European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes thursday August 25, 1988 broke Federal workers Union votes to raise locals dues by the Washington Post Miami Beach Fla. The american federation of government employees faced with possible bankruptcy unless it restructures its finances tuesday voted to raise taxes on Union locals. The More than 1,000 delegates to the age Conven Tion Here voted to raise the per capita tax each local Union must pay the National Headquarters from j6.5u to $7.50 a month effective oct. 1. It was the first increase in per capita taxes since 1985. The vote does not automatically mean there will be a dues increase for All age members. Age locals set their dues Structure but tuesday s vote Means the locals will have to pay More to the National Union for each  is the largest Federal employee Union and represents 700,000 government workers. But Only 180,000 of the government workers it represents be Long to the Union and pay dues. By the time the final voice vote was taken on the tax increase at tuesday s convention session the approval was overwhelming but reaching the consensus was a  finances a Central Issue in the bitter election fight for the Union presidency the delegates Maneu Vered and bickered through most of the morning first voting to increase the per capita tax but postponing the effective Date until january then rejecting an attempt to dedicate any new Union revenues to Organ izing and training and then setting the effective Dat of the increase Back to oct. 1, As originally proposed by the leadership. Without the dues increase the Union estimated it would have a $600,000 Cash shortage by the end of the year despite a $1.5 million loan from the Al Cio and four of its unions last january. Even with the increase however age projects it will be $100,000 in the red by year s end. The per capita tax increase is just one of several leadership proposals designed to save the Union Money and increase income. Early in the Day members voted to hold their convention every three years rather than every two years to save about $300,000 a year. But the delegates flip flopped Over a proposal to eliminate the Post of executive vice president. Initially the convention voted to continue the office but later rescinded that vote and voted to eliminate the Job. By eliminating the Union s no. 2 Job age officials estimate they will save $125,000 a year. Two other leadership proposals designed to help restructure the Union s operations were to be voted on by the convention thursday. One would allow local unions that adopt a progressive dues Structure to get a break on the per capita tax the other would increase dues for retired members from 50 cents a month to $ 1.50 a month to establish a program for retirees. The age which had More than 300,000 members in the late 1960s, has seen membership steadily erode during the last two decades. At the Start of the year age membership hit a Low of 174,000. Since then with financial Aid from the Al Cio and a new Organ izing Campaign membership has increased to 180,000. N. Y. Times corrects 1909 editorial giving Peary pole discovery credit new York up the new York times tues Day ran a correction of an editorial carried on sept. 7, 1909, that gave credit to Robert Peary for discovering the North pole. The editorial came in the Wake of findings by the National geographic society that Peary May have missed the pole by 60 Miles. The times said it based its article nearly 79 years ago on a wire received from Peary saying i have the  the times asserted that further proof was unnecessary Given Peary s reputation said tuesday s editorial printed under the headline a  tuesday s editorial added that the times had world rights to Peary s Story and its editors May have failed to scrutinize adequately what they yearned to believe. The error was doubtless committed in Good  in an Effort to update its stance toward Peary the National geographic asked British Polar explorer Wally Herbert to study the Admiral s expedition diary astronomical observations and private notes. The documents were released by the Peary family recently in response to a television show crediting his rival Fred Erick Cook with discovering the pole. Writing in the 100th anniversary Issue of National geographic Herbert said he found disturbing gaps in the historical data. In particular he was perplexed that Peary who kept a detailed daily diary made no mention of the discovery of the pole on his entries for april 6-7, 1909 the Days he claimed to have been the first Man to reach the top of the world. Robert Peary Thornburgh wary of Meese order on prosecutors to probe lawmakers Washington not attorney general Dick Thornburgh expressed Strong reservations tuesday about an order signed by his predecessor Edwin Meese Iii to appoint special prosecutors whenever members of Congress face serious allegations of wrongdoing. In an interview Thornburgh said he is not con Vinced that Independent prosecutors Are needed for every criminal investigation involving lawmakers. I think we ought to be using the special prosecutor Independent counsel mechanism sparingly that it would be the exception rather than the Rule said Thornburgh noting that he had ordered an internal review to determine whether the order signed by Meese on his final Day in office should be enforced. In an interview in his office at the Justice depart ment the new attorney general also indicated that he hoped to strengthen the relationship Between the jus Tice department and civil rights leaders which has become badly frayed under the Reagan administration. There was some apparent animosity toward or. Meese and i Don t pass any judgment on whether that was proper or not Thornburgh said reflecting on what he described As his own Long and positive relationship with leaders of the civil rights  new non Stop service to Paris Frankfurt planned Detroit Dpi Northwest airlines announced tuesday it will offer non Stop service from Detroit to both Paris and Frankfurt Start ing next  officials said they have asked the . Department of transportation for Permis Sion to provide daily service from Detroit metropolitan Airport to Paris beginning next june. The airline said it requires no new authority to inaugurate the non Stop flights to Frankfurt. Passengers will be Able to make reservations for the new flights this september. Northwest currently flies to seven european destinations from Boston new York Kennedy and Minneapolis St. Paul. This will be the airline s first non Stop service Between Detroit and Europe. New police chief gets ticket first Day on the Job Dallas a it did t take Long for new Dallas police chief Mack vines to learn just How efficient his department is. But the lesson Cost him $15.just after he was sworn into office monday vines found that an officer had placed a parking ticket on his car s Windshield. Vines former chief of police at Cape Coral Fla., paid the Fine monday afternoon. Foot doctor can t treat ailing Ankles court rules Hartford Conn. A the foot May be connected to the ankle but the ankle is not the podiatrist s Domain a court has ruled. The podiatrists had urged the High court to accept a 1984 ruling by the Board of examiners in podiatry that the ankle is part of the foot and the foot is part of the ankle and therefore podiatrists could treat ankle  the state supreme court upheld a lower court ruling barring podiatrists from treating ankle ailments. Lottery Winner is jailed on Check bouncing charge Racine wis. A a Man who won $386,563 in a lottery two years ago has been jailed in lieu of $1,000 Bond on a charge of issuing a worthless Check. Charles Brownlee 37, of Kenosha purchased $839.99 in merchandise with a Check april 28 that was returned stamped account closed Racine police said. Officers said the debt to Sears Roebuck and co. Had not been paid. Brownlee who entered the Racine county jail on monday was accused in 1985 of trying to entice a 14-year-old youth into his car. He was convicted in 1986 of attempted false imprison ment in the Case. He was jailed in lieu of Bond from november 1985 until Early april 1986, when he Learned that an Illinois state lottery ticket at his Home entitled him to the $386,563. According to court records Brownlee spent $103,000 of the lottery winnings to buy two vehicles for a limousine service donated $80,000 to Charity and spent Between $10,000 and $ 15,000 to Host a party in Kenosha. Shark in restaurant tank bites diver bringing food Metairie la. A a 6-foot Tiger shark in a restaurant fish tank attacked a diver who had climbed in to feed other fish. Wiley Beevers needed 75 stitches to close the bite on his Arm said Jack Dunn one of the i owners of Sharky s reef restaurant in suburban1 new Orleans. The attack happened As about 50 people were dining Dunn said. They got to see something a lot of people Hope they la never get to see Dunn said. They were concerned for the diver and were relieved to see he was  Beevers left the aquarium on his own and was taken to East Jefferson Hospital Dunn said. He was released a few hours later. Dunn said divers routinely go into the 135,000-gallon aquarium to feed fish. The shark had never before bothered a diver he said