Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 12C

Business New York i1 OC Mutual Funds 11 American N.Y. Bonds. 11C 12C TODAY, Friday, DecembeU2, 1175 GM Cie Predicts 1976 Car Saes Boom Gas Deposit Finds Red Tape Terminal Can HELP! HELP! me get a $15 deposit returned from Barefoot Bay Propane Gas We moved from Barefoot Bay Aug. 1 and paid the final bill Sept. 5.

I know the proper forms were filled out for a refund and I think there has been plenty of time to have returned our deposit. Mrs. F.J.H., Sebastian Your deposit refund is moving along the postal route and will be in hand shortly. Nancy Guth at the Sarasota office informs HELP! the refund has completed the red tape route and has been mailed. HELP! I have two pictures which I know are over 100 years old.

They are of a train wreck in Minnesota. There is also a picture of an entire crew with their flat car which was pumped by hand. Are these of any value collectorwise? Mrs. Mildred Larson Cocoa HELPIful antique expert, Dick Schultz, hops aboard with your answer: "All railroad material is salable. There are a host of buffs who regularly purchase any relic of the old steamers.

The flatcar is called an 'I rish an early day ethnic reference to the hoards of Irish immigrants who built our coast to coast railroads. I'm sure some collector will contact you when this appears in HELP!" HELP! Can HELP! HELP! Trinity Lutheran School in Rockledge get an old, used parachute, no longer serviceable? The children can use it in physical education classes. Ruth Larimer Director, Trinity Lutheran School It happens every now and then; HELP! couldn't get off the ground with this one. How about it, readers, can you HELP! HELP! out? If you have a used parachute or know of a place Mrs. Larimer can get one, call her at 636 5431 or 636 5047.

HELP! My son is in the Cub Scouts and is scheduled to participate in Saturday's Christmas Parade in Cocoa. Unfortunately, his Cub Scout unifQrn was taken off of my clothesline early this week. Does HELP! know of a place where I could get a uniform for him to wear In the parade? He wears a Size 12. Mrs. M.M., Cocoa Your son will be decked out in blue and gold for Cocoa's Yuletide parade.

A mother of three scouts has agreed to let you borrow her son's uniform for his parade appearance. HELPling Hands Would you please HELP! us by letting everyone know about our rummage and baked goods sale in front of Faith Lutheran Church, Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.? The money from the sale will be for a piano for our church. If there is anyone who has a piano for sale, please contact Barbara Hum burg at 636 2571. Barbara Humburg Cocoa DETROIT (AP) Thomas A.

Murphy, chairman of General Motors says Ms auto company is looking forward to 1976 as "one of the best years in the history of the industry." The budding auto sales boom, which resulted In a sharp sales gain for domestic car makers last month, could flourish next year. Murphy said in a year end statement released Thursday. But, he said, the recovery will continue only if the boom isn't nipped in the bud by "overly stringent" government emissions standards and rocky going at upcoming contract talks with the unions. Murphy also noted that re ducing unemployment will be "a major challenge to both government and industry in the year ahead." lie said the general business recovery which began in 1975's second quarter was due in part to improved car and truck sales. Consumer demand is also up sharply, he said.

The GM chief said the seasonally adjusted annual rate of new car deliveries during the second half of the year averaged about 9.3 million units, compared with an annual rate of 8 million during the first six months of the year. Murphy said he based his predictions of a continued eco nomic upswing on increased industrial production and greater employment. He cited realignment of Inventories as a reason for a strong advance in real Gross National Product in the third quarter of 1975. "We anticipate that real GNP will rise in the current quarter and will show further gains in 1976 in the area of 5 percent to 6 percent," he said. GNP is the measure of goods and services produced in the nation in a year.

