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Gas decontrol faces final hurdle ., WASHINGTON ( AP) Supporters of lifting price controls from natural gas had only one last hurdle left to dear Tuesday in order to win a victory that had been sought by the oil and gas in-dustry for 20 years. That hurdle was House passage of a deregulation amendment, similar to one already approved in the Senate and favored by the White House. Both sides on the issue give various wrtimwfrs as to the cost of deregulation to the average consumer, ranging from average gas bills of about $ 250 a year by I960 to a high of $ 331 a year. This would be up from government, figures of$ 170 a year in 1974. The decontrol supporters won an initial victory on a procedural argument earlier in the day that allowed their proposal to be offered as a substitute to an emergency natural gas bill. They won on a 230- 18- 4 vote. Rep. Bob Krueger, a freshman Democrat from Texas, won the floor fight on behalf of his amendment after failing to win consideration of the proposal when emergency natural gas legislation was considered in com-mittee last year. In allowing Krueger to offer bis amendment, the House rejected the promises of two longtime members, Chairman Harley O. Staggers of the In-terstate and Foreign Commerce Com-mittee and Chairman John Dingle of the energy and power subcommittee, to bring a long- ter- m deregulation bill to the floor within 60 days. Earlier Tuesday, the Democratic caucus had met to debate the Krueger amendment and afterward Chairman Phillip Burton said that if Krueger won the vote on the procedural matter, he also expected Krueger to win on the substantive matter of the amendment. He said that in order for the amend-ment to be defeated it would need at least two- thir- ds of the Democratic majority voting against it and Burton said it would be tough to obtain that many votes. The Republicans generally are behind deregulation and the Krueger amendment. Krueger's amendment would permit the lifting of price controls on new natural gas from offshore wells over a five- ye- ar period. It would lift all price controls immediately on new natural gas from onshore wells. The debate during the day included warnings that unless price controls are - lifted the nation will continue to suffer : o fuel shortages and claims in the j Democratic caucus that the issue has been engineered by Republicans to for-- ' ce a Democratic- controlle- d Congress to pass decontrol. That would sub-- ,?-- stantially raise consumer prices and '-- " i short- circu- it Democratic election ef-- q forts. t Insight Wicked devil upsets cart of actuaries Insurance firms find rate setting more difficult By John A. Byrne Mteaoarian badness writer Quirks of fate, like the time a 1974 St. Louis hailstorm cost State Farm Mutual $ 3.6 million in automobile claims, and a wicked devil called in-flation have made the insurance ac-tuary business little more accurate than your run- of- the- m- ill weather forecaster or fortune teller. In the actuary prediction business, officers of insurance firms compute risk and decide what premiums their customers should pay. Lately, their predictions have been off. That might be why several of the nation's largest automobile insurance firms are experiencing underwriting deficits ( when more claims are paid out than money received in premiums and set aside in reserves). That might also be why ap-proximately 100 of 432 licensed automobile carriers in Missouri including nearly all the leaders raised their premiums last year. Robert Maddox, supervisor of automobile insurance at the Missouri Department of Insurance, says more rate Increases were filed in 1975 than in any other of the 10 years be has been on the job. insurance eompanifis. ape required to file rate changes with his office. Most of the state's major insurance underwriters have filed rate increases during 1975 that average 4.6 per cent to 20 per cent, Maddox says. And further increases for this year are likely. State Farm, the nation's and state's largest underwriter of automobile insurance with 532,000 policies and a premium value of $ 80.4 million in Missouri alone, filed a 12.2 per cent increase in September. It is now reviewing its rates for another possible increase. The second largest writer of automobile insurance in Missouri, with 300,000 policies, is MFA Mutual In-surance Co. MFA filed for two rate increases last year for 12 per cent in January and 7.2 per cent in September. Aetna Casualty and Surety Co. jumped its rates for liability coverage 11.8 per cent in May and a whopping 44.2 per cent for physical damage coverage in November. It is the seventh largest underwriter of automobile insurance in Missouri. And the Automobile Club of Missouri- Int- er Insurance Exchange, another major carrier, filed a 7.68 per cent jump in