Friday, August 23, 1974 THE MCHIGAN DAILY Page Three President Ford approves bill to change housing programs AP Pho t WASIHNGTON (P) - President Ford signed legislation yesterday revamping federal housing and community develop- ment programs and declared the mea- sure "will help to return power from the banks of the Potomac to people in their own communities." The measure signed in East Room ceremonies authorized $11.9 billion dur- ing the next three fiscal years for so- called "block grants" to states, counties and cities for projects previously han- dIed through categorical grant programs. CATEGORICAL grants must go for specific programs while block grants give local governments more leeway in deciding how the money is to be used. The measure also provides significant assistance to the mortgage market. "No one expects this bill to bring sub- stantial immediate relief to the housing market, but over the long haul it should provide the foundation for better hous- ing for all Americans," Ford said. TlHE 1ILL signing was part of a busy presidential schedule for the day. rie President opened his door to con gresswomen, more mayors and gover- nors and another union leader in his measured march to solidify his political foundation. Ford aiso signed legislation and a proclamation declaring Aug. 2i at Wo- men's Equality Day and urged the ratifi- fication of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. "You're making headway every day," Ford told 13 congresswomen who flanked him during the Cabinet Room signing ceremony. tIe said that over the years women have had to do twice as well as iteti to get half as much credit" and added: "We've got to change that." HE SAID A housing measure he was signing later in the day ftrbids sex dis- crimination in mortgage lending, theti spoke of his previous support fur tmhe Equal Rights Amendment. In the proclamation, he declared, "The time for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment has come just as surely as did the 19th Amendment" which gave women the right to vote on Aug. 26, 1920. Then, turning to the congresswomen sur- rounding his chair, he asked how many more states must join the ratification process for the amendment to become a part of the Constitution. When he was told that five were needed, he said, "Good luck to you." In his proclamation, Ford urged appro- priate ceremonies and activities to mark Women's Equality Day and added: "I further urge Americans to con- aider the essential role of women in our society and their contribution to our economic, social and political wellbeing. As a republic dedicated to liberty and justice for all, this nation cannot deny equal status toi women." Ford discussed foreign alfairs with two liberal senators and posed for campaign photographs with l ouse Re- publican candidates. Ford also met with Seafarers Union President Paul IHall and (G)1' National Chairman George bush and held a pri- vate dinner with vice presidential notmi- nee Nelson Ro-ckefeller and key con- gressmen. Taylor alleges county clerk made mistakes during election Washtenaw County C'ommissioner Eliz.- abeth Taylor ( -Ann Arbor) has accus- ed County Clerk iobert larrison of in approitriatly tanling the August 6 elec- tion of l)etmocratic irty trecict dele- gates. As a result of tle charges made by Tay lor, the board, dturing Wcdiiesday night's meeting, referred the matter tto a committee for further investigation HARRISON, a Replttlblicin, has detited that he did anything wrong or illegal iin administering the election. Bat 'Taylor alleges that she hs not been certified as a precinct delegate, al- though being duly elected to that ;ositiu in the contest two weeks ago. The commissioner is currently ai as- large delegate to the cotunty i-sd state lDemocratic Party conventions but 'Ilso received enough write-in votes in the election to serve as a precinci delegate. Therefore, Taylor contends, she has the right to be certified in both capaci- ties. However the County Clerk's office has sent her credentials as an at large delegate only. SHE SAID that Ilarrison has no power to withold her aulhoriztiun as a pre- cinct delegate, although the party itself could choose to recognize her as either precinct delegate or an at-large delegate. See CLERK, Page to Two for the road Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (left) greets Vice President-designate Nel- son Rockefeller as he arrived at the State Department yesterday. The pair chat- ted about U. S. foreign policy and the world situation in general. School board, city te~machers 1negotiate By DELLA DIPIETRO tions and chief negotiator for the school With less than two weeks to go before board, did not. the city's elementary and secondary "He's been helpful, but there was so school students are to report for classes, much on the table," said Crane, "and the Board of Education and the union we are so far apart." representing local teachers have not On the salary question, Dukes as- reached a contract settlement-raising serted, "There is just no way we can the spectre of a striket - meet their (teacher's) demands." The The board and the Ann Arbor Educa- school board has budgeted a 5.S per cent tion Association (AAEA), which repre- increase in salaries, in addition to the sents about 1,0 city teachers, remain previously negotiated 2.2 per cent mcre- sents abot 1,011ycity tacrs, rssmas ment that boosts teacher salaries for far apart on many key contract issues. each year of experience. "I'M NOT happy at all," said union THE SCHOOL board offer, which has President Dantel Burroughs "not nearly not yet been formally introduced at the as much is happening as should be hap- bargaining table, would cost about 1.8 pening and we're not even into the ma- million dollars. The AAEA request would joe- obstacles yet." cost twice that much. But school board President Clarence The teachers' demands "are practic- Dukes remained more optimistic. "It's ally entirely based on cost of living in- a standard process. They play cliff-hang- creases since July 31, two yearn ago," ing every year, but we have all the in- Burroughs stated. gredients for a successful negotiation," Henry Johnson, vice president of the Money appears to be the big roadblock school board, "sympathized" with the to this years settlement, Burroughs teachers' loss of buying power. But "it's named salaries, class size and length of happening to everyone," he maintained, the class day as the major contract is- including to the board itself." ing oa - 'U' housing office fills dormitories over capacity Especially for freshpersons, the Uni- versity tries to be something of a home away from home but the way it looks now it won't even do that for over 100 in-coming students this Fall. Because the University Housing De- partment has miscalculated the number of people staying in residence halls for the upcoming year, 176 male freshman will not find dorm rooms waiting for them-as they expected, per cent of the returning students who request rooms in the residence halls eventually find housing elsewhere. Consequently to keep the dorms full to capacity the hosing office intentionally over-books the facilities-expecting lease cancellations. BUT THIS year, students have not dropped their residence hall reservations at as high a rate as expected, leaving the nearly 200 freshman without University accommodations. The residence halls open on September 3 and it seems unlikely that enough dorm dwellers will cancel their leases in the next 10 days to make room for the in- coming students. See FRESHMEN, Page 9 sues. A STATE mediator was summoned last week and has met with the negotiat- ing teams. Although Burroughs sensed a slightly changed attitude at the bargain- ing table when the mediator appeared, Terry Crane, director of employe rela- BEFORE reaching a settlement, John- INSTEAD FOR the fourth straight son added, "there'll be some belt tight- year, the residence hall overflow must ening on both sides." be-accommodated in the Michigan Union Release time for elementary teachers and the Bell Tower Hotel. is another big issue for both sides, The Housing Director John Feldkamp ex- union is requesting a half day a week plains that the problem occurs because See TEACHERS, Page 10 the University anticipates that about 2.5