Show Up and Down the Street Utah Wage Earners Gain on High Prices I B By Robert Robrt W. W Bernick Utah wage earners registered a 1 gain ain over high prices pries during the te first three quarters of 1948 the department of employment se security security se- se of the te Utah Uth state industrial commission reported Monday While the U. U S. S bureau of oC labor statistics price index was up 7 over 1947 a rough estimate shows wages were up 8 2 r co t. t Average monthly wage for the first three tree quarters was estimated I at but officials said that figure might be bc revised someWhat somewhat some some- what what For the te 11 1 months ending Dec 1 the te price index inde stood at 1712 com corn compared compared I pared with an average of or 1592 foran for all aU of 1947 At the te same time wages were up 1010 for the te year 11 year l-year period starting in 1937 and ad up 8 A over last lat year The report covers most of the industrial and ad business in the te state but excludes agricultural agricultural tura tural governmental and charitable charita charita- ble organization workers It I coy cov- ers roughly 70 of everyone gainfully gainfully gain gain- filly fully employed in Utah during during the te first three quarters of 1948 how- how ever Other figures Vere ere ere presented Monday by the National Industrial Conference board which may not fully agree with the estimates agee tle made b by the government Although dealing only with a segment of the general price index I t r compiled by the U. U S. S bureau of off f labor statistics the N NICE I C B estimated estimated est est- esti esti- mated that tat while there has been only a 10 decline in buying e C power of an hours hour's labor as it relates relates relates re re- re- re lates to food prices it only took 12 hours hour work during 1948 compared compared com corn pared with 30 hours in i 1914 to purchase a weeks week's food for an anc a c average family I Surveying the changes in food prices pries over the last third of a century the te board bard finds that tat food costs coss have increased only a little littlemore littlemore I more than tha while hourly wage earnings have risen over 1914 I 3 To Aid Ad Coal Show P S. S J. J Craighead vice president and general manager maager United States Fuel Fel Co Monday was wa 7 named a program committee rember member for the te 1949 coal coa show of 1 the the American Mining congress May 9 12 Cleveland Ohio o Survey Stocks 5 A survey sUrey by the te National Association Asso- Asso elation of Security Dealers of owners of selected the over-the- counter stocks disclosed Monday shareholders in Utah The survey is being beig conducted by the theN te teN N NASD A S SD D for purposes of or increasing jing ing coverage of daily daly quotations of tocks stocks in ii the press Report on Oil OH Oi Standard Poors Poor's Corp reported report report- cd ed Monday that there is ever every reason to believe beleve that tat price inflation inflation f tion ton has finally finaly passed its crest in inthe Inthe the oil oi industry On the other hand barring an a exceptionally mild mid winter winter which winter which I isn't indicated there indicated thee indicted there is no 20 reason to think tink that tat important general price weakness can ca develop The trend for the te chief chiet products product product will wi continue upward as the total t number of motor vehicles vehicle steadily increases and ad as new home construction con con- adds add to oil oi burner burer uses There is no question queston that tat consumption consumption con con- will wi be higher a year hence and five years hence al although although although al- al though no one can cn say by just what percentage Sales Value Down Value of Salt Lake department store sales was down 1 down i for the week ending January 1948 but up 2 for the week four period endIng ending end end- ing lag that date a year ago the federal reserve system reported Monday For the te fiscal and calendar years ears to Jan 1 I 1949 values were up 2 indicating a leveling off in sales dollars spent by consumers For the United States as a whole values were even compared compared com corn pared with a year ago but up 6 for the thc week four-week period Values were down 8 for the 11 1 western wester states up 4 for the four weeks Auto Dealers Meet More than Ford automobile dealers from rom 11 1 western wester states met Monday in Hotel Utah to discuss discuss discuss dis dis- dis- dis cuss sales production and advertising adver adver- advertising tsin programs for 1919 1949 under the direction of H. H H H. Reiser Salt Sal Lake City district manager Outlines of the coming years year's I programs were given by Joseph J. J Marsh Denver district manager and Walter Valter J. J Cooper San Francisco Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco assistant regional regonal manager for the 11 1 western states |