June 1, 1976

White House repts Pres Ford is planning 7-nation econ conf for summer '76 with Canada, France, GB, Japan, W Ger and Italy as possible follow-up to Nov '75 Rambouillet conf; Treas Sec William Simon comments (S)

Ford seen likely winner in RI Repub Pres primary on June 1; Ronald Reagan is favored in Mont and SD primaries on same day (M)

NYC commits $3.5-million of own funds to rebuild 4-block dilapidated sec of Henry Hudson Pkwy along Riverside Pk at 96th St interchange; Community Planning Bd repr Sally Goodgold says community will inspect plans fully before city seeks bids on work; other community leaders and city officials comment on controversial plans to build hwy (M)

article on exodus of Surinamese population to Netherlands and on efforts of Prime Min Arron to woo it back map; illus (M)

2d in series of 3 articles on status of black Amers on occasion of Bicentennial finds blacks holding almost 4,000 elected posts, more than at any time in nation's history; also finds frustration and sense of unfulfilled potential because figure represents only 0.05% of total elective offices in country; Cleveland blacks William and Lucy Dorsey describe loss of optimism they felt after black Mayor Carl Stokes was replaced by white conservative; Joint Center for Pol Studies pres Eddie N Williams says blacks are being elected at rate of 464 per yr; says by yr 2000 there will be 15,000 blacks in public office but that will be only 3% of total; says black pol power has not peaked and only needs to be mobilized; says blacks hold 4% of 7,565 legis seats in statehouses across country; says of 3,044 seats on county governing bds, blacks hold 557; gives regional comparisons; says count of black mayors decreased from 140 to 127 with Nov 75 elections; holds figures indicate that less blacks are voting due to frustration; some reasons listed for decline in voter interest; black leaders Judge Lloyd D Brown, Cleveland Call and Post publisher William Walker and Carl Stokes comment (L)