July 1, 1997

Recent spate of high-profile killings may have given New Yorkers impression that crime has been rising, but preliminary police statistics show that it continues to fall throughout city during first half of 1997 and that murder rate was dropping fastest of all; statistics show that through June 29 there were 371 reported homicides, nearly 30 percent decline from 529 reported homicides a year ago (M)

President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore attend fund raising event at performance of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at St James Theater in midtown Manhattan; performance was specially arranged by show's producers for Democratic National Committee, which purchased entire 1,600 house seats for event; show was part of three-pronged fund raiser in city that was expected to raise $1.5 million; photo (M)

University of Chicago researchers Drs Martha K McClintock and Gilbert Herdt say puberty may actually begin around age 6, kicked off by adrenal gland sex steroids, article in journal Current Directions in Psychological Science; say early hormonal activity is responsible for sexual attraction, which first manifests itself from ages 9 to 10; say evidence indicates attraction followed in sequence by actual desire and finally readiness to act on desire; McClintock says sexuality is process of development that begins in middle childhood and not precipitous psychological event that emerges at single moment (M)

The handover of Hong Kong re-moves from British rule 6.3 million people, reducing Her Majesty's pos-sessions to a scattering of outposts and islands. But it can still be said that the sun does not set on the British Empire. At every moment, at some far-flung corner of the revolv-ing globe, it is daytime in a place where the Union Jack flies. Britain now nine inhabited territories, with a total population of about 200,000, and a few tinier uninhabited holdings.

ART DEALER ARRESTED -- An art dealer who advised Hollywood celebrities was charged with defrauding clients of $2.5 million. B3. BUSINESS ATTIRE? -- Vincent Gigante wore a suit jacket in court but he was dressed in his trademark bathrobe, according to testimony, during a meeting of Mafia leaders. B2. A BORDER BATTLE -- Each waging advertising campaigns, New York and New Jersey fought over enticing or keeping companies. Metro Business. B5.