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Less Thon Corloqd Lots

Pockoged Lofs -'- Truck-&-Troiler Shipments

Retoilers Report Record $ZtS Billion 1959 Sqles

A record $215 billion was spent at retail stores in the U.S. in 1959, estimates the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Business Economics. This total was 8/o above sales in 1958 and represents physical volume increase as prices remained generally stable. December sales were dowrr slightly Q%) from November; auto sales, in particular, falling ofi to keep sales at $2ll billion for that month.

Wholesalers' sales in 1959 were up ll/o over the previous vear and rose 4Vo in December over November. Manufaciurers had a 13/o increase in sales last year and a 6/o boost in the last month over the previous month.

Aggregate sales durir'g 1959 rose more than inventories so that stocks related to sales were reduced. The ratio dropped from 1.6 months'supply at the end of 1958 to 1.5 months' supply in December 1959. Retail inventories at the end of December at $23 billion were slightly above their value at the end of 1958.

Retail building material inventories at the end of December were $2.32 billion, compared to $2.29 billion in both October and November and $2.16 billion a year earlier.

The book value of inventories of all wholesalers at the end of December is estimated at $12.6 billion, an increase of about $900 million over the year. Manufacturers had a $7O0-million rise to offset the reduction in the summer and early fall inventories. The book value of all inventories at the end of December is estimated at $88% billion, SVo above year-end 1958.

Point Reyes logging Holted

The California State Division of Forestry has halted the logging of Douglas firs on the Point Reyes peninsula and has accused the Sweet Brothers Timber Co. of failure to leave an adequate number of seed trees, failure to fell snags and failure to maintain proper erosion control along roads and skid trails. The company holds timber leases on about 8,000 acres of the choice forest and has logged about 10/o.

The whole 28,000-acre Point Reyes peninsula has been proposed for a seashore recreational area in the National Park system, and the state litigation has given conservationists hope that the remainder of the forest lands on the ridge will be saved for the park. A bill to create the na-

Dee Essley

Jerry Essley

Wilson

lember

tional monument is now before Congress, with support from most California congressmen reported. Rep. Clem Miller of Marin and Sen. Clair Engle are leading the fight.

The National Park Service is making an economic survey of the peninsula to determine its highest land value. The area lies in the Redwood Forest District of the Division of Forestry, but consists mostly of Douglas firs.