European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Re today a rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use a German Mark 1.63 British Pound fta�ae4aeae�e 1.47 dutch Guilder  1.63 greek drachma  218.4991 not the win Bove to ppm within the Host country of Gurm a depressed in donate to the Brenth Pound other currencies to the Dodor following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign currencies italian lira eeeaaea�44ee4e 1,617.00 turkish lira. 9,406.30 Spanish peseta  118.85 portuguese escudo  154.29 austrian Schilling  11.738 saudi rial  3.7495 Bahrain Dinar  0.3768 Kuwait Dinar  0.30725 norwegian Krone  7.094 danish Krone  6.403 British Pound. 1.4317 German Mark. 1.675 Swiss franc. 1.5355 French franc. 5.6708 dutch guilder.1.8735 belgian franc .34.35 Canadian Dollar 1.247 note figures Ere expressed h dollars to the 8rltl3h Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $326.65 in ounce. Silver quote $3.59 denounce. L new York Exchange new York up a the 15 most Active stocks in new York Stock Exchange composite trading on wednesday. Slock Salee last Nelcha. Wall Disney co 4,626.900 45 off Bristol Myersq 4,232.700 58 up Merck t co inc 3,921.700 40 up 1 ism corp 3,626,500 55 off Humana the 3,610,300 7 up off Amer express co 3,125,500 27 Glaxo holdings 3.115,600 19 up Philip Morris 2,654,400 64 up Wal Mart stores 2 777,200 34 up Citicorp 2,526,600 26 up Johnson 6 str non. 2.136,900 44 up1 Pallesi Cash Wys Abbott labs inc 2,044,000 14 up 2,030,400 26 up1 Tel Fonos de my 2,025,300 54 up Palm Erica corp 2,017,600 46 up 2 american Exchange new York american Stock Slock Wang labs inc b fruit of loom expo rate co la Energy service Forest labs inc Cit Uene St be Medeva Pic Hll Haven com Elan corp pc Hasbro inc. Pic the to most Schr stocks in hangs compos its trading wednesday. Sates 3.515.000 1.315,200 1,073.600 539.900 395,000 390.700 358.600 319.600 278.600 266.300 Netcha. 13-16 up 5-16 45 up m ii-16 up 1-16 Iii-16 off 1-16 33 up 6 up 14 up 114 3 3-16 up 1-16 31 31 up up l Dow Jones new York up a Dow Jones closing Range of averages wednesday High Lea cleric change 30 industrials 3497.25 3432.66 3476.34 up 6.22 20 transport 1577.93 1547.51 156202 off 9.67 15 utilities 242.43 239.48 241.99 up 1.19 65 stocks 1294.16 1271.22 1265 97 off 037 consumer spending rebound extends past Holiday period Washington a american Consumers Are catching their breaths after a Holiday spending spree that extended into january. Heartened by the election of a new president and hungry to let Loose after several years of restrained spending Consumers flocked to stores and Auto showrooms in december and january. Economists had said Consumers would t be Able to keep up that Pace and they predicted that the Commerce departments report on february sales due out thursday will prove them right. Analysts were looking for unchanged sales during the month or perhaps a Small drop. But they cautioned against interpreting that number too gloomily saying a lacklustre month was almost inevitable Given the earlier spurt in sales. Some of the spending slowdown also can be attributed to unusually harsh weather in some parts of the country rather than any fundamental change in the Economy according to a Survey of regional economic conditions released wednesday by the Federal Reserve. It to his is not an indication of a return to recession on the part of Consumers. A economist Lynn Reaser Quot this is not an indication of a return to recession on the part of Consumers but somewhat of a correction from a very Strong fall and Christmas. In a expecting generally moderate growth in consumer spending this Spring a said economist Lynn Reaser of first interstate ban corp in los Angeles. Economists closely follow retail spending because it represents one third of the entire Economy. They say a number of conflicting factors will be influencing Consumers in the next few months. One drag on spending will be disappointing tax refunds. President Bush reduced payroll withholding last yet. Another negative is worry among higher income people about president Clinton a proposed tax increases. Quot tax refunds for 1992 have already started to slow Down and expectations of tax increases for 1993 and beyond have started to Rise. These factors May have started to influence consumer attitudes and perception of future disposable income a said economist John Silvia of Kemper financial services in Chicago. On the plus Side for consumer the Job Market is getting better albeit slowly. The unemployment rate in february was 7 percent compared with an eight year High of 7.7 percent reached in june Low interest rates also Are serving As a Spur to spending. Economists said there is another wave of mortgage refinancing going on. That should lower some homeowners monthly payments giving them More Cash to spend. Low rates will encourage others to buy new Homes and that in turn should produce related spending on new furniture and appliances. Americans might find feeling taxed by deadline Comfort in irs form 4868 new York a when they Start feeling the heat As the april 13 income tax deadline approaches More than 5 million americans each year Cool things Down with form 4868. That is the one Page document that gives them an automatic four month Extension a to aug. 16 this year a of the final Date of reckoning with Uncle Sam. An automatic two month Extension to june 15, without filing a form 4868, is available to taxpayers who live and work abroad. This exception does not apply to people who simply happen to be travelling in another country on april 15. An overseas taxpayer can use the form 4868 to get the additional