European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday january 20, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 17money matters today a tip Morrison Knudsen corp. Of Boise Idaho announced it has won a $24 million contract with a kuwaiti joint venture partner to rebuild a War damaged air base for the kuwaiti government. Morrison Knudsen said its emergency restoration work at Ahmed Al Jaber air base with the kuwaiti firm Mohamed Abdu Mohsin Kha Rafi will Start immediately and will take seven months to Complete. The award which is the first in Kuwait for Morrison Knudsen will include the repair of buildings utilities and runways. Morrison Knudsen said it received notice of the award through the . Army corps of  rates London up a fridays 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 $357.30 an ounce Silver at $4.33. Jan. 16 Jan. 17 British pound.1.7590 1.7810 German mark.15219 19939 French franc.5.5205 5.5475 dutch guilder.1.8160 1.8372 belgian franc.33.26 33.23 italian lira.1.220.10 1,224 80 Swiss franc.1 -4350 1.4280 greek drachma.186.40 12�t� turkish lira.5,97,9r99 2 �9? saudi arabian riyal.3.7501 3.7501 Spanish peseta.1c 2 59 19?� portuguese escudo.139.80 141.00 Canadian dollar.vm951 austrian schilling.11.3410 1m799 norwegian krone.6.3450 �.4100 danish krone.6.2600 6.3200 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 German Marks to . Personnel for personal use and this will be 1.58 through monday based on fridays noontime Price  York sues car rental firm for surcharges by new Day new York mayor David n. Dinkins said Friday that the City and state of new York have filed suit against Hertz corp. For imposing what he called illegal and discriminatory surcharges on rental car customers who live in Manhattan the Bronx Brooklyn and Queens. A this policy has a negative Impact on racial minorities. Its fairly obvious that a higher surcharge is on the residents of mostly minority boroughs a said o. Peter Sherwood the City a corporation counsel. A the car rental company can charge whatever rates it wants but it May not charge different people different rates based on where they live a attorney general Robert Abrams said. The suit filed in state supreme court in Manhattan alleges that Hertz  surcharge violates the states general business Law which prohibits car rental companies from charging fees separate and apart from those associated with rental rates taxes and mileage. Hertz maintains that it has lost $45 million Over the past three years in the new York area. Under the Hertz policy residents of the Bronx Are required to pay a $56 surcharge those in Brooklyn $34 m Queens $15 and in Manhattan $3. . Controversy puts brakes on japanese firm s rail contract los Angeles up bowing to intense political pressure county transportation officials saturday suspended a controversial contract to build rail cars that was awarded to a japanese firm. The los Angeles county transportation commission planned to review the $ f 21 million contract award at its wednesday meeting As Well As a decision to Purchase rail cars with expensive drive Erless technology. A a the Public comments received since last months decision deserve to be reviewed and the commissioners want to discuss this at the next meeting a commission chairman Ray Grabinski said. Neil Peterson the commissions executive director decided late Friday to suspend the contract pending a review of the bidding process that awarded the contract to build 41 metro Green line cars to Sumitomo corp. Of Japan Over an american firm Morrison Knudsen corp. Of Boise Idaho. State and local politicians have lambasted the commission for sending local tax dollars overseas at a time when the United states is mired in recession. Morrison Knudsen had pledged to create More . Jobs with a bid that was lower than Sumitomo a. However the japanese firm was awarded More Points than the . Company because it was considered by the commission to have More experience manufacturing rail systems for Public transit. A it makes perfect sense to put this contract on hold until next week when the lactic should kill it for Good a said assemblyman Richard Katz a Sylmar chairman of the Assembly transportation committee. A with some $350 million in Cost overruns for untested automated technology they should rename it the a Gold line a a he said saturday. In an attempt to deflect the controversy commission officials encouraged Sumitomo and Morrison Knudsen to find a Way to jointly build the rail cars. Those talks collapsed Friday both companies said. A we have spent Many hours in Earnest and open discussions and have concluded that such a meaningful and cooperative venture just Isnit there Quot said William Agee chairman and chief executive officer of Morrison Knudsen. Sadao Sirito senior vice president for Sumitomo said Quot we had hoped that negotiations would be fruitful and productive and were surprised and disappointed that they were broken off by  at its wednesday meeting the commission will reconsider both the Sumitomo bid and the drive less technology Issue said commission spokeswoman Stephanie Brady. The 11-Mcmber panel is composed of local elected officials including los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley and the five county supervisors or their handpicked representatives. The commission at the urging of Bradley approved the Purchase of drive less cars despite disclosures that the new technology May end up costing $100 million More to produce than conventional Light rail cars. Going private a customer leaves a state liquor store in Worthington Ohio. Private owners on the theory that they will be Able to generate the state is considering a proposal to sell its liquor stores to More tax revenues. Philip Morris offers Low nicotine cigarette a the nine months ended last sept. 30. That is a decline from 3.5 percent during the comparable period the year before according to figures compiled by John c. Maxwell jr., an analyst at wheat first be the new York times in the latest innovation in the tobacco business Philip Morris cos., the worlds largest cigarette maker has introduced a major cigarette Brand with 90 percent less nicotine than Standard brands. Philip Morris Low nicotine cigarette is an attempt to Appeal to smokers who want a seemingly healthier cigarette but with More taste than other brands making similar claims. The Industry a first such innovation Low tar cigarettes has now won a majority of sics less nicotine would mean less satisfaction of the nicotine craving. The company discounted the possibility that some smokers might simply buy More cigarettes. . Reynolds tobacco  now Brand and american tobacco  Carlton cigarettes have similarly Low Levels of nicotine but emphasize Low tar Levels. They have rarely if Ever made reduced nicotine a marketing theme. Philip Morris plans to Market its Low nicotine cigarette to now and Carlton smokers. Tar is made up of the particles in smoke that result from tobacco combustion. Nicotine is a nitrogen based substance found in tobacco that some researchers say is strongly addictive. Unlike nicotine which is largely flavor less tar provides much of the distinctive taste of tobacco. Phi up Morris Calls its new offering Merit Ultima an offshoot of its troubled Merit Brand. Like other full Price cigarettes which in some regions of the country sell for $2.50 or More a pack Merit has been Selling poorly compared with discount brands which sometimes Cost As Little As half the Price. Merit had a 3.1 percent Market share in securities inc. Merit shipments for the period declined to 11.5 billion cigarettes or More than half a billion packs compared with 13.3 billion cigarettes or close to three quarters of a billion packs during the 1990 months. Merit Ultima Kings contain one tenth of a Milligram of nicotine compared with 1 Milligram in Marlboro which the Industry dubs a Ull flavor Brand. Ultima also contains a Milli Merit twice the tar and nicotine Levels of the Kings. Philip Morris Marlboro Are the Best Selling cigarettes in the world