July 19, 1978

Soviet ct rules that Amer correspondents Craig R Whitney (NY Times) and Harold D Piper (Baltimore Sun) have libeled Soviet TV employees; reporters are ordered to publish retraction, either in Soviet or Amer press, and to pay equivalent of $1,647 each in ct costs; ruling follows testimony by convicted dissident, Zviad K Gamsakhurdia, that a televised confession attributed to him in May was genuine; case revd; illus (M)

HR leadership holds back bill authorizing funds for Energy Dept for next fiscal yr because of controversial amendment offered by Repr Jim Wright that would remove price controls from 18% of crude oil produced in US (S)

Article on increased conversion of lofts into apts notes conversions are causing consternation in garment indus, especially among small cos already confused by NYC ordinances and in many instances unable to obtain relocation loans; shift to apts is providing landlords with more revenue through substantially higher rents; illus (L)

Mayor Koch orders re-evaluation of $200-million Woodhull Hosp, Williamsburg, Bklyn; illus; inst is completed but unopened because of high operating costs; daily Medicaid reimbursement would have to be $350 per patient, which NYS refuses to pay; inst costs NYC about $18-million yrly in debt service; was planned in '60s as $85-million replacement for Cumberland and Greenpoint Hosps but cost over $200-million when finished; those hosps would have to be renovated if Woodhull is not used to serve poor Bklyn areas; Dr Martin Cherkasky to head Koch study; hosp has mostly single rooms and is too complex to be run on city's ltd budget (M)

WASHINGTON, July 18 — The House Judiciary Committee, with considerable impassioned debate, voted today to send the full House a resolution extending the deadline for ratification of the equal rights amendment. The vote, on an extension of three years and three months, was 19 to 15.