European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday june 9, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 17 Money matters today a tip about 1,000 More workers will lose their jobs at Mcdonnell Douglas Canada unless the company wins some major contracts soon a company spokesman said in Toronto. Robert Baugniet said at least 1,000 More workers could be Laid off Over the next 12 to 14 months a if the Economy continues the Way it is and orders for new aircraft do not come  More than 1,200 production workers and several Hundred other workers at the company a Plant in Mississauga a Toronto suburb have been Laid off this year including nearly 400 workers who were Laid off wednesday. Mcdonnell Douglas Canada makes aircraft wings for passenger jets. Conversion rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use through tuesday markets Banks and government offices in Germany France Belgium Switzerland Sweden Norway and Denmark were closed for the Pentecost religious Holiday. Trading will resume tuesday. German Nark a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 1,55 British Pound a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a t�88 dutch guilder.1.75 greek drachma.187.1288 note the rates above apply within the Host country. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign currencies italian lira.1,204.80 turkish lira.6,850.40 Spanish pasata.100.14 austrian Schilling .11.228 saudi rial.3.7495 Bahrain Dinar .0.37675 Kuwait dinar.0.29050 norwegian krone.6.2680 danish Krona .6.1720 British Pound.1.8330 German mark.1.5895 Swiss franc.1.4518 French franc .5.3660 dutch guilder.1.7900 belgian franc .32.73 Gold quote $338.75 an ounce Silver quote $4.05 an ounce Sci founder Mcgowan Dies in . At 64 new York a William g. Mcgowan who As founder and chairman of Sci communications corp. Revolutionized the Telephone business died monday at the age of 64 after suffering a heart attack the company announced. Mcgowan who underwent a heart transplant five years ago died at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington the Long distance phone company said in a statement. Under Mcgowan a leadership Sci challenged the monopoly of the giant american Telephone amp Telegraph co. With a lawsuit that led ultimately to the breakup of at amp to in 1984. Midi it not immediately name a successor. However Mcgowan had stepped aside As chief executive officer in december and was succeeded in that Post by president Bert c. Roberts or. Japanese lash out at . In tit for Tat Trade report Tokyo apr Japan has had a Bell Ful of criticism of its Trade practices and fought Back monday with some accusations of its own. The governments first a report on unfair Trade practices by major trading partners is Rife with complaints about the countries that have most harshly attacked japanese trading practices particularly the United states. An official of the ministry of International Trade and Industry who presented the paper to reporters said it was intended Only As a basis for talks on resolving Trade disputes and not to assess blame. He spoke on condition his name not be used. . Officials who saw the report before it was officially released characterized it As a Chance for japanese bureaucrats to hit Back at All the accusations that have been made against Japan which rang up a world Trade surplus of $63.5 billion last year. Japan sold $43.4 billion More in goods to the United states than it bought from the United states. In March the United states presented its own laundry list of unfair traders with Japan at the top. A tit for Tat a said Naohiro Amaya a former top japanese Trade negotiator who now Heads a private research Center the dents Institute for human studies. The report accuses the United states of using unfair trading policies in nine out of 10 areas cited in the report and of frequently abusing International Trade rules for its own advantage. Among the reports charges a a buy american Laws restrict government purchases to mostly . Goods and services and discriminate against japanese products the same complaint . Trade officials have made about japanese government contracts. A Trade restrictions imposed for reasons of . National Security Are unfair because the concept of National Security is vaguely defined. A . Requests for voluntary Export restraints on such products As cars steel machine tools and textiles Are a particularly  a unilateral decisions to impose punitive tariffs on japanese products for alleged dumping a Selling below Cost to unfairly win Market share a violate International Trade rules. A one must wonder Why the United states presumes that it alone is qualified to make these judgments Quot the report said. After the . Commerce department concluded last month that japanese automakers were Selling minivans at artificially Low prices in the United states the japanese companies vowed to prove the ruling w Rong. The Trade ministry has made Many of the same complaints before. Mondays report was compiled by the same researchers who prepared a similar report for a ministry