European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday August 28, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 17. Money matters s la. A .43> i i today a tip sales of existing Homes fell 6.7 percent nationwide in july the National association of realtors said monday. The decline ended five consecutive months of sales increases with Home sales falling to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.35 million units in july Down from 3.59 million in june. Although last months sales decline left nationwide Home sales 0.9 percent higher than in july of last year tighter tort Giager lending standards and a standoff Between buyers and Sellers Over High Home prices Are apparently taking their toll on the housing Market. A the pent up demand for housing that occurred in april has slowed Down because of tighter lending standards a said James z. Pugash director of Montgomery securities real. Estate in san Francisco. Conversion rates London up tuesdays 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 $354.10 an ounce Silver at $3.94. Aug. 26 aug. 27 British  1.6805 German mark.1.7520 1.7500 French franc.5.9495 5.9475 dutch guilder.1.9720 1.9715 belgian franc.36.05 35.97 italian lira.1,308.15 1,306.95 Swiss franc.1.5300 1.5235 greek drachma.193.31 193.38 turkish lira.4,578.10 4,586.70 saudi arabian riyal.3.7501 3.7501 Spanish peseta.109.19 109.01 portuguese escudo.149.82 149.75 Canadian dollar.1.1438 1.1430 austrian schilling.12.3125 12.3120 norwegian Krone .6.8310 6.8360 danish krone.6.7550 6.7530 these Are unofficial rates As reported by wire service and banking sources and they Are listed to give some idea of daily currency fluctuations. 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 1.71 through wednesday based on tuesdays noontime Price fixing. Sates last net clog. 801.100 9 up % 342,200 16% unch 224,800 14 off a 224,000 4 off % 222,800 4 up % 208,600 9% up it 208,200 4% up % 184,700 8% up % 173,200 1% off % 173,000 3 unch american Exchange new York up the 10 most Active stocks in american Stock Exchange composite trading monday. Stock a a Dow chem it Plains re sour Kirby corp am expo run i Strum sys Elk Sportun it Chiles of shr Echo Bay mine Conti air Hill Haven up new York Exchange new York up a the 15 most Active stocks in new York Stock exch nip  trading on monday. Stock St Union up Salomon inc Telen of mex toys r us us Marathon Hart Marx up Rwjr Nab bldg at amp to company Triton Energy occident a pet Wal Mart str Lockheed up Philip to am express Texas utile Latex last net chg. 4,235,600 27 off % 3,272,500 26 up 2% 2,064,600 35 /4 up 1 % 1,760,200 35 up 2 1,685,500 31 Oft % 1,220,900 8v4 up % 1,146,100 12�?T/4 up % 1,135,500 39% unch 1,103,900 45% off 1% 1,060,200 24y4 up % 1,056,900 49% up % 1,021,300 42% off 1 % 989,200 73�?T/4 up % 939,700 26% up % 928,100 38% unch Dow Jones new York up a Dow Jones dosing Range of averages monday 30 industrials 20 transport 15 utilities 65 stocks High 3057.02 1221.97 206.94 1086.33 Low 3020.80 1206.10 204.74 1073.29 close 3039.36 1212.27 206.31 1079.79 change Ott 0.89 off 317 0.31 0.77 As car prices continue to Rise by Frederick Stan dish the associated press Detroit a automakers begin their annual new car Blitz this week but higher prices May Send shoppers reeling especially those who have been out of the Market for a while. The big three automakers said their 1992 prices will be 1.5 percent to 3.7 percent above prices in 1991. Prices from 1986 to 1991 Rose nearly 25 percent bringing the average Price of a new car last year to about $16,200, according to the National automobile dealers association. Since few people buy new cars each year getting Back into the Market can be a sobering experience for someone who Hasni to bought a new car since 1986, when the average sticker Price was $12,950. A because people Are keeping cars longer the sticker Shock is greater when they come into the Market now a said John Casesa an Auto analyst with Wert Heim Schroder amp co. The new creations premiering this week around Detroit come from Chrysler Gmys Cadillac division and Toyota motor  lexus division. Ford introduces its �?T92 models in Atlanta next week. Prices often fluctuate As automakers add or remove incentives which have been averaging about $1,000 per vehicle recently. But Here a a sampling of sonic new offerings Cadillac a Seville will Cost $34,975, up Quot 2 percent and lexus new is 300 Sedan will Likely Cost $25,000, 16 percent More than the is 250 it replaces. General motors corp. Said its 1992 prices will Rise about 3.1 percent Over 1991 prices. Ford motor  Are expected to Rise about 3.7 percent while Chrysler  Are expected to be about 1.5 percent higher. Nissan motor corp. Announced monday that prices on its 1992 models will Rise about 3.4 percent or $450. Between 1985 and 1988, americans bought 63 million cars and trucks More than in any other four year period. Now automakers Are counting on the owners of those vehicles for Trade ins. Hopes May be especially High since Auto sales have slumped so badly for More than a year. Many dealers Hope the recovery from recession will prompt Consumers to finally Spring for that Purchase they have been putting off. Automakers Are expected to offer some totally new cars some new features and Many holdovers from 1991. Here a what May be in store a Cadillac s new Seville is designed to Shore up Market