CLARKE DENOUNCES BARRY ON ANTIOCH

D.C. Council Chairman David A. Clarke (D) denounced Mayor Marion Barry yesterday for delaying city support for the beleaguered Antioch School of Law after the mayor said he would not be "stampeded" into rescuing the school because of "political considerations."

Clarke's criticism of the mayor came at a council budget hearing on turning Antioch into a city-run school, which was authorized by a council bill that went into effect without Barry's signature on Tuesday.

"No government unless it is a tyranny allows its chief executive the power to decide which legislation to implement and which he will not," Clarke declared after the council received a letter from Barry saying he was still awaiting a study panel report on the "feasibility of implementing" the bill.

Barry said he would not request any funds for the independent public law school until he received the report.

"As you must be aware, most academic institutions require three to five years to plan, develop and implement a major educational program," Barry declared in his letter. "I will not be intimidated or stampeded into repeating some of the very same mistakes that we experienced in creating our present state institution of higher education" -- an allusion to the quick creation nine years ago of the University of the District of Columbia.

Council member Hilda H.M. Mason (Statehood-At Large) indicated that she probably would seek $3 million for the law school in the 1988 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, the maximum allowed in the authorizing legislation. She said she will ask the council to urge Congress to let the school use $1.1 million this year that was originally appropriated for the school if it became part of UDC.

The UDC board rejected such a takeover, saying it feared the high cost of solving the law school's financial and accreditation problems. Under the takeover bill, the school will become part of UDC after three years.

"If the District government delays the takeover of the law school too long, there will not be much of Antioch Law School to take over," said Thomas J. Mack, a law professor and former interim dean. He said the school expected to have only 85 third-year students next fall with no first- or second-year classes, but wanted to hold on to 13 faculty and 37 administrative and support personnel so it could "rebuild" the following year.

About a dozen witnesses, including advocate for the homeless Mitch Snyder, praised Antioch for aiding a wide range of causes, from nuclear power regulation to the closing of large institutions for the mentally retarded.

Mason said that if she were "Queen for a Day, I would lift up Antioch Law School to make it the most beautiful law school in the country."

"You have my vote," Snyder rejoined.

Articles appear as they were originally printed in The Washington Post and may not include subsequent corrections.