VOLCKER SAYS FED POLICY NOT LINKED TO RATE RISE

  Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul
  Volcker said that he did not believe there was a connection
  between the Fed's policies and the recent rise in the prime
  interest rate by most major U.S. banks.
      Asked by reporters following testimony before the Senate
  Banking Committee whether the Fed had anything to do with the
  rise to 7-3/4 pct in the prime, he replied, "not that I was able
  to detect."
  

