Fairbanks Daily News-Miner from Fairbanks, Alaska • Page 7

Fairbanb Daily News-Miner, Monday, November 7, 1966--7 Italy Flood Death Toll Passes 300; Epidemic Feared i 11 McKinley Charge Bartlett Says U.S. Sen. (Bob) Bartlett characterized the closing election campaign as "longand strenuous" here last night And he charged his opponent, Dr. Lee L. (Doc) McKinley, with "the greatest smear campaign in the history of Alaska." The Republican dentist from Palmer has conducted an aggresive campaign attacking Bartlett on several national issues, including prayer in public schools and foreign aid toCommunistnations.

Bartlett spoke at a spaghetti dinner given by Democrats at the Elks Club. Bartlett charged a part of the McKinley advertising campaign concerning United States aid to certain Iron Curtain countries "an unmitigated lie." Another of the senator's swipes at his opponent, however, was in a lighter vein. The model who appeared in a recent newspaper advertisement of McKinley's one showing a woman with her head in her hands with the text of a telegram informing her of her husband's death in Viet Nam also appeared in a dental journal last month, Bartlett said. The caption under this picture read, Bartlett said, "Please isn't there anything you can do to spare me that awful waiting period without teeth?" "I hope," Bartlett said, "that we can destroy forever political extremism in Alaska on both sides. This is no state for John Birchers or Communists; Alaska is a state of moderates." Rivers, speaking inhis own behalf, termed federal money channeled to Alaska "a good invast- ment for Alaska." "My purpose," the congressman asserted, "is to make sure Uncle Sam makes a good investment" Bartlett spent much of his speaking timeassailingGov.

William A. Egan's opponent, Wally Hickel, whom he assailed as a candidate who made and who "details nothing." In a point-by-point rundown of a piece of Hickel campaign literature, Bartlett said he saw "a return to the Hoover type of government survey, survey, survey." Bartlett also took the stand for Egan two weeks ago in Juneau. All Democrats except two who will appear on the ballot here tomorrow were at the dinner. The exceptions were Eganand his running mate, Hugh J. Wade, the secretary of state.

Both Bartlett and Rivers plan to remain in Fairbanks through the election. PUB Tomorrow The city Public Utility Board will meet at 8 p.m. Tuesday in its office in the Municipal Utilities Building. Two fund transfers are on the agenda. Airman Dies In Camper From Lack of Oxygen ANCHORAGE (AP)--The Air Force said today an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death of Sgt.

Michael A. Piranio, 36, who died Thursday while sleeping in a camper parked on the Richardson Highway near Glennallen. A companion, Airman Charles Riggs of Zanesville, Ohio, was treated at the Glennallen hospital and then evacuated by auto the Air Force hospital here. His condition today was described as good. An Air Force spokesman said insufficient oxygen in the camper was believed to be the cause of Sgt.

Piranio'sndeath. Piranio. a native of Lincoln, is survived by his widow, Marilyn Ann and two children, aged 5 and i. The family lives here. AUTOGRAPH FOR A YOUNG BOOSTER Sen.

E. L. (Bob) Bartlett received an enthusiastic welcome Sunday evening at the Elks Club. Bartlett, left, puts his signature on a sample ballot for young Jeff Cacy as Mike Bradner, Democratic candidate for the State House and Mrs. Pat Gemmell look on.

Occasion was a spaghetti dinner in honor of Bartlett and highlighting local and state candidates for the party. -(News-Miner Staff Photo) Write-In Campaign Warms Ice Bloc Senate Contest At least two write-in campaigns for the general'election are afoot in the state despite legislation passed last year to discourage them. Eben Hopson, Democrat from Barrow who lost the party nomination for the State Senate seat in District is waging a strong and open campaign. He is said to have besn advised that he would not be seated if he won, but believes that the law does not apply to his particular situation. Contenders on the ballot for the District senate seat are Bob Blodgett, Democrat and trader from Teller on the Seward Peninsula, and Jerry Crow, Republican of Barrow.

