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Show National News Summary Forest Fires A decrease of 28 per cent in fires this year in national forests, as compared with 1947, has been reported by the Agriculture Department. De-partment. A total of 7,821 fires occurred in national forests during dur-ing the season just ended, or 2,963 fewer than in the corresponding corres-ponding period of last year. The burned-over area dropped from 245,693 acres last year to 160,867 this year, a decrease of 35 per cent. New D. P. Bill A new displaced persons bill, which will eliminate "all the features President Truman has objected to in the present law," has been completed by Representative Repre-sentative Walter (D), of Pennsylvania Penn-sylvania and will be introduced when Congress opens on January Janu-ary 3. The bill would: (1) Guarantee Guar-antee against racial, religious or nationalistic discrimination: (2) double the number of homeless Europeans eligible to enter the United States; and (3) give them four years instead of two years from last July to apply for admission. New Houses Outlays for new-home construction con-struction suffered the greatest slump in November, its $600,-000.000 $600,-000.000 being eight per cent below be-low the October figure, according accord-ing to the Labor Department. Highways Public highway construction in November showed a seasonal decline but over-all construction activity for the month remained at a high level -of over $1,500,-000,000. $1,500,-000,000. This was a $146,000,000 drop from October but was still $127,000,000 over November, 1947. . House Outlay Up For the first eleven months of 1948, private investment in new homes totaled $6,400,000,000 or 38 per cent more than in the same period of 1947, according to the Labor Department. Red Cross The Red Cross has set its 1949 fund-raising goal at $60,000,000, or one-fourth less than this vear's total according to Basic O'Connor, O'Con-nor, president of the organization. organiza-tion. Next year's campaign, scheduled for the month of March, will be directed bv E. Roland Harriman. New York banker and rail executive. Taxes Unless Congress acts quickly after it meets Jan. 3. Army and Navy palmasters will start withholding with-holding Federal income taxes from the pay of privates, sailors, generals and admirals, alike, b-ginning b-ginning ' next month. The only thing that can prevent it is for Congress to renew the special tax exemption to the military, put into effect during the war. That exemption, freeing all pay of enlisted men and $1500 of the pay of officers from Federal Income In-come taxes, will expire midnight December 31. |