The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 1

THE LEADING NEWSPAPER OF SOUTH CAROLINA Greenville, S. Thursday, January 17, 1974 100th Year No. 17 54 Pages 9 ationiig Coiiposis To Be Priete 07 Industry Credibility Said To Be Sinking Fast Use May Still Be Avoided WASHINGTON (UP I) -Deputy Energy Chief John Sawhill said Wednesday gasoline rationing coupons will be ready by the end of January, but the decision whether to use them may be delayed until "a peak time of gas usage" next summer. II i I i Obviously optimistic that the nation can avoid rationing. Sawhill outlined more details of the government's standby ra tioning plan at a news Drieting.

He said 1.6 billion rationing coupons will be minted and placed in storage by the end of the month and the entire standbv svstem will be ready for possible Implementation by March l. mi ne aaoea: "It is more likely the plan would go into effect in the summer at a time of peak gas WASHINGTON (UPI) Congressional and government spokesmen told the oil industry Wednesday its credibility was sinking fast. Industry leaders responded that they were not trying deliberately to decieve the American public but conceded some key statistics on their operations were misleading. William Johnson, head of the Federal Energy Office's policy analysis office, told industry representatives the mood in Congress and among most Americans was of "major suspicions of the oil companies that could have ugly results." "So you need to cooperate with our program," Johnson said during a question-'and-janswer session with industry representatives over the FEO's newly-announced fuel allocation program. A group of Democratic congressmen charged in a statement the administration acquiesced in "extortion" American consumer by major oil companies.

"Although the administration is nominally committed to controlling inflation, it is not only permitting but encouraging massive price increases for crude oil, finished petroleum products, natural gas and other fuels," the congressmen said. They urged Energy Chief William E. Simon to impose immediately a 90-day freeze on domestic crude oil and petroleum product prices. One federal official, Administrator Russell Train of the Environmental Protection Agency, said he believes the administration will make a proposal to divert any windfall profits which oil companies make during the energy crisis to a fund to help pay for mass transit. A House Small Business subcommittee heard an energy expert, Martin Lobel, testify that the only accurate information on the oil crisis was "closely held in the hands of a few international companies not the government (and) "they refuse to provide it." Exxon Vice President W.

T. Slick replied that the oil industry would "welcome a government-isponaored system for collection and publishing timely petroleum data." In Boston, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, said total disclosure by the oil firms "of every aspect of their activities" is needed to back up their contention that they are not boosting profits to the detriment of the consumer. Kennedy said Congress should put higher priority on passage of legislation to establish a "federal bureau of investigation" within the oil industry to locate reserves, determine how much is being stockpiled and where, pinpoint the actual cost of transportation, storage and marketing and report the profits.

"The administration has been depending on the oil companies to place the public interest over private gain," Kennedy said. "The administration has accepted their data, their price justifications and their supply information, and the result has been near disaster." At the Washington hearing, Slick said the industry funnels its data to the American Petroleum Institute, its trade organization. The API weekly reports, he admitted, do have a built-in time lag and anyone using API figures as a basis for comparison of supplies must do so "very judiciously or misleading conclusions can result." The chairman of the House subcommittee, Rep. John D. Dingell, complained that Congress is trying to make public policy in the fuel crisis "in a total vacuum." The administration, he said, "has completely delegated the authority to the oil industry." John Schaefer, an official of the Federal Energy Office who helped draft the fuel allocation program, told industry representatives at the program briefing that fuel allocation would be in effect "for a long, long time." SPRING PREVIEW Furman University lake attracted from the indoor study habit are Anne Swann, a sophomore sun seeking students Tuesday as Greenville's winter weather from Richmond, left, and Cheryl Snider, a senior from took a sudden turn for the better.

The sunshine pushed the Charlotte. (Staff photo by James G. Wilson) thermometer up to a high of 77 degrees. Enjoying a break usage If gasoline demand mounts in the summer, there will be more pressure to bring on the rationing plan. "Our view on rationing is Few Had Tape Access, Aide Says unchanged.

We still consider It to be a last resort." He said the nation can get through the energy pinch without rationing if American drivers continue to save gaso line and if domestic refining holds up. There also will be enough heating oil, he added, most Americans keep tneir thermostats 6 deerees lower than last year and unless the submitting it to the grand jury," the judge said. "I'll make that decision in due course," he said. It was the first time he had given any indication in open court of what action he might take. On Tuesday a panel of technical experts said there were at least five and perhaps as many as nine instances of erasing and re-recording in the 18.5 minute obliterated segment.

