Page 10 THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1979
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Lobbyists attack funeral cost
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Consumer,
labor and public interest groups
charged Wednesday that “ghoulish”
i lobbyists are trying to kill controls
over the funeral industry that would
'save Americans up to $300 million a
year in funeral costs.
“It’s time to bury our dead with
decency and dignity,” said Bess
Myerson, former New York City
consumer affairs commissioner.
Some funeral directors, she said,
see “our dead as their production
line and overstate their bills “be
yond decency.”
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She appeared at a news confer
ence along with representatives of
more than a dozen groups, several
members of Congress and President
Carter’s consumer adviser, Esther
Peterson. They urged the House to
reject a proposal to scrap the Fed
eral Trade Commission’s crackdown
on the $3 billion-a-year funeral in
dustry.
The FTC project, which has been
in the works for most of this decade,
would require funeral directors to
itemize their prices, rather than
quote them only in package sums.
It also would bar them from sell
ing consumers a casket for a crema
tion if not required by law or from
demanding embalming when it is
not legally needed. In addition, the
rules would prohibit funeral direc
tors from disparaging cheaper alter
natives to the traditional burial serv-
iuneral industry and “various indus
trial groups” are attempting to gain
behind the scenes what they could
not do at the FTC — even though
they had a fair hearing there.
“This is the most nefarious type of
lobbying,” he said.
“There are literally dozens of
other industries waiting to see if the
amendment passes,” warned Rep.
Norman Dicks, D-Wash.
Heavy lobbying by the funeral
industry and other anti-FTC forces
has resulted in a vote, scheduled
tentatively today, that would tell the
FTC to drop the project.
Rep. Bob Eckhardt, D-Texas,
said “ghoulish lobbyists” from the
Rep. Ben Rosenthal, D-N.Y., de
clined to predict how the vote will
go. “We have the commitments; we
don’t know if we have the votes,” he
said.
Myerson noted there are about 2
million funerals every year, and
said, “As a result of not being in
formed and not asking questions
the American people pay $3 billion
each year for funeral arrangements
at least $200 million of which is
overpaid.”
Other groups supporting the ef
fort included the AFL-CIO, the
American Association of Retired
Persons, National Retired Teachers
Association, Ralph Nader’s Con
gress Watch and Common Cause.
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United Press International
ATLANTA — With a possible
three-virus flu season approaching,
including a return of Russian in
fluenza, federal health officials have
funded a $5.8 million immunization
effort to protect people in high risk
groups.
The flu battle may start as early as
late November, said Dr. David
Brandlin-Bennett, an influenza ex
pert at the national Center for Dis
ease Control.
The money will be used to
provide free flu shots to people with
chronic illnesses and those over 65.
The CDC estimates there are about
44 million Americans in these two
categories, many of whom will not
be reached by the modest federal
free vaccination program.
Brandlin-Bennett said the $5.8
million will provide 2.6 million
doses of vaccine. This, coupled with
1.4 million doses left over from a
similar program last winter, will
give doctors and clinics across the
country four million doses to ad
minister to high risk individuals.
The vaccine will give protection
against the A-USSR or A-Brazil flu
virus, the A-Texas strain and
B-Hong Kong flu.
Brandlin-Bennett said the CDC,
which will administer the project,
has approved the immunization
programs of 43 states, two ter
ritories and six cites.
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Seven states
Virginia, P
Nevada, Alaska and Idaho
clined to join the vaccinatiot ACKPACK
“They probably had some Ik a seminar
about the program, Brr in Room ‘
Bennett said. ENCING <
Public apathy toward ii# |yhite. D
vaccinations has been a pH
since the abortive 1976 sviHRISTIAIS
immunization project tk in Room ;
called off because of questio*^
cerning the safety of the vat'^ 11 1 ^ ( :
“There is still some apathysP 56 “eld a'
flu shots but it is difficult ItH
how much, Brandlin-Bennetp
Drug firms, he said, “sold If’
vaccine last year than thej|^
have before. ’ ISC BASE!
Despite declining publici: J ‘Schulte w
in flu vaccinations, BnH-^diy Gil
Bennett said the outlook
for a successful conclusion oil
fort to vaccinate four milliocfc
risk individuals this fall and INGING C
He said people in danger MSC Loi
fering severe illness or deatM
influenza apparently conti HEAVEN <
have confidence in the protec#: as a quart
fects of flu vaccine and many Abe shown
pected to get the shots. ■!
The free immunizations *lQMEN S
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health personnel will call atn®
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Free vaccine will be distribufl
private physicians for their lii{j
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