The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 8 - PLAINDEALER-WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1971 EDITORIALS On American Culture American culture is much maligned, and rightly so. It s unfortunately true>ui.this vast country of so many diverse races and ongins that many of our youngsters today don't really know what they are trying to be, what they should be, what the national ideal, or typical family, is or should be like, how they should act, behave, etc. • In early .America manners, behavior and society were, patterned on the mores and folkways of tiigland, the mother country .And that remained the basic pattern, with strong European influxes from Ireland, Germany, Italy, Scandi­ navia, etc., until the thirties. At that time, as one prominent columnist recently recalled, the wolf whistle and loud­ mouthed ogling of girls, and other showoff or loudmouthed behavior began to be stressed in the movies. And from the thirties until today, the corftmerical movie­ makers and some writers have steadily sold the nation-- o_ today on television even more than in the cinema-a be­ havior pattern almost wholely opposed to that of the found­ ing fathers and, for example, that still prevailing in Europe today. Younger American youth imitate film stars, rock singers, militant heroes, sex symobls, etc., few of whom stress modesty, humble qualities, quiet good manners, etc. The aggressive behavior makes money for film producers, as does crime and violence, but it doesn't provide a proper example for young Americans, who need a decent standard ^ to look to-especially if one is not present in the home. Despite the obsolescence of royal fam i 1 i es and aristo­ cracies, they do provide the common people of other coun­ tries examples to follow in manners, dress, decorum, be­ havior, etc. . Americans have no royal family (thankfully), no accepted standard, in fact And young people, especially if their parents are unknowing enough to follow patterns of behavior in films or on television, too often become ugly Americans, as far as manners and behavior are concerned. One hopes the pendulum swings back, that films one day will again stress good manners, quiet dignity, sincerity and modesty. Forty years of loudmouthed,aggressive heroes and heroines is forty years too much. Supermarket Prices Housewives, husbands and other food buyers will be interested to know that one reason costs at the supermarket are going up sharply is because costs of non-food items are rising faster than food costs. Figures show prices of non-food items jumped about 13 per cent last year. That's about double the rise in foodstuffs. The amount of money spent on paper items, soaps, cleaners, tinfoil, throwaway items, gimmicks and gadgets making clean-up, preparation and cooking easier is astronomical. Fo£_those who like it that way, who are willing to pay almost a every food dollar (22.7 cents) for non-food items, fine. to must save can use less paper, tinfoil, bags, etc., and eat high on the hog. Long Range Security The stability of a national economy may be measured by many means One of the best measures is long range security assurance to the individual citizen Life insurance is one form of long range security. Individuals in the United States own more than a trillion dollars of life insurance. This giant investment in the future is one of the major forces responsible for the progressive growth of the American economy. It is good evidence that the American is basically prudent and that immediate consumer spending rests on a good cushion of assets. ' Ironically, the American insurance business is largely a creature of advertising Although advertising has be$i blamed for causing unnecessary spending it may be credited with stimulating organized savings and financial security programs of fantastic scope Since the turn of the century, insurance companies have been among the largest and most consistent of advertisers. Insurance advertising has more than kept pace with the increase in percapita income Even non-profit insurance programs are advertised ex­ tensively In recent years local agencies have learned that the least ex­ pensive step to a final sales is consistent newspaper advertising. Insurance companies, investment brokers, banks and savings associations use advertising just as a retailer does. The consumer rfeeds information on how to save just as he does on how to spend. Exit December & 1971 The last half of December brings us winter, at 7:24 in the morning on the 22nd, the shortest days and longest nights of the year, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Eve. among other memorable dates. The anniversary of the Battle of Trenton falls on the 26th, dating from 1776. It was the turning point of the Rev­ olution Washington gathered his men together Christmas night, seeretlv ferried them across the Delaware River at Taylorsville and surprised a British force of some 1500 men (mainly Hessians) on the morning of the 26th, reaching picket lines just outside Trenton before