North Adams Transcript (Newspaper) - August 28, 1975, North Adams, Massachusetts 300 THURSDAY AUGUST 28 1975 NORTH ADAMS ADAMS WILLIAMSTOWN MASSACHUSETTS 24 CENTS Ford 16 governors ponder natural gas Moving day Hancock's town hall is hauled 43 today en route to another spot a mile away near the Old Hancock Cemetery below where an anonymous commentator has affixed his own opinion to a marker at the site WASHINGTON AP President Ford met today with 16 governors on ways to case an expected natural gas shortage which could affect residential customers and small businesses this winter One of he Democrat Milton J Shapp of Pennsylvania issued a statement before meeting at- tacking Ford administration energy policies The natural gas situation is the latest example of federal inaction in the energy Shapp said The administration had at least six years warning of the gas crisis we face this winter Yet to date the Ford administration's only response has been to advocate massive price rises for natural gas and other fuels on the false notion that such a policy will eliminate Ihc shortage The President is expected to call for voluntary conservation policies by the states and to consider various legislative moves the government and the slates might make A White House spokesman said There is not a great deal the President can do administratively Ford also may urge support for legislation to end federal regulation of wellhead prices of new natural gas supplies Under the plan gas now flowing into interstate commerce would be deregulated as existing contracts expire Under legislation interstate pipeline operators would be free lo pay much more to producers to bid new gas away from unregulated consumers chiefly in Texas Oklahoma Louisiana and New Mexico Natural gas sold interstate is regulated at 52 cents per cubic feet Intrastate sales go as high as The President and his advisers contend that deregulation is the best way to shift more gas to industry and homes in the upper Midwest Northeast and Southeast where shortages are expected Federal Energy Administrator Frank G Zarb also reportedly may recommend that the President seek standby authority for the Federal Power Com- mission lo divert gas to in- markets in any national emergency states whose governors are attending are New Jersey sylvania Ohio Missouri North Carolina South Carolina Maryland Virginia Iowa Kentucky and Delaware The governors of Texas Oklahoma and Louisiana were invited because their states arc major producers The governors of New York and West Virginia declined invitations because of prior commitments Gov Edmund G Brown Jr of California did not respond to his invitation Gov Thomas P Salmon of Vermont and Gov Philip Noel of Rhode Island arc attending in their respective roles as chairman of the National Governors Conference energy committee and chairman of the Democratic Governors Conference In another energy development Senate sources said Wednesday that Ford and Congress are trying to reach a compromise on the im- pending decontrol of oil prices The President has said he will veto a passed by Congress that would ex- tend price controls for six months beyond Aug 31 but the has not been sent to him yet One Senate source said Discussions are still going on They arc still hopeful of working out a compromise It was unclear what kind of compromise might be involved If price controls end at midnight Sunday the current ceiling on about 60 per cent of oil would be lifted and the price of that oil is expected to rise to the unregulated world level of around a barrel Moil early save money WASHINGTON AP Americans can expect to pay more probably 3 cents more to mail their Christmas cards this December The Postal Rate Commission is expected to take action today that will allow the Postal Service lo raise the cost of mailing a letter from the present The Postal which has been losing money at the rale of million a day under present rates has wanted for months to raise the letter rate to 13 cents Bui il hasn't been able to do so while the commission considered its The commission is expected today to make permanent the increase to 10 cents that has been in since March 1974 on a temporary basis Postmaster General Benjamin F Bailar announced in advance that the Postal Service would then increase rates on a temporary basis Once a permanent rate is set the law allows the Postal Service to raise rales by 33 per cent atler a waiting period Therefore a permanent rale now would mean the Postal Service could increase the rate to 13 cents in time for the Christmas mailing season Democrats pick New York as site of 76 convention FTC lowers boom on funeral homes tactics WASHINGTON APJ The Federal Commission today accused the funeral home practices ranging from to bait-and-switch sales tactics The commission proposed rules lo stop undertakers from exploiting and the bereaved results of a probe the FTC said il found widespread abuses among nation's funeral homes In addition to the and bait-and-switch tactics the FTC said it requirements for the purchase of coffins for cremations false 1 for waterproof burial vaults and profiting on flowers clergymen and pallbearers the same lime FTC announced of a consent order requiring Service Corporation International SCI of Houslon Tex nation's largest funeral home chain lo refund for performed the past years ui The proposed funeral rules if adopted override any slale and local laws prohibit price and that require caskets for cremation accompanying FTC staff document state regulatory boards are often of and the general counsel of the up Funeral Association the industry's largest trade association also is general counsel to conference of state regulatory boards The industry is well organized in terms boards of regulation and trade associations and uses its advantages to limit price disclosure disposition arrangements and price advertising all in thb name of course of professional ethics and good the Bureau of Competition paper said The proposed trade regulation would prohibit up or embalming corpses without the family's permission known as to release remains upon request of surviving relatives that a customer's concern about price indicates lack of respect or a f fee lion lor the deceased on arrangements for