February 21, 1988

LEAD: For the first time since Ronald Reagan became President more than seven years ago, the American public generally does not believe the nation's future will be better than its present or its past, according to a New York Times/ CBS News Poll.

LEAD: Rupert Murdoch and 10 unions agreed early yesterday on $22 million in concessions to save The New York Post, and hours later plans were under way to rejuvenate the paper and win back readers and advertisers who have defected in recent months.

LEAD: FROM every appearance, Lawrenceville School is a traditional preparatory school where things have not changed much since its founding in 1810.

LEAD: THROUGHOUT the country, corporate chiefs are sounding paeans to American industry's rebound from the competitive doldrums. In speeches, published papers and annual reports, they note how they have cut the fat out of management layers and divested businesses that did not fit in with overall corporate strategy.

LEAD: AFTER nearly two years of battling, the stage is set for the showdown between several southern Westchester communities and the New York Power Authority, which wants to run a cable taking inexpensive electricity to Long Island beneath their streets.