European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday. June 16, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 15money matters Dollar watch shown below Are the highest Dollar Exchange rates for the week of june 9 june 15 compared with Dollar rates for the same period one year and five years ago. British Pound one  Cost you $1.63 $1.68 1991 1990$1.50 1986german Mark one Dollar would buy you 1.76 1991 1.66 19902.21 1986 a military Exchange rate italian lire one Dollar would buy you ice 1341 1991 1243 1990 1986 Spanish peseta one Dollar would buy you 111 104 1991 1990 142 1986 is amps Dollar hits 1 v2-year High against Mark. The Dollar hit a new High for 1991 last week climbing to its highest level since november 1989. T the Dollar Rose sharply thursday surpassing 1.80 Marks but fell off slightly with profit taking. The dollars been strengthening All week a said Tim Fox Treasury economist for Midland Bank in London. He attributed the gains to . Retail sales and employment data released thursday. Also pushing the Dollar higher is the unlikelihood of further declines in . Interest rates. A a the feeling is the recession has bottomed out a a Fox said. A the next trend developing is one of recovery we be Only seen a bit of evidence of that so  the indicators though Are enough to make financial experts optimistic he said. Fox said the Dollar could Peak at 1.90 Marks before years end. A the markets Are perhaps More optimistic than Many americans a he added. A a there a a lot of people out of work  Gunter Teich of the Bank of America in Frankfurt said he expects the Dollar will get stronger this week. The Mark he said is holding Strong against other currencies a a 1 Teich said he too sees the . Emerging from a recession a a lot of people Are saying the Dollar could go to 2 Marks a Teich said. A at the moment 1 can to see it but who knows athe stars and stripes by the los Angeles times Washington key lawmakers dealing with the savings and loan and banking crises which Are expected to Cost . Taxpayers billions of dollars arc still. Accepting Money and free trips from those industries according to congressional financial disclosure forms released Friday. Despite the controversy surrounding the a Keating five scandal in which five senators were investigated for accepting Campaign contributions front Lincoln savings and loan owner Charles Keating and then intervening on his behalf with Federal regulators congressional leaders dealing with the banking and Thrift industries continue to accept such  -. A a a a a a a a a a a Many senior members of the House banking committee collected thousands of dollars in speaking fees and free trips from dozens of thrifts banking groups and other Industry lobbyists according to the reports which cover Honor aria and other personal fees received in 199 1. The committee must vote this year on banking Reform and on refinancing the Federal Agency that is dealing with the a amp a cleanup. A rep. Bruce f. Vinto d-mmn., a key banking committee member and the chairman of a special task Force Uvo Vei Sec the Resolution Trust corp. That is in charge of Selling properties seized by the government irom failed a amp is. Accepted trips and speaking fees from savings and loan and banking groups the records show. A a. A. Venlo a vocal critic of the rec and the Bush administrations handling of the Thrift crisis accepted $2,000 in speaking fees and free travel expenses from the Texas savings and loan league and another $2,000 from the . League of savings institutions. To accepted thousands of dollars More in fees and Honor aria from other financial Industry lobbying . Rep Paul e. Kanjorski d-pa., another key member of the committee and its financial institutions subcommittee that just voted on Bank Reform legislation accepted speaking Lees and extended free trips from thrifts in California Kanjorski accepted a $2,000 speaking fee from countrywide Thrift and loan in Pasadena Calif along with free air fare from Washington to los Angeles and three Days Worth of food and lodging for him and his Wile. Rep. John j. Lafalce d-n.y., another senior banking committee member accepted $93,350 in Honor aria from a Range a of Trade groups including Many financial services lobbying organizations. In. One. Instance he accepted $2,000 trom the . League of savings institutions an s amp a Trade association. He also accepted $2,000 in fee from inc financial corp the Parent company of a troubled Bank in Maryland. Rep. Gerald d. Klezka a wis. A critic of Congress and the Bush administration for not successfully handling the a amp a and banking crises accepted $2,000 in Lees from first  and loan and free air fare from Washington to san Francisco and three Days of lodging from the California thrill and loan association. Many committee members in the House said that they gave at least a portion of their fees to Charity. They also defended their willingness to accept Eon tribute ions from a amp is a we still have an a amp a Industry and there arcs amp is in the congressman s Dis-1 rid a said a spokesman for rep. Chaim cars p. Wylie a Ohio the ranking Republican on the House banking committee who accepted thousands of dollars in fees front lobbying groups representing Bot the banking and a amp a industries. Quot so 1 think it is appropriate that they contribute As Long As they Don t try to specify what their contributions arc for.