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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1957)
D 7 7 67? TAL S Furse's Fresh Flashes Plugging For A Sales Tax? In our estimation those who have been working for a sales and income tax in Nebraska should take a closer look at what would be in store for the average taxpayer should such a law be placed on the books. First, the taxpayer should become re acquainted, with the fact that two years ago he voted that "should a sales tax be inacted, it could only be used for replace ment of the state property tax." This little clause could be the undoing of many a home owner in fact a majority of home owners. At the present rate of taxation, the state collects slightly over $8 per thousand valuation on real property. This means that if your home is on the assessor's books with a valuation of $1000, you pay $8.09 property tax to the State of Nebraska. A home valued at $2000 pays $1618 and so on. However, a check of the books shows those home owners crying the loudest for sales tax relief are mostly in a bracket of one to two thousand dollar valuation homes, meaning of course that right now they are contributing $8 to $16 a year in taxes. What would happen to them should a sales tax be passed? It is not a pretty picture. Instead of contributing $8 to $16 to the spenders, they would each bough upwards of $40 to $80 each year, or better than 500 more in taxes than they are paying now. Farm owners would be no better off than city cousins. They, too, would contribute a good share more through a sales tax than the eight mill state property tax levy under the present system. Doubt it? Then get out your tax receipt and multiply your tax assessment by .0089. How much did you spend last year? Take that figure and multiply it by .02. Subtract the first figure from the last and you'll come up with your increase in taxes under a sales tax plan. .We recently traveled through seven states having a sales tax law. Not one per son we talked to could say anything good about it. It was a replacement tax, too, when enacted. But, right now most of them are paying as much or more in real estate tax as Nebraskans and carrying the added burden of a two to three per cent sales tax, and in many places, an addition al city sales tax. The same will happen to Nebraskans if Senators are allowed to pass a sales tax law. First solution to Nebraska's tax prob lems is to repeal the so-called 50 per cent bill passed four years ago. That's when property owners' trouble began. Under this law real estate taxes have more than doubled while most other property has been cut in half. It will continue. to grow worse 'as long as this asinine law remains on the statutes. ' You do not cut spending by contribut ing more tax dollars each year. Only way to cut spending is by refusing to go along with every cockeyed scheme the tax spenders butter, up as "tax relief" and pre sent to an unsuspecting public- We would advise our readers to but tonhole their Senators and ask them to spend at least as much time on studying ways to cut taxes as they are now spending in an effort to increase them. ' THOUGHT FOR TODAY If zee had no faults, zi'c should not take so much pleasure in noting those of others. La Rochefoucauld. The Platlsmouth Journal Official County and City Paper ESTABLISHED IN 1881 Published Semi-Weekly, Mondavs nd Thursdays, at 410 Main Street, Plattsmouth, Cass County, Nebr. Contents of The Plattsmouth Journal are the sole property of this newspaper and use of, or reproduction, in whole or in part, is expressly forbidden to any person, persons, or publications other than legal newspapers (as defined by Nebraska statutes) without written consent of the publisher. Three Times Winner Ak-Sar-Ben Plaques for "OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE" 1949 1951 1952 "Honorable Mention" 1953 Ak-Sar-Ben First Place Plaque for UTSTANDING SERVICE TO AGRICULTURE, 1955 J Presented Nebraska Press Association "GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD" First in 1952 Second in 1951 and 1953 (In Cities over 2,000 Population) RONALD R. FURSE Editor and Publisher EARL S. DAPP News Editor MARGARET DINGMAN ...Woman's Editor H. M. JOHNSON Advertising Manager JANET PTAK Bookkeeper DON WARGA Shop Foreman When opportunity knocks at our door it simply means the door chimes aren't working. A local man got up enough courage to go back to the hospital for a check up. Main reason was that he wanted to get another look at the nurse. it it it We could never make a music critic. After looking at some of these damsels ap pearing on shows, we care little whether they can