Murphy also said GM is encouraged by moderating inflationary pressures, adequate credit and Increasing consumer confidence. "Accompanying this Neptune Adding Lounge The Neptune, one of Central Brevard's oldest restaurants, is nearing completion of an expansion program costing more than $100,000. Jack Oates, manager and co owner, said the restaurant is adding a 4, 000 square foot cocktail lounge at the rear of the Florida Avenue property. A connecting "dock" of cypress will provide a walkway between the present restaurant and the lounge, which formerly housed Bob Turner Sanitary Supply. Although the covered dock will split the restaurant parking lot in two, Oates said the firm has acquired more land at the rear and will provide parking access to it on the north side of the old building.

Tommy Alston, co owner of the Neptune, is supervising the construction' work, Oates said. The Neptune has been in business for 20 years. Oates and Alston have owned for the past five. Sry K3 BJIH III TODAY Staff Phots bv Walt Johnwn ROOF G.OING UP ON CONNECTING DOCK walkway will join Neptune's two segments Broker's Odd Lot Plan Vetoed NEW YORK (AP) The New York Stock Exchange board of directors rejected Thursday a program of stock trading for small investors proposed by the nation's largest brokerage house. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Smith said its plan would have saved the small investor money because it would involve a direct trade handled by Merrill Lynch rather than incurring the added cost of being carried out on the floor of the exchange.

But the exchange has a Regulation known as Rule 394 that prohibits member firms from trading in listed stocks unless the brokerage house tries to make the trade on the" floor of the exchange first. The exchange has to approve any exemption to Rule 394 and, without mentioning the Merrill Lynch program, the exchange's board decided "that it is unnecessary at this time to approve any application to execute odd lot orders off the floor of the exchange." Odd lot orders are those of less than 100 shares. The NYSE board also directed the exchange staff to proceed with developing its own automated system for odd lot orders. The action was taken at a board meeting in Detroit, which the exchange said was part of a program of occasionally holding meetings outside New York City Merrill Lynch's odd lot trading program is operating for American Stock Exchange Issues. Amex had granted Merrill Lynch exemption from it's equivalent of Rule 394.

The exchange said it would pursue development of its own odd lot trading program pending the outcome of negotiations to buy the Carlisle De Coppet system. Carlisle De Coppet was the vehicle used to purchase odd lots before the Merrill Lynch program was announced. Any broker asked to buy less than 100 shares of a stock would place the order with Carlisle De Coppet and this would add to the cost for a small investor because he would have to pay a commission to his own broker and another fee to Carlisle De Coppet. Harris Projects Profit Upswing Harris Corp. executives said Thursday the company's fast expanding electronics products will have increased impact on profits in the current fiscal year.

"We have disposed of operations that had tended to obscure our performance in the electronics area," said Richard B. Tullis, Harris chairman, in a talk to New York electronics analysts. "We anticipate earnings during the balance of the fiscal year ending next June 30 to be consistent with tose of the first half (which should show an increase of more than 16 percent), assuming no worsening in the overall economic environment." Joseph A. Boyd, president, cited "continuing growth of such markets as earth stations for satellite communications, radio and TV broadcasting equipment, computerized avionics test equipment, two way radio products, data communications systems, medium scale computers, integrated circuits and electonic editing systems" as a basis for his optimism about, profit growth. Many of these products are produced by South Brevard opera fionsrwhich employ about.

4,400 persons. Dr. Boyd noted that commercial rather than, government electronics products are "the largest, fastest growinggrowing and most profitable of oujf three lines of business." n34 Sg Business Briefs By Tom Myers TODAY Bunnaii Editor Mating Unit Ordered Kennedy Space Center has awarded a $1.28 million contract to a Chicago company for building a device to mate the Space Shuttle Qrbiter with the Boeing 747 which will be used to test launch and deliver the spacecraft. George A. Fuller Co.

of Chicago, a subsidiary Northrop received the contract for fabrication and erection of the mating device. Fuller was the low bidder on the project, which is to be completed in about 10 months. The mating device, which will be a huge system of hoists for lifting the Or biter to fly piggyback on the NASA owned jumbo jet, will be erected at the Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. NASA later will have a mating device, at KSC'for unloading the Orbiter on its delivery from the Rockwejl factory on the West Coast. Radio Station Sold Owners of Radio Station WWBC, Cocoa, have agreed to sVll Cocoa station for $175,000.

