European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes monday August 14, 1989 wrangling continues Over army truck turf Battle ties up $10 million in testing funds by the Washington Post Washington nearly a year after House an Senate appropriators set aside $10 million for the army to lest a cargo truck distributed by Philadelphia businessman and political contributor Leonard Tose the Money remains tied up in a turf Battle betwee powerful congressional panels on defense. Funds for testing the Max cube cargo handling a were written into the fiscal 1989 defense Bud system gel at a final Senate House appropriations conference last september at the request of rep. John p. Murtha d-pa., according to congressional sources. I lows Var for the second year in a Row the House armed services committee has blocked the army from spending the Money. The army has said it has no known requirement for the cargo handler. The action reportedly has angered Murtha who took Over the chairmanship of the appropriations subcommittee on defense this year. Defense week Magazine quoting an unnamed congressional source in october described Murtha As mad As hell at nitpicking by the armed services committee which docs not appropriate the Money but sets ceilings for military spending. It s still in gridlock a congressional source said recently. In 1988, armed services committee chairman Les Aspin d-wis., pressed for continued funding of a wis Consin made 10-ton truck that the army was trying to phase out. On that occasion the defense appropriations subcommittee included $239 million for the vehicle in the fiscal 1989 spending Bill. The infighting Over Max cube represents a Varia Tion on the usual pork barrel politics in which Well placed legislators Reward Home states and congressional districts with Federal projects. The fiscal 1990 Bill that passed the House included Many such exam Ples from mine sweepers for Oregon to $ 10 million for army Mobile Field kitchens an addition that May Benefit a Small business in Munda s District. Penn Metal fabricators of Ebensburg. Pa., has supplied the Mobile Field kitchens to the army since it began Pur chasing that Type of equipment in 1976. The army s troop support come in St. Louis seeks competitive bid for the kitchens but Penn metals has been Low bidder except for a Brief period in the Early 1980s. The Bush administration s budget request did not in clude funds for More kitchens next year. But William , executive vice president said the firm wrote Mur tha in january asking him to look into including Money in the Bill. An army spokesman a week ago welcomed the addition of the Sundsby Muelha . Tensions Over other special projects illustrate a some what different facet of pork barrel politics in which de sense committees sometimes Block favorite projects of other committees in order to gain negotiating leverage. The House and Senate armed services committees supported the administration s requests for continued funding of the air Force s tacit Rainbow anti radar drone research program. Tacit Rainbow is being devel oped by Northrop corp. In the Perry oa., Hometown of Sam Nunn d-oa., chairman of the Senate armed serv ices committee. However the Bill reported out of Mur tha s defense appropriations subcommittee would Termi Nate tacit Rainbow. Several Senate sources suggested that Murtha and his appropriations subcommittee May have made the Cut in create a bargaining Chip for talks with the Senate on n final defense budget later this year. One source said Murtha also May have been unhappy with action Jaken by Nunn last year to Block Grants to universities in the fiscal 1989 defense appropriations Bill. One of the Grants being held up is $7.5 million for a National Center for Industrial innovation at Lehigh University in Murtha s Home state of Pennsylvania. House sources vigorously deny there is any connection Between that and tacit Rainbow. The report is sued by Murtha s subcommittee cites a 253 percent one year increase in the projected unit costs of the tacit Rainbow anti radar drone and complains that the air Force has not taken Steps to generate Competition for the electronic package that is its Core. Meanwhile last year s $10 million appropriation for Maxi cube remains in limbo. A spokesman for House majority whip William  Iii d-pa., said that in Early 1987 Gray was approached about the truck by representatives of let industries a Philadelphia area company that distributes it. Gray s office said he directed them to rep. Thomas m. Foglietta. D-pa., a member of the House armed services committee and Murtha then the second ranking demo crat on the defense appropriations subcommittee. Gray then called both fellow pennsylvanians and asked them to talk to the let officials about their interest in marketing the truck to the defense depart ment according to the spokesman. Tose a principal partner in the company is a Well known businessman who formerly owned the Phila Delphia eagles football team. He has contributed to the campaigns of Gray and Murtha. Ford s 1950s mistake1 a hit with classic car fans Atlanta a to know an Edsel is to love an Edsel owners of