MEDFORD MAIL TRIBl'NE, MEDFORD. OREGON
THURSDAY. OCTOBER U. 1K3
Religion in America
Exemption of Taxes Enjoyed by
Churches Topic of Controversy
By KUBtKT M. ANDREWS , s t a m d s for Drofit. Other
Lmted Press International churches, or their organiza
In California a man can tions, own hotels, big-city office
grow a beard, get a private re-1 buildings, radio and television
ligion, build a chapel and oper-1 stations, sports stadiums, de
ate a business with a 52 per partment stores and industrial
cent advantage." 'plants. One religious order, be-
So complains an unnamed cause of its tax-free status,
churchman about the liberal I owned a television station that
tax exemptions that American
churches traditionally have en
joyed, especially in business en
terprises that have little or
nothing to do with religion. '
His troubled view is ex
pressed in a thorough study of
the controversial issue, just
published by the National Con
ference of Christians and Jews.
The author is Andrew D. Tan
ner, a Nashville, Tenn., lawyer
and authority on tax exemption
litigation.
Tanner cites others leading
clergymen and laymen alike
who express uneasiness over
the church's special position in
the tax laws.
According to Tanner's report,
the most widespread source of
criticism is the way churches
have entered competitive, profit-making
businesses without
having to pay the 52 per cent
corporation tax on gross in
come. Laundries To Hotels
Tanner cites these as "some
typical operations" :
One New Hampshire church
operates a laundry. A major
denomination's pi inling house,
while grinding out tracts and
Sunday School lessons, also
prints supermarket trading
sells advertising time 10 per
cent cheaper than its chief
competition.
Since 1950. all income oi a
pay a reasonable amount for
municipal services such as po
lice and fire protection.
And, "in view of the attitude
of most church leaders,"
churches should be required to
start paying taxes now on busi
ness enterprises unrelated to
religious activities. Tanner
said. The same, he added.
snouw apply to church proper,
ty not used exclusively for re-
Italian Hamlet Is Watched in Study By Massachusetts
church or association of 'je' Purpose. ;. such as meet-1 south near the toe of the I.al-
churches has been tax exempt.
whether its source is "related
to religion or not, although
most of it supports missionary
and welfare work. Other char
itable and educational organiza
tions must pay taxes on "sub
stantially unrelated trade or
business activity."
Church And State
Arguments for and against
removing or modifying tax ex
emptions go to the heart of the
thorny issue of the separation
of church and state.
Those in favor say a tax ex
emption is a subsidy as real as
if the government made a cash
gift equal to forgiven taxes.
Those against argue that
churches should not be taxed
because "the power to tax is
the power to control."
Tanner himself sides with the
view that "tax exemption is
necessary to maintain a free
church in a free state" and
that "any change should be
slow and gradual."
As a start, he suggested that
churches might volunteer to
ing halls
groups.
rented to outside
STEFANACONI, Italv (UPI)ibeen losing population in recent! about the village and question-
Few people who live here are j years and that, for more than ing farmhands. They all think
aware of it, but everything of . one reason, is why it is getting , he's just seeking diversion from
consequence that happens in ' so much attention in Massachu- the cares of a professorial lite,
their little hamlet is watched j setts. i But Lopreato is gathering re-
and tabulated thousands of I Among those who left here search material on his home
miles away in classrooms were a couple named Loprea- town and he already has pub
at the University of Massachu-' to. whose 15-year-old son Joseph ; lished a number of articles
grew up to De a sociology pro-1 aixiiu it in sociological journals,
fessor at the University of Stefanaconi has been uiuii'ifio
Massachusetls. After coming ing some import changes since
back here on a vacation one
year, he selected Stefanaconi as
a typical town for studying un
derdevelopment in the Mediter
ranean area.
Flays Cards
When he comes here now, he
spends long hours playing cards
with the villagers, talking with
setts.
Students and professors at the
University know which families
own television sets, which ones
farm and which own shops, how
much money is in the local
banks and what the mayor is
planning to do next week.
Stefanaconi is a village of
less than 2,500 population down
tan boot,
places in
It is one of many
the south that have
uncounted number of motor-1 grants were still listed as resi-
scooters. At the village come-1 dents.
tery, families build marble cha- j Lopreato says people leave
pels that cost as much as a not merely to escape poverty
medium-priced Italian car. but also to get away from the
Instead of the usual southern j strict and often stifling social
diet of bread and onions, peo-1 conventions of the south, which
pie eat meat now at least once are little cnanged trom tne Mid
a week, and pasta two or three idle Ages and impose particular
ly
Lopreato began studying it
It used to have only a clay
road running through it. muddy
in winter and dusty in sum
mer. Now it has a well-kept,
asphalt-paved highway.
