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Show Business men, both in and out of government govern-ment here predict healthy pick-up in consumer sales this fall, starting with seasonal school buying in September. Predictions are based on twin factors of high consumer purchasing power, new highs in average incomes, and refusal of consumers to be panicked into another wave of "scare buying" such as was r evident immediately after Korea. A O Thus, business in both retail MAIM and service fields along Main Streets of the nation, with large inventories FEATURE and in many instances new or increased ' ' service equipment, is ready for whatever what-ever buying may come. Two things business men may count on prices will be higher and many items will get scarcer. Main street merchants are interested in the farm price picture. Although the farm bloc is strong in Washington and seems able to control farm commodity price picture insofar as congress is concerned, the economic policies of the farm organizations do not always work out to the advantage of the farmers themselves. What is happening is that while farm prices are kept high the net income of farmers still is on the decline. O Federal Reserve checks of retail buying throughout the country for the past week was spotty, with increases over a year ago shown generally in Midwest, but a drop below last year in the West and Southwest. New York showed a 15 per cent drop, with about even sales in the New England states. In the Southeast dollar volume was below a year ago, and in the big North Carolina tobacco markets sales were only about 50 per cent of a year ago. Reports of full warehouses and no room for a new crop were current. O Department of Commerce reports output of goods and services in the country reached a new all-time high of 326 million dollars in second quarter of this year although consumer spending was 3 per cent lower as civilian demand for products declined. Of interest to small manufacturers is the fact that although OPS has postponed indefinitely effective dates of six manufacturers' regulations which were to have applied this month, manufacturers manufac-turers at their option may elect to come under any of the orders at any time. Particularly is this true of CPR 22 and CPR 30 and the other orders applying to cotton textiles, shoes, apparel and wool yarns and fabrics. Effect of the "Capehart amendment" is still being studied by OPS. Prepared br th Washington Bnrean of WNU Features. |