Thursday November 30, 1972
. . . where the 1970s live forever!

News stories from Thursday November 30, 1972


Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

  • Today's high-rise buildings are too tall for fire department equipment. Last night's fire in a New Orleans high-rise took several lives. Today, similar fires occurred in Rome, Italy, and Atlanta, Georgia. At least nine persons were killed in an Atlanta home for the elderly; 30 were injured. The fire started of unknown causes in a seventh-floor apartment. The Baptist Towers for the Aged had been open for only eight months. The building was believed to be fireproof and it had no sprinkler system.

    The fire in Rome was caused by explosions; 15 people are dead and 100 are injured. Police say that a gun shop on the ground floor may have been cover for a secret fireworks factory. The owner of the shop and two others have been arrested. [CBS]

  • Officials in New Orleans discussed the cause of yesterday's fire. The head of the President's Commission on Fire Controls said that four deaths may have been prevented in Wednesday's fire if the building was equipped with a water sprinkler system. Dr. Pat Breaux stated that nets might have saved the six who jumped out of the building (three died from their jump), but the New Orleans Fire department said at that height nets are ineffective. Helicopters rescued eight from the roof of the building. The cause of the fire is still unknown; arson is a possibility.

    In all of the recent high-rise fires, deaths were caused by people being trapped high above the ground. In Chicago, almost all high rises are inadequately protected from fire and there are no uniform laws requiring sprinkler systems. A study found that smoke is the greatest danger. Elevators rarely work in fires, and evacuation is difficult in large buildings. New and worse disasters are likely without better fire prevention systems. Automatic sprinkler systems are the most effective method against fires. [CBS]

  • No U.S. soldiers were killed last week in Vietnam; three are missing and 11 were wounded. South Vietnam had 480 soldiers killed and claims 1,896 enemy dead. [CBS]
  • U.S. troop strength in Vietnam has shrunk to 27,000. White House press secretary Ron Ziegler announced a freeze in further withdrawals until the Paris Peace Talks are over. [CBS]
  • President Thieu met with his national security conference to discuss the meeting between President Nixon and South Vietnam special envoy Nguyen Phu Duc. There is no word on what transpired. Duc met Nixon for a second time in Washington today and then went to the State Department to talk with Secretary of State Rogers. Duc wants the U.S. to modify its peace terms with North Vietnam.

    The peace talks may be bogged down on the issue of the presence of North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam; Saigon demands a total North Vietnamese withdrawal, but an aide to Henry Kissinger insists that peace is close. North Vietnam accused the U.S. of delaying peace. Viet Cong negotiator Nguyen Minh Vy said that the U.S. should have signed the peace agreement which was reached last month. Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, another Viet Cong negotiator, denounced heavy American B-52 raids taking place during the talks and said that the U.S. is going along with South Vietnam's efforts to sabotage peace. Chief South Vietnamese negotiator Pham Dang Lam demanded that North Vietnam withdraw 300,000 troops from South Vietnam if it wants peace. U.S. Paris Peace Talks Ambassador William Porter said that reporters are too pessimistic about the progress of the negotiations. [CBS]

  • The Indian Foreign Minister announced that India wants to normalize relations with the United States. [CBS]
  • Transportation Secretary Volpe said that the administration is drafting a proposal for armed guards at boarding gates at all airports. [CBS]
  • A biracial military and civilian Pentagon panel reported that discrimination is present in the military, and proposed numerous reforms. [CBS]
  • Secretary of State Rogers will remain at that post during President Nixon's second term. Ex-Harvard professor Kenneth Rush will be switched from Deputy Defense Secretary to Deputy Secretary of State.

    New York labor leader Peter Brennan's appointment as Labor Secretary is being criticized by blacks. Brennan stated that his record shows New York construction trades improving their racial practices. The Department of Labor noted that racial progress is being made in labor unions, but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that blacks hold few higher-skilled jobs -- in some trades only 1-2% nationwide. NAACP labor director Herbert Hill said that Brennan has actively defended and protected racism in his Building Trades Union in New York and elsewhere. Ex-assistant Labor Secretary Arthur Fletcher declared that the New York construction trades have a lousy record regarding racial discrimination. [CBS]

  • A task force announced plans for the creation of a National Press Council financed by foundation grants to function as a clearinghouse for complaints against news media. The council would study complaints and issues involving freedom of the press, but would not have disciplinary powers. [CBS]
  • The United Mine Workers are holding elections tomorrow. Union president Tony Boyle is seeking re-election while appealing his five-year sentence for illegal political contributions. This election was ordered by the courts because of irregularities in the previous election. Boyle claims that the UMW is "under attack".

    Union divisions go back to 1969 when Joseph Yablonski and his family were murdered; Yablonski had lost the 1969 election to Boyle, and two union officials were implicated in the murders. "Miners For Democracy" was formed after the murders and Arnold Miller is its candidate. Boyle said that Miller is a stooge for outside interests; Miller responded that he and his running mate are lifelong miners. Miller is supported by young miners and retired anthracite miners. Boyle is supported by strip miners and bituminous pensioners in the union. The Labor Department will supervise the elections. [CBS]

  • A gang which was robbing an Indianapolis clothing store was interrupted by another group with the same intentions. In the confusion, both gangs fled. One gang was caught. [CBS]


Stock Market Report

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 1018.21 (-0.60, -0.06%)
S&P Composite: 116.67 (+0.15, +0.13%)
Arms Index: 0.64

IssuesVolume*
Advances88012.12
Declines5795.11
Unchanged3412.11
Total Volume19.34
* in millions of shares

Arms Index is the ratio of volume per declining issue to volume per advancing issue; a figure below 1.0 is bullish.

Market Index Trends
DateDJIAS&PVolume*
November 29, 19721018.81116.5217.38
November 28, 19721019.34116.4719.21
November 27, 19721017.76116.7218.91
November 24, 19721025.21117.2715.76
November 22, 19721020.54116.9024.51
November 21, 19721013.25116.2122.11
November 20, 19721005.04115.5316.68
November 17, 19721005.57115.4920.22
November 16, 19721003.69115.1319.58
November 15, 1972998.42114.5023.27


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