European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Page 8 the stars and stripes Friday january 24, 1969 m by Edmond Lebreton Washington a Mil Lions of Middle income taxpayer now facing the annual chore of figuring out their deductions May get some Relief from con Gress unfortunately not immediately. There Are signs too that key legislators May decide at least to examine publicly one of the most controversial features of the present tax code the 27& per cent depletion allowance and exploration expense provi Sions applying to the Oil Indus try. No commitments for change Are  another Long discussed idea is being dusted off that Noone in a substantial income bracket should escape tax entirely because of special provi Sions in the Revenue Laws. Con Gress heard testimony last week about 115 returns showing$100,000 or More annual income but owing under present Laws no tax. These possibilities along with others figure of an informal list of subjects for tax hearings that Are expected to begin late this year. There is As yet nothing official about the list which was built up mostly of ideas examined atone time or another in the past in connection with individual tax Bills. It has no connection with the still undisclosed list of recommendations prepared by outgoing Treasury department officials although there is Likely to be some overlap. Since one goal of tax Reform would be simplifying the com plex return that takes so much of the time of the taxpayer pre paring it and the Revenue serv ice examining it Extension of the Standard deduction will have High priority. At present a taxpayer May claim As deduction 10 Pel Dent of his income without bothering to itemize. But there is a Ceil ing of $1,000 on this Standar deduction or $500 for a married person filing a separate return. It Middle originally a Large proportion of individual taxpayers could fit comfortably under such a Ceil ing but As Money incomes have risen so have deductible expenses such As state and local real estate and income taxes interest payments on mortgages and charitable contributions Asa result fewer and fewer families even of moderate income use the Standard deduction since they can show deductible outlays Well above f 1,000 and re Duce their tax accordingly. Hence the proposal either Tolet the 10 per cent figure apply All the Way up the income scale or to set the ceiling higher say $3,000 or $4,000. Some other Likely subjects for congressional sex i fiction the Usuff lbs it Duons especiially1"small shelters .�t.,. The use of multiple trusts to Transfer income producing pro. Perty to family members1 in a Way that places the income in lower bracket possible Relief for single persons of either sex or child less widows or widowers who now pay higher taxes on the same income than do childless couples simplification of the tax advantages available to those Over 65, now a Complex set of special provisions. Further application of the principle of income averaging so that a person receiving much higher income in a single year would not be thrust into so High a tax bracket and a reciprocal provision for spreading out the loss of a disastrous year. He examination of capita gains tax provisions applying to the Sale of assets that have gained value perhaps by classifying the various kinds of asset for differing treatment. Review of the provisions for treating farm income losses especially in the Light of criticism that High income recipients who Are not basically Farmers Are finding tax sheltering this area. A new look at the tax treat ment of real estate transactions. Fast depreciation and resale of investment property to get Capi Tal gains advantages Are key is sues alternatives to the present provisions that help states and local governments sell Bonds by exempting their yield from fed eral taxation. Letters to the editor Clifford s final report stresses the spiralling Cost of weapons by Donald h. May Washington up for Mer defense Secretary Clark m. Clifford has left his successor Melvin r. Laird some revealing new figure showing rapid and sometimes unexpected rises in the Cost of weapons. The increases run As recurrent theme through Clif Ford s final report sent to Congress just before the change of the administration. The figures were left in the 165-Pageunclassified version of Clifford s 300-Page secret report despite pressure within the Pentagon to delete them. For example in 1967 the Cost of the nuclear powered air Craft Carrier Chester w. Nini Itz being built at Newport news a. Was estimated at $427million. Now the estimate is $536 million. In february 1966 the Carrier Midway began a major Over haul and modernization at san Francisco. The Job was to take two years and Cost $88 million. Clifford said it actually would take four years and Cost $178million. The ship was built in 1945 at a Cost of $90  year ago the Navy estimated the Cost of building More than 60 escort ships for the late 1970s at $3 billion. No the estimate is $5 billion. In a year the Cost of the firs of a new class of amphibious assault ships has has gone from $153 million to $185 million. Stars and stripes columns  comment an extra quiet submarine has increased from $100 million to $152 million and May go to $200million. The air Force s estimate of building 120 c5a transport planes jumped the past Yea from $3.6 billion to a possible $4.8 billion. The Cost of one fillet formerly tfx was $5 million in 1965 when the intr european edition it. Col. F. S. Michael jr., Usan editor in chief Mert Proctor Man fling editor Elmer d. Frank production manager Henry s. Epstein circulation manager thai newspaper is an authorized publication of the department of defense Fop . Armed Force overseas. The Star and stripes is published by the com Mander in chief . European command in support of the command internal information programs of the department of defense. Contents of the Star and stripes do not necessarily reflect the official views of the . Government or the department of defense. The appearance of displays in this newspaper Eon Kerning commercial publication does not constitute an endorsement by the department of defense or any of it components. Military address the Star and stripes Apo 09175. International mail