ANOTHER HAT IN THE RING See Editorial Page 47 4' I: r S+r A6V -A, t WHITE High-32 Loy--5is See Today, for details Eighty-Four Years of Editorial Freedom Vol. LXXXIV, No. 137. Ann Arbor, Michigan-Saturday, March 23, 1974 Ten Cents Eight Pages HRP REFERENDUM IF YOU .SEE I EWvS HAM GEN "SCAJ ttJy Sc Firefighters settle The Ann Arbor Firefighters Association has reached an agreement with the city that averts the closing of Fire Station Number Five, the station covering northern Ann Arbor and North Campus. City Administrator Mur- ray agreed not to layoff eight firemen when city fire- fighters promised to forego vacation pay they were slated to receive in June. Faith sinks American distrust of government has risen dramatic- ally in recent years, but people condemn the executive branch more than other government divisions, accord- ing to recent studies by the University's Institute for Social Research (ISR). Congress and the Supreme Court still have substantial public support, the ISR studies indicate. In a survey of 1,444 Americans conducted by social psychologists Willard Rodgers, Lloyd Johnston and Jerald Bachman, the public rated President Nixon and his administration worst of 15 government institu- tions, but rated Supreme Court Justices as the most honest and moral of all groups studied. Tune-up clinic The student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers is sponsoring a free auto emission tune-up clinic next Wednesday night in the Physics-Astronomy Building, and a workshop on the following Saturday for the first 30 persons showing up on Wed. night. The goal of the clinic is to provide participants with enough technical know-how to perform routine maintenance on their cars. The classes will be conducted by an engineer from General Motors; student engineers will be on hand to assist workshop participants with engine com- ponent analyzing machines. Fuel solution Coal could be the key to U. S. energy independence, chemical engineering Prof. Dale Briggs told the an- nual meeting of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters in East Lansing yesterday. However, our present annual coaf production of about 600 million tons would have to double in the next few years, Briggs said, to bring coal use up to necessary levels. "The big- gest problem in becoming energy self-sufficient is re- placing foreign crude oil with synthetic crude oil do- mestically -produced from coal or oil shale," he con- tended. 0 Gown rentals, Students who plan to participate in University com- mencement exercises May 4 must place their orders for cap and gown rentals before March 30 at Moe's Sport Shop, 711 N. University. So rush right down, or your parents will have made their reservations at Webers for nothing. Happenings .. . today are topped by Chicano Awareness Week events. Chicano and Mexican food will be served in Bursley's E. Cafteeria from 8-10 p.m., and the cafeteria will host a dance from 10 p.m. to 2 p.m.. . . the Univer- sity's Phi Beta Kappa organization holds its 66th An- nual Initiation Banquet in the. League Ballroom, 6:30 p.m. .. . and the Washtenaw County Stroke Club of the Michigan Heart Association hosts a panel discussion on "Team Approach to Stroke" at Burns Park Center, 3 p.m. " Spending defended Claiming a House subcommittee's report that $17 mil- lion in taxpayer's money has been spent on PresidentA Nixon's homes is "pot in perspective," White House Deputy Press Secretary Gerald Warren denounced the group's findings yesterday. The government activities subcommittee report, released Thursday, says some of the money was spent on items "far in excess of secur- ity needs." Warren explained, "I think the American people would not expect the President to make a prison- er of himself in the White House." 0 The birds Officials hope a blitz of aerial bombs, smoke and high frequency sound will frighten off an estimated 10 mil- lion blackbirds that are roosting without a license in Graceham, Md. Maryland health officials made their first attack on the birds at sunset yesterday, and the performance will be repeated today and tomorrow if necessary. The blackbirds arrived last November and set up camp in a thick stand of pine on a farm about seven miles from the presidential retreat of Camp Da- vid. The infestation of birds has been termed divine retribution for Watergate crimes by many observers. On the inside . . . . The Editorial Page features Sue Wilhelm writing on American journalists in Israel . . . WABX Airwaves bedecks the Arts Page . . . and John Kahler and Clarke Cogsdill preview the NCAA basketball semifinals on the Sports Page.. Showdown By STEPHEN SELBST A Daily News Analysis Last of Two Parts Rent control-the hottest issue of this year's election-has already generated campaigns of ferocious intensity from both backers and opponents. The forecast is for even more of the same in the remaining days before the April 1 election. "Look for a massive media scare campaign next week," predicted one Human Rights Party (HRP) worker. "The landlords will try to link marijuana and rent control in one red-baiting, hippie-baiting campaign." LINED UP IN support of rent control are HRP and Tenants Union. Tenants Union, formerly an apolitical organization, broke that tradi- tion Thursday by endorsing candidates for City Council on the basis Reactions.. vary over SGC suit By PAUL TERWILLIGER Reactions were mixed yesterday to the news that Student Govern ment Council's (SGC) president and treasurer are suing controver-....... ... .; sial ex-president Lee Gill for near ly $8,000 in misused and unreturned SGC funds. While most SGC members would not comment on the likelihood