October 1974 and a 7.34 percent increase in September. The firm hadn't touched its rates since 1970, Maddox says. Industry spokesmen blame inflation. A 1100 auto repair and maintenance bill in ft87 jumped to $ 138.40 in 1973 and $ 177.20 in 1975, an increase of 28 per cent since 1973, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The $ 100 medical care bill in 1967 rose to $ 134.90 in 1973 and $ 169.80 in 1975, an increase of 25.9 per cent in two years. The $ 100 bill for a semi- priva- te hospital room in 1967 cost $ 177.60 in 1973 and $ 239 last year, a 34.6 per cent jump in two years. These costs have outpaced the 20 per ( See UNDERWRITERS, Page 14) 68th Year - No. 112 Good Morning! ICs Wednesday, February 4 1976 2 Sections -- 30 Pages - 15 Cents Pentagon budgets 6cut insurance9 N. Y. limes Service WASHINGTON The Pentagon budget request for 1977 has been padded by 83 billion to protect against expected congressional cuts, according to a memorandum prepared in the President's Office of Management and Budget The $ 3 billion figure, labelled " cut insurance," was contained in the budget office's own recommendation to Ford to set a $ 110 billion military spending limit. The memorandum has been obtained by the New York Times. Spokesmen for the Pentagon and the Office of Management and Budget flatly denied any padding in the budget request. Donald G. Ogilvie, head of the national security division of the budget office, said that he could not recall this specific memorandum, but that no such memorandum had been given to the President. " I have heard the concept of cut insurance discussed in connection with the defense budget, but there is no such concept included in the President's budget," he said. President Ford is asking Congress for $ 112.7 billion for the Pentagon in the fiscal year beginning in October. He decided on this amount after a long struggle between his budget office and the Pentagon, a struggle that included his firing of Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger. While the proposed Pentagon budget is widely supported within the ad-ministration, some administration officials have expressed displeasure about the President's decision to ask for $ 2.7 billion more than recommended by the Office of Management and Budget To these few officials, the Pentagon request is now actually padded by a total of $ 5.7 billion. Defense Department spokesman William I. Greener Jr. said " Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is perfectly prepared to defend the budget in its entirety." Speaking for James T. Lynn, Director of the Budget, Ogilvie said " I can assure you that the President reviewed each major defense program at length and has recommended only what he believes is needed far national security." PjMaBHBBMBjBBMpMBiMjBjMjHBiiBMiiBB TiajpyiWiianBajaBiTTiPCi'ityr '" - " Rk9Im9IHHHHK Photo finish Charles Duren, left, and Dave Hood of Duren Construction Co. Tuesday began a job of snow shoveling on TenthStreet with a " push- off- " race. They were cleaning up following Monday mor-ning's snowstorm. ( Missourian photo by Lori Borgman) Letter short circuits water and light board By Jay Johnson and Jim Orso Missourian staff writers City Finance Director Mike Scanlan had a difficult time Tuesday night. It also wasn't an easy night for Jim Beauchamp, author of a letter to the Columbia Water & Light Advisory Board which takes the city to task for its utility planning. Beauchamp, University director of continuing education in engineering, charged in his letter that the city was trying to create a sense of urgency to in-fluence the board's pace and direction of decision making. The board has been trying since Nov. 3 to give the City Council a recom-mendation on whether the city should increase its generating capacity or become more dependent on outside ' sources for electricity. For example, Beauchamp said, Scanlan reportedly has said that the city's present contract for purchased power with Union Electric Co. expires in June 1976. This, Beauchamp said, is not the case since the contract expires July 18, 1977. Scanlan replied he had made no statement to that effect at any time in the news media but bad said that Union Electric had asked the dty for the right to renegotiate its present contract with the city. " I do not run the presses at the Missourian or the Tribune," Scanlan told Beauchamp when he asked why this had not been clarified in the press. Board member Dave Wollersheim, though, said he was under the im-pression that the contract expired in June 1976. Scanlan then said be was sorry if any misunderstanding had occurred and hoped he had cleared up the matter. " This ( Beauchamp's letter) definitely attacks our credibility," said Holme Hickman, who was chosen board chairman Tuesday. The board also discussed the future availibility of