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Universitv Dalilv Kansan, October 23. 1980
News Briefs From United Press International
Inflation negates rise in U.S. income
WASHINGTON—The government confirmed yesterday what most Americans already knew-although they now are making more money, their lifestyles are not improving significantly.
The Census Bureau reported that the median income of a family of four rose 11.6 percent in 1970, to $19,844. But inflation, as measured in the survey, declined 2.5 percent in 1970.
The report also said that last year 25.3 million people, or about 5.3 million families, lived on incomes below the poverty level of $7,412.
The median figure is the point at which there are as many families with higher incomes as there are with lower incomes.
Although this figure is an increase of 700,000 from the year before, the Centu Bureau said the number was not considered significantly different at this time.
During the last 10 years, the report said, real median family income rose early in the decade, fell during the recession and began to rise again in the subsequent years.
As a result, when adjusted for inflation, median family income last year was just 7 percent higher than in 1970, an increase of only 0.7 percent a year During the 1960s, it rose at an average rate of 3 percent annually and was 3.3 percent a year in the 1950s.
The figures do not cover the 1980 recession.
U.S.. China sign four-year grain pact
PEKING - China and the United States yesterday signed a four-year grain deal that will give American farmers an easierBonanza and could help them increase their profitability by creating bid.
The deal coincided with the announcement by the Soviet Union of another disastrous crop forecast for 1980, estimated at only 181 million tons, well below all predictions. The Soviet Union already is suffering from a U.S. grain embargo imposed because of its invasion of Afghanistan.
Carter came under severe criticism from American farmers when he banned further sales to Moscow, but sources said he hoped to regain farmers' support with the China deal. At the same time, he wants to underline the potency of America's "agricultural weapon" in international politics.
After two months of highly secretive negotiations, stalled once because of China's anger at news leaks, U.S. Ambassador Leonard Woodcock and Foreign Trade Minister Li Qiang signed the agreement. The pact guarantees that trade will receive 6 million and 9 million tons of grain annually for four years, starting Jan.
The agreement covers 15 to 20 percent corn, and the rest is for urgently needed wheat to cover an expected 6 percent drop this year in China's harvest. In addition, Australia, another major grain supplier, is expected to slash exports to China because of its own bad harvest.
Nuclear plants get mixed poll reviews
TOPEKA—The chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission says a poll showing that nearly half of 1,000 Kansans surveyed oppose construction of nuclear power plants in Kansas is an indication of the confusion surrounding the issue.
Richard Loux, KCC chairman, commented on the results of the Topeka Capital-Journal's Kansas Poll, released yesterday. The poll found that 47 percent of those interviewed opposed the building of nuclear plants, 42 percent favored it and 11 percent were undecided.
The poll, which interviewed 997 people over the telephone between Oct. 11 and 16, asked, "Do you favor or oppose the building of nuclear power plants?"
Most of the opposition to the nuclear power plants came from the District in western Kansas and from rural residents. Also disapproving of the district's plans, some residents formed a group.
"I think it shows that people are very uncertain or confused about the benefits versus the risks of nuclear weapons." There are so many problems that we can't know who to believe in.
Bob Rives, vice president for system services of Kansas Gas and Electric Co., said the poll was inconsistent with other public opinion polls on the same question. Other polls generally have an approval rate of 50 to 60 percent for power, with about 30 percent opposed and the rest undecided. Rives said
South Korea accepts new constitution
SEOUL, South Korea—South Koreans turned out in record numbers yesterday to vote on a new constitution. Early returns showed nearly unanimous support for the charter, which allows President Chun Doo-hwan to stay in power until 1988.
Election committee officials estimated 93 percent of the 20 million eligible voters in South Korea voted on the referendum.
Early returns showed 92.2 percent of the voters supported the government-drafted charter. The final count will be announced today.