of Gill's involvement in the alleged misdeeds while president of SGC last year, feelings toward the for- mer president were as mixed as ever. MATT HOFFMAN, a Council member who bas always been critical of Gill and on several oc- casions sought hisrecall,edeclared yesterday, "Gill did a miserable Pe eL 73 j o b f o r t h e s t u d e n t s . I f S G C d o e s neshrli led not press charges, I will." But the complainants - SGC j iLte President Carl Sandberg a n d Treasurer Rosemary Mullin - Rescue workers pull fatally in- urged that their suit is civil and jured Peter Revson from his does not call for criminal action shattered car at Kyalami Circuit, against Gill, who abruptly resigned near Johannesburg, South Africa, his post as SGC chief in January. yesterday after his Formula One, "The action is only punitive in racer traveling at more than 110 that it gives Gill bad publicityand 'miles per hour shot off the track the hassle of going through court and crashed. The 35-year-old Rev- proceedings," SGC lawyer Thomas son, who had been making a test Bentley noted yesterday. run in preparation for the South Mullin said, "This is not a per- African Gran Prix, died en route sonal, vindictive suit against Le. to the hospital. The well-known All I want is the money back." driver is shown above in a re- SGC Administrative Vice Presi- cent photo. (See story on page 7). dent Rettix Allen offered the strongest words of support for Gill, saying "he could have been one of the greatest presidents SGC ever had . . . I hope he has a fair trial." The suit, filed Thursday after- noon in 15th District Court, charges Gill with misusing or fail- ing to account for $7909.72 in SGC See SUIT, Page 2 AP Photos seen over re of their support for rent control. HRP has supported rent control all along. They placed it on the ballot, all of their candidates back it, and they have been spearheading the efforts to pass the charter amendment. Lined up in opposition to rent control are the Republicans, and a group calling itself Citizens for Good Housing (CGH). Diametrically opposite to HRP, all of the Republican candidates are urging deFeat of rent control. The Democratic Party is not taking a definite stand on the issue, allowing each candidate to make their own positions known. In the meantime they have merely said that housing in the city is a problem, without advocating any solutions. HRP, backing the proposal all the way, is "very up," right now, on the possibility of the proposal passing according to David Goodman, a nt proposal party spokesman. "Originally we thought it was an uphill fight, but no longer. It could pass with a massive turnout in the student wards," he said. TENANTS UNION, also supporting the proposal, Thursday night endorsed a slate of City Council candidates, using rent control positions as criteria. The Tenants Union supported the HRP candidates in all wards except four, where Jamie Kenworthy, the Democrat, was backed. Bob Ball, a spokesman for Tenants Union, explained their position. "Legislation is the only solution in Ann Arbor to cool down rents," he said. "From this point on we intend to endorse candidates. If anyone wants to win in this town, they're going to have to recognize and act upon tenant problems." See RENT, Page 2 Aniti-rent fund contributon termed illegal By CHERYL PILATE Sources close to some of the city's major rental agencies have leaked documents showing the firms have made illegal contributions to Citizens for Good Housing (CGH) in an ef- fort to crush the rent control proposal on the April 1 ballot. The documents, which were released yesterday by the Ann Arbor Sun, show McKinley Associates lead the big-name contributors with an alleged $7,045 donation to CGH (formerly Citizens Opposed to Rent Control). UNDER MICHIGAN state law, such contributions-by a corporation for the payment of political expenses - are strictly prohibited. The Human Rights Party notified the police department yesterday of the allegedly illegal activities of CGH and plan to present their evi- dence condemning the landlord-dominated group to the county prosecu- tor's office Monday. The sources also contend that the contributions were primarily col- lected before the city campaign finance ordinance went into effect at the end of February - to avoid public disclosure of the cash's sources. By the end of February, CGH had allegedly collected only $34,000, forcing them to cutback from their reported original budget of $57,920. The original budget had alloted $33,000 for mailing costs and a hand-out Afro-Am., African Studies Center k campaign and advertising costs. OTHER ALLEGED large con- tributors to the anti-rent control campaign are Standard . Realty, University Towers, Tower Plaza, Village Green, Ann Arbor Trust, Wilson-White, Maize and Blue, Is- land Drive Apartments, Nob Hill and Campus Management. Ron Williams, treasurer of CGH, refused to comment yesterday on the allegations and documents. An investigation of McKinley As- sociates also disclosed that their offices appear to serve as CGHl headquarters,rand that their office personnel are busy spearheading the anti-rent control drive. USING COMPANY time for po- liticalNpurposes is also prohibited by state law. Witnesses claim that at a CGH meeting Wednesday, Ron Wizer, executive director for McKinley associates, said, "If you ever for- get where our headquarters are, just look at any of the McKinley signs posted on our rental units." A Daily s e a r c h revealed that boxes filled with anti-rent control literature were stacked in the cor- ner of the McKinley office and witnesses report that secretaries twere busily folding letters to