June 2, 1992

LIKE bottles washed up from the cosmic sea, meteorites bring to Earth tantalizing scraps of information about the early solar system, the composition of the Moon and Mars, the nature of stardust, and even, perhaps, the possibility of extraterrestrial life. But meteoritic information is written in a complex code that touches off as many debates as it settles. In a new round of debate, two scientists report evidence from Antarctica that a spray of meteorites struck Earth about 300,000 years ago after an asteroid broke up. Their conclusion reopens one of the more contentious issues in planetary science: whether or not meteorites found in Antarctica are somehow different from meteorites found elsewhere. If so, a peculiar group of Antarctic meteorites may have something important to say about how the solar system environment has changed over the passing millennia.

At first glance, the latest proxy statement from the B. F. Goodrich Company sounds all the right notes in the executive pay debate. It details for the first time how the company links pay and performance and boasts that executive pay is reviewed by a board committee that "consists entirely of outside directors."

METRO DIGEST NEW YORK CITY FEW JOBS FOR TEEN-AGERS The job market for New York City teen-agers is the worst in memory and the worst among major cities in the United States, government labor experts and business executives say. Analysts attribute the erosion in youth employment to cutbacks in entry-level jobs and new competition from immigrant workers. "This economy has been bad for everyone, and teen-agers are at the bottom," said Eli Ginzberg, a labor economist at Columbia University. A1. TEACHERS PROTEST A BEATING Outraged over the beating of a social studies teacher in his classroom, teachers at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in the east Bronx rallied against what they called dangerous conditions at the school. The teachers have asked their union to authorize a strike if safety does not improve. Shortly after the protest, a student was charged in the assault. B3. CRIME FALLS IN MIDTOWN Major crime in midtown Manhattan fell sharply in the first four months of this year, continuing a major decline in the area over the last several years, a ranking police official told business leaders. The drop was attributed to the presence of more police officers on patrol, augmented by an increase in private security guards hired by business groups. B3. REGION PRIMARY SEASON ENDS QUIETLY New Jersey's Presidential primary season ended fittingly -- with a rally on the State House steps for Paul Tsongas, who retired from the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination several weeks ago. President Bush did not visit New Jersey during his campaign. The Democratic front-runner, Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas, visited two New Jersey schools but avoided reporters over the last two weeks. A19. Many new voters won't vote. A19. A TAX PROPOSAL IN NASSAU After treading lightly for months out of fear of an anti-tax backlash, Nassau County legislators are coming together on a financial bailout plan that includes a $40 million annual tax increase. "The time has come to put political posturing aside," said Joseph N. Mondello, the Republican county chairman, as he announced his support for a county mortgage-recording tax that would be one of the highest in the state. B4. FIGHTING DRUNKEN DRIVING Suffolk County's District Attorney declared war on drunken drivers, imposing what he called the toughest regulations in the state to deal with the state's highest rate of alcohol-related highway fatalities. Starting Aug. 1 repeat offenders and drivers who are severely drunk would have operators' licenses and registration tags seized upon arrest "as evidence in their cases," barring further legal driving until their cases are cleared. And under a proposed law, their cars, too, could be seized. B4. A PARK WITH A DIFFERENCE Forget the hot dogs, rolls and charcoal. The new state park proposed by the Town of East Hampton, L.I., is going to be 20 feet below the surface of Fort Pond Bay. It would be New York's first underwater state park, and the main attraction would a sunken British frigate. B6. Trouble for Yonkers housing plan. B4. Our Towns by Andrew H. Malcolm B6 Chronicle B6

When Lloyd R. Reeder arrived to exhibit his company's lighting fixtures at a recent trade show in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, he braced himself for clashes with workers over union rules, high costs and bribe demands. Mr. Reeder recalled that at two previous shows in the hall, on the West Side, he was forced to pay carpenters $200 to install a prefabricated booth that he could quickly assemble by himself without a tool. An electrician charged him $70 to plug in a lamp and when it came time to leave, teamsters and other workers demanded payments of $50 to retrieve his packing crates.

The job market for New York City teen-agers is the worst in memory and shows few signs of immediate improvement, government labor experts and business executives say. Across the nation, the percentage of young people who have jobs has fallen sharply during the recession. But the problem is most acute, the experts say, in New York, where only slightly more than 1 in 10 youths is working.