European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 1989 the stars and stripes Page 5 services met or topped recruiting goals by Norman Black a military write Washington the nation s military services met or exceeded their recruiting goals for the ninth consecutive year in fiscal 1988, but concern is growing about the future the Pentagon said in a report  though the defense department does not need to recruit As Many men and women this year Asit did last year participation in the services delayed entry program has declined to the lowest level in five years the report , the reduction in recruiting goals should have made it easier to improve the current record High number of High school graduates among the volunteers but that is not happening the Pentagon  delayed entry program lets individuals sign up for military service but delay the Start of Basic training until a later Date or when specific Job open Ings occur. That Pool of individuals is a key tool for recruiters who need to spread the flow of new enlist ments throughout the  a Strong Economy and the shrinking Pool of youth available for military service the services refacing significantly More competitive Market conditions said Grant s. Green jr., assistant Secretary of defense for  new recruiting and re enlistment results re leased in the report cover fiscal 1988 the 12months ending last sept. 30. During that period the Pentagon significantly Cut its recruiting goals be cause of a decision by the administration to reduce the size of the army Navy air Force and Marine corps to accommodate congressional budget cuts. The new report shows 93  the recruit who joined the military in fiscal 1988 had a High school diploma Matching the figure reported in Fis Cal 1987.those results Are significantly above the High school graduation rates for the american youth population As a whole roughly 75  Pentagon also reported that re enlistment rates were satisfactory despite slow starts in some  percentages of men and women re end Stag m the air Force and Marine corps dipped slightly but the declines caused no problems because the services also had reduced their goals in that  told the four services recruited 286,700 men and women Between oct. 1, 1987, and sept. 30,1988, slightly exceeding the combined objective of 286,400. Of that total 272,600 were men an women who had not previously served in the Mili tary while the remaining 14,100 were individual returning to the services after Breaks in their military  recruits who entered the service during the past year scored unusually Well on the armed Force qualification test a standardized skill exam Given All enlistees. Ninety five  the recruit scored average or above on the test this past year just one percentage Point below the All time record of 96 percent set in fiscal 1986. The United states switched to an All Volunteer military in 1973. After years of trying to establish the system and attract High Quality recruits the de sense department finally met its annual recruiting objective in fiscal 1980 and has managed to meet or exceed the annual goals Ever  to the latest report the army recruited 115,300 men and women during fiscal 1988, slightly exceeding its goal of 115,000. The Navy recruited 94,000 individuals precisely Matching its goal while the Marine corps with 35,900 recruits and the air Force with 41,500 individuals both reached their , 251,300 of the 374,600 men and women eligible to re enlist in their respective services 67percent did so in fiscal 1988. That slightly exceeds the previous year s total of 65  the first time recruits who joined the military 34,400 were women 12.6 percent and 238,200were men. That Overall percentage for women exceeds the fiscal 1987 rate of 12.2  the four services the air Force continued to attract by far the most women 8,100 out of 41,200 total or 19.7  report shows Blacks comprised 56,500 of the first time recruits who joined in fiscal 1988 or20.7 percent up one percentage Point compared to fiscal 1987.the Pentagon said there were 110,500 individuals in the delayed entry program As of sept. 30, Down sharply from the 123,700 reported a year earlier. A. Couple charged with starving son to death w1lkes-Barre, a. Not a starving family had More than $3,600 in Cash and in Bank Axom Nisbut refused to spend it for food because they believed the Money belonged to god according to a police affidavit made Public Friday. Larry Cottam 39, and his wife Leona 37, of the nearby Borough of Nuangola were charged with Crimi Nal homicide late thursday in the death of their 14 year old son Eric. The Cottam and their daughter Laura 12, Are being treated for malnutrition at mercy Hospital in Wilkes Barre. All Are in serious