Senate rejects
rule protecting
used-car buyers

I
4

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate
voted 69-27 yesterday to reject a hotly
debated Federal Trade Commission
regulation that would require used-car
dealers to disclose known defects in the
automobiles they sell.
If the House follows suit, as seems
likely, it would be the first legislative
veto of an FTC regulation under a 1980
law giving Congress that power. The
House could act later this week.
THE RULE, issued by the FTC last
August but never put into effect, would
require dealers to place a window
sticker on used cars informing potential
buyers of known defects and stating
whether the vehicle is covered by any
warranty.
Yesterday's Senate vote came
despite an appeal by Sen. Bob Pack-
wood (R-Ore.), chairman of the Senate
Commerce Committee, to act against
"shabby, shoddy car dealers who thrive
on cheating the public."
Packwood, chief Senate advocate of
the used-auto rule, told colleagues
by vetoing the regulation "we are in
essence saying to the public: We ap-
prove of shoddy dealers, we approve of
cheats.'
"MOST CAR dealers are honest. But
unfortunately, in every barrel there are
a few rotten apples," Packwod said.
Critics of the regulation - including

the Reagan administration - argued'
that the rule would only be a burden for
dealers. Some foes said the rule might
force dealers to get used cars inspected
before offering them for sale, even
though inspections aren't spelled out in
the rule.
"This rule will increase paperwork, it
will increase the cost of cars to con-
sumes and it will not solve the
problems," said Sen. Larry Pressler
(R-S.D.).
CONGRESSIONAL insides said they
anticipated the House would complete
the congressional veto of the used-car
rule - possibly later this week.
Senate sources said that while the
administration opposed the rule, it did
not devote much time to fighting it.
By far the largest lobbying effort
against the measure came from the In-
dependent Automobile Dealers
Association, representing about one-
third of the nation's 57,000 used-car
dealers, and from other dealer groups,
the sources said.
Although the consumer agency has
come under heavy congressional fire
in recent years, ybsterday's vote was
the first test of a 1980 act in which
Congress gave itself the power to over-
turn a comission rule.

4

4

Doily Photo by JACKIE BELL
Bottle bliss
Junior Hughes seems to be wondering what 11-month-old Tiffany finds so
appetizing in her bottle.
. . disruptive ...''
-Robert Law, Assistant to Gov. Milliken
"I'm gonna sue!'"
-unidentified University Official
WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?
Going for Broke:
The University and the
Military-Industrial Complex
.7'-
A Report Prepared by the Committee for Non-Violent Research
$1.50
665-3966
Now on sale at Border's,
University Cellar, Ulrich's,
and MSA offices.

4

E'ghth-graders larass
Jewish schoolmates

MANCHESTER (AP) - School of-
ficials are trying to learn why a dozen
eighth-grade boys, including some
class officers, formed a club that
harassed Jews in thisexclusive ocean-
side town north of Boston.
"Can a small group of boys, 13 years.
old, on their own, come up with this,
think of it, and organize it all by them-
selves?" Richard Howland, principal
of Manchester Junior-Senior High
School, asked yesterday.
HOWLAND SAID one alleged mem-
ber of the "Nigger and Jew Hater
Organization of America" was suspen-
ded for three days and warnings had
been given to at least 10 other boys.
Howland declined to identify the club
members at the school, where the
student body is predominantly white
and non-Jewish.,
Members reportedly wrote the
group's initials on blackboards and
Correction
NEW YORK (AP)- The Associated
Press erroneously reported Monday
that actor Edward Asner saidhhe
suspects the White House may have
worked for the cancellation of his
television series, "Lou Grant."
Asner, president of the Screen Actors
Guild, said he believed CBS' decision
not to renew his series was linked to at-
tacks on him for his union work and his
aid to rebels in El Salvador. But he did
not say that the White House may have
worked for the cancellation of the show.

desktops. Howland said there also
were unsubstantiated reports that some
club members had T-shirts made in the
school's print shop.
THE GROUP came to the attention of
school officials last week when a num-
ber of parents complained their
children were being harassed.
Jlve Cutter said her two Jewish sons
had been called names while at the
school.
"You like to see that there's no
bigotry or bias," she said. "But you
know, deep-down, there is."
ALSO, AN anti-Semitic letter was
distributed at the school, and Howland
said 13-year-old June Sharkey, who is
Jewish, had her notebook taken from
her and returned with swastikas and
the word "Jew" on it.
No harasment of blacks has been
reported.
About 10 of the 515 students at the
school are Jewish or black. Howland
said most of the students come from
Protestant and Catholic upper middle-
class families that live in this suburb 30
miles north of Boston.
SOME STUDENTS said they knew
club members.
"I know them all," said .Marc
Romano, a 16-year-old junior.
"They're terrified and very
ashamed. Everyone is bearing down on
them."
Romano, a student council vice
president, said some of the alleged club
members were class officers.

E
I

4

4