The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 1

IH THE HEAR OF TV A fS, kjy 1IIINISSt jf--'J lE NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN Served by i Greatest News Services At ihe Crossroads of Natural Gas and TV A PowerTelephone 255-1221 VOL. 65 No. 296 Second Class Postage Paid at Nashville, Tenn. NASHVILLE, THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 18, 1971 10 CENTS 68 PAGES No War Limit Wholesale Costs Leap Prices Get On Air power inflationary Nixon Says By FRANK CORMIER WASHINGTON (AP) President Nixon declared yesterday he will place no limits on use of American airpower anywhere in Indochina. And he declined to speculate on a possible push by Saigon troops into North Vietnam.

THESE WERE among the highlights of Nixon's first news conference since Dec. 10 an unannounced 40-minute session in his Oval Office. With the President and newsmen standing around his ornate desk, it was perhaps the most informal, relaxed and longest such conference hp. ha helrl Staff photo by Jimmy Ellis 'All This Fuss Over Li'l Ol' Us' County countryside during in the safe confines of the Plant reservation. MILAN, Tenn.

Birds, birds everywhere and not a leaf in sight. These blackbirds and starlings are among the millions of pesky birds which feed on the Gibson Juvenile Court Officials Critical While saying he would not impose advance limits on the use of airpower in any war of the war zones, he added that, of course, he could flatly rule out resorting to nuclear weapons. "I am not going to place any limitation upon the use of airpower except, of course, to rule out a rather ridiculous suggestion that is made from Related Stories on Page 8 time to time I think the latest by Hans Morganthau that our airpower might include the use of tactical nuclear weapons," Nixon said. "I will only say that any American participation has to be approved here," Nixon said. As for recurrent talk of a South Vietnamese push northward across the Demilitarized Zone, Nixon said: "I WON'T speculate on what South Vietnam may decide to do with regard to a possible incursion into North Vietnam in order to defend their national security." But he made it clear that if any American forces were involved in any way in such an undertaking, it would have to be approved in Washington.

Nixon was asked what would be the American response to any North Vietnamese crossing of the DMZ. He said: "We have a considerable number of forces, as you know, on the DMZ. The blocking forces along Rt. 9, before you get to the border of Laos, are primarily American. I will not allow those forces to be Hotfoot By NORMAN KEMPSTER WASHINGTON (UPI) Wholesale prices pushed up by sharply higher costs for food rose last month, the sharpest increase in a year, the Labor Department reported yesterday.

The report showed inflation continues to plague the economy. The report contained some bad news for inflation-harried housewives. The cost of food and farm products increased 1.7, much more than normal for this time of year, indicating future rises in retail grocery store prices. THE FOOD INCREASE was led by a sharp advance in the price of meat and poultry. Even more disturbing to administration economists was a A increase in the wholesale cost of industrial commodities.

That advance equaled the figure for December and exceeded the average for the last half of last year. The industrial commodities figures are considered to be a more accurate barometer of inflation because they are not subject to the sharp fluctuations that often affect food and farm products. THE JANUARY INCREASE pushed the wholesale price index to 111.8 of the 1967 average. That means it cost $111.80 last month to buy the same wholesale goods that cost $111 in December, $109.30 a year earlier and $100 a little more than three years ago. The department had reported earlier, on the basis of incomplete information, that wholesale prices rose only .6 last month.

The revision boosted the figure in all major categories. January figures for the consumer price index the closely watched measure of the cost of living for the average urban family are scheduled to be made public tomorrow. CONSUMER PRICES rose .5 in December, higher than the average for the last half of the year. Wholesale price increases are often reflected in higher retail prices after a delay of several weeks. President Nixon has said repeatedly that his economic policies have broken the back of inflation.

But most of the government's measures of price behavior continue to show sharp rises. The .7 increase in the January wholesale price index was the sharpest since January 1970 when the advance was also .7. ON A SEASONALLY adjusted basis, the January increase was .5. If prices continued at that rate for a full year, the annual increase would be 6, more than in any recent year. Seasonally adjusted, the January advance was equal to the figure for July and higher than any other month since January 1970.

