European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 2, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 16 the stars and stripes Money matters monday August 2,1993�? today a rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use. German Mark. 1.70 British Pound. 1.52 dutch Guilder 1.90 greek drachma 230.5071 note the rate Abov apply within tha 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 1,616.50 turkish lira .11,516.00 Spanish peseta 144.20 portuguese escudo 178.97 austrian Schilling. 12.252 saudi rial. 3.75 Bahrain Dinar. 0.3768 Kuwait Dinar. 0.3016 norwegian Krone a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 7.4606 danish Krone. 6.788 British Pound 1.4805 German Mark. 1.7375 Swiss Frane  1.5225 French Frane. 5.9595 dutch Guilder. 1.9553 belgian franc 36.50 Canadian Dollar 1.2862 not figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $403.70 an ounce Silver quote $5.29 an ounce steel strikes averted a a at least for now Pittsburgh a the United steelworkers and Bethlehem steel corp. Extended a Midnight strike deadline saturday after two other steel makers averted walkouts a one with a new contract the other with a postponement. Pennsylvania based Bethlehem steel employs 12,300 steel workers in new York Maryland and Indiana. The workers contract had been scheduled to expire at Midnight. Talks at a Pittsburgh hotel were continuing under a an hour to hour Extension a Union spokesman Gary Hubbard said shortly before Midnight. A my sense of it is we re very close a Hubbard said. A if you have the momentum and you re making Progress. Why Stop that momentum a the Union negotiators led by John Reck told local officials to have their members report to work at least for a couple of hours Hubbard said. A if we decide to put up picket lines clearly those who reported to work will pick up their tools and leave a he said. National steel corp. And the Union narrowly averted a strike when they came to a tentative agreement Early saturday. Company spokesman Bob Toothman and Hubbard declined to discuss the contract. Though Hubbard described it As a by Ely new and innovative in terms of Power sharing issues and economic  a source close to the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the associated press that the pact gives the Union the right to nominate one person to the company a Board and allows for some Power sharing Between the Board and workers on the factory floor. Giving unions Access to the boardroom is common in Europe but unusual in the United states. Hubbard said the 6,300 Union members at National steel plants in Michigan Illinois and Indiana should ratify the agreement by a mail ballot within the next two weeks. Big Tiree earn big but Economy May not Benefit by Rob Wells a by sanest writer new York in a week that showed increased consumer pessimism and a slower than expected economic growth the big three . Automakers stood out like a Slot machine loudly paying off in a empty Casino. Ford motor co., Chrysler corp. And general motors corp. Said they reaped profits of $2.35 billion in the second Quarter the same week that mighty ism reported an $8 billion quarterly loss and said it expects 85,000 workers to leave by the end of next year. Despite the automakers Strong showing it would be a mistake to expect that Good times in Detroit alone will translate into Prosperity elsewhere. In the eyes of Many economists the old saw that a what s Good for pm is Good for the country has become a bit outdated. A i no longer think the Auto Industry is big enough by itself to lift the whole Economy up with it a said David Healy Auto analyst for . Warburg amp co., a securities company in new York. A the recovery in car sales i think is sustainable but probably for reasons that Don t have to do with the Overall Economy a Healy said. Higher Auto sales contributed to about 80 percent of the big three s second Quarter profits he estimated. Mid july Auto sales were up 17 percent for All Domestic automakers. Ford said it earned $775 million double the second Quarter 1992 Levels. Chrysler earned $685 million quadruple the year earlier results. Pm earned $889 million up from a $703 million loss a year ago. Auto sales were driven by several factors lower interest rates an increased trend in leasing deals and a stronger japanese yen which makes japanese built cars More expensive and .