Evening star., 1943-05-29
Business Briefs

proposed Rail Wage Increases will
boost annual operating costs of rail-
roads serving the territory around
Washington substantially, according
to estimates computed by the Wall
Street Journal, based on results for
the year ended October 81, 1912. In
creases for various roads as esti-
mated by the Journal: Atlantic
Coast Line, $3.50 .279; Baltimore e.
Ohio, 81, ,784,163; Chesapeake & Ohio,
S3,973,864; Norfolk & Western.
s3,30l, TAO: Pennsylvania, s2O,9O6 .73O:
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Poto-
mac, s493 ,234: Seaboard Airline.
S2,823,317 Southern Railway, s4,825,-
382, and Virginian, s514,17O.
Lacking Help to Harvest Aspara-
gus, H. E. Larkin, general manager
OF the Rochelle 1llD ASPARAGUS Co.
important grower and canner. said
the labor shortage was SO serious
that ''if we make good on 8Orc of
the possible crop, we'll be doing
Well The company owns 1850 acres
OF asparagus beds and contracts to
harvest 300 acres more. 1t has hired
IT'S Jamaicans and 80 or go Mexicans
to work in the fields. Similar condi-
tlons were reported in New JERSEY
asparagus regions and canning com
pany officials there predicted a far
more serious situation when the
tomato crop begins to mature about
July /.
Scoring SEC Policies, the Ameri-
can Power & Light Co. and the Elec-
trio Power & Light Corp. filed sepa-
rate reply briefs asking the United
States Circuit Court of Appeals at
Boston to set aside an order for dis
solution of the two utility holding
companies. Both firms contended
the death sentence clause of the
Holding Company Act is illegal.
Criticism of the OPA Roll-Back
Plan for coffee ceilings came from
w. F.. Williamson, secretary-mana-
ger of the National Coffee Associa-
ton, in address before the Pacific
Coast Coffee Association in San
Francisco. He said coffeemen want
a price that will give a reasonable
margin over costs and added that
the coffee industry's troubles result
partly from poor organiza ton with
Government agencies. An example
he cited was in the packaging of
coffee-that the Government ordered
the industry to put coffee in bags
but provided no priority for the bags.
A Review of Canadian Revenue
Policy, including an overall exam
ination of the tariff and a revision
OF taxation was proposed to a Joint
meeting of Commons and Senate
Reconstruction Committees by the
National Board of Directors of the
Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber said new economic in
ternational relations necessary for
postwar welfare should guide the
formation of Canadas fiscal policy.
Because of ODT Opposition and a
shortage of merchandise and hotel
accommodations, the formal summer
market of the Grand Rapids Furni-
ture Manufacturer Exposition Asso-
citation, scheduled June 10 to 16,
has been called off, but buyers who
want to look around" then will be
welcome.
National Supply Co. directors de-
clared dividend of so cents share
against arrears on the So preference
stock, payable June 80 to holders of
record June 18. The last payment
was so cents on September 80, 1888
The board also declared a dividend
Of S4.1212 cents a share on the prior
preferred, 512 % series, and $3.50 a
share on the prior preferred, go
series, both payable June 30 to hold
ers of record June 18.
Standard Oil Co. of California re-
ported sales in the first quarter aver
aged 273,355 barrels daily, a gain of
2214 % over a year ago. I'VE expect
to drill some 365 wells in 1943, aver
aging one day." declared President
H. D. Collier This is almost three
times the number drilled in 1912"