City Crime Rate Soaring; Another Record Year Seen By MEL NEWMAN Pontiac is headed for another record year in crime, according to figures released by the city police department. Through May ttir city’s crime rate has increased 64.7 per cent over the same period in 1966— a year in which criminal activity rose an alarming 51 per cent. Each of the seven major offenses included in the part one classification of the crime index has reflected the continuing upswing. Largest increase has come in the robbery totals. Robberies of all sorts have risen more than 220 per cent, • armed robberies 244 per cent. Reported rapes are- 100 per cent higher than through May of last year and burglaries have increased by, 89 percent. MURDER UP 25 PCT. Other part one crimes are murder^ 25 per cent higher; assault, 57.6 per cent higher; auto theft, up 64.7 per cent; and larceny, up 31.4 per cent. According to Pontiac Police Chief William K. Hanger, the city is most in need of additional police personnel to cope with the crime upsurge. “We need manpower desperately,” he said. “More men in the field would amount to better enforcement.” “I simply don’t have the latitude with such a limited force to make the assignments I’d like.” Hanger pointed out that he was unable to put any special plan in effect to combat the trend because the department has just enough men as of now to carry out even normal routine. One aspect of' such a special pro^am would entail extra manpower concentrating on certain high-crime areas of the city where robberies and burglaries abound, be said. in greater proportion to that of the rest of the country,” be added, citing a statement 1^ J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that the crime rate in the average American city rose 20 to 30 per cent last year. “Pontiac’s crime rate is increasing Hoover described these figures “startling,” Hanger said. Partly Cloudy, Warmer THE PONTIAC PRESS Home Edition VOL. 125 NO. 117 ★ ★ ★ PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 1967 -72 PAGES I House Defeats Tax Bill I. - but Measure Kept Alive LANSING (fl — Michigan took another step toward a financial crisis yesterday as the House, ignoring warnings of a slash in state services, again defeated a revenue-raising tax package. The House defeated, then reconsidered, its income tax bill — keeping the measure alive and in position for another vote. ed in their attempt to use their party’s House majority to pass the key bill, which would levy a 2‘A per cent personal income tax. Frederic J. Marshall, 41st District; Don R. Pears, 43rd District; Edson V. Root Jr., 54th District; Lionel Stacey Jr., 44th District; and Robert C. Stites, 40th District. Six Republicans voted agairist it and Democrats held the line in opposing the measure. The vote was 50-56. Bipartisan, negotiations and another showdown could come today. GOP leaders as expected were thwart- GOP DISSENTERS The GOP disseaters were: Donald E. Holbrook, 99th District; Four of the six Republican holdouts had said they would vote for the package if it contained a provision requiring a special vote of the people this fall before the state income tax took effect. earlier this week the Legislature lacks the power to call such a special election. - A proposed amendment providing an Oct. 10 referendum died yesterday when it could not attract 22 members to second it. Four Democrats not voting on the tax package were: But Atty. Gen. Frank Kelley ruled Francis W. Beedon, 96th District; James Del Rio, 24th I^trict; Josephine Hunsinger, 16th District; and David S. Holmes Jr., 10th District. Probers Quiz Cavanagb Kin New Grand Juror Named COOL AS A CUBE — Five-year-old Jim Gillis at Sacramento, Calif., has found a way to keep cool during the hot days that are expected this summer. With the permission of the owner of an ice-vending machine near his home, he crawled inside and tried out his cooler. Aside from keeping cool, you can bet that he attracts plenty of attention when passersby see his legs dangling fronri the machine. Troops; GIs Kill 143 Red Jets Hit Rails, Steel Works DETROIT UPi — Grand jury investigators have questioned Detroit Mayor Jerome P. Cavanagh’s brother-in-law, who was fired from his |14,006-a-year city job two weeks ago. Kayne Martin told newsmen today that two investigators for the one-man grand jury of Circuit Judge George Bowles came to his home for the interview yesterday. Circuit Judge James S. Thorburn, 48, today was named to pick up the scattered pieces of the Oakland County Grand Jury investigation that was halt^ last month when Judge Philip Pratt was disqualified by the Michigan Court of / met briefly with Judge Pratt and Defen-goski, but refused to comment on what Thorburn was appointed to fill the grand juror post this morning by mem- NO COMMENT Thorburn said he had no comment at this time when asked if he would keep the same staff of special prosecutors bets of the Oakland County Circuit bench who were appointed by Pratt. during a 1%-hour conference. Martin said he was asked questions about Cavanagh and “a