European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 21, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes thursday september 21, 1978 Park claims fastest Pace in 3/2 years he rewarded certain reps inflation rate quickens Washington a ton Sun Park testified wednesday that he used his influence Over South korean Rice sales to re Ward . Congressmen who supported military Aid to his Home country. Park a middleman in the Rice Trade to South Korea explained his philosophy about helping Friendly congressmen while testifying before the House ethics commit tee in the Case of rep. John j. Mcfall a Calif. The committee has alleged that Mcfall failed to report a $3,000 Campaign contribution from Park in october 1974. At that time Mcfall was majority whip the third ranking democratic Post in the House. I think i More or less expressed reality that if my friends in Congress wanted me to help them sell their constituents surplus Rice which was always a problem to them they ought to show their support for military Aid to Korea Park said. Create ambience they the congressmen should create the kind of ambience where i could go Home and say Fellows you have to favor our american friends by buying Rice " however Park said he always respected a congressman s right to make up his own mind. There was never anytime that tried to push their arms he said. Part said he met with Mcfall who rep resents a Rice growing District several times in october 1974 about a pending for eign Aid Bill that contained $50 million i military Aid for South Korea. The Bill was eventually passed. In a Surprise move Park opened his Tes Timony wednesday by complaining about his treatment at the hands of the internal Revenue service which has placed liens on his property in the United states. He accused the irs of violating due pro Cess and his civil rights and added if anything had happened to american Citi Zens that had happened to me especially in the tax Case. He might have committed  woman charged for attempted murder of Boxer new York up a Bronx woman was arrested Early today and charged with attempted murder for allegedly hiring two hit men to kill Boxer Bobby Halpern be cause he had allegedly beat and robbed he earlier this year. Halpern 45, who spent 17va years in prison on a Kidnap robbery conviction be fore staging a comeback attempt As a heavyweight Boxer was shot five times fro Point Blank Range in an East Bronx cloth ing store on May 25. He survived the wounds. Police said Antonia Maria Melendez 29,was arrested at 1 30 . At her apartment and charged with attempted murder conspiracy to commit murder and criminal Possession of dangerous weapons. A police spokesman said Melendez Maidan unknown sum of Money to two men to kill Halpern last May several months after he had allegedly beaten and robbed Herin her apartment. Melendez was charged with hiring the two assailants who shot Halpern and sup plying them with the guns. The suspects have never been caught. Halpern was arrested last february for allegedly breaking Melendez s leg Knock ing out six of her Teeth and stealing $650 from her. A Bronx judge later reduced the assault and robbery charges to mis Demea nors and the Case was dismissed on May 1. Police reportedly questioned Melendez after the shooting but she refused to speak to them. Washington up the . Econ omy grew considerably faster during the second Quarter than originally estimated but at the same time inflation roared ahead at its quickest Pace in 3vz years the government said wednesday. The Commerce department said its re Vised figures for the april june Quarter showed that the Gross National product Rose at an 8.7 percent annual rate rather than the 8 percent reported last month. At the same time however the Gnu Price Index increased at an 11 percent an Nual rate compared with the 10.7 percent rate estimated earlier. It was the largest jump in inflation Dur ing any single Quarter since a 12.6 percent increase in the fourth Quarter of 1974, the department said. The Gnu measures the output of the nation s goods and services and is considered to be the most accurate gauge of . Eco nomic health. The administration had predicted that economic growth during the second Quarter would be in the 8-9 percent Range. Wednesday s figures meant that govern ment economic planners were on target. However inflation was another matter. When the original second Quarter Statis tics were released in july inflation was measured at 10 percent. This was revised upward to 10.7 percent last month and finally to 11 percent wednesday. The administration has projected that inflation As measured by the Gnu Price Index would increase Only 6�/2 percent for the full year. This projection is now in serious jeopardy. The Commerce department said the nationwide Coal strike and bad weather impacted the Gnu growth during both the first and second quarters. She stopped in for a jog in Chicago jogging along the Lake Michigan waterfront with Chicago s mayor Michael a. Bilandic striped shorts is 16-year old Patty Wilson Center of Buena Park Calif., who is running from min Neapolis minn., to Washington d.c., As a Benefit for the epilepsy foundation of America. Patty who has epilepsy is running 35-40 Miles a Day. A poor crop May hike a ism prices Fresno Calif. A Domestic Rai sins will More than double in Cost to con Sumers $2.50 for a 15-ounce Box i growers get their asking Price for the rain damaged 1978 crop Industry leaders say. The Raisin bargaining association made an opening offer tuesday to sell Thompson seedless raisins for $1,900 a ton and currant raisins for $2,000 a ton. The re Quested Price for Thompsons is $850 higher than the previous record of $1,050 in 1976 when rain also obliterated much of the Domestic crop. Both Kalem h. Barserian manager of the Raisin bargaining association and Frank Light president of Sun maid grow ers of California estimated that those prices for growers would make shelf Price Rise from about $1.09 to $2.50 per Box. The two groups each produce More than 40 per cent of the Domestic crop. Rain earlier this month caused heavy damage to the crop in this Central califor Nia area where All the nation s Domestic Raisin grapes Are grown. Barserian said the crop now is estimated at 50,000 tons to75,000 tons compared to a pre rain Esti mate of 210,000 tons. Barserian said the association offered the prices to get something out there to test the Market Price. We feel it s a Justi fied Price based on the information behave  but Light whose group is a cooperative that processes and markets raisins for its $4.4 billion Nasa Bill okd Washington up _ the House has passed and sent to president Carter a Bill authorizing $4.4 billion for the National aeronautics and space administration $30million More than Carter had asked. The largest single Block of Money in the Bill $1.4 billion would go for the space shuttle. The Bill passed 321-54 with Little de Bate. Grower members termed the Price  such exorbitant prices Are bound to alienate the consuming Public and Force Industrial accounts to discontinue the use of Raisin products Light said. We sincerely Hope the Industry avoids any pricing determination until the actual crop size can be More realistically Esti mated and the full competitive Impact of our Industry s pricing action can be Evalu ated and better understood he added Light predicted the Raisin bargaining association s prices would Force packers to buy foreign raisins and said Sun Mai would pay no More than $1,500 a ton. Barserian said the Domestic crop has been hard hit by Rains three times since 1972 while the grapes were drying on the  sent a letter to grower members staying that it will not be known for month what portion of this year s crop will be Svager