�?�. Lionel files for bankruptcy again new York a Lionel corp., former maker of Model trains and owner of the kiddie City to store Chain sought Protection from creditors  bankruptcy court. The nations third largest toy retailer cited a the current distressed retail environment and extremely tight credit conditions for its second dive under the chapter 11 umbrella in a decade. Lionel a move underscores the dominance of toys or us which has managed to snare a Quarter of the . Toy Market in less than a decade. In court papers Lionel attributed its problems primarily to a competitive pressures from among others a toy super markets some of which Are larger and have greater financial  the company a 97 stores in 15 states Are outnumbered by 700 toys or us outlets and about 200 child world stores Lionel said in a statement from its offices in Edison , that an unidentified financial institution agreed to provide $50 million in financing under chapter 11, a company gets a reprieve from creditors while devising a Way to pay Bills and survive. A according to court documents. Lionel and its principal operating subsidiary Lionel Leisure inc., have combined assets totalling $351,5 million and liabilities of $255 million. Lionel which once flirted with the notion of acquiring Chick world lost $5,9 million on revenues of $r2 it Milf lion last fiscal year. By comparison. Toys re us reported Domestic,,-the $4 billion Range last year. A a a a a a founded in-i91k, Lionel is synonymous with the line of Model trains that were once a Staple of the american toy Industry. Some observers say Lionel a image went out of focus once it lost its association with the famous trains. They Are still made by an unrelated company Lionel trains inc., headquartered in mount Clemens Mich. It Lionel operated under chapter i 1 pro Terlion from creditors for three years before emerging in 19k5 As a smaller entity ruling could hinder Plant moves 1. By the new York times the National labor relations Board announced a decision Friday that could make it harder for companies to relocate factories to Low wage areas. The decision was the latest twist in a protracted Battle Between Dubuque packing co. Of Omaha and the United food and commercial workers Union. 1 n 1981, the company refused to negotiate with the Union when it closed a hog slaughtering operation that employed about 500 workers in Dubuque Iowa and opened a new Plant in Rochelle 111., where wages were lower. Fridays decision which the Board handed Down in Washington would require Dubuque packing to pay those workers one year of Back pay less any earnings they Recei Ved in that period. Back pay was limited to one year because Dubuque closed the ii Lino is Plant in 1982. Of broader significance the Norb As part of the decision issued guidelines to determine when companies must negotiate with unions before relocating. Labor Union officials said the decision would help unions that have lost members and Power in recent years As companies have relocated factories to lower wage areas or hired subcontractors  provide products or services once provided by their unionized workers. The Norb said companies would be required to negotiate about relocation it there was Quot no Basic change in the nature of the employers operations at the . Negotiations would not be mandatory it said if work at a new Plant a varies significantly from the old Plant if the work at the old Plant is Quot discontinued entirely arid not moved to the new Plant Quot or if the decision involves a a a change in the scope and direction of the  Start ing Ter in morning by the new York times new York the new York Stock Exchange is exploring beginning trading before the traditional opening at 9 30 ., although it is Uncertain what time it would Start an Exchange executive said Friday. Such an exploration was expected. The big Board on thursday began its first. After hours trading ii what was described As a first step toward 24-hour trading by Early in the next Century. In an interview Richard a. Grasso the executive vice chairman of the Exchange said the big Board was seeking the views of its members about when would be the Best time to  he added the Exchange was not focusing on any particular time yet for an opening. Published. Reports said the Exchange was looking at opening at 9  Quot obviously if we have Riadi changes at the Back end we Are looking at the front end a Grasso said a but we Haven fixed our sights on .9  What we will do Over the next few weeks to months is ask what is the appropriate time  Grasso said the Exchange could continue to open at 9.30, As Well As open at 9, or even earlier depending on its members response. ,