European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday april 22, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 17 Money matters visa and Mastercard Are seeking $95 million in damages from telemarketing companies they say mislead thousands of people annually with false credit card claims. The Federal court lawsuit filed last week claims the 18 defendants use High pressure sales tactics to get people to pay inflated sums on the false Promise that they la receive now interest credit cards with 12 percent Orless annual interest charges. Instead the suit says the com panics Only provide booklets listing a few Banks that offer such cards a information that can be obtained from consumer organizations for a few  rates London up fridays closing rates for the . Dollar to other currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies in dollars a Gold was quoted at $356.75 an ounce Silver at $3.90. A British Pound German Mark ,-.,.french franc dutch Guilder. Belgian franc italian lira. Swiss franc. Greek drachma.,- turkish lira. Saudi arabian Riyal Spanish peseta. Portuguese escudo. Canadian dollar.-,.a Austria Schilling. Norwegian Krone danish Krone. April 18 17730 april 19 a 1.7245 .,1.6880 1.7340 5.6850 5.7980 1.8902 1.9337 34.6650 35.4025 .1,246.45 1,270.20 1.4375. 1.4670 182.00 186.02 a. 3,825.40 .375043.7504 t03.63 105.90 145.63 �748.40 1.1519 1.1532 11 814. 12.075 6,527 a 6.682 .,.6.4210 a 6.5625. These Are unofficial rates As reported by wire service and banking sources and they Are listed to give some idea of daily currency fluctuations. A the Only official rate concerns the Sale of German Marks to . Personnel for personal use and this will be 1.67 through monday based on Friday s noontime  to offer $50 atm bonuses Andrews Federal credit Union will unveil a new automated Teller machine at the Frankfurt Germany shopping Center on monday april 29, and has devised a special promotion that May make it Worth a customers while to use it. For a limited time Andrews will randomly substitute $50 Bills for s20s in the machine making Cash withdrawals More like a lottery. A spokeswoman Mary Beth Harrell said the extra payoff to a Lucky few customers is the credit unions Way of saying thanks to service members. A a business coalition needed to clean up Gulf group says by David Tarrant staff writer Brussels Belgium a a coalition. Composed of environmentalists and concerned businesses should be formed quickly to respond to the unprecedented environmental disaster in the persian Gulf an International conservation organization  Michael Bailey program director of Earth Trust and other organization officials have been touring european cities to. Meet with businesses and european Community representatives about assisting the multinational Effort to clean up the damage caused by the War. Earth Trust is an International nonprofit research and environmental organization set up in 1976. Based in Honolulu it has Field offices in new York City new zealand Geneva Taiwan and Kuwait City. While the kuwaiti government is contracting businesses to help with the reconstruction of the country environmentalists arc also hoping to attract businesses to help with the massive cleanup Effort Bailey said. More than 500 Oil Wells set ablaze by retreating iraqi soldiers continue to Burn put of control in Kuwait casting a gloomy acrid pall Over much of the tiny country. In addition iraqi forces Are suspected of having opened pipeline taps through which about 2 million barrels of Oil a about 84 million Gallons a flowed into the Northern persian Gulf. The cleanup operations will require Many High technology specialities that can Only be found in the business Community Bailey said. Many non profit environmental groups like Earth Trust arc hoping to team up with businesses specializing in such tasks As capping Oil Well fires and building Rescue centers to help set up communications systems Bailey said. The environmentalists Are also looking for businesses dealing in transportation As Well As toxic waste disposal. A we re looking for people who understand the issues technicians engineers and even inventors a said Art Van re Mundt director of Earth rust a european operations. The Issue of How businesses will he paid however remains unresolved Bailey acknowledged. Some businesses such As Texas Oil Well firefighters Are under contract with the kuwaiti government while other businesses arc working under the Assumption that they will be Quot paid.  a a a. A a a a a a a in All likelihood an environmental superfund will have to be established with contributions from a number of sources including the kuwaitis and members of the Gulf coalition Bailey said. The environmentalists Are hoping to persuade the european Community to contribute financially. ,. A Many businesses have expressed inter.  