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Show Page Friday, June 20, 1958 THE UTAH STATESMAN 2 New Drama Group THE UTAH STATESMAN Sets Premiere A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to Good Government HARRY B. MILLER, Publisher H. V. WRIGHT, Editor Of Arena Theater By Rep. William A. Dawson . The latest innovation in drama circles in the &jflt Lafte area is 421 Church Street Phone EM the opening of ihe Arena Theater Entered as 2nd Class matter at the Post Office at Salt Lake City, Summer Season in- Emigration Canyon. Utah, under the act of March 3, 1879 48 . Subscription rate $1.00 per year , 4 This enterprising group of ama- . teur and professional actors and dancers will perform in a mammoth red and white tent' for seven consecutive weeks from June i Published weekly at 421 Church Street, Salt Lake City, Utah NATIONAL ' EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION ' 20 through August 2. 'Friday, June 20, 1958 VqI., 12; No. 24 r 1958 - Battleline Dance-Dram- The Commerce Departments report for April on manufacturers sales, inventories and new orders, issued ,late in May, offered additional evidence that the recession is in retreat. The New York Times, for example, called the April figures "probably die most encouraging report since the recession began. Its highlights: NEW ORDERS A slight decline from March was recorded biit die department noted that military contracts placed in March were at a record high rate. The small April decline in new orders was accounted for entirely by fewer military orders, the department said, arid the significant news was that both March and April orders were above February s. The Times said this indicated that "orders at last had made uie turn. ' f SALES After eight months of steady decline, the April sales were essentially unchanged from those of March, the department reported. April sales were seasonally adjusted at $24,800,000,000 $10,000,000 below sales in March and thus the smallest monthly decline since the recession began. INVENTORIES Reduction of inventories during April amounted to about $500 million, about the same rate as in other months of 1958. The key inventory-sale- s ratio was improved for the first time since last year, however, because the inventory reduction was greater than the smaller drop in sales. More new orders will be placed as this ratio continues to improve and companies require more stocks. Other encouraging signs in the economy: . , EMPLOYMENT The Labor Department reported that, in the week ended May 17, the number of; persons receiving benefits declined by 82,000 the fifth consecutive weekly decline. A drop also was reported in the number of new claims .. for unemployment benefits. There were 34,700 fewer new claims in that week, the lowest level of initial daims in a week since November 16, 1957. In another report, the department said that most of the 149 major labor areas reported increases in employment in May. These increases, however, were less than seasonal and consequently the adjusted rate of unemployment rose in . - unem-ployme- nt -- . , -- some, areas. The fifth consecutive weekly increase in produc--' STEEL tion was reported by Steel Magazine, which said the industry boosted production two points to 56.5 per cent of rated capacity. The Wall Street Journal said June looked even better, with boosts of about 5 per cent scheduled for June production in the Pitts-- . . burgh, Chicago and Youngstown areas. FARM PRICES Prices received by farmers stayed at their heights at averaging 86 per cent of Prices party. paid by farmers also remained steady. RAIL CARLOADINGS ... Carloadings increased by 9,905 in ;,the week ended May 24, as compared with the previous week. Rail traffic remains below that of the similar period of 1957 but this is due as much to increased motor and water competition as it is to reduced over-a- ll shipments. RETAIL TRADE Total dollar volume of retail trade in the week ended May 28 was up to 3 per cent above the similar .period of 1957, including another moderate gain in sales of new " ' atitoniublles. SMALL BUSINESS e An monthly record worth of federal purchasing contracts were set aside for award to small business during April. This more than three times the amount made available for small businesses in the same period five-year-reco- rd mid-Ma- y, . - - all-tim- . .of $178,-363,7- 07 1957. PERSONAL INCOME The Commerce Department report-e- d a seasonally adjusted rate of $343 billion for April, $500,000,000 higher than in March and $2 billion above April of 1957. CONSUMER DEBT The Federal Reserve Board reported that in April consumers repair old debts faster than they acquired ..new debt, resulting in a $123 million seasonally adjusted decline in outstanding debt. In 1952, the average factory worker had to work 5 hours and 41 minutes to earn enough to buy a bag of groceries $9.17. The bag of groceries has risen slightly in cost costing the same bag now goes for $9.24. : The worker, however, now has to work only 4 hours and 44 minutes to earn the $9.24. He thus has gained almost an hour in food purchasing power since the Republican administration came into office. . The first performance, scheduled for June 20 at 8:30 pm., will be a double bill. A new art form, entitled Dionysius of the Vine will be performed by Barry Lynn, well known Salt Lake dancer, recently returned from a winter season in Phoenix, Ariz., and completing the bill will be a one-ac- t comedy by the French playwright, Beque, entitled starring Norma Touart Miller,' popular Salt Lake actress, whose theatrical experience both in New York and San Francisco amply qualify her for her leading role in this hilarious comedy. a, Merry-Go-Roun- JUST A START . . . The Defense rearrangement bill . . .excuse me, I mean reorganization bill the. House passed the other day is a first step toward correcting the wasteful, dangerous rivalries at the Pentagon but it falls far short of what the President and the people have called for. True, It contains some 85 per cent of the Chief Executives recommendations for making our armed forces a unified Striking force instead of allies. But unfortunately the 15 per cent left out was needed to make the rest work effecv' tively. ... END RUNS By requiring the Secretary of Defense to ad through the service secretaries; by denying him full authority to change combatant functions of the or services, and by permitting to each service encouraging carry its complaints over his head to Congress, the bill takes back most of the unifying authority it purports to give the Defense Secretary. In the final analysis, unification will still depend largely upon how well the separate services are willing to cooperate, a response which