European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 4, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Western Union messenger demonstrates his vocal Talent on 1941 radio show. Singing telegrams ended in 1973, telegrams lose their zing by Elizabeth Neuffer new York times using the Iran Contra hearings on Capitol Hill the telegrams stacked in front of it. Col. Oliver l. North testified to his lame. But aside from major National and International events that inspire members of the Public to wire messages the business of sending telegrams is declining in the United states. About 200 million telegrams were sent in the United Stales in 1929, but Only 3 million i 1985, according to the Western Union corp. Telegrams Are being replaced by the swifter telex facsimile or Telephone when More than 150,000 messages were sent to Washington after North took the stand last month it broke an unofficial record. Only in 1973, when president Nixon dismissed the watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox was there a bigger response. No longer Are telegrams vital missives delivered swiftly to one s Doorstep by a messenger in Olive Green livery. Today americans consider telegrams More quaint than useful. They re like the Stanley Steamer they re not that important any  said Warren g. Bender of Arthur d. Little a Boston consulting company. At Western Union which has its Headquarters in upper Saddle River n.j., telegrams now make up Only 5 percent of the company s business. The concern has diversified into More Modem Means of comm Nealion. Like Tel exes Telegram delivery boys were phased out in 1968. Gone Are singing telegrams Given up in 1972. The army stopped sending telegrams to families of soldiers during the Vietnam War. And the company s monopoly on the Domestic Telegram business was broken in 1979. In 1945. There were 3,500 Western Union offices around the United states. Today because the company now uses local agents there Are Only eight. It s like what happened to the 5-cent cup of Coffee the 1&nl Cigar said Donn Bulcher who Heads the Western Union newsroom. We re a part of  telegrams Are still popular on Mother s Day Christmas and thanksgiving. But the bulk of the business is in opinion Grams a variant of the Telegram that is sen Only to elected officials. While it costs $10.75 to Lell mom what you think of her in 10 words in a Telegram it Cost Only $5.95 to Lell your senator or congressman your thoughts in a 20-word opinion Gram because of the overwhelming Public response to the Iran Centra hearings Western Union modified its policies and applied the opinion Gram Rale to telegrams sent to any witness before the congressional investigating committees. Some 30 million Western Union customers a year use mail Grams in which a message is sent electronically to a Post office and then placed in first class mail. But even this form of communication is on the Wane company officials said increasingly replaced by electronic mail sent via computers. The decline in the use of the let Gram occurred Over Lime they added As other Means of communication became More popular. But in the 1960s, before the Telegram business was deregulated the Federal communications commission noted thousands of consumer complaints about Western Union telegrams from delayed messages to garbled ones. In the 1970s, the company modernized and established Telephone bureaus. Now Banks of operators Lep out Telegram messages into computers and messages Are most commonly relayed by phone. If a customer cannot be reached a copy of the Telegram is placed in the mail. Some Western Union employees mourn for the Days when telegrams were an Art form never again they say will a playwright Send a Telegram loan actor in mid performance with the message watching your performance from Back Row. Wish you were  the Good life gets better for americans associated press he average american lives Bailer now than 30 years ago and has to work fewer hours to pay for Standard items like Kitchen slaves car tune ups haircuts and Beer according to Fortune Magazine. Consumers Are Only deluding themselves in they think things were better in the 1950s. The Magazine s sept. 14 Issue says every group of americans including the poor the Middle class the elderly Blacks and women Are Taring better today in the Way they live. The average american has twice As much buying Power today As in 1962, the Magazine said. Income before taxes Rose about 50 percent from 1960 to 529.458 in 1986. And with two incomes and fewer children to support. The average family is that much belter of the Magazine said. In terms of buying Power the average consumer had to work 67 hours in 1956 to pay for a Man s suit while ii took Only 30 hour to pay for the same Purchase in 1986. Sim arty the amount of Lime it takes to pay for a six pack 0 bar fed 46 percent to 21 minutes during the period White the Lime it took to pay for a car tune up in 1980 my 11 percent to 9 2 hours. But it took More time last year to pay Lor a doctor s visit and car insurance Fortune said. Consumers had to to 3 hours in 1986 to pay for a Visil to the doctor up 30 percent from 1956. White it took 50.3 hours to pay Lor their car insurance a Rise of 50 percent. The proportion of Good jobs has been on the Rise jobs that require plenty of skills but Reward the employee with salaries in excess of $45,000 account for Al percent of the jobs in the marketplace today is. Only 3 percent in 1960. Simi arty. The number Ollow paying menial jobs has shrunk to 16 percent of today s Job pie compared with 21 percent in 1963. The Magazine said condom cards by Tom Towslee United press International or those who can l bring themselves to frankly Lell their mate to Wear a condom a Mother and daughter in Salam Ore., have designed a line Al greeting cards called respectfully yours to deliver the message. The card includes a condom. Instructions on How to use it and a disclaimer thai they Are not 100 percent guaranteed. Mary spies. 33. And daughter Karoy 19, Hope o have 10,000 condom cards on the shelves of Oregon greeting card stores soon after they secure a contract to Purchase the devices. What we Are trying to say to people is that it s of to Ted someone that you want them to use a condom said Mary spies. Karey spies said the condom cards soiling Lor st.50 each Are the result of the publicity and concern about aids and what they saw As a need to use a Little humor to let sexual partners break the ice about condoms. It says a a but it Means business she said. The line of 5-by-7 cards carry f 5 different messages All suggesting that the sender would like the recipient to Wear a condom during Intercourse. The condoms themselves will be spot glued inside the card. One card reads so you think you re old enough. But Are you smart enough another Reeds you re a Loving caring and sensitive human being so you won t mind ill just say. Wear ill the cards illustrate their Point with drawings or couples holding hands or in bed. They also have Complete instructions on How to use a condom and a warning saying condoms Are not 100 percent effective in preventing sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. Little girls Are going to grow up to be big girls who Are going to say Uso it because you Don t sleep with one person anymore you sleep with everyone they slept with said Mary spies. The Spieles founded the executive card co. In june with $500 and the help of a business teacher turned consultant who did a marketing study. Before ordering the first printing of the cards the Spieles talked with and received encouragement from private aids support groups. The Spieles also have agreed to turn Over 4 percent of their profits to aids prevention and treatment. Ii is difficult for people to negotiate the use of condoms said Tom Koberlein director of the Cascade aids project in Portland Ore. I can l say i was enthusiastic about the cards but if it is a Way to convince people to Lake the precaution then  people never think it is going to happen to them Mary spies said people think that if they Are not Gay or intravenous drug users then it s not their  Mary spies who is divorced said the cards Are the result of discussions she had with her daughter about single life in College dorms and the difficulty Young and inexperienced couples have in taking to each other about sex. It s going to be a Tot easier logo out and buy a card like this than it would be to go to the drugstore particularly Lor girls she said.  Yoan in to Gartt. Page 16 the stars and stripes Friday. September 4.1987