European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and St Lopes monday february 1,1988 Solidarity protests huge Price hikes Warsaw Poland a several thousand Solidarity supporters no More Price hikes and strike Tomor Row Man rhed sunday through inc streets of Gdansk As Lech Walesa and other Lead ers of the outlawed free Trade Union demanded the withdrawal of sweeping Price hikes announced by the government. The March came a Day Afler inc government announced the steepest Price hikes since the grim Days of martial Law is years ago. Ranging from 40 to 200 percent for most Basic foodstuffs fuel and Energy alcohol cigarettes transportation and services. Afler a meeting at Gdansk s St. Brygida s Church Walesa and other members of Solidarity s National executive com Mission issued a communique staling that the Price hike policy Block Nec Essary economic reforms. And in creases social  the inevitability of collapse is obvious said the Stalc Rnell read Over the Telephone by Solidarity s National spokesman. Janusz Onyszkiewicz. We demand inc withdrawal of the Price rises Whoso consequences Are. Downright tragic for some people the statement did not specifically Call for any protest actions in response to i reprice hikes which were to begin taking effect monday when food prices were logo up by an average of 40 percent As the Solidarity leaders met Al least 3.0dm, people joined the Prota March sunday which began Alk a mass Al the mariachi Church celebrated by the country s roman Catholic primate. Cardi Nal Jozef Glerup and several Bishops said Joanna Wojciechowic a Gdansk opposition activist who witnessed the protest. The Price hikes Range upward from 40 percent and arc inc steepest since Jan uary i9b2, when most Govch mini set prices were doubled voc Midlil following inc martial Law crackdown on Solidarity. The official polish news Agency Pap said inc increases were necessary to set in Economy in gear limit slate subsidies and accelerate the Iran Ilion to a Markel econ  finance ministry communique announcing inc increases was read Over radio and television just after stores closed Al 7 . Many shops limited sales of butter sugar flour and other Sta Ples As poles rushed to Stock up in anticipation of lie Price hike. The communique reflected government concern Over worker reaction. Price in creases Are a volatile Issue among Poland s working class. Increases led to worker re volts in 1956. 1970, 1976 and 1980. The 1980 unrest led to inc birth of Solidarity the soviet bloc s firm free labor federation. The ministry communique reiterated thai inc hikes were scaled Down after government hacked Radical economic re form plan failed to win binding approval in a nov. 29 nationwide referendum. Ii said workers immediately would receive on automatic 6,000-Zloly i ft.75 a month pay raise about 20 percent of the average monthly salary As direct compensation to offset the Impact of the Price  pensions family allowances welfare payments and other social Bene fits would be increased to compensate for the Price hikes in  said the Price hikes would be introduced in three stages Over the next i rec to months. As of monday the Price of most Basilan average of percent alco.by60perccntrents, postal Rales and inner cily bus and railway fares by 50 percent radio Andev subscription fees by 75 percent Date sol fuel by 100 percent. Crop procurement prices paid to farm ers arc logo up by an average of 48.4 per  for kindergartens and nurseries Are 10 go up on a sliding scale depending on family income on March 1. On april i the Price of Coal is to go up by 200 percent. Gas. Electric Energy hoi Walcer and Central Healing fees Are to Rise by 100 percent. This year s Central annual plan forecasts an Overall inflation rate of42 percent com pared with 2opcrcent for 1987, it would be inc highest inflation rate since 1932, when inc Cost of living Rose 101 percent. The statement said wages Are Etc cried to Rise an average of Ufi percent this year. This would cover All Price increases in cent those for alcohol and tobacco in an Effort to reduce their consumption. Australian lifesaving team made her Day Diana says a Bir fool and windblown Prince Diana aboard bout that took her from Sydney to ten Lgth Terri Al Australia a the Princess of Wales exchanged jokes Wilh bronzed australian life Saven sunday when she and Prince Charles slopped by a surf lifts avg carnival Here North of Sydney. After presenting an award named in her Honor id he winning surf relay learn Princess Diana agreed to photographers requests that be stand among the six Young men. Who were wearing Only Brief swimming costumes Caps and smiles. I be been waiting All Day for this she told James Newman 25, a member of the winning Freshwater surf lifesaving club learn. Newman who works As a Beach inspector on the Northern Sydney Beach of South curl curl later told reporters the Princess also had joked with him thai the Evanl had made her  thousands of people lined inc British Royal couple s Sis mile drive from goal bad wharf where they arrived on a luxury Cruiser from Sydney to Temal Beach. Afler the service the couple were driven to Pitton Tjerand boarded the launch Solitude for the dipl Gosford their journey across broken say and up the Bris Bane water retraced the path taken by Australia s first governor capt. Arthur Phillip in one of bin earliest voyage around the new Colony 200 year ago. The Royal couple Are visiting Australia As part of celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of euro Pean settlement. They looked hot and pushed in the 95 degree fahrenheit heal and Prince Charles told Sueju at a civic reception at Gosford he was feeling the heat of austra Lia s  As somebody whose blood ii still rather thick and not nearly thin enough for this climate it s a warm Welcome in both senses of the  lie said. In Adelaide the of her Day while i was speaking half of the audience passed out and had to be carried away on stretchers. I see you Are made of sterner stuff in  a private dinner later sunday the Prince and Princess were to Allend a Bicentennial fashion Parade at the Sydney opera haute. They arc to inspect inc redeveloped Darling har Bour area in downtown Sydney on monday and then head off to separate engagements. World today printing of map closes Bangladesh newspaper Dhaka Bangladesh Apt Khazar. A pro opposition Bengali language newspaper was shut Down by the government saturday for pub Lishing a map showing Bangladesh As a pan or India. The put Calion of inc map is an attempt to undermine the sovereignty and Independence of the country a Home ministry announcement said. The map was published in a supplement brought out by Khazar on tuesday India s re Public Day. Khazar published on apology the Day after running the map. A Ijara another Bengali language daily was closed by the government for publishing objectionable news the order did not specify the charges. Sihanouk defends efforts of rebels in Cambodia Beijing a exiled cambodian Leader Prince Norodom Sihanouk issued an angry de sense sunday of his forces fighting ability in the struggle to oust vietnamese troops which have occupied his country since 197b. Sihanouk who abruptly resigned saturday As head of a three parly Gnu Virt Narcse coalition also reiterated charges that one of his coalition partners is trying to discredit him and Binder peace efforts. In a Handwritten statement issued from his residence in Beijing inc 65-year-old Sihanouk insisted thai guerrilla forces Loyal to him far out number those of coalition member son Sann. Head of the non communist Khmer people s National liberation front. Hit comments were in response to a news report saturday that son Sann s army is larger. The other coalition member is the communist Khmer Rouge which ruled Cambodia from 1975 until the vietnamese invaded. Philippine rebels Issue threat against . Envoy m Ami la. Philippines