Del Rio News Herald from Del Rio, Texas • Page 4

4A-DEL RIO (TEXAS) NEWS-HERALD, Sunday, April 22,1973 Dun Bradstreet Lists 370 Firms The number of businesses listed by Dun Bradstreet in Val Verde County is down 0.8 per cent compared to figures released at the same time last year. According to Richard E. Wagner district manager for the business information company in San Antonio, there are 370 concerns listed in the March edition of Reference Book compared with the 373 reported 12 months ago. Wagner also announced that Dun Bradstreet is sending computer prepared forms with the key facts on file on a scheduled basis throughout the year to comoanies who arc listed in theReference Book that the information can be reviewed and verified. Companies also are being asked to provide current financial statements.

"The program," Wagner said, "augments regular calls by business analysts to update information and is one more example of continuing practice of improving the accuracy of the facts it supplies." Let's Talk Business By DAN BUS A couple of annual reports which reached our office this past week hold special interest. One is the report of Communications Properties, of which Del Rio native son JACK R. CROSBY is president and chief executive officer. Jack looks distinguished indeed in the picture of him which illustrates his lengthy message to stock holders. The company reported impressive gains in revenues and profits.

Jack reported that as of the end of CPI's fiscal year, Oct. 31, 1972, the company operated cable television stations in more than 50 communities, serving 180,000 subscribers. Growth of the firm's microwave operations got a boost from signing of contracts with major television networks to carry their affiliates in Dallas, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Weslaco. The system is being constructed with completion slated in October. CPI has boon awarded FCC construction permits for a private line voice, data network from Dallas to El Paso, Abilene to Amarillo and Hobbs, N.M., Dallas to Corpus Christi and Austin to The year marked CPI's entry into commercial braodcasting with the acquisition of the Texas State Network and two Fort Worth radio stations.

The Del Rio Cable TV system is thu second largest the firm operates in Texas, although it has a number of larger ones in other slates. Del Rio is listed with 6,879 subscribers out of a total of 7,700 homes in the franchise area. The other report which interested us was that of Blue Bell, one of the most diversified mass producers of clothing in the world. Hicks-Ponder, which has a large operation in Del Rio, is a division of Blue Bell. Blue Bell reported its sales reached an all-time high for the ninth consecutive year, to $344,450,000, an increase of 17.2 per cent over the previous year.

Shortages of blue denim and corduroy (golly, what else is there a shortage of in this world) hurt sales. Stock Market Zigs and lags By DAVID BURKE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) The stock market seesawed this past week, down two days and up two days, as investor concern over inflation was balanced by strong corporate earnings reports. The market was lower on Monday and Tuesday but then rebounded the last two days of the week to close with little change, Blue chips were higher, with the Dow Jones average of 30 dustrials rising 3.84 points to 963,20 on the week. But most other market indices were off. Brokers observed that many investors stayed on the lines during the week, and ume was a sluggish 52.62 lion shares for the week, com pared with 76.17 mil.

lion for the previous week. The Associated Press GO-stock average fell A to 313.8, while Standard-Poor's500stock index rose ,49 to 112.17. The Big Board index of more than 1,400 common stocks dropped .06 to 59.59, while the American Stock Exchange dexfeU.llto24.07. The NASDAQ ercomposite index closed down 1.44 at 114.15. Of 1,955 stocks traded on the Big Board, 754 advanced and 973 declined.

"This, plus severe labor shortages in some of our divisions, did not permit us to reach the sales or earnings goals anticipated," the report said. Nevertheless, earnings were at an all-time high of $15,013,000, an increase of 13.2 per cent over 1971. The report saw bright prospects for the future. "The deman for jeans, both male and female, over which there has been quite some controversy as to their future, continues stronger than ever before "Dress slacks are growing in volume "Our Mexican operation, which is less than two years old, is most encouraging in that the Mexican people are giving Wrangler products the same fine acceptance they have received throughout the world." The current tally of area business, Wagner pointed out, includes seven companies that qualify for top rating (5A1) which stands for financial strength of over $50 million with a "high" credit appraisal. Nationally, there are approximately 1,300 with 5A1 ratings down 100 from 1972.

