Traverse City Record-Eagle from Traverse City, Michigan • Page 1

CITY RECORD-EAGLE Traverse City, Michigan- Friday, Mar. Fifteen Cento Two Senate seeks OK by nightfall Tax bill debated Washington Bureau Ottaway News Service A I 0 The Senate met early this morning in hopes of passing by nightfall a $31.5 tax cut bill which features rebates for tax payers and ends, the depletion allowances for large oil and gas firms. The House has already passed its own version of the bill-'and the two hoce to send a compromise measure to the White House before departing next week for an Easter recess. The Senate voted to give one-shot 100: payments to each of the nation's 30 i i Social Security recipients. By a vote of 85 to 11, the Senate also approved rebates of up to $240 to every taxpayers on his 1974 taxes.

The House version of the bill does not include the Social Security-'provision and sets "maximum of $200. Most of the fireworks throughout the week's debate, however, centered on- an amendment to the depletion allowance which lets oil and gas producers deduct 22 per cent of their gross irx-'ome computing taxes. Senators Ernest F. Rollings, and Edward- M. who n-s the depletion provision, argued that oil and gas firms are making so much money they don't need a special tax break.

Oil state Senators, who threatened to hold up the entire bill because of the provision, finally agreed after three days of wrangling to a i which perm a 1 preserves the depletion allowance for small oil and gas outfits producing less than 3,000 barrels per day. the House has passed a repeal applying to all firms, it appears certain some form depletion repeal will emerge from conference. The i a Security payments and tax rebate provisions; were part of a substitute proposed by majority leader Mike Mansfield, D-Mont. They would: --raise the 10 percent rebate passed, by the House to 12 percent on 1974' income taxes, with a minimum of $120 and a maximum of $240, instead of $100 and $200. --grant a $100 one-shot payment to the 30 million 1 elderly persons Social Security, plus retired rail workers, people on Social Security disability, and those on welfare programs for the aged, blind and disabled.

These provisions boosted the overall tax bill to $31.5 billion, nearly twice the size of the $16 billion tax cut bill asked by President Ford. The swallows were nesting in Capistrano, dogwood trees and jonquils were in bloom, and geese were winging north today as spring made its 1975 debut. But Willie Smith of Murphysboro, 111., wasn't convinced. For one thing, the snakes and woolly worms aren't out yet. And spring won't really arrive until they appear said 76-year-old Illinois a a i who's been predicting the weather for 60 years through observation of wildlife and plants.

In Traverse City the calendar seems to have reversed itself. The official last day of winter Thursday was warm and sunny enough for Chris Morey and his dog Manfred to rest against the snow fence, occasionally watching the swans along the mouth of the Boardman River. But today's first day of spring brought enought snow to cover car windows, rooftops and the crocis that have gradually been making their way out of the cold earth. In other parts of the country today: Scattered golf; courses were open as far north as Albany, N. and the dogwoods and azaleas were in bloom in much of Dixie.

Sailboats dotted the water on the Ross Barnet reservoir' in Jackson, but spring flooding threatened much of the Southland. The rain-swollen James River threatened to flood Richmond today for the fourth time in six years. Election a court issue Ellsworth students protest delay of voted bond issue SSwt; i By MARY GODWIN Record-Eagle writer ELLSWORTH. A number of students I demanded action Thursday afternoon on a bond issue that has been delayed since April 1974. An estimated 100 to 150 students marched through the village to show their concern.

F- 11 sworth' residents -passed an! bond issue last build a new elementary school and remodel and add onto the existing buildings of the high school. All -Ellsworth students are housed in one building. No action has been taken because Cheri Holley, a village contended that the bond election was illegal. She" said" boxes and ballot bags were a throughout the election. She filed-suit in the Antrim County Circuit and later in the state Court of Appeals.

The case was dismissed by both courts and is now pending in the state Supreme Court. The bonds cannot be sold while the case is pending. The Supreme Court is expected to review the case in three to four weeks. Ellsworth Schools Supt. Robert Gaunt said-that according to the architects estimate, construction costs have increased about to $100,000 during the 11-month Holley said she is the' election, not the bond issue.

She said the case was turned down by two because it is a precedent- setting case and must be railed- on by the Court. suit has nothing to do with taxes," Holley said "I personally feel that the district could not afford the extra cost" -She said she agreed that Supreme i something must be done about the present school situation. Holley told the Record-Eagle she was not alone in her efforts adding that she has a petition with 200 names on it requesting a new election. It was never -submitted to the board of education, however, Please turn to page 5, col. 7 flV He "said that the law firm Thrun, Maatch and Nordberg of Lansing would represent the school before the Supreme Court Holley, not a lawyer, will represent herself as she has all along.

