The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1941-05-01
"BEHIND THE SCENES IN
AMERICAN BUSINESS"
By John Croddock

NEW YORK April 2S-BUSINESS - Taxes,
wages, and prices dominate the business news, in that
order. First two are going up ~zoomingly, third is be-
ing sat on by Office of Price Administration, notably
in its freezing" of steel prices despite wave of wage
rises in that industry. Wage increases are general,
but largely confined to manufacturing industries, es-
pecially those stirred to new peaks of activity by de-
Tense rush. Whether they'll become general depends
largely on success of OPA in checking general price
rises. Details of bill to provide additional So. $780,
100000 federal revenue for defense proved an eye
opener to John Q. Public on extent Of his expected
contribution to defense costs. Even if he escapes the
income tax--in effect, increased from A to Is per
cent on his net taxable income-he'n feel it in new
or additional taxes, mostly around 10 per cent, on
such things as tobacco, liquor, gasoline, soft drinks,
autos, tires, telephone bills, furs, jewelry, Photographic
apparatus, clocks, and watches, monographs and re-
cords, sporting goods, luggage, bowling alleys and
billiard tables.
CONSERVATION Measures to conseye. our
rubber supply are now being suggested, since Uncle
Sans total rubber reserves on hand add up to about
IL months supply. It's estimated that defense needs
may require SOC, 900 tons-about half our total 1910
~nsumptio Specific conservation measures out
lined by Everett G. Holt of the Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce include: rationing for all but a.
solutely essential needs; regulation of auto speeds to
reduce tire wear; more retreading; more use of re-
Claimed ruDOer, and creatlon OF 1acllCleS Tor adequate
production of synthetic rubber. The latter, say rub
Der industry leaders, offers the only positive insur-
ance in case supplies of natural rubber-97 per cent
of which comes from the Far East-were shut off
But meanwhile the industry has had its scientists
devising means for prolonging the service life of the
rubber we have. Most conspicuous of these is dur
amin, a combination Of age-ressting chemicals which
increases durability. Scientists in the B. F, Good
rich laboratories say it acts on rubber to keep it tough
nrl 11ra ~x,,.L q. .&N-~.-- -Ic%o L Fl
It's already being used in 1941 passenger and truck
tires, and is especially valuable in farm tractor and
truck tires because it steps up resistance to sunlight,
weather extremes and ~barnyard acids.
BIT O'BUSINESS-Nation's department store
sales Still running well ahead of 1910; for Easter
week they were IS per cent ahead of parallel week
year ago; for first quarter of year, 10 per cent
Engineering construction awards likewise-last week
We're S107, 900, 600 better than twice the amount of
same week in 1910 -. National Safety Council gives
special award to American Airlines, first air trans
port company in the world to operate on billion pas
senger miles without a fatality to passenger or crew
member Nations air transport system was, in
effect frozen at its present size by order of the
Civil Aeronautics Board, which said the national
emergency makes it necessary no new air routes be
started which would require additional aircraft or
personnel; the action followed consultation with the
War and Navy Departments Increase in purchas-
ing power of the farmer is reflected in mail order
sales records, which show April sales running so per
cent ahead of last year-and farm equipment sales,
running about 20 per cent ahead Chrysler delivers
the first unit of a fleet of thousands of M-3 tanks
-2s-tonners-and says by late summer they'll be
rolling off at the rate of IA per day.
THINGS TO WATCH o - Television in
color-a complete fullcolor system has been invest
ed by DR.. Peter C. Goldmark, chief engineer in that
field for Columbia Broadcastirg System, and it's
claimed to "cure television Of its color blindness"