Television antennae are
sprouting from rooftops. Where
there were only three cars be
times.
People Flee
Despite these outward
signi
severe toboos on women.
The explanation for the new
found prosperity of the village,
of prosperity, people continue to I Lopreato says, is that the emi
flee to the industrial north or grants arc sending money back
to other countries, and half the j to members of their family who
childhood friends, walking I fore, there are now 30 and an
farmland around the village l'cs
idle.
In 1951 Slafanaconi had 3.155
residents. Ten vears later it
had 2.500 officially, but in fact
even loss because many emi-
stayed at home,
The townspeople once used
this money to pay off debts
and buy land. Now they have
lost faith in the land, which
never did produce much any
way, and are either saving for
old age or buying the symbols
of good living.
Their way of life is changing
in almost every respect. A few
years ago there were only five
small shops in the village be
cause it was a matter of self
respect to the villagers to live
entirely off whatever they could
produce themselves. Now there
are 11 shops, and people go to
market even to buy their onions.
A modern jet engine for high
speed aircraft uses more than
a ton of nickel in its construction.
Ice Age May Be Cause
For Birds' Migration
You Can Count on Us . . . Quality Costs No More at Sears
OM
Li
I
,Bv JAMES V. IIEALION
SHARON, Conn. (UPI) Na
ture's great winged exodus is
under way and once again the
mass migration will baffle man
as it has since time began.
The rush comes with the
rustle of autumn when literally
millions of birds leave their
s -mmer homes for more hos
pi'able climes.
The avian tide sweeps south
via seven aerial highways in the
United States. It usually reaches
its peak around the end of Sep
tember. Great droves of shore birds
ride sea breezes along the east
ern and western rims of Ameri
ca to the green pampas of Ar
g ntina.
The hawk soars down the Ap
palachian flyway as the routes
arc called while immense duck
formations streak over the Mis
sissippi valley. Still others fly
cross-country from west to east
to bask in the warmth of the
Gulf States.
The grasslands of the Great
plains weave to the wingbeat of
birds darting south via that fly
way as others push through the
mountain passes of California's
Sierra Nevada.
Ornithologists estimate that
only 15 per cent of the world's
birds log round trips each year
while others such as bluejays,
sailing and goldfinch as "per
manent residents" in their
range.
Travel at Night
Some of the feathered com
muters travel at night. It's
thought they seek protection
from their enemies and are
guided by the stars.
Certain species move during
the day, depending on endur
a n c e and feeding preference.
Some skim over the ocean's sur
face and some have been known
to fly as high as 20.000 feet.
Some fly non-stop. The
Golden Plover is said to fly
2.400 miles at a clip when it
slips down from its Arctic fast
ness. Ducks and geese log up to 500
miles in 24 hours and, at jour
neys end, their total flight
sometimes runs to 3,000 miles.
The marathon title is held by
the Arctic tern. This little bird
South America, a round-trip of
25,000 miles. j
The outriders of the autum-;
nal exodus are Canadian geese
whose V-formation and raucous
honking herald their flight.
While prey and predator flock
the flyways there are no great
number of casualties. The
stronger birds stoke up for the
trip by eating more food than
usual and aren't likely to inter
cept their less sturdy traveling
companions.
Scan Skies
The skies are being scanned
by ornithologists and bird -watchers
across the nation these
days.
In the East, Hawk mountain,
near Kempton, Pa., is a favored
observation point as is Cape
May, N. J. Stanley Quickmire,
director of the National Audu
bon center at Sharon, Conn.,
says great numbers of birds
sometimes collect at Cape May
point.
If the winds aren't just right,
the birds wait there before
crossing Delaware bay. Quick
mire said instinct tells them
they may be blown out to sea
if they move against the wind.
There are numerous other
vantage points in the general
vicinities of the seven flyways
some of which are sanctuaries
maintained by the National
Wildlife service.
Still, the migrations remain a
mystery. Ornithologists have
never been able to figure out
exactly what causes the birds
to sweep south.
Another factor that seems to
elude the experts is the birds'
unerring use of the flyways
which shuttle them back and
forth.
Some say the flights are trig
ered by a kind of built-in radar
that responds to climatic change.
They say the onslaught of ice
formations in the age of the
cave man touched off the flights
and they became hereditary.
f if V-
5-pc.
Round
Dining Set
20 TO 30
Sears Price
129
Check Sears
Prices First!