lot of otter people — they didn’t miss anybody.” SAIGON W — U. S. forces reported killing 143 Communist troops in two battles in the central lowlands yesterday while waves of U.S. jets rang^ over a wide area to pound North Vietnam’s rail network and its biggest iron and steel works. eluding craft. two pilotless reconnaissance American casualties in the lowlands battles 300 miles north of Saigon were six dead, 22 wounded and four missing, the U. S. Command said. It said there was light, scattered contact in 21 other U. S. and allied ground operations. Air Force F106 Thunderchief pilots who raided the Thai Nguyen plant 38 miles north of Hanoi reported all their bombs were, on target, but clouds and smoke prevented a full assessment of damage to North Vietnam’s largest iron and steel works. ' Martin said he was not swom to secrecy but indicated he was asked not to discuss the interview. “They were interested in quite a few things — practically everything to do with city government,” Martin said. ABSENTEEISM CLAIMED The meeting was called after State Solicitor General Robert Derengoski, in behalf of State Atty. Gen. Frank Kelley, filed a petition requesting that they name a successor to Pratt. They are former Assistant Prosecutors Jerome K. Barry and Charles J. Porter. The grand jury investigation was blocked in May when the Appellate Court ruled that the appointment of Pratt in August 1966 to his second grand jury term was illegal since he succeeded himf self. Derengoski said he would file a petition with the Michigan Supreme Court to allow Thorburn access to the information compiled by Pratt during the investigation. 'Thorburn has been a circuit judge since 1963 when he and Pratt were appointed by Gov. George Romney. Both were elected to their present terms the following year. JAMES S. THORBURN Witt good weather prevailing, U. S. Air Force and Navy piiots flew 133 missions against the Communist North. They hammered 11 railroad yards and rail lines from the demilitarized zone to more than 50 miles above Hpnoi. The attacks on the rail network were a continuation of a two-month-old campaign against Hanoi’s rail routes. U.S. planes raided the ’Thai Nguyen steel worics north of Hanoi for the eighth time, and a U.S. spokesman said an Air Force RFlOl reconnaissance plane was shot down, the 587tt tJ.S. combat plane reported lost over North Vietnam. The pilot was rescued. ' Otter Air Force pilots raided three major rail yards on the main lines running north from Hanoi — at Kep, Viet Tri and Phu Due. They reported destroyed IS to 20 rail cars at Kep, 38 miles northeast of Hanoi, and bombing and strafing 30 to 40 cars and cutting up numerous sections of track at the otter two yards. Martin was fired from his post as a.s-sistanl to the director of the industrial and commercial development committee, reportedly for absenteeism and lack of interest in the job. But he’ denied the charges and contended he was fired because of what he termed “too much family invtdvement.” Pratt had ended a year-long investigation in Royal Oak Township only two months before he started the current inquiry. One-year limit state law provides that a grand jury investigation is a one-year limitation. Raiding bomber pilots flew through intense antiaircraft fire and sighted three MIGS, but there were no aerial battles, a U.S. spokesman said. Martin, who is the brother of the mayor’s wife, said he would file suit over his dismissal charging Cavanagh with “breach of an agreement.” Martin contends he suffered a financial loss by selling his real estate business after receiving a guarantee of a city job when the mayor was first elected in 1961. Thorburn will serve out the remaining eight weeks of the probe, which was initiated Aug. 17, 1966. France Says Vietnam War Blocks Middle East Peace During the Judge’s morning conference, presiding Judge Arthur E. Moore barred all persons, including newsmen, from an inner corridor running past his office where the meeting was held. • Following his appointment, Thorburn UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. (J) - France declared today* that as long as the war in .Vietnam continues, there is “no chance for peace in the Micjdle East.” pealed for a negotiated settlement of the Middle East crisis, which he repeatedly called grave and dangerous to wwld Hanoi Radio claimed three U. S. planes were shot down yesterday, in- Farr Skies Seen —Until Saturday The weatherman gave Pontiac a good soaking when he dumped two inches of rain on the area in light showers yesterday and a downpour during the night. Skies mostly sunny today will continue fair tonight. Temperatures hitting a high of 86 yesterday win fail into the 50s tonight and rise to the upper 70s tomo when skies will be partly overcast. Chances are showers wiU return Saturday with a forecast of rain or showy's likely. Morning northwesterly winds at five to 15 ndles per hour will become light and variable tonight. WARMING UP ITie low thermometer reading prior to 8 a.m. was 60. The mercury had wanned up to 80 by 2 p.m. Precipitati