his force was dis­ covered. ^ Woodrow Wilson, 28thPresident and son of a Presbyterian clergyman, \vas bom at Staunton, Virginia,on the 28th in 1856. (South Carolina in 1928 made the anniversary a holi­ day, which few still observe.) Andrew Johnson, 17th President, was bom on the 29th ^ln 1808,at Raleigh, North Carolina, but moved to Tennessee at the age of eighteen. Though he was the only President Congress tried to impeach, historians have been kind to him; the emotional, vindictive effort to impeach him failed, in 1868, by one vote. Bv that slender margin the presi­ dential power and arm of American government was saved from destruction. Johnson, who had succeeded Lincoln at his death, be- li-eved, like Lincoln, that the Southern States had never left the Union, thereby making it easier for them to resume their former roles. But as a Tennessean, he was suspect and many of his vetoes were overridden by a victorious, vindictive Congress. -- '-c77-- "«!•* A--V* One giant flight for mankind SOCIAL SECURITY By John K. Watkins, FIEL I) R KI»R ESENTATIVE Today's questions are ones frequently being ask­ ed of our representatives by the people of McHenry county. The Social Secur­ ity office at 250(1 Grand avenue, Waukegan, re­ minds Mc Henry county residents that it has repre­ sentatives meeting people at two locations in McIIen- ry county on a regular ba­ sis, The representatives are at the Woodstock Pub­ lic Library, 414 \V. Judd, Woodstock every Wednes­ day from 9 a.m. to noon and at the Harvard city hall from 9:30 a.m. to noon on the first and third Tues­ day every month. If you have a question you would like answered on Social Se­ curity in this column, then please forward it to Social Security Administration Question and Answer Col­ umn, 2500 Grand avenue, Waukegan, Illinois, 60085. Give your full name, ad­ dress, and Social Security number. If you do not want your name to appear, please indicate this and we will use oniv intitials. A million people--students, housewives, and others--will work in holiday jobs in department stores and elsewhere to earn some extra yuletide money this season. Most of them will also be building up their protection under Social Security, ac­ cording to Social Security officials. -i "If your holiday job is covered by Social SecurityV and most jobs are -you'll get Social Security for 3 months' work if you earn $50 or more in the October-December period," a Social Security spokesman said. "This is true even though all your earnings come in December." Work credits build eligibility for Social Security disability, survivors, and retirement benefits and for Medicare coverage at 65, he explained. "Credits earned in holiday jobs cap be particularly im­ portant to young people," the spokesman said. "For example, a young person who becomes disabled may need credit for as little as \Vz years of work under Social Security to be eligible for monthly checks. Creidt for 3 months of work because of a holiday job can be a big help." Social security now pays $279 million a month to almost 2.8 million disabled workers and their families. Work credit also builds eligibility for monthly benefits for the families of young workers who die prematurely. Social Security pays $672 million a month in survivors benefits to almost 6.6 million children, widows, and other survivors of deceased workers, the spokesman said. Holiday workers should have a Social Security card, he noted. "Be sure you show your card to your employer so your earnings can be credited to your Social Security number," he said. "For more information, call or visit any Social Security office," the spokesman said. Question: I have a friend who is badly disabled, but he won't apply for disability benefits because he hopes to get back to work within a year or two. Is he doing the right thing? P.M. - Woodstock Answer: Definitely not. In the first place, the law is written to encourage disability beneficiaries to go back to work whenever possible. We pay benefits for at least the first three months they are working and in some cases, for the first nine months of work. Secondly, many people who receive disability benefits are expected to recover and return to work. A person does not have to be permanently disabled. It must appear that he or she will be unable to work for a period of 12 months or longer. Question: Can a disabled veteran also collect Social Security disability benefits? T.C.