Buyers will be Ramond A. Kassis, a Baltimore veteran of more than 15 years in the broadcasting business, and Robert A. Jones, a LaGrange, consulting engineer. Kassis will have a two thirds interest and operate the station, if the sale receives Federal Communications Commission approval. Seller of the station is Astro Enterprises, which is owned by six persons, including four from Brevard, They are John A.

Fox, station manager; Mercer Livermore King, who does the "Cocoa Chatter" show; William H. Brown, a former NASA employe, and William. J. Diamantas, whose radio name is Bill Diamond, FCC approval for the sale will take about four months, said Fox, The manager said his future plans after the sale are uncertain. Fox, president of Astro, said the firm has just completed the sale of Station WOGO, New Smyrna Beach, for $75,000.

Buyer of the property is Tolun Advertising Promotions, of" De Land, headed by Bryan Tolby. Fulford Low Bidder Fulford Construction, was law bidder on construction of a new driver's license testing building in Melbourne, The Indian Harbour Beach firm submitted a low bid of $92,300 on the job to the state Department of Transportation, State estimate of the cost was 000; the secorfd lowest bid was $103,000. erowth. we anticipate addi tional gains in although it is likely that it niay be some time before unemployment is reduced to levels which can be considered satisfactory," Murphy said. Murphy noted competitive prices on autos and high prices for trade ins allow dealers to give customers better deals for new cars.

"We are convinced that the new cars and trucks offered by U.S. manufacturers in 1976 meet the competitive challenge of imports more directly and effectively than at any time in the recent past," he said. Foreign cars, which had taken a record share of the U.S. market earlier this year, logged their worst performance of the year in November as sales fell an estimated 3 percent from the already poor levels of November 1974. Murphy said new car sales in 1976 "could well exceed" 10.25 million units more than 1.

5 million units above the level. New truck demand In the area of 3 million units is also a reasonable expectation, he said. That would put total U.S. vehicle production nearly 20 percent above 1975. At that level, 1976 would mark the third highest sales year.

THOMAS A. MURPHY upswing to continue Lockheed Tops Pentagon Pacts WASHINGTON (AP) Lockheed Aircraft for years the nation's leading defense contractor, last year regained the top of the heap. The Pentagon reported the aerospace giant whose busi first to sixth position with awards just under $1.3 billion. The Pentagon's annual list of 100 biggest defense contractors show that nine companies received awards totaling $1 billion or Itinre in thp hnnk ness slumped when it ran into financial difficulties took first place by nearly three quarters of a billion dollars in the fiscal year ended last June 30. Lockheed; with $2.08 billion in prime Icontract awards in fiscal 1975, rose from sec pnd place, while General Dynamics Corp.

dropped from keeping year which ended June 30. In addition to Lockheed and General Dynamics, Boeing Co. moved to second place from sixth last year with contract awards totaling nearly $1.6 billion in fiscal 1975. United Technologies formerly United Aircraft went up a notch into third position with awards of $1.4 billion. McDonnell Douglas in third place in fiscal 1974, slipped to fourth with awards totaling nearly $1.4 billion.

Grumman Corp, moved to Stocks Stay In Low Gear fifth place from 12th a year earlier by receiving $1.34 billion in contract awards. General Electric Co. moved to seventh place from fifth a year earlier, with awards totaling $1.26 billion. Litton Industries, went from seventh to eighth place with contract awards amounting to $1,038 billion while Hughes Aircraft Co. went from eighth to ninth in rank in fiscal 1975 with $1,026 billion in contract awards.

NEW YORK (AP) Stocks were mixed in an uninspired session Thursday after the technical rally that began Wednesday played itself out. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, up nearly 10 points Wednesday, slipped back 1.26 points to 832.73. Gainers and losers were almost exactly balanced on the New York Stock Exchange, with 670 issues in the plus column and 665 losing ground among the 1,843 traded. Big Board volume totaled 15.30 million shares, off just a bit from 15.68 million Thursday. Analysts said it appeared there simply weren't enough concrete positive influences in the economic news to sustain much buying interest.