Out of the total of almost three million manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing businesses listed in the current Refernce Book Wagner said that there are just silently over 21,000 companies with a financial strength of $1 million or over. Yet, they are responsible for one-third of the nation's sales and more than two-thirds of its employment. However, Wagner pointed out that half of the names rated by have an individual business worth of less than $75,000 and 28 per cent are worth less than $20,000. The U.S. economic structure, he explained, still depends on small business as a user and supplier of goods and services, able to make safe, rapid business credit decisions, as a key ingredient in the success of the overall economy.

Mirroring the dynamic nature of the American economy an overage of 5,000 daily changes occur among the businesses listed in the Reference Book. The six volume book is revised every two months to keep pace with this constant movement and update credit and marketing facts. The Refernce Book does not include non-commercial service and professional businesses, Wagner said. Therefore, the figure for total businesses in Val Verde County as well as the three million number quoted for the United States, is actually somewhat higher. PROUD WINNER-Robert Hester, 11-year-old son of Mr.

and Mrs. James A. Hester, displays the ball, batglove.and cap which he was awarded by Russell's Hardware in support of the local Little League program. Robert plays for the major league Candy's sponsored team. (News-Herald Photo) WfffK IN BUSINfSS Living Costs Rise Sharply STEREO START-Mayor Alfredo Gutierrez spins the first record as Radio Station KDLK-FM began broadcasting representative, Photo) in stereo Saturday morning.

Watching air personality Sherry Lynn and station are Jim Cooper, KDLK advertising manager Casey Gotcher. (News-Herald KDLK Adds Stereo; Joins CBS Network News," Large," "Phil "Charles Abby, With conversion to stereo FM and joining the Columbia Braodcasting System network, KDLK Radio has recently begun broadcasting from its new headquarters located at 402 E. Fourth St. Station Manager Casey Gotcher announced Saturday that he has received confirmation from CBS in New York on his station's joining the network and stated "we hope to be receiving the complete CBS network broadcasts by the end of the month, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Gotcher announced that his station will begin broadcasting such programs as "Walter Cronkite Evening "Mike Wallace At "Lowell Thomas," Rizzuto On Sports," Osgood," "Dear "Washington Dateline" and "Douglas Edwards" as a result of becoming affiliated with CBS.

Replacing everything "from the needle to the transmitter," according to Gotcher, KDLK moved into its new headquarters in February. "We completely replaced all our old equipment when we moved and installed a complete new system of Gates Transmittal Equipment. On the AM side a new console was installed along with two-way radio units for on the scene broadcasting, two permanent telephone loops for broadcasting from anywhere in Val Verde County and telephone hookups for Gibson's Adds New Boutique Mrs. D's House, a boutique for ladies sportswear, has recently opened at Gibson's Discount Center, 1601 Ave. F.

The new feature is a small 'house' built inside the store to house women's sportswear. Featuring Turtlebax Sportswear the store plans to alternate a total of 25 lines of women's clothes in the boutique along with the feature line. Although they are closed today in observance of Easter the store is normally open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m.

until 6 p.m. on Sundays. receiving braodcasting from other parts of the state." "We are extremely proud of our new production room," Gotcher continued "We installed full stereo multiplex equipment which permits us to do anything any station in the state can do except transcribe records. As a result all our commercials on FM will be produced in full stereo which we recently added to the FM broadcasting." Gotcher asserted "our new station is a completely remodeled house which we took over and re-did to make it into a radio station. The FM station, broadcasting on 94.3 megahertz, occupies the eastern half of the building with the AM station, Broadcasting on 12:30 kilohertz, located in the western half of the building.

