The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1940-10-10

the re~-armament program is slipping into high gear, so
far as ALLEGATIONS is concerned. Even so, observers here
guess there will be continuing demands for many more
billions. One phase Of this now in the offing is an
expected recommendation, soon, from the bureau of
roads for a multi-million-dollar program of fixing up
our highways from the defense standpoint, including
1000 new bridges.
The War and Navy department have acquiesced to
the Defense Advisory commissions request that they
refuse to let contracts to firms violating he federal
labor laws. That undoubtedly will hasten compliance.
without a challenge, by smaller concerns, though some
major producers may stick to their guns and try to
battle out their differences with the law, in the
courts. But, in that case, hey may have to knuckle
under, anyway, under terms of the much-mooted
Russell Overton amendment to the selective service
law.
WHO PAYS?-When businesses use laws-tax
laws and others-to fight their rivals, it's the public
and the national income that suffer, according to a
consensus of some $50 experts of the National Tax
Association at its annual meeting. Gov. Lehman of
New York pointed out that the net results of trade
sitting laws in behalf of special interests has been
ito limit open competition, raise prices, lower stand
ards of quality and, finally, to affect adversely the
national income" DR.. Paul Nystrom, himself an in
dependent retailer as well as marketing professor at
Columbia university and president of the Limited
Price Variety Stores association-which represents
1000 Independents as well as chains-said "the real
purpose of chain taxation is to put the chains out of
business or at least restrict them SO effectively tina.
they may cease to be competitors of the wholesaler
Independent system of distribution. He warned that
if that kind of taxation spread and is made to serve
its full, ultimate purpose, "the consuming public
will pay, and pay plenty"
BITS O. BUSINESS-Aircraft production is keep
ing pace" in the defense program, says Commissioner
William Knudsen after inspecting plants of Pratt e.
Whitney and Wright Aeronautical-they turned out
almost 1,400 motors in September, exceeding ex-
pectations Averages of private crop estimate as
OF October / indicate "little change" occurred in
condition of major crops during September
American makers of household refrigerators this
year had the best August in the industry's history,
with sales double those for the same month of 1899
this is spite of the fact foreign sales, except for
Canada, have steadily fallen behind last year, which
in turn was poorer than 1888 Volume of moder-
nization and repair work on homes will be materially
larger this year than for some time, with loans for
such, under FILA, being IL per cent higher for the
third quarter than for any similar period since
FILA was launched-and ordinarily it's the final
quarter of a year that sees the largest volume of this
work done.
PROBLEM-Representatives of various
branches of the distilled spirits industry appeared at
a recent hearing before the internal revenue bureau
in washington, seeking permission to bottle Ameri-
"a size now authorized only from imported liquors.
Protection of the consumer is cited by those in favor of
OF the change, because with the emergency defense
tax which went into effect last July the purchaser
must either pay a high price for the pint of his
preferred brand, or buy a cheaper product. The in
dustry maintains that having the four-fifths-pin
available would let the customer buy "his BRANDT
IN q slightly smaller quantity-but at a price some
what under the former price for the pint. They say
the problem is not so much one of size as it is of
keeping down the "unit price, for quality whiskey to
popular levels.
THINGS TO WATCH-At last, a catsup bottle that |
you can put right on even the most elegant table. |
and. which you don't have to smack-it,s called
catsup buffet bowl, and comes in a twin package with
a similar bowl of chill sauce latest innovation
in plastcs is their use in football helmets. either
transparent or colored for gals ~habitually late
Tor dates, a sparkling lapel pin in the form of a
clock, with movable hands that can be "set" as