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 - . --, - - - - ..$ rs partsfth. y, W h ".0a W..., io - W - .dx ww. r. . "+ - . y. .® :v.*