Columbia Missourian Newspaper 1979-06-16

              HSTITATTE& HLISOTBOHRYICSATL. SOCIETY SE1R9V334
COLUMBIA, MO. 65201
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Insight
SALTH:
a weapons
race pause
' Death rays' part
of weapons future
By Barry James
Uaited Press International
VIENNA, Austria New weapon
technologies, either in the pipeline or
just around the corner, may make the
SALT II negotiations look like a piece of
cake in retrospect
The treaty President Carter and
Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev will
sign Monday may prove to have been
only a pause along the way to the
costliest arms race in history, ac-cording
to some defense experts.
The land- base- d missiles that have
been of such concern to the SALT II
negotiators may even become obsolete
by the end of the century, thanks to the
development of " death rays."
Both the Soviet Union and the United
States have begun research into high- ener- gy
lasers and particle beam
generators mat literally may be able to
zap incoming missiles oat ofmesky.
Defense planners are deeply con-cerned
mat competition between the
superpowers could spawn costly armed
doomsday camps in outer space.
Such a possibility has gone almost
unnoticed in the SALT debate. But the
technology exists.
For the past three years, the Soviet
Union has been testing satellite killers
that could knock America's vital
communications and intelligence
gathering satellites out of the skies,
depriving it of its eyes and ears.
And the United States is on the verge
of launching a space shuttle that in
theory will make possible the lofting of
large payloads including military
platforms into orbit.
The shuttle could theoretically be
ased also to attack or retrieve Soviet
satellites, although space officials now
have no such plans. Moscow already
has branded the shuttle a military
asset.
NATO officials believe Carter may
urge Brezhnev to start serious
negotiations toward a treaty banning
all offensive weapons from space.
Preliminary talks toward such an
agreement already have taken place in
HelsinkL
At present, the superpowers have
agreed to ban only nuclear weapons in
space.
Superiority in orbit eventually could
become a far more urgent defense
concern man the throw- weig- ht or ac-curacy
of multiple warhead missiles,
Now that SALT II has established
quantitative limits for strategic
weapons, bom sides wOl be pouring
effort into improving the quality and
sophistication of their missiles.
However, Vice President Walter
Mondale says Senate rejection of SALT
n would expose America to worldwide
criticism and undermine US. efforts to
stop the spread of nuclear weapons.
" I have no doubt we would be at-tacked
around the world for refusing to
take the step of ratifying a treaty wltich
took seven years to develop," Mondale
said. " It would undermine our moral
authority in trying to deal with nuclear
proliferation matters."
Coming
Sunday
Egg layers
The Marion Crocketts haven't laid
an egg with their Mexico Egg
Ranch. Read about one of Missouri's
most successful egg production
businesses in Sunday's Vibrations.
In town
today
9: 30 Jn.-- 5 pjn. Columbia Art
League 21st annual Art Fair, Boone
County Courthouse lawn; in case of
rain. National Guard Armory, 702E.
Ash.
14: 3 sja. " Three Little Pigs
puppet show in basement of Farm
and Home BoQding, 7S E. Broad-way.
" Billy Goat's Gruff' at 2 pjn.
2 pjiL, 8: 15 pjn-- The King of
Hearts," Arrow Rock Lyceum
Theater; matinee tickets $ 4, evening
tickets, $ 5.
I 4 pan-- Festival Symphony En
semble recital, St. Andrews
Marie Brings PSe12. B
I
Inside today
U. S. Open
Larry Nelson and Tom Purtzer
share the US. Open lead after
Friday's round in Toledo, Ohio, but
the big shock of the day was Tom
Watson missing the cut by one shot.
Read about Watson's reaction and
other tournament highlights on
PageS.
Organized crime
The FBI released documents- Frida- y
implicating nearly a dozen
reputed organized crime figures in
alledged murder plots. Read about
the family identified as rulers of
organized crime in Kansas City on
PageS.
Darvon caution
The secretary of Health,
Education and Welfare Friday
urged doctors not to prescribe
Darvon or related medications
unless it is unavoidable. He was
attacked by a representative of
Ralph Nader for defering restriction
of the drug for one year. Read about
the debate on the drugon Page 3.
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Less- than- attent- ive spectators await end of the legislative session
Mortgage rate
ceiling lifted
By Kingsky Hammett
State capital bureau
JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri General Assembly
Friday night barely passed a usury bill that eliminates the
ceiling on interest on mortgage rates in the last action of this
year's legislative session.
After an exhausting day of delicate and open horse trading,
an acceptable measure was finally drafted. Unchanged from
earlier versions, the bill allows the allowable rates on mor-tgage
interest to float at three percentage points above the
federal long- ter- m bond rate. The maximum today would be
about 11.6.