Also on the ballot, and listing no party, is Leslie E. Bone of Kotzebue. Rites Set For Ronald Nelson, 4, Victim of Dogs Funeral services for Ronald Keith Nelson, 4-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Nelson of Clear, will be tomorrow at 1 p.m.

at the Alaskan Funeral Chapel. Dr. J.T. Burdine, pastor of the University Baptist Church, will officiate. Burial will be in the Northern Lights Memorial Park Cemetery.

Ronald was born May 23,1962, in Ada, Okla. He was fatally injured Friday by two dogs as he crossed the Anderson school grounds adjacent to his home. Surviving besides his parents are four brothers, William, Anthony, Timothy, and Michael, all at home, Ronald's father is an electronics technician for RCA. This is Arctic Alaska's only senate seat now. 'had four before the governor's reapportionment order.

In the Bristol Bay area Joe McGill is said to face a strong campaign by a woman Democrat. The woman is Mrs. Randy Briggs of Ugashik, the mother of three children. She is a former teacher and, with her husband Roger, owns a canning operation in Ugashik. George Silides, defeated in the primary as Republican candidate for the House from the 16th District, considered a write-in campaign but called it otf when he studied the new state legislation.

The new statute under Sec. 15.15.360 rules for determining marks on ballots reads: "A write-in vote for a person whose candidacy for that office was rejected in a party primary tated before the general election. A write-in vote cast contrary to' this rule does hot invalidate the entire ballot." There is some question as to whether the Alaska statute, passed in the last legislative session, is constitutional, but it would have to be brought to court to be tested. Since statehood two write-in candidates have gone to the legislature. In 1960 Kenneth Garrison beat Bob McCombe, Democrat of Chicken, with a write-in vote of 292 to 70.

In the same election a write-in vote of 210 for Father Segundo Llorentebeat Johnson who only drew 93 from District 24. Since a write-in vote does not disqualify a ballot, Alaskans may put it to the test this election. Many feel there is little to lose in trying. unary election in the same year is in- KaVagC valid unless the party nominee for that office has died, withdrawn, become disqualified or been certified as incapaci- Mrs. Dallosto Dies in Renton Former Fairbanksan Mrs.

Maddalena Dallosto died Friday in Renton Convalescent Center, Renton, Wash. She was born April 2, 1889 in CagollO del Cengio, Italy, and came to Fairbanks in October 1929 with husband Peter. The family moved to Renton eight years ago. Peter died in 1963. She is survived by one daughter, Mary Renkoskiof Fairbanks, son Mose Dallosto of Renton and six grandchildren.

The family address in Renton is 802 Second North, Eastern Panama PANAMA (AP) Thirty persons have died and 49 more are missing in floods in eastern Panama, government officials reported today. They said more than 800 persons have lost their homes in the flooding of the Pacroa and Chepo rivers. Final Toll May Be FarHigher FLORENCE, Italy (AP) -Helped by clearing weather and driven by fear of epidemic, a massive Italian-American rescue force worked today to pull a third of Italy from the chaos and misery of the nation's worst flood disaster. More than 150 bodies were reported recovered and the estimated death toll went to 300. ft was feared that the final count would be far greater.

Three days after the first floods and landslides struck in central and northeast Italy, rescue teams still had not reached all of the hundreds of stricken and isolated communities. American military bases in the country sent men and machines to join Italian soldiers, police and civilian volunteers in a rescue force of 250.000. Throughout the stricken area from south of Florence to north of Venice, water contamination and hundreds of thousands of drowned livestock increased the danger of epidemic. 5 In mountain towr- and villages in neighbornig east Austria an estimated 23 persons were dead after four days of blizzards and torrential rains. Upstream river levels fell in Italy as billions of gallons of water from heavy rains and rampaging floods rushed seaward.

