European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 4, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes thursday Sepla Mbom 19s6 am offers 2-year Loans with no interest 50uthf1eld, Mich. Amer ican motors corp. Lopped its big three competitors in the buyer incentive game wednesday by offering two year financing without interest on Mosi 986 car and jeep models. Joseph e. Cappy amps president and chief executive officer Sard he pro Gram begins thursday and will continue through oct. 8. Am has been plagued Wilh sluggish car sales for months. The latest  round of Cut Rale financing began last week when general motors corp. Stunned ils competitors by offering 2.9 percent financing on i rec year Loans. Ford later rna Trifid pm s offer and by the end of inc week Chrysler chimed in with what Ruil wednesday was a re Cord Low 2.4 percent annual percentage rate on two year Loans. Everybody thought 2.9 was Low. Then they thought 2.4 was Low Cappy said. But we beat them All Zero that s right Zero percent financing. Vou just can t go below Zero. This has got to be an Auto Industry first for a company to offer its customers such fantastic  Cappy said the program will include All 1986 Renault Alliance and encore subcompact cars inc four wheel drive am Eagle jeep Cherokee and Wagon Eer sport Utility vehicles and jeep co Bianche pickup Rucks in addition to Zero percent financing on two year Loans am also is offering 2.9 percent financing on 36-month con tracts and 5.9 percent financing on 48 month contracts on Hose vehicles. Cappy said a 20 percent Down pay ment is required on the Zero percent 2,9 percent and 5.9 annual percentage Rale financing programs. Buyers who prefer rebates to Cut rate financing will be offered a $600 rebate on Alliance encore and iwo wheet drive comanches $700 on four wheel drive comanches and $800 on Cherokee wag Oneter and eagles he said. On the Job smoking ban helps workers que researchers say Boston up Banning smoking in inc workplace helps employees kick the Habil without prompting them to quit their jobs researchers said wednesday. Work place smoking bans do encourage people to quit or smoke less. And. If they Ever become the Norm it Wil Haw 3 profound Imru i on this coun try s cigarette consumption said or. Michael j. Martin a clinical epidemiologist a the University of California in san Francisco. In a letter to the new England journal of medi Cine Martin reviewed the experience of Pacific Northwest Bell which banned smoking for All 15,000 employees in All company facilities in july although the company initially received some complaints not a single employee has left because of in Martin said. When the ban was announced the company also unveiled a program for reimbursing employees for participating in programs to help them quit smok ing. In the fire six months. 1,044 employees 25 percent of All company smokers had signed up. The actual number of smokers who tried to quit is probably much larger because Many smokers pre Fer to quit on their own rather than by going to cessation programs said Martin. By comparison in the 26 months before the smoking ban employees had the Opportunity to participate in smoking cessation programs during working hours that were free. Only 33i employee signed up. In addition even employees who continued to smoke consumed fewer cigarettes a company sur vey found hat those who reduced their smoking Cut Back from an average of 29 cigarettes a Day to 21said Martin. There s a Clear association Between the health consequences of smoking and the amount they smoke. Cutting Back by that much would have a Clear Benefit said Martin. Martin attributed he Success of the ban to the Way it was implemented. Much of the ban s Success is because it was applied uniformly to All employees. Employees sometimes have objected to smoking bans that allow those with private offices to smoke while those in Large open work areas cannot. This smok ing policy applied equally to everyone said mar tin. Martin said Many companies Are considering tobacco Dollar where Dollar spent at retail level goes Federal state local taxes47.6 Chicago Tribune graphic source tobacco growers information committee smoking bans primarily so save Money. Studies Nave shown Hal an employee who smokes can Cost an extra $4,700 a year primarily from higher healthcare costs and absenteeism. Martin said non smokers also Benefit because they Are not exposed 10 i hair co workers smoke. The risks Are clearly there and it is time to Start protecting the rights or non smokers he said. Martin called for other businesses to adopt Simi Lar bans and said hospitals should take the Lead smoking is the greatest cause of premature death and disability in the United states and it would be ironic if health care institutions let the general business Community Lake