Wholesale prices rise *12.5% for 1979 WASHINGTON (AP) - Wholesale prices rose 0.8 per cent in December, pushing last year's overall increase to 12.5 per cent, the steepest since 1974, the Labor Department reported yester- day. Last month's boost was the smallest since June, and wholesale food prices actually dipped 0.1 per cent after rising a sharp 2.6 per cent in November. HOWEVER, that moderation was called "temporary" by Courtenay Slater, the Commerce Department's chief economist. For all of 1979, wholesale food prices rose 7.5 per cent. Wholesale, or producer, prices are watched closely because increases of- ten show up in higher prices at grocery stores, service stations and other retail outlets within a month or two. CONSUMER PRICES are rising faster than wholesale prices and should exceed 13 per cent for 1979. That will be the worst inflation rate since World War II price controls were lifted in 1946. Besides food, little else appeared in December's wholesale price report to The Michigan Daily-Friday, January 11, 1980-Page 5 offer relief to inflation-weary ent and heating oil prices remained at cent annual rate until April at the Americans. lovember's very high level. For all of earliest." Prices of non-food items that were1979, wholesale energy prices jumped He said it will take several months one step removed from retail outlets62.7 per cent, the department reported. before December's OPEC price in- jumped 1.2 per cent last month, after "We won't see very much im- creases work their way through the climbing 0.8 per cent in November. provement in inflation this year," U.S. economy. DECEMBER'S non-food increas Slater said. Recent oil price boosts by The drop in wholesale food prices was was sparked by a 17.7 per cent advant OPEC members will put renewed led by poultry, beef and veal, the Labor in precious metal jewelry, amid the u pressure on energy prices in coming Department said. Poultry prices, which precedented worldwide rush for g( months, she said. rose 21.5 per cent in November, and silver. The price of dinnerware a DAVID ERNST, senior economist at declined 0.1 per cent. Beef and veal other metal-based household goods a the forecasting firm of Evans prices dropped 4.3 per cent after rising rose, the Labor Department said. Economics said: "We don't look for six per cent in November. Wholesale gasoline prices rose 3.4 wholesale prices to fail below a 12 per See PRICES, Page 6 ~~ gGov't expnds aid to poor youths WASHINGTON (AP) - Preont Carter yesterday proposed a jor overhaul and expansion of the ier- nment's programs to put chroally unemployed, poor youths to worl For the first time, administr~n of- ficials said, the government v con- centrate on trying to see that ddvan- taged young people who gradu from high school or drop out can rerwrite, and do simple math. "This is our most importanmestic legislative proposal this year aid one administration official. CARTER'S PROPOSAL N add $2 billion to the $4 billion the grnment already spends on yor unem- ployment. Officials said the conceation on basic literacy emerged fPz a nine- month study of the youtpblessness problem by a task forcander the direction of Vice Presfnt Walter Mondale. Andadministration icial said among the reasons for s emphasis were the task force's fangs that 42 per cent of black teeners recently surveyed were functioly illiterate and that some firms hE to interview from 12 to 15 young pee to find one with enough command of reading, writing, and arithmetic to fill a begin- ner's job. Education Department funds will support basic literacy training in the nation's 3,000 poorest junior and senior. high schools. In addition, the Education Depar- tment will finance the hiring of job counselors, development of information on local labor market needs, teacher training, vocational education, and development of after-school, part-time employment. Bring in your art. O 205 north main Ann Arbor.Michigan Ph. (313)769-9420 Mon. 10:00a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Tues. -Fri. 10:00a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sat. 10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. STUDENTS ENROLLED in Human F'actors in Architectural Design were given a chance to put their expertise to work in a real-life situaiton. Graphics illustrate the class' gymnasium designs to be built for inmates at Jackson State Prison. Student architects get real job (continued from Pagel 1) said from his office in Lansing yester- day. "We don't get the funds as fast as we'd like, especially since they (depar- tment officials) cut the maintenance- project budget in half." GRONELEER SAID this is not the first time the state's colleges and universities have helped with projects like that at Jackson State Prison. Clipson's assistant, Ernest Moore, said yesterday that he would like to see students involved in more out-of-the- classroom projects. He said similar plans are under consideration, in- Golddiggers striking it rich with (Continued from Page 1) Consumers are also buying gold, but are less likely to relinquish the $1,000 they might'have spent a year ago, ac- cording to a jeweler at Bay's Arcade Jewelry Shop. "People are doing a lot of belt- tightening," said Jeff Grimrod. "And a lot of the people who lived off of stock bonuses have found that such rewards are not forthcoming-they are being cut off." BUT THERE ARE exceptions. "People are cautious, but those that have the money are spending it," Lewis said, In fact, most of the jewelry stores have not seen a lull in profits. "We buy and sell gold at the current market price," said Lee Pickett, owner of Campus Jewelers. ALTHOUGH INCREASING prices would seem to hinder sales, most jewelers need not become exceedingly orried, according to Pickett. "People have become more aware of the intrinsic value of the metal (gold). With the continual coverage in newspapers, the media is doing the ad- vertising for us," he said. Although few of the jewelry stores change the price of their gold merchan- dise as the rates increase, Godwin said his prices reflect the minute-by-minute fluctuations of the market and may hange several i tems in one day. nuggets With an eye toward the future, most jewelrs said gold may reach $1,000 an ounce within the year. "The entire situation depends on what people do in the Middle East with their petrol dollars," says Lewis. "The laws of supply and demand hold. Like gasoline, there's only so much gold." And Godwin had this advice for speculators: "Don't buy gold in order to sell it for a profit. It may drop as rapidly as it climbed. Instead, invest money you don't need for expenses and emergencies." Your apartment cramped? cluding the design of a new burn center to be built in Ann Arbor soon. "Students seem to agree that projects like these are more interesting," he said. "At Jackson Statie Prison, that whole environment was layed out right before their eyes." t The DAILY'S PHONE NUMBERS: Billing 764-0550 Circulation 764-0558 Classifieds 764-0557 Display 764-0554 News & Happenings 764-0552 Sports 764-0562 JU~IIRU~tl1FiJ " A nlo iev$IWSotth ~1sso ~r O) f$i4In m p i tf 0 o n t i n n g t h * ' O ~ b w w wn nii reggnI*d, at~tup$t*5 riaor~I~ As* val y1 _atovoun**t : : :# r*in S IO tiflofmiris t .s n r~eene..£al ewbosWOOot it ro M~n'mh~*r9-. Fi 85SO Bar105.unA :iii " Read the Daily Classifieds for the latest 'For Rent info. MB LORI" Quit complaining. Take a Daily break 2 eaas anv stvli has~hbrowns. toas~t & hbutter