condition. The police said Cottam a former minister of the seventh Day adventist Church had not fed his family since nov. 22. He called the police from a neighbor shome wednesday 17 hours after he discovered that his son had died. The Luzerne county Coroner said the5-foot-10 boy weighed just 69 pounds. Neighbors of the Cottam described the family As reclusive and vegetarian. In an affidavit attached to the arrest warrant trooper James Henry or. Of the state police gave this account of a conversation with Cottam at the family Shouse on wednesday after the death was reported Cottam acknowledged that he was unemployed an that his family had not eaten since nov. 22. He turned Over to the police $2,131 in Cash two $50 saving Bonds and a Check Book and Bank Book showing a total balance of $1,543.55. Cottam said he could not spend the Money because it was tithe Money and belonged to  his wife said the Money should not have been shown to the Larry Cottam is wheeled to his arraignment involving the starving death of his son in Wilkes Barre a. Officers because nobody would  became ill on monday Cottam said and mrs. Cottam spent the whole Day in bed with her son. The boy was real weak and could not get out of bed the trooper quoted Cottam As  5 30 . Tuesday Cottam went to his son s room and discovered that the boy had died. The father said he then took his daughter and wife upstairs and they All prayed. They then agreed to Call the police in the  Cottam was to be buried saturday. A High offi Cial of the seventh Day adventist Church came to Slocum township near Nuangola to discuss the funeral arrangements with local  was a minister of four seventh Day adventist churches in the Wilkes Barre area before he was transferred to Pittsburgh in 1984. He split with the Church after losing his Post at Pittsburgh and moved to  March he was dismissed from his Job As a truck Driver for Norander inc., a building supplies dealer in  Thomas undersecretary of the general con Ference of the seventh Day adventists and f9rmer president of the Pennsylvania conference said Cottam was relieved of his pastoral duties in 1985."there were some very weird things going on in the family he said. There were some irregularities in the family we could t understand or get to the Bottom of. We Felt there was child abuse and we reported it to  parents behaviour became very very difficult for us to handle Thomas said and the Church finally dismissed Cottam. Sharp tobacco fax increase has Ca Forn ans smoking san Francisco a Californi smokers and smoke shop owners Are fuming Over a week old tobacco tax in crease that boosts the Cost of a pack of cigarettes to As much As $3 a pack. The tax approved by voters in no vember and effective Jan. 1, jumped from a dime to 35 cents on a pack of cigarettes and raised the Price of cigars chewing tobacco snuff and pipe tobacco by 42 percent. They re leaving Here screaming said Mike Mustafa a clerk at Mike grocery in san Francisco. They re say ing no Way they storm out the  think it s Only me raising the Price. 1 Tell them you voted for it " the increase makes California s Tobac co tax one of the nation s highest. Minnesota s tax of 38 cents a pack on cigarettes is tops by contrast North Carolina where tobacco is the leading Cash crop charges 2 cents a pack. The tax increase coincided with Price increases from Many wholesalers and a new Federal tax of 45 cents a Pound on tobacco. Some manufacturers Are charging 75 cents a Pound More for pipe tobacco and 5 to 15 cents More for each Cigar. A pack of regular Domestic cigarettes that sold for about $1.50 two weeks Agios now Selling for $1.75 Over some Cali fornia counters $2 to $2.25 in vending machines and $3 at candlestick Park Concession stands. At one smoke shop the Price of a 14-ounce package of pipe tobacco jumped from $10.56 to $18.16. In the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Jan. 8, 1949 president Truman announced that Secretary of state George  had resigned and former undersecretary of state Dean Acheson would become his successor. 30 years ago today. Jan. 8, 1959 Eleanor Roosevelt and 34 other people signed an advertisement inthe Washington Post asking Congress to abolish the House in american activities committee because it had abused its constitutional privileges. 20 years ago today. Jan. 8, 1969 the House voted to double the pay of the president from$100,000 to $200,000 effective with Richard Nixon s inauguration. The Bill was expected to win easy approval in the Senate. 0 years ago today. Jan. 8, 1979 president Carter announced that he would not ask Congress to postpone increases in the minimum wage in 1980 and 1981 because such an action would have Only a minimal effect on inflation