Nation : Justice Dept. Warns Westinghouse

The Justice Department threatened today to sue to block two proposed joint ventures by the Westinghouse Electric Corp. and a Swiss company unless they take steps to ensure against anti-competitive effects that could lead to higher electric rates.

Charles Rule, the department’s antitrust chief, said the proposed joint ventures involving electric power products “pose significant threats to competition in equipment and services necessary for this country’s production of electric power.” Rule said Westinghouse and Asea Brown Boveri Inc. of Zurich have been advised of the determination by the antitrust division and are seeking to address the government’s concerns.