share lost to lexus Nissan motor  infiniti and Honda motor  Acura. Cadillac sales have dropped 22 percent this year while combined sales of japanese luxury cars have risen 12 percent. A lexus will show off its new is 300 Sedan which replaces the is 250 that critics called an overpriced Toyota cres Sida. A Chrysler is on the Brink of major product introductions. The company has no dramatically new vehicles to show off now but expect some major changes next year a a new jeep grand Cherokee in Early 1992 and the so called la family of midsize cars later in fun year. Chrysler the weakest of the big three relies heavily on its jeeps for profits and lately the Ford explorer has been eating up sales in that Market. The company also desperately needs fresh midsize cars and promises that the la will fill the Bill. All three Domestic automakers could use a boost in sales from the new Model year. In the first six months of 1991, pm Ford and Chrysler lost a combined $3.2 billion and none of the companies is expected to show profit before the fourth Quarter. States ahead of private sector in by the Washington Post state governments Are at the cutting Edge of workplace changes that help their employees juggle the competing demands of family and work according to a Survey released this week. When it comes to such a family Friendly policies As on site Day care centers flextime and family leave state governments a have experimented with innovative programs to a far greater degree than the private sector said Ellen Galinsky co president of the families and work Institute a research group that conducted the Survey with a Grant from the Ford foundation. She noted that states historically have hired Many women and have always used fringe benefits to make up for salaries that lag behind those in the private sector. In 37 states women equal or outnumber men in the government work Force. Among the findings of the Survey a thirty two states and the District of Columbia sponsor a total of 136 on site Day care centers. New York the Leader has 41 centers serving 2,500 children. A i know of no private corporation that has anywhere near that Many. Even the most progressive companies typically have just one or two a Galinsky said. A All 50 states and the District of Columbia have some kind of flextime policy that permits employees to Start and leave work at varied times to take care of family or personal needs. A mothers in All 50 states and the District of Columbia Are Given some time off for childbirth and in 33 states they Are Given Job protected extended leave. Fathers too arc Given some time off in 46 states but have Job protected extended leave in Only 20 states. A new adoptive parents get time off in 42 states. The use of sick leave for dependent care is permitted in 41 states. The Survey did not include the Federal government but Galinsky said its policies As an employer Are comparable to those of states. Although the private sector is slowly beginning to adopt some of these workplace changes the business Community continues to staunchly oppose the family and medical leave act which would require companies with 50 employee or More to provide 12 weeks of unpaid leave and continued medical benefits to Emlo Yecs at the time of childbirth adoption or a family medical emergency. State government a family Friendly Jay ill policies Juba below is a breakdown of various Quot family Friendly Quot programs and the number of states that offer these to their employees. Number of Slater Type o policy that have a policy Day care centers flextime h time for Mother c 2 32 50 50 i e b extended leave for Mother 33 i t1 s a o time off for father 46 i o extended leave for father 20 adoptive parents time off 42 sick leave for dependent care 41 a including the District of Columbia source the family and work institutes amps Nissan to build fast charging electric car Detroit apr Nissan motor co. Ltd. Joined the electric car race monday saying it is developing a Battery powered vehicle that can be recharged in 15 minutes. Other prototypes need hours to recharge. Japan a second largest automaker behind Toyota however announced no production plans for its electric vehicle called the few for future electric vehicle. General motors corp., which has been showing off its Impact electric car for More than 18 months plans to begin production of an electric car in a Lansing As Sembly Plant in the mid-1990s. Air Quality Laws in California Are putting pressure on nearly All automakers to develop non polluting cars. By 1998, 2 percent of the cars an automaker Sells in California must Emit no pollutants in effect mandating electric powered vehicles. By 2003, the level will Rise to 10 percent. Some Small volume automakers such As Rolls Royce and Ferarri Are exempt. Pm Ford motor co. And Chrysler corp., the big three . Automakers have joined forces to form the United states advanced Battery consortium a a research group aimed at developing technology for electric powered cars. Among the problems vexing electric car developers is vehicle Range. The pm Impact can travel for about 120 Miles at 55 Mph before a recharge is necessary. The Impact takes two it eight hours to recharge depending on the charging voltage. Nissan officials said monday that their ear has a Range of about 1 m Miles at 45 Mph. However they said their batteries can be fully recharged in 15 i routes