sing or not. A Plattsmouth husband we know will sacrifice most anything to assist his wife around the house. Other day he gave up his afternoon pinochle to stay home and steady the stepladder while his wife paint ed the kitchen ceiling. it With Violet cuddling in his arms, He drove his car poor silly; Where once he held his Violet, He now holds his lilly. No matter what kind of an organ ization you can think up, somebody will join it. if ir ir Fishermen may be good, but for real lying, it will soon be time for some of our expert gardners to get their chance. It's a trustful wife who gives her hus band letters to be mailed. Down Memory Lane J YEARS AGO Casco Creamery renewed its lease from stockholders of the Farmers Co-Op-erative Creamery Co. Reports of the meet ing showed that 208,046 pounds of butter have been made in the creamery in the past year. The creamery has purchased 63,461 pounds of poultry for which it paid $9,519.15. 2,500 cases of eggs were bought for $15,105, $51,507.18 was paid local farmers for 166,592 pounds of butterfat. The creamery paid $4,500 for labor and supplies. Burlington station was visited by burglars looting and destroying candy and gum machines. The pay telephone of the Lincoln Telephone Co., was torn from the wall of the waiting room. Fred P. Busch was re-elected as president of the Ad Club, Charles Pease, vice president and W. H. Puis, treasurer. Board of county comissioner made the estimate of expenses for the coming year at $169,000. Platts mouth defeated Glenwood in basket ball by a score of 25 to 20 at the Glenwood .armory, McCarroll was high with 8 and Wooster ith 7 points. ir it it OA YEARS ACO 3vJ WCTU held a "Victory Day" meet ing at the home,of Mrs. R. B. Hayes. Rev Sortor was chief speaker on "Probition and why we have the WCTU Happy Hun dred club held a banquet at which Lute Morse of Lincoln and J. W. Searson were the speakers. The banquet was held at the First Presbyterian Church. Ice cutting on the Missouri River was started and seems of a good quality, Mahlan Richardson is securing the ice for his patrons at Pacific Junction. Loval ice packing has practical ly ceased since the erectic of the ice manu facturing plant in this city. Ticklerst WyGeofgei X (So ffiSKA NEB He's up for this match.' Washington Merry-Go -Round em PHONE 241 vssm ansm cposa SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $4.00 per year in Cass and adjoining counties, $5.00 per year "elsewhere, In advance, by mail outside the city of'Platts mouth. By carrier in Plattsmouth, 25 cen,s for two weeks. Entered at the Post Office kt Plattsmouth, Nebraska as second - elasi mail matter ia accordaau with the Act of Congress oi liui S. 1879. DREW PEARSON SAYS: GOP SENATORS SUDDENLY RE VERSED THEMSELVES ON PROB ING STATE DEPARTMENT; TEN-YEAR-OLD SENATE PROBE SHOW ED SAUDI ARABIAN AIR BASE UN NEEDED; HAS AMERICAN MONEY BEEN SPENT CHIEFLY TO BENEFIT ARABIAN AMERICAN OIL COMPANY? Washington One of the healthiest recent decisions of the Senate is to investi gate American policy in the near east, dating back to the Truman Administration. The decision was reached after a closed door debate that the public doesn't know about. For some time Republican senators had argued, both privately and publicly, against any probe of Dulles's policies. Sen ator Aiken of Vermont argued that such a probe would be dangerous, would des troy the Secretary of State. Senator Ful bright of Arkansas, who initiated the idea, argued that if such an investigation would destroy him, then Dulles's policies were seriously lacking. Finally, in closed-door session, Sen. Dick Russell of Georgia spoke up, calm and brief. He had not said much before. "Now, gentlemen," he asked, "Do you really wish this country to believe that you don't want the people to, know about the conduct of our -foreign affairs? Do you want this to be a strict party vote against any investigation?" ..-... There was a sudden hush on the Re publican side, followed by whispers. GOP Senators suggested , a delay of 48 hours, then 24 hours, obviously to consult- Final ly they agreed to come back at 10 a. m. next day. At that time they voted un animously to proceed with the full investigation of he: Near East under both Eisenhower and Truman. Why U. S. Base? This column would be delight ed to suggest to the Senators where they can get some im portant information. Part of it is covered with dust right in their own files. Very important, for . instance, is why the U. S. air base in Saudi Arabia was actually established. President Eisenhower discus sed with King Saud last week a renewed lease of this base, and it was reported that the King