Tenants
By RICK PERLOFF signific
Faced with organizing, legal and must b
public relations problems that "If
could threaten its existence, the have n
Tenants Union is revamping its mid-su
strategy for, gaining recognition commi
from Ann Arbor landlords. With
The union plans to alter its ap- import
proach by stressing mass education stantia
of tenants by possible picketing landlo:
[andlords' office buildings, bringing And b
pressure to bear on the University suits i
for the construction of low-cost delaye
housing, and permitting non- Mixer+
strikers to join the union. But
In the past the main thrust of courag
the Tenants Union's effort has aboutt
centered almost exclusively around happin
the rent strike and the accom- . suffici
panying legal battles. tenant
And although there is disagree- ognitic
ment over which course the union It h
should follow, there is a consensus at lea
among steering committee mem- membf
hers that the strategy it has been rents
following has failed to achieve should
Union
plans
new tactics
to
build
cant breakthroughts and
be changed.
we continued the way we
now, we'd have no strike by
ummer," concedes steering
ttee member Scott Mixer.
hholding rent assumed such
Lance because it puts sub-
al economic pressure on
rds, union leaders claim.
y contesting landlords' law-
n court, rent payments are
'd for as long as possible,
explains.
there is considerable dis-
ement within the union
this legal strategy, and un-
ness as well about the in-
ent number of rent-striking
s to secure landlord rec-
on for the union.
as gotten to the point that
st one steering committee
er, Lynn Hallen, insists the
strike and legal strategy
be de-emphasized in favor
of leafletting and pickets to in-
crease the union's visibility.
Such strategies will be discussed
at a meeting tonight of the Ten-
ants Union Representatives As-
sembly, a group of representatives
elected by rent striking tenants in
major apartment buildings who
have replaced the steering com-
mittee as the union's decision-
making body.
If the assembly decides on these
new tactics - which it is ex-
pected to do-picketing will take
place against the home of land-
lord Lester Drake tomorrow after-
noon. Drake is singled out because
many steering committee members
believe his behavior has exem-
plified a landlords' harrassment
of tenants.
Committee members claim he
has taken a girl's television set,
broken into a tenant's room and
allowed water and electric bills
to go unpaid for siz months.
Drake last night declined com-
ment.
In addition, the representatives
will discuss the proposed implica-
tion of a "squatting" strategy
which would involve taking over
vacant buildings or dormitories in
the summer.
And they probably will discuss
concentrating their efforts in-
creasingly against the University,
which Miss Hallen calls "the big-
gest landlord of them all."~ This
might mean affiliating with a
prospective rent strike in Baits
Housing, working for separate
room and board contracts and
pressuring the University to build
low-cost housing in Ann Arbor.
committee members say.
All these potential strategies-
particularly allowing nonstrikers
to join the union-appear to cen-
ter on the same thing: attracting
new people to the union by giving
the strike more publicity.
And this underscores the prob-
lem with organizing new tenants
that the union has encountered.
"The central factor in causing
the new strategy was the realiza-
tion of the markedly few strikers
we have in relation to the number
we had hoped to have by this
time," Mixer explains.
He estimates that 2000 strikers
would probably have generated the
presure against landlords to force
them to being recognizing the
union en masse. But there are only
900 strikers now.
"We have been a little pie-in-
the-sky by assuming we could win
so fast," Al Kaufman, a steering
committee member says.
Organizing Chairman S t e v e
Burghardt attributes the difficulty
in gaining strikers to improved
maintenance by landlords.
Some say the improved main-
tenance, which they claim is only
temporary, deceives tenants into
believing their apartment situa-
tions will remain that way.
Another problem with the strike
involves public relations. "People
have taken the strike for grant-
ed," says Mixer. "We're institu-
tionalized. We're not taking the
tenants by surprise this year and
are losing some of the spontaneity
of the strike."
The new strategy, steering com-
mittee members say, will bring a
sense of immediacy and increased
visibility to the union
Legal problems aire another ob-
stacle the union has encountered
which has contributed to a drive
for tactical changes.
