepening recession; among those cos that have announced layoffs or implemented shortened workweeks are John Deere, Maytag, Armour Meat Packing, Armstrong Rubber and Firestone Tire and Rubber; even though Dec unemployment rate climbed to 3.6%‐from 3%, in Nov and 2.1% in Oct, it was just half natl rate; Iowa Employment Security Comm has made preliminary estimate that joblessness rose to 5.1% in Jan, sharper 1‐mo increase than natl one from 7.2%‐to 8.2%; W Ronald Sagraves, Iowa's econ affairs dir who is also chmn of Gov Robert D Ray's Econ Advisers Council, concedes state is keeping wary eye on developments; Clay W Seaton of Research and Statistics Dept of Iowa Unemployment Security Comm observes ‘it seems like we're catching up with the rest of the country’; illus (L)

Mrs Eleonor Juocepiene is allowed to emigrate from Lithuania to US to meet brother, John Atkash, she has not seen in 30 yrs; both left US in ′23 to return to Lithuania; Walter J Stoessel Jr, now US Amb to USSR, began diplomatic efforts in ′45 to get Juocepiene exit visa; illus of reunion (M)