In the Public Interest

WASHINGTON—Former Secretary of Transportation, John Volpe, was fighting back tears when he told some of his associates in late 1972 that Mr. Nixon wanted him to leave. One of the reasons for his unanticipated exit was his strong support of the air bag and experimental safety vehicle programs in the auto safety agency. Volpe’s stand…

WASHINGTON–Among the flurry of legislative proposals in Congress on the energy problem, one stands out as a constructive and lasting solution to the monopolistic grip that the giant oil companies have on the nation, small businesses and consumers. S. 2506 and H.R. 11648 are bills filed by Senator Adlai Stevenson and Cong. John Moss to…

WASHINGTON–Charles F. Luce must be a troubled man. As Chairman of Consolidated Edison, the giant New York City utility, he is known to be a more sensitive executive than most of his industry counterparts. Now a major challenge to his sensitivity arises over the question whether his company, hitherto cautious on nuclear power, should go…

WASHINGTON–On June 4, 1973, Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, was angry over a report on foreign medical graduates and American medicine. First, he didn’t like the conclusions of the study by Dr. Rosemary Stevens of Yale University made under a contract with his Department. Second, he wanted his subordinates to understand that…

WASHINGTON–If it all sounds bizarre, it nevertheless is happening up and down big business. Consider the following: Gas and electric utilities who for a number of months were telling customers to conserve gas and electricity are now demanding higher rates because customers responded and reduced demand. These utilities have consumers coming and going because it…

WASHINGTON–Now that the people are accurately telling members of Congress that the present energy shortage was orchestrated by the oil industry and condoned by the big businessmen running the government, what will Congress do about it? Here is a suggested program which Senators and Representatives could support that would go a long way toward providing…

WASHINGTON–Officials of the giant New York Telephone Company are dumbfounded. They obtained a 15 percent increase in home telephone rates early last mont but the expected avalanche of consumer complaints never materialized. They had expected this torrent of outrage because when the rate increase was proposed in late 1972 there were, as for previous rate…

WASHINGTON–Picture the scene: Harsh arguments and fights are breaking out at congested gas stations and between shivering tenants and landlords around the country. Workers are losing their jobs. Small businesses, including the independent gas stations who provide about the only retail competition to the big companies, are being severely squeezed or put out of business.…

Washington–An industry just isn’t with it these days if it cannot announce a “shortage.” Without a “shortage” there is no corporate chic. For how else can a self-respecting corporation, working with its confreres and trade association, get higher prices, weaken pollution standards, loosen antitrust constraints, drive small business out of business and demand even more…

WASHINGTON–Those political antennae known as Senators and Representatives are mostly back home in their districts presumably sounding out the voters for their opinions. Until Congress reconvenes on January 21, the members of this leaderless branch of government will be sampling public opinion. Here are a few questions to put to your Congressional representative if you…