Daily Friday, July 14, 1978-Page 3
County
defies its
pro-ERA
boycott
By MITCH CANTOR
Washtenaw County Commissioners
decided to ignore a resolution they
passed earlier this year when they
voted Wednesday night to senda circuit
judge to Nevada for a judicial couse,
even though the state has not ratified
the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
The commissioners had previously
decided that they would not send county
employess to functions in states which
had not yet ratified the ERA. The move,
similar to nation-wide convention
boycotts, was an effort to show support
for the ERA.
WEDNESDAY'S decision, which was
opposed by only two of the 15 com-
missioners, was justified by some of the
nature of the trip. Over $1,000 will be
used to send Circuit Court Judge Henry
Conlin to Reno to attend a four-week
college course. The course is designed
to bring judges up-to-date on judicial
matters.
According to Commissioner
Raymond Shoultz (D-Ann Arbor), the
exception was made because the
college course is vital, as well as
unique.
"We had to make an exception
because this is the only school in the
country like this," Shoultz said.
"IT (THE EXCEPTION) is on a pret-
ty sound basis. This is a federal grant
we have from the Law Enforcement
Assistance Agency (LEAA) to improve
the administration of the courts,"
Shoultz added.
In order to be consistent, the com-
missioner said, "perhaps the thing we
(the commission) should do is send a
letter to protest to the LEAA for holding
the conference there (Reno)."
Wednesday night's decision allowed
for the second exception to the
resolution supporting the ERA. Earlier
this year the commission voted to send
a member of the county sheriff's depar-
tment to an FBI training school in
Virginia, also a state which has not
See COMMISSION, Page 6
Daily Photo by PETER SERLING
Clayton.Huff says he is entitled to insurance benefits from a life insurance policy issued to his son who died during World
War II. Huff hopes a new bill before the state legislature will help his case.
Bill may aid veteran's parents
By R.J. SMITH
In 1942, Robert Huff was a Marine at
Guadelcanal. Before he died in combat,
Huff wrote home to his parents, his
father Clayton says, and told them he
had purchased military life insurance.
"His furlough was cut short this one
time, because they were shipping out,"
said the elder Huff last month. "He
told us not to worry, because he had
bought insurance then. I never pressed
the matter with him, because I had
made him feel guilty about leaving
home when he was eighteen."
NOW, 36 YEARS LATER, the family
is battling the U.S. government, to
receive the insurance benefits they
claim they deserve.
A bill entered in Congress by Rep.
Robert Carr (D-East Lansing) may
finally award the Huff family a $5,000
r-today
insurance claim. Carr's bill would
amend a 1942 law which gave special
insurance to soldiers who joined the
military before the war broke out. That
law only convered those killed before
April 21, 1942.
Robert Huff was killed in battle of
September 1942.
Carr wants to extend the date of
coverage to December 31, 1942, thus
providing potential.benefits to all sur-
vivors of soldiers who died before that
date.
Although the Carr bill fixes the claim
for the Huffs at $5,000, Carr said the
amount might be raised as it is ham-
mered out in Congress.
HEARINGS WILL be held by the
House Veteran's Affairs Committee to
determine the number of people affec-
ted by the bill and the total cost of
reperations.
"I think it probably has a good chan-
ce of going through," said Clayton Huff.
The government, however, insists
there are no records of Huff's purchase
of life insurance. No Marine Corps
records open to the public show any in-
dications of a purchase. Huff is en-
couraging the Marines to disclose pay
records, which have lengthy data on
money transactions. So far, however,
the Marines have refused to open these
files.
ALTHOUGH THE elder Huff said he
favors passage of the bill, he also says
it is incomplete.
"They didn't say 'how about the in-
terest in it?' ... Suppose you owed the
government $5000 for 36 years. You bet
you'd go to jail quick if you didn't pay
it," Huff said.
Interest from the policy could amount
to $30,000-$40,000.
F
Correction
Yesterday we incorrectly stated that a sign car-
ried by the son of a picketing postal worker in-
dicated a family could not survive on a wage of $5.50
an hour. What the sign actually said was that a
wage increase of 5,5 per cent was inadequate. We
regret the error.
Bullard rates high
Our own State House Representative Perry
Bullard (D-Ann Arbor) has received the second
highest rating for voting on environmental
legislation, according to a recent lobby survey. The
report, released by Environmental Action of
Michigan, took into consideration votes on issues
such as PBB, radioactive waste, and solar energy.
Bullard's score - 96 - was only one point below'
that of the leader, David Hollister (D-Lansing).
Gary Corbin (D-Flint) and John Otterbacher (D-
Grand Rapids) led the Senate with scores of 90. The
lowest ratings were given to Rep. Tom Sharpe (R-
Howell) and Sen. John Welborn (R-Kalamazool..
Happenings.. .
... get off to a late start today. Head over to the
International Center at 3 for a cherry picking
outing. The excursion should last until about 6
o'clock ... the Liberty/Division St. park provides
the setting for some twilight entertainment from
6:30 to 9 ... Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire per-
form memorable song and dance routines in a
showing of the 1934 film, The Gay Divorcee, at 7:30
in the Ann Arbor Public Library Meeting Room,
Fifth and William ... at 8, the Back Alley players
perform "Watch Out for Yo' Feet" and "One Nickel
on this Wine," two one-act plays by Chicago
playwright Charles Michael Moore. The plays will
be presented at Trotter House, 1443 Washtenaw.
Scotch and water, and more water
Several people in an Iowa bar Wednesday night
were stricken with a case of water on the knee - as
well as water on the elbow and water on the neck. In
fact, there was water everywhere. A glass panel
which separated the bar and swimming pool of the
Canterbury Inn shattered, flooding the bar as well
allow drinking patrons to see swimmers ii action,
only caused minor injuries to the bartender and
customers present at the time of the accident. Of-
ficials gave no cause for the accident. At least this
should enhanceP the bar's reputation as a watering
hole.
Where there's a will ...
Leo the Lion was obviously having quite a bit of
trouble trying to make love to his mate Ginger. The
officials at the Columbus zoo felt he was so clumsy
that they confidently took Ginger off her birth con-
trol supplement last summer. But Leo came
through in the clutch, and Ginger delivered a three:
pound, one-ounce cub Tuesday morning. Though
cub litters usually number from two to six, the cub
born to Ginger and Leo was described as "an ex-
tremely healthy animal," by zoo officials. And
that's the truth (we ain't lion).
On the outside .. .
The future is looking bright: we're in for a partly
sunny day with a high of 80. Tomorrow, more sun-
shine with the m~etrv nearino k - . --, - - - -
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