THE
Michigan Daily
Vol. LXXXIV, No. 42-S
Ann Arbor, Michigan-Wednesday, July 17, 1974
Ten Cents
Twelve Pages
IRS bends under pressure
WASHINGTON (M) - The Internal
Revenue Service (IRS), under almost
constant pressure from the White House,
knuckled under occasionally when the
administration tried to harass President
Nixon's enemies or protect his friends,
according to documents in the hands of
cogressional investigators.
The newly released evidence gathered
by the House Judiciary Committee and
the Senate Watergate committee appears
to contradict an earlier report by con-
gressional investigators assigned to probe
political use of the IRS.
AMONG THE recent findings:
-The IRS violated its own policy in
order to speed up plans for interviewing
the then-Democratic National Chairman
Lawrence O'Brien because presidential
a d v i s e r John Ehrlichman admittedly
wanted to "send him to jail before the
election" in 1972;
-The tax agency needed to interview
Nixon's friend C. G. "Bebe" Rebozo -in
connection with the same investigation,
but agents waited until six months after
the election to talk to Rebozo-and did
so only after getting clearance from the
White House;
-At least two high-level officials at
IRS supplied confidential taxpayer infor-
mation regarding friends and enemies
of the administration to Whte House
aides;
-Commissioner Randolph Thrower, be-
fore he resigned as head of the tax
agency in 1971, tried to tell President
Nixon of his concern about White House
influence at IRS. But presidential chief
of staff H. R. "Bob" Haldeman wouldn't
give him an.appointment, Thrower said,
because "the President didn't like sucl.
conferences;" and
-Former White House counsel John
Dean testified secretly more than a year
ago that the President asked to have
the IRS "turned off on friends of his."
THE INTERNAL Revenue Code makes
it a crime to corruptly interfere with
the due administration of federal tax
laws or to disclose confidential taxpayer
information to unauthorized persons.
The Special Watergate Prosecution Force
is known to be investigating possible
violations of those sections.
The staff of the Joint Committee on
Internal Revenue. Taxation issued a re-
port last December saying after several
months of investigation it had found no
evidence that the IRS had succumbed
to White House pressure.
U', tradesmen reach
tentative agreement
By JEFF SORENSEN
A three-week-old campus tradework-
ers' strike appears near settlement after
a tentative agreement was reached yes-
terday b University and union negotia-
tors.
M\embers at the Washtenaw Buildint
and Constructions Trades Council will
meet today to vote on the new contract.v
DETAILS OF the tetative settlement
hwe not been made public pending rati-
ficaotmn, bit a comnromise on the issue
of s [ry hikes is expected.
"I is a)r tnderstanding that the union -i
ne atiy-tois will recommend that the
met-mbers sccept the new contract," said
Uni-ersity Personnel Director Russel
Reister. "If the contract is ratified by
the union members, they are expected
back on their jobs Thursday morning."
The 290 Uni-ersity electricians, nlumb- -
ers and carpenters represented by the
Council have been striking for higher
pay since Jine 27, although it is technic-
ally illegrt under state law for public :
employes to take such action.
THE STRIKE has halted work on all
University construction projects 'includ-
ing the new Architecture and Design
Building on North Camous, an additionay
to the Institute for Social Research, al-
ter-tiotta on the graditate library and
con truction of two new recreation build-
ings.
''f our neone duet report back to
work soon, outr f-ill schediles may haye
to be revised." reported Don Wendel,
Uiuersity lant nerations director.
Other Uiversity emeloves have also
honored the tradewvorkers' strike,.includ-
ing some maintenance and delivery /
workers. As a result, many University-
clocks are not working and many vend-
ing machines haven't been filled recent-
ly.
The striking tradeworkers have de-
manded sar increases of 11 per cent -
the first year of a three-year contract fol- Doily Photo b KEN FINK
lowed by annual raises of 8.75 and 7
per cent.
Come to the fair
ALTHOUGH the increases were re-
commended two weeks ago by Alan By this morning this seemingly endless maze will have tur ned into a dazzling display of arts and crafts. Workers
Walt, a fact-finder appointed by the readied booths for the 15th annual Street Art Fair on Sout h and East University. Additional booths and entertainment
See TRADESMEN, Page 9 can be found on Main St as part of the Free Arts Festival. The fairs will run today through Saturday.