Forecast: Increasing cloudiness, warmer. High 50s, low 20s.
84th Year, No. 81
The University of Kansas—Lawrence Kansas
Federal Jobs Going Fast
Friday, February 1, 1974
See Story Page 2
Farm Prices Increase 9% In a Month
WASHINGTON (AP)—Prices of raw farm products jumped nine per cent from mid-December to mid-January, including another big rise for wheat to a record $5.29 a bushel, the Agriculture Department said yesterday.
The farm price index rose 1.5 per cent from November to December after declining for three consecutive months. The year had soared to a record level last August.
Wheat averaged $4.78 a bushel in early December and was $2.38 in January 1973. Increases were triggered by big export demand. Wheat prices have risen most rapidly since last summer.
PERHAPS MOST important in the near future for consumers was a 12 per cent increase from Dec. 15 in the meat animal index.
Compared with mid-January a year earlier, these prices averaged 21 per cent higher. Meat products make up about 32 per cent of a family's food spending.
Advances in livestock prices point to January food prices breaking the August record when new statistics are available in a few weeks.
FOR WHEAT, the report showed a continuation of a round of price increases dating back to July 1972, when farmers averaged about $1.32 a bushel. Last July, as they harvested a record crop, it was $2.47 a bushel.
Exports then soared to a record 737 million bushels, including flour装料. That was a 50 per cent gain from July-December 1972.
Prices paid by farmers for operating expenses rose two per cent during the month and averaged 17 per cent above January last year.
That put the government's farm parity ratio at 94 per cent, compared with 89 in December and 80 a year earlier. For all of 1973 the indicator averaged 88 per cent. Prices and costs theoretically are in balance when the ratio is at 100 per cent.
The government has removed acreage restrictions for 1974 crops of wheat, cotton and feed grains. Agriculture officials say that record grain harvests can be expected.
WHEAT PRODUCTION in 1974 is projected at more than two billion bushels, up from the previous record set last year of 1.7 billion. Officials say that will be enough to meet all domestic and export demands in 1974-75 and leave a slight surplus.
But the wheat export momentum points to record shipments of more than 1.2 billion bushels in the year ending June 30. That means the wheat reserves then will be a scant 178 million bushels, the smallest in 27 years.
Reserves of other commodities aren't so critical but large export orders have pushed them.
I've Got It
Kansan Staff Photo by DAVE REGIER
Stephanie Norris (20), Wichita senior, stands ready to assist her teammate. The University of Kansas Women's Basketball team won its battle against K-Site, 42-39, last night in Allen Field House. See story page 6.
One Death, Some Violence Mark Trucker Shutdown
By the Associated Press
One driver was killed and scattered violence was reported yesterday as a shutdown by independent truckers spread across Eastern Appalachian states, and then moved west. Several industries were threatened with lavoffs.
Violent incidents were reported in several states, and except for the death, they didn't cause serious injury.
Kline said of the meeting, which included a group saying it represented 100,000 independent drivers, that the independents, who were protesting high fuel prices and low freight rates, had made it clear that they would have their shutdown.
Other truckers' spokesmen also urged a nationwide shutdown of independent drivers. They said many other drivers were using their radios riffs on the roads at midnight last night.
The death occurred near Allentown, Pa., where police said a rock slammed through the windshield of a moving truck, killing the driver, Ronald Henkel, 33, of Spring Grove. Police said it was a murder, and stated they seeked four men, believed to be truckers.
In Pittsburgh, Pa., Lt. Gov. Ernest Kline said, after a meeting with truckers' representatives, that Gov. Milton Shipp was to have activated the National Guard this morning to keep peace on the state's highways.
The Pittsburgh meeting called by Shapp was designed to try to convince the independent truckers to stop their shutdown and accept federal offers of relief.
Some scattered gatherings of independent drivers were reported in the Southwest, and a large truck terminal in Los Angeles was closed last night by protesting drivers.
