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About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 4, 1957)
Salem, Oregon', Monday, March' '4, 1957 THE CAPITAE JOURNAL! SectfoS 1 -Page 3 BUSINESS REVIEW Cost-Price Squeeze Chews Into Profits By WALTER BREEDE Jr. NEW YORK W The cost Price squeeze on business made ilself felt at several sensitive points last week. While sales volume in many fields remained at or near rec ord levels, the increased cost of doing business was chewing into profits all along the line. Indications were that manufac turers, merchants, builders, farm ers and many other businessmen would have to reckon with the problem for some time. The Joint Congressional Eco nomic Committee, in a special re port, said higher building costs and interest rates might curb a hoped-for boom this year in high way, school and industrial plant construction. For 1957 as a whole, the com mittee predicted "further increas es in employment, production and purchasing power with no general easing of pressures toward further cost and price increases." It said consumer spending may not rise as fast as some surveys have in dicated. There were new signs of a tight ening cost-price squeeze down on the farm last week. The United States Department of Agriculture reported that farmers, between mid-January and mid-February, were paid two per cent less for their products than during the month before. At the same time the cost of running a farm, and maintaining the farmers family increased one per cent. Retail merchants seeking to pass cost increases on to their customers pondered the possibility of consumer price resistance and a buyers' strike. Sales were still perking along at a comfortable level, with department store busi ness running about 3 per cent higher than a year ago in terms of dollar volume, but price com petition was razor sharp. Richard H. Rich, president of the National Retail Dry Goods Assn., offered fellow merchants this advice: "Most great depart ment stores "have assumed their position of leadership by being dis count houses, in a sense, them selves ..." The workings of the cost-price pinch in a big manufacturing corporation came to light in the annual report of General Motors Corp. Profits of the big automak er for 1956 were down nearly 29 per cent from the year before, while sales declined 13 per cent. The company attributed a ma jor part of the profits slide to higher costs of materials, serv ices, labor and tools which were "only partially recovered" by higher prices. Fresh OQl Raw Shrimp .Jb. y Fresh OQ Rainbow Trout 70 Fresh 00 Deep Sea Crab Z7 59 Fresh Fillet of Sole Fresh SILVER SIDE Salmon By the piece II 59' FRESH COLUMBIA RIVER SMELT Fresh Sliced Halibut ib. Fresh Med. size Pacific Oysters Pit Oven Ready Roasting Hens -Ib. 69; 65J 49' Pan Ready Fryers -lb. 49' IMPORTED HOLLAND HERRING W Pound Keg 3 95 Favorite Seafood Recipe From the Collection of MRS. IRA J. FITTS Shrimp Fried Rice 1 lb. fresh shrimp 1 stalk celery - 1 tablespoon chopped green pepper 5 tups steamed rice (cold) 1 onion chopped 2 eggs Vi cup mushrooms Wash and shell shrimp, break into small pieces, fry until one-half done. Add on ion, celery, green pepper, mushrooms, mix together until almost cooked. Add rice, salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste. Break eggs into rice, turn and mix welt until eggs are cooked. Serves 6. OCEAN-FRESH SEA FOODS FITTS Fresh Seafood end Poultry 216 N. Commercial Phone EM 4-6705 I ive II odem ! Pick the Pack that Suits You Best ! When 6 goes hunting or fishing he Finds the Crush-proof box o ncforof. Charlie, dressed for the evening, carries the handy pack. You are free to choose . . . only when you smoke modern LtM. Smoke modem IMVI and always get full exciting flavor ...PLUS THE PURE WHITE MIRACLE TIP With LM...and only LM...an you pick the pack that suits you best And only LiM gives you the flavor... the full, exciting flavor that makes LtM..., gMZGICA 'SKFASTEST (GROWING (CIGARETTE' & o j warn mmmm Shop These Terrific First-of-the-Week Penny-Wise EXTRA VALUES! PRICES EFFECTIVE TUES.-WED.-THURS. Ofj Ge,ber's MJ Baby Food Strained )CCO) Dozen (2JjJ tClorox BLEACH WHITE STAR Bite Sl m sjAA TUNA FISH 4tl. LUCKY LEAF Cherry ti PIE FILLING JWr ARMOUR'S CLOVER BLOOM 1 MARGARINE... v.. fc 3 TREASURE . fk CATSUP. .... .......... A1" CHUN KING Chicken er Beef QAif CHOW MEIN . ..Big "Economy Size IIERSilEYS ' t4. INSTANT COCOA Pound Fig. FLYING CLOUD 0 $Vftft BONITA TUNA 3luw A: M,d.b Kraft's (It's Flavor Cant-Be-Copied) Quart Miracle Whip 3c Ready to Eat-6 to 8-Ib. Avg. IT UUUU cottage , ti nn GRAPEFRUIT. .6 22 100 ANGEL FOOD MIX M39 7-MJNIT A 4 PIE CRUST MIX 2 15 f NESTI.E-S A Quik s-85 FIESTA Made by SehiHines ' f d BLACK PEPPER M 10 HAINES FANCY M0d CRAB MEAT 8.,iliB49' CHASE & SANBORN C V AO INSTANT COFFEE 1 09 Chiffon TISSUE Boxes U HEINZ Tomato Tins oup From Our Produce Department LTD ODD 8 Golden Ripe Fruit Portland Read Foor Corners South Commercial South 12h Wocdbum 4i