European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 31, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes thursday july 31,198b Small print on test caused drop in scores Dod says by Norman Blackcap military writer Washington the Pentagon has discovered that smaller printing in the vocational aptitude test Given to military recruits led to a drop in test scores Over the past Ivi Yean. The Pentagon says it is now compensating in scaring the tests but that the lower results attributed to the Small print prevented an unknown number of recruit from scoring High enough o gain entry to their preferred Job specially or to win Cash or College tuition bonuses. Nonetheless the Pentagon has no plans to restore any Benefit that might have been lost because of the mistake said it. Col. Pete Wyro a defense depart Meni spokesman. The decision was made that since we acted in goo Faith and on the Best knowledge available to us at the time the services and the recruits remain bound by the enlistment contracts that were signed up to july 1, 1986," Wyro  problem involves a to known As the armed services vocational aptitude Battery. One Section of that test is Given on timed basis Wyro said and the Pentagon determined that the use of Small Type slowed recruits to the Point of affecting their test scores. Although the aptitude Battery is Given to recruits fall the services Wyro said the problem affected army re Ruiu to the greatest extent. The army As the largest military service must recruit More men and women every year and historically has had a More difficult time attracting High school graduates increasing the importance of he aptitude  to Wyro the aptitude test is periodically updated and revised. Such a revision occurred in the fall of 1984, leading to the printing of � new version of the lest. About 46 percent of the approximately 1 Mil lion recruits tested in fiscal 1985 were Given the newly printed exam he  recruit who joined the service after last oct. 1, the Start of fiscal year 1986, also received the new test about a War ago we started seeing test scores that weren t making sense to us Wyro said eventually we realized that the Only difference in the test was reprint  the problem showed up primarily in a timed Tec lion involving math problems. We found hat people working with a larger typeface were Able to Complete that Section faster Wyro said the difference in readability had an effect. Peo ple who were administered the revised test were scor ing 2 to 3 percentage Points  the spokesman acknowledged that individual tested before the problem was uncovered could have been denied enlistment incentives or their Choice of Ajob skill by virtue of having missed minimum score standards. Such individuals who nonetheless decided to join the service signed a binding contract however whose terms must be honoured Wyro said. The spokesman added that the services Are going to Correct the lest records 10 ensure thai the mistake will not affect future career decisions. The army restricts eligibility for its College tuition program and certain enlistment bonuses on the basis of the aptitude test scores. The College tuition program can Lead to creation of fund Worth up to $15,000 for an individual Soldier for College expenses. Alternatively bonuses ranging  up to $8.000 Are paid to recruits willing to enlist for four years end enter such Fields As the infantry electronic warfare and tank Crew. The services intend to continue using the new for because it would Cost More than j3.5 million to re print the test he added. So we re going to keep using the test but Compon sate for the readability problem by indexing the scores he said. Sat to recruit  scores. Survey of 2 ? cities finds prices of foods vary by More than 49% Tampa Fla up a Survey of food Price in 21 r. Is. Cities revealed a startling 49.21 percent spread is up1. Citie Between costs in the cheapest City san Diego and the Roost expensive Honolulu., the Lurvey also found food prices in Washington with the highest grocery Bills in the Continental states and new York exceeded prices in Alaska for the first time. Industry observers could not explain the vast Price differences found in the Survey which was compiled by the Tampa Tribune with the help of food writer from newspaper in Ibe 31 cities. Prices for the food baskets ranged from $39.97 Insan Diego to $55.64 in Honolulu. The National aver age for the food Basket is $47.58."then just in t any answer As to Why food prices vary so wildly said Dennis Dunham an economist forthe . Department of agriculture. Food pricing is Complex he mid including differences in such operating costs As labor Union is. Non Union employees real estate taxes transportation costs and even seasonality. Three of the top five i ies in the Survey were Unalaska and Hawaii where food prices Are generally higher due to increased transportation costs. But con Sumers in Washington with prices second Only to Honolulu and new York paid comparable  in each City filled Market baskets with 35 popular foods from three major supermarket chains on june 19. For some items such As milk brands were not specified. For others such As a juried pineapples and Peanut butter specific brands were required. Food writers priced the items in the three supermarket chains in each City that have the greatest Dollar volume of business enabling them to determine what the greatest number of residents pay for groceries. The Survey suggests that food prices Nave remained fairly table Over the past year. Most of last year s averages changed by Only a Penny or two but somewhere 5, 6 or 8 cents More. This year s Survey differed from similar surveys con ducted by news --.--. A is annually for the past 18 Yean in i and Hawaii were included. Foo that cities in. Prices in those states have generally been too High to include in to Csc Survey but they were included this Yea because new York and Washington vied with them for shoppers Choice melt Tosh of Var Pou Larj _ consumption in percent of 1965 Calfta v Tribune graphic source food mutating Institute the dubious Honor of High food  report in the Tampa Tribune attempted to make some sense of the figures at the top and Bottorof the list particularly the reasons for the extraordinarily High charges in Washington and new  Keu ctr a food editor at the Washington Post said food prices for his cily were in supermarkets Wil Binzhe City where costs would be higher than in the suburbs. Stateside convict with aids virus acquitted of murder try fort lau0erdale, Fla. Up a  who knew he had been exposed to the deadly aids virus was acquitted of attempted Mur Der for biting a Jailer on the Finger but he was convicted of three lesser charges. A Brownl county circuit court jury deliberated eight hours Over two