Miss Hallen says the union will
be hurt by a recent District Court
ruling, implemented Oct. 31,
which, when invoked by a judge,
forces tenants summoned to ap-
pear in civil court to pay their
money' into a court-operated es-
crow fund.
strike
Currently, union rent striking
tenants pay their rent into an
escrow fund in a Canadian bank
The Tenants Union is upset
over the payment of rent into a
court escrow account because it
loses a six per cent interest rat e
on the rent that accumulates in
Canada. Also, it may reduce the
leverage the union has over the
landlord.
"We can't say 'settle with us
and you get your money'," Miss
Hallen says. She claims the rule
also may damage the Tenants Un-
ion psychologically as tenants no
longer will associate their money
securely in an escrow account op-
erated by the union.
Another legal difficulty is the
reported addition of a clause in
the Maiden Lane apartment leases
that, steering committee members
say, make the tenants responsible
See TENANTS, Page 8
A MATTER wI11t'' ' UN
'OF FAITH ( ~_2 3 1
See Editorial PagewVe
FORGIVABLE
High-O
Low-5
y cold and cloudy,
no snow
Vol. LXXX, No. 87
l NIGERIAN BAN:
Ann Arbor, Michigan-Thursday, January 1 5, 1970
Ten Cents
Eight Pages
'Fleming
Restrict aid
agrees
to
for
Biafra
LAGOS, Nigeria liP) - The Nigerian government yesterday
rejected offerstof relief aid from nations or agencies that had
ties with conquered Biafra, including France and the Vati-
can-run Caritas agency. The government put a ban on all
relief workers who had been in Biafra.
Refugees spilling out of Biafra were receiving some aid
from Nigerian relief teams.as a dispute among Nigerian or-
ganizations over directing aid appeared to have been settled.
The government, which accepted Biafra's surrender Mon-
day after a 30-month civil war, put on the unwelcome list the
"Joint Church Aid, a grouping
s of many international agen-
M C l j 'cies; the French R e d Cross,
the Nordic Red Cross, Canai-
relief, and the governments of
F lm i g 'Portugal, Rhodesia and South
Africa,
delay
By JIM NEUBACHER
At the request pf the mem-
bers of the search committee
for a new vice president for
s t. u d e n t services, President
Robben Fleming agreed late
last night to postpone his final
decision on the appointment,
committee members said.
"We want to clear up an ap-
parent discrepancy between our
conception of the positions taken
by the candidates in our talks
with them and the positions taken
by some of them in interviews
printed in The Daily yesterday,"
said Rick Borenstein, '70, a search
committee member.
"We need more time to clarify
in our own minds just what the
candidates' positions are on the
question of a policy board," he
said.
The policy board, a mnajor issue
VP
selection
K.
debate
L University President
Fleming last night said
strong negative vote in a
Maj. Gen. Yakubu Gowon, the
head of state, gave his Ministry
Robben of Economic Development respon-
Robey sibility for all relief, rehabilita-
a very tion and reconstruction work.
A'sociated Press
G: ' '
t z s' f t-i.w c. z rt r n 8 ssti si
referendum on proposed intra.. There was no mention of the tIRIdLUI I W1I (1' )1 LIUr.i in the selection of a new vice
mural facilities would have some role of the Nigerian Red Cross pesident, would consist of a ma-
influence on the final decision for which had been struggling to feed Mrs. Philip Hart, wife of Senator Philip Hart (D-Mich, is interviewed outside the Alexandria, Va., jority of students and some fac-.
the buildings. a tide of hungry refugees. courthouse where she will stand trial for participating in a "Mass for Peace" in the Pentagon con- ulty, and would make policy deci-
In a debate with Student Gov- "The government was consult- course last November, sions in the Office of Student
ernment Council President Marty ing a number of friendly govern- Services (OSS).
