February 3, 1976

Donations of more than $1.6‐million, including $850,000 contribution by Enid Annenberg Haupt, will enable restoration work that had been jeopardized by NYC's fiscal crisis to begin in Mar on NY Botanical Garden; other benefactors include Mr and Mrs Charles Burlingham, Helen Watson Buckner, Mrs Morgan Fearly and Morgan Guaranty Trust Co of NY; restoration of building is ex pected to cost $3.5‐million; Botanical Garden pres Dr Howard S Irwin comments (M)

officials of NYC Finance Adm say total value of taxable real property in NYC will decline in '76 for 1st time in 33 yrs; say projected decline is result of virtual halt in new construction of all types of bldgs and continuing abandonment of residential property (M)

Utilities rept scattered power failures resulting from Feb 2 ice and snowstorm (S)

Moynihan resigns as US chief repr to UN, citing in lr to Ford that he no longer has leave of absence from his professorship at Harvard; Ford accepts resignation ‘with deepest regret and reluctance’ neither mentions recent controversy over Moynihan's style, which is revd; Harvard Dean Rosovsky notes Moynihan will stay at UN as Security Council pres during Feb and commute to Harvard for seminars; Moynihan illus (L)

NY Times survey on passage of scores of laws that are forcing 1‐million state and local officials to disclose their financial status; in last 3 yrs, 28 states have either enacted personal financial disclosure laws or closed loopholes in those that were on books; 10 other states already had such legis, which was widely ignored; laws limit penalties to fines; effects of laws have varied with stringency of requirements; spot check of most of 22 states with such provisions indicates that laws have led to mountains of paperwork, creation of new bureaucracies, ct challenges to new statutes and even resignations of some officials; proponents of personal disclosure laws cite achievements of laws; states in Far West and along Pacific Coast appear to have most stringent financial disclosure laws; loopholes in laws noted (L)