two months Extension to aug. 16. Whether your problem is illness missing documents or just Plain disorganization you need t give a reason Why you want the extra time. The request normally is granted As Long As you Send off a form 4868, filled out in full by april 15, the form Calls for one accompanying enclosure a a Check covering any balance of taxes due according to your Best estimate of what your final Bill will be. Quot this is not an Extension for payment of your tax a Points out the . Lasser Institute in its monthly tax letter advisory. Quot along with form 4868, you must submit payment for the full amount of your estimated tax liability remaining after wage withholding Ana estimated tax instalments paid during 1992. Quot if you underpay you will be charged interest from april 15, even though you were granted a filing Extension. Furthermore if the payment made with form 4868, plus withholding and estimated tax payments does not equal at least 90 percent of the tax due you May be subject to a late payment  the penalty alone can run As High As 25 percent of the unpaid tax. So it makes sense to err on the High Side in estimating your total Bill. You can get Back your overpayment through a refund. But you will not be Able to claim the cd Cess Money Back or indeed to file for any refund you have coming until you Complete your full return. This limitation is noteworthy since a substantial majority of taxpayers Nave refunds coming. Whatever its other uses form 4868 is not intended to Deal with the problem of inability to pay. Quot if you Are unable to pay the full amount of tax due with your tax return because of financial hardship a counsels the Ernst amp Young tax guide Quot you should still file the tax return along with a Good Faith payment of As much of the tax due As you can afford to pay. Quot you should attach a letter to the tax return explaining the reason for the financial hardship Ana requesting the privilege of paying the remaining tax in instalments. Quot you will still be subject to interest and the failure to pay penalty on the unpaid  Erast amp Young plays Down the Quot tactical merits of opting either for or against filing for an Extension. Quot some tax experts contend that you should request the maximum Extension allowed for filing your return arguing that your chances or an audit Are  internal Revenue service Field agents will have less time to conduct the audit a the accounting firm notes Quot other tax experts contend that you Are better off filing on april 15, since that Way you get lost in the crowd. Quot both theories Are oversimplification of irs  Jack in the Box Burger sales Inch upward prices of Homes Rise in 4th Quarter los Angeles up the median Price of resale Homes in the United states sold in the fourth Quarter Rose 1 percent to $199,993 from $198,007 in the 1991 fourth Quarter a real estate broker reported wednesday. Coldwell banker residential group based its average on a Survey of 266 markets covering fourth Quarter prices of single family dwellings with 2,200 Square feet. The existing Home Market did not perform Well in january. The National association of realtors said sales of existing Homes fell 6.4 percent in january to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.78 million units. By the los Angeles times los Angeles a heavy discounting and renewed advertising Nave helped sales Start to rebound for Jack in the Box. In mid january the company sold undercooked tainted hamburgers that sparked a food poisoning epidemic. And while there is evidence that the food poisoning scare affected sales at some other fast food operations they also report that business is returning to Normal. A two children remain hospitalized in Seattle with the same Type of e. Coli bacterial infections that killed at least two children and sickened hundreds of other people since mid january the disease outbreak was linked in Large part to hamburgers sold by Jack in the Box in the Pacific Northwest. Federal investigators have said that thorough cooking of the meat which probably was contaminated by animal fees at the slaughterhouse would have killed the bacteria. Sales at Jack in the Box restaurants plummeted As news of the poisonings spread. But they Are inching Back up now with the help of the promotion program that resumed about three weeks ago said Sheree Zizzi spokeswoman for san Diego based Foo maker the Chain s Parent company. The company still is not advertising in Washington she said. Quot we be seen some improvement from the 30 percent to 35 percent declines we were experiencing right after the outbreak a she said. Zizzi could not provide sales totals but she noted that it would take Quot several months Quot to return to Levels recorded before the incident. Jack in the Box is still feeling the Pinch Foo maker suspended All expansion plans and As a result last week Laid off 27 employees who plan and build new outlets. In addition the company sent a letter to about 400 landlords asking for a 25 percent break in rent rates for one year. The Jack in the Box episode appears to have created some fallout for others in the restaurant Industry. Officials of the Wendy a and Carlos or. Restaurant chains declined to provide sales figures but they said customers seemed to shift temporarily from burgers to other products. But product shifting was also because of the chains heavy promotion of Chicken products which and been planned before the food poisoning episode officials from the two operations said. As a result of the outbreak the agriculture department is tightening inspection regulations to prohibit the slightest speck of focal matter on processed beef