McLaughlin in a packed Bursley ments for immediate requests for 2M1 AV fYthlIN STRIKE: The OSS, the new vicepresiden-
Iounge, Fleming stressed that on- relief . . . to supplement the na- 'tial post, and the policy board are
ly an "overwhelmingly" unfavor- tional effort," a statement said. rcontaned und rc rsutin
able vote could exert an influence +proposalcnowrunderlaconsideration
on the final decision. It was clear the plan was for by the Regents.
"Student opinion is only one of the major portion of relief re- "We were concerned that Flem-
sSuetoiini nyoeorcesto come from within Ni- B akL re idnts gr upengwuldconbrined deisiontoth
the several inputs into the deci- u t m r hI ing would bring a decision to the
sion-making process," said Flem- geria. R e g e n t s tomorrow," explained
ing. Foreign groups the government Steve Nissen, co-chairman of the
Fleming and McLaughlin dif- excluded were accused of being committee. "We explained this to
fered on this issue, as they did on "studiously hostile" to the federal o r' R 1Z S e n R R S H R 10 R him' and heared o wat.
the question of military research. cause, including agencies "which Fleming could not be reached
McLaughlin asserted his opposi- either helped or sustained the -for comment late last night.
lion to the military purposes to secessionist regime or operated il- By CAROL HILDEBRANDI Grad, favors joining the Ann Ar- sented his written reply to the The decision to ask for a post-
which University scientific re- legally from certain airports."mt bor union. "There are psycholog- December Baits demands. ponement clmaxed a long day
search is put, and urged the Uni- Of foreign aid offers, Maj. Gen. So 50 abis tlresidents t ical advantages besides such ad- The housing office "welcomes filled with conferences, meetings,
night established the Baits Ten- adpltclmnueigcn
versity to refuse all contracts with Gowon said in a radio interview: ants Union. The union will seek vantages as legal aid if we decide the opportunity to enter into re- and political maneuvering con-
the Defense Department. "We don't want their help cr as-'recognition from the University to rent strike."- lationships with representative cerning th selection of a new
However, Fleming declared "All sistance. We will do it ourselves." housioffice asmthe collective He believes this week will be student groups," wrote Feldkamp. vice president.
scientific research can be mis- spent "consolidating forces" in He asked for "evidence of repre- At least five members of the
applied for military purposes, but But at t h e U.N. Ambassador bargaining agent for Baits resi- Baits. sentativeness." search committee and a number
toso eerhfrta es Ogbu told newsmen it was "to- dents. fmmeso h tdn ea
to stop research for thatreason Ogll node se thass Four hundred and fifty-four However, Feldkamp said, "Rent of members of the Student Rela-
alone would halt pro"r 'ss in use- tally icorrect" to say that his The union expects to join the Baits residents signed petitions in reductions are impossible to ron- tions Committee expressed "dis-
ful fields as well." government was refusing to ac- Ann Arbor Tenants Union next December demanding the Univer- sider in a vacuum. There is no tress" yesterday over views con-
Fleming also indic -ted his be- cept relief supplies. week. A motion to join last night, sity Housing Office recognize the excess revenue." cerning the proposed policy board
lief that ROTC on cmpus is nec- Ogbu said the only requirement however, failed. The Baits union right of student tenants to col- At last night's meeting Kulis I voiced by some of the candidates
essary as long as armies exists, for receiving relief shipments was - decided to solicit additional mem- lectively bargain with the Univer- presented the Baits budget from in the Daily interviews.
and expressed approval of the that they be channeled through I bers before voting on joining the sity concerning rent reductions. the University Housing Office. He In a statement released early
pln the Regents recently passed the official agencies of the federal'Ann Arbor Tenants Union.- University Housing Director and others who had studied it this morning, the student mem-
regarding the status of ROTC. I government in Lagos. Baits organizer, Chet Kulis, John Feldkamp yesterday pre- noted what they considered dis- bers of the search committee said:
_ - - --- _ --crepancies in the figurs. "We agreed to endorse the five
Kulis has maintained since he SeeFLEING, Page-8
presented the December demands'
that he prefers not to make de -J3
cisions based on the budget. l,!
