Masonry Magazine February 1973 Page. 34
Advertisers Index...
LET THEM KNOW YOU SAW IT IN MASONRY
AA Wire Products Company 8
Anchor Manufacturing Company 31
Clipper Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Norton Construction Products Division 5
Robert G. Evans Company (Target) 19
Felker Operations, Dresser Industries, Inc. 24
Florida & Signal Mountain Cements
General Portland Cement Company 14
Getman Brothers Manufacturing Company 30
Gilson Brothers Company 28
International Masonry Institute 3rd Cover
Mayco Pump Corporation 32
Morgen Manufacturing Company 4th Cover
Oury Engineering Co., Division of Harsco Corp. 28
Owens/Corning Fiberglas Corp. 20-21
Division of Harsco Corp.
Patent Scaffolding Company 6
Thomsen Division, Royal Industries 26
Vet-O-Vitz Masonry Systems 2nd Cover
Western Products 4
This index is published as a convenience to the reader. Every care is taken to make it accurate but masonry assumes no responsibilities for errors or omissions.
Washington Wire
(Continued from page 27)
So Nixon may have a difficult time reaching his goal of only 22% inflation by year-end. In fact, the President will need a lot of luck just to hold the inflation rate below 4%.
A BIG CONTROVERSY IS LOOMING on the issue of welfare aid to strikers. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare has proposed regulations seeking to test the public's reaction to welfare aid for those on strike. HEW is proposing two new regulations-taking both sides of the controversy. One allows states to exclude aid when unemployment resulted from a strike. The other would bar a state from denying welfare to families of strikers.
The Supreme Court forced HEW to act by ruling that the old rules were ambiguous and needed clarification. It said the present rules do not allow states to bar aid to strikers.
HEW DOES NOT KNOW how many families of strikers received aid in '72. Michigan records show that after the strike against General Motors in 1970, the roll of unemployed fathers dropped from 112,000 to 38,000 in one month. Many businessmen have complained loudly about welfare to striking workers. They contend that the help tends to prolong strikes and weaken management.
On the other hand, labor unions will fight hard to keep the welfare aid, arguing their members are entitled to such help.
THE GOVERNMENT MAY SOON MAKE it easier for contractors to work for it. Speedier U.S. contract payments is one suggestion under White House review. Another: exempting small firms from renegotiation to recoup excess profits. New methods of settling government-contract disputes might be tested too. Small-claims boards of contract appeals would be set up throughout the U.S. They would issue rulings on all claims involving amounts less than $25,000. The government could not appeal an adverse decision, but businessmen could.
The government may get out of activities that compete with business. Negotiated sale may be authorized to dispose of government-owned production equipment. More than 400 firms now use $150 million of such equipment in their facilities.
MAJOR BANKING REVISIONS may be proposed by the Nixon Administration. A White House-Treasury task force is in the process of writing legislation. The new proposals are expected to grant new authority to savings and loans such as offering their customers checking accounts and use of credit cards. But S&Ls will have to pay higher taxes to get the benefits under the bill. The objective will be to equalize the tax treatment between S&Ls and banks.
Commercial banks would get some new powers under the measure, too, like paying higher interest rates on savings deposits. But no decision has been made on when to send the legislation to Congress. When it goes up, sharp controversy may develop.
THE WHITE HOUSE MAY ADD consumer credit changes to the banking bill. The legislation would restrict or abolish some credit-collection practices; it would include curbs on garnishment, repossession, and wage assignments. Advance notice to consumers and the right to a hearing may well be required before goods can be repossessed or other action taken for lack of payment.
Further, Congress may add pro-consumer sections to the measure. Some lawmakers would like to kill the "holder in due course" doctrine, requiring payment to a lender even when a retailer fails to give satisfaction. They also want legislation to strengthen the consumer in disputes over billing practices.
INTERNAL REVENUE IS MOVING AGAINST free-wheeling tax-return services. New regulations establish fines, imprisonment, or both for illegal activity such as disclosing or using information on tax returns for other purposes. Preparers now must get the written consent of taxpayers before using data. Disclosures without consent are limited to only a very few circumstances like under a court order or in connection with a grand jury investigation. IRS hopes to encourage many more people to do their own income-tax returns.
Return preparer fees are deductible-resulting in a drain of revenues. Nearly 40 million individual returns were prepared by tax services in 1972, cutting revenue by some $640 million.
IRS WILL STEP UP AUDIT of corporate returns on an industry-wide basis. It just completed a first test of the new system, auditing 19 firms at once. The idea is to cut audit time, reduce duplication, and increase uniformity. The Service has plans to conduct many industry-wide audits simultaneously.
masonry • February, 1973