That steadily raised the levels downstream. Workers toiled through the night to shore up dikes and earth levees at the mouths of the Piave River north of Venice and the Po Adige and Brenta Rivers south of Venice. Florence and Venice, mud- stained and thick with debris from waters that had swirled 10 feet deep for hours, tried to achieve a semblance of normal life through relief and cleanup operations. Prof. Ugo Procacci, superintendent of Florence's art galleries and museums, said the most serious damage to renaissance art treasures was in the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Among the damaged works was a painting of Christ, by Cimabue, the. 13th century painter. Sgt. McClung Asks Transfer A veteran police sergeant of six years experience may soon leave the Fairbanks Police Department. Lonnie D.

McClung's application for transfer to the Fire Department is on City Manager Wally Droz's desk. "I haven't even considered it yet," Droz said this morning. That there was such an application for transfer was discussed at an informal working session meeting of the City Council this morning. McClung declined to go into any details about the request for transfer this morning. He indicated he would be paid $160 less a month than he is now making if his application is approved.

At the council meeting this morning, Droz said he had no complaints about the operation of the Police Department. Council members also indicated their general satisfaction with the department TOCKMARKET NEW YORK (AP) The Stock Market closed mixed in moderate trading today. Investors approached the market cautiously because it will be closed tomorrow, election day. Closing Dow Jones averages were: 30 industrials 802.22, down 2.84; 20 rails 198.74, down 15 utilities 137.24, down 1.3; and 65 stocks 283.34, down 1.04. Boy Skydiver, 11, Plunges To Death as Dad Watches By JACK MILLER MANASSAS, Va.

(AP) Dana Rutledge, 11, spent half his young life around skydivers. He knew what it was all about. So skilled and trustworthy he was that for the last 300 of 1,000 jumps his father has made, he was allowed to pads the chute. The father, Carl A. RuUedge is a classifier at the U.S.

Patent Office in nearby Washington and lives in Vienna, Va. He has been jumping for five years and is president of "The Targe- teers a skydiving club. None of the 160 or so members of the club loves skydiving more than Dana did. He was, said Rutledge, "very athletic and smart as a whip and quick in his response to things. Yet when Dana begged to be allowed to jump, Rutledge thought a long time.

Finally because of Dana's "over-all, general knowledge" of skydiving, Rutledge gave in. Dana made his first jump last summer. Sunday, he made his ninth and last. His chute failed to open properly and he fell to his death in a field on the family's farm near here. On the ground, Rutledge saw it happen.

He was in charge of the jump. The chances of a fatality in skydiving "are one in a million just astronomical," Rutledge said. But it can happen and Rutledge knew it. He plans to keep on jumping. Exactly what happened to Dana's chute, he does not know.

The boy a 5th grader in Joins Skydivers, Dies Same Day ANDOVER, England (AP) -Kenneth Smith, 22, joined a local sky-diving club Sunday, made his first jump from a plane and plunged 3,000 feet to his death beside a busy highway. The parachute failed to open. school jumped from a light plane at 3,200 feet. He was to pull the ripcord as soon as he cleared the plane. The main chute did not open.

The emergency chute opened but it did not blossom, ft might have opened too late. Dana packed the chute, his father said, but it was the chute that was at fault. No Council Meeting The City Council will not meet tonight-- Monday night sessions have been its usual custom--but will convene next a week from tonight. From now on, regular council meetings will tie on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. The frequency of meetings has been altered under a change in the city charter ap-' proved by voters in the Oct 4 election.

