Facts & Figures

Cold Comfort. In spite of the cold weather, which nicked steel and automobile output, the Federal Reserve Board's index of industrial production for January stood at 192, a peacetime peak, for the third successive month (1935-39 average: 100).

No Comfort. The New York Stock Exchange's income from dues and services to brokers dropped more than $1,000,000 to $7,061,829 last year, said President Emil Schram. There was more trouble ahead. The A.F.L. United Financial Employees union, whose demands for $9 to $15 a week wage raises and a union shop were turned down, threatened a strike of its employees in both the Stock and Curb Exchanges.

Air y. Water. Lockheed Aircraft Corp. announced that its 92-ton, four-motored Constitution, world's second biggest land-based transport plane, would be delivered to the Navy in four months. On the upper deck of the double-decked fuselage (see cut), the plane will carry 92 passengers. On the lower deck, connected by a circular staircase, it can carry another 76 passengers. Though the Constitution was built expressly for the Navy (which has another one on order), Lockheed has high hopes for it as a commercial plane. At nearly the same cruising speed (300 m.p.h.) as the Constellation's it will carry a full load across the Atlantic without refueling. Lockheed thinks the Constitution can carry passengers cheaply enough to undersell luxury liners.

Inching Up. Big and Little Inch pipelines were proving as profitable as their new owner, Texas Eastern Transmission Corp., had expected (TIME, Nov. 24). In only eight months of operation they had carried $9,412,580.93 worth of natural gas, chalked up a net profit of $1,670,328.84, or more than 17% on sales.

Comeback. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, once called "a bankrupt hunk of rusty junk," completed the painful climb to respectability (TIME, Feb. 17, 1947). It declared a common stock dividend--its first in 67 years, its second since it was founded in 1870.

Flying High. Victor Emanuel's Avco Manufacturing Corp. (radios, farm implements, airplane engines) chalked up $6,960,658 in profits, highest in its 19-year history.

Empty Glasses. Not in any peacetime year since prohibition, said Harry L. Lourie, executive vice president of the National Association of Alcoholic Beverage Importers, Inc., had importers of liquors been so parched. In 1947, only Scotch whiskey imports were up (2,600,000 cases v. 1,750,000 in 1946). Imports of French cognac (200,000 gallons) and French champagne (151,000 gallons) were off more than two-thirds. Said Lourie: this year looks not much better.

Hoopee. Collapsible plastic hoops that can be slipped into full-skirted evening dresses to turn them into hoop skirts will go on sale soon in Atlanta department stores. The name: "Bell o' the Ball." The price: $17.95.

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