The Daily Leader from Pontiac, Illinois • Page 7

HEW to begin computer search for welfare cheaters, waste Joseph Califano By MICHAEL PUTZEL Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) The federal government will soon begin comparing computer tapes of the 110 million wage earners who pay Social Security taxes with welfare rolls from across the country in a search for welfare cheaters and bureaucratic waste. Health, Education and Welfare Secretary Joseph A. Califano Jr. disclosed plans for the project Tuesday in a year-end interview with The Associated Press. The secretary predicted the project would help restore public confidence in the welfare system by "getting the welfare rolls down to those people who are entitled to be on them." He said the computer matching is theoretically foolproof.

"As a condition of getting AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent benefits, you have to report what your income is. If you report your income accurately and properly, it will never show up. (But) if you report your income inaccurately, then it (welfare fraud) will." The new program is an expansion of Project Match, which Califano launched earlier this year by comparing HEW's Washington payroll with local welfare rolls. The effort has so far spread out to compare the names, Social Security numbers and salaries of 2.8 million federal civil servants against the names of welfare recipients in 20 major metropolitan areas, turning up 13,000 welfare recipients getting federal paychecks. Some of those presumably were receiving aid legitimately, but a pilot study indicated that perhaps 25 percent of the names appearing on both lists would be people ineligible for welfare or receiving too much in benefits, investigators said.

Responding to earlier criticism that Project Match is an unwarranted invasion of individual privacy, Califano said: "This in no way in my judgment will violate anyone's privacy. We'll do this with delicacy and care. Califano is acting on authority granted in a little-noticed section of the new Social Security law signed by President Carter on Tuesday. The section, accepted at the last minute by House and Senate conferees on the bill, had been inserted by the Senate Finance Committee, headed by Sen. Russell Long, D-La.

Califano said he expects "big progress next year on error, fraud and abuse in welfare," adding that he intends to move "right away and to the utmost" in using the normally confidential computer files of the Social Security system. On other subjects, the Secretary said in the interview: --He considers the Social Security bill a legislative success for the Carter administration even without the primary innovations Califano and Carter had proposed. --Race discrimination "is still the most difficult problem we face in the human arena in this country. --The administration's National Health Insurance legislation may not be introduced next year for tactical reasons, but it "will be if we get it the centerpiece of the president's first administration at home." Correspondent EMINGTpN Mr. and Mrs.

Roy Mulligan entertained members of their family at a pre-Christmas dinner and gift exchange at their home on Sunday. Present were Mr. and Mrs. Tom Haigh and family of Wheaton, Mr. and Mrs.

Dick Mulligan and family of Joliet, Mr. and Mrs. Grey Lambert and family of Bourbonnais, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Lovell and son of Blackstone and Mr.

and Mrs. Leo Feehan of Odell. Mr. and Mrs. John Jensen and grandson Tony spent Sunday afternoon in Pontiac.

Mr. and Ernest Abraham of Saunemin, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Abraham -and daughter Ginger of Pontiac, Mr. and Mrs.

Claude Weirman of Emington attended the church school Christmas program at the United Methodist Church in New Lenox on Sunday evening. Their grandson Chris and his mother Karen participated in the program under the direction of Mr. Weirman. Mr. and Mrs.

John Jensen attended the funeral of Leonard Sellmyer in Pontiac on Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Claude Weirman spent Wednesday and Thursday in New Lenox with' their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs.

Mike Weirman and son Chris. On Wednesday evening they attended the' Homer School Program. "Christmas Is an Emergency in Holiday Land" directed by Mike and on Thursday evening Daily Leader, Pontiac, 111, Page8 Dec. 21,77 St. Dennis and St.

Joseph Marching and Concert Band program "Christmas Tidings" directed by Mike at Lockport. Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Vant visited Mr. and Mrs.

Gerald George in Kankakee, Sunday. Mel Beck, organist, will present a Christmas Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the First Congregational Church in Odell. The concert for all ages will include guitar music by Ruth Blaetz and Sue Masching on the drums. Miss Michelle Roche, daughter of Mr.

and Mrs. James Roche of Alliance, was baptized Saturday night at St. Mary's Church in Pontiac by Msgr. Joseph O'Dea. Arab buying Lance stock Pontiac Knights of Columbus New Year's Eve Party "Back Alley Rumble" Will Be Playing 50's, 60's, 70's.