The council meets in the basement of the Chamber of Commerce Log Cabin. Meeting time is 8 p.m. ABC Cons Admiral 36 Vg Air Roduc AJ Indust Allied Ch Allied Strs Allls Chal Alcoa Amerada Am Airlln 55 3 Am Brdcst Am Can 50V: Am Cyan Am EL Am MFdy Am Met CL Am Mot Am Gas 40 Am SMclt Am Std 15 Am Tel Tel Am Tob Ampex Cp 19 1 Anaconda Armco SU 4 TVs Armour 28 Atchison Atl Richfld Atlas CP 2V: Avco Corp 21 Vi Avon Prod 79 Bait Oh 27 Beat Fds Colum Gas Corn! Cred ComlSolv Com Sat Corp 40 Vs Con EdiS Con Frgtways IG 1 Container Cent Air L6Q 7 Cor.t Con Can Com Oil 68 'A Control Data Corn Pd CronC Co 36 Vs Crow Coll Crn ZcU 46 Cruc Stl 21 Cudahy Col Curtiss Wr 17 DeefO Den ROW Dr Pepper Doug Alrc Dow Chem 61 du Pont 158 East Air East Kod 119 Paso NG 18Vs Erie Lack Evans Pd 20 Vs Firestone Ford Mot 4 1 1 Fore Dairl6'A Air 25 FreeptSul BcndU Fruch Cp Scth Stoel Gamble SK 23V: Boeing Gen Dynam Bcdse Cascade Gen Dec Borden Borg Warn Brunswk Budd Co 13 Burl Ind 27 Burroughs 70 Va Cal Rick 24 "A Camp Soup 30V( Can Dry Cdn Pac Carrier 64 Case JL 18 Cater Trac 38Vi Celanese Cert-teed Chcs 6 Oh 63V: Chi ChryBterl Cities Sv Coca Cola S3 Colg Pal Colo Int Gas Gen Fds 72 Gen InStru 42 Gen Mills Motors T2 3 Tel El 43 Va Gen Tiro 32 Va Ga Pac Cp Gillette Cimble 46Vi Glen Aid 10 Goodrich 66 Goodyear Gt No Ry Gt Vi SB 1 1 Greyhound Gulf Oil Heinz Holly Sug 18 Vs Homestik Honeywell 5B 1 Hooker Ch 34 Idaho Pw Ideal Com 14 01 Cent Ind 68 Vi Int Bus Mch 349 Int Harv 36 1 Int Nick Int Paper Int Tel Tol GDVi Jewel Cos 30 Johns Man Jones i Kcnnccott Kerr McGec T4 Kresge SS 47 Lane Bry 23 Lehman LOF Glass Lib McNiL lOVj Ugs My 72 Utton Ind TO 1 Lock Alrc 59 Lorrlllard 44V; Madison Fd Magnavox Mai-ath Oil 61 Martin 17'A May Str Maytag 31 7 Merck 73 Minn MiM Mobil Oil Monsanto Mont Ward 22 Nat BlBC 46Vj Cash Reg 53V 8 Nat Dairy Nat Distill 34 Nat Gyps 26 Newberry NT Central 64 A a 4 4 7 Nor Pac 4S Nwst Airlin 98 Olln Math Otis Elcv OutbMsr 16V4 Owens HI 5 7 1 4 Pac 4 El Fac Pw 4 23V: Pac i Pan Am Riram Pict Parkc Da 25Vi Penn DIX 12 Penney JC 52 3 PaRJtSO Popsi Co Pflzer Phelps Philip Mor Phil! Pet 51 3 Polaroid 146 Proct 74 7 Texaco Publ Sv Colo 23Vi Sul Pug Sd P4L Tex las Pullman Tcrtron RCA 47 Thiohol Rayonicr TIdcwat Oil 63 Raytheon Tlmk Republ Stl TranSamer Hexall 26 Vj Tri Cont reyn Met TRW Inc 47'A Rcy Tob Twent Cent Royal Out 37 Un Carbide Safoway St. 2S 1 Un Oil Cal St Jos Lead Un Pac St KEG Pap 29 Unit Air Lin 51 Schenley Unit A ire Scherlng United Cp Scott Pap 26 Unit Fruit Sccara Baeb US Gypsum Servel 5 US Indsut' Shell Oil LS Plywd 30V 5 Shell Oil Rub Sinclair US Smelt 43 Skcllcy Oil 109V4 US Steel Sola Basic Utah PfiL Sou Cal Ed Varad Cp Soothn Co Variar. As Sou Pbc 29Vt Vendo Co Sou Ry Walgreen Sperry Rd 24 Warn Pic Std Brand Wash Wat 21 Sid Oil Cal Wn Air LJn Std Oil Ind SlVs Wn Bancorp Std Oil Ind Wn Un Tel Std Oil Westg A Bk Std Oil Oh Westg El Sterl Weyerhauser Sterl Drug Wheel Stl Stew War Woolwth Studcbaker Wrlgley Sunray DX Xerox Cp Sunsh Mn YngstSh 28 1 Zenith Tektronix 29 7 Approx.

