Show l ti t t p A 4 t. t WASHINGTON NOTES Items terns From Our Nations Nation's Capitol HIGHWAY FUND CURB Louis S. S Rothchild Under Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- of Commerce for Transportation Transportation Trans Trans- has recommended that trust fund appropriations appropriation for regular Federal aid highways be held to annually annual annual- ly beginning In fiscal year 1961 The trust fund is created from revenues on gasoline lubricants tires and tubes and other Items Itans and is earmarked exclusively for highway work Including the interstate system AIR MR FORCE PICKS RCA The Air Force has chosen the Radio Corporation of America as contractor for a system to detect enemy ballistic ball missiles Eventual cost of the system is estimated at The system will make use of newly developed radar that can see for miles It would Include at least three detection centers one or more of 01 them out of this country STIFFER LAW BACKED The Senate Finance Committee Commit Commit- tee recently approved a bill to Impose tough new penalties on employers who fall lall to pay the Government the Income and social social social so so- cial security taxes they withhold withhold withhold with with- hold from their employees It also approved a measure to prevent windfall refunds of alcohol and tobacco taxes held to be unconstitutional after they had been collected Both measures already have been passed by the ithe House of Representatives US U.S. USSR EXCHANGE CHANGE Agreements for expanded cultural cultural cul cul- cul- cul tural technical and scientific exchanges have been worked out in negotiations since October October Oct Oct- ober 28 between United States Ambassador William S S. S B B. B Lacy and Soviet Ambassador Georgi GeorgiN N N. N But Moscow has not yet given given given en Mr authorization to sign and the State Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment is awaiting the approval that would go far toward breakIng breaking breaking break break- ing down the Iron Curtain NEW FARM PROPOSALS A new formula for price farm-price supports has been proposed by bythe bythe bythe the American Farm Bureau F Fed Fed- d- d The farm organization has recommended recommend d that beginning in 1959 price supports for cotton and corn be set at 90 per cent of the average market prices for the three years preceding the crop year concerned The averages would be adjusted for grade and quality differentials YEAST IN TEST SATELLITES The United States will put a small amount of yeast In its test satellites to determine the effect of space travel on a simple form of life Biological experts said the yeast experiment might be able to provide Information on the reaction of 01 to the gravity free state existing in space travel tray trav el as well as to the cosmic rays encountered in space ADVISORY UNIT ON SCHOOLS The American Council of Education Education Ed Ed- has proposed the establishment establishment of a permanent of educational advisers to the President This was one of several proposals proposals proposals pro pro- for Federal action to strengthen higher education advanced advanced advanced ad ad- by the council which represents nearly all colleges and universities In the United States JOBLESS TOTAL UP The nations nation's unemployment total Jumped lumped In December to the highest for that month since the recession year of 01 1949 said said a a a Joint report by the Commerce and Labor Departments Departments Departments De De- in Washington The total was 52 per cent of ithe the total labor force December employment figures were down by but still stood at a total of PROBE SETUP UPHELD The United States Court Count of Appeals recently upheld validity validIty validity valid valid- ity of the resolution creating the House Committee on Un- Un American Activities CIVIL SERVICE BIRTHDAY The Civil Service Commission recently marked its seventy- seventy fifth birthday with an an employee employ employ- ee awards ceremony The Civil Service system came into being under a law signed on January 16 1883 by President President President dent Chester A. A Arthur At first the law covered only a handful of Federal employees ten per cent of the dhe total To Today Today Today day 86 per cent of all Federal employees or about are covered NSF GRANTS The National Science Foundation Foundation Foundation Foun Foun- dation is excepting applications for four fellowship programs totaling totaling totaling to to- about 1000 awards Final selection of fellows for the 59 1958 programs willbe made by the Foundation FO and announced ed March 18 and 20 U. U S S. S citizens citizens citi- citi zens who have shown special aptitude in science and who will begin or continue their graduate or post-doctoral post studies studies stud stud- ies les are eligible for the awards Fellowships will be awarded In hi mathematics physical medicine biology engineering anthropology ogy geography and other natural natural na na- na tural and social sciences |