European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 19, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes letters to Santa see stripes Magazine. And Page 9 q Germany seeks ski role Page 2 q super bowl contest ends pages 17,19 q today s Dollar buys 2.49 Marks Page 23 authorized unofficial publication Fob the us armed forces vol. 44, no. 245 thursday december 19, 1985 a do,., of Soo d 8693 a House gives new life to tax Reform measure Washington a the House shouted through a Bill cutting taxes Tor most americans and overhauling the Feder Al income tax preserving thanks of solid democratic support the top legislative goal of president Reagan s second term. The measure was approved tuesday night by voice vote after democrats beat Back 256-171, a Republican attempt to Send the entire Issue Back to the ways and Means committee where it would have been buried at least for the year. On that crucial vote 207 democrats and 49 republicans wanted to keep the Bill alive 39 democrats and 132 republicans voted to Send it to committee. The Senate will take up the measure when it returns from the Christmas break next year. Reagan who was forced by a gop revolt to lobby personally at the Capitol for votes issued a statement after the Bill passed de Claring it moved us one historical step closer toward a new tax code for  House speaker Thomas p. O Neill jr., d-mass., said his parly had rescued tax Reform from the jaws of big business re publicans and delivered on our historic commitment to tax  Only the Republican Senate can Stop tax Reform now o Neill said. And Mak ing a reference to sen. Bob Packwood r see tax Reform on Page 24 Congress grapples with spending Bill Washington a farm Price support legis lation and an omnibus spending Bill to keep government operating for the next nine months remained unresolved wednesday As Congress continued a slow frustrating March toward adjournment. Last Day majority Leader Robert Dole r-kan., said hopefully before the Senate convened wednesday. Much of the government opened for business under another slogan measure Congress passed tuesday to give congressional negotiators Lime to work out a revised ver Sion of a s370 billion omnibus spending Bill. The House overwhelmingly rejected the Bill monday night. The Stopgap measure which president Reagan signed late tuesday was to expire at Midnight thursday and was the second such Bill Congress has had to pass in less than a week. Other measures awaiting action wednesday included an emergency Rescue package for the $70 billion farm credit system the 37-Bank network that is the nation s largest farm Lender. The Senate passed it with minor changes tuesday night and House approval was expected. Also pending was a sweeping five year agriculture pack age providing about $52 billion Over the next three years for crop Price and income support programs. Unveiling the Torch with new York City s Skyline in the background workmen sure removing scaffolding from the statue of Liberty. The outside work on Mim Liberty has been completed but some Interior repairs remain. The removal of the scaffolding will take four months and the statue will be rededicated  july. White House spokesman Larry up Oaks said the administration was still assessing the farm Bill and there was no decision cd about whether the president would veto the Bill which officials had previously complained was too expensive. As for the farm credit legislation Scakes said. It looks Good to  while Congress was trying to wrap up its work. Rea Gan administration officials and legislators alike were voicing frustration Over the unpredictable crisis Atmo sphere that has engulfed deliberations Over fiscal mat ters for months. Judge declares mistrial in Case against Edwards new Orleans a the racketeering trial of Louisiana gov. Edwin Edwards and four co defendants ended in a mistrial wednesday with the jury reporting itself hopelessly deadlocked. . District judge Marcel Livaudais said that the six Man six woman jury had told him there were no prospects for a verdict without seeing Mounds of testimony. The judge said jurors were asking for too much material and said he had been presented with a motion for a mistrial. I will Grant that  Livaudais said. The jurors had deliberated for a week in the the acc month old trial . Attorney John Volz con firmed that the vote was 11-1 in f favor of innocent on Many counts 1 10-2 in favor of innocent on Many others involving the governor. Anywhere from nine to 11 of the 12 jurors were in favor of acquitting the four other defendants in the Case defense attorneys said. Volz refused to comm it on whether he would take the Case to court again although to  had said he would seek a retrial. The jury was apparently Content with the Type of activity that s been shown to them Volz said. There was not much dispute about the facts in this Case. Apparently the people of this state Aren t ready to change what is going on. Edwards had said earlier in the Day he would not resign in the event of a mistrial. Or want to get a see Edwards on Page 24 Edwin