November 1, 1990

Two hundred executives of North American automobile parts makers fell into a stony silence here the other day when Osamu Obata, a Toyota Motor Company official with little use for traditional Japanese indirection, made it clear that what was good enough for Detroit would not cut it in Toyota City. "Unfortunately, there is still a relatively big gap between the quality of parts we buy domestically for Toyota cars and the parts we import," Mr. Obata said, pointing to a graph that showed defect rates 100 times higher for components supplied by 75 American and European companies than those supplied by 147 Japanese companies.

SPORTSWEAR and the rarer forms of style were both acknowledged as the spring fashion openings reached their midpoint in New York yesterday. Sportswear's major champion was Ralph Lauren , who brings a connoisseur's hand to the shaping of linen, cashmere and other staple fabrics. Oscar de la Renta , known for his rather grand clothes for the international set, plans to introduce his next collection in Paris in March. He has simplified his styles.

The drought afflicting California is starting to send an uneasy rumble through the municipal bond market, as some analysts and investors question whether the long dry spell will make it harder for thousands of local government units to repay billions of dollars worth of bonds they sold to the public. These government units, including water districts, municipal utilities and public power projects, make money from selling water, treating waste water and generating hydroelectric power. Yet the markets have largely ignored the impact that nearly four years of below-average rainfall could have on the financial health of these borrowers.

New Barriers for Refugees As legal obstacles to their exit from Eastern Europe fall, many hopeful emigrants are finding new barriers erected by the West. Page A13. Women and Exercise A study shows that women who exercise are no more likely to have menstrual problems than those who do not exercise. Sports Pages, B13. Venereal Disease and AIDS Chancroid, a little-known disease, has become a chief villain in the global AIDS epidemic. Health, page B12.

To listen to the candidates in the Third Congressional District, the fiercely contested race either pits a moderate Republican state senator against a "radical ultra-liberal feminist" from Washington or a moderate Democratic fund-raiser against an "extremist ultra-conservative career politician." To a degree, both may be correct. But . . .