Passage of the new constitution required a simple majority. Its acceptance was a sign of public support for Chun, the former army general who had been in power in a bloody military shakeup last December and steadily consolidated his grip until he won an unchallenged presidential election Sept. 1.
Under the previous constitution, Chun's tenure of office would expire in 1844, but Chun had said he would seek reelection in March under the new constitution.
Chun hailed the new constitution as a framework for the realization of a democratic welfare society in South Korea.
Iraq claims capture of 6 Iranian cities
BASRA, Iraq — Iraq claimed major victories yesterday in its month-old conflict, which the forces had captured six towns in six days and seized many Iranian territory.
Iran, which again bombed Baghdad, vowed that the defenders of the oil refinery city of Abadabad would fight to their "last drop of blood" and said no question. Mr. Obama's statement was clear.
The U.N. Security Council said yesterday that it would hold another public meeting about the Persian Gulf conflict today.
Iran sent a message to U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim yesterday denying rumors that it intended to blockade vital oil tanker lanes through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it would not spare any effort to keep the waterway open.
Eagleton denies homosexuality charge
ST. LOUIS--Missouri Sen. Thomas Eagleton yesterday strongly denied a claim by his bid to extort $230,000 from Eagleton. From the lawsuit, he had a harmous statement in Florida.
Iraqi forces raced to build a 60-mile highway across the desert from Basra to consolidate their siege of the Iranian city of Abwaz.
"It's absolutely and totally false," Englandon said of his niece's accusation. Englandon read a hard-written note in the federal courtroom in which he pleaded guilty to the charge.
The senator is bisexual, if not totally gay. He was seen with an experienced nurse at La Terraza in Key West, Fla. He was fairly disheveled, not insected, on a bed.
La Terrazza De Marti is a restaurant and guesthouse frequented by the gay community in Key West.
Eagleton, who is seeking re-election, said he never had been to La Terrazza and had been to once only on a 1972 fishing trip with his wife. He is now at D-Wing.
The government contends that Weigand, 24, threatened to publicize the information unless Eagleton bought her share of a family-owned business for $220,000. Weigand and her former lawyer, Stephen Poludniak, are charged with one count each of extortion and conspiracy.
Weligand's attorney, Leonard Frankel, told the information that he just gossiped she had heard from her older sister, who had been in Key West.
Hopes again raised for hostages' release
By United Press International
Rajal told a Tehran news conference that the United States was ready to accept Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini's four conditions for the release of the 52 American hostages, now held by Iran for 344 days.
The anniversary of their capture is Nov. 4, Election Day in the United States.
Raji rejected any link between the release of the Americans and obtaining American citizenship.
IN WASHINGTON, State Department spokesman John Trattner repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether the United States thought it had met the four conditions laid down by Khomeini.
parts, needed by Tehran for its fighting with Iran.
Trattner said, however, that the atmosphere of optimism about a resolution of the hostage crisis arise from facts which are simply not in view.
Tehran sources, reached by telephone from London, said Rajai had left it unclear whether the Maijils, who would now impose further conditions.
Nevertheless, the prime minister's comment represented a radical shift by a representative of Iran's hard-line Islamic fundamentalists.
Rajai was quoted as saying, "The hostages are not a problem for the United States. We are in the process of resolving the issue."
Khomeini has demanded that the United States return the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavl's wealth, unfreeze more than $8 billion of Iranian assets in American-owned banks, and interfere in Iranian affairs and promise not to make any claims against Iran as a result of the hostage issue.
TRATTNER SAID THE United States stood ready to take a number of steps.
He did not specify those steps, but in a letter sent to iran by Secretary of State Edmund Muskie, the United States did offer a pledge of non-interference in affairs in effect, offered to resume any diplomatic engagements after the hostages are released.
Rajal's comments, his first on the hostages since visiting New York last week to address the U.N. Security Council, came shortly after Tehran Radio said Iran would not make the slightest move to oblige President Carter by signaling possible release of the hostages.
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