The Weather Light rain or (frizzle tonight, low in the 40s. Cloudv Tuesday with temneratureii in the 50s. Chance of precipitation 70 per cent tonight and 20 per cent Tuesday. Manchester—A City of Village Charm TWENTY-TWO PAGES PRICE: nFTEEN CENTS . MANCHESTER, CONN., MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1 9 7 3 - VOL. XCH, No. 148 Tougher Economic Controls Proposed 1 WASHINGTON (AP) - In addition, rents would be service and welfare programs, prices may result in federal ac­ Contending that President stabilized at Jan. 10 levels, sub­ but Proxmire predicted the tion aimed at making it more Nixon’s program of economic ject only t6 specific cost in­ cuts will be made instead in attractive for fanners to grow t - controls is impossibly weak. creases, and the president defense and foreign-aid spen­ more com and soybeans, crops House Banking Committee could order further rent rollbacks. ding. vital to production of meat and Chairman Wright Patman is in­ Under Phase 3 of Nixon’s He also proposed controls on milk. troducing a bill to stabilize economic program, which interest rates, even as more of —Sen. Herman Talmadge, rents apd freeze all prices and started in January, there are no the nation’s largest banks con- chairman of the Seate interest rates for 60 days. limits on rents or interest tined rolling back hikes in their Agriculture Committee, said in­ “ The bill is a recognition of rates; no firm guidelines for prime lending rates. creased production and more- the obvious; that Phase 3 isn’t price increases, and no man­ Chase ^ lA a tta n Bank, the- selective buying are keys to working and that immediate ac­ datory wage-increase limits on third largest, and Franklin combatting the high cost of tion is needed to halt the most of the economy. However, National Bank of New York an­ food. spiraling increases in prices, the food, construction and nounced Sunday they were —An Associated Press survey rents and interest rates,” Pat­ health-care industries remain dropping the increase in the indicated support is building for man said in a statement Sun­ under mandatory controls. prime rate to 6^ per cent. a nationwide boycott of meat day. Sen. William Proxmire, D- Similar announcements came during the first week in April. He said the bill, whose out­ Wis., called Sunday for a six- from other banks last week Two Californa women are 4^ lines were hammered out by month freeze on wages and following a session with Arthur pushing the idea of a meatless Democratic members of the prices in view of the large F. Burns, chairman of the week to protest high prices. Banking Committee, would number of major labor con­ Nixon administration’s Com­ —The Nixon administration, freeze prices and interest rates tracts to be negotiated this mittee on Interest and in a move against rising at March 16 levels, and give the year. The Senate defeated a Dividends. ' housing costs, is expected to an­ president 60 days to develop a similar proposal last week. Several banks had raised the nounce today an incr^se in the system of rollbacks. Appearing on CBS’ "Face the prime rate — the borrowing amount of federally owned After that period, said Pat­ Nation,” Proxmire also charge for most-creditworthy timberland available for in man, a Texas Democrat, the predicted that Congress will customers — from 6V« to 6Y4 per harvesting. There were in­ president would be requir^ to stay within the spending limits cent. dications the Cost of Living impose mandatory economic Nixon urged for the coming In other economic news: Council also might ask Japan to controls when the inflation rate fiscal year — but not the way —The Agriculture Depart­ voluntarily reduce its purchase exceeded an annual rate of 3 the President suggested. ment announced that a year’s of U.S. timber, thus increasing per cent for any three months To slow inflation, Nixon seeks supply of groceries cost a the domestic supply. or 7,y» per cent over a year. to eliminate various social- typical family of four 31,409 in Some members of Congress Commuter Bus Service Resumes February, up 334 from January. have called for elimination of As the market-basket report lumber exports from federal Bob D’Onofrio, commuter liaison representative of the express bus to Hartford this morning. The Burr Comers was issued. Agriculture Depart­ forests, especially with housing state transportation department, holds an umbrella for buses carried 183 Passengers this morning, on the first day P^thet Lao May ment sources said rising food prices continuing to mount. Mrs. Zabelle Haroian as she boards- the Burr Corners buses rolled since Nov. 25. (Herald Photo by Ofiara) Release POWs Buses Roll Ending Commuter Bus SAIGON (AP) — The Communist-backed Pathet Lao an­ nounced toclay they have agreed to a U.S. proposal on the Patrons Jubilant release of American prisoners captured in Laos and are “ ready to set free at any date the U.S. military and civilian DOIK; BEVINS 121 Days OC Idleness (llcrulil Kc|mrlcr) pprsonnel captured in Laos during the war.’’ ^ The Pathet J.ao gave no specific date, time or place, as - It was like a family reunion at Burr Corners Shopping Plaza this morning as passengers of the commiiter buses demanded by the Unitied States. HARTFORD (AP) — The blue-and-sllvfer buses of the timated his drivers and however, that the union and ConhCo management hadn’t T V disphte over the release Cong ancj North Vietnamese, C<mnecticut Co. returned to the streets of Hartford, New mechanics had lost about $1.5 to downtown Hartford rode together for the first tiriie in million since the marathon settled on a new contract until four months. thd nine American prisoners with the deadline for tljeir Haven and Stamford early today after a 121-day bus strike walkout began. Many of the 520 one day before he made his sub­ captured in Laos is holding up release only two days away. There was an overwhelming­ This morning's passenger that affected thousands of riders and raised political ConnCo employes involved took sidy offer. release of the last 139 ’Hie Pathet Lao radio broad­ ly happy feeling among the bus count was 183, nearly 1(X) less temporary jobs but the com­ Meskill’s subsidy program Americans held by the Viet cast, monitored in Saigon, also tempers to the boiling point. riders and drivers, who hadn't than the average last year, but pany said only three employes, followed the failure of a spate disclosed that a representative Buses in the three ConnCo divisions began rolling out of .seen each other since a strike still very good for the first day all of them in Hartford, had quit of plans offered from one end of of the U.S. Embassy in Vien­ their bams between 4:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. by the Amalgamated. Transit o f returned service. their jobs. the state to the other to solve tiane met with Soth Phetrasy, Union stopped bus service last Gov.' Thomas Meskill is ’The order for the buses to roll resume riding the buses. Orders for the buses to roll the bus crisis. the Pathet Lao representative Nov. 25. urging commuters throughout Release followed a decision two weeks Service cute may be ordered followed a breakthrough last Among the unsuccessful in the Laotian capital, and People were embracing each the state to take the buses and ago by Gov. Tliomas J. Meskill after 30 days if the buses, now week in the three-cornered proposals were: asked for the release of the nine other, overjoyed about being give up the emergency to provide direct state subsidies running on their pre-strike negotiations among the state, —A bill passed by last year’s Slated Americans. able to take the bus again. The transportation arrangements to the financially strapped com­ .routes, show a drop in ConnCo and the striking Democratic General Assembly A spokesman for the U.S. drivers were whistling, made during the bus crisis. A pany for a two year period. ridership. Amalgamated ’Transit Union. that would have provided direct delegation to the Joint Military commuters were* delighted; it sign at the Burr Corners bus Tuesday Amalgamated ’Transit Union Chamber of Conunerce of­ Gov. Thomas J. Meskill took subsidies to needy bus com­ Commission in Saigon said the was almost a party. shelter boldly declared, drivers and mechanics struck ficials in Hartford and Stam­ to statewide radio and televi­ panies, without a requirement delegation has received no for­ “ It was really great,” "Welcome Back Commuters,” SAIGON, (AP) - North Conn. Co Nov. 26 after the com­ ford estimated in weekend in­ sion to report that the state that transit districts be formed. mal communication from the Manchester Mayor Joh-n and was signed by Meskill. Vietnam has announced an pany declared it was losing 310,- terviews that downtown retail would subsidize ConnCo and a It waS vetoed by Meskill as a Pathet Lao, but added that Thompson said after taking the The sign prompted some agreement to release the final 000 per weric and couldn’t givg merchants had seen their sales new union contract on the con­ plan that was too expensive and "possibly something is begin­ bus to his Hartford office. “ It passenger and driver com­ 139 American prisoners held in the union a new contract drop by 5 to 10 per cent since dition that New Haven and was likeiy to lead the state intlr ning.” really works," he exclaimed, ments about Meskill’s policy on Vietnam in exchange for without some form of subsidy. the beginning of the strike.