- Woodstock "Answer: If the veteran has enough coverage by Social Security and has an im­ pairment severe enough to prevent him from engaging in any substantial gainful ac­ tivity, he could be eligible for both types of benefit payments. MEDICARE DEADLINE Dec. 31, 1971, is the deadline for filing Medicare claims for medical services received from Oct. 1, 1969, through Sept. 30, 1970, according to social security officials here. "The law sets this deadline for paying medical insurance claims," a social security spokesman said. "It applies to medical supplies covered by Medicare as well as services." Claims are filed on "Request for Medicare Payment" forms available at most doctors' offices and at any social security office. "After the form is filled out, it should be sent to your local Medicare carrier," the spokesman said. To avoid djelay in payment, Medicare patients should file claims promptly after they get their doctor bills, he said. Medical insurance is the voluntary part of Medicare that helps pay for doctor bills and other health care services and supplies for almost everyone over 65. It is funded by in­ dividual premiums that are matched by the Federal Government. It is administered by the Social Security Ad ministration of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. For Your Information Hearts may break from suffering, uncertainty, sorrow, sin. . . . God's Word Heals Broken Hearts Hear it every day when you DIAL-A-DEV0TI0N 3858729 We must admit we feel more optimistic about the ^New Year. We sense a new spiritual awakening in the land. Our youth, for all the consternation they cause us, are basically motivated by a desire to preserve this old earth, and to serve their fellowmen. This is good - and from our hearts we can wish you all a Happy New Year. Sincerely, McHenry , I l l i no i s PETER M.JLSTEN & SON FUNERAL HOME '< 385-0063 Question: My regular em­ ployer deducted Social Security contributions from my pay until my earnings reached $7,800. I also worked part time for another company and they withheld Social Security contributions on the $3,000 I earned with them. Since I paid the maximum contributions in my regular job, was my part- time employer correct in taking Social Security con­ tributions out of my pay? B.C.-Woodstock Answer: Yes. Each of your employers must withhold Social Security contributions on the first $7,800 paid you in a year. However, you can claim the excess Social Security contribution you paid as a credit against your income tax or as a refund at the time you file your federal income tax return. Economic Questions Stabilization Answers glin,wMi DAUAHI ***• nWuflUo PUBLIC PULSE (The Plaindealer invites the public to use this col­ umn as an expression of their views on subjects of general interest in our community. Our only re- qiiest is that writers lim­ it themselves to 300 words or less - signature, full address \and phone num­ ber. We a^k too, that one individual not write on the saipe subject more than once each month. We re­ serve the right to delete any material which we consider libelous or in ob- jectional taste.) "Editor: "Another letter ending the year of 1971 with a few suggestions from an old timer for the younger generation to think about. We of the old school have seen charges that made life easier for all of us that we never had. "Those days we had no higher education -- just education for whatever we felt we could do best. And for that kind of an education, according to what we have, it looks like we did a pretty good job. "Among these things we are blessed with are radio and television for which we don't even have to read, only listen, and besides the news media we would not even know about. "So starting the year of 19711 would like to suggest a few changes that may or may not This column of questions and answers on the President's E c o n o m i c S t a b i l i z a t i o n Program is provided by the local office of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and is published as a public service. The column answers questions most frequently asked about wages and prices. Q. Are increases in pay resulting from promotions excluded from the 5.5 percent limitation set by the Pay board? A. Bonafide promotions are excluded from the 5.5 percent annual aggregate limitation, since remuneration goes with the job, not the man. Q. May a retailer who does not have the required display of base prices in his store raise his price? A. No. The Price commission specifically requires the retailer to prominently display the base price of either those 40 items in each department which have the highest dollar sales volume or those items which amount to 50 percent of total dollar sales for the department, whichever is less. These displays must be posted on or before Jan. 1,1372. and no price increases are allowed until they are posted. Q. How does a citizen or a firm obtain information\pr a ruling with respect to\the e c o n o m i c s t a b i l i z a t i o n regulations issued during the post-freeze period? A. The Internal Revenue Service will answer inquiries and issue ruling regarding the stabilization program, There are more than 360 IRS offices throughout the country where be good, but at least good for most of us. "One is the weather. If it is all governed by a computer it is time we go back to the good old fashioned use of the human brain and maybe a few more jobs could also be made from the idea. For under this, whatever it is, is very inac­ curate. "Politics: It never had so much accusations from both parties where there is no test of right or wrong. "A woman takes the law into her own hands to decide if she will or will not kill her