Saturday, June 19, 1976

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Page Fine

Court injunction halts Italian campaign wraps up

food stamp cutbacks

WASHINGTON (A - The
Ford administration was en-
joined by a federal judge yes-
terday from putting into effect
regulations that would elimi-
nate about 129 million families
from the food stamp program.
U. S. District Judge John
Lewis Smith said, "Hunger and
deprivation might result" from
the changes planned by the ad-
ministration.
THE preliminary injunction
means an indefinite delay in
the administration's plan to
change at $5.7 billion pro-
graam in a way designed to
achieve $1 billion in annual
savings.
The Agriculture Department
"exceeded its congressional
mandate in promulgating eligi-
bility and purchase - price
regulations . . in trying to re-
vamp the program on its own
initiative," Smith wrote in a
12-page order.
President Ford ordered the
regulations drafted Feb. 19.
THE President said the pro-
gram, which serves 5.8 million
families, gives benefits to too
many that don't need them,
doesn't give enough to house-
holds that do need them and
costs the taxpayers too much.
But the judge said the "plain-
tiffs have shown in great de-
tail the widespread, irrepara-
ble harm to states and to food-
stamp recipients that would re-

sult from the implementation
of the proposed regulations.
Enormous administrative bur-
dens would accompany them."
Smith said the 26 states, 73
food-stamp facilities and 108
private organizations th at
brought the suit had met the
key requirements for a pre-
liminary injunction: demon-
strating a substantial likelihood
of success when the case for a
permanent injunction is ar-
gued.
THAT hearing is months
away, said Ronald Pollack, at-
torney for those seeking to
have the administration's reg-
ulations declared illegal.
"The chances are exceeding-
ly slim that any of these chan-
ges will be implemented this
year," Pollack told reporters
outside the courthouse.
There was no immediate
comment from the administra-
tion except a statement by a
Justice Department attorney
that an appeal of the prelimi-
nary injunction was being con-
sidered.
In addition to those who would
be knocked off the rolls by the
new rules, about 1.38 million
families would receive smaller
benefits under the regulations
drawn up by the Agriculture
Department.
But the 2.1 million poorest
households would see their
benefits increase by at least
$5 a month, the department
projects.

ROME (4i) - Italian parties
ended a bitter and violent cam-
paign for parliamentary elec-
tions yesterday night with the
two largest parties - Christian
Democrats and Communists -
hurling accusations at each
other in Rome rallies.
The elections tomorrow and
Monday are judged tantamount
to a referendum on Italian-
style communism, although
nine national national parties
are vying for 630 chamber and
315 senate seats.Campaigning
ended at midnight yesterday
with a day-long pause today be-
fore the balloting by about 40
million Italians.
C O M M U N I S T leader
Enrico Berlinguer called the
Christian Democrats a "Bar-
num circus" divided by fac-
tions and tained with corrup-
tion. About 40,000 persons roar-
ed their approval and gave
clenched-fist salutes when Ber-
linguer demanded the resigna-
tion of Foreign Minister Mari-
ano Rumor, accusing him of
involvement in the Lockheed
payoff scandal, one of the is-
sues of the 45-day election cam-
paign.
Less than two miles away,
Budget Minister Giulio Andre-
otti, a Christian Democrat,
warned that Communists "are
not a new party," but a party
that has brought horrors and
lack of freedom in the coun-
tries they rule. About 10,000
persons attended - less than
a rally held the previous night
by the small but vocal neo-
Fascist. party.

