June 17, 1993

ONCE upon a time in the Philippines, 10,000-odd miles from the nearest Knoll International furniture showroom in New York City, Charlotte and Jacques Raven, young residents of Manila with a penchant for classic modern furniture, bought a pair of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's chrome-and-leather Barcelona chairs for at least $1,000 less than the original. They were knockoffs, of course, made to the German architect's original 1929 specifications by Filipino artisans, but the two X-frame chairs with matching ottomans cost the Ravens 50 percent less than the Mies-approved editions manufactured by Knoll. Better yet, the imitations looked just as good as the real thing. Only an expert could spot the difference; five years later, a child could.

Legislative leaders in Albany said that they had agreed to toughen penalties on motorists caught driving with suspended licenses. For the first time, the authorities would be able to bring felony charges against the most serious repeat offenders. Article, page B1.

AT first glance, it seems a simple portrait of privileged Southern living -- a sparkling backyard pool, a family gathered in a comfortable den, a four-foot-wide television that flickers with camcorder images of a relative's sprawling new home. Only one thing suggests that Carol Rasco has seen more than suburban comfort. That is the figure strapped in a wheelchair. That is her son, Hamp.

The system of limiting rent increases on apartments in New York City and surrounding counties is under the most determined attack in nearly two decades, with the system's defenders and opponents in the Legislature locked in an uncommon test of wills. The current law, known as rent stabilization, was to expire at midnight Tuesday. But with only minutes to spare, the Legislature passed, and Gov. Mario M. Cuomo signed, an extension of the law that will last eight days, allowing a continuance of the fight over one of the most sensitive laws on the books of New York.

Prostate cancer is being diagnosed at a higher rate than ever before, according to new data from the National Cancer Institute. And as more cancers are diagnosed, record numbers of men are undergoing radiation or operations to remove the prostate. But no evidence exists to show that this aggressive effort to diagnose and treat the cancer has had any effect in improving survival. And most of the increase in diagnosis can be attributed to new, more advanced diagnostic techniques, researchers say. 16% Increase Reported In fact, they say, more cancers are being caught at an earlier, more treatable stage. The real risk is in the treatment. Removal of the prostate not only has a higher death rate than comparable kinds of surgery, but it can also cause impotence and incontinence in large numbers of patients.