fuel oil needed to run the combustion turbines that would be pur-chased under the dty administration's proposal. The administration wants to install ( See COUNCIL, Page 14) Cables, credit cards taken in burglaries Jimrale Rodgers won't be saying " charge it" to local merchants for a while. Her purse, containing $ 200 to cash, a driver's license and credit cards, was reported stolen Monday- Mrs- . Rodgers, 901 College Park Drive, told police me purse wtahanfeom KAMA Motor Club, 800 N. Provwan- ceRoa- d. Other burglaries reported to the CoSombia Police Department this, weak include: - V- erdle Wells, an employe of Dalton Concrete Co., w . Providence Road, reported Tuesday the theft of a control unit, speaker, microphone and cable, valued at $ 157.15, from the Dalton Concrete Co. -- Martin S. Peine of 2913 Lawnridge Court reported Monday the theft of lumper cables and a set of tools and toolbox valued at $ 172 from bis car while it ws parked at 1111 N. Providence Road. Edward Hays of Washington, Ind., reported Sunday the theft of a citizens' band radio valued at $ 240 from his vehicle parked at Holiday Inn West, WM 1-- 70 Drive SW. Rich candidates might have edge if funding ends WASINGTON ( UPI) - Mulling over a Supreme Court decision, federal elec-tion referee Thomas Curtis said Tuesday Congress will give an unfair advantage to multimillionaires if it fails to keep federal funds flowing to those who seek the presidency. But Curtis, chairman of the Federal Election Commtsssion, said he sees no need for a constitutional amendment to re- establ- ish limitsonhow much may be spent on behalf of candidates for the presidency and Congress. With the court dissolving his agency, which so far has handed out almost $ 5 million to presidential candidates, the possibility exists that public financing of presidential campaigns will end for lack of an agency to administer the law. If Congress fails to find a new way to keep federal funds flowing, Curtis said he did not think those who have received money or will receive it in large batches for the rest of this month will be honor bound to refund it. " My personal judgment is that the bargain has been broken,' ' he said. The former Missouri congressman said he thought the possibilities for clean elections still exist through public disclosure of how campaign funds are spent and the establishment of an in-dependent election commission. " An independent commission is vital" be said, slapping a well- thumb- ed copy of Friday's thick Supreme Court decision. " It's the key. It's the bedrock." The court decision put the FEC out business after Feb. 29 unless Congress revives and restructures it. The court ruled that a commission partly ap-pointed by Congress cannot con-stitutionally exercise executive powers. The court rejected most limits on spending and said candidates can spend as much of their own personal or family wealth as they like. But it upheld the $ 1,000 limit for how much individuals may contribute directly to the can-didates. Curtis said this meant poorer can-didates would be hurt by the $ 1,000 limit while rich candidates could still spend their money freely. He said millionaires like Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrats Lloyd Bentsen and Milton Shapp, governor of Pennsylvania, might welcome the results. City cuts funds for 3 projects A $ 48,000 reduction in federal ap-propriations for the city's community development program will mean the Columbia Public Works Department will reduce planned funding in three of its project areas by $ 20,000. Ray Beck, public works department director, said Tuesday that his depart-ment will budget $ 30,000 for storm sewer construction this year rather than $ 40,000 previously earmarked for that purpose. Beck said $ 20,000 now will be budgeted for rehabilitation of neigh-borhood parks rather than an earlier figure of $ 25,000. Budgeting of $ 60,000 for the develop-ment of Guitar Square Park has been changed to $ 55,000. See The qldX I V o oTL J L " it ' brr y . i utJr f 0o The Classified Pages Police follow burglars' footsteps By Jim Price Missouriao staff writer James Morgan, 1001 University Ave., returned to his home at 12: 45 a. m. June 13 and found it had been burglarized. An extension cord that ran near the door had been ripped from the wall, and the stereo was missing from the living room. " They'd used some of my boxes to carry the stuff out, along with my laun-dry basket," Morgan said. " There was dirty laundry all over the floor.' ' The burglary at Morgan's apartment was one of 574 residential burglaries in Columbia during 1975. That was an in-crease of 53 per cent over the 1074 level In 1975, $ 278,284 worth of property was taken in Columbia's home burglaries, more than double the 1974 total. The burglars had taken items worth $ 800 from Morgan, including a television