European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes wednesday july 16, 1986 0.2 percent gain in retail sales reported in june by the associated press retail sales advanced Only 0.2 percent to$118.7 billion in june the Commerce depart ment reported tuesday underscoring weakness in the Economy. It was the smallest gain in three months an followed a 0.7 percent gain in May and a 0.9 percent Advance in april without a Small 0.8 percent gain in Auto sales total sales would have shown no improvement last month the department said. Economists have said that weaker than expected consumer spending is one of the factors restraining Overall economic growth. On monday a disappointing earnings report by International business machines helped Send the Stock Market sharply lower As investors Confidence in the Economy continued to Wane. Interest rates on Short term Treasury Securi ties meanwhile fell to the lowest Levels in Al most nine  chairman John Akers said second Quarter earnings Slid 7.7 percent to $2.12 per share from $2.30 a year ago because of the sluggish Pace of North american business activities. And he warned without an improvement i capital spending it will be difficult to show earn Ings growth in 1986."analysts said ism s disappointing earnings and uncertainties about a tax Reform Bill being considered in Congress combined to depress Stock prices. The Dow Jones average of 30 Industrial stocks fell 27.98 Points to 1,793.45, bringing its toss since july 2 to 115.58 Points. Declining Issue outnumbered advances by about 3 to 1 monday on the new York Stock Exchange. Ism shares led the Active list and fell 3% to 139  computer giant is considered a bellwether of the Stock Market and the Economy because it results depend heavily on the health and Pur chasing ability of big Industrial companies. In usually collects about 40 percent of the Revenue and 70 percent of the profit of the entire com Puter Industry. Ism said it earned $1.31 billion in the Quarter is. $ 1.41 billion the same period a year ago. Reve nue Rose to $ 12.27 billion from $ 11.43 billion. In More positive news interest rates on Short term Treasury Bills fell to the lowest Levels since 1977.the Treasury department sold $7.4 billion in three month Bills at an average yield of 5.78percent, Down from 5.85 percent last week. An other $7.4 billion was sold in six month Bills at an average yield of 5.80 percent Down from 5.85percent last week. In other economic developments monday saudi Arabia said Oil prices Are not expected to increase until the end of the year be cause of a considerable increase in production that enabled industrialized countries to beef up their stockpiles cheaply. The conference Board reported that con Sumers remained confident of the Economy s strength last month and planned a wide Range of major purchases at the same level As in May. Sen. Hawkins says Reagan backs ending cola trigger Washington a president Reagan agree tuesday to Back an Section year Effort to boost social Security benefits by removing the inflation trigger that permits annual increases Only when the Cost of living rises More than 3 percent a Republican senator Aid tuesday. Sen. Paula Hawkins of Florida announced to report ers outside the White House after a Brief meeting with the president that Reagan said be agrees with me and will approve this. White House spokesman Albert r. Brashear acknowledged Reagan agreed to the proposal. He said he could not estimate How much it would add to the fed eral deficit Hawkins who noted that 23 percent of her Florida constituents live on fixed incomes claimed the Benefit increase would not add to the deficit but would actually be a  she did not explain How. Reagan who has battled for legislator to balance the budget and who has championed reductions in Domestic pending was not Ava Ilab. To explain his apparent policy reversal. According to one projection if the co. If living Rose 0.9 percent this year extra payments Over a five Yea period for that one Cost of living adjustment Woald total si.7 billion. However under current Law if inflation does t trigger an increase this year but does exceed the 3 percent mini mum next year All Benefit checks for the following year would be increased to include the inflation accrued during both years. And what s More the increase would be paid to All pensioners not just those who were already retire this year and thus missed a cola. Furthermore the present Law stipulates that social Security payroll taxes May not be increased in a Yea when benefits Don t Rise with inflation. Sen. John Heinz r-pa., chairman of the Senate select committee on aging has estimated that Lack of Revenue from a scheduled tax increase and the Windfall for those who eventually receive increases Tor Tine when they weren t retired would be higher than the Cost of paying a relatively mall Cost of jiving increase this year. Heinz and Hawkins Are the principal sponsors of Bill to remove the trigger and pay All Cost of living increases annually. Average salary for teachers in . Is $25,240, Survey finds Providence re. Up the average salary of elementary and bin school teachers across the country last year was $25,240. According to a new Survey that