European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March 21, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 17 Money matters today s tip housing affordability improved throughout much of the United states in the final months of 1991, with the Midwest offering the Best buying Opportunity a Survey shows. Eighteen of the 25 most affordable markets were found in the Midwest with the Elkhart Goshen area in Indiana being ranked first by the National association of Home builders. Four of the leading markets were in the South and three were in the Northeast the Home builders housing Opportunity Index showed. California Laid claim to 18 of the 25 least affordable markets including the least affordable of All a a san Francisco. The least affordable list included two other Western cities. 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 $337.60 an ounce Silver at $4.12. March 19 March 20 British Pound.1.71135 1.70000 German mark.1.6700 1 6840 French franc.5.6585 5.6850 dutch guilder.1.8795 1.8855 belgian franc.34.36 34.521 italian lira.1,254.15 1,259.00 Swiss franc.1.5120 1.5275 greek drachma.192.04 194.05 turkish lira.6,133.00 6,183.30 saudi arabian riyal.3.7503 3.7503 Spanish peseta.105.00 105.91 portuguese escudo.143.04 144 45 Canadian dollar.1.1930 1.1975 austrian schilling.11.6920 11.8025 norwegian krone.6.522 6.584 danish krone.6.4510 6.5120 these Are commercial rates and can be related Only to the use of foreign currency by . Forces for official business. The Only official rates concerns the Sale of German Marks and British pounds to . Personnel for personal use and these will be 1.63 Marks to a Dollar and $1.75 for a Pound through monday based on fridays noontime Price fixings. New York Exchange new York up York Stock Exchange a the 15 most Active stocks in new composite trading on thursday. Stock sales ast it chg. Unch Burlington Seq Ford motor co 6.090,600 14 4,942,400 40vh up Ivi Chrysler corp 3,620,400 18i up i off % Glaxo holdings waste mgt inc 3,450,200 26 /4 2,525.400 41 i up 14k at amp to company 2,308.400 39 it up vibe corp limited inc 1,915,500 85vi off in 1,895,600 30 i up 1 general motors 1,885,900 38h up i trans co Energy 1,773,700 12 off a global Marine 1,594,000 1v4 off/4 Hewlett Packard 1,532,000 80v� up Ivi Colagra inc 1,345,800 27vi off i Citicorp Sears Roebuck 1,291,700 17 off i 1,243,900 47vi up 1vi Philip Morris 1,173,100 76vi off i american Exchange new York up a the 10 most Active stocks in Ange composite trading thursday. American Stock Stock Chambers Dev a Wang labs inc b fruit of loom us Bio science we Stair holding Kirby corp pm group Sta new York times Plains resource Echo Bay mines sates 8.383,200 600.600 431.000 396,600 291.800 274.300 263,700 260.300 254.800 237.000 last 10vi 6vi 34 a 15v� 7 11 Viva 30 i 15vi 6 i net chg. Off % unch up a Oft v4 unch up i up i up i off 1 i unch Dow Jones new York up a Dow Jones dosing Range of averages thursday 30 industrials 20 transport 15 utilities 65 stocks High 3286 23 142881 20593 1183 64 Low 3240 38 1399.10 203.74 1165 22 close change 3261 40 up 715 1420 78 up 19. 06 205 12 up 0 50 1175 93 up 6 55 democrats assail health ruling for using bizarre reasoning Washington a the Bush administration is using twisted logic to Block new health standards for millions of workers in the construction maritime and agriculture industries Senate democrats say. The Senate government operations committee on thursday grilled the author of a directive that blocked new worker safety rules on grounds that the rules May prove so expensive for companies that the companies would Cut wages and jobs thereby nursing workers health in the Long run. A that seems to stand logic on its head a a committee chairman John Glenn a Ohio told Jim Macrae acting administrator of the office of information and regulatory affairs in the office of management and budget. Macrae wrote a letter to the labor department last week blocking new environmental rules for the three industries. In doing so he argued that the department should reconsider the provisions in Light of an economic theory that additional regulatory costs could decrease workers wages and that workers health declines with their income. Sen. Carl Levin d-mich., told Macrae his reasoning was  sen. Herb Kohl d-wis., a wealthy businessman said the action would backfire on business. A your letter did nothing to help business a Kohl said. A you Nave made us businessmen look like the old caricature a villain twirling his Mustache and laughing As he forecloses on a widows Quot that the directive seems to stand logic on its  sen. John Glenn a Ohio mortgage on Christmas  Macrae said his letter had been a seriously  but he defended the administrations reasoning. A whether More lives Are at risk with the Rule than without seems to us to be a legitimate Issue to raise a he said. Critics said Macrae a letter signals a Broad White House attack on Federal environmental regulations and coincides with the administrations 90-Day Regula tory freeze and review of All regulations. If applied to All Federal regulations the theory espoused by Macrae could Block or suspend a wide