set, a stereo system, an oil painting, a calculator and an electric shaver. Morgan had left the apartment only I Burglary j An alarming Increase 45 minutes earlier to run a computer program. He locked the door. " But I figured I wouldn't be gone long, so I didn't double- loc- k it. That was a mistake." Within a few days following the Morgan burglary, police received several more reports of burglaries in the southeastern part of Columbia. Detectives Chris Egbert, Ronald Cross and John Heidy investigated. The police did not have any leads, Egbert said, until July 9 when Cross and Heidy made an unrelated arrest on a charge of possessing marijuana. Jewelry found in the arrested man's apartment included a ring stolen from Carol Novitalde, 1510 E. Walnut St. Novitskie's residence bad been burglarized one day after the Morgan burglary. A second man was in the sptrftTH", and his presence gave the police reason to suspect him in the Novifadde burglary, Egbert said. Then investigators got another break. One burglary victim told them be had seen a yellow bicycle in the area before he discovered that his home had been burglarized. He had never seen the bicycle before. On July 2 and July 9, Egbert talked to burglary victims at 411 Hitt St and 1001 University Ave. who had been vic-timized about the same time as Morgan. " You start canvassing the apartments, knocking on doors. You try to find someone to talk to you," be said. " Each time you knock on a door you write the name down on a report," he said. This keeps several detectives working on the same case from rein- terviewi- ng the same people. From the interviews with victims and neighbors, detectives determined that . man on a yellow bicycle bad been knocking on doors. If someone an-swered, the man would say he had the ( See HUNCH, Page It)
Object Description
Title | Columbia Missourian Newspaper 1976-02-04 |
Description | Vol. 68th Year, No. 112 |
Subject |
Columbia (Mo.) -- Newspapers Boone County (Mo.) -- Newspapers |
Coverage | United States -- Missouri -- Boone County -- Columbia |
Language | English |
Date.Search | 1976-02-04 |
Type | Newspapers |
Format | |
Collection Name |
Columbia Missourian Newspaper Collection |
Publisher.Digital | University of Missour Library Systems |
Rights | These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for distribution or publication. |
Contributing Institution |
State Historical Society of Missouri University of Missouri--Columbia. School of Journalism |
Copy Request | Contact the State Historical Society of Missouri at: (800) 747-6366 or (573) 882-7083 or email contact@shsmo.org. Some fees apply: http://shsmo.org/research/researchfees |
County |
Boone County (Mo.) |
Description
Title | Full Page |
Date.Search | 1976-02-04 |
Type | page |
Contributing Institution |
State Historical Society of Missouri University of Missouri School of Journalism |
Copy Request | Contact the State Historical Society of Missouri at: (800) 747-6366 or (573) 882-7083 or email contact@shsmo.org. Some fees apply: http://shsmo.org/research/researchfees |
Item.Transcript | Gas decontrol faces final hurdle ., WASHINGTON ( AP) Supporters of lifting price controls from natural gas had only one last hurdle left to dear Tuesday in order to win a victory that had been sought by the oil and gas in-dustry for 20 years. That hurdle was House passage of a deregulation amendment, similar to one already approved in the Senate and favored by the White House. Both sides on the issue give various wrtimwfrs as to the cost of deregulation to the average consumer, ranging from average gas bills of about $ 250 a year by I960 to a high of $ 331 a year. This would be up from government, figures of$ 170 a year in 1974. The decontrol supporters won an initial victory on a procedural argument earlier in the day that allowed their proposal to be offered as a substitute to an emergency natural gas bill. They won on a 230- 18- 4 vote. Rep. Bob Krueger, a freshman Democrat from Texas, won the floor fight on behalf of his amendment after failing to win consideration of the proposal when emergency natural gas legislation was considered in com-mittee last year. In allowing Krueger to offer bis amendment, the House rejected the promises of two longtime members, Chairman Harley O. Staggers of the In-terstate and Foreign Commerce Com-mittee and Chairman John Dingle of the energy and power subcommittee, to bring a long- ter- m deregulation bill to the floor within 60 days. Earlier Tuesday, the Democratic caucus had met to debate the Krueger amendment and afterward Chairman Phillip Burton said that if Krueger won the vote on the procedural matter, he also expected Krueger to win on the substantive matter of the amendment. He said that in order for the amend-ment to be defeated it would need at least two- thir- ds of the Democratic majority voting against it and Burton said it would be tough to obtain that many votes. The Republicans generally are behind deregulation and the Krueger amendment. Krueger's amendment would permit the lifting of price controls on new natural gas from offshore wells over a five- ye- ar period. It would lift all price controls immediately on new natural gas from onshore wells. The debate during the day included warnings that unless price controls are - lifted the nation will continue to suffer : o fuel shortages and claims in the j Democratic caucus that the issue has been engineered by Republicans to for-- ' ce a Democratic- controlle- d Congress to pass decontrol. That would sub-- ,?