June 27, 1975

Commerce Dept repts composite index of leading econ indicators for May was at 95.9 ('67 equals 100), up 2.1% for 3d straight mo of gain; data provide Adm economists with what they call encouraging evidence of early and strong recovery; Asst Sec James L Pate comments; Apr gain is revised downward from 4.2% to 3%; May index is still 25% below peak in mid-'73; graph; McGraw Hill repts mfg, mining and utilities industries operated at 66% of capacity in May, down 1% from Mar and Apr, and 17.5% below yr-ago level (M)

United Press International

Pres Ford's Interagency Task Force on Indochina Refugees study bears out Govt's long-standing contention that large numbers of women and children among S Vietnamese refugees would minimize impact on US job mkt; statistics noted (S)

US Sup Ct rules unanimously that mental patients cannot be confined in insts against their will and without treatment if they are dangerous to no one and are capable of surviving on the outside; ruling appears likely to force ultimate release from mental insts of thousands of estimated total of 250,000 patients regarded as untreated, harmless and not likely to become community charges; Ct refuses to answer 2 related const questions: whether dangerous mentally ill have right to treatment when involuntarily confined and whether state can confine nondangerous mentally ill against their will to give them treatment; Bruce Ennis of NY Civil Liberties Union says insts will no longer exist as 'dumping grounds' for the old, poor and friendless; Kenneth Donaldson, whose suit for damages took case to Sp Ct, calls ruling 'victory fo common sense'; spent nearly 15 yrs in Fla mental hosp before his release in '71; Donaldson illus (M)

HR votes, 395-4, for a $5.6-billion appropriations bill to fund Depts of State, Justice and Commerce and Fed Judiciary for fiscal '76 (S)