New York Tennco Stock sales 5.530,000 Alaska Airlines Allied Artists Pac. Northern Airlines Sales 6 130 000 Industrials Rails 198,74 Utilities 137.24 Pound 2.7906 Canadian Exchange .9245 BANK BY TELEVISION Dedication ceremonies opening the new drive-in television deposit window of the First National Bank of Fairbanks at the downtown branch were held Saturday afternoon. From left are bank president William G. Stroecker, Mayor Red Boucher, Harold Byrd, University of Alaska comptroller, Mrs. Area Candidates In Final Appeals Byrd, Jule Loftus, and Lowell Johnston, bank officers.

The closed circuit television facility will provide all normal teller services incuding cashing checks and making of change, while the customer remains in the driver's seat of his automobile. --(Staff Photo) 400 Hear Anchorage Symphony Orchestra Even a casual visitor to Democratic and Republican headquarters at week's end here would have noted considerable contrast. Things were casual atthe Democratic stronghold on Second Avenue. The coffee was on, refreshments were being served, and about seven candidates and friends were rehashingthe Presidential visit Only Mary Lou Cacy, pounding her typewriter in a distant corner, was too busy too chat. "Things look good," an optimistic candidate informed me.

"I know we're going to win all the way. Johnson sewed it up." At Republican headquarters on North Cushman there was little room for visitors. Boxes of envelopes were stacked in islands around the office and about 10 people, candidates, relatives and friends, were addressing, stamping and stuffing with determined haste. "The Democrats predict Egan will take Fairbanks by 5,000 votes," I informed Mike Dai- ton, who was on the addressing end of the production line. "That's what they think," she said sharply and went back to her envelopes.

In Odds Close Odds throughout the state are close; closer in fact than they've been since the Kennedy-Nixon race in 1960, Egan has edged ahead of Hickel, Bartlett looks better than McKinley, and Rivers himself predicted a "cliff-hanging victory" in a speech in Anchorage this week. Locally, in both Senate and House races, candidates seem to be running glad-hand to glad- hand, Both parties claim they are short on cash and that the other has more to spend. Both are spending more than in past years. Few candidates have covered so much territory so many times as Grant Pearson (D) and Jay Hammond (R), who seek the senate seat in District H. It is reported Hammond "hasn't been home in six weeks" and Pearson has been making the rounds since last summer.

The most unpredictable race appears to be for two four-year terms in the senate in District I. Rep. Warren Taylor (D), Walter LeFevre (D) and Sen. John Butrovich (R), are contending along with P.B, (Doc) Haggland (R), who is a former city councilman and mayor of Fairbanks. Haggland has toured both the highway and the bush with his two pilot sons.

Butrovich has been down the highway twice and has waged a steady radio, TV and newspaper campaign. He took time out from personal campaigning here to spend a week in Southeastern campaigning with gubernatorial nominee Walter Hickel. LeFevre, who is recovering from a plane crash and has been confined to a wheel chair, has advertised heavily and steadily and has had a good-sized mailing list. Taylor, whose law practice has kept him exceptionally busy ths year, has nothadmuchper- sonal contact with the voters and has not advertised too heavily. Robert Hoopes (D), Eugene Miller (D), Maurice Smith (R), and Bill Waugaman (R) are fighting for two two-year Senate terms from District I.

