Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 1

10 million flixpiyeirs hurryiimg to mailboxes agency says 1 5 million taxpayers will take advantage of the automatic 60-day ex tension available to those who file the required form 486B before midnight The time extension does not apply to taxpayers who file the short form 104OA. IRS spokesman Henry Holmes said Sunday Holmes said the extension was designed for taxpayers who have problems com pleting their torms While form 4H68 gives taxpayers automatic extensions. Holmes said further One of every' 25 short form 1040A returns has contained an error this year compared with one of nine last year For the long form 1040, one in 20 has been miscalculated compared with one in 12 a year ago The most common errors are use of the wrong tax table for short forms and in applying arithmetic in the long forms, the IRS said For those taxpayers who waited until the last minute and wish to postpone the agony, the IRS offci an escape hatch The extensions are granted only if there is reasonable cause But if a taxpayer misses the midnight postmark. Holmes said there is really no reason to be concerned "We don want to get in a situation where we are splitting hairs over when people drop their returns in the postbox someone shouldn get upsel if it is postmarked on April 18 Then again, we don want people taking advantage of the IRS The law says il has to be in on April 17. Holmes said return a determination that would require action by a federal court packs a maximum penalty of $10,000 fine and a year in jail.

A total of 88 million 'x returns are expected to be filed this year, the government says Ten days before the deadline for 1977 incpme tax returns, the IRS had received 58 million income tax returns Refunds averaged $476 09. The IRS said most late filers owed taxes Taxpayers who wailed until the deadline to file can expect to wait two to three weeks longer to get a refund than taxpayers who completed returns in February, March or early April, an IRS spokesman said "We expect 12 million returns to be filed this weekend with 10 million coming on Monday," an IRS spokesman said over the weekend Mailmen in large cities line up tonight in front of main post offices to lake returns handed them by passing motorists, part of an annual ritual for some taxpayers Last minute filers make more mislakes. the IRS says ii 1111 MM QL 104th YEAR 76 15 CENTS MATTOON, ILLINOIS WASHINGTON (UPli A possible 5 percent penalty on the total tax due awaits those Americans failing to file 1977 income lax returns before the (leadline, the In ternal Revenue Service says An estimated 10 million taxpayers were expected to hurry to mailboxes across the nation today, trying to get their returns postmarked by midnight Ordinarily, April 15 is income tax day, but the date fell on a weekend this year, prompting the IKS to grant a two-day grace period Willful failure to file an income tax WASHINGTON il'Pli Sen Dennis DeConcini. whose amendment to the first Panama anal treaty sparked protests in Panama, expects Senate ratification Tuesday of the final accord to cede I' control of the waterway to Panama in Ihe year 2000. the Scnpps 1-eague Newspapers report And Panama will accept the amended canal agreements.

Ihe Arizona Democrat said in an inters lew The threat to rejei I the accords because of DeConcini amendment, which gives the I'nited States a nghi to intervene to keep the canal operating, is a big blufl and Panama appears tn be winning the bluff," DeConcini said "You can't tell me that a country will turn down an ix billion asset that ill make them a world power he said in an in terview with l.ee Roderick. Washington correspondent lor the Scnpps League Newspapers DeConcini said he was not interested in killing the treaty and I hope I'll he able to vote for it on Tuesday Bui 1 have no qualms about voting againsl il il necessary to protect a vital right His amendment helped win Senate rhr0rfll icit V.neerTUI VISIT Today About people Classified Comics Editorial Entertalnmcot Obituaries 2 20-23 14 4 15 12 17-18 10 "Nietzsche Fowler has become a licensed minister of the American Fellowship Church That's not such big newt, except the new minister Is a yellow, long-aalred cat named after German philosopher and atheist Frddrtch Nietzsche His owner tent to to the church i headquarters for the maO order ncense and It was issued without any torwtlgatloB Tlx ease with which anyone anything can obtain a ministerial license or educational degree by ending a few bucks to one outfit Is a disgrace t'Maf Toon Says FOPGCh pitches no-hitter Page 17 ratification of the first accord, which guarantees the canal's neutrality and naval passage rights The treaty was ratified March 16 by a 68 32 vote, a margin of one vote DeConcini said it was only after a lengthy discussion four months ago with Panamanian leader Omar Tomjos that he decided to offer his amendment He said Torrijos agreed the United States could intervene if another country attacked Panama "Then." DeConcini said. "I asked him hat about in case of He said that would never happen in his country However, I told him that strikes happen even in countries that aren't democratic "Third, 1 asked him what would happen in case of internal revolution could we intervene then to keep the canal open'' lie said. No. not unless I invited you in on my side A quest for compromise to satisfy wavering senalors continued to the eve of the Senate vote on the final Panama Canal accord, with treaty foes and backers alike claiming victory within reach Senate leaders worked to preserve a fragile pro treaty coalition in the face of visit (Tom group of clowns Sunday Drought smu to we tc or Eiiiatcui CUrtH if Toledo, a patient In the pediatrics ward of Sarah Bush Lincoln HeaKhCenter.

