European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 24, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 5 pretty Good growth predicted Blumenthal says Economy slumps Washington up Treasury Secretary w. Michael Blumenthal said thurs Day the . Is in an economic slowdown but the administration expects increased growth later this year and sees no need for new measures to stimulate the Economy. Blumenthal testified before a Senate finance subcommittee to ask for an increase in the current National debt ceiling from $700 billion to $775 billion for the next year. But much of the questioning was about eco nomic conditions. Clearly there has been a slowdown said Blumenthal in answer to a question. But he said that the slowdown was not entirely unexpected and that the administration still expects pretty Good growth in the last three months of this year and into 1978. We Are not concerned that this really is a recession he said. Blumenthal said the Only new economic measures being considered by the administration were programs to Aid Urban areas and the youth unemployment prob Lem but these would be done within the confines of the present budget and would not increase the debt. Asked whether president Carter s goal of a balanced budget by 1981 would be met new Oldsmobile Model for 1978 the Cutlass supreme Brougham is among the Oldsmobile 1978 models pre viewed Early this week. By substantially reducing length and Width and using lighter materials Oldsmobile has taken an average of 657 pounds out of its Cut lass Sedan and Coupe models in order to produce More fuel efficient Automo Biles for next year. A snafus Dampen Public enthusiasm for  metro rail subway system Washington a the enthusiasm which greeted the opening of Washington s metro rail subway system 18 months ago is waning because of a number of snafus. Public discontent is charted in almost daily news stories of machinery malfunctions and stalled trains. Metro s leaders concede there Are problems but they main Tain that Public Good will can be rebuilt. Study reports 16 states Are shortchanged Washington up the 16 states of the Northeast and Midwest pay half the nation s Federal tax Burden but get far less than half the nation s military spending according to a study. The study sponsored by two coalitions representing the economic interests of the Frost Belt said the states of the North East and Midwest have 45 per cent of the nation s population paying 49 per cent of the Federal tax Revenue. Yet the Region Only gets 20 per cent of principal defense installations 17 per cent of defense pay 16 per cent of defense personnel and 37 per cent of defense procure ment. The groups urged a moratorium on fur ther cutbacks or closings of military bases. German air taxi crash kills 6 bad Kreuz Nach West Germany up a Beechraft air taxi flying from Frankfurt to Manchester England crashed near Here killing the Pilot and All five passengers police said. Yes i m concerned metro general manager Ted Lutz said last week in re viewing How ridership appears to be run Ning anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 below conservative predictions of 150,000 a Day. I Don t know what it portends he continued. We be got to improve our opera Tion improve our  trains often Are stalled for 5 or 10 min utes and delays of a half hour or More have been noted. The Washington metropolitan area transit authority says its coordinated bus rail transit system is being closely watched by local officials elsewhere in the country and by the Federal government which has pumped millions of dollars into it. Metro s Board of directors contends commuters will throng to the subway As it expands farther into the suburbs and As the transit Agency proves its reliability. Reliability however has not been met Orail s Strong suit since it expanded from 5 Miles to 17 in july. In the last three months subway riders have had to contend with a new computerized fare card system which often does t work. They have been caught on trains which can t move because the doors won t close or the brakes won t release. And they have ended up paying More for a bus rail trip than for their previous All bus trip often with no savings in time. Other prob lems have included a construction Acci Dent which allowed the Potomac River to pour into both no operating and operating tunnels fortunately after the subway was closed for the night but snarling operations for the next Day. And let s face it says another metro official who asked not to be identified if you can pick up a bus Down the Street and then get off in the City wherever you want Why fool with having to Transfer to a subway that will let you off at a station four blocks from your office when the $5 billion metro rail system was being planned in the late 1960s no one expected the idea of turning a 2,000-bus Fleet into a rail feeder system would cause problems. After All it was argued who would t want to use instead of buses a modern attractive fast and quiet subway that served the entire Region but mounting losses predicted to hit $75 million for fiscal 1979, argued against wait ing for the rail system to be completed before bus turn backs started. And the Promise of efficient rail service has been slow to materialize. Emily Harris sentence won t be extended Frontera Calif. A Emily Harris convicted of kidnapping and Rob Bery in a 1975 shootout while she was a fugitive with Patricia Hearst will not have her 11-year sentence extended. The Community release Board at the California Institute for women where Harris is being held made the decision at a hearing tuesday. The action makes Harris eligible for parole on april 20, 1980. The Board could have ordered her to serve up to three additional years before becoming eligible for parole. Harris husband William who was her co defendant in the 1975 robbery shootout at a los Angeles area sporting goods store is serving an 11-year sentence at san Quen tin. Hearst also charged in connection with the incidents at the store is free on probation. Blumenthal agreed with chief economic adviser Charles Schultze that other goals also must be considered such As holding Down unemployment and inflation. Clearly we can t go to a balanced budget come hell or High water if we do so at a Price that puts a lot of people out of work Blumenthal said. He said a balanced budget is Likely if we Are right and Lucky  aliens Hurt Campaign to create jobs Washington a labor Secretary Ray Marshall said thursday illegal aliens entering the United states could defeat the Carter administration s fight on unemployment All of our efforts to create jobs could be counteracted by people coming in illegally Marshall told a conference of the brotherhood of railway and airline clerks. He said there is no Way of knowing exactly How Many illegal aliens have entered the . Work Force but he said 1 million Are caught each year and probably two or three times As Many Cross the Borders Ille  Secretary said that at least 25 per cent to 50 per cent of the growth in the Domestic work Force is comprised of aliens in this country illegally. One of the big problems is that they Are outside the Protection of our Laws mar shall said. And that Means they work scared and hard and Are easily  he said illegal aliens because they Are afraid of being exposed by an unhappy employer tend to be Servile. The word soon gets around that these Are Good workers Marshall said and Al though they primarily come in As agricultural workers there develops a demand for them in manufacturing As  Marshall repeated his frequent Asser Tion that unemployment is still viewed As the country s most important  of time sept. 24, 1947 Winter clothing was ready to be issued to occupation troops in Germany and Austria. Neucom said inc constabulary and 26th regimental combat team would receive priority in the issuing of reversible parkas and liners Waterproof jackets and trousers and Wool lined Field jackets. Seft. 24, 1957 gov. Averill Harriman of new York said automobile manufacturers must pay less attention to height of fins and More to the practical Means of metropolitan communities if cities hereto successfully combat traffic parking and air pollution problems. Sept. 24, 1967 Michigan gov. George Romney had asked the three major to net works to Clear 30 minutes of prime evening time to broadcast a report to the  two networks turned him Down. There was speculation that Romney was planning to use this time to announce his candidacy for the republication presidential nomination