European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 21, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes Money matters Friday january 21,1994 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 .1.71 British Pound .1.54 dutch Guilder. 1.90 greek drachma. 243.3217 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. Curren pics a a a a a a a. A italian lira 1,703.50 turkish lira. 14,998.00 Spanish peseta a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 143.00 portuguese escudo. 176.55 austrian Schilling a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 12.289 saudi Riyal a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Tea 3.75 bahraini Dinar. 0.37675 kuwaiti Dinar. 0.298 norwegian Krone. 7.518 danish Krone 6.788 British Pound. 1.4905 German Mark. 1.7495 Swiss franc 1.4685 French franc a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 5.9412 dutch Guilder. 1.9585 belgian franc. 36.46 Canadian Dollar. 1.3105 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $392.40 an ounce Silver quote $5.33 an ounce c new York Exchange  up a York Stock Exchange Stock Pfizer inc. Rwjr Nabisco hid Tel Fonos de my Merck amp co inc Chrysler corp. Eastman Kodak a Banc one corp Citicorp digital equip it chemical Bank Wal Mart stores Shaw industries general motors at amp to company Stone Container the 15 most Active stocks in new composite trading on wednesday. Sales 5,780,700 5.154.900 4,697,200 4.599.800 3.851.300 3.478.800 3.363.000 3.203.000 2.841.300 2.715.100 2.644.900 2.511j00 2.511.100 2.313.100 2.267.900 last 62% 7% 67% 35% 61 43 35% 40 32% 38vk 25% 20 60% 55% 15% net chg. Off 5 up % up % off off 1% off 1 of11% off 1% off 3% off1% up off 1 off 1 % up up 11/4 american Exchange new York up a the 10 most Active stocks in american Stock Exchange composite trading wednesday. Slock sate last net chg. Gull cd res i 2,070,800 31-16 up 1-16 Echo Bay mines 1,631,400 14% off % am exploration 1,167,900 1 9-t6 Oft 1-16 Hasbro inc 607,100 34% up % Ich corp 606,600 6% off Gaylord cont it 549,300 5% up Weatherford inc. 489,600 10% up % circa pharm inc 477,900 12% unch Catton inc 461,600 2% up 5-16 Gaylord Contr 449,100 6% up Dow Jones. New York up a Dow Jones closing Range of averages on wednesday High Low close change 30 industrials 3909.97 3839.34 3884.37 up 14.08 20 transport 1836,95 1806.07 1826.87 up 4.29 15 utilities 221.53 218.36 220.08 off 0.52 65 stocks 1424.29 1399.85 1415.46 up3.42 fed says Economy rallying except in Southern California Washington a the . Economy is looking up practically everywhere except Southern California the Federal Reserve Board says in its most upbeat report since the 1990-91 recession. A a the Central Bank said wednesday that it had detected fresh a signs of acceleration a including new factory hiring and Strong consumer spending. However it said that even before mondays earthquake in los Angeles a weak economic conditions continued in Southern  a weakness in manufacturing construction and real estate markets continues to drag Down the los Angeles area Economy while other areas of California Are showing signs of bottoming out or of modest improvement a it said in its so called beige Book which summarizes regional business conditions. A Mii Fisk 1 i Juji in a consumer spending especially on household related items was Strong during the holidays in most districts a it said. A manufacturing activity strengthened and the manufacturing employment picture improved somewhat.�?�. A new York times lbs news poll released wednesday found that for the first time since the recession began in mid-1990, americans who had a positive Outlook about the Economy about equated those who took a negative view., i. Fifty percent of the 1,1.46 adults questioned considered the Economy As either very Good or fairly Good while 49 percent said it was either very bad or fairly bad. The findings were within the 3-percent-agc-Point margin of error contained in the poll. The Federal Reserve report compiled from interviews conducted before Jan. 10 by the feds 12 regional Banks was pre. Keeping his eyes on business Bernd Heinz head of a Glass Eye factory in Lauscha Germany shows samples of the real looking eyeballs his family business has been turning out since 1835. The artificial orbs made from special Glass Are used not Only for medical purposes but also for lifelike dolls such As those seen in Wax museums. Tough fines for lax safety British Economy slows report says London up the latest quarterly Survey of 8,000 companies by the Chambers of Commerce found the British economic recovery is slowing and said business leaders Are concerned it could be a blown off  the Survey released thursday came a Day after government figures showed retail sales were Down and inflation was up slightly in december. The Chambers