European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 17, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 17 today s tip business inventories Rose 0.2 percent in november for the third straight monthly increase As weak consumer demand kept products on the shelves. The Commerce department said wednesday that november a 0.2 percent increase in inventories a to almost $815 billion a followed rises of 0.4 percent in october and september. Before that inventories were Down for seven consecutive months. Sales were up 0.1 percent to approximately $543 billion in november after increases of 0.4 percent in october and 0.2 percent in september. Conversion rates London up thursdays 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 $354.60 an ounce Silver at $4.15. Jan. 15 Jan. 16 British Pound.1.7575 1.7593 German mark.1.6215 1.6180 French franc.5.5240 5.5158 dutch guilder.1.8190 1.8180 belgian franc.33.35 33 38 italian lira.1,219.75 1.219.50 Swiss franc.1.4390 1.4375 greek drachma.185.90 186.40 turkish lira.5,275.40 5,379.00 saudi arabian rtyal.3.7501 3.7501 Spanish peseta.102.43 102.48 portuguese escudo.139.41 139.80 Canadian Dollar. 11551 austrian schilling.11.3650 11.3410 norwegian krone.8.3480 6.3450 danish krone.6.2620 6.2600 these Are commercial rates and can be related Only to the use of foreign currency by . Forces for official business. The Only official rate concerns the Sale of British pounds to . Personnel for personal use. Through Friday this will be $1.81 for a Pound based on a Price fixing thursday afternoon at military banking facilities. New York Exchange new York up York Stock Exchange Stock Citicorp us Marathon Rwjr Nabisco hid Glaxo holdings ism corp Chrysler corp Amer express co chemical Bank blockbuster ent at amp to company Bristol Myersq Motorola inc Uniss corp Boeing co Natl med enter a the 15 most Active stocks in new composite trading on wednesday. Sales last net eng. 12,186,100 15 a up 2% 7,903,200 23% up 5,900,900 11% up 5,218,900 32v. 0 11% 3,103,900 95% up 3 3,008,200 14% up 0 1% 2,753,000 22% 2,676,900 30% up 1% 2,654,200 14 up 2,411,300 40% off % 2,372,900 84% 0 11% 2,265,200 77% up 7 2,210,100 5% up 2,133,500 51% up 1% 2,008,100 17% 0 1% american Exchange new York up the 10 most Active stocks in american Stock a change composite trading wednesday. Stock sales last net Cha. Blo pharmaceutics 2,691,900 4% up Amdahl corp 1,528,600 17vi off i Enzo Bochem 1,272,600 6% off % Hill Haven corp 894,800 3% up % Wang labs inc b 700,500 3% up % tubes de Acero 556,200 9% up % new York times 519,600 25vi up Americus desc 398,800 8vk up i dog corp 375,300 3% up % Catalina log hug 369,400 6vk up i Dow Jones new York up wednesday 30 industrials 20 transport -15 utilities 65 stocks Dow Jones closing Range of averages 329919 1437 22 216.32 119607 Low 3207.74 1388.83 21176 1161 85 Clou 3258.50 1431 43 21407 1184 57 change up 12.30 up 44.10 0�1 25 up 12 52 jobless rate up London up a Britain a unemployment rate Rose to its highest level in four years in december climbing by 31,100 to 2.54 million the department of employment said thursday. Salesman Frank Klenck left talks to prospective buyer Joseph Okamida at a Chicago car Dealership on tuesday. Big three Auto dealerships Appeal to patriotism of prospective buyers re a tha acc Niall or acc vehicles fell 6.2 percent from already de the University of Michigan. By the associated press some Auto dealerships around the country Are responding to slumping sales layoffs and president Bush a Trade Mission to Japan by waving the american Flag. A buy american a whether its pm Ford or Chrysler a a Chicago area Chevy dealer proclaimed in a full Page newspaper and featuring the stars and stripes and drawings of american workers. Even the Glendale Nissan Dealership West of Chicago is appealing to patriotism. A now made in Usa a declares its and for the japanese Brand. Most of the Nissan Jentras sold in this country Roll off an Assembly line in Smyrna Tenn. A a lot of people do want to buy american products a said Terry Anderson general manager of Glendale Nissan. A if they like my product i Tell them to look at the serial number. If it starts with a �?o1�?