European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 27, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 27, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 19 consumer by Mary Neil if you re in the Market for a pair of glasses the military can t be beat  just $8 including an Eye examination for department of defense civilians however there s the addition of that $20 appointment fee you can be All no matter if the Choice of frames in t too extensive. Hen it comes to the pocketbook the military glasses . Which seems to support the Contention being made in the states that eyeglasses can be vastly . The profit on a pair of glasses May be As much As Woor 500 per cent reported Herbert Haft recently to a Senate committee on Small business. During the hearing covered by Jeffrey Mills of the As a cited press. Haft president of Dart drug which Sells glasses in Virginia and Maryland explained that the reason the profits Are so High is that the Field is tightly restricted and the Public has no Opportunity to get  William Schwartz vice president of Walland Ochs a optical retailer in Eastern states reporting to the same committee said state boards pose roadblocks in an at tempt to keep out the larger merchandises of  the roadblocks take the form of restricting licensing. Is photos by Gus Schuettler regulation on advertising and methods of retailing All the Way Down to size of print in the phone books and harassment of  it was noted for example that in Connecticut there Isa four year apprenticeship requirement. Schwartz con tended that the requirement exists to keep Down the Supply of opticians and keep optical prices  it s very difficult to compare prices for Eye glasses but the military Price of $5 for frames and11.50 for each prescription Glass Lens does give pause Lor thought. To buy such an inexpensive pair of specs by the Way make an Eye appointment at the local health clinic. Generally from there the person is sent on to the closest Mili tary Hospital army or air Force for an examination and titling. It can take a couple of weeks or More however before those glasses Are finished. The eyeglass program for both the air Force an army in Europe is supported by the optical shop at Pir Masens medical depot in  to staff sgt. Fred w. Raulino optometrist technician at the . Air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden which Sells about 800 pairs of glasses a month the cur rent program went into effect sometime in the mid six ties. Up until then there was Only one style of Frame offered. Now. However men have two styles to choose from women have eight boys five and girls three. The military also offers a Frame to suit a baby up to about 2 i years old half glasses and special ath Idle frames. They re no beauties says Raulino of the latter strictly utilitarian to Wear while engaging in  glasses have Nylon frames that Are All but unbreakable a rubber Bridge to help protect the nose and can be ordered with an elastic head band. Or. Kenneth Deuel tests Eye patient at Usan Hospital Wiesbaden. Prices for the military specs frames plus lenses Are 8 for regular glasses 10 for bifocals. $9 for regular sunglasses and 12 for bifocal sunglasses. Patients also can order plastic lenses. The advantage is in their lighter weight which is offset by the fact that extra care must be taken in handling them to avoid scratching the surface. Raulino explains that the trend is toward Large frames and if regular Glass is used in these frames they can be too heavy to be comfortable difficult to keep in place and weighing Down heavily on the  because of the lighter weight a fourth less than their when it comes to the pocketbook the military glasses add up to a farsighted  Glass counterpart plastic lenses also frequently Are chosen by people with above Normal corrective problems such As extreme nearsightedness that require particularly thick lenses glasses with plastic lenses arc priced at $14 for regu Lar 15 for sunglasses $25 for bifocals and $27 for bifocal m. Sgt. Dennis Hanyo fits new glasses for Maureen Britt at Wiesbaden Hospital Eye clinic. According to Raulino in buying glasses through the military you Are paying basically for the Cost of Materi als. After the military procured glasses the closes Price Avail Abl to the military id card holders in Germany is the a Afes concessioner. There however the same person buying a pair of 8army glasses would pay a different Price indeed. Pricing done by one customer for the same prescription added up to s6i 50 at cafes however this included not Only a More modish selection of frames to choose from but also lenses that Darken in the Sun rather super tinted. The military does t offer tinted glasses Orthe presently popular wire frames. It also does not Stock Contact lenses. The cafes Price broke Down like this lenses 14.80 each special Impact resistant non shatterproof Glass required by Law in the . $7 the military glasses also have this feature frames. 24.90 total 61.50.generally, there is about an eight work Day wait in get Ting glasses from an  concessionaire. If you Are in extreme haste say bumping about blindly after losing your old pair a store on the Economy is probably the Best bet. There generally you can have your glasses in a couple of Days if it s an emergency. In Germany the same prescription taken to Thea Afes concessionaire was also priced at a local optical shop. The Cost in the German shop was broken Down a follows two lenses 69.56 Marks 1645 Marks for impart treatment. 25 Marks Eye examination. 100marks for frames and 23.22 Marks tax total 234.27 Marks or at 2.35 Marks to the Dollar 99.68. Seemingly frames add most to the Price of a German pair of glasses. In one store they ranged All the Way from plastic Tor As Low As 55 Marks 23.40 to ones of Gold for2.230 Marks i $949. Ordering polarized lenses and those two Way lenses that Darken in sunlight also increase  Price is calculated per Lens according to the prescription which Means Yuu May pay a different Price for each Lens in some cases there is no charge for the Eye examination when buying glasses at a German optical shop incidentally tie prices for ground lenses in Germany Are the Samp according to a Standard table of prescriptions and Type of Glass so you la pay the same wherever you go. There May be Price differences for the same or Simitar frames though from shop to  s not always necessary to have an Eye examination before buying a new pair of glasses by the Way. An optometrist can look at the old ones under a special Glass and match the prescription