European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes 4,-saturday,. May "4,1991jobless rate makes Surprise fall Washington apr the nations jobless rate fell to 6.6 percent in april an unexpected improvement that marked the first decline in unemployment in nearly a year the government reported Friday. The 0.2 percentage Point decline in the civilian jobless rate Down from March a rate of 6.8 percent was the first decrease in unemployment since last May when the rate fell from 5.4 percent to 5.3 percent the labor department said. 4 the number of unemployed americans decreased by 300,000 in april the Agency said. However the.  that at 8.3 million the ranks of the jobless still number More than 1.4 million higher than last july when the current recession began. Though unemployment fell in april fridays report also provided a bit of Bleak economic news a . Businesses continued to Cut jobs last month As nonfarm payrolls fell by 125,000. The number of unemployed and the Job loss number can differ because they Are derived from different surveys. In addition the total number of the jobless can decrease because people quit looking for work and drop out of the labor Force. Fridays report also said that while the number of people working in april grew about half of the increase was in self employment which would not show up in the payroll Survey that showed jobs falling by 125,000. The 125,000-Job loss for april was considerably less than the declines of the previous six months the labor department said. It was also a much More moderate drop than analysts had been bracing for. Most private economists had been predicting that unemployment would shoot up As High As 7 percent in april and jobs would drop by As much As 200,000. The decline in the unemployment rate to 6.6 percent in april followed Steep increases the previous two months. The jobless. Rate now stands 1.1 percentage Point higher than last july. The payroll numbers showed that about 40,000 of the jobs that were lost came in manufacturing which has been in a tailspin for More than two years. However that 40,000-loss was considerably less than the average of 115.000 in the previous five months the labor department  the Aub Industry added nearly 15,000 workers re fleeting resumed production at some plants following inventory control shutdowns the government said. Construction employment was Down by 20,000. Alaskan lawmakers reject Exxon Deal on Valdez Oil spill Riding High Gen. Ii Norman Schwarzkopf with his wife Brenda Waves to the crowd at the Kentucky deft festival Pegasus Parade in Louisville by Schwarzkopf was the parades grand marshal. Juneau Alaska apr the Alaska House rejected a Deal that would let Exxon corp. Pay $1 billion Over 11 years to Settle the nations worst Oil spill pro posing instead the company pay $1.2 billion up front. Gov. Walter j. Hickel Isnit bound by the vote but he has said he would terminate the settlement if the legislature did no to approve it. The action late thursday came one week after a Federal judge tossed out the settlements criminal plea bargain. He said the $100 million Fine for Exxon was inadequate punishment for the Exxon Valdez spill. ? after More than five hours of debate the House voted 27-13 to reject the pact agreed to by Exxon the Federal government and other state officials All 23 democrats and four of 17 republicans voted to kill the settlement. The Senate is to take up the settlement at a future Date. But the House appeared unlikely to reverse itself even if the Senate votes in favor. The House proposed that Exxon pay $700 million within one year plus a $500 million criminal Fine a rather than $900 million Over 11 years plus the $100 million criminal Fine provided in the now rejected plea bargain. \ Hickels spokesman Eric Rehmann said the governor  comment until after the Senate acts and the House has a Chance no reconsider its vote. Exxon spokesman Joe Tucker in Anchorage said the company would have no immediate comment. Nearly it million Gallons of crude Oil gushed from the Tanker Exxon Valdez after it ran aground on a charted reef in Prince William sound on March 24, 1989 the disaster killed countless fish Birds and Marine mammals. It also disrupted commercial fishing and the lifestyle of native alaskan fishing villages. Rep. Terry Martin a Republican said the spill was an Accident and that too Many people wrongly want to see Exxon crippled. A no Oil company is out to deliberately destroy the land a he said. But democratic rep. Niilo Koponen said Exxon contributed to the spill by Cut Ling Back on its Tanker safety standards. A this was not a pure act of god a pure Accident Quot Koponen said. Quot this spill was wailing to happen a the settlement would have been the largest involving an environmental damage Case in . History. In addition to the criminal Fine it would have required Exxon to pay $900 million to restore natural resources damaged in Prince William sound and. The Gulf of Alaska. It also would have settled All state civil claims against Exxon and any claims the Federal government might have brought. 1 because the Money would have been paid Over 11 years its real value after inflation would have been far less. An analysis done for the associated press showed an annuity for that amount could Cost Exxon As Little at $486.3 million. After the agreement was announced in March Exxon chairman Lawrence Rawl said it a looks pretty Good to us and would not significantly affect the company a earnings. A a. A Exxon a sales totalled More than $107 billion last year and it reported earnings of More than $5.1 billion. The company already has paid about $2.5 billion to clean up the spill. Lawmakers recalled Rawls comment thursday. Quot How arrogant a said rep. Gene Kubina a Democrat who represents the spill affected town of Valdez. A a he should be ashamed of himself. He should be replaced and sent to  out los Angeles apr thirteen years of frolicking at Southfork ranch arc ending for . And the rest of the Ewing clan. A Dallas Quot limped into the Sunset on lbs with a two hour finale Friday night and a fraction of the popularity that transformed it into one of the worlds most talked about television show. A a. A the episode is expected to be aired on an television sometime in 1992. A in its Boom Days the 13-season Saga of lust and treachery amid Oil rigs and sprawling Wattien inches was americans no. 1 prime time show. Over the years ratings plummeted cast members quit Story lines grew old and just Plain preposterous. Critics and fans bellowed Over the infamous 1986 Shower scene in which Bobby s death a and a whole season of shows a turned out to be a dream. But All those Rich ewings Down on the ranch left an indelible Mark on to history with All their fussing and to Udine. And lying and dying and sleeping with half the population of the Lone Star state. Viewers around the Globe were obsessed with Patri Arch Jock Ewing played by Jim Davis who died in 1981 and matriarch miss Ellin played by Barbara Bel Geddes except during the 1984-85 season when Donna Reed filled ii a each week evil son and Oil magnate . Larry 13 seasons Bagman and handsome and scrupulous younger brother Bobby Patrick Duffy sat Down to dinner with cousins in is and siblings at Southfork. I v audiences found it comforting that even the Riel had problems and big ones at that. Current and former stars of the series head off Foi the great to Roundup with a fantastic last episode Spur from the film a it s a wonderful  a a a Ray plays a visiting Angel who gives a despair ing , a View of what life would be like had he Nevei been born. P,c-h0 Hatch t seen the show in five year won t have to worry Quot said executive producer Leona Katzman. There Are no Story lines to pick