But the shutdown appeared strongest in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Some activity was also reported in West Virginia, Indiana, North Carolina, New Jersey and Conn. federal states, patrol cars escorted trucks who wanted to keep their cargo moving.
Officials in Washington said they were worried that a continued stoppage would have an economic impact, and some of that impact appeared about to hit.
A dozen major Appalachian mines were said to be on the verge of shutting down because key materials weren't being delivered.
In Ohio, Youngtown Sheet & Tube said it would temporarily suspend production of flat rolled steel products on Monday for approximately 10 weeks. About 1,000 workers could be affected.
A spokesman for Bethelem Steel Co. said the stoppage had caused a virtual standstill in the movement of products from the company's Bethelem, Pa. plant. He said a situation would be held today to discuss a possible wage reduction. The plant employed 14,000 people.
At Washington Court House south of Columbus, Ohio, a spokesman for Armco Steel Corp. said the firm was closing in on an offer to acquire the shortage. The plant employes 565 persons.
Hiring of Good Health Challenged
By HALRITTER Kansan Staff Reporter
The propriety of hiring Good Health, Inc. by the board of trustees of Lawrence Memorial Hospital was questioned again yesterday at a meeting of the Douglas County Comprehensive Health Planning Council.
Hospital administrator Donald Lenz spent most of the two-hour meeting answering questions about Good Health, most of which he told Mrs. Raymond Cerf, a council member.
Good Health was hired Tuesday by the hospital's trustees to be project manager for the new hospital. The firm's president is Dr. John Simons of Rochester, Minn., brother of Dolph C. Simons Jr., who is publisher of the Daily Journal-World and a hospital trustee.
Cerf read a statement to about 39 people who attended the meeting in which she said there were many questions being asked about Good Health by "just about everyone in our community who is acquainted with the facts."
*IT SEEMS TO me grossly unfair to the hospital board not to get these questions out*
in the open, see what they are, and thereby give the board a chance to answer them, instead of allowing the whispering and the speculation and the gossip to go on. $^{a}$ she
Cerf asked Lenz why Dr. Simons gave a successful career as a plastic surgeon in Rochester to found Good Health last July. Lenz said he didn't know.
Cerf asked the board of trustees happened to hire a firm last August that had been formed only a month earlier, and he had not appointed a director $30,000 contract for a long range plan for health care in Lawrence would lead to a "multimillion dollar association" with the firm.
"Was this contract with our hospital board the first contract ever entered into by Good Health, Inc?" Cerf asked. "Will it, perhaps, be the only one?"
"Lenz said the members of Good Health in their combined experience (before the firm was formed) have consulted . . . on millions of dollars worth of hotels."
HE SAID THE board hadn't realized the great Good Health contract would lead into a lawsuit.
board had hoped Lawrence Memorial could be renovated cheaply.
Cerf said that because Dr. Simons was a brother of a trustee, "it seems to me that the hospital board should bend over backwards and do better." But this doesn't do this might be to get a second opinion."
" impartiality becomes of paramount importance in a case like this, and especially so because Mr. Dolph Simons Jr. and his family are the publishers of our community's only daily newspaper and therefore have a tremendous advantage over the rest of us when it comes to molding public opinion." Cerf said.
Cerf said the Lawrence hospital staff had passed a resolution requesting the hospital board to make a second study of Lawrence's hospital needs. She said that she understood the request had been received by the board and was seemingly going to be ignored.
Lenz said the hospital staff had requested a second study before the complete results of Good health's study had been presented. The study had considered a second study very much.
LENZ SAID a second contract for 1-2 per cent of construction costs was what a firm
was "shooting for when they make the initial long range study."
Cerf said, "I just can't believe you can't hire anyone in the United States to come in and make your hospital study without hiring a firm to be the building consultants.
"It all boils down to whether there is a conflict of interest. We wouldn't be spending all this time discussing if a second firm had been hired."