the car say. And to own one is to put up with a lot of jokes. The Edsel Ford motor co s great fail ure of the late 1950s, lives on although Only about 3,500 of them arc left on the Road. The car has a certain mystique that draws Many Edsel owners to gatherings such As the 21st annual meeting of the International Edsel club a four Day affair that ended sunday. The club which claims 1,500 members holds parts auctions exhibitions and awards banquets at its annual gathering which also provides a Chance Tor Edsel owners to get together and talk about their passion the car whose name for Many is synonymous with failure. We re proud of our de sols said Morris Ferguson who brought his White 1959 Model from Memphis tenn., for the meeting. We talk about the love and labor we put into  because of the car s Lack of Success during its time joke stars enjoy taking the Edsel and its owners for a Ndoc. I think they re jealous said Richard Watson an Edsel owner from Canton Iii. The Edsel failed to win buyers and its name became synonymous with failure. Ford launched the gang qty Edsel on sept. 4, 1957, with an unprecedented marketing Blitz. Ford lost about $450 million and the car was discontinued by 1960. But it has since become the stuff of legends. There have been different theories As to Why the Edsel bombed. Some say it was a combination of a reaction against the hype a recession in the Auto Industry and the car s unusual horse Collar Grill. I love the design of it now. Ii was Way before its time said Ferguson. Mike Sica of port Jefferson n.y., who drove his White "59 Model to Atlanta said the meetings provide a Chance for edict owners to Swap or bid to buy part for their cars. He said his Edsel gels him lots of at Tention both for its unusual looks and its frequent breakdowns. It s embarrassing when they break Down and they do that a lot. But All old cars do that said Sica an electrician. When you break Down and pull Over on the Side of the Road everybody ribs  Bob Hanson of Mableton ga., who helped organize this year s club meeting said the Scarcity of spare parts is a prob Lem for Edsel owners. De sols arc difficult to restore he said. It s not like a Mustang or a Cor Vette where you can buy parts Over the counter. Most Edsel parts were destroyed because Ford was so distraught Over the failure Many of the Edsel owners say their classics arc for special purposes Only. They work on them As a Hobby and take them out for shows. But Columbus n.c., resident Ray Daumiller who owns a yellow 59 Model said his Edsel is his Mam car. He takes it to the shows but also uses it to go grocery shopping. It s a wonderful car he said. Kind of stupid and ugly looking  Call it Genius pay phone born 100 years ago new York a please Deposit 10 cents for the next five minutes or your Call will be  Clink thank  no thank you William Gray. One Hundred years ago sunday the 37-year-old Gray obtained  no. 408,709 for his invention a Coin con trolled apparatus for telephones the Public payphone. The first one was installed months later at the Hart Ford Bank in Hartford Conn. A Hundred years later there Are 2 million pay phones across the United states enough to give one to every Man woman and child in West Virginia. Gray s inspiration came of necessity his Foreman Ata Connecticut factory had refused him permission to use the Telephone to Call his sick wife even when he offered to pay for the Call. Not everyone was convinced that the pay phone would be a Winner when Busy grand Central station placed its first order it installed just one. Now Gray s invention is everywhere. There Are payphones at the White House in the Middle of death Valley in the Al salvadoran Jungle and even on the Empress Lilly paddle boat on pleasure Island at Disney the Price has changed it was a Nickel for 59 years until it Rose to a dime in 1948. Now the Tariff ranges from a dime to a Quarter in the United states and from a Penny in Spain to 77 cents in France. Intel Wicall a manufacturer of private pay phones has put together a package of facts to Mark the 100thanniversary. To wit the Jamestown Booth manufactured in Jamestown n.y., in the late 1800s, featured Wood finishing silk curtains and Multian Clad windows. It was placed in hotel lobbies and patrons would some times wait in front of it believing it was an elevator. The first outdoor phone Booth was installed i Cincinnati in 1905. The use of slugs Cost new York Telephone $317,370 in 1935. In the 1930s and 1940s, string Cut ters were added to pay phones to frustrate thieves who would attach strings to coins so they could be retrieved. Gray had another moment in the Sun. He also invented an inflatable Chest protector for baseball catchers. Idaho has the Best pay phone ratio for its Popula Tion 10 for every 1,000 people. Texas. Please Deposit 10 cents for the next five minutes or our Call will be interrupted. Has the worst one for every 1,000 texans. The first phone Booth with a double hinged door was installed in 1910. Clark Kent first used a phone Booth to change into Superman in the september october 1949 Issue of . Comics. Drive up pay Telephone service was first tested in. Click