� it was made in this country. If it starts with a a  its from  the Industry obviously needs help. Early january sales of domestically made vehicles fell 6.2 percent from already depressed Levels for 1991. And before Bush strip to Japan general motors announced plans to close 21 plants and eliminate 74,000 workers by 1995. A the car Industry is hurting Here and not in Japan a said George gainer general manager of perimeter Ford in Atlanta. Cars in his showroom Bear the message a think american a buy  gainer said he also Cut prices so customers wont think the ads contain an empty message. A especially in these economic times people Are thinking about their budgets As Well As their patriotism a gainer said. In suburban Detroit West Bloomfield Cadillac dealer Frank Audette went on the radio urging listeners to buy an american car even if it Isnit a Caddy. Some observers done to think these appeals will have any effect. A when americans go shopping for a car they hit the Power window Button and toss politics out the window a said scan Mca Linden senior economist at the office for the study of automotive transportation at the University of Michigan. A they say a let some other Guy be the Patriot. A some dealers believe differently contending that some customers can be reached by appealing to their patriotism or to a sense of brotherhood with american autoworkers. Nick a. Colozzi of Colozzi Ettleson Chevrolet in Elmhurst 111., has tried to shirts newspaper ads and appearances on radio talk shows to touch a patriotic nerve. While Colozzi is agitated about japanese Competition Many dealers veer away from criticizing that country or its cars. A Japan is building a Good product and anybody who berates them that a the wrong Way to go a said John Hayes general manager of Royal Lincoln Mercury in Melrose Park Iii. A the cards Are stacked against us. They american automakers made a lot of junk in the �?T70s. Japan got a foothold. Now we have to get our foot Back in the  trouble brewing for executives big pay by the Washington Post St. Louis a shareholders of general dynamics corp. On wednesday shrugged off criticism that their top executives Are overpaid and voted overwhelmingly for Only minor adjustments to an executive compensation plan that last year gave 23 top executives More than $35 million in pay bonuses Stock and Stock options. Chief executive officer William a. Anders whose 1991 pay package exceeded $9 million credited the compensation plan with giving management the incentive to bring a a cultural revolution to the big defense contractor whose Stock Price has increased to More than $57 a share wednesday from $19 in Early 1991. But even As the new pay plan sailed through with the approval of 85 percent of the shares voted at wednesdays Spe Cial meeting there were indications that Public interest in the executive compensation Issue is heating up. Opposing the plan in Absentee ballots were several huge pension funds representing state and local employees in California and new York City. Democratic legislators in Congress sensing a grass roots political backlash against huge pay packages at a time of widespread layoffs have introduced several Bills to curb corporate pay or Reform compensation policies. Sen. Carl Levin d-mich., is sponsoring a Bill that would remove a regulatory Roadblock that makes it impossible for shareholders to vote directly on executive pay policies. Moreover Levin will hold hearings on Stock options Jan. 31, which he called a stealth compensation a because the profits made by executives who exercise the options Are not charged against the company a earnings and do not show up on the balance sheets. A Bill introduced in the House by rep. Martin Olav Sabo d-minn., would bar companies from taking a tax deduction for any Money paid to an executive above a limit equal to 25 times the pay of the company slowest paid worker. The multiple of 25 was used because it is approximately the ratio by which the salary of the president of the United states exceeds the minimum wage a Sabo spokesman said. Heightening the controversy has been the difference Between . Executive pay policies and those of americans principal foreign rivals. Top executives of companies in Japan and Germany Are paid considerably less than their counterparts in the United states