flowers pallbearers crematory charges clergy honoraria musicians and obituaries the purchase of a costly casket for immediate cremation and refusing to sell inexpensive cardboard boxes or canvas or plastic pouches for the ashes the public health necessity for embalming caskets and burial selling ladies which display cheaper in haltered condition or unattractive colors The FTC staff said the average cost for a funeral and burial is about and based upon some two million deaths a year raises the total outlay to billion with projections of up to 52.8 billion by 1980 Counting extras such as flowers cemetery plots grave markers and burial vaults the total for related items is about billion an- the FTC said The federal government's share of the expense approaches 5500 million through Social Security and veteran's programs The FTC said the proposed trade rule was necessary because funeral arrangements typically musl be made under lime pressures by buyers whose bereaved condition may render hem unable to themselves by careful inquiry or to exercise their normal care and business judgment In with inexperienced customer the FTC said funeral director is in the business of arranging disposition of the dead for profit WASHINGTON AP The Democrats have decided to take their 1976 presidential nominating convention to New York which needs the money and the Republicans are looking toward Kansas City which sils significantly in heart of Middle America The Democrats made their choice Wednesday after New York officials and labor chiefs pleaded that the financially troubled city needs the economic of a big convention and they promised there would be no labor complications The site selection committee faced with some intraparty discord in California and a solid loyalist front in New York agreed to accept cramped quarters of Madison Square Garden over the spacious facilities of Los Angeles convention center The Republicans make their decision next month and parly sources say Kissinger presses Sinai negotiations JERUSALEM AP Secretary of State Henry A Kissinger met with Israeli leaders for nearly six hours today sharpening the dozens of clauses that make up the new Sinai pact He indicated the details would keep him shuttling between Jerusalem and Alexandria at least through Saturday A senior American official said earlier the pact may be initialed Sunday or Monday Kissinger later flew to saying he hoped to return lo Jerusalem tonight He said he wanted to accomplish as much as possible before the Jewish at sundown Friday closes government offices On Wednesday a senior American official said a few clauses of at least symbolic significance remained to be ironed out in the Sinai pact U.S sources said one point slill to be settled is the precise number of electronic posts lo be stationed around the Gidi and Mitla mountain passes to give warning of military operations once Israel has pulled back to a new defense line Kansas Cily has the inside track although Cleveland and Miami Beach are still in the running Mayor Abraham D Beame told the Democratic their convention belongs in New York City and reminded that the people of New York are on the front lines of meeting economic challenge The New Yorkers pointed out lhat their financial problems have forced layoffs of city employes some of whom might be pul back lo work in event of a convention boom Neal Walsh New York's commissioner of public said the convention will be worth million to cily economy over the next year and a half One of the big problems with Los Angeles was Gov Edmund G Brown Jr who alienated convention planners by criticizing them or seeking fancy facilities Brown suggested delegates sleep in church basements if they ran short of hotel rooms After the vole Brown said in California he was disappointed I think Los Angeles would have been by far the better place Although roomy Los Angeles convention center would have provided better meeting facilities it would have required bus over the area's complicated freeways lo and from hotels Cigarette smoking drops slightly WASHINGTON U.S per capita consumption dropped slightly tin 1974 to mark the first decline in five although the industry spent more advertising lasl any year since 1970 the Federal Trade Commission said the same time FTC told Congress that domestic sales were up about 1.7 per cent lo 594.5 billion lasl year Thai was a record Inside Adams Cheshire Editorial Entertainment Living Obituaries Pick of the Programs Sporu Vermont suburban 10 71.22 7 8 9 surpassing the old high of 584.7 billion cigarettes sold in 1973 but indicating a slowdown in the recent trend the FTC said However consumption on a per capita basis among U.S residents and overseas military personnel 18 years of age and older was cigarettes in 1974 compared with in 1973 and in 1963 Cigarette manufacturers spent million on last year the highest since million in 1970 before Congress banned cigarette commercials on radio and television the FTC said The included million in magazine million in newspapers million for billboards million in direct advertising promotions and million in other media The industry spent million for cigarette advertising in 1973 new report to Congress said filter cigarettes and mentholated varieties continued the long-term trend of claiming a larger share of the market Filter cigarettes accounted for 80 per cenl of sales in 1974 a gain of one centage point at the expense of brands In 1963 filters represented 58 per cent of sales The FTC said 27 per cenl of sold lasi year were menthol up 2 per cent from 1973 and almost double he 16 per cent in 1963 Twenty-nine per cent of cigarette sales in 1974 were for extra long brands of millimeters up 5 per cenl per cent were king size and 6 per cent regulars The FTC may be explained by the showing lhat 46 cent of ad- dollars were spent to promote the long cigarettes last year up from 29 per cenl in 1973 Advertising outlays for safer cigarettes 15 milligrams of tar or less fell from 17.8 per cent in 1973 to 15.2 per cent last year the report said The weather tonight low lo Sunny in 70s tomorrow page 12 Cracking the lineup A baby elephant joins its elders at the Los Angeles Zoo and touches trunks with one apparently so it won't get lost in the shuffle AP Wirephoto