-built cars More affordable. But perhaps the most important reason is that Many Consumers have no Choice. The last Boom in car sales stopped by about 1988, and the vehicles purchased then Are beginning to show rust bad shocks transmission troubles and other signs of age. Strong earnings by the automakers counter broader economic trends announced last week. The Commerce department said the Overall Economy grew at a slower than expected annual rate of 1.6 percent in the second Quarter. Despite the increase in Auto sales consumer pessimism seems to be on the Rise. The conference Board a business research group reported that its july Survey showed consumer Confidence declined for the third straight month. This May not Bode Well for any manufacturer of expensive consumer goods. One economist Gay Ciminero of Fleet financial group in Providence r.i., said the level of Auto sales May be rising now but a i would question the sustainability of  another warning sign is the level of personal income which is not growing. That could tend to make Consumers More frugal than they already  interest  the associated press Portland Ore. When retired scottish policeman Bill Anderson came to America on vacation he expected to go for weeks without the Strong flavorful Beers of his Homeland. Instead he found Widmer brewing  Widmer Hefe Weizen a thick Cloudy brew that is unlike most american Beers. A a that a More like a Beer Quot Anderson said Savouring a Hefe Weizen by Portland s riverfront. A no disrespect to most american Beers but i find them very Light. I enjoy a pint with a bit of body in it. This has got a bit of  a growing number of americans agree. Increasingly drinkers Are opting for specially Beers produced in a brew pubs and Small breweries that have opened across the country. They Are attracted not just by the Beers distinctive taste but an image that Bucks that of mass produced brands such As Miller and Budweiser. Its a trend that has begun to rattle the major Brewers. Although microbreweries have tapped Only a tiny portion of the . Market their rapid growth is prompting the giant Beer companies to offer taste alikes. A there seems to be a real growth and interest in these More flavorful and full bodied Beers Quot said Ron Richards a spokesman for the Miller brewing co., which introduced Miller Reserve Amber ale this Spring. A every one of the big Guys Are gearing up so called a specially Beers a Quot said Kurt Widmer president and master Brewer of Widmer brewing of Portland one of Many Small breweries in the Pacific Northwest. Specially or Craft Beers Are stronger tasting and Darker than conventional american Beers. Made with costlier ingredients the microbrew command higher prices in stores and at the tap. Many drinkers say the extra Cost is Worth it. A a it a just better than Budweiser a said Ted Walton holding a full sails amp sell some Beer lovers Are toasting Fuller bodied a special Tyr brews. Amber ale. A a it a much Fuller tasting than regular Beer. Even though its More expensive you get More for your  the distinctive ambiance of the pubs where specially Beers Are served is also boosting their popularity. Bridgeport brew pub in Portland for instance features exposed Brick Walls and huge wooden beams that support the High ceiling of the converted warehouse. Workers in the adjacent brewery practice their Trade behind Large windows above the bar while bartenders ply new brews to knowledgeable customers who pay about $3 for a pint. Quot a they have a very Good image right now and image is very important in the consumption of Beer said Benj Stein Man executive editor of Beer marketers insights a Trade journal. Specially Beer Are the fastest grow taste alikes ing segment of the Beer Market. Production at Small breweries increased from 491,394 barrels in 1990 to 1.2 million barrels in 1992, according to the Institute for brewing studies in Boulder cold., which tracks Craft brewing in the United states and Canada. During the same period Overall . Beer production fell from 194.8 million barrels to 191.5 million barrels Stein  Institute predicts that sales of specially Beer a which totalled $614 million in 1992, Only 0.6 percent of the total Beer Market will grow to More than $1 billion this year. Regional breweries such As Widmer and the re Hook ale brewery in Seattle have grown rapidly in recent years and Many Are building new breweries or expanding existing operations. A the microbrewery used to get a lot of the Ink but now they re starting to matter in the marketplace a Steinman said. And that matters to the major Brewers. Miller for example is marketing its Reserve Amber ale As a British style All Barley ale much like the specially brews Seattle a Rainier brewing a division of g. Heileman brewing co. Of la Crosse wis. Makes Emerald City ale in its main brewery. But the Label says its made by Emerald City brewing co. A Emerald City ale is brewed much like the so called specially Beers using similar ingredients said Randy Smith a g. Heileman vice president. But with the specially Market still Small its not yet Worth the added time and expense required to make genuinely distinctive Beers Brewers say. A if Anheuser Busch brewed 40 million barrels of Budweiser and made it taste like the specially product i suspect they a have to throw about half of it away Smith said. Widmer said a the big breweries Are surely capable of brewing Beer every bit As Good As we do. But the marketing and accounting departments Are calling the