wanted a sizable amount of American arms in return. How ever, senate records of the old Brewster investigation commit tee show good reason to believe that this base was originally es tablished not because it was of any military value, but to please the American Oil Companies which already have reaped a fortune from Saudi Arabia. Senators will find in their files a report by Brigadier General Donald P. Booth, assistant to the undersecretary of war, dat ed 1946, which is classified sec ret. To it, General Booth attach ed the following warnings: "It is believed particularly im portant that this classification (secret) be respected. If there is any part of the subject matter which you wish to declassify for publication, it is requested that the matter be referred' to the War' department and the State' department for clearance." I can reveal, however, that Booth's report showed that the British in July 1944 blocked the U. S. base until May 5, 1945 on the ground that they, the British already had four bases in Arabia which we could use. May 5, 1945 was one day before the war end ed in Europe. And on that day it was decided to go ahead with the Dhahran base on the belief that it would cut off air miles in flying from Cairo to Karachi. State Department Wanted Base One week later, the war in Europe being over, the war de partment suddenly reversed it self and wanted to cancel the Saudi Arabia base. It saw no reason for it. But the State De partment argued otherwise. For reasons not specified but under stood to be the protection of Amercian oil companies, the State department demanded that the base be built. The State department carried the argument up to President Truman, and on Sept. 28, 1945 he okayed the base, provided a new contract was drawn, giving the United States all postwar air rights, and provided Con gress voted the necessary funds. However, Sen. Owen Brewster of Maine, then head of the Sen ate investigating committee, was unable to find that Congress had ever authorized; the $4,000,000 spent on the base. Furthermore, he reported that no new contract was drawn. "The Army presented King Ibn Saud with an airplane," Brewster remarked at that time, "and it looked as if the airfield was built to please the King so his plane would have a place to land." Senator Brewster also turned up amazing evidence showing how tho oil companies dominat ed American policy in the Near East. This will be described in a subsequent column. Note since then, a ring of American bases has been built in Turkey, just as close, if not closer to Russia, than Saudi Arabia. The United States also holds a series of bases in Greece, almost as close to Russia. All this make it appear that the Saudi Arabian base is even less necessary today than when the War department turned thumbs down inl945t The real purpose, it appears is to supply a base for trie 'planes and personnel of the Arabian American OU Company and have a protective American base near its property.. Truman Doctrine 'Senators may also want to go back to another incident 'in the Truman administration the manner in which Standard OU of New Jersey and Standard Oil of New York purchased 40 - per cent of the Arabian American Oil Company just a few days before President Truman an nounced his Truman Doctrine for Greece and Turkey. The question is: did they know this doctrine was coming? or did they inspire the doctrine? or was their timing just a coin cidence? The doctrine was aim ed at blocking Russia from pene trating down to Suez and the Eastern end of the Mediterran ean just as the Dulles Doctrine is today. Anoher point which Senator Brewster investigated during the Truman administration was the American oil shortage of 1947 and the resultant import of oil from the Near East. Brewster claimed that the 1947 oil shortage in the U. S. A. was a phony, had been arranged by the big oil companies in order to convince the American public of the . necessity of importing half a million barrels of Arabian oil, which in turn emphasized the importance of spending Ameri can dollars to protect American oil interests in the Near "East. REALTY TRANSFERS Fred Rehmeier & Alma Al frida to Robert M. Cox,- 1-5-57, Ny2 NEi 34-11-11 $1.00 : Arnold French & Dorothy I. to Richard D. Tincher & Mar lene; l:8-57, Lot 24 Blk 3 Val ley -.View Add Plattsmouth $12000.00 ' Lester B. Dalton & Florence M. to Fred W. Howland Jr. & Jean, 1-12-57, Lot 9 Blk 149 Plattsmouth & E 26 ft. Lot 4 Blk 41 Young & Hays Add Plattsmouth $1.00 Wayne D. Wiles & Viva M. to George P. Wiles, 1 57, Und 112 Int. SE 8 & NEi 17-11-12 $1.00 Tillie Schwartz to Ruth Schwartz, 1-3-57, Lot 11 Blk 14 Nehawka $1.00 