In addition, the bill:
r Set the rate on second mortgages at 16.5 percent: allows
22 percent on credit card balances up to $ 1,000 and 10 percent
on anything above.; and sets the small loan rate at 26.6 percent
on amounts up to $ 800, 15 percent on $ 800- 2,50- 0 and the usury- rat- e
on amounts larger.
Establishes the prepayment penalty for mortgages paid
off before due at 2 percent, relaxes the restrictions on
redlining reporting and eases for the lender the conditions
under which he may recover property in the event of default
The Senate did not approve the usury bill until 11 : 50 pjn., 10
minutes before the session was scheduled to close. The House
had the bill minutes later and, with Speaker Kenneth Roth- ma- n,
D- Clayt- on, pushing motions without formalities, the
House gave its approval at 12: 05 a. m., amidst thousands of
fluttering papers thrown into the air by legislators happy to
end the 5- rno-nth
session.
The Senate did not take up the bill until 11 : 40 p. m.. and even
Sen. A. Clifford Jones raises a question
then it almost did not get a chance to act on the controversial
measure.
Sen. J. B. Banks. D-- St Louis, rose to speak strongly and.
( See USURY, Page 14)
Property tax
reassessment
gains approval
By David Kohn
State capital bureau
JEFFERSON CITY - Twenty- fiv- e
minutes before the state's legislative
session ended, the Missouri Senate
passed at 11: 35 pjn, Friday the con-troversial
property tax reassessment
measure by a 19- 1- 5 margin one vote
more than the needed.
The measure, which the House ap-proved
Thursday night, now goes to the
governor.
The bill was roundly criticized by
Sen. Emory Melton. R- Ba- rry County, a
leading Senate conservative.
" Who is going to be responsible for
reassessment?" asked Sen. Clifford
Gannon. D- Jeffer- son County, another
opponent of the bQl.
" For the life of me, I can't tell."
Melton responded.
The much- debate- d bill has two main
provisions. First, the state will pay the
counties an estimated $ 69 million
toward the cost of reassessment.
Second, the bill requires each county to
reduce its property taxes when
property is reassessed.
The bill also gives the counties until
Dec. 31. 1983. to complete
reassessment. All reassessment
changes will be effective Jan. 1. 1984.
The measure further requires the
counties to present their reassessment
plans to the State Tax Commission for
approval and provides increased
property tax breaks for the poor and
elderly.
Many senators were hostile to the
provision giving state money to the
counties for reassessment costs. Melton
questioned the estimated costs of the
measure, predicting the state would
pay between $ 100 million and $ 125
million.
The bill does nothing to keep
assessments current once
reassessment is passed. Assessments
quickly become outdated. Melton said.
Melton also questioned the Senate's
being asked to pass such a complex
measure so late in the session.
" When that happens it means one of
two things: There's either nothing in
the bill, or they're trying to pull a snow
job on us." he said.
The senator in charge of the bill
denied the accusation.
" This bill is no snow job," said Sen.
Mary Gant, D- Jacks- on County. " We
have to pass rollback to protect
people."
Although state law requires all
property to be assessed at one- thir- d its
open market value. State Tax Com- missi- on
figures released earlier this
year showed that in 1978 no county was
at the required level.
Boone County, according to the
figures, averaged assessments at 25.7
percent of market value. Only eight
Missouri counties were above that
level. One county assessed at only 14.7
percent of market value.
The reassessment issue was forced
by a January 1979 Missouri Supreme
Court decision. The court held that
many homes were being assessed only
when they were being sold and that
newer buyers were paying an unfair
share of the property tax.
As a result, the tax commission
ordered counties to reassess.
Speed limit bill's OK
ensures federal funds
ByKateGerwig
State capital bureau
JEFFERSON CITY In the last two
hours of the legislative session Friday
night. House and Senate members
passed the federally required 55- mp- h
( 88- kp- h) speed limit bQl. thus ensuring
that the state will not lose $ 200 million
in federal funds.
Both houses also passed a broadened
version of the governor's emergency
powers bill that would enable Gov.
Joseph Teasdale to allow bigger and
heavier trucks on Missouri's highways
for a period up to 30 days.
The House approved the governor's
emergency powers bill with only an
hour and a half left in the legislative
session. Five minutes after that bQl was
passed, the Senate finally took up the
55- m- ph ( 88- kp- h) speed limit bfll and
passed it quickly. That action avoided a
possible emergency session, which
would have been necessary because the
state's present speed limit law expires
Dec. 31, before the next legislative
session convenes.