husband. She decides she will and she and some officers of the law confer and she decides she will call it manslaughter so she can plead guilty. "What kind of law is that? In my opinion who does she know who decides in advance who should label what she did. She killed and for that act it is murder. Think this over. And then read the different cases that we have every week coming up and the different settlements. We see the fines nolle prossed for the same charges as fines were made with different names. This, too, is a blessing from the news media. "These, then, are some of the many things we should think about and maybe in the year of 1973, if I am still here, and with our politicians telling the truth about different things that concern us, there will be a big improvement. "Nettie Sarley "Lakemoor" inquiries and complaints can be made. Requests for rulings and for exemptions or exceptions to stabilization regulations should be in writing and directed to the IRS district office in the area where you live or work. There is at least one IRS district office in every state. Q. What court action can be taken against an individual or firm that violates a provision of the economic stabilization program? A. The Justice department may seek a civil injunction to stop persons from raising prices, wages or rents higher than^js permitted. Failure to comply with the injunction would place the violator in contempt of court and subject to civil penalites. In addition, the Economic Stabilization Act provides that upon conviction for a willful violation, a person may be subject to a fine of $5,000 for each violation. Q. What businesses are subject to prenotification and reporting of their price in­ creases? A. Firms with annual sales or revenues of $100 million or more are subject to pre­ notification and renorting. In general, these firms must notify the Price commission in advance and obtain approval of proposed price increases. In addition, they must file quarterly reports with the Price commission. Firms with annual sales or revenues between $50 million and $100 million must file quarterly reports with the Price com­ mission, but they do not need to obtain advance approval of price increases. Forms for prenotifiers and reporters are available at the local offices of the Internal Revenue Service. Q. What wage and salary adjustments must be prenotified and approved and what are those that need only be reported? A. Wage and salary ad­ justments which affect 5,000 or more employees, and all wage and salary adjustments for employees in construction must be prenotified and approved by the Pay board before they are made effective. Wage and salary ad­ justments which affect from 1,000 to 5,000 employees must be reported to the Pay board. For this group no prenotification is necessary. .off*51 VENTILATING FANS You need to inspect and maintain your ventilating fans to keep the performing properly. Cleaning and lubrication are the major maintenance items. Don't forget the thermostat when you do your cleaning job. OPTOMETRIST Dr. John F.Kelly At 1224 Green St *eet Mc Henry (C losed Wednesdc.' ) Eyes examined .. Glasses fitted ( ontact Lense? Hrs: Daily 9:30 a.m. t<* 5 p.m. Friday Evenings - 8: j0 p.m. Evenings by appointment PHONE 385-0452 Dr. Leonard Bottari Eyes Examined - Contact Lens Glasses f itted 1303 N. Richmond Road Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs.and Fri. 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tues., Thurs., & Fri E>e. 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Sat.: 9:30 to 3:00 p.m. No Hours on Wednesday PHONE 385-4151 If No Answer...Phone 385-2262 OFFICE EQUIPMENT ^¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥* iV fc i fenry Co iU l ty Arc You New III S Office Machines McHenry Area 5 Do You Know Someone New? WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A ROYAL WELCOME TO EVERY NEWCOMER TO OUR AREA ! ! ! ! K I t <1 I " I I K • r * i 1 1 r 1 ' 1 1 -1 •1 <1 1 r 1 t 1 t 1 t 1 ( i t 1 1 \ < * - i c ( ' ( K N O W Y O U R N E W A R E A - R O Y A L W E L C O M E D O E S I T B E S T - 1 i » » ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ < * CALL JOAN STULL 385-5418 FRAN OLSEN 385-5740 Sales-Service & Rentals Typewriters - Adders Calculators Mon.-.Sat. 9:00-5:30 Friday 'til 9 p.m. PHONE 459 1226 93 Grant St., Cyrstal Lake, 111. LETTER SERVICE Mimeographing - Typing Addressing - Mailing Lists McHenry Letter Service 3509 W. Peorl St. Mc Henry PHONE 385-5064 Monday through ~ Saturday. INSURANCE Earl R. Walsh & Jack Walsh Fire, Auto, Farm & Life Representing RELIABLE COMPANIES When You Nsed Insurance ot Any Kind PHONE 385-3300 3429 W. Elm St., McHenry, 111. George L. Thompson General Insurance "LIFE *AUTO "HEALTH "FIRE •CASUALTY "BOAT Phone 815-385-1066 3812 W. Elm St., McHenry In McHenry Plaindealer Bldg. Dennis Conway AUTO, LIFE, FIRE STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANY 3315 W. Elm St. McHenry, Illinois Phone 385-5285 or 385-7111 put want ads TO WORK FOR YOU FOR FAST RESULTS j PHONE " 385-0170 S