European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes thursday March 30,1989 top Federal officials should get pay hike of 50%, study finds Washington a a private commission headed by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker wednesday recommended pay increases of about 50 percent Over two years for top Federal officials members of con Gress and judges. The pay increases found reasonable bythe study carried out by the National commission r on the Public service roughly parallel those called for by a con Ressio Natty created panel and endorsed by president Bush is Well tis his predecessor Ronald Reagan. Those increases were rejected by con Gre Iii in the face of intense Public criticism entering on the proposed pay raise for the lawmakers Bui in wednesday during a picture to Kiing session in the White Blouse cab t Dpi room with members of the National commission on Public service hush said he will Send Congress in the next Lew Das hit recommendations for pay raises Tor lop Federal officials congressional members Ltd judges. The private commission also recommended thai Congress prohibit its Mem Bers from receiving speaking honorary and other outside income related to their Public responsibilities saying that otherwise the increase would be More Likely to be perceived by the american people As  not Only does such income coca in lingering doubts about the need for an across the Board increase,-bui.il also  Public Trust in National institutions  said. The commission which includes former i  and former vice president Walter f. Mondale among ils 36 members also suggested pay increases for lower rank ing government workers. It recommended that these raises be phased in and he Cost of hem absorbed through reductions in employment or he elimination of government programs. The commission recommended thai pay for civil service workers be varied depending on the Cost of living in different parts of the country. George King director of Public relations for the National Treasury employees Union said he commission s report realty does t address inc lower Grade or rank and file Federal  he said that his organization which claims to represent 144.000 Federal work ers seeks annual pay raises of 6 percent or3 percent above inflation whichever is larger and advocates Agency by Agency bargaining. The commission was formed after a con Ference held in Washington in 1987 by the Liberal Brookings institution and the con in re alive american Enterprise Institute. It reported that the purchasing Power of executive judicial and legislative salaries has fallen by 35 percent since 1969 an recommended that they be restored to tie 1969 purchasing Power level. This would require an increase of about so percent. The commission recommended that 25 percent of the increase be granted now and the rest by the beginning of the new con Gress int991, also recommended that i Congress is unable to act on its own salaries even though they arc phased in and accompanied by a ban on speaking fees the presi Dent should submit separate pay raises for judges and senior executives. If increases for senior political employees arc delayed the president and Congress should raise a current limit on lop Cyc career employees even if this Means that they make More than the political appointees who Are above them the commission said. Spring gets off ground Spring in Ander muss., makes pal Isiah Nuy do his own sort of springing. The 15-year-old went lip and Over in a Sunn 1 Day  Mienl. Federal old sought for a. Bridges sen. John in Itaf Pittsburgh i l standing by a Bridge so badly cracked that buses and trucks can t use it . Sen John Heinz on tuesday asked Federal officials to dip into a nearly $9 billion Highway Trust fund surplus for Bridge repairs Heinz to a pointed to the Smith Field Street Bridge which links Down town Pittsburgh with the City s South Side As an example of Why More repair funds Are needed. Authorities shut Down the Bridge temporarily in december after cracks were found in beams supporting  said. Vehicles of 20 tons once used the Bridge but authorities now limit inc weight to 3 tons obviously we can t afford to continue with this situation Heinz said.  have i troubled Bridges Over water " the limit Wilt fast about three yrs and Means buses can t use the Bridge said Henry Nutbrown an . The Pennsylvania department of transportation. The limit also inconveniences commuters who Musl take shuttles to work he said. Heinz introduced the Bridge improvement a of 1989 in the Senate this month. The Aci would increase Bridge funding by $2.5 billion Over five years he said despite a sustained increase in Feder Al and stale  the last 10 years inn Sylvanin s Bridges continue to deteriorate As rapidly As we can repair them Heinz said  really want to Cross the Bridge when we get there the Federal government needs to do More to see that there is a Bridge to  m not saying his is an instant answer he said. Bui in would be a major expansion of the Bridge repair and re Ptacin Wal program Heinz has also asked Federal transportation authorities to allocate More funds to states now using their own Money to repair Bridges. Such a formula would  Pennsylvania he said Penns Lynnia has an aggressive Bridge repair program and spends about $100 million a year of its on funds Onich repairs Chin said. That sort of a fort should be re  he said. High tech Caps May prolong flavor of Beer by the new York to lots the aquanaut is corp of Alameda. Calif., has spent several years developing an artificial Gill based on a novel technology for Vilnit line oxygen from water. That product is still in the Duvel Ozment stage bul the technology May reach the Market in a More common medium Beer Boll la Caps where its properties could Rilend the shul life of Beer by reducing oxygen related spoilage. Zapata industries a manufacturer of Beer Caps will spend up to $2,5 Mil lion in a joint project with aquanaut is to develop oxygen absorbing bottle Caps. If successful the two companies will set up a venture to produce and Market the product. Beer has a Short shelf life just 90 to 20 Days because of flavor loss from Oil Dalion and most experts say thai oxygen caught in the bottle or can is the major cause of the problem. Aquanaut is says that by incorporating its product in a bottle Cap Brewers will be Able to prolong  Beer. The oxygen absorbing properties of Lon life Are a specially appealing to., Brewers because Beer is a particularly oxygen sensitive beverage said Don Ald g. Rosellini Zapata s president. The join venture could Lap a sub Stantial Market More than 15 billion Beer Caps arc. Produced annually in he United states and 130 billion world wide hos Clini said aquanaut is artificial Gill technology is based on an oxygen carrying fluid that will bind Vith the oxygen Gnu the release it the same Way blood functions in both humans and fish. In its research the company devel oped Over 250 compounds to perform this task each with slightly different  said sic Van came Vale vice president of  started looking at other Poten tial applications of oxygen carrying molecules and stumbled upon the idea of food packaging he join ,