European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday july 19, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 17today s tip housing starts shot ahead 5.2 percent in june the third straight monthly increase in the United states boosting the annual rate of new construction Over the 1 million Mark for the first time in seven months the government said wednesday. All regions of the country posted Strong gains except the West where the housing Industry has been weak in recent months. Analysts contend the housing recession hit Bottom in january but they continue to believe that any recovery will be slow and  rates London up thursdays closing rates for the . Dollar to other currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies in dollars Gold was quoted at $369.25 an ounce Silver at $4.40. July 17 july 18 British pound.1.6466 1.6665 German mark.1.796 1.7715 French franc.6.0955 6.0110 dutch guilder.2.0235 2.0125 belgian  a italian lira.1,337.00 1,320.00 Swiss franc.1.5605 1.5355 greek drachma.195.68 194.35 turkish lira.4,331.60 4,365.90 saudi arabian riyal.3.7503 3.7502 Spanish peseta.112.61 111.58 portuguese escudo.154.00 152.50 Canadian dollar.1.1468 1.1535 austrian schilling.12.642 12.53 norwegian krone.7.001 6.933 danish krone.6.9425 6.8785 these Are unofficial rates As reported by wire service and banking sources and they Are listed to give some idea of daily currency fluctuations. The Only official rate concerns the Sale of German Marks to . Personnel for personal use and this will be 1.73 through Friday based on thursdays noontime  see few signs of upturn yet Detroit a the automobile Market has yet to show much sign of pulling out of its slump and when it does japanese producers Are ready to grab a bigger slice of the pie the Heads of the nations leading automakers said. A a a we Are not through the Shock wave yet with the consumer a general motors corp. Chairman Robert Stempel said wednesday. A i think its a Little premature to conclude the Economy has picked up that much a said Ford motor co. Chairman Harold Poling. They were responding to remarks tuesday by Federal Reserve Board chairman Alan Greenspan who said the recession was Over and a recovery under Way. A i was a Little disappointed with the remarks by the fed chairman a Stempel said. A i think he a done a Good Job in controlling inflation but he said a Well just let the recovery come along  to some of us that has an ominous ring.�?�. . Sales of North american built cars and Light trucks fell 7.5 percent in Early july from a Strong period one year earlier. For the year through july 10 sales were Down 13 percent. British spouses seek of Money for suit Over poll tax exemption by Amy Geiszler Jones . Bureau some British spouses of american service members want the . Air Force to help pay their Legal Bills while they fight to be exempted a As american dependents Are a from Britain a poll tax. A local government in England is appealing a tribunals decision to exempt 13 British spouses of . Service members. Britain a High court is expected to hear the Case which could affect at least 2,000 British spouses after August say participants of both sides of the Case. Legal fees already have topped the British equivalent of $5,900 and could go As High As $50,700 if the spouses lose the Case according to Karen Tatum the British spouse of a . Serviceman assigned to Raf upper Heyford. The women do not meet income requirements to qualify for British Legal Aid. A this has put a real Damper on our tour a Tatum said. A we leave in december and id really like to spend my last few months Here not worrying about  american military and civilian personnel and their non British dependents Are exempt from paying the Community charge commonly known As the poll tax which went into effect in England and Wales in 1990 and in Scotland in 1989. British dependents must pay this tax which is used to finance local services such As schools and Community maintenance. The tax varies based on Community expenditures. At Issue is the definition of a relevant association a which will determine whether British citizens who Are married to non British service members assigned to Britain Are exempt from their tax responsibilities under the visiting forces act or 1952. The act was drafted to give Britain a the necessary Power to enforce the status of forces agreement of 1951, according to a ministry of defense spokesman. Liz Loughran the spouses attorney argued that some sections within the act Are ambiguous and contradictory. The nato status of forces pact says members of a Force or its civilian component will not be taxed if the Levy depends on residency a poll tax requirement. Non British dependents were exempted in the act that created the poll tax. In april a three member tribunal which has final local authority to Grant poll tax exemptions declared Tatum and 12 other British women married to american servicemen exempt from the poll tax. The panel an Independent body based in Botley determined that the women had a relevant association to their husbands who Are stationed at nearby Raf upper Heyford. A local government the Cherwell District Council in june appealed the decision to Britain a High court. If they can to afford a lawyer there will be no one to represent the interests of the 2,000 British spouses in court and a the Prospect of them succeeding would be significantly less a Loughran said. It is unlikely she can continue representing them without the spouses paying her firm the lawyer said. Meanwhile the Cherwell District Council has asked 12 