Sen. President Pro Tern Norman
Merrell, D- Le- wis County, made mat-ters
easier in the speed- lim- it debate by
indicating that he did not intend to tack
an amendment onto the bill that would
increase the weight and length of trucks
traveling Missouri highways.
Until late Friday evening Merrell
appeared determined to attach his big- tru- ck
amendment to a bQl allowing
mopeds motorized bicycles to
travel on Missouri highways.
Earlier in the week. Merrell had
added that and another amendment
onto the once- simp- le moped bill, which
was designed to allow motorized
bicycles on state roads.
But with three minutes left in the
session, the moped bill passed both
houses without the big- tru- ck and
speed limit amendments.
Earlier, it had appeared that Merrell
would stall the discussion on the moped
bill until late in the evening so that the
House would have little time to amend
it. because all bflls had to be passed by
midnight.
But the governor's emergency
powers bQl changed that strategy. The
bill gives the governor the option of
proclaiming an energy resource
emergency, thus enabling him to take
appropriate measures to deal with the
problem.
Goodrich, rubber workers agree
WASHINGTON fUPI) Tentative
agreement was reached Friday bet-ween
the United Rubber Workers union
and B. F. Goodrich on a new contract
expected to serve as a pattern for other
agreements with the " Big Four" tire
and rubber companies.
Chief federal mediator Wayne
Horvitz announced the settlement after
eight hoars of near continuous
bargaining during the day.
" I have every confidence this wfll be
ratified." Horvitz told reporters.
Neither the union nor company would
disclose details of the agreement, nor
say whether it violated President
Carter's wage guidelines.
URW President Peter Bommarito
characterized the settlement as
" substantial" but would not disclose
the economic terms. Bommarito also
said the pact included a neutrality
clause, but would not give detaQs.
Goodrich Vice President Peter
PestiUo said the guidelines may have to
be reviewed to see whether the
agreement meets administration
standards, but said it ' is not a 7 percent
first- ye- ar settlement."
PestiUo said various interpretations.
however, could bring the package
within the guidelines.
Horvitz called the union and the
company to the table on Monday when
talks between the union and Uniroyal,
the original target company in this
year's round of negotiations, became
snarled in President Carter's wage
guidlines.
About 8,200 workers at 12 Uniroyal
plants have been on strike since May 9
after the company refused, under
government pressure, to violate Car-ter's
7 percent limit for yearly wage- bene- ift
increases.
The VS. Court of Appeals in the
District of Columbia is considering a
government appeal from a lower- cou- rt
ruling that economic sanctions
threatened by the administration
against companies that breach the
guidelines are unconstitutional.
The rubber workers union was one of
several AFLrCIO unions that brought
the suit against die sanctions.
The major cause of disagreement
during the negotiations concerned cost
of living adjustments and neutrality of
the company in union organizing efforts
at non- uni- on plants.
Malaysians will expel boat people
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia fUPI)
The government said Friday it wfll
" shoot on sight" any Vietnamese
refugees trying to land in Malaysia, and
will tow out to sea all 76,000 refugees
already in resettlement camps.
It was not immediately clear whether
die fierce warning, announced by
Deputy Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad. was a scare tactic or truly a
new policy.
But Mahathir said the police and
navy would be empowered to repel any
" boat people' entering Malaysian
waters. He vowed the mass deportation
would take place as seen as the
government obtains enough boats.
" The government will arm itself with
the necessary legislation soon to shoot
on sight any Vietnamese illegal im-migrants
entering our waters."
Mahathir said. " We will be harsh with
mem."
Refugees who scuttle their boats
offshore will not be rescued even if tbey
are drowning, Matathir said.
Malaysia and Indonesia earlier in the
day appealed to Hanoi to stop casting
its human " rubbish" on their shores,
but a top Vietnamese official said in an
interview in Bangkok he saw little
chance of ending the refugee exodus.
Vietnamese refugees, most cf wham
are ethnic Chinese, never have been
welcomed in Malaysia, a
predominately Moslem country fearful
of Chinese domination. Malay villagers
have stoned arriving Vietnamese boat
people, and the navy reportedly has
towed one leaking junk back out to sea.
Barring entrance or towing the
refugees back out to sea in their im
possibly crowded junks would spell
almost certain death for tens of
thousands.
Meanwhile, Vietnam's Secretary of
State Nguyen Co Thatch denied his
government bad any part in organizing
the refugee flood.
Vietnamese authorities have tried fa- tw- o
years to stop their citizens from
fleeing and " many people criticized us
because we wosU not let the people
leave." be said..
As a result, m 1977, " We derided tote
let them leave."