European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 2, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 2, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 27 . Unemployment dips below 6% Washington a unemployment declined to 5.9 percent in August the Sec Ond time it has dipped below 6 percent this year As More women and teen agers found jobs the labor department reported Fri Day. The drop from the july unemployment level of 6.2 percent gave the Carter administration and the Public their first favor Able economic news of the week following several Days of generally dismal develop ments. These included a report pointing to a possible slowdown in economic growth. The labor department said total employment increased in August by 160,000 jobs to a total of 94.6 million while unemployment dropped by 225,000 to just under 6 million. Second lowest of year the August unemployment rate was the second lowest of the year bettered Only by june s 5.7 percent a figure that was said to be artificially Low because of statistical problems. Except for the two drops below 6 per cent the unemployment rate has fluctuated Between 6 percent and 6.2 percent this year. The labor department said most of the employment gains in August occurred among adult women and teen agers with some gains for Black workers As Well. It gave the following breakdown on unemployment in August for various Popula Tion groups compared with the july level adult men 4.1 percent unchanged. Adult women 6.1 percent Down from 6.5 percent. Teen agers 15.6 percent Down from 16.3. Whites 5.2 percent Down from 5.3. Blacks and other minorities 11.7 per cent Down from 12.5. Full time workers 5.5 percent Down from 5.7. White Collar workers 3.5 percent Down from 3.8. Blue Collar workers 7 percent up from 6.9. Most of the new jobs were in service industries especially wholesale and retail Trade where employment increased by 80,000. The department said employment in manufacturing declined by 50,000, with Job losses in the food processing paper products and rubber and plastics industries. The Industrial employment report is tabulated from different statistics than the Survey on Overall employment in the econ omy. The labor department said the nation s labor Force totalled 100.5 million in August 15 most Active new York up the 15 most Active stocks in new York Stock Exchange composite trading at 4 . Friday sales last chg. Bally mfg 909,400 58% Iva ramada Lens 892,400 11 /2 pan Amair 615,100 8 a a Caesars old 600,200 41% 8v3 Webb Del x596.600 33 1% Rore group 474,700 20% 1% ran conc 390,200 29% 4 a Holiday inns 366,900 24va % Harrah 344,900 35vj 4% Malinc 311,600 41% 2% Colum Pic 293,400 24 to % digit Seq pm 252,500 52 /8 1% fire Stoner 234,100 12 a a Sears Roebke 233,300 23v a Eastern Airl 232,100 14ve 7/e amex 10 most Active new York up the 10 most Active stocks in american Stock Exchange composite trading at 4 . Friday sales last chg. Golden Nugg 178,700 34% 1% instr syst 142,500 a a resorts Intia 124,500 11i i a dome petrol 110,400 81% 9 / Pritti Marl 107,400 1b% % total petrol 103,200 13% 1 /4 Texas internal 100,900 15 a a Vernier once 96,200 8vj it Amdahl corp 88,000 65% 2 a cd corp 83,100 12% 1 a Dow Jones averages new York up Dow Jones closing average Friday 30 industrials 884.88 virtually unchanged from the Levels of the previous two months but up 2.7 million from August 1977. Most other economic developments this week have pointed to a weakening of the Economy across the Board including a drop of 0.7 percent in the govern ment s Index of leading economic Indica tors designed to foreshadow economic trends. The july decline was the first since january. A 3.8 percent drop in new orders for factory goods in july the second straight decline and the largest in this key indicator of future economic performance in nearly four years. A Trade deficit of nearly $3 billion in july the fourth largest on record which sent the Dollar into a new tailspin on world Money markets. An increase in interest rates engineered by the Federal Reserve Board in an attempt to support the Dollar but which also tends to slow the Economy. An admission by the administration s chief inflation adviser Robert s. Strauss that the year will end with an inflation rate of about 8 percent up from the administration s earlier revised forecast of 7.2 per cent. In addition Carter told Gas user representatives at a briefing on his Energy legis lation thursday that the nation s balance of Trade this year Likely will be the most serious deficit our country has Ever sex  combined firms will rank 7th in . 2 Domestic airlines agree to merge los Angeles up Western air lines and Continental airlines announced thursday they have agreed in principle to merge by forming a new corporation. The name of the new corporation and its Structure will be determined at a later Date a spokesman said. Western serves More than 33,000 route Miles with 77 air planes and Continental flies More than 34,000 Miles with 57 air Craft. Each of the airlines has More than 10,000 employees. The spokesman said the route systems of the two airlines Are complementary and when combined will provide improved air service and enormous Public benefits for a Large Section of the  while the combined carriers will rank Only seventh among . Domestic air lines the merger will create a Strong car Rier that can finance new equipment expand and compete More effectively and aggressively against the giants of the in  Western had operating revenues of $755.6 million and net income of $43.8 Mil lion during the year which ended june 30 while Continental had operating revenues of $715.5 million and a net income of $50 million. Western serves 41 cities mostly in the Western ., while Continental serves 32 locations from Florida to the Pacific and Japan. Both