prop- erty owners yesterday urging them to vote "no" on the rent control proposal and to offer their support to CGH. A McKinley employe admitted that "secretaries sometimes type CGH letters on company time, but then stay after work to make up the time." Witnesses also allege that local rental corporations are using their employes to do telephone surveys and distribute literature on com- See LANDLORD, Page 2 Alleg ati ons fly at 4th Wardd-ebate By DAVID WHITING Democratic Fourth Ward City Council hopeful Jamie Kenworthy last night challenged his incum- bent GOP opponent William Col- burn on past campaign promises, and the Republican responded with a verbal blast of what he called the "cunning coalition" of Demo- crats and Human Rights Party (HRP) Council members. At a Fourth Ward "Candidates' Night" meeting, attended by some 40 people, Kenworthy charged that the city's GOP had opposed con- struction of large shopping cen- ters during last year's council campaign, but voted in the con- troversial Packard-Platt shopping plaza plan in January. Colburn answered, "Those (1973 campaign) promises were based on all the available information at that time," and added that the facts of the Packard-Platt situation had "changed" in the past year. KENWORTHY further alleged at last night's session, held in the Public Library, that the GOP ad- ministration misused over $1 mil- lion in monies slated for city parks improvement, and that "$12,000 of this went into building an air- port hangar." He chided Colburn for failing to inform the public See CAMPAIGNS, Page 2 suffers from By ROB MEACHUM The way Dr. Leslie Owens describes it, the Center can and African Studies (CAAS) was on a collision cour before Owens took over as director in July 1973. According to the 29-year old history professor, the Ce ing on every front: funds were being spent on unnece over the country," other departments in the Literary were refusing to grant full credit for some of the Center's and the office operation malfunctioned beneath incompe States' restorato of dath enalty face test in court, j uggled leadership Owens and his three young assistants stepped in and tried to turn for Afro-Ameri- the Center into something they believed would make black students se with disaster proud. New staffers were hired, publicity increased, and enrollment in Center courses nearly doubled by the beginning of this semester. CAAS' nter was suffer- upstairs offices on South University scheduled numerous unique activi- ssary "trips all ties, including Black History Week. ssaryg (LrSA) al College (LSA) BUT ON MAY 1, Owens and his three assistants, by order of the t70-dd courses, LSA Executive Board, will be replaced by Sociology Prof. Ozzie Edwards. The college's main rationale for the move is that CAAS needs a tenured professor as chairman before it formally qualifies as an aca- demic department. in The soft spoken but bitter Owens now says, "I don't know why they're getting rid of me - (LSA Dean Frank) Rhodes decided to do it last October, but dragged it out until now." Owens claims that he was the to last person to find out about the decisions made concerning him. GOP HOPEF UL S WASHINGTON (Reuter) - Less than two years after the Supreme Court struck down the nation's capital punishment. I a w s, nearly half the states have hopefully en- acted new ones. Whether these statutes, or the one Congress is working on, will be accepted as constitutional by the High Court remains to be seen. Meanwhile, death rows in prisons are beginning to fill up once more. The old laws were overturned by the Supreme Court on June 29, 1972. In the intervening months, 22 states have passed substitutes and always favored capital punishment and was resentful when the court swept it away. And, on occasion, the deAte produces an unvarnished call for retribution. "The criminal must be made to realize that he is going to die him- self if he chooses to murderously deprive someone else of his life,"' Sen. John McClellan (D-Ark.) said as the Senate passed a restoration bill on March 13. The measure, covering various federal offenses such as treason and presidential assassination, is RHODES' assistant, Edward Dougherty, contends, "Both men (Edwards and Owens) are well qualified, but Owens' contract spe- cified him to be the interim direc- tor. He was considered along with Edwards, but we wanted a tenured faculty member, instead of one without tenure, to direct the Cen- ter." Dougherty, however, admitted in February that the leadership changeover left something to be desired. Owens was apparently never officially informed of his "interim" status. "It's fairly obvious," Dougherty said last month, "that this thing wasn't handled quite properly." Colburn: Mayoral bid ii' 75? By GORDON ATCHESON Daily News Analysis To City Councilman William Colburn (R-Third Ward) there is more at stake in the upcoming municipal election than simply re- taining his seat. His re-election will lay the groundwork for a mayoral bid next year, according to many political observers. Although Colburn admits- "not completely ruling out" running for mayor in 1975, several other leading Republicans speak of his candidanev as avirtual certainty. cently adopted ward plan he must now run in the relatively liberal Fourth Ward. Projecting a moderate - voice of reason - image, Colburn has the best chance of any Republican to win the mayor's contest in a town with a liberal-radical ma- jority. "If Colburn wins this year, there is no question that he will be our mayoral candidate," one promi- nent Republican says. Colburn has nonetheless down played his in- terest in the city's top elective .{ s k ,:{ l