-- stantially raise consumer prices and '-- " i short- circu- it Democratic election ef-- q forts. t Insight Wicked devil upsets cart of actuaries Insurance firms find rate setting more difficult By John A. Byrne Mteaoarian badness writer Quirks of fate, like the time a 1974 St. Louis hailstorm cost State Farm Mutual $ 3.6 million in automobile claims, and a wicked devil called in-flation have made the insurance ac-tuary business little more accurate than your run- of- the- m- ill weather forecaster or fortune teller. In the actuary prediction business, officers of insurance firms compute risk and decide what premiums their customers should pay. Lately, their predictions have been off. That might be why several of the nation's largest automobile insurance firms are experiencing underwriting deficits ( when more claims are paid out than money received in premiums and set aside in reserves). That might also be why ap-proximately 100 of 432 licensed automobile carriers in Missouri including nearly all the leaders raised their premiums last year. Robert Maddox, supervisor of automobile insurance at the Missouri Department of Insurance, says more rate Increases were filed in 1975 than in any other of the 10 years be has been on the job. insurance eompanifis. ape required to file rate changes with his office. Most of the state's major insurance underwriters have filed rate increases during 1975 that average 4.6 per cent to 20 per cent, Maddox says. And further increases for this year are likely. State Farm, the nation's and state's largest underwriter of automobile insurance with 532,000 policies and a premium value of $ 80.4 million in Missouri alone, filed a 12.2 per cent increase in September. It is now reviewing its rates for another possible increase. The second largest writer of automobile insurance in Missouri, with 300,000 policies, is MFA Mutual In-surance Co. MFA filed for two rate increases last year for 12 per cent in January and 7.2 per cent in September. Aetna Casualty and Surety Co. jumped its rates for liability coverage 11.8 per cent in May and a whopping 44.2 per cent for physical damage coverage in November. It is the seventh largest underwriter of automobile insurance in Missouri. And the Automobile Club of Missouri- Int- er Insurance Exchange, another major carrier, filed a 7.68 per cent jump in October 1974 and a 7.34 percent increase in September. The firm hadn't touched its rates since 1970, Maddox says. Industry spokesmen blame inflation. A 1100 auto repair and maintenance bill in ft87 jumped to $ 138.40 in 1973 and $ 177.20 in 1975, an increase of 28 per cent since 1973, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The $ 100 medical care bill in 1967 rose to $ 134.90 in 1973 and $ 169.80 in 1975, an increase of 25.9 per cent in two years. The $ 100 bill for a semi- priva- te hospital room in 1967 cost $ 177.60 in 1973 and $ 239 last year, a 34.6 per cent jump in two years. These costs have outpaced the 20 per ( See UNDERWRITERS, Page 14) 68th Year - No. 112 Good Morning! ICs Wednesday, February 4 1976 2 Sections -- 30 Pages - 15 Cents Pentagon budgets 6cut insurance9 N. Y. limes Service WASHINGTON The Pentagon budget request for 1977 has been padded by 83 billion to protect against expected congressional cuts, according to a memorandum prepared in the President's Office of Management and Budget The $ 3 billion figure, labelled " cut insurance," was contained in the budget office's own recommendation to Ford to set a $ 110 billion military spending limit. The memorandum has been obtained by the New York Times. Spokesmen for the Pentagon and the Office of Management and Budget flatly denied any padding in the budget request. Donald G. Ogilvie, head of the national security division of the budget office, said that he could not recall this specific memorandum, but that no such memorandum had been given to the President. " I have heard the concept of cut insurance discussed in connection with the defense budget, but there is no such concept included in the President's budget," he said. President Ford is asking Congress for $ 112.7 billion for the Pentagon in the fiscal