August 19, 1975

Commerce Dept repts that housing starts increased 14% in July '75 over previous mo; starts were at annual rate of 1,238,000; units of multifamily housing started in July were at annual rate of 228,000, up 51% over June; single-family starts were at rate of 927,000, up from 879,000 in June; HUD Sec Caria A Hills calls figs 'encouraging'; continuing problem is cost of mortgage money and construction; graph gives housing starts and permits by millions from July '74 through July '75 (M)

2d in series of articles on impact of 3 religions on NYC in last 10 yrs discusses gradual adaptation, not without resistance, undergone by Catholic Ch; Terence Cardinal Cook calls ch 'basically very healthy'; effects and after-effects of Vatican II reforms in NYC discussed; decline in mass attendance and inst loyalty noted; constituency is aging and there is continuing influx of immigrants, mostly Hispanic, and disunity over ch's moral teachings; signs of growing militancy noted; priestly morale has risen since '67; there are fewer priests; Bishop Francis J Mugavero, Revs James Connolly, Joaquin Beaumont, William Geraghty, Philip Murnion and James P Rigney and Msgrs Francis Leonard, Henry T Mansell and Eugene Clark comment; illus of Cooke, Mugavero and Archbishop Luigi Raimondi at Mugavero's installation in '68 (L)

broadcasts from Chinese provinces indicate that China has begun what appears to be an important drive to end factional bickering and labor unrest like events that recently led Peking to send more than 10,000 troops into factories in city of Hangchow; according to broadcasts, these factional and labor troubles have been detrimental to production in some areas; analysts in Hong Kong believe that new drive is not separate campaign but represents intensification of program begun earlier in yr to promote production and achieve stability and unity; analysts also see campaign as reflecting tough, often blunt character of Deputy Premier Teng Hsiao-ping, who now administers country on daily basis (M)

Officials of NY Hosp Cornell Med Center say they became aware last yr of deterioration of Marcus brothers, twin gynecologists who died in July of barbiturate addiction, and attempted several corrective steps culminating in dismissal of drs from hosp's staff

US Pioneer Electronics Corp, Teac Corp of Amer, Sherwood Electronic Laboratories Inc and Sansui Electronic Corp, major mfrs of high-fidelity equipment sign consent agreement with FTC that prohibits them from coercing dealers and using other illegal means to fix prices of their products; agreement and continuing probe of other audio mfrs by FTC expected to result in lower retail prices for stereo equipment; 4 cos barred from fair-trading their products for 5 yrs in states where the practice is still permitted, and from using suggested resale prices for next 2 yrs in any part of US; FTC officials Richard Givens, Sherwood officials Thomas Pickett and Pioneer official Ralph Laws comment (M)