2
Friday, March 22, 1974
University Daily Kansan
U.S. Cost of Living Increases 1.3 Per Cent
Rising food costs led by the biggest jump in beef prices in 27 years drove the cost of living up 1.3 per cent in February and resulted in the worst inflation in the United States since the 1940s.
The Labor Department said yesterday that February's increase pushed consumer credit 10 per cent higher than a year ago, resulting in the first double-digit inflation since a 10.2 per cent rise in the 12 months ending January 1998.
3-10 years At the same time, purchasing power of American workers declined for the fifth straight month.
Briton Gets Murder Charge for Plot on Anne
Brton Gels Murder Charge for 14-year-old Ian Ball, an unemployed Englishman, was charged yesterday with attempted murder in connection with an abortive attempt to kidnap Princess Anne near Buckingham Palace.
Four persons were wounded in the shooting 150 yards from the palace Wednesday night. Anne, 23-year-old daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband, cavalry Capt. Mark Phillips, were unhurt.
"There is no present indication that this was other than an isolated act by an individual." Home Secretary Roy Jenkins told the House of Commons yesterday. But he ordered security arrangements to be tightened for the royal family and other prominent persons.
$17 Million for Nixon's Homes, Report Says
A draft report concluding that the government has spent $17 million on President Nixon's homes, including some funds not requested by the Secret Service, was approved by the House Government Operations subcommittee yesterday.
year.
Jack Brooks, D-Tex, and chairman of the subcommittee, said the $17 million included the $10 million for security and military costs previously reported for the President's homes, plus $7 million in salaries for federal employees at or associated with the homes.
Juror's Illness Delays Mitchell-Stans Trial
The sudden illness of a woman jitter interrupted the criminal conspiracy trial of former Atty. Gen. John N. Mitchell and ex-Commerce Secretary Maurice H. Stans yesterday in New York. Ousted White House Counsel John W. Deepe III was waiting to take the stand.
The appearance of Dean, described by the government as a critical witness in the case, was deferred until Monday, when the trial is scheduled to begin.
Judge Glea Gallardi said yesterday the juror, Violet Humbert, had been hospitalized after becoming ill at the location where the jurors are sequestered
Nixon's Rating at All-time Low, Gallup Says
President Nixon's popularity has dropped to an all-time low and only 25 per cent of the public approves of the way he is doing his job, according to the survey conducted by Bloomberg.
The poll indicated that 64 per cent of the public disapproves of the way Nixon is handling his duties as president. Eleven per cent said they were
According to Gallup, Nixon's latest rating was two per cent higher than the lowest rating given to any president since the surveys were initiated during the second term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. That rating of 23 per cent went to President Harry S. Truman in November 1951.
Laws Designed to Stop Fraudulent Practices
By KENN LOUDEN
Kansas Staff Reporter
If a consumer thinks he is a victim of fraud, it is his responsibility to seek legal aid, Bob Landman, president of the Consumer Protection Association (CPA), said in a discussion last night on the legal issues for fraud and deceitful sales practices.
Landman, a University of Kansas law school graduate, said at a CPA workshop in Des Moines on Monday he thought he'd been cheated. He said the Kansas Consumer Protection Act which was passed last July gave the consumer right to sue the act against deceitful sales practices.
"The consumer protection laws that apply in Kansas are among the toughest in the country."
THE ACT covers false, misleading or deceptive sales involving goods, services, land and leases. Only insurance and securities aren't covered, he said, because the insurance companies have a powerful lobby.
Landman said the Kansas attorney general's office in Topeka handled most of the fraud complaints. It is also the most effective agency, he said.
The most common complaint the attorney general received was the "bait and switch" trick. This occurs when an advertiser aderts a product to a consumer who persuades the buyer to purchase something at a higher price. The attorney general receives about 7,000 of these complaints annually.
THE OFFICE also handles many warranty frauds, Landman said. The new law says that all warranties in Kansas must be honored. This has upset many dealers who formerly used a false warranty as a sales technique, he said.
Llandman said the Federal Trade Commission in Kansas City, Mo., was also helpful in cases of fraud, but they couldn't enforce the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. Unlike the Attorney General's office, he didn't collect the defrauded money, he said.
"However, the powers of the FTC are broader," he said. "The main complaint is that the FTC acts after a business has already taken the first bite. The business can be penalized only after a lawsuit has been filed."
LANDMAN SAID many towns had a Better Business Bureau. This is an apprise organization consisting of businesses that have joined together to prevent fraudulent practices. Landman said this type of organization had been criticized often for being unfair if one of their members became involved in a complaint.
Society, Landman said. He said the society was good at immediately going to work on a project.
Individuals who don't have much money should go to the Douglas County Legal Aid
A NEW PROCEDURE for prosecuting fraud cases is the Small Claims Court which allows people to go into court without an attorney, Landman said. He said that this eliminated the problem of an attorney not wanting to take the case, but that the court could only be applied when the claim was under $300.
Landman said the CPA office in the Kansas Union was the most easily accessible consumer protection agency for KU students. The CPA is most effective in making use of internet stocks—press and online people and businesses that are guilty of fraud.
"It is to the consumer's advantage to look for legal and," Landman said. "My advice is to be careful and take these precautions."
present Kansas City Philharmonic
Conducted by Jorge Mester
Sunday, March 24 7:30 p.m.
Hoch Auditorium
Tickets available at SUA (864-3477) or at the doo
FRIDAY, MARCH 22 ROCK 'N' ROLL AT THE
50's DANCE
with special guests
"THE SHOOTING STARS"
7:30-12 p.m. in the Union Ballroom FREE Beer and Popcorn Dance and Costume Prizes Admission $2.00
Freshman Class Card Holders FREE Sponsored by the Freshman Class