brought a smile to the face of Elizabeth BackJln, Lisa Stiff, Betsy Roberts, Amy Bnside today The Navy will continue to keep Its "offensive eggs In too few baskets" unless It moves away from vulnerable aircraft carriers and toward vertical short takeoff and landing airplanes, a congressional study says Page 2. President Carter must get tougher If be Is to boost his presidency out of Its present depths, Rowland Evans and Robert Novak column Page The American Agriculture Movement's call on farmers across the nation to "strike" by cutting production In naif this year apparently Is being widely Ignored Paget. It's probably Just a rumor, but reportedly a mother the East admitted to making a "mistake," Eras Bombeck column Pagt io His name Is Meat Loaf, and he's not your everyday reck and roll dream Page IS. Bob Porsch, ace of the St Louis Cardinals' mound staff, burls a no-hitter against PhUadebia Page 17. threatened defections for a anety of reasons A number of senators said they were considering last minute changes of heart because of an amendment attached to the companion neutrality treaty to allow the I'nited States to intervene in Panama to keep the canal operating in the event of labor strife Liberals balked at the intervention amendment, which has angered Panama while a number of moderate senators opposed any effort to solten the prov ision Senate leaders worked over Ihe weekend to clarify the provision without alienating senators won over by it They were Irving to work out a pledge to Panama that Ihe United States would not intervene in the nation's domestic affairs "A classic Catch 22 situation in which treaty backers risk losing votes either way, was Ihe way Sen Paul Laxalt Nev characterized the situation With some senators opposing any tampering with the intervention amend ment authored by DeConcini and others insisting on changes slill a third group held their Panama Canal voles as bargaining chips with the While House on 7 ni.reP'.nlf TZ 7.7 T.7.

2 ,7 visits to the hospital to entertain Datients Lucius Clay dies CHATHAM. Mass il'PL Retired Army Gen Lucius Clay, who rose through the ranks to become an adviser and con fidant to Gen Dwight Fisenhower. died at his home Sunday night after a long illness Clay, 80, graduated from West Point in 1918 As commander in chief o( Ihe European Command and military governor of Germany. Clay was strumental in helping reestablish the German economv Priest fails to show GRANITE CITY. Ill iVPL- A Roman Catholic priest convicted of disorderly conduct during a protest at an abortion GOP leader Sen.

