European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 16,1988 the stars and stripes Page Model Neutral on Parks let it Burn policy Ranger Roger Anderson examines new Plant life already  in fire charred Yellowstone Pik. Report claims flight computers Hurt Competition Washington a the five airline owned computer reservation systems used by travel agents to Book passengers Are so dominant thai they Are stifling Competition in the air travel Industry a congressional report said this week. The study concluded hat he reservation sys tems Are generating profits exceeding those that could reasonably be expected to be earned in a competitive  it also chided the department or transportation for failing to take Steps to eliminate the anti competitive features of the computer Reser vation Industry. Dot has a statutory responsibility to protect Competition in the airline Industry said the report which was written by the general accounting of fice Congress non partisan investigative Agency. The computer systems which the nation s travel agents use to Reserve seals on lights As Well As rental cars and lodging Are owned by some of the nation s largest airlines. Each system s owner earns Money by collecting a fee from the airline on which a seat is selected and by charging travel agents an annual subscription fee for use of the computer. American airlines owns he Sabre system which dominates the Market by garnering 43 per cent of the country s computer reservation system revenues. United1 Apollo system Bas 32 percent of the Market pars owned by trans world airlines and Northwest airlines has 10 percent Texas air s system one has 10 percent and Del la s data ii has 5 percent. Until the government banned the practice in november 1984, airlines owning computer Reser vation systems tended id list their own flights first on the display screens making it More Likely that they would sell More tickets. But the report cited statistics demonstrating Bat airlines with their own computer reservation systems continue to have an artificial competitive  the Gao cited a May 1988 transportation department study estimating that airlines which own computer reservation systems increase their revenues Between 9 percent and 40 percent Over what they would have earned without the computers the Dot report also said the booking fees charged by the owners of the two largest Reser vation systems about $1.84 per flight Are about double the costs the owners incur including provision for a profit Washington a Interior Secretary Dana id p. Houct said wednesday he won t Force the National Park service to change its firefighting policy but repeated his belief that the it it Burn policy had been a failure and predicted modifications will be made before the next fire season. " think Well just have to Sec what they come up with As a recommendation hods said in an interview refer ring to the policy review just getting under Way by the service in cooperation with the Forest service and other agencies. I m not planning to impose a  comments by environmentalists and others that the let in bum policy had succeeded were a backfire by people who fear changes he said. Let it bum is How the Park service unofficially described its practice since 1972 of letting most Natu rally caused fires Burn themselves out for the benefits they bring to Forest regeneration. The policy called for fighting fires that threatened human settlement and property significant Park Struc Tures and resources and All fires started by humans. On july 21, pressed by the worst fire season in 300 or 400 years in Yellowstone National Park and the rest of the West the Park service decided to fight All fires because it could not be sure than any one would not get out of control. It extended that suppression policy to All its Parks in August. The service has argued that the buildup of dead Trees and other fuel from the 100 years of suppressing All fires before 1972 could not be burned off in the 16 years since then and that buildup made this year s fires far worse than they should have been resulting in damage Over nearly half of the Park from blazes that could not have been put out no matter when they were attacked. Some environmental groups have argued hat the policy worked and should be supported and that no one could have predicted the severity of the drought or inc fires. Leaders of these supporting groups usually add that people living around Yellowstone the most vigorous critics of the policy deserve some help for the damage done to their businesses by the decline in tourism. I Don t think the majority of the american people would say this policy has worked and i would say the american people Are right Model said. Asked to define a successful policy the Secretary replied i d rather define what is not successful. A policy is not successful if the result subjects communities in and near the Park to extreme jeopardy and evacuations because you did t know if you were going to be Able to control the fires As happened this year. He said he believed the Park service policy change july 21 had happened fairly quickly in Light of Avail Able information. Asked