European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 15, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 17money matters today s tip consumer products giant Colgate palmolive co. Will Stock shelves with an array of Well known deodorant shaving lotion and baby care brands following its agreement thursday to buy the Mennen co. For $670 million. Colgate said it would pay a combination of Cash and Stock for Mennen a 114-year-old, privately held personal products maker that put itself up for Sale last fall. The Deal is expected to be completed by july. The Price was in the Middle of analysts estimates that Mennen would fetch somewhere Between $600 million and $750 million. Mennen which had about $550 million in sales last year makes Speed stick antiperspirant skin bracer and Afta shaving lotions and baby magic lotions and shampoos for infants. Colgate reported $6.1 billion in sales last year of products that include Colgate toothpaste palmolive dish soap Ajax Cleanser Irish Spring soap and fab detergent. Conversion rates London up 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 1355.35 an ounce Silver at $4.20. Feb. 13 feb. 14 British pound.1.77135 1.76885 German mark.1.6220 1.6280 French franc.5.4570 5.5175 dutch guilder.1.8020 1.8300 belgian franc.33.38 33.51 italian lira.1,204.20 1,217.30 Swiss franc.1.4565 1.4660 greek drachma.185.24 187.45 turkish lira.5,601.00 5,657.80 saudi arabian riyal.3.7501 3.7501 Spanish peseta.100.78 101.92 portuguese escudo.137.87 139.63 Canadian dollar.1.1829 1.1856 austrian schilling.11.2600 11.4020 norwegian krone.6.2820 6.3580 danish krone.6.2060 6.2850 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 fixing. New York Exchange new York up a York Stock Exchange Stock Chrysler corp Glaxo holdings health Trust inc British petrol Ford motor co Hanson pc at amp to company Uniss corp general motors Pfizer inc Natl Semi conduct ism corp digital e Rwjr Nabisco hid Tandy corp the 15 most Active stocks in new composite trading on thursday. Seles 4.517.200 3.971.400 2.768.800 2.623.300 2.558.800 2.557.300 2,202,700 2.137.800 2.045.200 2,014,900 1.990.200 1,954,000 1.849.400 1.817.800 1.740.200 lest 15% 29 20 % 59% 35% 17% 38 9% 36% 72% 10% 90% 61% 10% 29% net chg. Up % Oft % off 1% off 3% up off % unch unch up % off 2% off % off 1% up 2% off % off 1% american Exchange new York american Stock Stock Wang labs inc b fruit of loom go video inc magma Copper co metro Mobile b Americus t us Bio science Echo Bay mines Americus t Atza Corpa the 10 most Active stocks in Tange composite trading thursday. Sales last net chg 4% 31% 4% 7% 22% 29% 16% 1,400,900 1,130,600 894,800 613.100 507,200 2 or 373,800 360,600 338.100 so 302,100 268,500 7% 45 off off 2% off % up % Oft % off % off % off % off a off Dow Jones new York up Dow Jones closing Range of averages thursday 30 industrials 20 transport 15 utilities 65 stocks High 3296.74 1412.56 210.07 1184 84 Low 3226.07 1378.18 207 00 1159.49 close 3246.65 1386.21 208.12 1166.56 change off 3018 off 19.43 0 11.82 Oil 12 37 retail sales climb May signal beginning of end to recession Washington a the government said Friday that retail sales climbed a surprisingly Strong 0.6 percent in Jan Katy the biggest jump in eight months while sales of North Ajner ican made cars and Light trucks surged 22.7 percent in Early february. Moreover the number of Laid off workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell for a second week in a Row. Analysts said these developments were encouraging signs that the Economy is beginning to turn around and should begin growing again in the april june Quarter. That is an election year development that the Bush administration has been anxiously anticipating. Economists believe the pickup in economic activity will not be accompanied by a Rise in inflation in part because they Are forecasting that the recovery from the recession will be one of the weakest in history. In other economic news wholesale prices actually fell by 0.1 percent during 1991, the first annual decline in five years. In contrast to the Rise in retail sales prices at the wholesale level in january took their biggest drop in 10 months declining 0.3 percent As a weak Economy and falling Energy prices kept inflation in Check the government said. The extent of the weakness was dramatically exhibited by a second report showing that production at the nations factories mines and utilities plummeted 0.9 percent in january the biggest setback in 11 months. The Steep drop in Industrial output was heavily influenced by cutbacks