has not been overwhelming up to this point. The House bill rearranges things at the Pentagon, but it doesnt make many changes. James G Sorrels, formerly with the Boise Little Theater and recently a performer with the University of Utah Theater, is the director. Other members of the cast include: James Esplin of the University of Utah; Gilbert MilSTILL HOPE . . . These weakler and Roman Frank, currently nesses are what the President stationed at Dugway Proving Grounds, formerly from New York City, and Sandra Josephson of Los Angeles. This enticing double bill will run June 20 and 21 at 2300 Emigration Canyon. Other performances include: By James W. Douthat Pan and the Cherries, a Asst. Vice Pres., Government and The Web and the Relations Div. of NAM. Branch, an original play written No Comment is a report of inand directed by Jack Christensen on the national scene, and cidents June 27 and 28; a three-ac- t comnot does necessarily reflect NAM edy by Plautus titled Casina, or position. starring Joyce BuSh on July 4 policy and 5; a double bill on July 11 One of the major pieces of and 12 comprising a dance drama, The Birds of Ma-and a one-a- ct legislation pending in Congress is play by Anatole France, The opposed by industry on the Man Who Married a Dumb Wife, ground that it would prevent price starring Lois Miller; on July 18 reductions to meet competition. This is regarded as unfair to and 19 an all dance program will the public and to industry bebe performed with Bill Ward and cause it would encourage price Don Steele as guest artist; Sophocles Antigone" starring Norma rigidity and deprive consumers of Touart Miller will be presented the 'benefits of free and open comon July 25 and 26 and the final petition. performance of the season will be The principal threat at the presa double bill the ent time comes from a Senate bill s Dionysius of the Vine and Or- sponsored by Senator Kefauver and others. estes by Barry Lynn and Andre Gides Bathshelba, starring It would nullify the defense, now available to price discriminaJames G Sorrels. tion charges, that price cuts were Season or single tickets are made in good faith to meet lower available at the downtown box prices put into effect by compeoffice: The House of Music, 115 titors. South Main St. Enactment of this measure would place in jeopardy current business practices and threaten Garcia Speaks to U.S. legal prosecution anyone who wishes "to- - retain customers' by President Carlos P. Garcia of meeting lower prices available the Philippines made his only from competitors. television appearance during This bill has been reported, his visit to the United States, without recommendations, by a Sunday, June 22, when he was Senate Judiciary Subcommittee to the full committee. The full comguest on Meet the Press. mittee started considering it May The panel which Interviewed 5 and action can now be taken at President Garcia included NBC any time. News correspondent Pauline FredA similar measure, by Rep. Pat Ernest K. man erick, is pending in the Lindley of Newsweek, Robert Aura Smith of the House Judiciary Committee. If New York Times and Lawrence the Senate should pass its bill, House action would be promptly Spivak, producer and permanent urged by supporters of the propanelist of Meet the Press. posal. Not to be overlooked in the Ned Brooks was moderator fact that the House, in 1956, of the program, which originated the Patman bill by the passed live from New York. overwhelming vote of 393 to 3. Meet the Press is a Public Admittedly, many House members were not aware of the seriAffairs presentation of NBC ous import of the legislation and News. cast their votes on the basis of .. wants eliminated, and I for one-a- fully satisfied that this is a field in which he is the ranking expert. The mail we are receiving in Congress indicates the people agree, and I certainly hope the Senate will prove to be more re- ceptive toward making these changes which are needed for an effective reduction of the red tape and intramural jealousies that are a detriment to our taxpayers and national security. As much as NO, THANKS I appreciate the House Administration Committees generosity, I really must turn down its offer of adding a $14,000 a year administrative assistant to my staff. A office is, Heaven Congressmans ' knows, a busy enough place, but I don't believe we can justify adding another $6 million to the payroll. If Congress needs more office help, it should have hired it with the money which went into its own pay raise over my objections a couple of years ago. The bill to ROLL CALL this staff addition came out of committee with a flourish but enthusiasm died down when a roll call was mentioned. It hasnt been brought to the floor yet and Im betting it wont be if we can keep threat th going. Which, I think, speaks pretty eloquently of the merits of this legislation. ... ... stand-up-and-be-count- ed . Dance-Dram- Ui Dance-Drama- (D.-Tenn- .) - (D.-Tex.- ), ' incomplete information. They were swayed (for the time being) by arguments from the bills supporters that it was intended to protect small business and preserve equality of opportunity. Opponents of the measure made certain that members of the Senate understood its real nature. The result was that there was no and the Senate action in 1956 bill died with the- expiration of the 48th Congress. - But its advocates started all over again when the' 85th Congress convened in January, 1957. They decided to try first for Senate action and then, if successful, renew the battle in the House. An increasing number of Congressmen are becoming aware that the measure, if enacted, could well drive many manufacturers, wholesalers, jobbers and other distributors out of business. Actually, small businesses likely would suffer the most. The freedom to meet the price of his competitor is especially vital to the small manufacturer or distributor, who may not be able to offer all the credit or other facilities at the disposal of larger companies and must depend on the price tag as his ace-in-the-ho-le. The purpose of the legislation is to overturn a United States Supreme Court decision of 1951 which said that when a businessman is faced with loss of a cus- tomer to another firm offering lower prices, he may reduce his own price to meet an equally low price of a competitor, if he does so in good faith that is, to retain his customer and not to squeeze out his competitor or to build up a monopoly. The decision upheld the traditional American freedom of competition which through our history has protected the consumer against monopolistic practices. This competition should be preserved. The nation should not let competition be stifled by the pro-pose- legislation. d |