European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 24, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes 2 illegal taxes still collected Washington a Al though the Treasury concedes it has no Legal right to collect them americans Are still pay ing relatively High excise taxes on automobiles and Telephone service and probably will continue to do so. Both the House and the Senate earlier this year approved in identical form Extension of the10 per cent excise tax on Tele phone service and the seven percent manufacturers excise tax on  action has been delayed however because the excises Are part of the bigger intensely controversial agreement to tie a10 per cent tax surcharge to $6 billion in spending cuts. A House vote on the entire package has now been postponed at least until the first week in june and probably later. In the meantime the internal Revenue service has asked Tele phone companies to continue collecting the tax and Auto Mak ers to continue figuring it on their books because the Exten Sion would be retroactive when finally adopted by Congress. Originally the 10 per Cen tax on Telephone service was scheduled to drop to one percent last april 1 while the other tax was to fall to two per  in mid april adopted a Resolution extending both excises at their old rates through april 30. This was after bathhouses had voted to extend the taxes at their old rates through Calendar year 1969. The Resolution gave the Treasury department Legal authority to collect the tax through april 30 which it has done. But it has no Legal authority to collect the taxes at the higher Levels for May. Legally it can collect Only two per cent on automobiles and one per cent on Telephone service. Taxes collected at the higher rates by the Telephone Compa Nies and assessed on automakers from May 1 through May 15 ordinarily would be deposited with the government on May 31 under the existing collection scheduled. But because of the Lega Block it s a virtual certainty that the Treasury will be Force to postpone the Deposit Date until Congress acts on these excises. Telephone companies an automakers however will be urged to continue assessing the levies Jet the higher rates. Should Congress refuse entirely to approve the Extension any tax actually collected by the Treasury department illegally would have to be refunded on Telephone service where the tax is paid directly by the custom ers. In the Case of the Auto excise which is levied on the manufacturer no refund need be mad unless the manufacturer establishes that the tax was not included in the Price of the car or that he had refunded the tax tothe car buyer. Americans debts total $r/2 trillion questioner gov. Ronald Reagan of Call asked Why there were not More negroes at he fornia is questioned at a gop fund raising Din $50-a-plate dinner. He said it was their Choice Ner in Miami Beach by Betty Vincent a party since most were democrats and had chosen a committee woman from fort Landerdale. She party that has betrayed  a photo panel fears Over optimism warning Given on talks Washington a a Blue ribbon citizens group including former president Dwight d. Eisenhower voiced fear thursday that Many americans have been misled into expecting too much too soon from  vietnamese talks in Paris. Americans think of negotiations As a Road to peace but there is unmistakable evidence Hanoi s leaders consider negotiations As another Way to fight War said a special panel of the citizens committee for peace with Freedom in Viet Nam. It warned against expect ing to win at the conference table what we have not won on the Battlefield and against losing at the conference table what we have fought so hard and Given so much to  while the group favored exploring for a reasonable time prospects for a peaceful Settle ment it rated poor the chances for productive negotiations now. The 1,700-word statement on negotiations Hopes versus realities was issued by a 14 Man special panel on negotiations. The citizens committee was organized last fall by former sen. Paul h. Douglas d-i11.,and includes both living sex presidents Eisenhower and Harry s. Truman in its nationally known membership of about 190. It labels itself a nonpartisan group setting Forth the views of the silent Center of . Pub Lic opinion on Vietnam As distinguished from vocal critics of the right and left. Its past expressions have been generally favourable toward Johnson administration policy. Besides Eisenhower the 14signers of the special statement include Gen. Omar n. Bradley former joint chiefs of staff chairman former Gen. Lucius. Clay now a senior partner in Lehman Bros former Harvard University president James b. Conant former sen. Leveret Saltonstall a mass. Archbishop Robert e. Lucey of the Cath Olic archdiocese of san Antonio and Mary p. Lord former .representative on the . Human rights commission. The statement said North Vietnam s policy is to fight an negotiate counting on Battle Field Success to Force its conditions at the conference table. Regretfully our committee feels obliged to express its fear that Many american citizen shave been misled both by sup porters and opponents of our commitments in Vietnam. Instant Victory is unfortunately not available to us on the Battlefield or at the negotiation table Washington Leet for a mome it boils Down 0 about for every Man. Woman child in the United s represents ibo Iouli Al Money owed by it from the Fedum id the Man in the s included is not Only , owed on. No Ortega and department store Char counts but also the debts Refl i "i"1 , state and Federal _ the Commerce department making the figures Public on tuesday said the private a Public Gross debt Rose by Jim billion during 1967, a slightly slower rate Thun that of a Yea earlier. The much discussed Federal debt despite a hefty increase represented less than 25 per cent of the total at the end ol1967. All the current prediction Point to another increase All along the line this year. Individual a Mer leans wed Only a Little Les s than the Federal government at the end of last year $331.4 billion including $232.2 billion on Home mortgages and $99.2 billion i consumer debt on such items As automobiles Home appliances and charge accounts. The department s figures showed the Federal debt at the end of 1967 As s371.6 billion up $20.1 billion Over the  debt was up $15.6  far the largest debt was for corporations which owed a Gross figure of $641 Bil lion by the end of the year up $44.3 billion from 1966.the department issued two sets of debt figures one show ing the Over All debt and the second a net figure which in creased by $87.4 billion during 1967 to $1,419,100,000,000. One difference is that Federal debt does not include Money owed by one Federal department to another in the net figure. For example the Treasury securities held by the social Secu Rity Trust fund arc considered part of the Gross debt but not part of the  the net business Deb accounted for about half the Tatj and governments and individuals accounted for the rest i roughly equal proportions. The net Advance of 9/.4 Ujj lion was about s4 billion ii Odethe 1966 record the department said. European edition Cou. James w. Campbell editor in in Elmer d. Frank Henry 0. Epstein circulation an unofficial newspaper of and for the . Armed Force commander in chief . European command and printed daily a i Germany. Military add Eta the Star and str pee Apo m176. Intern aug the Star and Stripe poet Fach 1034, i Darmstadt Surmany. The. New prefix 0616s 2071 m Dar Hiudt air Atrip prefix 8376 741. Telex i 577,. York office 641 wahln8ton st., new York 10014, Tel area code T Dve Tim. Second cuu postage paid at new York . The appearance of " Jtitus n menu in thu newspaper concerning commercial publication Doe. Of Coni endorsement by the department of defend or any of it component. The United states is an open society in which the a to know it cheri9hed and  president i Al 1 b