11 x touches
gMqued br
ed legs.
1
Friendly gather-around
set, crafted to endure in
solid hardwood. Authen
tic Americana style
touches include anti-
brown finish, turn-
saddle seat. 42-
table, 12-in. leaf.
Colonial Styled Sofa
Rich Maple
Trim
Sears Price
Plume oolyurethane foam pillow back and seat cushion. Sagless
spring construction. Rayon and cotton tweed with zipper cushion.
Matching chair $109.95.
AUTHENTICALLY
Styled Colonial
Swivel
t,M
7 t Nt S
Select Continuous Filament
Nylon or
100 Nylon Plush Pile Carpet
Regular to 7.98
Save 25, or over $80
on 40 Sq. Yds.
Choice of 3 styles and
Excellent resiliency and
exceptional resistance to
soiling
Non-atlorgcnic, mildow
resistant, Amazingly
durable
Sq. Yd.
DuPont 501 "N" Nylon,
All Wool or 100
Acrilan Pile
BEEF f)IVISIO
MOSCOW, Idaho (UPI)-The
University of Idaho offers this
quick guide to the meat yield
from a beef carcass: One fourth
steak, one fourth roasts, one
sleeps across the Atlantic to lounn ground meat ana siew
E.irope. skirts the African coast meat, one fourth waste, bones
to Antarctica and swings over I and fat.
Dennis the Menace
mmi m,
Rocker
Sears Price
mm -
at v tt
A special chair all your own to
sit back in and relax. The seat
and back are comfortably pad
ded, seat cushion is reversiblel
Attractive tweed cover in choice
of colors with kick pleat.
Try Sears Revolving Charge
Account
Never
Before A
Sale
Selection
like This
-1 W tX r V
VJ L .v
1
4 1 r3
x -,
NO MONEY DOWN
ON SEARS EASY PAYMENT
Regular to 9.50
Save 21 Or over $82
On 40 Sq. Yds.
Choice of 4 styles and
21 colors
Carpet to give outstand
ing performance in
distinctive designs
Resists soiling, pile
crushing, is mothproofed.
Sq. Yd.
Best Axminster, SO Wool
and 20 Nylon or
Top Quality All Wool Pile . . .
Sanitized!
Reg. to 13.38
Sav 30 or Over
$168 on 40 Sq. Yds.
Choice of 2 styles in
13 colors
Handsome carp ets
designed for wall-to-wjII
in any decor
Pile is crush resist
ant, soil resistant,
moth proofed and
will give years o f
service.
: A '
Sq. Yd.
hi id 'I
n
eft
n4
Silvcrtone TV In Slim
Danish-Style Lowboy
Big 23-in. overall diagonal screen, 282-sq. in.
viewing area. Bonded picture tube reduces reflec
tions, seals-out dust. Walnut-finished lowboy
cabinets.
Other A low
As $449
Ehm:) : lilt
iJEf
Silvertone All-Channel
Color TV Consoles
Amazing low price for color TV with big 21
inch overall diagonal, 261-sq. in. screen. Walnut
or mahogany finished cabinet. Twin speakers.
Easy-to-use 2-knob color controls.
Set can pick up Channels 2-8-4
AUTOMATIC BLANKET
Be ready for those
cold nights with an
easy to care for au
tomatic b I a n ket.
This is a blend of
rayon and cotton,
giving warmth
without weight.
Machine washable
and dryable. 5-in.
nylon binding
guaranteed for the
life of the blanket.
Buy Now and
Charge on Sears
Revolving Charge
TWIN SIZE
Full Size
1
lw Dual Control
2-Year Guarantee
'88
STOCK UP NOW AT SEARS FOR YOUR NEEDS
'ttiK.THev CAU itmv Raw. Sur S w ctxi .
Shop at Sears and Save
Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back
SEARS
501 Medford Shopping Center
PHONE 773-6661
FREE PARKING
STORE HOURS
TUES., WED., THURS., SAT. MON., FRI.
9:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. 9:30 A.M. to 9 P.M.
)9
' and
, cor-
they
I side
isfcr;
i. 12
:oins)
ts (or
to
Mail
. P.O.
ation,
lainly
TSRN
n our
Kraft
ng to
, em
d 25c
down
p for
t has
vei,
issei"
ze If
ibric.
s fof
s for
jceial
St.,
.alnly
SUE
50c
new
:alog,
Send
A
the
I Air.
of
units
to
liters
Ingle
teres
(arm
west
by
i. of
Tient
com-
ibout
cond
o
o o
O o
O
o
o
o