affiliated research Institute in 1991. Most of Japan a other top trading part ners were treated More lightly in the re port than the United states. The european Community Drew similar but fewer complaints. Hong Kong and Singapore were praised for being the fairest traders. Australia and Canada also Drew few complaints. South Korea Indonesia t Hailand and Malaysia were chastised for import quotas and other measures aimed at protecting their developing economies from japanese imports. The Trade ministry official said the report excluded agricultural Trade because there still is no Basic agreement on International rules for that controversial area. Vegetable sheer Cut Down in court by Mark Potts the Washington Post it dices it slices it makes cutting vegetables and making salads a Breeze How much would you pay for such an amazing device would you pay $29.95? $19.95? How about $2.35 million plus interest that a what a Federal court jury in Chicago has decided that Black amp Decker corp. Must pay competitor National Presto industries inc. M a Patent infringement Case. At Issue the similarities Between Black amp Decker Shandy slice a no shred appliance and the eau Claire  National Presto company shot Selling salad shooter. Both devices Are electrically powered hand held vegetable slicers. A this decision is further affirmation that courts will not allow infringes. To disinherit the property rights of the product innovator a said Melvin s. Cohen chairman of National Presto which also makes pressure cookers and other Small appliances. National Presto has been aggressive in recent years in pursuing what it describes As a intellectual property actions against similar competitive products. It has succeeded in forcing Hamilton Beach to pay damages and to destroy thousands of offending machines in another salad shooter Case. National Presto filed suit against Black amp Decker in 1989, alleging that the Handy slice a of a shred introduced that year infringed on National Preston a patents for the salad shooter. Chrysler stops making Comanche pickup trucks Toledo Ohio up a the Chrysler corp. Announced it has stopped producing the Comanche pickup truck whose sales have dropped in the last two years to a rate of Only 12 a Day. Chrysler said dropping the truck line will not affect employment Levels at the Plant because of increased demand for its older Model Cicro Kees. The Plant which is Toledo a largest Industrial employer has around 5,200 workers. Spokesman Scott Fosgard said the last 1992 Model Comanche already has been produced and no additional pickup truck models will be made by the jeep division. The Plant will close next Friday which is earlier than Normal for the changeover to the 1993 Model line. The jeep Assembly Plant traditionally closes for two weeks in july for the Model changeover. Production is expected to begin when workers return july 6. Chrysler is building its older Model cherokees and its wranglers in Toledo while the new grand Cherokee is being build in Detroit. Chrysler also is building a top of the line grand wagoneer an offshoot of the grand Cherokee at the new $1 billion Plant there. Ironically manufacture of the venerable grand wagoneer line was discontinued in Toledo in june 1991, but Fosgard said the nameplate was being revived to offer a v-8 engine and other appointments. Chrysler said sales of its jeep pickup truck have fallen off in recent years prompting the decision to discontinue the Toledo built line. T he Comanche was introduced in 1985. Since then 164,458 units have been sold. Fosgard said that although Chrysler has no plans to offer a pickup truck under the jeep name the company a Dodge division would continue to make trucks. Chrysler said last year it sold 6,663 1991 comanches and 3,142 of the 1992 pickup. With the end of the Comanche jeep will offer four nameplates he Rokee grand Cherokee grand wagoneer and wrangler. Business Arco to pay Fine donation for pollution abuses from wire reports Compton Calif. A a judge has fined Atlantic Richfield co. $25,000 and ordered it to make a $25,000 donation to an environmental fund after the Oil giant pleaded no contest to four violations of state air pollution regulations. Compton municipal court judge Steven Suzu Kawa issued the sentence after the entry of the pleas stemming from Arco employees knowingly releasing contaminants from Arcos refinery in Carson last year on feb. 21, March 20 and May 6, and on Jan. 20 this year. In addition to the Fine Suzukawa ordered the Oil giant to make a $25,000 donation to the los Angeles county Forest mitigation fund which provides for reforestation and wildlife habitat Protection within los Angeles county. Bankruptcy fees to be studied Washington a labor Secretary Lynn m. Martin announced the establishment of a group to Monitor bankruptcy fees to ensure they Are not excessive and do not threaten a company a pension benefits. She said Friday that there was evidence of exorbitant fees being paid in bankruptcy cases where the pension Benefit guaranty corp. Has substantial liability for pension benefits