European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 03, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Poge 4 the stars and stripes Friday june 3, 1977 decline in rate of inflation predicted by Blumenthal Washington up Treasury Secretary w. Michael Blumenthal said thurs Day that the rate of inflation will Abate this year although food prices still will be on the upswing until at least the end of summer. In his first Washington news Confer ence. Blumenthal predicted the annual rate of inflation would be 6.5 per cent bythe end of december. That compares with an 8 per cent annual rate for the first four months of the year for both consumer and wholesale upward trend continued last month when farm prices Rose at a 24 per Cen annual rate. It s very difficult to forecast the inflation rate with precision Blumenthal said but added that the inflation rate of " non food items is going to Abate particularly in the second part of the year and will be considerably lower than the first in the Case of food prices we thin they will continue to Rise for a Little while longer maybe to the end of the summer he said. Blumenthal predicted that the actual inflation rate will 6.5 per cent. That s too High but that would certainly be lower than the rate at which it has in creased in the first four months because of bad weather and the Energy problems that resulted from the feel strongly that in the second half of the year these factors will have abated and the rate of inflation will be on its Way Down he said. Blumenthal covered a number of subjects during his 45-minute session. He said he is concerned about the Rise in the so called prime rate that Banks charge their Best corporate customers. In the past week major Banks have hiked the Primero 6.75 per cent. The . Trade deficit will Range be tween $23-$25 billion by the end of 1977. During the first four months the deficit has increased to a level higher than the big Gest trading Gap for any year on record. There is no deadline for completing drafting of tax Reform legislation. Blumen Thal said he has three goals simplify the tax system eliminate loopholes and pro vide incentives for individuals and Busi Ness. Club fire clue May be near Southgate by. Api officials say they now know which room was the Start ing Point for the Beverly Hills supper club fire and they re very close to pinpoint ing the cause. Arson has been ruled out meanwhile two names have been added to the death list bringing the toll from sat urday night s fire to 161. Two bodies were found wednesday two Days after Southgate fire chief Dick Hie Senberg said he was certain there were Nomore victims in the pile of rubble that once was one of the Midwest s Slickest night Dod says others More balanced film on Russ superiority dropped Washington a the Pentagon information chief said thursday he has halted further distribution within the armed forces of a privately produced film that pictures Russia As militarily Superior to the United states. I made the decision that other films we had were suitable balanced and Ade quate said Thomas b. Ross assistant Secretary of defense for Public affairs. Ross told a briefing that copies of the private film produced by the american Security Council a conservative Organiza Tion favouring a stronger defense Are on the shelf in certain officials said there is no restriction against commanders showing copies of the film distributed since last year. There was no information immediately available on the number of copies in circus refused to characterize the Ameri can Security Council film which takes harder line than current . Official state ments that the United states and the soviet Union Are roughly equivalent in military Pentagon s information chief said the defense department spent $25.000 for reproduction rights it bought from the american Security said the defense department did not help produce the original film Al though certain senior members of the armed forces were interviewed As part of the film. Those who participated did not deviate from policy As enunciated at that Lime Ross decision to buy reproduction rights and distribute the film internally was made last year Ross said. That was the final year of the Ford administration. The dead were identified As Lenora Hill Gentry and Charlene Matthews both of Cincinnati. Campbell county Coroner fwd Stine said both were part of a 105-member gospel choral group. All their colleagues officials said the fire started in the club s Zebra room just after a wedding party state police commissioner Ken Brandenburgh confirmed that Evi Dence showed paper napkins and other flammable debris had been stacked against a Wall of the Zebra room which was near the front of the club. However he would not say the fire began in that Materi re getting very close to determining How the fire started Brandenburg said. The wedding party left the room at 8 25p.m., officials said. The Southgate fire department received the alarm at 9 02. Waitress discovered the fire and reported it to other employees who then began fight ing the fire and warning patrons. Brandenburgh appealed to the Esti mated 3,500 saturday night patrons to Send his investigators postcards specifying their location in the club when the fire broke out and How they got said the cards might help determine the path and cause of the commissioner confirmed that investigators from the National fire prevention association were studying the fire. The organization is a private group that routinely examines major fires. Heir to Greico Fortune Dies of drug overdose would you like a Pickle dear Beluga whale Kava seems to be get Ting the Good news straight from the Boss Murray Newman director of the aquarium in Vancouver Wash. Com Avna is pregnant or at least be. It soy Fitwi be the Tost Cue of us kind in the history of the aquarium. A photo fort Lauderdale Fla. Up Leo Goodwin Iii Playboy heir to the government employees insurance compan Fortune died at a Hospital wednesday about 90 minutes after he was found unconscious in his family s 25-room mansion. Authorities said he apparently died of a overdose of the depressant drug Quaal Ude. Goodwin 25, was found in his bedroom about 11 . When his Girt Friend Kim Benninghoff 19, appeared in the breakfast room of the mansion and collapsed. The retired Cia clerk gets life sentence Baltimore up former Cia employee Edwin g. Moore was tentatively sentenced to life in prison wednesday for offering to sell secret documents to the sovietunion.. District judge Frank a. Kaufman said the sentence was not binding but was technically necessary pending a report on Moore s physical and mental ability to serve a lengthy term. Moore of Bethesda was convicted may5 of espionage which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Last de Cember he tossed some classified Docu ments into the soviet compound in packet included a 1973 directory of Active and inactive Cia employees and note seeking Money in Exchange for info Kauf Man said he imposed the sentences a prerequisite to obtaining a recommendation from the . Bureau of prisons on where and How Long Moore should be said the court will Nave the discretion to place or. Moore on Proba Tion affirm the life sentence or reduce the life court officials indicated Moore needs psychiatric and medical assistance. He has been kept at the . Public health service Hospital since suffering a heart attack during his three week trial the government sought a term of 15 to 20 years because of his medical condition. Moore 57, was a clerk for the Cia for More than a dozen years until his retire ment in 1973. Butler called a physician to administer Toher. She was listed in fair condition at an other Hospital apparently suffering torn an overdose of the same drug. The Butler. William Meagher 37, an the Goodwin family physician. Or. Richard Fera Yomi found Goodwin s bedroom locked and broke Down the door. Goodwin Lay face Down on his bed alive but unconscious. In july 197s, a porsche driven by Leo Goodwin Iii was involved in a collision in which Jon William Skillings 17, a football player at fort Lauderdale High school was killed. A Short time later Goodwin was involved in another Accident while driving his Ferrari. In 1975, a judge declared Goodwin Public nuisance and he was banned from driving a motor vehicle boat or air plane la Florida for two years. Goodwin served 106 Days in jail in w7iafter being arrested for drunk driving and driving with a suspended License. The arrest came 40 Days after he was released on $1.000 Bond and was Given two years probation from an earlier traffic Accident. The 106 Days Goodwin served in jail in1976 satisfied terms of the probation Given him earlier in the year