Dr. Phillip Godwin asked Lenz whether he would ordinarily advise a board member not to participate in a vote to hire his brother.
Lenz said that he would but that he hadn't been hospital administrator last August. August 2015 was Lenz's last.
Cerl then said Lenz had been present when the board voted Tuesday to retain Good Health and hadn't given such advice to Dolph Simons Jr.
LENZ WAS ALSO questioned about the advantages and disadvantages of building a new hospital next to Lawrence Memorial or at Mount Hope Nursery, Good Health's report, according to Cerf, was "pushing" the Mount Hone site and Cerf said she
See HIRING Back Page
In Elkins, W., officials of Kelly's Foundry W. Co., said most of the plant's employees had been laid off because trucks the plant has had 100 employees. The plant has 100 employees.
Special presidential assistant W. J. Usery Jr, said Wednesday the government had offered to increase truck fuel allotments, to permit truckers to pass on increased costs and to triple federal inspections for fuel price gouging.
But James Drinkhall, editor of Overdrive magazine who had called for a strike, said the proposals were totally unsatisfactory, and a rehab of past promises.
Fuel Embargo May Be Lifted, Kissinger Says
Kissinger said he was quite optimistic the embargo would be lifted. He made his remarks to newsman following a closed-door meeting in the House Ways and Means Committee.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger said yesterday that the lifting of the Arab oil embargo would be accompanied by a number of countries at a meeting Feb. 14 in Tripoli,
Kissinger said he put before the committee" our plans for the energy conference and our general expectations in the energy field, the situation in the Middle East and we had a very useful and very constructive discussion about trade matters."
Asked to clarify President Nixon's reference in the State of the Union message Wednesday night about a meeting to discuss litigation of the oil embargo, Kissinger said.
"The President pointed out that in his personal correspondence with friendly leaders in the Middle East he had been called a coward, and was called with a view of ending the encriba."
Questioned whether there is any difference between the conference mentioned by Nixon and the one that had been previously scheduled in Tripoli, Kissinger he said understood that "this will be the item on the agenda at that conference."
While Nixon said it was a new development, government officials said he might have been referring to a scheduled Tripoli meeting that had been announced earlier.
The *White House* provided no clarification. Asked whether the President had referred to the Tripoli meeting or some other meeting, he said only “we’re not in a position to say.”
In his State of the Union address Nixon said the Arab meeting was an encouraging sign, but at the same time asked Congress to provide guarantees to reduce dependence on oil foreign.
Rolfs Criticized by Beisner For Hesitancy to Debate
By JILL WILLIS
Venture Staff Reporter
Kansan Staff Reporter
After being accused of not actively campaigning, Ed Rolfs, Junction City sophomore and candidate for student body president, has agreed to debate campaign issues with his opponent, John Beisner. The state legislature did not yet agreed on a date for the debate.
Rufs sent to Beisner and Todd Hunter, Oklahoma City junior and Beisner's running mate, saying he couldn't attend the game, which was scheduled for this Wednesday.
The letter said he had a previously scheduled appointment that conflicted with the suggested time. And he objected to a debate in the Kansas Union.
He said Rolfs' answer raised a lot of questions about whether Rolfs intended to "hide all next year" if he were elected student body president.
"I think he's copping out," Beisner said, "I think that's just a way to put off the debate so we don't have time to do it before election."
"OTD AND I will be here (in the Union) next Wednesday night at 7:30 and if Ed expects to continue to be a candidate for the student body of KU, we'll expect him to be here."
Hofs said he had scheduled a pre-election party that involved in his campaign for that night.
"I'll have to talk to my campaign people, I would hope we could make the debate easier."
Hunter, a member of the University of Kansas dcbase squad, said he and Beisner
wanted to have a formal debate with a live audience and local radio coverage.
Rolls said he planned to have the chair-
man of the Student Senate Executive
Committee meet.
Rolls said he was more interested in the radio coverage than in an open debate because attendance at campaign debates had dwindled in the last few years.
