Show 1 t I- I rt I r br 0 b i W HIN It is the c s of Opinion of 01 one hundred economists poll ed ad by th the F W organization that there ther will wUl be a mild business recession begin ning next spring The group polled includes economists connected with busi burl ness corporations financial In In- In Institutions universities and econ e on omit research organizations one Forty-one of the economists expecting a recession Indicated they believed it would be mild mUd nineteen described their expectation tion as moderately serious eriO SI f Ks and eleven e ve as serious In the opinion of most of the economists the index of whole whole- wholesale wholesale sale commodity prices as a by the U 17 S 5 bureau of labor statistics will continue continua to torise torise rise but will be down by Aug Aug- August August of next year and down furth furth- further further er by the end of 1948 The med med- median ian commodity index prediction figure in the opinion of 0 the econ econ- economists economists was was for December for next August and for December 1948 The majority believe that industrial in in- in industrial production will remain stable or decline from the 1947 level during next year 64 antici antici- anticipating overall decline in production production tion with the median decline shown as ten per cent ceni The ma ma- majority foresee an upward trend in industrial production in the first quarter and a decline in inthe inthe the last three quarters of next year year as compared with this year Majority opinion indicates an expectation of approximately stable to lower employment in 1948 1048 as compared with this year Of the 78 economists ex ex- ex expressing expressing pressing an opinion on the em em- employment outlook only three expect ex ex- ex expect I a steady while 30 expect a steady downtrend and 45 48 believe that employment will willbe willbe be approximately stable next year six Seventy-six economists ex ex- ex expressed expressed pressed an opinion on the con con- construction construction outlook Thirty seven anticipate a steady 28 believe building will be approximately approximately stable and eleven elever ex cx peat a steady st ady downtrend Fifty Fifty- eight believe there will be an over-all over increase in construction contract volume the median figure on the Increase expectation tion tion- being ten per cent Washington is not taking ser ser- serIously seriously the many sub committee hearings When hearings are being held by b a committee of one or two congressmen the public as well as official Wash Washington ington just cannot become inter inter- interested interested ested There are a few exceptions but they are of minor characters Most congressmen returning r from Europe have expressed themselves as having changed ganged their opinion in many regards They do not agree however Re Re- Returning Returning turning visitors as well as con con- congressmen gressmen did not see with the same eyes Some report Europe starving others report that they saw no lack of food medical sup sup- supplies supplies plies or other necessities The majority however believe that Europe must receive aid and re re- re receive re- re receive it soon |