Hoopes, who served three terms in the Territorial House, began the bulk of his advertising campaign two weeks ago. Smith, who served one term in the House, has not advertised heavily and his job at KFAR has kept him close to home. Waugaman, who has not served before in legislature, has been campaigning heavily on a person to person basis. Miller has been hitting the advertising media heavily for the last three weeks. In the Bush Ray Christiansen, although unopposed on the ballot, has been campaigning door to door in District for the State Senate seat.

JoeMcGill, running for the House from District 13, has been particularly active in the last 10 days. He is rumored to face a write-in campaign, although such a campaign is birred by recent legislative act McGill's is the only name on the ballot. He is a Democrat George Hohman Jr. (D) is reported to have teamed with Ray Christiansen in campaigning for election to the State House from District 14. Arthur L.

Nickolson (R) appears to be waging a person to person campaign against him. Rep. Norb Skinner (D), seeking re-election to the State House from District 15, is one of the few men campaigning heavily on an issue. He is asking for a study of Alaska's gas and oil industry as he did during the last legislative session. John'C.

Sackett, the Republican candidate opposing him. is attending the University of Alaska but has been campaigning on a person to person basis. Of the 14 campaigning for seven House seats in District 16, incumbents Bob McCombe (D) and R.E. Sheldon (D) have been the quietest Mike Bradner (D) has advertised and has been mailing material to voters. Robert J.

Cacy Jr. (D) has been working at Nenana until recently and has relied on radio and newspaper. He is now campaigning on a person to person basis. Incumbent EdOrbeck(D) started radio and newspaper campaigns in the final days. John Williams (D) seems to have a lot of people working for him and is heavy on posters, match books and the like.

Frank Young (D) has traveled the bush and campaigned door to door. Tury Anderson (R) retired from his job to campaign and has used newspapers and person to person contacts. John Holm (R) has been fairly quiet until last week when he began a door to door campaign. L.E, Linck (R) has also run a quiet campaign to date. Terry Miller (R) has driven the highway and flown the bush.

He's campaigned door to door too. Walter Pierce (R) has utilized advertising media heavily. Jules Wright (R) has waged a strong person to person campaign. Donald Young (B), teachingun- til recently at Fort Yukon, has used newspapers and television ar.d is campaigning in person at the moment. The Democrats have staged a "togetherness" campaign utilizing posters that feature the entire team.

By election day they will have sponsored seven half- hour television question and answer session in which the majority of their candidates have taken part. Saturday a party of local candidates and Rep. Ralph Rivers toured some of the bush en masse. While "the Republican candidates have been going it on their own as far as public appearances, they have had far more coordination behind the scenes than ever before. The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra under Frank Pinkerton offered a program of 19th and 20th century music to a crowd of about 400 in the University of Alaska's Patty Building Saturday night.

Jean-Paul Billaud, assistant professor of music at the university, was soloist in the two 19th Century works, Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 2. In Howard Hanson's Symphony No. 2, the opening work, Pinkerton's best communion was with the strings, although he did work the horns to give the piece good cohesion.

He worked with the two sections especially well in the third movement, allegro con brio. The Mendelssohn soloist Bil- laud attacked with a well-controlled vigor. He and the orchestra worked well and the pianist's performance was crisp throughout. Billaud was particularly impressive in the Saint-Saens. He managed to bring out the successive moods of the piece.

His touch was especially masterly in the varied tempos of the second movement, allegro scherzan- do. In a display of its virtuosity, the orchestra ended its program with Benjamin Britten's Soirees Musicales. The musicians were at their best in the march, trio- lese and tarantella. It was a second appearance for the symphony in Fairbanks. The first was in 1965, when its performance was also sponsored by the university.