OPEN 8:30 to 1:30 per couple Complete Evening Including Steak Egg Breakfast TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE CALL Richard Schwahn John Martin 845-3455 or 844-5243 SERVING SUNDAY WED. THRU SAT. 5:30 to 10P.M. STEAKS SEAFOOD HOMEMADE: Onion Rings, Breaded Mushrooms, Breaded Cauliflower. NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS PARTIES.

CATFISH NIGHT WED. NIGHT IS GIBLET NIGHT JANNEY'S SUPPER CLUB WASHINGTON (AP) An Arab businessman is buying a majority of Bert Lance's shares in the National Bank of Georgia, giving Lance a profit on stock that last spring was being traded for half its original value. Lance, who resigned as President Carter's budget director in September after controversy arose over his banking activities, is receiving $20 a share for the stock, about $3 more than he paid for most of it, said a lawyer for Lance. Robert A. Altman, the attorney, said Lance agreed to sell 60 percent of his more than 200,000 shares in the Atlanta bank to Ghaith R.

Pharaon, 37, a prominent Saudi Arabia contractor who is part owner of another American bank. Altman announced the deal on Tuesday. Lance, the Georgia bank's former chairman, owns about 16 percent of the out- Fairbury Mrs. Helen Nash Correspondent FAIRBURY Mr. and Mrs.

P. 0. Sohn of Memphis, were overnight guests of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. P.

D. Sohn, on Friday for a pre- Christmas dinner. Other out-of- town relatives were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Aellig of Morris.

They were overnight guests of Mrs. George Hibsch. On Saturday the Aelligs went to Bloomington to visit their son and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Aellig, who is employed by Illinois Grain Corp.

Marriage Licenses Edward Albert Entwistle and Janice Marie Hert, both of Streator. Joseph i i a Paul Podkanowicz Streator, and Mary Lou Hemken, Flanagan. standing stock. The sale would net Lance about $2.4 million and help re-; lieve him of recent financial' concerns brought about by debts resulting from large bank loans. When he revealed his net worth last January before taking the budget job, Lance showed total liabilities of about $5.3 million.

Altman said three other major shareholders of NBG, one of i Georgia's largest banks, have also agreed in principle to sell their shares to Pharaon. The three together reportedly own about 31 percent of the bank's outstanding shares. The sale by Lance of 120,000 shares must still be approved by the bank's directors and is dependent on Pharaon's approval of the bank's financial condition, Altman said. KIDS! Santa Made An Early Delivery at Mr. Quicks! Come out and register for one of the six gifts to be given.

The drawing will be Dec. 24 at 2:00 For ages 3-12 Home of the 25 Hamburger HOURS: 10-9 p.m. 10-12 p.m. Sun. 10-11 p.m.

844-7845 Rt. 66 23 Pontiac, If. SANTA'S CHRISTMAS BOX IS HOLDING '100GIFT CERTIFICATE For that Lucky One Drawing is Dec. 23 at the Palamar a a Lounge. Rt.

116 Pontiac 844-3197 Holiday Teen Dance Presenting Slink Rand Wed. Dec. 21 Admission $2 at door At of Hall 1221 N. Aurora, Pontiac Sponsored by Pontiac Police Explorer Club May seasonal joys warm your heart. To all thanks.

Kt. 114 East TSC-Farm Supplies Fred, Bev The Boys Pontiac FREE XMAS KIDDIE MATINEE! ODELL KNIGHTS of COLUMBUS New Year's Eve Dance Saturday, December 31 9pm til lam (Building Opens at 8 pm) Music Gervase "Waltz King" $AAQO Light Breakfast Following Dance per couple Make Reservations At Ahrens Sundry Store SPECIAL HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT! CRESCENT FRIDAY, DEC. 23 Doors open 1 p.m. Show starts 2 p.m. "ANGEL IN MY POCKET" RATED (G) 5 Sponsored by the progressive Pontiac 3 Merchants whose names appear on our SANTA CLAUSE WILL BE HERE I IN 313 W.

844-3030 Open P.M.- CONT. SUN. CLINT EASTWOOD THE GflllMTLKT Enjoy! Taste Tempting Treats At Our Microwave Oven Demonstrations Thurs. December 22 7:30 p.m. AT DUFFS North Side Square Pontiac, III.

15 Models on Display All Sale Priced SAT. HAT 2:30 p.m.-Eve p.m. THE WHITE EARTHQUAKE IS HERE! SLiM picras-sram KIM NOVAK SORRY. PASSES THIS ENGAGEMENT 0 1 8 TM.