European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 2, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes saturday september 2, 1978 building costs u under scrutiny Washington up the White House inflation monitoring Agency said thursday it will launch an investigation into the rapid escalation of prices in the building materials Industry. Government statistics show that the prices of such building materials As Gyp sum Cement Asphalt roofing and lumber products have far outstripped the Overall rate of inflation this year. We want to find out Why these Price shave been rising so rapidly How the in creases affect the Home building Industry and what we can expect in the future said Barry Bosworth director of the coun cil on wage and Price stability. Bosworth said the major manufacturers of building materials Trade associations and Home builders will be called to testify on the matter before the Council in Early  Council said construction materials have increased at an annual rate of 13.2percent so far this year compared with 8.9 percent during the same period in 1977."building materials prices Are extremely important to our efforts to Moder ate the Overall rate of inflation Bosworth said in a  Are an important contributor to the Sharp Rise in Home Purchase costs. It i Clear that they have been advancing much too rapidly and we Are attempting to find out  Broadway song writer Dies new York a Lee David who wrote the Broadway stage scores for a night in Venice and Broadway nights died of cancer at the age of 84. I went into a panic big ones of Facic sleeping woman Malden to. Up Mabel har Grove can joke about the invasion of the giant ants now but it was t so funny when they were swarming through her bedroom and trying to make her the main course Ofa Beattie Buffet. The invaders numbering in the thou Sands and measuring half an Inch Long swarmed into Hargrove s bedroom. Their bites awakened her Early wednesday and when she turned on the Light she found them swarming All Over her body. She was so frightened she phoned the police. You really Haven t lived until you Wake up in the Middle of the night in a bed of ants said Hargrove who spent her 66th birthday thursday vacuuming up dead ants after a visit from the exterminator. I once saw a horror movie about some giant ants eating the flesh off of a body and i went into a panic. A i could think of to do was to Call the  authorities said eggs from the Black ants known As Wood ants or Carpenter ants were discovered under Hargrove s sheets and Between her bedding. She said one of the ants bit her so hard it Drew blood and had to be pulled off. Hargrove likes to think she is a Good housekeeper and said the Only explanation she has for the invasion is that the ants were brought in by a Carpenter who did some remodelling in her Home several months ago. The exterminator who killed the ants said he had never seen anything like the ants in 20 years in his business. Hargrove who slept on the sofa wednesday night said she Hopes she never sees anything like them again. I can joke about it now but i still get nervous when i think about them she said. Debate delays decision on where to station returning Korea troops by Fred s. Hoffman Washington a an army inter Nal debate has delayed a decision on where to base ground troops due to be withdrawn from South Korea this year a Pentagon spokesman said thursday. But Thomas Ross the spokesman said this will not change plans to bring Home the first 3,400 troops this year. He indicated the army will Send these troops twosome interim station until a decision is made of a permanent Home. Ross indirectly acknowledged there is political pressure seeking to influence the decision on whether to locate the returning troops in the Northeast or the South. But in response to a question he said that to the Best of my knowledge speaker Neill has not raised the Issue with anyone in this  House speaker Thomas p. O Neill of mass reportedly has been interested i splitting the 2nd infantry division which will be pulled out of Korea Over the next four or five years Between fort Devens in his Home state and fort Dix n. J. The army staff dislikes the idea of split Ting a division and reportedly leans toward fort Benning ga., a longtime infantry Post. The House speaker has had some Fric Tion with president Carter and there has been speculation that the White House might try to gain his favor by having the 2nd division assigned in the Northeast. The army had hoped to have a final decision from defense Secretary Harold Brown by aug. 1, but Ross said i would t think there d be a decision until later this  he sidestepped any discussion of differences within the army on the Basic ques someone s pulling his leg a fire hydrant painted to look like bewildered dog in Meriden Conn. To in s Maloney High school have been snoopy gets a serious sniffing out by a beautify the area hydrants near Merid painted like Charlie Brown s pet. Up Tion saying i m not really knowledgeable As to what the army s internal debate on this is  he did say he thinks the army is find ing it More difficult than expected to come up with a detailed plan detailed  Secretary Clifford Alexander reportedly is leaning toward the Northeast Basing idea while Gen. Bernard Rogers army chief of staff reportedly favors fort Benning. A major Factor in the decision would be Cost. According to army projections hundreds of millions of dollars would have to be spent to accommodate the roughly 14, 000 troops whether they Are located at fort Benning fort Bliss Texas fort drum,n.y., or the combination of forts Dix and Devens. The highest Cost analysts have said would come if the division were sent to fort drum which lacks winterized bar Racks and other permanent facilities that would be needed by a division. It is used now primarily for summer training of National guard troops. Defense officials estimate it could Costas much As $600 million to $1 billion to build the necessary facilities to accommodate a division. The army intends the Cost to be nearer $200 million to $500 million if it were based in the South at fort Benning which has in the past housed a full infantry Divi Sion. In speaking of political pressure Ross said there Are always political pressures when base realignments Are involved. In this Case he said there is political pressure in the sense of the localities having an interest in  Phila. Teachers Goon strike As negotiations fail Philadelphia up the Phila Delphia federation of teachers struck Pennsylvania s largest school District Early Friday when talks Between the put and the Philadelphia school Board broke Down. But Large scale picketing was not planned until next wednesday the teach ers first in service Day. Classes for the City s 250,000 students Are scheduled to open sept. 8. John Ryan chief negotiator for the put announced the strike at 1 30 . After Marathon talks with state mediator Edward Feehan failed to bring an agreement no further talks were  shuttled Back and Forth Between the two sides throughout thai evening thursday in an attempt to Avert a threat ened strike but his efforts proved fruitless. The put planned to set up a limited number of pickets in front of the Board of education Headquarters in Center City Philadelphia