THE MICHIGAN DAILY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1967 TdEMCIA AL RDY OEBR1.T~ t " " v 7 ..v.,aruav auy 11T6 i F Welfare Bi WASHINGTON (R) - A Social Security bill that would raise benefits by 15 per cent cleared the Senate Finance Committee yesterday and headed for a floor fight, probably next week. Republicans charged the higher benefit payments would be put into effect before next year's na- tional elections but an increase in the payroll tax rate would be delayed until two months after the November voting. They said that when the bill comes up in the Senate they will try to replace it with a measure like the one the House has passed. This would raise benefits by 121 / per cent. Party Voting The Senate committee bill, ap- proved by a straight party-line vote of 11 Democrats to 6 Repub- licans, would continue the present payroll tax rate of 4.4 per cent on employe and employer through il Heads for Senate 1968, but would extend the tax- able wage base from $6,600 to $8,000 effective Jan. 1. This would mean that an em- ploye earning $8,000 or more would be subjected to maximum Social Security deductions of $352 next year, with an equal amount being paid by his employer. The present maximum is $290.40. The proposed increase of $61.60 figures out to $5.13 a month. Starting in 1969( the Senate bill would raise the tax rate to 4.8 per cent and increase the wage base to $8,800. Further increases are provided for future years. Begin in March The higher benefit payments w o u 1 d become effective next March, and would be included in checks mailed out the first of April. Besides a 15 per cent increase in benefit levels, the bill would raise the minimum payment from the present $44 a month to $70,j an increase of 59 per cent. The House bill, passed last August, would raise the minimum payment to $50. The House also voted to leave the payroll tax rate at 4.4 per cent in 1968 and to hold the boost in the wage base to $7,600. Both Senate and House bills would permit Social Security retirement beneficiaries to receive up to $1,680 in earnings next year and up to $2,000 starting in 1969. The present limit is $1,500. Chairman Russell B. Long (D- La.) said the Senate committee bill would increase cash benefits pai dout under Social Security next year by $3.6 billion, or $700 million more than would be pro- vided under the House bill. In 1969, when the legislation would become fully effective, Long said the Senate bill would provide $6 billion in new or added bene- fits to 251/2 million Americans. Necessary Measure Terming this the biggest in- creases in Social Security history, Long said it is necessary both be- cause of inflationary pressures and to take a great many people off public welfare rolls. The Republican opposition spokesman was Sen. John J. Wil- liams of Delaware, senior GOP member of the committee. He pointed to the possible political; implications in next year's elec- tion campaign and said the meas- ure is irresponsibly financed. 'BILLION-DOLLAR'POTENTIAL: Revolutionary Cigarette Filter Causes Dispute at Columbia NEW YORK (A')-An innocent- looking white granular substance has rocked one of the nation's big- gest industries, sent businessmen and scientists scurrying back and forth across the Atlantic, engaged the interest of a senate committee and caused behind-the-scenes con- troversy at a great university. The substance is the material used in what is now known as the "Strickman filter," named for its inventor, Robert Strickman, who has signed over most of the rights to Columbia University. Its poten- tial commercial value is estimated in the billions. The Strickman filter reputedly takes more tar, nicotine and other harmful substances out of cigarette smoke than any filter so far de- vised. That it is not universally hailed as a boon to mankind may be because no one can yet answer such questions as: Will a more ef- fective filter just lull people into smoking, or smoking more. Will it hurt the campaign by the govern- ment and private groups such as the American Cancer Society to convince the public, and young- sters in particular, that the only way to avoid the dangers of smok- ing is not to smoke at all. But while Strickman's closest as- ] / w l sociate, William Suitt, announces that "pilot" machinery for making the filters will be ready for the tobacco industry to view in Decem- ber, Columbia is reiterating that itj will do a great deal more testing1 on the filter before the university1 even thinks of licensing tobaccoI I firms to use it. Columbia was far less cagey last July when Dr. Grayson Kirk, the university's president, told a jam- med news conference that the in- stitution would set up a corpora- tion to license the filter and pro- vide a safer cigarette because "people are going to smoke any- way." Profit Motive Columbia's interest admittedly was also the half-share of profits it could expect to get from produc- tion of the filter, a share esti- mated at some $100 million a year. The university said it would use the money for medical research, particularly on cancer. And although Columbia said it would insists its name not be used commercially in connection with sale of cigarettes with the Strick- man filter, Kirk said one reason for accepting Strickman's offer was that "through the association with the university we would be able to encourage use of it." A spokesman for Columbia an- nounced on Aug. 23 that the uni- versity was negotiating with a dozen tobacco companies for use of the filter. But the next day Kirk was tell- ing Sen. Warren Magnuson (D- Wash.), at a hearing of the sen- ator's Commerce subcommittee in- vestigating progress