The experts are scheduled to return to court on Friday for cross-examination by White House lawyers. Most of the questions directed to Bull and a Secret Service official who preceded him on the stand dealt with who had access to the tape and the Uher 5000 recording machine the experts pinpointed as the one used when the conversation was obliterated. Bull startled the spectators in the courtroom when, upon being shown a receipt indicating he had received the Uher recorder last Oct. 1, he said, "That is not my signature that is not even close." WASHINGTON (AP) A White House aide testified Wednesday that he knows of only five people who ever had possession of the Watergate tape on which an 18.5-minute segment of conversation was erased. Stephen B.

Bull, a special assistant to the President, told a federal court hearing that the only people he knew of who had access to that tape were himself; the President; his secretary, Rose Mary Woods; J. Fred Buzhardt, a White House lawyer; Gen. John Bennett, an aide, Bull denied telling a New York Times reporter that a number of other people also had access to the tape of a June 20, 1972, conversation between the President and his then-chief of staff, H. R. Haldeman.

Bull testified shortly after U.S. District Judge John J. Sirica raised the possibility he might refer the case to a grand jury. "I have to decide whether or not I'm going to recommend to the special prosecutor that this case should be submitted or whether the special prosecutor should seriously consider weather turns severely cold. An improvement in the nerev situation is necessary to avoid rationing, sawniu saia, "and we're getting an im provement." He said employes of the Federal Energy Office (FEO) are trying to set up tne mechanics of the standby rationins svstem in discussions Duke Power To Boost Retail Rates with representatives ot tne states, post offices and Danits.

He estimated there are 123 the coal clause would, like the million licensed drivers who would be elieible for coupons. eight per cent hike, be subject to ThA rationing svstem will at any price and its own reserves were reported to foe 40 days off normal supply. The 2.25 per cent across the board increase is in addition to the eight per cent boost which Duke put into effect under bond refund to customers at six per cent interest of any excess over classify drivers' needs region by region, largely on the basis of the availability of mass wnat the PSC ultimately ap proves. tfhem into effect under bond and subject to refund as provided by law. Under the coal cost adjustment clause, the utility pegs the retail rates to the price of coal used in its generating stations! Rates are adjusted upward or downward with the cost of coal.

Coal costs, however, have been rising for months and show no signs of falling. Duke officials report difficulty in buying coal Columbia Bureau COLUMBIA Customers of Duke Power Co. will begin paying higher prices for their electricity Saturday as the utility boosts its retail rates by 2.25 per cent and imposes a coal cost adjustment clause. The S.C. Public Service Commission, which had suspended Duke's petitions for both increases pending hearings, announced that Duke is putting transit, he added.

last Nov. 15 as part of an overall State law permits an electric utility to put into effect under Sawhill said rural areas would cet the best break along bond rate increases suspended with urban areas having little ty tne fsu. The bond must be rate increase of 17 per cent requested on its South Carolina sales. Both the 2.25 per cent increase and any increase resulting from or no mass transit. He said posted to protect interested par ties.

urban areas with moderate transit would get 90 per cent of the maximum and areas with Duke petitioned the PSC on good transit, 80 per cent. Nov. 30 for tne coal cost adjustment clause, noting the sharp rise in coal prices. The coal clause would charge Among cities in tne iw per Former Anderson College President Annie Dove Denmark Succumbs cent category were Dallas, Cincinnati. Detroit, Los Angeles or credit each kilowatt hour of and San Diego.

The 90 per cent electricity sold with the proper share of the cost of the coal class included Washington. D.C., Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Miami. The 80 per cent above or below the established base of .4745 cents per kilowatt category included New York, Baltimore, Atlanta, uucago, Boston, New Orleans and hour based on the cost of coal to Duke of 50 cents per million BTU. Duke gets part of its coal from Phi adelnhla. Assuming a gasoline shortage a mine one of its subsidiaries of 800,000 barrels a day or 11 ner cent.

Sawhill said. Los owns in eastern Kentucky. The PSC is expected to con Angeles drivers might get 49 gallons a month, Washington 44 duct hearings this spring on the women's college through the depression years and in 1930 led in Anderson's transition to a co-educational junior college, the first such institution in the state. Dr. Denmark achieved two significant firsts during her long career as an educator.

She was the first woman ever elected president of a college in South Carolina and was the first woman to hold office in the college's sponsoring body, the S.C. Baptist Convention. She was named vice president of that body in 1950. On May 2, 1953, President Denmark presented diplomas to her last graduating class. On that day the trustees announced that she had been elected president emeritus for life, and was invited to spend the remainder of her life on the campus.