Violence continued to the fin-
al day of the campaign which
was marred by four deaths. In
industrial Milan, leftist gangs
tossed firebombs at the offices
of the rightwing Italian Social
Movement MSI party. In the
southern town of Barletta, three
leftists and a policeman were
hospitalized after street fight-
ing near an MSI branch.
THE VATICAN weekly, Os-
servatore Della Domenica, urg-
ed Italian to "remain united"
and vote for the church-basked
Christian Democrat party, "the
only true obstacle" to commu-
nism in Italy.
Although rampant inflation-
35 per cent on an annual basis
in January through April - the
decline of the currency, and
an unemployment rate of seven
per cent of the 20 million-strong
labor force all figured as elec-
tion issues, they were over-
shadowed by "the Communist
question."
At the Communist rally, Ber-
linguer said:
"Whoever of you listened to
Moro Thursday night saw him
confess that the Christian Dem-
ocrats do not have any new
proposals to rule the country."
PREMIER Aldo Moro is a
Crristian Democrat.
"They are asking for the
continuation of confusion, while
we are proposing changes,"
Berlinguer added.
The Christian Democrat rally
was marred by the absence of
party secretary Benigno Zac-
cagnini, recuperating from pro-
state surgery.
Andreotti, who has served
nearly continutously in one ca-
pacity or another in govern-
ments formed by the Christian
Democrats in the past 29 years,
challenged the Communist par-
ty's pledge of respect for de-
mocracy. In front of a massive
banner proclaiming the Chris-
tian Democrat campaign sli-
gan "the new DC (Christian
Democrats) has already be-
gun,"
RUMOR, AT a rally in his
hometown of Vicenza, was met
by a group of extremists,
shouting and waving hostile
placards. Police intervened to
disperse the youths. Rumor
once again denied any wrong-
doing in the Lockheed affair.

Congressional arrest cover-up probed

WASHINGTON (UPI) - The
Justice Department has been
asked to examine a District of
Columbia police policy based on
the Constitution which protects
congresspersons from embar-
rassing arrest records that
might be made public in their
hometowns.
The differing treatments were
publicized when Salt Lake City
police arrested Rep. Allan Howe
for allegedly soliciting a police
decoy prostitute. Details of his
arrest were on the public
record.
BUT WHEN Rep. Joe Wag-
gonner (D-La.) was picked up
by District police in a nearly
identical situation last January,
no record was kept because he
is a congressman.
Washington police said no
particular exeoption was made
for Waggonner. Members of
Congress are not* charged for
any misdemeanor, are normally
escorted home when found
drunk and driving and are not
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arrested for traffic violations.
In light of recent sex-scandals'
on Capitol Hill, however, Dis-
trict authorities are re-examin-
ing their policy, and the U.S.
atorney's office has asked the
Justice Department to issue a
new set of police guidelines,
NO MATTER what the Justice
Department decides, elected of-
ficials will still receive special
treatment in Washington unless
the Constituion is amended.
The Constitution provides
elected national officials im-
munity from arrest when Con-
gress is in session except when

charged with treason; felonies
and "breach of the peace."
The framers intended to pro-
tect congressmen and senators
from special treatment, rather
than providing it. They were
afraid elected officials would be
subject to harassment arrests
for political reasons.
But for more than 100 years,
District police - who until
Washington received limited
home rule depended directly on
Congress for their salaries -
interpreted the Constitution lib-
erally and exempt congressmen
from arrest for routine offenses.

The Italian Communist par-
ty (PCI) took 33 per cent of
the votes in a nationwide local
polling last June and embark-
ed on a major drive to over-
take the Christian Democrats,
the dominant party whose
strength has slipped from 48
per cent in 1948 to 35 per cent
last year.
TIhe Comnmunist party, guid-
ed by soft-spoken Enrico Be-
linguer, waged an all-out com-
paign against the Christian
Democrats, who led Italy from
the ruins of World War II
through the economic "Il
Boom" of the 1950s and 1960s
and back to its current econom-
ic bust.
THE PCI, vowing to govern
through the parliament and re-
spect individual freedoms, de-
clared itself autonomous from
the Kremlin, gave its prefer-
ence to NATO over the Warsaw
Pact and pressed its claim for
a share in ruling Italy - a
role opnosed by the United
States. American officials have
said they will reappraise U. S.
relations with Italy if the Com-
munists win a place in govern-
ment.
The Christian Democrats, as
in 1948 when communism was a
chief issue, concentrated on
warning that it is "a one-way
street."
A cartoon in a Trieste daily
showed a couple on a park
bench in front of the Vatican
with the man, representing Ber-
linguer, telling the woman,
symbolic of Italy: "Darling, if
you want me, it'll be forever."
A , , E G A T I 0 N S that
the Christian Democrats were
the chief beneficiaries of bribes
from the Lockheed Aircraft
Corp. tainted the party's im-
age. And 30 years of rule have
put them on the defensive.
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