toward safter cigarettes, that Columbia was con- tinuing and expanding its testing program on the filter and indi- cated it could take years. Last month, Kirk privately wrote Magnuson to assure him that the university's position had not changed, and that Columbia was as concerned as the senator about public statements from Strickman associates indicating the filter would be on the market soon. The letter to Magnuson, dis- closed this week, quoted a letter to an attorney for the Strickman group warning that unles public Statements stopped, "the univer- sity will feel obligated to issue de- tailed retractions of the claims being made by your client." Statements The statements that have anger- ed Columbia include these: --That a German firm, Hauni Werke Koerber and Co. K. G. of Hamburg, was well into a $250,000 program of developing machinery that could be sold to tobacco firms wishing to use the Strickman filter. -That all conceivable tests had been made and had proved the filter far more effective than any in use. -That talks were under way with a London firm that also wanted to produce the machinery. -That only minor technical problems of the sort to be ex- pected in such a new project must be ironed out before filter produc- tion begins, and the filter could be on the market by late next sum- mer. Born to Greatness! Eff I 1 Goddard Calls for Education Program on Drug Dangers s A Rare, indeed, is the quality so immediately recognized in this superb shoe. Made by New England craftsmen in the finest tradi- tion. Truly, footwear such as this is born to greatness! J I i VAN BOVEN SHOES 17 Nickels Arcade PRESENTS THE Berlln er, Camera ta Musicale MON., NOV. 13, 8:30 IN RACKHAM AUDITORIUM Program Quartet in G major for Oboe and String Trio ......J. B. Vanhall Trio in B major for Strings...................Franz Schubet Quatet in D major for Flute, Oboe, Viola and Cello . . J. C. Bach Quintet for Berliner Camerata Musicale (Flute, Oboe and Strings) ......Max Baumann Quartet in D major for Flute and String Trio ..........Mozart TICKETS: $5.00-$4.00-$2.00 oa University Musical Society, Burton Tower Hours: Mon. thru Fri. 9 to 4:30; Sat. 9 to 12 (Telephone 665-3717) (also at Rackhom Aud., 1/2 hours preceeding performances) WASHINGTON (A)-Dr. James L. Goddard, drug administration commissioner, reiterated yester- day the need for a widespread educational program to alert young people to the dangers of using drugs, especially marijuana. Goddard said the use of mari- juana has grown so rapidly in the United States "that none of us in government, 4n medicine, or the legal profession has been able to counter it effectively." 3 Million Smokers He estimated that between 400,000 and 3 million persons a year currently use or try it at least once. He said 20 million persons have tried it at least once. Goddard said statistics on the use of marijuana are based primarily on arrests. He used California figures in testimony to a Senate Small Business Subcom- mittee, saying: -28,319 adults were arrested in California during 1966 for using drugs, the highest figure to date and 32 per cent more than 1965. Marijuana abuse represented half of those arrests. -3,869 juveniles were arrested in 1966 for marijuana abuse, com- pared to 1,623 in 1965 - an in- crease of 140 per cent. Similar Increases Goddard told the subcommittee he used California as an example because the state's figures are the most complete. He said the rate of increase is probably similar elsevwhere in the country. Goddard said he can't explain te increasing use of drugs, es- pecially among young people. "It is very dangerous to hy- pothesize. We don't have any real reasons why it is used, we can only speculate," he said. "It may be because this ,has become the thing to do . . . a way to flaunt society. "It is also held by the hippie subculture that certain drugs will help you understand yourself better, whatever that means. "And maybe because the drugs have become more widely avail- able today perhaps." Goddard said the federal gov- ernment - in cooperation with private groups and schools - has launched an educational cam- paign on the dangers of drug use. Educational Fundamental "Education is fundamental to any control program. We want young people to develop a respect for drugs and we think that through this kind of effort, we can have an impact over the long run," he said. Goddard suggested that Con- gress review the penalties for possession of marijuana in light of enforcement experience and the results of drug research. He said inconsistencies hamper en- forcement. Goddard said also he does not and never has advocated legaliza- tion of marijuana use. "Rather, I have raised the ques- tion of the severity of the penal- ties attached to possession of marijuana and I suggest that the Congress might also wish to re- view these penalties," he said. *i I Now, MISS J IN BLACK VELVET DASHED WITH WHITE.,.. I I I 1 Ladies Department Sale-Friday & Saturday " . ruffles and satin banding soften the dark lustre of posh rayon velvet, and lend a romantic air to flings after-five. A. Satin banded shirt. dress..3P-13P sizes. B. Skimmer frothed with cotton lace. 5.13 sizes. 30.00 Jacoson, GARGOYLE WRITERS MEETING 8 P.M. Sun., Nov. 12 Gargoyle Office Student Publications Bldg. ,w 4 a::w le'l 62m Since 1927 ... includes much of the sportswear from our inventory of imported and domestic merchandise. ... among the items included in this unusual two-day sale are: fall o Ladies suits 4l A and topcoats COMING SOON (you should live so long) A Jewish Style DELICATESSEN- THE Ebr I * Skirts and jumpers * Sweaters * Blouses and shirts * Raincoats 1 1. 1 I ,ll II