European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 24, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9soviets to vote on economic Reform Public approval called necessary since plan May Cost millions of jobs Moscow apr the government plans to Call its first National referendum to seek Public approval of an economic Reform that could throw tens of millions of people out of work soviet officials said wednesday. First Deputy Premier Yuri Maslyu Kov said the government believes it must have a Clear indication of Public support before instituting a program that will switch the country to a Market Economy. The plan is expected to double food prices and Lead to massive closures of inefficient factories. No Date was set for the referendum. A if the Public refuses to consent to the Price rises then perhaps we will have to resort to round table discussions a Maslyu Kov said in response to a question. The new plan sets target Price increases for various sectors of the Economy including an 82 percent Rise in Energy prices an average 43 percent Rise in retail prices and a doubling in the Price of food which is now heavily subsidized. Deputy Premier Leonid Balkin said the potential number of jobs that could be lost might be in the tens of millions even under the slow less drastic response the government is recommending. Maslyu Kov said that if the soviet Union had chosen polish style a Shock therapy reforms that instituted the changes in Only two years unemployment could Rise As High As 40 million. A we Are unable to offer Normal living conditions to such a number if they lose their jobs. It would Lead the country to the Edge of an economic crash a Maslyu Kov said. The Long awaited plan was approved by president Mikhail Gorbachev a advisory presidential Council on tuesday and was to be presented to parliament on thursday. Nikolai Petrakova Gorbachev Stop economics aide made it Clear in a speech to a soviet american Trade group that he is not pleased with the proposal which will increase retail prices on Jan. 1. Asked if announcing the Price increases seven for Quot in. I a time clock of East West buying Power Western Consumers May need s Mon he a salary to Buye Small car but those living in an East bloc i country May need up to a years wages to Purchase the same item. Here s a shopping list and the hours i and minutes needed to pay for an item in i tour countries. Months before they take effect would cause Consumers to buy everything now and cause businesses to hold Back their products until the Price Rise Petrakova agreed. He said bluntly a this will create a panic an economic  Vladislav Malkevich chairman of the soviet chamber of Commerce interrupted. A a that a happening now a he said. Petrakova nodded and continued a a we la have to see what the parliament has to say about the Steps taken by the  a bloc of progressive legislators with similar discontent Over the Reform is planning to Call for a vote of no Confidence in the government of Premier Nikolai Ryzhkova when he presents the Reform package thursday in a speech to be broadcast live on soviet radio and television. The progressives lost a no Confidence vote in december when Ryz Khov proposed three More years of Central planning before installing any Market reforms. The soviet Economy a precipitous decline since december prompted Gorbachev and Ryzhkova to abandon that economic plan and accelerate transformation to a Market Economy. In the first three months of 1990, wages spiralled up 13.4 percent while production declined. Official figures indicated Industrial output dropped 1.2 percent but some estimates Are As High As 5 percent. Petrakova said the most crucial Battles had been won because the government finally agreed on the need to convert to a Market Economy. But the presidential Council chose a slow five year transformation rather than the a Shock therapy working in Poland for fear the shaky soviet government could not withstand Public anger Over sudden jumps in prices Plant closures and unemployment. Workers Are to receive 40-Ruble raises with smaller sums for non working spouses and children. Enterprises then Are to recalculate their books based on the new prices and the government will discover How Many will need subsidies to continue operating. The shopping list Small car color Tol vision Sot washing Mac him men s suit men s shoes pork chops 2 205 lbs daily newspaper 1 month weekly railway pass i 007 hrs 24 my 90 he 13 my 06 hrs a to nun u or16 nun East soviet United Germany Union states .1.007 hrs 7.935 hrs. Gog he 42 Man 54 my. 1g my 846 hrs 601 hrs .14 he 9 nun g my 10 my 528 hrs 90 hrs 29 or 51 my 10 my 21 my 67 hrs 120 hrs a 19 hrs 10 my 40 my 36 my 27 hrs 5.1 my 11 hrs 7 my 9 hrs 40 my 1 or  my 3 i 4. My f j a 1 l 10  1 or a 20 m. A a if. My 1 21m. I 1it Petrakova said 220,000 state owned enterprises or 70 percent of the total will be converted to Stock based companies within the next several months As a first step toward the government gradually Selling the shares to individuals companies and Banks. According to Maslyu Kov 60 percent of prices will remain