The Michigan Daily-Saturday, January 31, 1981-Page 3 State approves utility rate hike LANSING (UPI)-The state Public Service Com- mission, despite a vigorous dissent, approved yester- day a final $40 million rate increase expected to raise Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. bills by an additional average $16 per year. The PSC also approved inflation-based electric rate adjustments of $38.7 million for Detroit Edison Co. and $23.9 million for Consumers Power Co. which will raise customers bills by an average of $5.58 per mon- th for Edison and $6.30 per month for Consumers. AND THE PSC agreed to let Consumers and Edison begin imposing two percent penalty charges on late bill payers. The Michigan Consolidated rate hike, while less than the $62.6 million being sought by Michigan's largest natural gas firm, was well over the $21.6 million recommended by the PSC staff which is DETROIT ChCyslfavor of a pa rysler slim margin United Au remain con, wd million in w when final vc SCATTER " d shows stron hige a R workers the bankruptcyz The new ci $40 and freez fOr OK "It's winn ning by the THIS IS TI unusual in such cases. Combined with a $21.8 million interim increase ap- proved earlier this year, it brings the final amount granted in the case to $39.5 million. The hike was ap- proved by Commission Chairman Daniel Demlow and Commissioner Eric Schneidewind-both Republicans. Commissioner Edwyna Anderson, the lone Democrat, noted Michigan Consolidated received an inflation adjustment of 12.7 percent just over three weeks ago plus permission to modify its automatic gas cost adjustments in a manner expected to raise at least $7.5 million annually. "It does not take a drawing on the wall reflecting major individual increases, especially during this peak heating season, for the average customer to get the picture," she said, rapping the PSC's piecemeal fashion of handling utility rates. She also noted Attorney General Frank Kelley has warned the possible divestiture of Michigan Con- solidated by its parent firm could result in huge ad- ditional rate increases. THE COMPANY-which has nearly one million customers in the Detroit area and western Michigan-has denied the claim. The rate hikes for Edison and Consumers Power-also approved on 2-1 votes-were not unex- pected. The PSC adjusts the rates of most major utilities on an annual basis to reflect the impact of inflation on their operating and maintenance costs. The latest adjustments were based on an increase in the Consumer Price Index. (UPI}-Chrysler Corp. workers are voting in y cut to preserve their jobs, but by a surprisingly 1. to Workers union officials said yesterday they vinced a whittled-down contract providing $622 wage concessions to Chrysler will be approved ote tallies are reported Monday. ED REPORTS on the balloting from local unions g opposition to the move despite warnings to only alternative to approval was a Chrysler and loss of their jobs.1 ontract would cut weekly paychecks more than ze wages until September of 1982. ing," a UAW spokesperson said. "It's not win- margin that the previous two contracts carried HE third time Chrysler workers have been asked to ratify labor agreements giving them less in wages and fringe benefits than counterparts at Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. On Jan. 19, 250 elected representatives of the workers recommended by a convincing margin that the pact be ratified, leading UAW officials to believe a similar result could be expected from the rank-and-file. About 65,000 active workers in the U.S. and Canada are eligible tovote on the pact, as are many of the 49,000 Chrylser workers on indefinite layoff. In a major shock, the pact was overwhelmingly rejected by a 2,014-833 count at Chrysler's Belvidere, Ill. assembly plant, which builds Omni and Horizon subcompacts. Less surprising was resistance from Chrysler's several defense plants. Workers in those facilities have resisted con- tract concessions because the company's defense operations are profitable. Injured in dog attack AP Photo Fifteen-year-old Tom Reed of Grand Rapids loved animals until he was at- tacked by an Alaskan malamute recently. Doctors needed more than 100 stitches to close the wounds. Police notes 0 Murder suspect arraigned The man accused of shooting Saline resident Richard Mosher was arraigned yesterday on an open murder charge in 15th district court, according to Jerome Farmer, Washtenaw County's chief assistant prosecuting attorney. Mosher's roommate, Gary Lazar, was charged with shooting the Ford Motor Company executive to death. Lazar is in fair condition at Univer- sity Hospital after taking an un- disclosed substance in an apparent suicide attempt last Monday. Mosher's body was found Monday stuffed in the trunk of his car at the Fourth and Williams streets parking structure." No bond was set for Lazar's release. Suspect released The second suspect arrested in the assault of a University graduate student Jan. 21 was released from police custody Thursday, according to Ann Arbor police Sgt. Harold Tin- sey. Tinsey said the man was released because "he wasn't actively in- volved in the assault." The other suspect, Anthony Reed, was ap- parently the "active participant" in the attack, according to police. Police said they did not know if the released man will testify in the case. Russians flock to local publisher .tContinued from Page 1 worked on for Ardis, Proffer said, "It's probably impossible to get out" of the publishing business. Proffer runs Ardis with his wife, Ellendea, and two other employees. The bulk of the operation - including a typesetting machine, stock rooms, photographic duplicators, and some of- fice space - rests in -the basement, while Proffer, his office, and his family occupy the upstairs. Through the efforts of Proffer and Ardis, Ann Arbor has earned the reputation of a half-way house for Russian emigree authors. Joseph Brod- sky, a well known Russian poet, came to the University as a poet-in-residence in 1972, had some work published by Ardis (as well as Harper and Row), and settled in the area. Shasha Sokolov, the author of A School for Fools, spent a year and a half here, and poet Igor Yefimov, Ardis's only "discovery," is currenly a graduate student here. "It's very good for the University," Proffer said, "whether (Russian writers) come because of Ardis or the (Slavic Languages) department." Ardis publishes the Russian authors both in their original language, and in English translation. "Nabakov is our father figure, the first Russian- American author," Proffer said. "Now we're translating Nabakov into Russian." A typical book sells up to Math anxiety causes problems for women 4,000 or 5,000 copies, Proffer said. "One third of the Russian books get back into the Soviet Union," he said. While the books still manage to find a way into that country, Proffer said it has become very difficult for anyone to leave it. The Soviet Union has stopped emigration to the United States, probably because of the situation in Afghanistan, according to Proffer. When a writer steps out, of gover- - nment-approved limits,she risks official government action-even imprison- ment or repeated vandalism. Vasily Askyonov, a well-known writer in Russia who was forced to emigrate despite the ban, found his car van- dalized six different times after the publication of one controversial work, -Proffer said. "We have a poet who is 70 years old," Proffer said. "He never published. He never thought of himself as anything Scholarships/ Assistantships: Applications are now being ac- cepted for scholarships and as- sistantships to the Graduate Man- agementsProgram at Georgia Tech. Outstanding seniors are encour- aged to write: Director of Grad- uate Admissions, College of Man- agement, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia 30332. TAKE THE LEAD Help New Students Discover the Diversity of Michigan BE A FALL ORIENTA TION LEADER Pick up applications at the Orientation Office (2530 SAB) or call 764-6290 for further information. * an affirmative action non-discriminatorry employer * Applications Due Friday, February 6 but a poet, and he put his poetry into (his own) books, but he never published until now."