European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday september 2, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 13business news Dollar Likely  fairs in Europe to give to continue i service members a head Start its doldrums Dollar watch Randy Mcclain the Dollar moved sharply higher against the British Pound on world currency markets late last week but the big gains weren to matched in trading against the German Mark. And several currency dealers said the quiet times Arentt Likely to last. To put it succinctly the Dollar might fall again in the week to come. In England though things were looking up for the time being for . Service members at weeks end. Late Friday one Pound was Selling for $ 1.8920 on world currency markets a gain of almost 6 cents from the Bucko slow Point earlier in the week. The military Exchange rate in the United kingdom also shot ahead for the weekend improving by 3 cents on Friday alone. One Pound was Selling for $1.96 Friday morning at Community Bank outlets in Britain. This weekend a Pound is Selling for the comparatively bargain rate of $1.93 based on a late afternoon Price fixing in Britain. David Simmonds International economist with Midland Montagu Bank in London said the pounds losses were caused by a variety of factors. Despite continued harsh rhetoric in the Middle East a War has not broken out yet and that fact has brought relative Calm to International Oil markets. The Price of Oil stabilized in the $28-per-barrel Range last week after Selling for As much As $32 per barrel earlier in August. Simmonds said the Pound traditionally is helped by rising Oil prices because the country exports More Oil than it imports. With Oil prices stabilizing the Pound is losing some of its Luster Simmonds said. Another Factor working against the Pound last week was a perception in the Market that interest rates in the United kingdom May be about to fall from their lofty Perch in the 15 percent Range. If that happened Pound denominated investments  be As attractive to investors and the Pound could slip in value. Simmonds though does no to think the Pound is due for a big fall. In fact despite the pounds poor performance last week he looks for the British currency to strengthen again rising above $ 1.90 in the next few Days. Why it mainly has to do with the United states weak economic vital signs he said. Among those dismal signs Are slow  growth and sliding Stock prices in the states. Simmonds also believes . Interest rates Are headed for a fall of their own before the year ends and that will Hurt the Buck. Interest rates will be engineered lower by the . Federal Reserve Simmonds believes because such a move is necessary to steer the . Economy Clear of recession. Petra Ott an economist with Citibank in Frankfurt West Germany said the fed has so far resisted cutting interest rates Back Home to avoid giving inflation a boost. But an interest rate Cut eventually will have to come to give new life to Cash strapped businesses in the states Ott said. A in the next few months they will ease rates. And i still believe the Dollar could hit 1.50 Marks As a result the Citibank economist said. Usually As interest rates fall in a country so does that nations currency. Investors Arentt As Likely to put their Money to work in a land where investment yields from interest rates Are on die Way Down. What does that mean for the Buck a the potential for an upturn in the Dollar is rather limited a Ott said. A for the medium term look for the Dollar to remain rather  late Friday die Dollar was trading at 1.5665 Marks on the Frankfurt currency Exchange a gain of slightly More than 1 pfennig since monday. The might any Exchange rate for the weekend was set at l53 Marks Friday. That too represents a gain of 1 pfennig when compared with a week earlier. Tim 8tara and strip a by Randy Mcclain financial writer . Service members considering a switch to civilian life will have several opportunities to meet with private employers at a series of  fairs in West Germany and the Netherlands Over the next month. The air Force family support Center at Oesterberg a Netherlands and the . Army warrant officers association european Region Are planning  fairs to help service members Cope with troop cuts in Europe. The Oesterberg sessions Are scheduled for sept. 14 and 15 and the warrant officers 10-Day program starts two weeks later. Chief warrant officer 4 Roy valiant the head of the association said his group will hold five  fairs Over the next month and May hold others later. A with troop cutbacks these people Over Here need a running Start so they can compete with  applicants Back in the United states a valiant  the list of fairs planned the following is a list of  fairs coming up in the Netherlands and West Germany in the next month. Employers from the United states and Europe will be attending the events to interview  applicants. The Netherlands sept. 14 and 15, from 10 . To 4 . Both Days at the de Bitsche Hoek Motel on de Holle bilt Street no. 1 near Oesterberg a. The fair is sponsored by the air Force family support Center at the base. For More information Call the support Center at ets 363-8963. West Germany sept. 26, from 9 . To 6 ., and sept. 27, from 9 . To noon at the Vogel Weh officers club in Kaiserslautern sept. 28, from 9 . To 6 ., and sept. 29, from 9 . To noon at the Nellin Gen officers club in Stuttgart sept. 30, from 9 . To 6 ., and oct. 1, from 9 . To noon at the forty niner club on Darby Cavern in Firth oct. 2, from 9 . To 6 ., and oct. 3, from 9 . To noon at the Terrace club in the Abrams Complex Frankfurt and oct. 4, from 9 . To 6 ., and oct. 5, from 9 . To noon at the Mannheim officers club in Mannheim. The fairs Are sponsored by the . Army warrant officers association european Region. For More information Call chief warrant