other District councils in England and Wales where . Service members reside to help finance its Legal fees. Cherwell has received a an encouraging response a said Les Angel the councils chief financial officer. Air Force regulation 110-12 allows the service to help dependents with Legal fees according to 3rd air Force Legal officials. But the request sent by the spouses attorney to the 3rd air Force last week must be forwarded to the Secretary of the air Force for a decision. The spouses also would like the financial backing of the other British spouses who would be affected by the cases outcome. The financial Burden proved too much for another spouse to Bear. Sharon Flemming decided to withdraw from the Case since a it would just be cheaper to pay the poll tax a she said. Angel said Cherwell and other councils Are just As interested in seeing this Issue a settled quickly a until now rulings made on the local government level a have been in conflict. We want clarification of the Law a said Ray Bolton Community charge Quot registration officer for the Forest Heath District Council which has offered to contribute up to 6,000 pounds about $10,140, to the Cherwell Council. Forest Heath encompasses Raf Lakenheath and Raf Mildenhall which together make up the largest american military population in Britain. The Suffolk coastal District Council which includes Raf Ben Waters and Raf Woodbridge has contributed 400 pounds to Cherwell a cause because a we consider that looking at the legislation that the decision made by the tribunal was wrong a said an official. The unpopular poll tax is to be scrapped for a new tax called the Council tax which is to take effect in 1993. The British government is still working on the details. Pieces of Glass found in bottles of recalled Ai passer official says by Crystal Laureano staff writer military medical officials have identified the a foreign materials cited in last weeks recall of Glass bottled Stolzenbac her Ai passer As Glass fragments a 7th medical come spokesman said thursday. Ai passer in plastic bottles was not affected by the recall. The bottles Are manufactured by Allgauer Alpen Wasser and the labels read a Stolzenbac Here in red print and a Taip Wassers in Blue print. This is the third recall of Stolzenbac her bottled water since january 1990. The first recall occurred when a routine veterinary food inspection revealed Mold under some bottle tops prompting a medical hold on All Ai passer bottles. The recall was issued when an inspection at the Plant found unsanitary conditions. The second recall issued last month cited Glass particles in Glass bottles. The current suspension on the Sale of Stolzenbac her Ai passer in Glass bottles at military sales outlets will remain in effect until the Stolzenbac her production and bottling facility have undergone a sanitary inspection by veterinary food inspectors spokesman Bill Swisher said. A the fact that a product reappears in the distribution system of the armed forces indicates that it has been medically inspected and accepted a Swisher said. Even if the company is medically cleared by food inspectors the decision to resume business with the water supplier rests with procurement agencies. A we Are engaged in open discussion with the company to see if the problems can be resolved. If it can to be resolved we May have to consider further Adverse actions said Adam Cohen spokesman for the defense subsistence Region Europe in Wei Brincken Germany. Dare negotiates contracts and agreements for locally procured items sold in army air Force and Navy commissaries in Europe. The Ai passer is a popular item in the commissary system he said. A this situation is under close scrutiny a Cohen said. A we want to make a decision in the Best interest of everyone in terms of customer satisfaction As Well As in terms of preserving the health and welfare the commissary  officials at the Munich Headquarters of the army and air Force Exchange service which also Sells Stolzenbac her Ai passer Are also monitoring the situation. A Sale of the water is on hold pending further information from 7th medical come a said Barbara Kirsch cafes spokeswoman. Exchange officials have no intention of cancelling the contract until they have All the details she said. Pan am United Deal Over routes collapses new York apr pan american world airways said wednesday that it failed to agree with United airlines Over the Sale of pan am a latin american and Caribbean routes. Panama the Carrier wanted United to hire More pan am employees and that the Price was not High enough. Loflin would not say How Many employees United wanted or specify the amount of the offer. The announcement came shortly after pan am a creditors rejected United a bid. The creditors said the offer was inadequate. Loflin said the creditors rejection was not a Factor in pan am a decision. Neither airline has commented on the for the last remaining International routes of pan am which filed for chapter 11 Protection. Leon Marcus an attorney representing pan am creditors also declined to elaborate on the offer or the creditors problems. As creditors met wednesday they also decided to defer voting on Delta air lines agreement with pan am to buy All its routes across the Atlantic and beyond for $260 million Marcus said. The creditors wanted More details he said. Pan am has been negotiating asset sales that Are expected to Lead to its dissolution and an airline executive familiar with the carriers strategy said pan am is seeking to preserve jobs for As Many of its 22.000 Emolo vees As possible