showed Alaska has toe highest paid teachers in the nation and South Dakota the lowest paid. Progress is being made in the wages we pay Ameri Ca s teachers said american federation of teachers president Albert Shanker. But while we Are winning Many Battles on the pay front the War goes on to make teacher pay competitive with those for other professionals requiring comparable education and  the federation said in the salary report release monday that during the past three years teacher Day increased 23 percent far outpacing inflation which has hovered around 10 percent Over the 36-month period. Alaska had the highest average salary during the1985-86 school year at $41,647,65 percent above the National average according to the Survey. South Dakota had the lowest annual pay at $18,095, 28 percent below colleagues in other states. Following Alaska the top 12 highest in my Are Washington , $32,067 new York $30,490 Rhode Island $29,470 Michigan $29,461 California,$29,258 new Jersey $28,000 Wyoming $27,461 Minnesota $27,360 Illinois. $27,172 Massachusetts,$26,800 and Connecticut $26,898. In addition to South Dakota the five other state with the lowest pay Are Mississippi $18,472 Maine $19,583 Arkansas $19,926 new Hampshire,$20,263 and Vermont at $20,379. The report found salaries had increased by 45 per cent in Georgia last year up to $23,046,27th highest in the country. Vermont and Arkansas raised teachers salaries by 33 percent and Massachusetts and new hams hire by 32 percent from the previous year. California has the highest starting pay at $2022, according to the Survey. Panel s Vinyl say draws colourful revenge Springfield mass. Up a woman barred by the historical commission from siding her House i Vinyl responded by painting the Home Pink and purple with a Gingerbread figure and a Pac Man for Good measure. Ill give them paint said Eloise Laino of Spring Field who painted her House Over the weekend with the help of friends. Now it looks like a Candy Cane House. It s All different  while the Springfield historical commission a regulate siding it has no say on what color people can paint their Homes. The commission ruled in May that Laino failed to convince them she needed the Vinyl siding. Laino an a Ray technician says it would Cost a estimated $12,500 to Sand blast and paint her Bouse. Which has a moisture problem that causes paint to Peel. Vinyl siding would Cost $8,250 and would end the problem she said. Commission member Kevin hasten said monday the commission Felt the painting estimate too High an the siding estimate too Low. For Lack of Concrete support we had to turn i Down said chairwoman Frances Gagnon. If this were approved it could set a very bad precedent forthe  she said there is nothing the commission can do about Laino s paint Job. Homeowner i sincerely Hope that she will enjoy it Senate panel approves increase in debt ceiling Washington up the sen ate finance committee approved a $244 billion hike in the government s borrowing authority tuesday up to a record $2.3 trillion and voted to pro Hibit use of social Security funds to finance government. The finance committee approved the debt Bill 7-2, and included a provi Sion sponsored by sen. Daniel Moynihan d-n.y., that prohibits borrowing from social Security Trust funds for interim financing of the debt a huge controversy developed last year when the Trust funds were Oisin vested to keep government in opera Tion when the borrowing authority expired. About $380 million in lost interest to the fund eventually was Paidack but Only after special legislation was enacted. Moynihan said he offered his Amend ment no prevent from happening again what never should have happened at All Selling off social Security Trust fund assets in order to keep the Federal government  Treasury should not be allowed to engage in such creative financing schemes that Are tantamount to using social Security monies to float the rest of government Moynihan said. The Bill increasing the debt ceiling now headed for the Senate floor also is Likely to become a vehicle for change sin the Gramm Rudman balanced Bud get Law. The House approved a similar Deb limit increase As part of its budget last month. The debt Bill annually attracts Man extraneous amendments because it is a must piece of legislation needed to keep the government in business. Last year s debt ceiling increase Bill was use to attach the first Gramm Rudman Bill the supreme court invalidated the automatic across the Board budget Cut feature of the balanced budget Law and sen. Phil Gramm a Texas has vowed to fix it. The court said the officer in charge of the cuts the comptroller Gen eral is ineligible to make them because he is an employee of the legislative Branch and not the executive. Gramm planned meetings later tues Day to decide How Best to Patch up the Bill to mail it . One rout would of the status of the comp troller general though another being considered would involve selecting an other government official to make the cuts. We will offer our amendment tothe debt ceiling of the floor Gramm said. There s no doubt we ought to go Back and fix if without the automatic cutting proce Dure Congress would have to vote tomake spending reductions