in working on the environmental cleanup said a spokeswoman for the environmental Protection Agency. She said the Agency usually receives several inquiries every Day from . Companies. But because the  government is not officially involved in the cleanup the Epa refers the Calls to the Kun Iii i government. Price disparities for Homes will narrow in 90s, report says by Jube shiver or the los Angeles times the Large regional Price disparities that developed in housing during the past two decades will disappear As companies Migrate out of High Cost areas on the East and West coasts and relocate opera dons in less expensive cities in the South and Midwest according to a new report. But the prediction of More uniform housing prices by Northwestern University Scenter for real estate research Drew scepticism from several analysts who question whether a three bedroom Home in Des Moines Iowa will Ever Cost the same As similar sized houses in los Angeles or Manhattan. The 60-Page Kellogg Biskind report a published april 10 and written by Edwin s. Mills a professor of real estate at Northwestern and Ronald Simenauer a doctoral candidate at the University a focused on How Home ownership has fared As an investment during the past 30 years. It forecast that the housing Market will revive by mid 1991 but that regional Price disparities will end this decade. The authors found that until the 1970s, housing prices had varied Little by Region within the United states but starting about 1975, housing prices began increasing More rapidly in the Northeast As Well As the Western and Rocky Mountain states As baby Boomers began buying Homes to Start families. A housing prices in the Western Region Rose at a rate nearly 50 percent greater than the National average Between 1974 and 1989. During the period of greatest appreciation in the Northeast Between 1982 and 1988, the average real House Price Rose 10.8 percent annually about four times the National average. The critics say however that although Price difference May narrow somewhat As big corporations take higher paying jobs to lower Cost cities significant regional disparities in housing prices will continue to persist because departing companies Are replaced by other firms that often offer salaries High enough to support current prices. They also say people Are willing to pay a Premium to live in certain cities because of other factors. A i agree that Home appreciation in general is going to be slower than it has been Over the past few years a said David Traversi a vice president of Montgomery securities real estate division in san Francisco. Quot but done to think Price differences will narrow hat  author Mills explained that As a result of the run up in housing prices some companies Are moving out of High Cost cities such As Boston and new York and taking jobs to lower Cost areas in the Midwest and South . Penney and get corp. Are just a few of the big Eor portions that have moved from the new York area to lower Cost Texas Iii recent years and Mills said that without the jobs and economic support created by such big companies housing appreciation will slow in cities deserted by big companies and accelerate in areas that at tract major employers. Mills predicted that a California will continue to be a very attractive place for both businesses and. People but i do sex Pec t s i owe r  a but he e Alt i in n e d that a when these speculative bubbles grow and grow they Are bound to  even so Mills said Consumers should not be discouraged from pursuing the american dream of Home ownership a i still think housing is a Good investment a Mills said. A and i think tie Spring of 1991 May Well be a Good time to buy a House. It i was a Young person i would do my damnedest to buy a House in  by Jenell Wallace United press International a vpm1 City to. A Success in the global mar an  Reclus res Niobe than a. A dress for Success look or tax asters degree in business administration says p Tocol and etiquette consultant Elizabeth Haas a l0a by s Junior executives must also possess a mod the m St Ial polish class and the style to carry them life a u it Tae Maze of social obligations associated with a in Llusa Ness circles according to a brochure put out firm the handler amp Haas co. Menu Meriand Park kan., company she founded six Etia provi est counsel in protocol and social which according to Haas Means much More Man knowing which Fork to use. Mes signal polish is paying attention to the smallest to Success detail to make the people in your presence feel comfortable with you and Good about themselves a she said. A anybody in a profession whether they re Pas doctors lawyers engineers or architects All have to sell themselves before their professional abilities come into play a she said. Haas a four hour etiquette course covers among other topics introducing yourself making group introductions presenting your business card and conversational skills for business situations. A course on entertaining also four hours includes Host or hostess duties tipping american and Continental styles of table manners and a understanding  if an executive plans to do business in a particular country Haas offers an overview of communications styles forms of address the gift giving ritual negotiating styles and other acceptable practices in that culture. Even though each country has its own business Eti queue standards a particular regions of a country can have their own rules a Haas emphasized that there is an internationally accepted decorum. 1 he handshake for example is acceptable everywhere Haas said. Hut. Business pc pfc Tromp Japan or Korea also might Bow As a greeting depending on whether the encounter was in the United states or in their own country. Many of the business etiquette skills Haas espouses a returning Telephone Calls remembering names and making proper introductions for example a appear to . My response is Why do so few people use common sense then a she said