Range of environmental and worker protections accepted for decades. Critics also contend that the move is an election year pitch for support from corporate America and is being driven by the Council on competitiveness headed by vice president Dan Quayle. Under questioning by Levin Macrae conceded that he and his staff had discussed the letter with Council staff members a but not with the labor department or the occupational safety and health administration a before it was issued. John f. Morrall Iii an bomb economist acknowledged that a the kind of analysis we Are requiring Here is a new  the labor department asserted that eight to 13 lives could be lost if the regulation is delayed. Macrae argued that under his risk theory More lives could he lost by implementing the safety regulations. A the effect of income on health should be considered a he said. Perot Perot chides executives for obscene salaries by the new York times Washington a h. Ross Perot attacked chief executives on thursday for paying themselves a a obscene salaries while overlooking the needs of shareholders and employees. A even in a bad year the who a who of corporate America Grants themselves enormous bonuses a said Perot who contends that such practices destroy morale. A it is obscene to have the Gap Between the factory floor and the Corner office that we  Perot a tart tongued texan is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the United states. He made his remarks before about 200 government and corporate officials at a conference in Washington sponsored by the securities and Exchange commission. He advised top executives to tie their pay packages to improvements in Stock Price and pointed to his experiences As the founder of electronic data systems now part of general motors corp. Perot said he was still paying himself the same annual salary of $68,000 in 1986, when he left the company As he was in the late 1960s. Though he eventually made millions when he sold the company to general motors in 1984, he said a i Felt i should cast my lot with that of the  the message did not go Over Well among Many in the audience. A if i owned 100 percent of the Stock id love to keep my salary Low too because that Means my second in command does no to get As much and my third in command does no to get As much a said household International inc. Chief executive Donald c. Clark. Perot said corporate boards contained too Many a poets and  shareholders would be better served he asserted if boards had More a Tough old Birds a business people who have run successful companies. Raythelon cuts 340 missile workers 0 Lexington mass. Up a faced with cuts in military spending Raythelon co. Has Laid off 340 workers in its missile systems division the company said thursday. The layoffs occurred late last week and earlier this week at four plants in Massachusetts. The move affected 80 workers at Rathe on a facility in Andover where Patriot missiles a used during the persian Gulf War a Are assembled a company spokesman said. The company said the cutbacks were part of an Effort to reduce costs As government contracts dry up. A a we re doing what a necessary to remain a Leader in an Industry that a becoming increasingly competitive due to cuts in defense spending a said company spokesman de Powers business ban America to Lay off up to 12,000 in 3 years from wire reports san Francisco a ban America corp. Said thursday that it will Cut Between 10,000 and 12,000 jobs within three years after it completes its $4.5 billion merger with Security Pacific corp. The stocks of the two Banks did not appear to be affected by the announcement which was at the Low end of expectations. Ban America Stock was off 12.5 cents to $42,875 a share late in the so Stiop on the new York Stock Exchange while Security Pacific Stock declined 25 cents to $37 a share. Ban America which expects the Deal to be closed this Spring said the actual number of employees Laid off is Uncertain because of attrition. It noted that the two Banks have combined turnover of More than 20,000 jobs in a typical year. Gun maker seeks help Hartford Conn. A Colts manufacturing co. Filed for Protection thursday under chapter 11 of the . Bankruptcy code saying it needs to preserve its operating strength and assets while restructuring its debt. The company which makes and Sells commercial and military firearms said the filing in . Bankruptcy court will have no a direct Impact on operations. Britain s jobless rate up London a unemployment in Britain Rose 0.2 percent to 9.4 percent in february the government said. It was the 22nd consecutive increase in the monthly Survey. The figures released thursday come As prime minister John majors conservative party pre ares to face a Strong Challenge by the labor arty in parliamentary elections on april 9. P Lotus names executive Atlanta a Lotus cars Usa on thursday named Steven Rossi As vice president of operations. Rossi will be responsible for sales marketing and Public relations in North America for the British sports car manufacturer. Rossi 37, will move to Lotus on May 15 from Saab cars Usa inc., where he served for 13 years