officer 4 Roy valiant at Home 06233/48131, or at work 0621/7795242.plan would add rental property near . Bases Woodbridge England a amps a a British company is trying to raise nearly $10 million to add about 150 rental properties to the Market in the next two to three months around four major . Air Force bases. The Suffolk assured Homes company wants to take advantage of what it Calls an undervalued property Market in the East Anglian Region. The company a prospectus says it will buy mostly one and two bedroom houses to rent to a Young professionals and skilled  military families will also be welcomed the company a chief executive said. A your past experience is that they military families have been first class tenants a piers Kenmore Rowland said. The company will buy the houses mainly in Suffolk county in areas around Raf Mildenhall Raf Laken Heath Raf Ben Waters and Raf Woodbridge. People at those bases already occupy More than 5,000 off base rental Homes according to military housing officials. Monthly rent for the new houses should be around $500 to $675, Kenmore Rowland said. Housing officials at Raf Ben Waters and Raf Lakenheath said military members now pay monthly rent ranging from $350 to $ 1,200 for two to five bedroom houses. Rental properties in England Are uncommon in areas other than big cities or around american military bases. Britons usually either buy Homes or live in government owned housing. The warrant officers series of fairs will Start sept. 26-27 in Kaiserslautern West Germany and then move on to Stuttgart Nimberg Frankfurt and Mannheim for additional two Day events through oct. 4-5. As Many As 12 private companies plan to attend including Delta air lines Schneider National carriers a South Carolina based trucking company and Contel Federal systems an electronics company with european offices in Heidelberg West Germany. Among the companies going to Oesterberg a Are . Hunt transport services inc., a trucking company based in Lowell Ark. Federal express the Memphis  express mail service and Pratt amp Whitney the Connecticut based maker of commercial and military Jet aircraft engines. Mike Mcdonnell who teaches a career transition course at Oesterberg said he expects the air base  fair to be Well attended and he thinks thereto be a need for More such events in the future. A i can see Over the next year having almost quarterly  fairs not Only As the government forces people out of the military but also because the Low Dollar May Force Junior enlisted people out too a he said. A they May want to request a stateside assignment or get out  ironically the push to hold More  fairs in Europe where the troops Are comes As fears of a recession Are intensifying in the United states. A severe economic slowdown could mean fewer jobs for service members separated from the military. Valiant said the warrant officers group has a had a pretty Good response from . Firms for its events but a few companies begged of because they re not hiring. Other companies attending at least one of the  fairs in Europe said they re interested in meeting applicants but they can to Promise to hire anyone. A if there a a recession in the United states to expand could be very difficult a said Leon brands the personnel manager for Pratt amp Whitney in Holland. A a we re not sure of  possibilities at this Point a said brands who will attend the Oesterberg a employment fair anyway. Francis Golden a manager of human resources with Pratt amp Whitney in the United states said the same military budget cuts costing service members their jobs in Europe could also hit Nis company hard. Pratt amp Whitney manufactures and repairs Jet engines for both the . Military and commercial air earners. A with military budgets being reduced our  Market is somewhat Flat especially in the military Jet engine area a Golden said in a Telephone interview. Prospects Are somewhat better in the commercial aircraft end of the business Golden said but rising fuel costs caused by the persian Gulf crisis might Force the airlines to slow new equipment orders. A a we re not in a big hiring Mode right now a he said. Pratt amp Whitney traditionally has been a solid  Market for sex military personnel particularly Jet engine mechanics. Other companies attending one or More of the european  fairs Are More optimistic including Contel Federal systems a company that provides computer maintenance for the . Military at numerous Sites around the world. Bill Livingston senior Field service specialist with Contel in Europe said his firm is in the Market for computer maintenance specialists. Projected annual starting salaries Are in the $20,000 to $25,000 Range for people with four years of military experience. Contel places a Premium on hiring sex military personnel because they Are generally Well trained and Are familiar with much of the equipment the company maintains for the government Livingston said. Jim Justice a recruiting specialist with . Hunt transport services said his firm also places a Premium on hiring truck Drivers and mechanics with a military background. Justice said his firm attended a  fair in Heidelberg West Germany last Spring and had Good Luck hiring new employees and he does no to expect to go away empty handed this trip either. A things worked out great and that a Why we came Back a said Justice who will be among company recruiters attending the Oesterberg a  fair. Justice said he and a colleague also will make stops at army transportation units in Bremerhaven Mannheim Kaiserslautern Nimberg Wurzburg and Stuttgart West Germany Between sept. 17 and sept. 27. Now is an Ideal time to recruit service members because of Likely cuts in . Forces in Europe Justice said. A a it a a Good time to come to Europe a he said a and we re also hitting every major military installation in the United