This program ended the official service of 36 years at Anderson College of the woman who was known to alumni as "our beloved president." A memorial service for Dr. Denmark will be held Thursday at 4 p.m. in the Anderson College Chapel. This will coincide with the funeral service Thursday at Goldsboro's First Baptist Church. Burial will be in Willow Dale Cemetery.

Dr. Denmark left no immediate family. PROM STAFF, WIRE REPORTS GOLDSBORO Dr. Annie Dove Denmark, 86, president emeritus of Anderson College in Anderson, S.C., died Wednesday in Wayne Memorial Hospital. She had been in declining health for several months.

She had served the college as president from 1928 to 1953. A native of Goldsboro, Dr. Denmark received degrees from Meredith College and Anderson and an honorary doctorate of literature from Furman University. Dr. Denmark's tenure as fifth president of Anderson College was the longest in the school's history.

She guided the four-year Duke petitions before it. and Boston 40. In other energy-related deve lonments: John Schaefer, who helped draft the FEO allocation program announced Tuesday, told major oil company representatives in a meeting at On The Inside Abby 26 Markets 22 Comics 39 Sports 18 Deaths 16 Television 14 Editorials 4 Theaters 38 Life Style 25 Want Ads 40 the Interior Department that price controls soon will oe removed from aviation and ocean ship fuels for Internation al transportation. Strauss Says President's Prevost Building Tuesday night. The floor of the second story of the building collapsed, dropping debris into the ground floor of the shoe shop.

(Staff photo by James G. Wilson) 'Unsalvageable Credibility FIRE DAMAGE Heclarama at 243 N. Main Greenville, was believed to be hardest hit by structural damage in the fire which swept through the top level of the Fire At Prevost Building Began In Electrical Wiring Weather The warm 77-degree high temperature recorded at the Greer weather station Wednesday set a record for the dale. The previous record high was a 74-degree reading of Jan. 16, 1952.

Wednesday's temperature also came close to setting an all-time record high for the month of January. A high of 78 occurred on Jan. 13, 1960. The forecast: mostly sunny and warm Thursday. Partly cloudy and mild Thursday night.

Partly cloudy and warm Friday. High Thursday mid 70's. Low in upper 40's. Probability of precipitation near lero Thursday and Thursday night. Other data on Page 2.

tape. Strauss said he personally was offended by what happened to the Nixon-Haldeman conversation, "and I think the average American is saddened by it. "It puts the presidency in a dimension that no one in America gets much joy or Eleasure from," the Texas cmocrat said. Noting that polls show 80 per cent of Americans believe Nixon is guilty to some degree in Watergate, Strauss said Americans are tired of Watergate, A fire which cutted the too Americans want to get on with running the country." The "sad part" about Watergate, Strauss said, is that "the musical chairs the White House is playing with it" is taking away from the real problems which confront the nation such as inflation and the energy crisis. Strauss said the energy crisis is real, but Congress has not been able to como to grips with it "because there is no executive leadership in the White House.

"If Congress does not get a thrust of leadership from the (Fee Nixon's, P. 8, Col. 1) floor of the Prevost Building on Robert S. Strauss, chairman of the National Democratic Committee, on a one-day swing through South Carolina said in Greenville Wednesday that the "credibility of President Nixon Is just about unsalvageable." Strauss said six months ago he might have been "shocked" about the electronics experts explanation of what caused the 18-minute cap in a taped conversation between Nixon and Bob Haldeman, former asslst-ant to tho President, "but nothing shocks me any more." The experts said at least five erasures were made on the North Main Street Tuesday night started in electrical wiring, according to Greenville Fire Chief four hours before it was con. tained.

No flames reached the first floor level, Wilson said. There was no estimate of the damage late Wednesday. However, WESC radio may have incurred damage of more than $100,000, according to program director Bob Hooper who said the automatic FM equipment cost in excess of $75,000. ing ignited surrounding woodwork. The attic above the ceiling of the second floor was open from O'Neal Williams Sporting Goods Store to College Street.

Wilson termed the blaze as "one of the most stubborn fires I have seen in several years." The blaze was discovered about 6 p.m. and raged for some Charles Wilson. The chief said the fire origin-atari in electrical conduit on the second floor, burned through the conduit, and then either caused 'but not Decause tney aon i sparks or the gradual overncat- S. ROBERT most want a disclosure STRAUSS.