Arthur G. Nance & Clara N. to W. S. Hardaway & Cuba M., 8-20-56, NV2 Lot 9 & all 10 & sy2 Lot 11 Blk 28 Elmwood $1.00 Alfred Block & Norma to El don R. Moore, 11-28-56, Lot 6 Blk 1 Chases Add Weeping Water . . $1.00 Blodgett & Krajacic Inc., to Carl P. Ofe & Jayne S., 1-16-57, Lot 20 Blk 3 Valley View Add Plattsmouth $1.00 Albert Dankleff to State of Nebraska, 11-13-56, Pt E SEy4 21-10-11 .. ..... $1194.00 Wm, Kehlbeck & Minnie to State of Nebraska, 11-15-56 Pt W SWi' 22-10-11 .... $730.00 Frank Hohenshell et al to Alice Mae Detsauer, 1-12-57 WV2 NEV & N 27 a of wy2 SE & Lot 2 SEi4 NEi 23-12-9, ex change of property. Rose Mosser Gdn to Glenn A. if IAH&8 C OLSO!!, SprinUdni IVLAXM BISTOSICftl tOSIlTY Perhaps the best known wagon road in Nebraska Territory was the Omaha-Fort Kearny Road, generally , called the Military Road. This grew out of Secretary of War Jefferson Davis' plan to ex pand the wagon road system in the West as an aid to military transportation, and on his rec ommendation Congress in ' 1855 appropriated $50,000 to improve the old Mormon Trail from Oma ha to Fort Kearny, thus making it possible to bring military sup plies up the Missouri River by steamboat as far as Omaha, rather than having to transport them by land all the way from Fort Leavenworth. It was-fifteen months before the Army got around to doing anything about improving the road. In June of 1856, however, Captain J. H. Dickerson of the Quartermaster Corps surveyed the route and entered into a con tract with Matthew J. Ragan for bridging the Omaha Branch, the two Papillon creeks, the Elk horn River, Rawhide and Shell creeks and for grading on the west bank of the Elkhorn River. After paying for this work and defraying the expenses of the survey, there was about $4500 left in the appropriation. This Captain Dickerson recommend ed should be expended by the Army in improving various por tions of the road. Captain Dickerson felt that when the work provided for in the appropriation was completed the road to Fort Kearny would be a good wagon road during the greater part of the year. To render it passable at all sea sons an additional $25,000 would be required to improve the road at many small sloughs and low places which often became miry after heavy rains. Captain E. G. Beckwith, who succeeded Dickerson as the of ficer in charge of improving the road, passed the recommenda tion for an additional $25,000 on to the War Department and the War Department recommended favorable action to Congress. Congress considered the matter but tailed to provide additional funds, f Even more important, Congress refused to accede to the recommendation from the THE PLATTSMOUTH. NEBRASKA, SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL PAGE EOUR Monday, February -4, 1957 Rutledge, 7-19-44, Lot 4, Blk 9 Nehawka $19.44 Lewis & Louisa Lorenson to J. Marion Stone, 1-18-55, Lot 5 & 6 Blk 89 Weeping Water .' ; $50.00 Hilltop Farms Company to C. H. Oldfield, 1-15-57, W 24 ft. Lot I, C 20 ft. Lot 1, E 80 ft. Lot 1, All Lot 2 Blk 18 Eagle $1.00 Herman Gakemeier to Nor man H. Gakemeier, Geraldine E. Yardley & Eugene E. Sutton, 1-23-57, SW 30-12-11 & El2 NWVi 31-12-11 $1.00 Herman Gekemeier to La Verna M. Roeber, 1-23-57, WV2 NE14 29-12-10 $1.00 Wallace T. Brown & Edith M. to Kenneth E. Trively & Vivian Y., 1-24-57, Pt. Lot 91 SEy4 SWA 18-12-14 $1-00 Central States Land Co., to Betty Henry, 1-7-57, Lot 8 & 9 Blk 2 Stadelman's Add Platts mouth $1.00 Frank Hohenshell et al to Nel lie Crease, 1-12-57, S 53 a of W2 SE1 & E 27 A of NMj SW4 23-12-9, exchange of property. Frank Hohenshell et al to Frank Hohenshell, 1-12-57, W53 A of S NWJi & W 53 a of Ny2 SWV4 23-12-9, exchange of property. Call Your News And Social Items to 241 fWotd. WTELOGKAM Check the correct word: 1 Nike, Talos and Petrel refer to (guided mis siles) (land artillery). 2 Turkey is a member of (NATO) (the Baghdad Pact) (both). 3 (Radio Free Europe) (Voice of America) is a government-sponsored agency. 4 Iran, Iraq and (Pakistan) (India) are Mos lem countries. 5 Britain's acting prime minister during An thony Eden's leave of absence is (Sehvyn Lloyd) (R. A. Butler). 6 The injunction President Eisenhower used in the longshoremen's strike is provided for in the (Fair Labor Relations) (Taft-Hartley) Act. 7 Winner of ihe National League's Most Valu able Player award for 1956 is (Don New combe) (Sal Maglie). Tommy Dorsey's records have sold over an estimated (10) (110) million copies. 9 Oligarchy is government by the (few) (aged). 10 The geographical center of .North America lies in (Wisconsin) (North Dakota). Count 10 for each correct choice. A score of 0-20 Is poor; 30-60, average; 70-80, good; 90-100, excellent. ''Decoded Intelligram .. 