Hunter said that Kelly Scott, Houston sophomore and Rolfs' mature mate, had never had any experience in a student athlete. He had never been to a senate meeting before.
It's going to take a lot of preparation to be an effective student body vice president.
Hunter said the vice president was the presiding officer of the senate, a job that would be made available to him.
There has also been disagreement between Beiner's and Rolls' conditions over the use of 9mm.
"To be an effective student body vice president, you're going to need to know how the senate operates. It takes at least a year," he said.
Rolls said that Hunter had a narrow view of the role of student body vice president.
He said he didn't expect Scott to become "so bogged down in the bureaucracy of the senate that she couldn't represent the student body."
and student body vice president), has proved this year that the role can be expanded and go far beyond the mere bureaucracy of the Student Senate," he
Film Producer Sam Goldwyn Dies at 91
Samuel Goldwyn, whose tastful taste and colorful language were part of the movie scene for more than half a century, died at his home yesterday. He was 91.
Goldwinn, who had lived most of his life in the limelight, had been confined to his home in recent years. He emerged March 27, 1971, to receive the Medal of Freedom from President Nixon for his "fierce independence, deep respect for quality, strict ethics and uncompromising integrity."
Among Goldwyn's film hits were "Pride of the Yankees," "Up in Arms," "Wuthering Heights," "The Best Years of Our Lives," "Hans Christian Andersen" and "Guys and Dolls." His last film, "Porgy and Bess," was made in 1959.
Lawver Mum on Nixon Knowledge of Backdating
A tax lawyer who admits backdating a deed to President Nixon's nice presidential papers has refused to say under oath whether he told Nixon about it, Edmund G. Brown Jr., California secretary of state, said yesterday.
The White House said Nixon did not tell the lawyer, Frank De Marco Jr., to invoke the attorney-client privilege.
When first questioned, DeMarco said the deed, dated March 27, 1969, was signed in his presence April 21, 1969, by a former deputy White House
After being confronted with evidence that the typewriter on which the deed was typed wasn't purchased until the next July, De Marco admitted last week that copies of the original deed were signed April 10, 1970. He claimed the original deed disappeared.
Evidence Backs Dean, Prosecutor Says
Richard Davis, assistant Watergate prosecutor, said yesterday that evidence supported the story told under oath by presidential accuser
"Based on the evidence we have accumulated so far we have no reason for believing that Mr. Dean has committed perjury in any proceeding," Davis
It was the first public statement from the office of a professional prosecutor Leon Jawaratt that directly contradicted Hugh Scott, R-Pa., who said the case had been investigated by the Justice Department.
Scott was unavailable for comment.
Officials Lose Faith in Energy Conference
The Nixon administration is lowering its expectations for the upcoming international conference which was expected to mark the beginning of a new period of diplomatic engagement.
the conference, scheduled to start Feb. 11 in Washington, is harmed by rivalry and fighting between the State Department, the Treasury, the Federal Energy Office and the Atomic Energy Commission, administration officials. The conflict will take more than a week away, the administration still lacks clear objectives.
Judiciary Committee Seeks Subpoena Power
The House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously yesterday to seek broad authority to subpoena White House documents and witnesses for its
The 21 Democrats and 16 Republicans on the committee approved a resolution that would confer a full authority to conduct the investigation against the former governor.
Approval by the full House, which is expected Tuesday, could cause a confrontation between the committee and President Nixon.
Terrorists in Singapore Burn Oil Tank
Four men set fire to a Shell oil storage in Singapore yesterday, seized five hostages aboard a ship and threatened to kill themselves and the crew. The attack was carried out by a member of the militant group Islamic State.
The Singapore government said it would meet the terrorists' conditions of a plane and the trading of their hostages for the Japanese ambassador and
But this morning the 80-foot船 Laju still sat in Singapore harbor, surrounded by at least 15 police patrol boats and navy gunboats.