July 20, 1979

Carter Adm, in unexpected move, asks Congress to restrict, but not absolutely prohibit, mergers of country's 18 biggest oil companies with other large businesses; action amounts to qualified support for more sweeping bill sponsored by Senators Kennedy and Metzenbaum that would prohibit outright an acquisition by any of 16 largest oil companies of a company with assets of $100 million or more; bill has been approved by Senate antitrust subcommittee; Adm's stand is 1st time White House has supported any bill that would broaden restrictions on mergers detailed in Clayton Antitrust Act (M)

Fred C Trump, president of Trump Organization, says company plans to covert more than 100 buildings it owns from oil heat to gas; Con Ed and Brooklyn Union Gas say conversion applications for total of about 215 buildings have been approved and others are being considered; other apartment building managers making switch are Glenwood Management Co and Lefrak Organization (M)

FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1979

NYS PSC staff calls for rejection of plans by Lilco to build 2 nuclear power plants in Jamesport, LI; previously supported projects; says construction costs, which have risen to $4.5 billion from original estimate of $1.2 billion, may rise even more in light of design modifications that might be required as result of investigations of accident at 3 Mile Island plant; other objections raised in report, which was written by Joel Blau and Jeffrey E Stockholm, are that there is insufficient need for added generating capacity, that nuclear power has lost its cost advantage over coal, that an earlier hearing failed to discuss potential health and safety hazards in nuclear plants, that there is no adequate evacuation plan for area, and that problem of disposal of nuclear wastes has not been dealt with; William A Edwards, Lilco spokesman, disputes findings and asserts that 2 plants are especially needed following Pres Carter's call to reduce country's dependence on oil (M)

Summer theater directory; illus (L)