European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday february 23, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15  watch shown below Are the highest Dollar Exchange rates for the week of feb. 16-22 compared with Dollar rates for the same period one year and five years ago. German Marik Money matters 1.61 1992 one Dollar would buy you 1.82 a military Exchange rat British Pound one Pound would Cost you 1.75 2.02 1992 belgian franc one Dollar would buy you 34 03 38.27 3403 30.35 Jwj 1991 l 1987 i dutch Gulker one Dollar would buy you 1 or 2.09 186 1.65 1992 l 1991 1 1987 French amp a one Dollar would buy you 5 61 616 561 5.02 greek drachma my one Dollar would buy you 1992 1991 1987 italian lira one Dollar would buy you 1,241.25 1 10740 1.315.00 jw2j 1407 Spanish peseta one Dollar would buy you 130.30 turkish lira one Dollar would buy you 5,788.50 1992 3,121.70 o 765.30 1991 Middle class shrunk to 63.3% in 20 years . Study shows Washington a the government has provided fresh evidence that the american Middle class is shrinking. A report released by the census Bureau shows that the percentage of americans with Middle incomes dropped from 71.2 percent in 1969 to 63.3 percent in 1989. A the conclusion is obviously that income inequality has grown rather substantially Over the last 20 years a said Jack Mcneil the census Bureau economist who wrote the report. A a we re getting clusters toward both ends of the income scale. The growing income inequality is partly caused by the increase in families headed by single mothers who Are less Likely to work Mcneil said. Previous studies have documented the decline of the Middle class. But the new report provides More detail on income trends in different population groups Mcneil said. For the first time the census Bureau used a a relative income measure that takes family size into account. A the elderly Are doing better than any other group. You can see some improvement in their relative status a Mcneil said. The percentage of people 65 and older with Middle incomes ranged from 21.5 percent to 29.9 percent in 1964, the report showed. By 1989, it had grown to Between 24.9 percent and 34.2 percent. Despite the improvement older americans were much More Likely than people 18 to 64 to have Low incomes in 1989, the last year for which data were available. There also were signs of improvement among Blacks. The percentage of Blacks with High incomes increased from 22.6 percent in 1969 to 28.8 percent in 1989. However 43.9 percent of Blacks still had Low incomes in 1989, compared with 18.8 percent of Whites. Low incomes Are defined As those below $18,576 for a family of four. The report showed that the percentage of americans with Low incomes jumped from 17.9 percent in 1969 to 22.1 percent in 1989. The High income group a $74,304 or More for a family of four a increased from 10.9 percent in 1969 to 14.7 percent in 1989. 2,750 workers join Caterpillar strike Mossville 111. A about 2,750 More members of the United Auto workers Union walked off the Job late Friday to join the nearly 4-month-old strike against Caterpillar inc. Workers at caterpillars Mossville Plant went on strike with the shift change at 11 . The action brings the total number of Caterpillar strikers to 10,800 a All in Illinois. Caterpillar a maker of Earth moving equipment employs 16,000 Law workers at plants in four Illinois communities York a. Memphis Tenn. And Denver. About 1,600 workers have been Laid off. A a we be finally joined our Brothers and Sisters who have already been out 15 weeks or so a said Plant worker Morey Denny. A we Are United. We Are ready to stand behind the Union for however Long it  Law local 974 president Jerry Brown would not explain Why the Union decided to expand the strike at the company sen Gine division in Mossville about 10 Miles North of Peoria. Caterpillar officials said the strike expansion was not a Surprise. A a we re disappointed a said company spokesman Bill Lane. A recently the Union has responded to every company attempt to resolve the labor dispute by expanding the  the strike escalation came two Days after the Union rejected what Caterpillar called its final offer. Market shrugs off double trouble of Bush s shakiness expiration dates amps new York up Wall Street showed its resiliency last week when it weathered two storm fronts. The first was president Bush a poor showing in tuesdays new Hampshire presidential primary and the other was the so Callea double witching hour at weeks end. Being conservative Wall Street generally favors Bush and considers a change in leadership As a disruptive threat to the markets. But when the feared sell off did not materialize the morning after the primary Wall Street breathed a sigh of Relief. The Market again became apprehensive with the approach of the double witching hour the monthly expiration of Stock Index futures and options that usually causes volatility in the Stock Market and inflates volume. But instead of succumbing to the witches spell the Market rallied. Shannon Clyne senior vice president and chief investment officer for Bank of America in san Francisco said the Market focused instead on positive government economic news. The Good a housing starts number was another piece of evidence that the economic recovery is under Way or just around the Comer a Clyne said a combined with a Good inflation number and no rapid Rise in interest  Clyne was referring to a 5.5 percent jump in new Home construction in january and a 0.1 percent Rise in consumer prices for the month. For the week the Dow Jones Industrial average jumped 34.22 Points to Post a three week winning Streak. Among the Broad Market indexes the new York Stock Exchange composite Index eased 0.70 to end the week at 227.46, and the Standard amp poor a 500 Index fell 1.02 to 411.46. Declining issues topped advances 1,069-916 among the 2,310 issues traded last week. Weedy big Board volume to tales 999,272,751 shares Down from 1,074,148,864 traded a week earlier but up from 770,756,610 in the same week a year ago. Wall Street took a breather monday to observe presidents Day. Stocks Slid for the third straight session tuesday in heavy trading on Selling Quot Quot aces con prompted by sagging Bona or Cerns Over inflation and Busny a possible poor showing in new Hampshire. The Dow tumbled 21.24, to 3,224.73. But the Downs transportation segment Rose 13.83, to 1,420.03, propelled by the airline sector. Stocks closed mixed in heavy but cautious trading wednesday As investors pondered Bush a future and the direction of interest rates. Some analysts were relieved that the Market stabilized despite general expectations of a surge in Selling following Bush a poor primary showing. The Dow regained 5.59, rising to 3,230.32 and halting a three Day losing Streak. Stocks soared in heavy trading thursday on buying fuelled by computer driven programs in expectation of the double witching hour and an economic rebound. It lifted the Dow to its 11th record close of the year. The Dow surged 50.32, to 3,280.64, erasing the record close of 3,276.83 reached feb. 12. Stocks retreated from record territory in Choppy trading Friday on computer driven sell programs tied to the double witching hour and profit taking following the previous sessions big gains. The Dow eased 0.45, to 3,280.19. On the trading floor last week Uniss topped the big Board actives losing in to 93, on profit taking after reports that some analysts think the company a Stock has risen too High too fast. On the american Stock Exchange the Market update activity for the week of feb. 17-21,1992 Dally Down ions 3300 3275 3250 3225 3200 3175 3150 the f highest close 3,280.64-thurs. Weeks High 3,307.47-Fri. Lowest close 3,224.73-tues. Weeks Low 3,195.66-tues. Weeks change up 34.22 aps amps amex Market value Index Slid 0.01 to close Friday at 412.85, losing 1.42 Points for the week. Declines led advances 464352 among the 1,013 issues traded. Amex volume totalled 77,078,685, com ared with 94,000,665 shares a week ear Ier and with 56,999,635 in the same week a year ago. It