Baker says treaty will be approved Vance plan axed by South Africa MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1978 majontv rule settlement they negotiated ith Smith A I offic ial said ancr plane will make a So niinule refueling stop in Cairo Tuesdav on Ihe wjv tn Moscow for disarmament talk hut did not confirm reports he will divus the Middle Fast with F.gyyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kaniel Vance and (iwen met Iir four hours Sunday with Pretoria Foreign Minister Roelof Botha hopn.t wav him into giving his while regime support (or their proposals on neighboring Rhodesia and Namibia But Botha while admitting It is in our own interest that a pe.eelul solution should be found in Rhodesia told reporters after the meeting "We cannot just run into Rhodesia and tell them what to do (In the question of Namibia the former German colony ruled hy Pretoria under the name of South West Africa Vance told reporters the South African have not accepted the Western proposals Vance told reporters Botha raised a number nf question that could only be answered after discussion with the other members of the five nation group Britain Wel France and Canada that submitted the plan for a peaceful transition to black majority rule in Namibia The major snag on Namibia is a demand bv black nationalist guerrillas that Pretoria must ithdraw all it troops from the border with Angola a guerrilla haven before deinn ratu elections are held But Botha vowed we ill m.t ithdraw anv troop until there 's complete cessation of hostilities and the murder of women and children and of leaders has stopped The South Afrit an loreign minister said any proposal for Namihian independence ultimatelv must be endorsed by its residents which can take months Vance described his talks with Botha as important candid and useful But the Anglo American team which flew to Pretoria Sundav after meet ing ith Rhodesian guerrilla leaders in Dar Es Salaam. Tanzania on Saturday appeared disappointed after failing to get support from either the guerrillas or Botha other issues Sen James Abourek I) 1) voted to ratify the first accord, but has threatened to vote against the second accord because of President Carter's reversal on deregulation of natural gas prices And Sen 1 Hayakawa R-Calif said he might vote against the second treaty because of failure to deal Willi worldwide 'Communist aggression Court backs Carter ASHINGTON -l PL The Supreme Court today refused to block President Carter from implementing the Panama Canal treaties while a court ruling is sought on their constitutionality Sixty House members have been trying to establish that the House should vote on the treaties as well as Ihe Senate because under the Constitution the president in.iv not dispose of property without the consent of both houses The two Panama Canal documents which Carter signed on Sept 7 have been handled as treaties requiring approval of the Senate only The Senate already has approved the first one and lakes a final vote Tuesday on Ihe second I Distr.ct Judge Bainngton Parker dismissed Ihe congressmen's suit against Ihe president on Feb 2o and on April the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia also ruled in Carter's favor The congressmen asked Chiel Justice Warren Burger for a special order "prohibiting the president from trail sfernng property of Ihe United States to Panama until their claim could te con sidered by the Supreme Court Burger rejected the request once then turned the matter over to the full court The court's order today simply said the application was denied giv ing no reason Karlier attempts to ohtam Supreme Court action in connection with Ihe treaties have been unsuccessful Five members of Congress and four states recently tried to file a suit directly in the high court, but were rejected They advanced the same argument as the to congressmen On the very day Carter signed the treaties, attorneys general of Indiana Idaho Iowa and Ixtuisiana were un successfully seeking an order to prevent him from doing so DnbriefF clinic (ailed to show up this weekend for his sentence counseling inmates at Madison County Jail State's Attorney Nicholas Byron said he would discuss Ihe case of the Rev Edwin Arentsen today with Circuit Judge Thomas Gibbons to determine what action would be taken Gibbons placed Arentsen on probation but ordered him to visit the jail on 30 con secutive weekends to counsel inmates Arentsen said he would not accept terms of the probation and refused to go to the jail Law under study WASHINGTON (L'Pli The Supreme Court announced today it will examine a Massachusetts law allowing automatic suspension of the operator's license of anv chairman, ice chairman and secretary Committee chairmanships and mem berships will be named by the new chairman at the meeting Other action on the board's agenda in eludes consideration of bids for tax an ticipation warrants, a canvass of the results of the board's April 8 election and hearing a status report on Ihe programs and activities of the Kellogg Foundation project Jfcl PRFTORIA. South Mrica I PI Secretary of Stale Cyrus Vance and hi. British counterpart have failed to per suade powerful South Afrua to throw its full support behind Western plans lor in dependence for Rhodesia and Namibia Vance. British Foreign Secretary David Owen and I Ambassador ndrew Young fly to Salisbury today to lake up the issue with Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith and the three moderate bl.u leaders in his hiracial government They were likely to meet with more resistame in Rhodesia where blai moderates already have vowed to resist guerrilla demands for changes in the drunk driving suspeel refusing to take a breath analy sV test The justices ill hear arguments nexNrm on the Hav Slate appeal of a thr(jiijtge I District Court decision to strikeilowti the law because it does not prov ide a pre suspension hearing Ford hikes prices DETROIT I PI Ford Motor Co todav announced it is raising the sticker price of its Ford Pinto Mustang II and Mercury Bobcat model an average of $sq effective immediately A company official said the average 1 i percent price hike "reflects partial compensation for labor and material cost increase not recovered at introduction Weather Temperature 1 p.m., 58 Central Illinois: Cloudy and warmer with rain and possibly thunderstorms likely tonight, low low or mid 40s Cloudy wih showers ami thunderstorms likely Tuesday high in Mis College board to meet MATTOON Some not so new mem bers will be seated on the Lake Land College board tonight Mary Dobbs and Robert Johnston are both incumbents while the other new'' board member, William Podesta.

formerly served on the board Podesta replaces Tom Donnell. who decided not to seek re-election The board is also expected to elect a new.