l X A r cigan , Aus ttij
Vol. LXXXII, No. 64-S
Ann Arbor, Michigan-Wednesday, August 16, 1972
Ten Cents
Twelve Pages
Crime lab holds up city pot busts
By CHRIS PARKS
Over the past few weeks, City
Attorney Jerold Lax has issued
authorizations for prosecution in
roughly a half dozen cases in-
volving the city's $5 marijuana'
ordinance.
It was revealed yesterday,
however, that the cases are be-
ing stalled by the failure of the
state crime laboratory to pro-
cess the evidence and verify that
it is, in fact, marijuana.
According to Police Chief Wal-
ter Krasny, samples that have
been sent to the crime lab in
Lansing have not been retutned
or processed.
He said yesterday he is under
the impression that lab officials
are reticent to test the contra-
band because of the low penal-
ties involved.
Under the new city law, pos-
session or sale of marijuana is
punishable by no more than a
$5 fine collected through a
ticketing procedure.
According to Krasny the cost
of analyzing the marijuana is
considerably h i g h e r than the
amount of the fine.
At present, the state bears the
cost of the chemical analysis.
Contacted in East Lansing yes-
terday Lt. Col. Forrest Jacob cf
the. State Police denied that the
agency is refusing to process
Ann Arbor marijuana.
According to Jacob it is a case
of "priorities. Priority," he ex-
plained, "is given to the more
serious cases" - those involving
state law, for example.
Under state law, possession of
marijuana is punishable by a fine
of up to $1,000 and one year in
jail.
"We are analyzing everything,"
Jacob said. "Some cases just
have to wait."
According to Lax, an inquiry
has been sent to State Police
director Col. John Plants regard-
ing the question.
Jacob acknowledged that a let-
ter has been received and said a
reply is being considered . and
should be ready "within a week
to 10 days."
Meanwhile the question of
whether the state will analyze
marijuana for city ordinance
prosecution is one with serious
implications for the viability of
the new law.
"Without s o m e verification,"
Lax said, "we can't proceed with
prosecution.
"We could get some independ-
ent analysis, but that would cost
money and I don't know where
the funds would come from," h;-
said.
If the crime lab does boycott
Ann Arbor marijuana it is con-
ceivable that alterations in the
ordinance may be necessary.
"City Council may have to
consider this problem,' Lax said.
"But obviously we want to keep
the ordinance-we think it is im-
portant and necessary."
Cty Atty. Lax
Kissinger goes
to confer with
ThieuinSaigon
WASHINGTON (R) - Presidential adviser Henry Kis-
singer is flying to Saigon for two days of talks with Presi-
dent Nguyen Van Thieu on the Vietnam war and negotia-
tions for peace, the White House announced yesterday.
Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler said Kissinger will ar-
rive in South Vietnam late today Saigon time, leave late
Friday, and report back to President Nixon this weekend
before the Republican National Convention opens in Miami
Beach on Monday.
The much-traveled Kissinger has been in Switzer-
land visiting his parents after a secret session with North
Vietnamese negotiators in Paris last Monday.
Ziegler said Kissinger is making his first trip to Saigon
since July, 1971, for "a gen-
eral review of all aspects of
the Vietnam problem, in-
cluding the negotiations in, d o
Paris."
Kissinger is slated to confer ,
with U. S. Ambassador Ells-st vi e
worth Bunker and the U. S. com-
mander in Vietnam, Gen. Fred- "
erick Ryan, in addition to Thieu.
Ziegler cautioned against spe-
colating about a breakthrough in
the stalled Paris talks. He said LOND')N (') - A quick end to
Kissinger's journey had been un- Britain's crippling 19-day na-
der consideration for several tional port shutdown was in sight
weeks, and that the timing had last night as longshoremen un-
a lot to do with the presidential ion leaders urged acceptance of
adviser's own schedule. a compromise settlement.
