Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 1

The Weather ALBUQUERQUE: Partly cloudy, mild. High, upper 50s. Low, upper 20s. (Details on E-16) Good Morning Mr. Nixon Says No SI Gasoline Or Bread.

Does That Mean They Can't Go Higher Than 98 Cents? ALBIJ ENAL 93rd Year No. 20 132 Pages in 1 1 Sections Sunday Morning, January 20, 1974 Price: Daily 10c; Sunday 23c mb I Viet-Held Problem Called Severe No Spring Mi t9 Islands Invaded APS Taking Action To Reduce Truancy SAIGON (UPI) -Chinese air force MIG's bombed Vietnamese occupied islands of the disputed Para-cels group this morning and Chinese troops landed on the atolls. Fighting broke out on at least one of the islands Robert and six South Vietnamese soldiers 1 were killed and 16 wounded in the first minutes of the battle, the sources in Saigon said. breakdown between classroom and office, school and home. Attendance officials at high schools where the problem is the worst, all agree were even more specific in Journal interviews.

Most blamed the magnitude of the problem on a shortage of personnel that prevents prompt and effective follow-up of truants and thus delays a solution to the individual problems that cause the truancy. The overall APS problem is hard to pin down in numbers because, although good statistics are available on half and whole day absences, no compilation is available on class cuts, which APS spokesmen agreed is the main concern. THE REASON for lack of statistics lies in the mechanics of reporting that make separating class cuts from total absences a massive job that is well beyond current resources on a routine basis. High school spokesmen, however, supplied at Journal request the following figures, all relayed in different terms Continued on A-16 (Truancy in the Albuquerque Public Schools has grown to alarming proportions, school officials say, and efforts have been launched to combat the problem. In this first of three articles, the magnitude of the situation is examined, detailing the reasons for school officials' concern.) By SUSANNE BURKS Deficiencies in attendance procedures and staffing in the face of sheer volume appear to be a major factor in a severe truancy problem that has led a dismayed Albuquerque Public Schools to begin corrective measures.

The measures are proposed new procedures in a newly developed directive that are aimed at a tightening up of attendance taking and reporting. AND THEY are due for Board of Education consideration Feb. 4 and hopefully implementation about a month later. Frank Sanchez, deputy superintendent for operations, who is in charge of the effort, traced the present problem to the variance procedures among high schools and loopholes in them, including a Rationing Nixon WASHINGTON (UPI) -President Nixon told the nation Saturday that because of "solid progress" in voluntary energy conservation, Americans can expect to get through next spring without gasoline rationing. In a live, 15-minute radio address from his White House office, the President assured the public that while the energy crisis is real and could get worse he will crack down on any signs that oil companies are making "unconscionable profits" out of the energy crisis.

NIXONSAIDhewould press Congress for passage of a windfall profits tax, make a critical review of tax breaks for U.S. oil companies operating overseas, and meet personally with corporate executives to get the facts if a government audit of oil company supplies and pricing policies is unsatisfactory. He said he also would propose legislation requiring full oil company disclosure of their inventories, production, costs and reserves. The President pledged, too, to "do everything I can to hold down the price of foreign oil" which is driving up domestic prices for gasoline, heating oil and other petroleum products. But he dismissed as "ridiculous" reports that gasoline will reach $1 a gallon, or that bread will cost $1 a loaf.

"THE AMERICAN public cannot afford to pay such prices, and I can assure you that we will not have to pay them," he said. Together with a warmer-than-expected winter and some leakage through the Arab oil embargo, Nixon said, voluntary public cooperation in turning down thermostats, "gasless Sundays" and reduced consumption of natural gas and electricity was paying off. "If this voluntary cooperation continues, I can say confidently to you today that we can prevent hardships this winter and that we can avoid gas rationing this spring," the President said. Nixon spoke to the nation two days before Congress Continued on A-2 Charter Changes Provide Open Meetings, Runoffs Robert, occupied by a small militia unit, is one of the westernmost islands of the group. The sources said four MIGs made bombing runs on three islands, then flew cover for the troop landings.

ONE OF THE jets made a pass at a Vietnamese navy ship trying to steam toward the threatened islands, driving the vessel away, the sources said. The renewed fighting followed sharp fighting Saturday that caused causalties on both sides and resulted in the sinking of two Vietnamese ships and the "probable" sinking of a Chinese ship, spokesmen said. Vietnam ordered its big naval task force out of the Paracels back to South Vietnam following the battles, but replaced it with a group of smaller ships. PRESIDENT Nguyen Van Thieu abruptly canceled a trip to the field to visit front-line troops and remained in Saigon to keep in touch with the situation, political sources said. In addition to the one battle on Robert, Chinese and Vietnamese forces faced each other on two other tiny islands Duncan and Hoang Sa, separated from Robert only by a water-covered sandbar, the sources said.

Military sources said a Vietnamese destroyer and an escort ship were knocked out by fire from Chinese ships, including Komar class missile boats. THE CHINESE made no mention of ship losses and only said the Vietnamese killed and wounded an undisclosed number of Chinese fishermen. The Vietnamese also said an Continued on A-2 La ZJave In Action Albuquerque heroin addicts who are trying to beat the habit frequently do so through the services of La Llave. The organization dispenses daily, oral doses of methadone as shown here as a substitute for heroin. But getting into the program is no simple, one-step operation.

Details on La Llave and its program are on page A-ll. (Journal Photo by Ray Gary) heart of the mayor-council system, fails, Proposition 4, adding four at-large councilors to the nine district council members, and Proposition 5, making elections partisan, also fail no matter what the vote on them. The mayor-council system is an old one for governing cities, following the Congress Returns Monday To Tackle Energy Shortage example of the U.S. Constitution in its checks and balances and its separation of powers. It is the system used in the nation's largest cities, where its advantages and disadvantages are well known.