U.S. Elections. (Continued From Page 1) strong issue and charged Reagan is guilty of "a subtle appeal to the white backlash." New York: A close one between Republican Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller and Democrat Frank D.

O'Connor. The New York Daily News, winding up its straw poll, says O'Connor will win with a 2.6 per cent edge. Michigan: Gov. George Romney is heavily favored to win another two-year term over his Democratic opponent, Zolton A. Ferency.

Romney supporters are hoping his margin will be great enough to help other GOP candidates in Michigan and further enhance the governor's prospects as a contender for the 1968 Republican nomination for president. Minnesota: In Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey's home state, it's nip and tuck between Democratic Gov. Karl F. Rol- Republican Harold vaag and Levander.

Georgia: self-styled all Lester G. Maddox, "segrationist for appears to have a narrow iead over Republican Howard H. Callaway. Write-ins for former Democratic Gov. Ellis Arnall possibly could throw the election into the Georgia Legislature.

Maryland: It's a close one between Republican Spiro T. Agnew and Democrat George P. Mahoney. A foe of open housing, Mahoney scored an upset victory' in his primary election campaign, using the slogan, "Your home is your castle--protect it!" SENATE Illinois: Republican Charles H. Percy is considered ahead of veteran Democratic Sen.

Paul H. Douglas. Many observers predict a victory for Percy would place him in the ranks of contenders for the 1968 GOP presidential nomination. Massachusetts: The race between former Democratic Gov. Endicott Peabody and Republican Atty.

Gen. Edward W. Brooke is very close. If elected, Brooke would be the first Negro in the Senate since Reconstruction days. Oregon: The Senate race between Republican Gov.

Mark 0. Hatfield and Democratic Rep. Robert B. Duncan is another close one. Hatfield says the war in Viet Nam is no longer an issue, Duncan says it is.

HOUSE Ohio: Former Rep. Robert Taft Jr. holds a slim lead in Cincinnati's 1st District over freshman Democratic Rep. John J. Gilligan.

Reapportionment has helped Taft. Iowa: In one of the major surprises of the 1964 election, Iowa switched its House lineup from six Republicans and one Democrat to six Democrats and one Republican. Veteran Democrat Neal Smith should win easily, Republican H. R. Gross is favored for re-election.

Freshman Democrats John Schmidhauser and John Culver appear to have winning edges, Republican William J. Scherle appears a likely winner over Democratic Rep. John R. Hansen. Other House contests are toss-ups.

Nixon, on the ABC radio-television program, Issues and Answers, and Johnson, at his news conference, were asked about their predictions on the voting. Nixon predicted a GOF net gain of 40 in the House, a net of three in' the Senate, six governorships and 700 state legislators. Johnson shied away from specific figures, but quoted the prediction given him by Postmaster Gen. Lawrence O'Brien. "He anticipates there will be no substantial change in the Senate," the president said.

"I think the Democrats will have a good, healthy, substantial majority in the House of Representatives." While under doctors' orders to be resting up for surgery, the President was busy doing his best to see that the Democrats wound up with such a margin. Sunday's news conference was his fourth in four days counting his meeting with newsmen last Thursday when he announced he would undergo sur, gery before Thanksgiving. Sunday, Johnson reported at his news conference that his Council of Economic Advisers had assured him inflationary pressures have eased. The report said "recent developments in the economy are a cause for encouragement but not for complacency." The council also said food prices a touchy point with housewives are declining. This news, along with his announcement that he was nominating Undersecretary of Commerce Alan S.

Boyd to head the new Cabinet-level Department of Transportation, began hitting the news wires just about the time Nixon was to appear on television. In his second television appearance of the afternoon, Nixon spoke for the GOP on a half hour provided by the NBC net. work for the party to present its views. A film titled "What Goes on Here?" originally was scheduled. But it drew heavy criticism and was disowned by several GOP leaders.

Nixon, in his role of answering Johnson's criticism, was its replacement..