.rte __ __.._., .. a - . .j"Budgets can be manipulated," he
'd-
l1
i
,
}
t
.#
i
i
i
>-
i
Hubert Locke
Robben Fleming
FIRST MASS MEETING:
Student Mobe begins
..0
By ART LERNER
The Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in
Vietnam (SMC) last night began organizing an Ann Arbor
chapter at a mass meeting of 50 persons.
Speakers stressed SMC will take a "structurally demo-
cratic stance." Weekly open meetings are planned, with no
steering committee making decisions for the group.
This emphasis relates to recent confrontation between
New Mobe members and the Ann Arbor New Mobe Steering
Committee, which has been0
accused by critics of "undemo-I
cratic elitism." Leaders talk
SMC, which has no official ties
to New Mobe or any other anti-
war group, claims to be the largest
national student anti-war group,
based on its "principle of non-
exclusion."
It seeks to attack the Vietnam
war by -"legal, peaceful mass pro-
tests," according to Don Gure-
wipz, a member of the national
mobe steering committee, rather
than concentrating on the elec-
Two black community leaders
discussed the role of the black' at-
torney in social change at a forum
on "Law and the Black Commu-
kJLA3,
engineers (Wuaw Cati
Wi' m - / A
By ANITA WETTERSTROEM
SDS members met with engin-
eering students last night in a
unusually calm exchange of
ideals and goals.
Initiated by SDS, the meet-
ing attracted about 50 engin-
eering students whose primary
question was why SDS employs
militant tactics to effect its
goals of change. The main area
of SDS concern was the alleged
apathy of engineering students
to the society as a whole.
Said one engineer, "I deplore
engineers concerned only with
jobs, but many are not. I more
fear a loss of exchange of ideas
IN 'Isays. ;ion of "dovish politicians."
Kulis and a committee from iirid politicians. "There is an increasing need for
Baits met with Feldkamp yester- 1 O. SGurewipz added "politics is not black attorneys who understand
day afternoon. Besides presenting a question of personal frustrations social p r o b 1 e m s," said Myron
his written reply to the December , ;and flat feet. It is a question of Wahls, a Detroit attorney. "Social
demands, Feldkamp discussed the S 1JUS tieti what reality is. . . To abandon problems are grounded in law."
possibility of installing kitchen- legal, peaceful mass demonstra- Beverly Poindexter, executive
ettes in the Baits houses and Several broken windows were tions as (out-dated) is diame- director of Washtenaw County
placing regulators on the showers. discovered early this morning on trically opposite to the goals o, Office of Economic Opportunity
No kitchens and alternately the south side of North Hall be- n also encouraged blacks to study
'old and hot water have long been neath which were painted the Mike Hanagan, chairman of law. "A legal education gives an
grievances of Baits residents. ex- words "Free the A2 Six" and SMC, said "the GE strike and the understanding of the problems of
., plained Jane Sandry, a member "Smash ROTC-Condemned." anti-war movement involvement government and of breaking, or
f f the organizing committee. The apparently politically moti- - in it may be a turning point in shall we say, making the laws
"Feldkamp told us the shower vated attack on the building where the history of the anti-war move- flexible," she said.
would be fixed by summer," she ROTC classes are held was similar ament." - However, graduation from law
said. to yesterday's attack an the Air Hanagan was referring to a pos- school does not make one an at-
Kulis said he thought of the Force recruiting center on Liberty sible alliance between student torney, said Wahls. He explained
idea for the union about two Street. ;radicals and workers. that in Michigan, a prospective
mrnonths ago when he realized "stu- Police investigating the build- lawyer must receive permission
dents don't get what they pay for." ing declined to give any informa- One feature of the meeting was+ from the state bar association to
Besides voting on joining the tion on the attack. There was no a speech by a New Zealand su- take the bar examination and