year beginning in October. He decided on this amount after a long struggle between his budget office and the Pentagon, a struggle that included his firing of Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger. While the proposed Pentagon budget is widely supported within the ad-ministration, some administration officials have expressed displeasure about the President's decision to ask for $ 2.7 billion more than recommended by the Office of Management and Budget To these few officials, the Pentagon request is now actually padded by a total of $ 5.7 billion. Defense Department spokesman William I. Greener Jr. said " Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is perfectly prepared to defend the budget in its entirety." Speaking for James T. Lynn, Director of the Budget, Ogilvie said " I can assure you that the President reviewed each major defense program at length and has recommended only what he believes is needed far national security." PjMaBHBBMBjBBMpMBiMjBjMjHBiiBMiiBB TiajpyiWiianBajaBiTTiPCi'ityr '" - " Rk9Im9IHHHHK Photo finish Charles Duren, left, and Dave Hood of Duren Construction Co. Tuesday began a job of snow shoveling on TenthStreet with a " push- off- " race. They were cleaning up following Monday mor-ning's snowstorm. ( Missourian photo by Lori Borgman) Letter short circuits water and light board By Jay Johnson and Jim Orso Missourian staff writers City Finance Director Mike Scanlan had a difficult time Tuesday night. It also wasn't an easy night for Jim Beauchamp, author of a letter to the Columbia Water & Light Advisory Board which takes the city to task for its utility planning. Beauchamp, University director of continuing education in engineering, charged in his letter that the city was trying to create a sense of urgency to in-fluence the board's pace and direction of decision making. The board has been trying since Nov. 3 to give the City Council a recom-mendation on whether the city should increase its generating capacity or become more dependent on outside ' sources for electricity. For example, Beauchamp said, Scanlan reportedly has said that the city's present contract for purchased power with Union Electric Co. expires in June 1976. This, Beauchamp said, is not the case since the contract expires July 18, 1977. Scanlan replied he had made no statement to that effect at any time in the news media but bad said that Union Electric had asked the dty for the right to renegotiate its present contract with the city. " I do not run the presses at the Missourian or the Tribune," Scanlan told Beauchamp when he asked why this had not been clarified in the press. Board member Dave Wollersheim, though, said he was under the im-pression that the contract expired in June 1976. Scanlan then said be was sorry if any misunderstanding had occurred and hoped he had cleared up the matter. " This ( Beauchamp's letter) definitely attacks our credibility," said Holme Hickman, who was chosen board chairman Tuesday. The board also discussed the future availibility of fuel oil needed to run the combustion turbines that would be pur-chased under the dty administration's proposal. The administration wants to install ( See COUNCIL, Page 14) Cables, credit cards taken in burglaries Jimrale Rodgers won't be saying " charge it" to local merchants for a while. Her purse, containing $ 200 to cash, a driver's license and credit cards, was reported stolen Monday- Mrs- . Rodgers, 901 College Park Drive, told police me purse wtahanfeom KAMA Motor Club, 800 N. Provwan- ceRoa- d. Other burglaries reported to the CoSombia Police Department this, weak include: - V- erdle Wells, an employe of Dalton Concrete Co., w . Providence Road, reported Tuesday the theft of a control unit, speaker, microphone and cable, valued at $ 157.15, from the Dalton Concrete Co. -- Martin S. Peine of 2913 Lawnridge Court reported Monday the theft of lumper cables and a set of tools and toolbox valued at $ 172 from bis car while it ws parked at 1111 N. Providence Road. Edward Hays of Washington, Ind., reported Sunday the theft of a citizens' band radio valued at $ 240 from his vehicle parked at Holiday Inn West, WM 1-- 70 Drive SW. Rich candidates might have edge if funding ends WASINGTON ( UPI) - Mulling over a Supreme Court decision, federal elec-tion referee Thomas Curtis said Tuesday Congress will give an unfair advantage to multimillionaires if it fails to keep federal funds flowing to those who seek the presidency. But Curtis, chairman of the Federal Election Commtsssion, said he sees no need for a constitutional amendment to re- establ- ish limitsonhow much may be spent on behalf of candidates for the presidency and Congress. With the court dissolving his agency, which so far has handed out almost $ 5 million to presidential candidates, the possibility exists that public financing