quarterly Survey found the British Economy was continuing a slow rate of growth but that the growth rate was still Well below pre recession Levels. Washington a the Clinton administration is pledging stricter enforcement of Federal workplace safety Laws to reduce Job related deaths and injuries. Joe dear the new director of the occupational safety and health administration said employers a trying to Deal with the explosion in workers compensation costs should see an Osha dedicated to addressing serious hazards As an  the intention is a to make sure that there is no incentive for employers to compete on the basis of substandard working conditions a. Labor Secretary Robert Reich told a news conference wednesday. Dear in an earlier interview said companies a taking the Low Road and neglecting workplace safety and health should be concerned that the Cost of noncompliance will go  the broadened enforcement efforts will focus on the worst offenders and the most serious individual violations Reich said. Reich said the government will pay pared for a feb. 3-4 meeting of monetary policy makers. Many economists believe the policymakers could decide at that meeting to increase Short term interest rates sometime during the first Quarter in an Effort to keep a lid on incipient inflationary pressures As the Economy strengthens. However Price rises generally have been Small. And economist Cynthia Latta of Dri Mcgraw Hill in Lexington mass., said the Strong economic growth found by the fed As the year ended probably will fade somewhat delaying an increase in rates to the end of the first Quarter. A i done to think they will be inclined to tighten quite yet a she  View is this very Strong fourth Quarter is temporary. We May Well see 5 percent growth in the fourth Quarter but we wont see that in the first half of 1994.�?�of c-17 reports loss of $132 million particular attention to businesses that hire Large numbers of a a vulnerable employees including children older people and Low wage workers. Work related accidents kill at least 17 people a Day and work related injuries and illnesses Cost employers More than $115 billion a year. Reich said Osha traditionally investigated violations of workplace safety Laws Only after complaints were filed but that will change. With a $300 million budget and 2,300 employees Osha cannot police All of the nations 6 million employers he said so the administration intends to use stiff fines and criminal penalties As a deterrent. Dear the former director of Washington states department of labor and industries said there is a great room for improvement in the Way Osha sets its priorities. A labor and management both complain that Osha Hasni to been consistent in its development and implementation of policies a he said. St. Louis a Mcdonnell Douglas corp. On wednesday reported a $132 million loss for the fourth Quarter. The loss came because of a $450 million pretax charge to its troubled c-17 program. The company was Able to offset some of the loss through a gain of $220 million. The gain occurred because the company was Able to reverse part of a 1992 charge with the Sale of Mcdonnell Douglas information systems International. The company reported Strong performance in most of its government aerospace programs continued profitability in its commercial aircraft business and a 41 percent reduction in aerospace debt. The loss amounted to $3.36 a share for the Quarter that ended dec. 31. A year ago Mcdonnell Douglas earned $762 million or $19.46 a share in the same period. Without the charge in the c-17 program the company said it would Nave earned $143 million in the fourth Quarter or $3.63 a share. Revenue was $3.63 billion Down 21 percent from $4.62 billion a year ago. For the year Mcdonnell Douglas earned $396 million or $10.10 a share. In 1992, it lost $781 million or $20.10 a share primarily because of charges related to a Rule change for accounting for Retiree health benefits. Without the charge the company would have earned $79 million or $2.03 a share in 1992. Revenue in 1993 was $14.48 billion Down 17 percent from $17.36 billion in 1992. Last month the Pentagon put the c-17 cargo plane on two year probation and said it would buy Only 40 of the Long Range transports unless Mcdonnell Douglas improved the program. The plane has been plagued by Cost overruns totalling $1.5 billion delayed flight tests and wings that failed stress tests. Initially the air Force planned to buy 210 c-17s. In april 1990, Dick Cheney Secretary of defense at the time reduced that number to 120 at a Cost of $40 billion. Last month defense Secretary Les Aspin said 120 transports were still needed but the government could get the remaining 80 transports by buying commercial wide body jets or reviving the production of the c-5 cargo plane