whether that change was made quickly enough he responded i m not going to engage in that kind of thing because the monday morning quarterback never gels  noting that William Penn Mott director of the Park service and Dale Robertson chief of the Forest serv ice had admitted that in Hindsight hey would have fought every fire from the beginning Model said he thought Park service officials were not satisfied with inc results of the let it Burn policy either. Asked if he were trying to satisfy both critics of the service As Well As the service and its supporters he replied no. I m trying to be responsive to Llie Best professional and technical advice Senate oks redesign of coins but Strong opposition expected Washington a with Little debate for a change the Senate has approved a Bill to redesign the reverse sides of the Penny Nickel dime and Quarter. The legislation approved on a voice Vole wednes Day also Calls for issuing special coins commemorating inc Centennial of six states and the Loolah birthday of president Eisenhower. The Senate sent the three separate Bills to the House where at least one and possibly two of them May face Strong opposition. The most controversial measure at least in the House Calls for modernizing the Coin designs. The Bill suggests hat the redesigned coins should reflect such american constitutional ideas As Freedom of speech and Assembly the right to trial by jury the right to vote the separation of Powers and the right to equal Protection under the Law. The first redesigned Coin to be issued would be required to have a design commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Constitution. That design would be replaced with another theme after a two year period. Rep. Frank Annunzit Dell chairman of Fth House banking consumer affairs and coinage subcommittee is strongly opposed o a general redesign of the nation s coins and says he will fight any attempt to bring thai Bil to the House floor before Congress adjourns  month. A second Bill would require the issuing of s5 commemorative coins to celebrate inc Centennial in 1989 and 1990 of Idaho Montana North Dakota South Dakota Washington and Wyoming. The Bill requires that up to 350,000 coins be minted for each state and that they be made largely of palladium a Silver White metallic Clement related to Plati num. The measure requires that inc palladium be mined and refined in the United Stales. Curtis Prins an aide to Annunzio said inc Congress Man has big problems with that provision because he said the Only operating . Palladium mine can not produce enough of the Mineral for inc coins and still Meel other requirements. The Only other sources of palladium arc South Afri Ca and the soviet Union Prins said. The third and least controversial Bill introduced by Senate Republican Leader Bob dote of Kansas Calls for the minting of a is Coin to commemorate the Loolah anniversary of the birth of president Eisenhower on oct. 14,1890. Army major indicted in firearms Case Washington not a Federal grand jury in Nashville tenn., indicted an army major wednesday in connection with the then of 200 weapons while he handled weapon procurement in the Early 1980s for a secret army intelligence unit. Michael l. Smith falsified government records to hide the theft making it look As if the unit had Pur chased ammunition instead of various pistols and rifles said . Attorney Joe b. Brown. The secret unit inc intelligence support activity unit was set up in 1981, officials said. The unit s activities Are classified but Pentagon officials have disclosed that among other things it was involved in trying 10 find american servicemen miss ing in Laos Selling up secret american support facilities in Central America and providing Security for Middle Eastern leaders. The indictment is the latest in a string of criminal cases stemming from secret Pentagon intelligence and counter terrorism units set up by the Reagan administration in the Early 1980s. These units originally oper ated with Littfe supervision either of their Mission or their finances officials said. More recently in the Wake of various criminal cases and congressional inquiries the Pentagon has instituted tighter controls. Drown said the latest indictment stems from earlier audits of other army units and thai other criminal inquiries Are under Way. Brown said Smith was not charged with the theft of government property or falsification of records be cause those infractions which look place in the Early 1980?, were not uncovered before the five year statute of limitations had run out. The five count indictment charges Smith with inter state transportation of stolen firearms and stolen prop erty concealing stolen weapons and possessing an unregistered Silencer with no serial number according to Brown. The transportation and Possession charges Date to 1986 and 1987, according to Brown. Smith kept the weapons which were purchased from a gun dealer in North Carolina for himself Brown said. The five counts carry a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison and fines totalling $45,000. Smith is currently the chief of the family support activity at fort Campbell by