Facts & Figures

Rosy View. Predicted Harvard Economist Sumner Slichter: There is no recession in sight in the early part of 1948 because businessmen have been careful to keep inventories low. In his forecast he saw higher wages, higher dividends, higher prices, lower food stocks and lower taxes.

Futuramlc. Oldsmobile will bring out a radically different postwar model in February, the first General Motors division to do so. Oldsmobile's "Futuramic '98" will have a lower, wider body and larger windows than the '47s. For the conservative, Oldsmobile will also turn out two new models with fewer changes from 1947 design.

Shelved. The Glenn L. Martin Co.'s high-altitude "3-0-3" passenger plane, designed for short hauls, has been shelved. Reason: lack of orders and working capital. The Martin Co. expects to have an operating loss of $36,000,000 this year. Despite tax carry-backs of $20,500,000 and an RFC loan of $26,775,000, the company has just enough working capital on hand to fill Martin's military orders and continue the production of the "2-0-2," a slower, non-pressurized version of the 3-0-3.

Good Hunting. Britain's Air Ministry tried an old remedy for collisions between R.A.F. planes and birds, which cost -L-20,000 in repairs last year. It hired a Shropshire falconer to set his birds on plovers and rooks at one airfield. The falcons proved a "conditional success," are now being tried out on sea gulls at R.A.F. coastal stations.

First Chance. After 17 months in office, SEC Chairman James J. Caffrey resigned to go into private law practice, thus gave Republicans their first chance to cast a deciding vote on the make-up of SEC. The commission is now split, two Democrats and two Republicans. The G.O.P. Senate must approve the new presidential appointment.

Exports Up. October exports, reported the Bureau of the Census, were up 10% to $1,225,700,000, highest since June, when exports began to slump. Imports also rose $10,300,000 to $491,500,000.

Magnifier. A plastic lens which, clamped to small (52 sq. in.) television sets, triples the size of the image went on sale in New York. The name: Walco Tele-vue-lens. The price: $59.95.

Merger for Rank. After all the fuss & feathers, the stockholders of J. Arthur Rank's Odeon Theaters Ltd. quietly ap proved his plan to buy his General Cinema Finance Corp., for -L-1,100,000 (TIME, Dec. 22). The plan was carried, with no dis sent, by a show of hands at the stock holders' meeting. Said the London Times: "Nobody will now query the [deal's] propriety . . . since shareholders have been given ample opportunity of dissenting."

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