controlled. These include prices for raw materials Energy and products made by the monopoly firms dominating the  sought in catching phony social workers London apr police Are appealing to British citizens for help in cracking the mystery of bogus social workers who Call on parents and ask to examine their Young children. Police in the Northern Industrial City of Sheffield said tuesday that 70 incidents across the country have been reported since the first in Sheffield at the end of january. A special police unit has been set up near Sheffield to coordinate the investigation following a conference attended by 18 regional police forces. The affair took a new turn tuesday when the impostors were reported to have worn police uniforms. Kirshen Durst 25, said the men called at her North London Home May 15. They knew her name and that she had a baby. Claiming that neighbors had said the child was being abused they stripped her 4-month-old son and warned they would return to examine him again. A they were in full police uniform so 1 just did no to question them a Durst said. In the past two months police have held news conferences and appealed for help to identify suspects through television radio and Street posters. Police sketches of men and women suspects drawn from descriptions by parents have been circulated. But so far there have been no arrests. A it is a mystery something we have not experienced on such a scale before and there is obviously a great Deal of alarm among parents of Young children a said Andrew Hymas spokesman at Sheffield police Headquarters. He said callers obtained Access to children in 24 cases and in 14 instances they were Able to physically examine the children. No clue to the callers identities has been obtained. There has been speculation that the bogus social workers arc vigilantes who suspect certain parents of child abuse and visit them As a warning. Hymas said there was no evidence to support that theory. Police say the callers Are Well dressed sometimes alone but usually in twos and carry briefcases or clipboards. In the Guise of health or social workers they Call at Homes with children up to 5 years old. Sometimes they mention suspected abuse before adding that they need to examine the children. Callers who successfully duped parents touched the children and left quickly when parents became  loses her Finger to robber wanting ring Savannah a. Apr a robber Cut off a woman a Finger to get her Gold wedding band during a break in at her Home police said. A Man armed with a gun entered the Home of Mary Mcgowan 68, on monday night through a Back door that probably was unlocked said a police officer . Robinson. Mcgowan told police the intruder took several credit cards and about $5 in Cash from her purse then grabbed her hand and tried to pull off the Gold band. When he  get the ring off he got a knife from the Kitchen held it to Mcgowan a Throat then used it to Cut off her Finger Robinson said. Officers searched the House and found the knife used in the assault but were unable to locate the severed Finger so that doctors might try to reattach it. Mcgowan was listed in fair condition tuesday at Candler general Hospital. The robber remained at Large. 4 indicted on sexual assault charges Newark . Apr four former High school football players were indicted on charges that they sexually assaulted a retarded girl while nine other Young men participated or watched. Defense lawyers generally acknowledge what happened in 1989 in the basement of a House in Glen Ridge an affluent new York City suburb of 8,000 people but say the girl consented. However the victim has an in of 49 to 64 and cannot consent to sexual activity the Essex county prosecutor Herbert h. Tate jr., said in announcing tuesdays indictments. Indicted were twins Kevin and Kyle Scherzer former co captains of the Glen Ridge High school football squad and former teammates Richard Corcoran jr., and Peter Quigley. All four Are 19 years old. They were accused of assaulting the girl with a Broomstick and a miniature baseball Bat while some of the nine other teen agers present cheered. The girl was a physically helpless mentally defective or mentally incapacitated a the indictment said. The four were charged with aggravated sexual assault conspiracy and aggravated sexual Contact. Each faces up to 20 years in prison. Lawyers for Quigley and Corcoran denied that their clients participated. Two friends of the players also were indicted tuesday. Mari Carmen of Crraco 19, was accused of contacting the victim and tape recording her in an attempt to get her to change her Story. She was indicted on witness tampering and obstruction charges. John Maher was charged with conspiracy for allegedly asking the victim to return to the scene of the assault the next Day. Maher faces 10 years in prison if convicted and Ferraez five. Tate said three juveniles arrested in the Case and a fourth who has not been charged Are named As a indicted co conspirators in the indictment. Prosecutors have asked that the three juveniles charged be tried As adults. A judge has not ruled on the request