Debt Ceiling Hike Urged Pikeville Boys School Closing Draws Fire Interest Cut Leads lo Home Jump Forecast By NAT CALDWELL Interest rates on government-backed home loans were cut yesterday to 7 and local building leaders promptly predicted a jump to 2,200 new homes a year. This would restore the annual home building rates of the mid-sixties. Last year only 1,484 homes were built in the Metro area. RESTORATION of the interest rate of two years ago could pave the way for recovery of a 3.500 worker home building payroll from a low point of 800 jobs reached just before Christmas of 1970. Also, it could elevate last year's $17 million annual Metro volume for single family homes to an annual volume of $50 million by late summer.

President Nixon's announcement yesterday of the .5 reduction in both Federal Housing Administration and Veterans Administration interest rates was accompanied by other local housing news developments. Most were favorable to a fresh housing boom. The developments included: Rep. Richard Fulton announced elevation of the Nashville FHA underwriting oniee to a tuil-fledged area edged area underwriting and lice. Fulton who campaign tnree years ago for final loan approval status for the local 16-man unit said (Turn to Page 16, Column 1) imm By SHERRY CARTER Four juvenile court officials, including three judges, criticized yesterday the ordered closing of Pikeville Training School for Boys, saying its replacement, the $11 million Turney Center at Only, is just as remote.

"We built Turney Center because it is not remote," said Deputy Corrections Commissioner Wallace Flood. "Pikeville had been under constant fire because of inadequate staffing, housing and remoteness." THE CLOSING of the Pikeville School March 1 will initiate a two-week move of 490 students to the newly completed Turney center at Only in Hickman County. Corrections Department officials said the school was ordered closed because of its remote the day and roost at night Milan Army Ammunition Feathers Fly In Milan Bird Controversy By JIMMY CARNAHAN TENNESSEAN Stale News Editor The Army said yesterday it has "no quarrel" with the blackbirds at Milan, and the Interior Department said "unfortunate publicity" on its experimental bird eradication project "hit the nerves of a lot of people." Meanwhile, Audubon Naturalist Society in Washington guardedly suggested that birth control ciww'rJs might be considered while the National Audubon Society in New York said it has received hundreds of phone calls and plans to have its biologist maintain close touch with the Interior Department. AND WHILE national interest focuses on Milan an estimated 3 million to 7 million blackbirds and starlings continue to flutter daily about the Gibson County countryside in quest of food and return at night to the safe confines of the pine trees at the Milan Army Ammunition Plant. Milan area farmers say the birds are destructive pests and would like to see them gone.

J. E. Gee, Gibson County agricultural agent, said people who are concerned about the birds' fate should realize that they are eating or de-stroying the feed which ordi- (Turn to Page 6, Column 1) Bistowish ness, inadequate facilities and an inability to keep staff members because of the location, "It is the worst thing possible," said Dr. David Dzik, Chairman, Hamilton County Juvenile Court Commission. "The Turney Center is isolated from civilization 23 miles from the nearest town." Tennessean Today Page Page Amuse Market Basket Obituaries Radio-TV Scram-Lets ments 48, 49 44 61 24 61 Bernie Arnold 33 Bridge 38 Business 59.

60, 68 Classified 61-67 Comics 50 Crossword 61 Editorials 12-13 Horoscope 50 Sports 54-58 Amy Vanderbilt 47 Weather Map 61 Woman's World 33-47 Word Game 24 (Turn to Page 4, Column 1) Golt Anyone? NASHVILLE Partly cloudy, warm today, fair, mild tomorrow; high 70, low 45. Satellite photo, data, page 61. Outdoorsmen Thrill to Visions of Paradise "They will have to build a road to get to the center," he said. "It will be away from inspection and give those people an opportunity to practice brutality without being observed by people." FLOOD SAID the center, which is programmed for offenders 16 and 17-years-old, will employ a program aimed at both academic and vocational training. "We had about the same program at Pikeville," Flood said, "but not aimed at both vocational and academic." "Pikeville has improved since it got all that bad publicity a few years ago." said Kenneth A.