ADVOCATES say it is Continued on A-6 Horoscope D-S Obituaries E-16 People's Column A-S Phoenix Nest A-S Quality in Living A-12 School Menu D-3 Sports E-l-8 Today's Calendar A-1S TV Log, Previews A-1S Woman's World B-l-7 Plus Parade and 2 big comics sections By MARC BERNABO Albuquerque citizens may face runoff elections at the polls but they will see no more secret meetings at City Hall if the five City Charter amendments are approved by the City Commission Monday night and by the voters Feb. 26. The amendments, on which a public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the city Commission Room, will change the structure and operations of city government nearly from top to bottom. AMONG THE changes proposed, the mayor will have sole control over city purchasing and awarding contracts within the limits of the city budget and State Purchasing Act.

And the City Council as well as all committees, boards and commissions will be required to give notice of their meetings and make all meetings open. No exceptions are provided. If Propositiin 3, the Complete Charter Text Today's Journal features, as a public service, a complete text of the proposed charter amendments to be voted upon at the Feb. 26 election. Also included in the election special is a map of the proposed nine council districts.

Turn to Pages E-10-11. But leaders of the Democratic controlled Congress are hopeful that it can turn its attention to some major domestic issues and write a better record on them than it managed in the first session in 1973. They would like to see passage of a broad tax reform bill, a national health insurance measure, and a welfare-reform plan with a guaranteed income for poor families, including those with jobs. is same, WASHINGTON (AP) -The 93rd Congress returns for its 1974 session Monday with possible impeachment of President Nixon and the energy shortage its overriding immediate concerns. These two issues are certain to dominate the early weeks of the session.

NIXON SAID Saturday he will propose new legislation dealing with the fuel problem. uniting Session Moving On Political Reform Judge Robins Says The White House has indicated Nixon will challenge the legislators to do something on health insurance and welfare this year by presenting his own plans. The House Judiciary Committee already has under way an intensive investigation of charges against Nixon. THE COMMITTEE must decide, possibly by April, whether to send to the House for a vote a resolution to impeach the President. Democratic leaders are pressing for the earliest possible action on an emergency energy bill left dangling when Congress quit for Christmas a month ago.

The bill would give the President power to impose gas rationing and take many other steps to alleviate the fuel shortage. For the longer run, congressional energy experts are placing their hopes on a bill already passed by the Senate making available $20 billion to conduct research on new energy sources. The major domestic legislation pushed by Democratic leaders in the tax, health and welfare fields is faced with a severe problem, which almost certainly means it all cannot be acted on in 1974. The problem is that it all must get through the bottleneck of one House committee, Ways and Means, and the comparable Senate panel, Finance. Action Line D-9 Around New Mexico G-l Arts C-l-3 At City Hall A-4 Books C-3 Classified Crossword Puzzle D-3 Editorials A-4 Entertainment C-4-6 Farm and Ranch E-12 Family Lawyer D-2 Financial G-2 Home Living D-l-S Sen.

Aubrey Dunn "No Big Thing" iff X' By DAVID STEINBERG Of the Journal's Santa Fe Journal's SANTA FE Without fanfare, the 1974 New Mexico legislature is clearly taking long strides toward political reform. The reforms, if they stick, will affect the internal policies of the legislature and the rules of the New Mexico political system. What is noteworthy is that few people are visibly opposing the reform moves. Those who may be unhappy with them are keeping quiet. From conversations with legislators, staff, lobby their candidacy for governor; some have shown marked changes in their attitude toward reform.

Political reform is fast becoming a campaign issue. Indictments against two members of the New Mexico senate. Publicly, nobody talks about them. Privately, they have been bombshells. The Saturday before the legislature convened Jan.

12 the indictment of State Sen. Anthony A. Lucero, D-Bernal-illo, on bribery charges was the talk of the early arrivals to the roundhouse. There was and is nervous concern that other legislators might be linked to the allegations. One indication of the reform move came last week when senate committee chairmen agreed to record the roll call votes on final bill votes, but the record of how members voted would be kept in committee.

"It's no big thing and no big difference from what we've been doing For years we've been talking about new ideas so we thought we'd try some of them," said Sen. Aubrey Dunn, D-Otero. Dunn's remark notwithstanding, it is viewed as a major refor step. At a Santa Fe luncheon Friday, New Mexico Common Cause members were told by their director -lobbyist Mike Runnels that the organization could Continued on A-16 ists ana oDservers tnese eventspast, present and future are most often referred to as having exerted the Greatest inflnenre in the By SCOTT BEAVEN Municipal Court Judge Harry Robins, who said he will seek re-election to a two-year term in April, said Saturday he does not intend to change his method of thinking with respect to his often controversial judgments. Robins was the subject of a recall attempt killed by the New Mexico Supreme Court Friday.

In making his announcement Saturday, he made it clear that he will not attempt to enchant those who have become disenchanted with him and he said he believes he still has the support of the public. THE MUNICIPAL COURT system is finally getting the "attention it deserves" from the City Commission and elsewhere, Robins believes, and is therefore on its way Continued on A-2 News Analysis movement toward reform: I I Watergate and its spinoff and prolonged investigations by congress Z. and the judiciary; "Watergate affects every legislator in the state, be he Democrat or Republican," said one house Democrat. This year's elections. State and congressional seats are up for grabs.

Many legislators want the mantle of the "good guy." Several state senators have already announced Harry D. Robins "Much To Do".