A major question still facing investors lay in the differences between Congress and the White House over legislation to extend the 1975 tax cuts into next year. Year end tax selling and reinvestment also seemed to be clouding the picture presented by the market. In brokers said, there was uncertainty over the future course of interest rates. After the close, the Federal Reserve reported that the nation's money supply had climbed sharply to a record level for the latest reporting week. A bulge in the money supply theoretically raises the prospect of higher interest rates, on the assumption that it might prompt the Fed to tighten credit.

General Motors was active ly traded, gaining to 55. The company forecast a rise of about 19 percent in auto industry sales nxt year. Ford Motor rose to 42 and other auto stocks held steady. Copperweld fell 31, to 38 following the expiration of a French company's tender offer for Copperweld stock. The French concern acquired a 67 percent interest in Copperweld.

Hudson Bay Mining's Class A shares lost 1 to 14, and the Class stock dropped iy8 to 15'4 on a dividend cut by the company. Fluor which came in with higher quarterly earnings, picked up 34 to 348. Citicorp was the' day's most active issue, down 1 at 25 on turnover of 339,200 shares. The American Stock Exchange index rose 0.14 to 81.72. U.S.

NOTES Senate OKs Banking Bill WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate passed Thursday 79 14 a bill designed to bring' greater flexibility and competition among financial institutions. The bill would permit payment of interest on checking accounts, permit savings and loans to offer checking accounts, remove the differential Under which are permitted to pay higher interest on savings than banks. RCA Receives Telesat Contract QUALITY CALL Du Pont Co. Chairman Irving Shapiro says 'In the next century we will build in America history's quality He' is urging a turn front material things. TODAY Flnonclol Roundup RCA Corp.

says it has received a $19.1 million contract to design and build a new domestic satellite for Telecast Canada. The craft, as with the Tele sat satellites now in orbit, will be capable of handling color television, voice and data communications for Canada's 10 provinces and Yukon and Northwest Territories. RCA, Canada, of Montreal will provide the transponder payload and antennas for the new spacecraft under a $5.6 million subcontract from RCA. The satellite itself will be built by RCA Astro ElectronicsElectronics Division at Princeton, N.J. AMERICAN Telephone Telegraph Co.

will Increase capital spending to $10 billion next year from $9.5 billion, Chairman John de Butts says. He said will rely less on outside financing next year than this year, 'be Butts said that except for Western Elec trie, alk subsidiaries have been producing earnings "perhaps a shade higher than last year." GRUMMAN CORP, Is adding tight aircraft production at its Savannah, plant where the Gulfstream II business jet and Ag Cat crop duster are produced. About 500 workers from a Cleveland subsidiary are moving to Georgia, where they will helpproduce a new twin engine aircraft to be called the Cougar. ClIRYSLElt Corp. directors have elected, Richard K.

Brown to the board directors of the nation's third largest auto company. Brown, 55, is Chrysler's executive vice president for North American automotive operations. BOEING officials say a 747SP jet has set a record on its 70,000 mile. 30 day global tour. The long range, short body jumbo jet, 47 feet shorter than a standard 747, flew home Boeing Field after flying to 18 cities and 17 foreign countries and setting three long distance commercial flying records.

French Rap Concorde Foes WASHINGTON (AP) The French builders of the Concorde say benefits xtt the supersonic' transport would "far outweigh" Its environmental impact and hint jealousy might be hindering efforts to have the plane land here. Aerospatiale, the French Company which Jointly with the British built the aircraft, defended the Concorde against charges that it is too loud to land at American airpdrts and that it adversely affects, the 1 ozone Pierre. Gautier of Aerospatiale said, "We fear that (a decision npt to allow the SST to land) will be based on protectionism and we're used to having American people behave that way," A controversial American prototype of the supersonic transport, being built bv Boeing Cd, was stopped by Congress in 1971. r..