'Eioa m-toji -ot 'msj-6 0!t-J-8 oqiuo3M3M i jCanJeH-jjBj, -9 uanng s UBjstiiBci f, -bousuiv Jo aoiOAS 'MPa Z 'saiissiui psptnQ War Department that $85,000 be appropriated for constructing a bridge across the Loup Fork. In recommending the bridge Beckwith wrote: "This river, Loup Fork, like all the shallow streams in this part of the coun try, has a light, miry, shifting, sandy bed, which, during high water especially, is constantly changing, so that where it is fordable one day, it is impass able the next,' or where it is most practicable to cross it with a ferry boat, one day the boat grounds, the next, in the middle of the stream; in filling the dis charge of loads into wagons, brought there across channels from the opposite shore, as shift ing and difficult as those just crossed. And as it is impractic able for wagons or teams to stand still, even a short time, anywhere in the river, without miring in the quick-sands, the difficulties and labors and losses by emigrants are very great, and can only be effectually al leviated by the erection of a permanent bridge." , . v- --w--- These requests were repeated ly included in the Secretary of War's annual report, but Con gress refused to accede to them and the military road was not put in first class condition dur ing the time it served as the principal route west out of Omaha. The construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, of course, obviated the necessity for any further improvements on the Military Road. "County Option" On Sales Tax Is Proposed Sen Terry Carpenter of Scotts bluff has introduced in the legis lature a "county sale and use tax", that would make the tax optional with the counties.' Counties that adopted the sales tax would have to use the revenue as a replacement for property taxes collected by the counties or by their political sundivisions, the measure speci fies. Exceptions would be made In the case of certain school dis tricts overlapping county lines and in the case of political sub divisions which need more mon ey than a sales tax Droduces to meet the obligations of bond ed indebtedness. The people of a county could Bill Presented To Raise Gas Tax Income Senator Monroe Bixler of Har rison has introduced a bill that would make several changes in the gas tax and also the allo cation of funds for the state and counties. . The bill would boost the gas tax from six to seven cents a gallon, giving the added cent to the state highway department. Counties would continue to get the one cent as at present.from the gas tax, applied under the Schroeder mail route roads bill. Under the legislation propos ed the one cent given the coun ties under the Schroeder act would go into the county genera, fund to be used as the county commissioners might see fit. "From all appearances," the Harrison senator commented, " the c ouh ty"c o'm mis si one is "ha V e never been complying with the law (mail route act) because it has been impossible to do so." Under the mail route law, counties must use 80 per cent of the receipts from the act for improving mail routes by start ing at both ends of a route and working toward the middle. Sen ator Bixler said this provision of the law is difficult to follow. A study by Lincoln Journal shows that in eight years, coun ties received $34.7 million for improving mail routes but there is no complete record as to how the funds were spent. In this survey it was shown that in only one of the eight years for which records were studied did all of the counies turn in the reports re quired. Regarding the Schroeder mail law repeal which is incorporated in the same bill with the gas tax Increase. Senator Bixler said the original mail route bill was "good," but is time to re examine the act. vote on the adoption of a sales tax either by the order of the county board or after submis sion of petitions signed by 10 per cent of the legal voters of the county. A Classified Ad in The Journal costs as little as 35 cents 1 WAf? BCW0 IfO LIKE "GEORGE WAHIKJSTON) 1 I If) If OMLV LOT& OP PEOPLE EEMEMBER HIS BlRTHPAVi 1T EVENJ 6D TWEV WOfOT y I VJHV THEY 6T1LL CELEBRATE GED2GE A - i ( UES BEESJ PEAp ! f .5 s "W t "IUJi!'-' """WimT" ;' "' """' " """" 1 "ii fi wm 1 1 V11 limi ElVASKT THAT A )( IT SURE. CNLV .WITH THE J I NEVE.E. IMAVEE YOU COULD lM WEARING 6UCH V Vi WONDERFUL VWAS' CAS HE AT EE. THOUGHT DRIVE WITH ONE ARM VER? A ThEAVY JACKET WALTER1 fJMOVlE,HON ) BROKEN ILL GET J ABOUT AROUND ME TO KEEP UH ... I DON'T REALLV FALUSH' PCfeLf -V sC'' COLD DRIVING THAT, MISS ME WARM! Wed MY LA. V f'S feil iitlj fell r - -- -- . 1- . -! n