the Lead he said. Legionnaires1 disease outbreak traced to Tower Sheboygan wis. Up stale health officials wednesday said a fatal outbreak of legionnaires Dis ease had been traced to a Cooling Tower at Man fac luring Plant and the bacteria were eliminated we re checking whether there Are other sources but we have made a significant find Aslo the probable caul said or. Jeff Davis an epidemiologist Wilh the stale health division. The source of the bacteria legion Ella Pincu Moshili was found in inc Cooling Tower at the Muth Wood Tock co. Which makes Aulo pans and accessories officials said. The factory is on the City s Northwest Side where almost Ali of the disease s victims lived. Davis said one person has died and 16 others were confirmed to have had the disease. Sin of those remain hospitalized. Two other deaths previously believed to have been caused by legionnaires disease were no related Davis said. Allan Nimeth president of Muth Wood Stock a agreed tuesday to shut Down the factory Cooling tit Tern and clean it to gel rid of the bacteria we arc cooperating in every Way possible to get the emergency under control Nimeth said. Davis praised the company s Quick action to clean up the system. Davis told a news conference the bacteria probably were blown from nearby soil and seeded in the bold ing  after it had reached maturity the bacteria was blown around the 1i-Square-Block area near the Plant by an exhaust fan he said. Davit said the Cooling Tower would be monitored daily for the next two weeks. Three other site in the area tested negative for the bacteria and results of tests at other Sites were Pend ing. Davis said. We Hope this allays the fears of our citizen and. Visitors and that things can get Back to Normal a idol Belinky cily health officer. Two Sheboygan residents Wilh some Lymph Oil of legionnaires disease were hospitalized during the labor Day weekend As a precaution said Nancy Kauf Man Deputy director of the state health division1 Bureau of Community health and prevention. The disease thrives in Modem technology and u spread through lie air. Legionnaires disease is not transmitted from person to person but it can be spread through contaminated water supplies or air conditioning ducts. Most of the Sheboygan cases were clustered in the 15-Square-Block area Reading state epidemiologist to believe that an air conditioner or water Tower ill nearby Plant had been contaminated. Strikes now idling More than 97,000 students by United press  teachers in Illinois new Jersey Ohio Pennsylvania and Rhode Island went on strike wednesday joining teachers in 21 other school districts in walkouts. The strikes leave More than 97,000 student without regular instructors. Strikes affected 18.257 students in Illi Nois 5,000 in Massachusetts. 21,635 in Michigan 3,400 in new Jersey 6,000 in Ohio 39,398 in Pennsylvania 1,900 in Rhode Island and 1,300 in Washington state officials said. Teachers in three Pennsylvania school districts wednesday joined colleagues in nine other districts in strikes that Nave disrupted the opening Lay of school for Stu dents. Walkouts cancelled classes for 1,800 students in Radnor 2,748 students in Wissa Hickon and 1,550 students in Schuylkill Valley. Strikes continued in nine other Pennsylvania school districts. In Bellmawr n.j., 81 teachers Wen on strike cancelling classes for 1,000 students in a dispute Over salary and work rules. The fifth Day of classes for 4,100 Stu dents in Marietta Ohio was disrupted wednesday by a teacher walkout in Newton Falls nj., principals super visors and a few substitutes look the place of 100 striking teachers for it second Day wednesday. Tentative agreement was reached Early wednesday in North Smithfield. K.i., where teachers struck tuesday but stalled negotiations cancelled the first Day of classes wednesday for i 900 student in East Greenwich . The Dionci s 174 teachers voted tuesday to strike without a contract. New talks were planned for wednesday in Illinois 200 teachers in Alton set up picket Jmes wednesday halting classes for 7,600 students. Strikes continued in three other Illinois District. A strike by about 400 teachers that began tuesday in aute Boro. Mass forced cancellation of the first Day of classes wednesday for 5,800 " the school system sought a Back to Woric order from the state labor relations Board and a hearing was scheduled far wednesday. A negotiating session with a mediator was scheduled for thursday Nightie Michigan More than 1,200 teacher in port Huron Niles. Mount Clemom and Cass City struck tuesday joining 34 Harbor Beach teachers who went ont nyc aug. 2i. Eighty three teachers in the Steila Coom school District near Tacoma wash., struck tuesday Over class twi transfers and the length of Tbs school year. School was to Start wednesday Tor the districts 1,500 students