Johnson case sparks plea bargain dispute i torintr 3 A CITY -Arraignment proceedings for Matthew Kyle Johnson on charges of uttering and publishing a check were adjourned this morning in the Circuit Court of Judge William R. Brown. The adjournment took place after a dismissal motion was made by defense attorney Glenn Aylsworth at the hearing in the Grand Traverse County Courthouse. Johnson is also charged with murder and armed robbery in connection with the Sept. 2, 1974 shooting death of Roland Haselton, an attendant at the AA Wrecker Service on Bay Street.

Aylsworth contended at today's arraignment hearing that the Grand Traverse Prosecuting Attorney's office had made a plea bargaining agreement with Johnson. The deal was, according to Aylsworth, that if Johnson pled guilty to charges of larceny in a building and told police all he knew about any breaking and enterings he knew of, the charges of uttering and publishing and breaking and entering would be dropped. The breaking and entering referred to had taken place at Shield's Restaurant of 2900 Munson and the uttering Good evening Inside the Record-Eagle Snow or rain likely Saturday. Details on Page 2. New Bcnzlc magistrate 'likes her Page 3.

LWV sponsoring voter programs. Page 5 Bidding lot area sewer work draws 150 contractors bunny for work. Page 20. Indiana routs Oregon State, Central loses In NCAA Page 15. Classified 20-25 Church 11 Comics 13 Editorials 4 Financial 18, 19 Guidtposts 7 Landers Obituaries Spectrum Sports TV Log Weather 9 6 8-10 15-17 9 a and publishing.

a check (passing bad checks) incident took place at the Park Place Motor Inn. Prosecutor Michael Houlihan said this morning in a phone call to his office that his office agreed "that if he (Johnson) would clear up these and E's (breaking and enterings), then he would be permitted to plead guilty to larceny of a building. Then the uttering and publishing charge would be dismissed- along with the B. and Larceny of a building is a lesser charge than breaking and entering. Since the charges had not dropped, Aylsworth argued, then the case should: be dismissed.

Houlihan said that there was a dispute between his office and the defense as to what the agreement on plea bargaining constituted, including whether or not the murder charge would be and since no resolution was arrived at, Johnson was arraigned on all -charges. These included the breaking and entering, ut- tering and publishing, and the murder and armed robbery charges. Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Foresman told the court this morning that the dismissal morion should be denied because Johnson has failed to plead guilty to larceny in a building as was agreed. Judge Brown said the court would take the. dismissal motion-into consideration.

i the murder charge, an autopsy revealed Please turn to page 5, col. 7 FATAL CRASH Inspection of wreckage from a Friday morning automobile accident one-half mile north of Hammond Road on Three Mile Road is carried out by Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Thomas Schmuckal (left) and Deputy Thomas Bensley. The automo- bile's driver was token to Traverse City Osteopathic Hospital by the East Bay 'Township Volunteer Ambulance unit. The crash victim, Mary Jane Muehling, 87, of Rt.

4, Box 550, Potter Road, alone in the car, was pronounced dead at the hospital. (Record-Eagle photo by John Hawkins) Strikers pressure advertisers to boycott Channel 29 TRAVEL CITY A tism. A The -Mt leter TM. many fte grsV TRAVERSE CITY A national broadcasting is putting pressure on WGTU, Channel 29 advertisers in order to help win demands made by local members who are striking the station. While the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce and the advertisers are calling it an attempt at illegal secondary boycotting; the National Association of Broadcasting Employees and Technicians says it is asking the public not to patronize- the adver- tisers.

A perfectly tactic, the union says. According to the 'second of two letters sent by NABET to the' advertisers the union "will be forced ask our working friends not to. buy your products" if advertising is not suspended during the strike. The union also said it is "legally empowered to stand in front of your establishment or any establishment handling your product and distribute and-or display printed matter identifying your product and the struck station." The first letter was a request to the advertisers to "suspend your advertising schedule for the duration of the strike." It did not contain the notice of possible union action present in the second letter. Both sides have accused each other of bargaining in bad gaith during the-months of off and on.

negotiations since the contract bargaining began last June. A i such Milliken's department store, Hamilton's men's shop and many others have received the NABET letters. One advertiser, Traverse Meat Center, U.S.-31 has decided to go along with union demands for business reasons. The newly-opened firm's head, Joe Wigley, explained that "there are a lot of unions in this town and a lot of union people." A spokesman f9r Hamilton's called the possible union action an "illegal secondary boycott." The Chamber of Commerce had called it the same name in letter to the National Labor Relations Board. The letter requests the NLRB to investigate the union's approach to the advertisers; Tom Kiple, president and general manager of the station, said WGTU's advertisers "probably include most of the local retailers." The station and the union talked Thursday night in Detroit, he said, but nothing came of it.

except an agreement to meet next Thuesday. The action to urge people not to shop with the advertisers is the "only toul" that has any clout for the union, Dorr Wilson, administratvie assistant to the NABET international president, told the Record-Eagle. Asking for that and asking the advertisers to suspend their advertising is "a form of. economic pressure that's lawful," he said. Wilson contended that a secondary boycott would occur only if the union action were directed at employe! of tin advertisers..