However, Nixon is to make The giant Transport Workers
HoweerNixn isto ake Union ordered a meeting today
another V i e t n a m troop an- of dockrworkers delegatesem-
nouncement before Sept. 1, when powered to call off a strike by
remaining U. S. forces in South 42,000 lo'gshoremen Most long-
Vietnam will be down to 39,000. shore nen are members of the
Also, the Paris negotiations loom Details of the compromise
as a prominent i t e m as the package were being kept secret
U. S. presidential campaign until the delegates convened.
swings into high gear. They were expected to'go a long
way however, toward meeting
Thieu has been urging the the strikers' demands for bet-
United States to keep up its ter job security and higher sev-
bombing of North Vietnam and erance pay.
to hold to the allied terms for Union spokespersons said ac-
an Indochina ceasefire. So far, ceptance of the report could
mean a return to work next
the administration has said it Monday, ending a port shutdown
stands by these terms as set that has stalled exports worth
forth by Nixon May 8. millions of dollars and vital im-
Btt I osi has continued to ports of food stuffs.
The breakthrough in settlement
(-t publicly for an ouster of the prospects came as tempers
Thieu regime, a demand pre- flared between longshoremen's
sumably repeated by negotiator pickets and truck drivers ferry-
Le Duc Tho in his secret ses- ing cargoes from small ports
sions with Kissinger. which have been unaffected by
the strike.
This s p u r r e d speculation, Flying squads of militant Lon-
therefore, that Kissinger will be don, Liverpool and Hull dock
discussing with Thieu what re- workers tussled with police at
.othe gates of small wharves
vised formula for a political where shipments of animal food-
solution might be put forward at stuffs and timber were still
Paris. trickling through.
-AP Photo
SEN. GEORGE McGOVERN stops to greet a supporter yesterday during a walking tour of the south
side of Youngstown, Ohio. Several hours earlier, the United Auto Workers announced their support of
the Democratic presidential candidate.
UA W announces endorsement
of McGovern for President
DETROIT (4P) - The 1.4 mil-
lion member United Auto Work-
ers Union (UAW) announced
yesterday it is officially sup-
porting Democratic Sen. George
McGovern for the presidency.
U A W P r e s i d e n t Leonard
Woodcock said that a poll con-
ducted over the past several
days showed overwhelming un-
ion support for the South Da-
kota senator.
He said that of 4,455 UAW
convention d e I e g a t e s, UAW
Community Action Program
(CAP) delegates, local union of-
ficials and retirees' representa-
Increasing cloudiness with a
high in the upper 80s and a low
in the upper 60s. Chance of
showers in the late afternoon
and evening.
tives, 84 per cent favored a
McGovern endorsement. Only 3
per cent favored endorsing
President Nixon and 13 per
cent favored no endorsement.
The endorsement was ex-
pected. While the union took no
official position on the Demo-
cratic nomination prior to the
national convention, Woodcock
had personally endorsed Sen.
Edmund Muskie, and the union
was he-wily committed to Mus-
kie in some key primary states.
After Muskie's withdrawal,
the union took an official stance
of neutrality, although a major-
ity of the executive board pri-
vately favored McGovern.
Woodcock declined to say
how much money the union
might pump into the McGovern
campaign. Secretary - Treasurer
Emil Mazey said a current
CAP fund drive is expected to
raise $300,000 to. $400,000, but he
would not say how much of that
would go to McGovern.
Woodcock said the first order
of business is getting UAW
members to support McGovern.
Many auto workers defected to
Gov. George Wallace in pri-
maries, but the union leader
said he thinks they will be back
in the Democratic fold in fall.
"The same chord that Gov.
Wallace struck responsively,
Sen. McGovern will strike re-
sponsively,' se said.
The UAW will work with a re-
cently , formed committee of
AFL - CIG unions backing Mc-
Govern.
On another subject, Woodcock
said that if the price commis-
sic/4 holds public hearings on
proposed autoaprice increases, lie
will testify against any price
hikes, even to cover the cost of
required new safety and pollu-
tion equipment.