the stars and stripes Postrach 1034, 61-Darmstadt, Germany. Tel Gale Shell c prefix 06155 811 m Darmstadt Airstrip prefix 2376 741, telex 0419-332. New York office 641 Washington 6t new York 10014, Tel area code 212 620-5771. Second class Pottage paid pc new York . News bureaus London Bob Hoyer 3rd of he South Ruislip South Ruislip military 2087 or Viking 2428 Augsburg Germany Glenn Mays he 8ued Bayern sup diet Pao Reese Cavern Augsburg military 8738, Nuernberg Germany Jay Logon . Army hotel Nuernberg military 8123 or 8409. Circulation offices Germany Berlin Civ 739388. Bremerhaven Civ 45341, Mil 7664 Frankfurt Civ 06108-2047, Mil Offenbach 820 Kaiserslautern Civ 57617, Mil Vogel Weh 7050 Munich Civ 6165923, Mil 7356i Nuernberg Civ 776847, Mil 6613 Stuttgart Civ 8s4226, Mil 7230 Wiesbaden Civ 420779, Mil 28696. Greece Athens Civ 985189. Italy a Thorn Mil Camp Darby 1465. Spain Madrid Civ 2228290, ext. 7118 or 7011 kingdom London West Ruislip Civ 73198, Ruislip fab Mil 32264, ext 127, decision was made to Star production. It was recently $6.8 million. The Sentinel anti ballistic mis Sile system s Cost has gone from $4.4 billion estimated in 1967 tothe present estimate of $5 billion to $6 billion. Some of the reasons for the Cost increases Are advancing technology. The Nimitz costs twice As much As the last Oil burning Carrier. Proposed new High Speed attack submarines would Cost $178 million each double the Cost of the subs they will replace and three times the Cost of nuclear powered submarines built in the1950s. Inflation. The air Force says this was the biggest single cause for the hike in c5a  is also a major Factor in shipbuilding. Defense depart ment spending Rose from $45 billion in 1961 to an estimated$79 billion the next year and $16 million of the increase was attributed to inflation. Faulty estimating. The Clif Ford report said for example that the Price increase for escort ships results from labor and Materiel Price increases and More realistic estimates based on later contract  technical difficulties an delays. The need for new engines boosted the fill Price. Adding More expensive equipment after a program starts. This also happened tothe fill. Clifford s report suggests that though the defense department under Robert Mcnamara too major Steps to increase competitive bidding and predict an control costs new challenges still lie ahead in these Fields. I suggests More management research efforts. His report also leaves for the Nixon administration to review some intriguing questions of Cost versus value. For example is a submarine which goes 20per cent faster Worth 50 per cent More Clifford s answer was yes. Is it Worth an additional $400 million Over 10years to equip All rather than part of the nuclear aircraft Carrier Force with nuclear escort ships Clifford s answer to that was no. In t it enough for mrs. Mada Lyn Murray q hair is a dec. 28 to be instrumental in depriving school children of one of their freedoms in a democracy without bringing her Fana tical no prayer ideas into space. Such men As Borman Lovell and Anders should not be restricted by some woman s whims from Reading portions of the Bible. Everyone in the world eve mrs. O hair must believe in something in order to exist. Unfortunately our minority chooses to believe in a supreme being which mrs. O hair is certainly not. Christians throughout the world were praying for three Brave men who dared to venture into the unknown with out forgetting about god. Apparently mrs. O hair has Only succeeded in momentarily delaying the spread of christianity while also bringing to a halt the quest for True democratic Freedom in our country. By the Way if she wishes ican direct her to a Good Cath Olic priest. Spec. 5 Frank j. Albe Tamberg Germany Why change Anthem Why in the world would some one want to change our National Anthem especially to Amer Ica the Beautiful i Don t see too much that is Beautiful about it. The words describe America Only in scenery excluding thelast five words since there is no brotherhood that i have Senor heard of anywhere in Amer Ica. The Star spangled Banner reminds us of what America stands for not How Beautiful itis. The next thing we will hear is someone wanting to change it to come on baby Light my fire or some other outlandish noise. My vote goes to keep the National Anthem we have but if it has to be changed Why no the Battle hymn of the re  it is even More fitting than America the  so Why not put a Stop to Al the bickering about our National Anthem. If you Don t like it Fin another country. Joseph d. Gregg Nellinger Germany carrying spare parts i would like to know if i lube authorized to hand carry extra parts for my Auto when pics to the states. I Don t want to put the part sin the car because i be heard that anything not attached tothe car or easy to remove will be stolen at the port. Also Mayi hand carry my car radio Konzo Crabb Croughton England editor s note military transportation authorities say your May take spare parts an your car radio As hand Luggage on rotating to the states pro Viding these items would fit in the size bag ordinarily accept Able aboard airliners. Vehicle processing official sat Bremerhaven however Dis courage Pov owners fro shipping spare parts with an automobile. Such items can be shipped with your Pov the officials said if they arc listed on the shipping document and you could file a claim against he government in Case of their loss in route. The vehicle processing off i class nevertheless recommend that you Send any parts you Are unable to carry aboard an Airliner in your hold baggage ashamed of America 1 am ashamed to be a american. A round table or a Square one that is the biggest farce i have Ever heard. We lost Security ship with no Retalia Tion we lost Cuba and patois a joke. I and Many of my friends Are fed up America stands Back and argues about the shape of the peace table while people Mage die what i am trying to say is if i must serve my country which at one time was my greatest wish let it be some Wing to have Pride in no something the world laughs at. What kind of a nation have we that will let a Small country such As Korea do what it did i am not a War Monger airman Richard a Hall Darmstadt Germany