European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Friday january 28,1994 end Runyon contract rules uncovered Washington a the defens department postal service and other Federal agencies with strict contracting rules have used an elaborate scheme to steer business to favored contractors Senate panel has found. It said these agencies got around their rules by routing their hiring through agencies that could award the contract without Competition. The report said for instance that mos contractors hired under a Tennessee Val Ley authority program had Little or no presence in the Tennessee Valley. In Stead Many of these companies were consulting firms in the Washington d.c., area that had Long standing relationship with the defense department it said. The report was compiled by the Senate in the stars and stripes 10 years ago Jan. 28,1984 the army and air Force Learned that they May have to throw out disciplinary actions against some soldiers and airmen because of concerns Over possibly flawed drug testing. 20 years ago Jan. 28,1974 the British government warned that a threatened National Coal shutdown could put the country s crisis crippled Industry on a two Day or even one Day work week. 30 year Sago Jan. 28,1964 French president Charles de Gaulle established Diplo Matic relations with China in Defi Ance of Strong . Protests and threats by Taiwan to break with France. 40 years ago Jan. 28,1954 . Secretary of state John Foster Dulles accused the soviet Union of trying to bring China into a foreign ministers con Ference to establish a five Power body and circumvent the United nations. 50 years ago Jan. 28,1944 the . 8th air Force on its second birthday since being activated in Savannah  reported that its aircrews had dropped 47,000 tons of bombs on nazi targets since its first combat Mission on aug. 17,1943. World War ii 50 years ago today Jan. 28 19�44 a Savage Battle rages in the Korsun Sov Cenovsky pocket in the Ukraine the encircled germans themselves surround two attacking Rod army armoured corps but the soviets tight their Way free. Britain accuses Japan of committing atrocities against prisoners the allies warn that tribunals will punish those responsible after the War. Source 2194 Days of War. W. H. Smith publishers inc. The world almanac of world War. Bison books corp., 1981 / governmental affairs subcommittee on oversight of government management. The subcommittee said $260 million i improper or questionable contracts were handled through the Tva the Energy department Nasa s Jet propulsion Laboratory and the transportation department s Volpe research Center. Additional billions of dollars in con tracts awarded the same Way could not be Analysed because there was no Way to track them the report said. Commenting on the findings subcommittee chairman sen. Carl Levin d mich., said we re not talking about a occasional slip up Here. We re looking at a government wide systematic end runaround the procurement rules. Yet the committee could not find any one who was punished for evading Feder Al contracting Law despite attempts by several agencies to end the practice. The hired agencies collected up to 25percent of the contract Cost in Exchange for managing the  practice abused and misused a Law that permits such contract routing in narrow cum stances the subcommittee Souto Ifil said taxpayers were deprived of competitive bidding that could have slashed the Cost of some multimillion Dollar contracts by 50 percent. Agencies also milked the system to quickly spend leftover Money at the end of a fiscal year funds that would have gone Back to the Treasury if unspent the subcommittee said. One example the report cited of the arrangements involved classified researching the Pentagon s non acoustic anti submarine warfare office. The office contracted for the research through Tva an Energy Utility. The de sense department s inspector Genera found that the anti submarine office took this route in part to obtain the support of a specific contractor without having to advertise or compete the  Tva entered into an agreement Withes inc., described in the report As a tiny company made up of just a few employees who did none of the required re search  est subcontracted out 96 percent of the work without Competition to persons selected by the anti submarine office the report said.  subcommittee select on report said. Throngs of desperate quake victims clamor for Giveaway food Stamps a i los Angeles a thousands of people la by pc v a jostled in Long lines wednesday to receive emergency we he. J-v5".a by & Ivy Orr re nn/4 to of Ritj nor Laii no  of 4io despite being sick earthquake victim Buth co 47, or los Angeles awaits her turn at a Van Guys social services Center. She has been sleep ing in a tent because she is afraid to return to her damaged Home. Leftover Andrew supplies go West los Angeles a tons of emergency supplies originally in tended for Hurricane Andrew victims were flown to the Aid of Earth quake victims 3,000 Miles away. An air Force plane discharged 9,000 pounds of goods at Van Nuy Airport on wednesday. The plane had left Hurlburt Field in Florida earlier in the Day with leftover donated goods intended for victims of Hurricane Andrew which ravaged Florida in August 1992. The camouflage Green c-130 was painted with the words spirit of Florida and a stylized map of the state. Forklifts took the goods to a nearby red Cross area. Supplies included plastic cutlery toilet paper paper plates paper towels folding chairs water diapers aspirin and 2,500 stuffed animals. The toys were taken to children in shelters. It really comforts them said Roberta King a red Cross spokeswoman. The red Cross is serving 34 shelters and has 72 Mobile feeding units. On wednesday a Stream of tractor trailers unloaded donations that arrived around the clock. Much of the food was donated by grocery chains and other companies in the area. Red Cross vehicles from As far away As Louisiana Texas Florida an Mississippi fanned out across the area to provide three meals a Day. To a Jostle food Stamps and tent City populations dwindled As the housing crisis caused by the Northridge earthquake showed signs of  flared As about 2,000 people converged on a food stamp distribution Center in the Panorama Cit area of the san Fernando Valley. People wanted imme Diate help but most had to wait for application appointments that were stretching into Early february. Stop pushing you re not going to move a police officer barked through a megaphone to a surging por Tion of the  were dispatched to some centers in show of Force said officer Lone Taylor a department spokeswoman. No arrests no injuries no real prob lems. But there be been a lot of people pushing an shoving she said. At the Panorama City Center people formed line four and five abreast that stretched Down the Block and around the Corner. It was generally Calm although some people protested As police tried to escort them into the proper line. About two dozen officers kept the crowd in Check. We should make it if not today then Well be her tomorrow to get our Stamps and get out said Denise Walker who stayed in line with her husband rather than accept an appointment card for feb. 5. The walkers got in line at 6 . By noon they were nowhere near the front. They needed food because All of theirs spoiled when Power was lost after the 6.6-mag-Nitude quake on Jan. 17. The . Department of agriculture authorized theone time food stamp Giveaway for earthquake victims $112 Worth for a single person and up to $450 for family. Applicants also had to show financial need said Mary Robertson an administrator of the county social services department. The Stamps were distributed by an overwhelmed county social services department. We can t Deal with the vast numbers Here said Gary Tipling a social services Deputy District director who helped control the crowd at the Panorama City  food stamp program began monday crowds had swelled by wednesday at the county s 29 distribution centers As word of the program spread Tipling said. Roughly 21,000 people have applied so far Robertson said meanwhile tent cities kept emptying As Early morn ing temperatures fell into the 30s and Homes were being approved for  estimated 4,300 people remained in tent cities about half the number who stayed Over the weekend authorities said. The Only. Number we see to decrease is the num Ber of people outside in the Parks in the tents in the temporary shelters said Richard Andrews director of the state office of emergency services. Meantime More and More people Are still seeking some Type of government Aid. Officials said about 4,500 buildings in and around los Angeles county had been declared uninhabitable. In the City of los Angeles alone that amounted to 15,310 uninhabitable  government and Industry officials said there was plenty of existing housing available if people could pay the rent. The suburban san Fernando Valley where the quake was entered has a 12 percent vacancy rate said Tom Coyle of the state department of housing and Community development