CCA Announces Ouster of Crane, Trying to Ease Mayoral Selection

The Cambridge Civic Association (CCA) voted yesterday to dissassociate itself from Edward A. Crane '36, a CCA-endorsed Cambridge city councilman.

The approved resolution-sponsored by Jerry Cole, member of the CCA executive committee and one of Crane's political adversaries-was designed to solidify support for a mayoral candidate. So far, Crane has refused to endorsed any of the CCA choices for mayor.

The CCA, which holds a one-man majority in the City Council, needs only one more city council vote to elect a mayor. With the passage of the motion yesterday, the CCA can now seek the vote of an independent councilman.

"Mr. Crane was under obligation as an endorsee of the CCA for the City Council to vote for any councilman the association backed for mayor." John Moot, president of the CCA, said yesterday.

Crane has always been absent when the City Council voted on election question. "He won't even vote for himself," Moot said.

Crane bases his refusal to vote for a mayor on his disagreement with the proposed budget. Up for ratification in ten days, the budget calls for a 22 per cent tax increase over last year's budget. Crane insists that this increase, the largest in the city's history, could be substantially curtailed.

Crane said yesterday that he will endorse any councilman who will challenge this budget, which he feels will bring financial crisis to Cambridge.

Disagreeing with Crane, Cole said that funds could only be cut from the community school programs, adding that he believes the initiators of these school plans should be given another year to get the programs started.