Along with the new building and new equipment Gotcher stated "we plan to take our old broadcasting console and converting it into a remote console after updating it to allow us to have a completely remote studio set up to broadcast live from different parts of town." KDLK is owned and operated by Western Plains Broadcasting Co. Inc. Rodney Robertson is president and principle stockholder in the company. Fletcher Lawson also is a stockholder in the corporation. KDLK-AM broadcasts from 6 a.m.

until midnight with disc jockeys Bob Hannah, Mike Scott, John Defee and Raymond Hernandez. KDLK-FM broadcasts from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. with VirginiaMcKnight, Nancy Bell and Phoebe Bradley. The staff also includes Libby Shipley, secretary-receptionist and Jim Cooper and Webb Eliscu as salesmen.

By KAY BARTLETT AP Business Writer NEW YORK CAP)-The cost of living continued to soar and food prices climbed to record levels for the third straight month in March, it was ed this past week. The government said the els were the highest in 22 years. The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said the cost of living jumped tenths of one per cent last month, the sharpest increase since 1951 at the height of the Korean War inflation. The economy moved ahead at a rapid rate of 14.3 per cent during the first quarter of the year, the Commerce ment announced this past week. Inflation soared at a rate of 6 per cent.

The Federal Reserve System announced an increase in its discount rate from to per cent, effective Monday. An increase in the federal reserve discount rate is regarded as a move to tighten credit. Other interest rates generally are scaled upward from the discount rate. The country's gross national product rose $40.6 billion from January through March to reach a seasonally adjusted nual rate of $1.235 trillion. The increase compares with a GNP advance in the fourth quarter of last year of $30.9 billion or 11 per cent at an annual rate.

The gross national product is the value of the nation's output of goods amd services and is the broadest indication of the economy's performance. Without the rate of inflation of 6 per cent, the real output during the first quarter was 7.9 per cent, compared with a real growth of 8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 1972. The scandal at Equity ing Corp. of America stayed in the news week as the firm'strusTBeTRobertM. Loeffler, announced it may have assets in excess of its liabilities.

He cautioned that he was working on very preliminary "guestimated" figures that indicated the company appeared to be solvent. Equity was tossed into Chapter 10 bank, ruptcy proceedings when a massive'scandal In an ance subsidiary surfaced early this month. PresidentNlxon abolished oil import quotas but warned that shortages would last another three years. He also proposed the removal of federal price ceilings from natural gas in a bundle of executive actions and legislative proposals. The move was In accordance with guidelines suggested by the Nixon administration's Committee on Interest and Dividends.

Good earnings reports continued to come in this week, R. J. Reynolds'net rose 6 per cent to $60.4 million, Polaroid's earnings climbed 28 per cent to $11.3 million. International Nickel almost doubled its quarter profit to $36 million, American Telephone graph announced a 22 per cent advance to $660.9 million. Chrysler earnings skyrocketed 150.8 per cent to $89,8 million, a first quarter record.

The stock market seesawed down two days and up two days in the holiday-shortened week. Analysts said investors were somewhat cheered by the good first-quarter reports, but were sitting back and wondering what the administration would do to combat inflation. the Dow Jones average of 30 industrials rose 3,84 points for the week to 963.20. DAN W. LLOYD SENIOR SIC INSURANCE GROUP Seguros Para Casas Automobiles 400 E.

GIBBS 775-2480 Residencia 775-6671 Del Rio Charro Association Will Hold Their First GRAN CHARREADA of the Season on Easter Sunday April 22, 1973 Del Rio Charro will compete against the Houston Charro Association PRICES: ADULTS CHILDREN UNDER JJOO MARIACHI JALISCO of Del Rio will play during intermission. Lienzo Cuotro Palmas HWY. 90 EAST Refreshments, Eats Available kTHERE WILL BE A DANCE AFTER CHARREADA Another First For First Savings! First Savings now pays interest on your Passbook Savings from the date of deposit to the date of withdrawal. Interest compounded continuously Passbook Savings Yields a big 5.13% Your Savings are always Available FIRST. SAVINGS LOAN ASSOCIATION COHNSH QAHHitP PECAN 77M611.