companies Are based in los Angeles and serve 13 common Points. The spokesman said the next step to Ward consolidation of the two companies would be preparation of a definitive agree ment for approval by the boards of directors of the two companies. Mount Etna quiet again after six Day eruption Catania Sicily up the Etna vol Cano went Back to sleep thursday after a six Day eruption at whose Peak lava flowed for eight  eruption never threatened villages on the slopes of the 10,707-foot Volcano Europe s  has killed an estimated one million people in 2,400 years of recorded history but Only one of the deaths came this Cen Tury. The spokesman said the first meeting of the Board of directors was expected to elect Robert f. Six chairman of the Board and chairman of the executive committee. The final agreement once approved by the boards of the two companies will be filed with the civil aeronautics Board and submitted to the stockholders of both companies for their approval the spokesman said. Recall of 13 million Firestone tires urged Washington a a House panel is calling for immediate recall of All 13 Mil lion Firestone 500 steel belted radial tires in use nationwide saying they present an unreasonable risk of death and injury. The House Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations said Friday the Firestone tires had caused at least 34 deaths hundreds of injuries and thousands of accidents. A spokesman for Firestone in Akron Ohio said the subcommittee s conclusion was not justified but promised the company would work with the government to re solve the controversy. The subcommittee said the tires fail frequently even with careful maintenance. It recommended a government ordered re Call if Firestone refuses to act. The National Highway traffic safety administration recommended a recall on july 7 after analysing More than 6,000 con Sumer complaints alleging More than 14, 000 individual tire failures 29 deaths More than 50 injuries and hundreds of property damage  the safety Agency has not ordered the recall although administrator Joan Clay Brook said on thursday a decision is expected in two weeks. Claybrook was responding to a complaint by her former Boss Ralph Nader who said government delay in ordering the recall is saving Firestone $1.25 million weekly. Nader said the saving results because the number of tires in use has dwindled from 15 million to 12 million since the Agency investigation began in february. Firestone spokesman Jim Standberg declined comment saying Nader s letter was written to Claybrook not the company. Thorpe is now accused of incitement to murder 252.73 107.6530777 Low 871.36 i 106.12 302.42 close 879.33 251.61 107.21 306.12 change 2.51 3.66 0.55 1.99 Minehead England up police Friday added a charge of incitement to murder against former Liberal party Leader Jeremy Thorpe 49, already arraigned to appear in a magistrates court Here oct. 9 to answer a charge of conspiracy to  new charge was that he incited David Holmes 46, a one time Liberal party official to murder former male Model Norman Scott 38, who has asserted he and Thorpe once were homosexual lovers. Thorpe has consistently denied the Allega Tion. Thorpe Holmes and two other men we rearrested and charged in a magistrates court Here aug. 4 with conspiracy to murder Scot tall four were released on 5,000 pounds about $9,500 bail each until sept. 12. Later the hearing was postponed until oct. 9because the earlier Date would have been just before the Small third ranking Liberal party starts its annual convention. Thorpe who still is a member of Parlia ment and says he will run again in the next parliamentary general election has said he plans to attend the party convention. The subcommittee headed by rep. John Moss d-calif., said the company showed a disregard for the safety of its custom  the panel said the company issued Only belated and minimal warnings to own ers that the tires needed unusually care Ful maintenance because of safety prob lems. Firestone previously has blamed improper inflation for failure of some of the tires. The subcommittee said motorists have returned one of every six Firestone 500s because of tire failure. The Firestone spokesman commented we disagree strongly with the conclusion of the Moss committee majority re port. Our company cooperated fully with the committee in its investigation presented testimony during the Public hear Ings and furnished huge quantities of additional documentation which we respectfully believe make the report s conclusions unjustifiable. We will continue to work with the Nitsa in seeking a Resolution of the mat Ter which will be fair to the Public and to our  another spokesman for the company Robert Troyer said just because a car is equipped with a Firestone 500 tire that was involved in an Accident is not proof that a defect in the tire itself was the cause of that  Troyer said Firestone had no plans for a recall but that such an action would have a substantial effect on our  some 23.6 million Firestone 500s were produced until the line was phased out last Spring the report said. Conversion rate London a Friday s closing rates of the . Dollar to european currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies to dollars aug. 31 sept. 1 British Pound 1.9433 1.9452 German Mark 1.9870 1.9855 French franc 4.3575 4.3400 dutch Guilder 2.1560 2.1545 belgian franc 32.31 32.235 italian lira 835.30 834.20 Swiss franc 1.6400 1.6110 greek drachma 36.722 36.678 turkish lira 25.25 25.25 Spanish peseta 73.67 73.67 these Are commercial rates and can be related Only to the use of foreign currency by . Forces for official business. Sales of German Marks to . Personnel for personal use will be at the rate of 1.97 on monday which is based on Price fixing at midday and allows for Standard handling charge