European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a a a the stars and stripes tuesday March 13,1990skinner defends user fees taxes in transport plan Washington apr the Federal government is ill w ill have a a very major Quot role in transportation programs despite a Bush administration proposal that would shift More spending to the slate and local level transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner said sunday. Skinner whose National transportation plan last week was criticized by transport industries and members of Congress defended the proposed increase in user fees and local Gas taxes that would raise costs for travellers and shippers. Interviewed on Abc to s Quot meet the press Quot Skinner said decreases in Federal funding would apply primarily to projects that Skinner Benefit local economies and private businesses which would be asked to pay a greater share. Quot in some parts of the system where the local component is very important and where the Cost of that system is being expanded. We think local development can pay a bigger share Quot Skinner said. Quot the Federal government s role is still going to be Virv very major Quot he said adding that two thirds of the billion Federal transportation budget goes for infrastructure projects. Skinner said More than 33 states have raised Gas taxes or found some Independent funding source for transportation. The 9-Ceni Federal Gas tax will continue to support transportation he said. Quot we Don t have a mess on our hands Quot Skinner said referring to complaints of congestion in air and land transportation. Quot we re try ing to avoid a major  Skinner predicted that within the next 10 years the Busy Short haul routes Between major . Cities would have High Speed rail systems paid for by private developers Quot who then pass the costs on to the  he said commuters have indicated they arc willing to pay for better service at the local level. Quot that will give us More funds to expand All Over the country on a National basis to Deal with these pockets of congestion Quot he said. States Degas leak puts 110 people in hospitals in Houston Houston apr a mysterious Gas leak sent 110 people to area hospitals after they complained of nausea and vomiting officials said. Among the victims were 77 students from Woodland Middle school in nearby Galena Park. Three remained in the Hospital overnight officials said. Quot something made a lot of people sick out there but we May never find out what it was or where it came from a said acting fire capt. Bill Wilcox. Quot it just blew through and  inspectors from the Harris county pollution control Bureau were trying to determine the leaks source. Here is the Rembrandt etching reportedly made on a bet in 1645 and now part of an exhibit in Washington Quick work by Rembrandt part of Washington display Washington apr Rembrandt is reported to have once bet he could prepare an etching of the dutch Countryside before a friends servant could fetch Mustard from a nearby Village. Rembrandt won the Wager according to the Frenchman responsible for the Story although it was not said How Long the waiter took to run his errand. The old masters spontaneous touch with a normally slow and painstaking medium is known and the results Are on display through May 20 at Washington a National gallery of Art. The etching a a six a Bridge a is part of the first major exhibit devoted to Rembrandt a landscape prints and drawings. The etching shows a canal two boats two Bushes a Church a Bridge and two men standing on it a All on a plate 5 inches by 10 inches. Rembrandt is better known for his Oil paintings but Only eight of his surviving oils Are landscapes. Largely scattered among european museums they Are not among the 99. Works in this exhibit although one of them can be seen in another part of the  can be one of the most difficult Tim consuming processes lending itself to tightly controlled highly detailed works. The works Are begun on Metal plates coated with a soft Wax formula. The artist cuts through the mixture with a Needle so that acid can bite into the resulting scratches on the plate from which the etching is later printed. Rembrandt took prepared plates with him during his Long walks around the City. Because of its self imposed narrow scope the exhibit contains much of Rembrandt a most inti mate work scenes that aroused his personal interest boats Bridges churches towers cottages a Man rowing a boat and an artist sketching by the Road. This is the Story told by edme Francois Ger Saint who issued the first Catalon of Rembrandt a works More than 80 years after the artist died in 1669 one overcast Day in 1645 Rembrandt sat Down to lunch at the country House of his Friend Jan six later mayor of Amsterdam when they made a discovery there was no Mustard. Six sent a servant to the Village. A Rembrandt knew How slow servants usually Are in his country when they reply a ans tons a which Means a right away a they take at least half an hour to appear a wrote Ger Saint in one of the few stories about the artist Art history professor Cynthia p. Schneider of Georgetown University Calls the Story  but she added in the Catalon for this exhibit that the work was a Miracle of artistic Economy. A the Swift and spare strokes of the etching have All the Freedom of a sketch from life a she said. She also pointed out that it is done from a Low viewpoint As if the artist were sitting on the ground. Ger Saint said it was the scene from the window of the room the two men were in. A dutch scholar has claimed to identify the Church and six a property along the amstel River m the suburbs of Amsterdam. Then it was called Klein Kost Verlores a Little Money  How much was the bet Are those the two friends on the Bridge. The show will not travel elsewhere after closing in , wet Snow in Utah delays air Highway traffic by the associated press Utah a biggest Winter storm of the season dumped More Snow monday while kansans cleaned up Tornado damage and scores of people in Illinois waited for floods to subside so they could return to their Homes. The heavy wet Snow in Utah a at least 10 inches at Salt Lake International air Fiort a delayed airline flights and clogged freeways sunday. More Snow fell monday morning along the Ulah Colorado Border with As much As 12 More inches expected during the Day in Utah a mountains. In Central Kansas at least three tornadoes touched Down sunday evening in Rice county damaging buildings. No injuries were reported. At least two tornadoes were spotted in South Central Kansas but no damage was reported. Flash flooding was reported after about 2 inches of rain fell in Kansas. Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa Texas Arkansas and Kansas also had flooding. In Illinois thunderstorms with winds up to 50 Mph raked the Central part of the slate late sunday evening. Earlier in the Day More than 200 people were forced from their Homes along the North Fork River after storms dumped 4 inches of rain saturday. Rescue workers helped about a dozen people from their Homes by boat when the River overflowed. A Tornado touches Down sunday near Alden in Central Kansas Rice county