of presidential campaigns will end for lack of an agency to administer the law. If Congress fails to find a new way to keep federal funds flowing, Curtis said he did not think those who have received money or will receive it in large batches for the rest of this month will be honor bound to refund it. " My personal judgment is that the bargain has been broken,' ' he said. The former Missouri congressman said he thought the possibilities for clean elections still exist through public disclosure of how campaign funds are spent and the establishment of an in-dependent election commission. " An independent commission is vital" be said, slapping a well- thumb- ed copy of Friday's thick Supreme Court decision. " It's the key. It's the bedrock." The court decision put the FEC out business after Feb. 29 unless Congress revives and restructures it. The court ruled that a commission partly ap-pointed by Congress cannot con-stitutionally exercise executive powers. The court rejected most limits on spending and said candidates can spend as much of their own personal or family wealth as they like. But it upheld the $ 1,000 limit for how much individuals may contribute directly to the can-didates. Curtis said this meant poorer can-didates would be hurt by the $ 1,000 limit while rich candidates could still spend their money freely. He said millionaires like Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrats Lloyd Bentsen and Milton Shapp, governor of Pennsylvania, might welcome the results. City cuts funds for 3 projects A $ 48,000 reduction in federal ap-propriations for the city's community development program will mean the Columbia Public Works Department will reduce planned funding in three of its project areas by $ 20,000. Ray Beck, public works department director, said Tuesday that his depart-ment will budget $ 30,000 for storm sewer construction this year rather than $ 40,000 previously earmarked for that purpose. Beck said $ 20,000 now will be budgeted for rehabilitation of neigh-borhood parks rather than an earlier figure of $ 25,000. Budgeting of $ 60,000 for the develop-ment of Guitar Square Park has been changed to $ 55,000. See The qldX I V o oTL J L " it ' brr y . i utJr f 0o The Classified Pages Police follow burglars' footsteps By Jim Price Missouriao staff writer James Morgan, 1001 University Ave., returned to his home at 12: 45 a. m. June 13 and found it had been burglarized. An extension cord that ran near the door had been ripped from the wall, and the stereo was missing from the living room. " They'd used some of my boxes to carry the stuff out, along with my laun-dry basket," Morgan said. " There was dirty laundry all over the floor.' ' The burglary at Morgan's apartment was one of 574 residential burglaries in Columbia during 1975. That was an in-crease of 53 per cent over the 1074 level In 1975, $ 278,284 worth of property was taken in Columbia's home burglaries, more than double the 1974 total. The burglars had taken items worth $ 800 from Morgan, including a television set, a stereo system, an oil painting, a calculator and an electric shaver. Morgan had left the apartment only I Burglary j An alarming Increase 45 minutes earlier to run a computer program. He locked the door. " But I figured I wouldn't be gone long, so I didn't double- loc- k it. That was a mistake." Within a few days following the Morgan burglary, police received several more reports of burglaries in the southeastern part of Columbia. Detectives Chris Egbert, Ronald Cross and John Heidy investigated. The police did not have any leads, Egbert said, until July 9 when Cross and Heidy made an unrelated arrest on a charge of possessing marijuana. Jewelry found in the arrested man's apartment included a ring stolen from Carol Novitalde, 1510 E. Walnut St. Novitskie's residence bad been burglarized one day after the Morgan burglary. A second man was in the sptrftTH", and his presence gave the police reason to suspect him in the Novifadde burglary, Egbert said. Then investigators got another break. One burglary victim told them be had seen a yellow bicycle in the area before he discovered that his home had been burglarized. He had never seen the bicycle before. On July 2 and July 9, Egbert talked to burglary victims at 411 Hitt St and 1001 University Ave. who had been vic-timized about the same time as Morgan. " You start canvassing the apartments, knocking on doors. You try to find someone to talk to you," be said. " Each time you knock on a door you write the name down on a report," he said. This keeps several detectives working on the same case from rein- terviewi- ng the same people. From the interviews with victims and neighbors, detectives determined that . man on a yellow bicycle bad been knocking on doors. If someone an-swered, the man would say he had the ( See HUNCH, Page It) |