in Auto production but it was widespread with a number of manufacturing industries reporting lower output. Analysts would have been even More alarmed by the Sharp drop in Industrial production the third decline in a Row and it not been for several reports this week offering at least the glimmering of Hope that the Economy has begun to turn around. The labor department said the Jan Saiy decline in its producer Price Index which measures inflationary pressures before they reach the consumer followed a smaller 0.1 percent december decline. It marked the first Back to Back declines in wholesale prices since june and july of last year and it was the biggest drop since a similar 0.3 percent decrease last March. The Price decline in january was led by a 7 percent drop in gasoline prices. It was the biggest drop in Gas costs since last March and followed a 1.6 percent de crease in december. Home heating Oil prices dropped 10.9 percent following an even larger 16.9 percent december decline while natural Gas and electricity costs posted declines As Well in january. Food costs fell for a third month in a Row declining 0.3 percent. The fall in food costs was led by a Steep 22.9 percent drop in the Price of eggs. Coffee fruit and pork prices were Down As Well but the Price of vegetables shot up 17.9 percent. Outside of the volatile food and Energy categories wholesale prices Rose 0.3 percent an increase that was paced by a 1.5 percent increase in car prices. Higher prices were also registered for newspapers women a clothing soap and Luggage. If january a 0.3 percent decline were to continue for an entire year it would produce a 3.9 percent decline in inflation at the wholesale level. The various changes left the producer Price Index before adjusting for seasonal variations at 121.7 in january compared to 122.3 a year ago. That meant that a Marke Basket of goods costing $122.30 in january 1991 would have Cost Only $121.70 last month. The government will report on prices at the consumer level next wednesday. The controversial Benetton and depicts David Kirby comforted by his father. William his sister Susan and her daughter Sarah. New Benetton and shows dying aids victim new York apr despite criticism it is exploiting grief apparel maker Benetton says it is having no problem finding . Magazines that will run its new advertisement showing a dying aids victim and his anguished family. The fashion concern is pinning its a United colors of Benetton logo on previously published news photographs including one that shows David Kirby on his deathbed in May 1990 comforted by his family. The and was rejected by most magazines in Britain who argue it unfairly exploits an emotional and personal Issue to sell sweaters and scarves. But company executives said there has been no resistance in the United states where they say every Magazine they approached accepted the and. It appears in the March issues of Vogue vanity fair and interview magazines and will run later in details Elle Mademoiselle us and spin said Benetton spokesman Peter Fressola. At vanity fair there was a split on the propriety of running the and. A spokeswoman Maurie Perl said publisher Ron Galotti accepted the and at the last minute but that editor in chief Tina Brown disagreed strongly when she found out later and said she would not have run it. The Kirby photo taken at the family a invitation in notes its publication would warn others about the dangers of aids appeared in the november 1990 Issue of life Magazine. It shows an anguished William Kirby As he leans across the bed to Cradle his dying songs head while David a sister Susan holds her daughter Sarah at his bedside. William Kirby and his wife Kay travelled from their Home in Stafford Ohio to appear with top Benetton executives who presented its 1992 and Campaign on which it plans to spend $80 million this year. As he discussed his son at the news conference Kirby a eyes welled with tears and he stopped repeatedly to compose himself. But the family supported Benetton a use of the photo arguing More people would see it. Benetton apparently relishes making provocative advertising that appears to Bear Little relationship to its $2 billion clothing business. Last year some publications refused to run one of its ads that showed a priest and a nun in religious habits kissing and another that showed the blood stained body of a Newborn baby with her umbilical Cord attached. Earlier ads that aroused debate showed a Black persons Arm handcuffed to a White persons Arm and a Black woman nursing a White baby