Pittsburgh sued to block a retailing merger.

The city filed suit in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh seeking a preliminary injunction to block the proposed merger between May Department Stores and Associated Dry Goods. A hearing was set for Sept. 24. Pittsburgh officials complained that if the merger is approved by the Federal Trade Commission without any changes, May would control all of the major department stores in the metropolitan area. The FTC has been reviewing the effect of the merger on competition in several markets, including Pittsburgh and Southern California.