Turner, Memphis Juvenile Court judge. "They had made great steps towards improving the academic and vocational programs." (Turn ot Page 15, Column yf Staff photos by Joe Rudu Lottie Brumm By EDMOND Le BRETON WASHINGTON (AP) President Nixon's chief fiscal officers, arguing from grim facts in red ink, urged Congress yesterday to approve the biggest single increase in the national debt limit since World War II. They asked the Democratic-dominated House Ways and Means Committee to approve a $40-billion jump, from $395 billion to $435 billion, and said another increase will probably be needed before the end of 1972, so the government can continue to borrow to cover deficits. COUPLED WITH that request was one for repeal of the 4'4 limit on the interest the Treasury may pay on long-term federal bonds. Because market rates ran far ahead of this level, the Treasury has been able to sell since 1965 only short-term securities which are exempt from the limitation.

Committee members took the opportunity to belabor Nixon's economic policies, but indicated by their questions they are in a mood to compromise. (Turn to Page 5, Column 3) Rinkey Blumen Dies; Circulation Official 1 VjO I v'i tH 1 -J Ml I nil tJr'h wim By KEEL HUNT Thousands of fishermen, hunters and weekend backwoodsmen each conjuring visions of his own out-doorsman's paradise strolled through Municipal Auditorium last night. They wandered among rows of boats and marine equipment, visited special display booths exhibiting fishing gear and gazed at racks of firearms and accessories for hunting. THE 15th annual "Great Lakes of the South Outdoor Show" which opens for its third day of activities at 5 p.m. today is offering on display merchandise to aid every aspect of outdoor recreation, according to Bob Steber, show director and outdoor editor for THE NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN.

The annual outdoor show is cosponsored by THE TENNESSEAN and the Nashville Downtown Sertoma Club. Proceeds from the sale of tickets 75 cents for adults and a quarter for children under 12 go to Sertoma Club charities. The show combines under one huge, dome roof enough outdoor recreation equipment to outfit the most seasoned outdoorsman. THERE ARE trucks and other special sport vehicles to get the hunter or fisherman to the hills or to lakeside. And there are campers, houseboats and sleeping bags to accommodate him when he gets there.

(Turn to Page 2, Column 2) Orders Lead Point Tests By WILLIAM GREENBURG TENNESSEAN Science News Editor The Metro Health Department will begin an immediate study into the amount of lead in paints sold in the city to determine if the lead contents are at a dangerous level. Dr. Joseph Bistowish, director of the Health Department, ordered his public nurses yesterday to begin testing for lead content in paint and in blood samples taken from children. THE ACTION came during a board of health meeting at which David J. Wilson, professor of chemistry at Vanderbilt University, disclosed a potential problem in the use of paints with high lead content.

"We don't know the magnitude of our problem yet," Bistowish said. Should the study by the Health Department show lead contents at too high a level, Bistowish said, the department would then ask Metro Council to prohibit the sale and use of the paints. (Turn to Page 14, Column 1) Abraham (Rinkey) Blumen, 59, city circulation manager of the Newspaper Printing died after a heart attack yesterday while attending the funeral of a newspaperman. Arrangements are incomplete. The body is at Marshall Donnelly Combs Funeral Home.

The family requests that any contributions be made to West End Synagogue or a charity. BLUMEN SUFFERED the attack at St. David's Episcopal Church just prior to services for Charles M. Moss, editorial director and (Turn to Page 3, Column 1) i V7 TTr5 "A 1 Bill Fontana Alan's best friend wins Juggling up a storm Abraham (Rinkey) Blumen Heart attack victim mm.