1
 September's steep rise in producer prices shows
2
attribution

2
 that inflation still persists,
5001
span

3
 and the pessimism over interest rates
5002
span

4
 caused by the new price data
3
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5
 contributed to the stock market's plunge Friday.
5003
Same-Unit

6
 After falling for three consecutive months,
7
antithesis

7
 the producer price index for finished goods shot up 0.9% last month,
5006
span

8
 the Labor Department reported Friday,
5006
attribution

9
 as energy prices jumped
5005
span

10
 after tumbling through the summer.
9
antithesis

11
 Although the report,
5011
span

12
 which was released 
5010
span

13
before the stock market opened,
12
temporal-before

14
 didn't trigger the 190.58-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average,
5012
Same-Unit

15
 analysts said
16
attribution

16
 it did play a role in the market's decline.
5009
span

17
 Analysts immediately viewed the price data, the grimmest inflation news in months, as evidence 
5016
span

18
that the Federal Reserve was unlikely to allow interest rates to fall
5015
span

19
 as many investors had hoped.
18
circumstance

20
 Further fueling the belief
5021
span

21
 that pressures in the economy were sufficient
5022
span

22
 to keep the Fed from easing credit,
21
purpose

23
 the Commerce Department reported Friday 
24
attribution

24
that retail sales grew 0.5% in September, to $145.21 billion.
5023
span

25
 That rise came on top of a 0.7% gain in August,
5026
span

26
 and suggested 
27
attribution

27
there is still healthy consumer demand in the economy.
5025
span

28
 I think 
5030
attribution

29
the Friday report,
5028
span

30
 combined with the actions of the Fed,
29
elaboration-object-attribute-e

31
 weakened the belief 
5029
span

32
that there was going to be an imminent easing of monetary policy,
31
elaboration-object-attribute-e

33
 said Robert Dederick, chief economist at Northern Trust Co. in Chicago.
5031
attribution

34
 But economists were divided over the extent of the inflation threat
5036
span

35
 signaled by the new numbers.
34
elaboration-object-attribute-e

36
 The overall 0.9% increase is serious in itself,
5038
comparison

37
 but what is even worse is that
5038
Same-Unit

38
 excluding food and energy,
39
circumstance-e

39
 the producer price index still increased by 0.7%, 
5037
span

40
said Gordon Richards, an economist at the National Association of Manufacturers.
5039
attribution

41
 But Sung Won Sohn, chief economist at Norwest Corp. in Minneapolis, blamed rising energy prices and the annual autumn increase in car prices for most of the September jump.
5044
span

42
 I would say 
5041
attribution

43
this is not bad news;
5041
span

44
 this is a blip,
43
elaboration-additional

45
 he said.
5042
attribution

46
 The core rate is not really out of line.
5043
explanation-argumentative

47
 All year, energy prices have skewed the producer price index,
5049
span

48
 which measures changes in the prices
5048
span

49
 producers receive for goods.
48
elaboration-object-attribute-e

50
 Inflation unquestionably has fallen back from its torrid pace last winter,
5050
span

51
 when a steep run-up in world oil prices sent the index surging at double-digit annual rates.
5052
Sequence

52
 Energy prices then plummeted through the summer,
5051
span

53
 causing the index to decline for three consecutive months.
52
elaboration-object-attribute-e

54
 Overall, the index has climbed at a 5.1% compound annual rate since the start of the year,
5059
span

55
 the Labor Department said.
54
attribution

56
 While far more restrained than the pace at the beginning of the year,
57
antithesis

57
 that is still a steeper rise than the 4.0% increase for all of 1988.
5060
span

58
 Moreover, this year's good inflation news may have ended last month,
5063
span

59
 when energy prices zoomed up 6.5% 
5062
Inverted-Sequence

60
after plunging 7.3% in August.
5062
Inverted-Sequence

61
 Some analysts expect oil prices to remain relatively stable in the months ahead,
5066
span

62
 leaving the future pace of inflation uncertain.
61
elaboration-additional

63
 Analysts had expected
64
attribution

64
 that the climb in oil prices last month would lead to a substantial rise in the producer price index,
5069
span

65
 but the 0.9% climb was higher 
5068
span

66
than most anticipated.
65
comparison

67
 I think 
68
attribution

68
the resurgence {in inflation} is going to continue for a few months, 
5073
span

69
said John Mueller, chief economist at Bell Mueller Cannon, a Washington economic forecasting firm.
5073
attribution

70
 He predicted 
71
attribution

71
that inflation will moderate next year,
5076
span

72
 saying
73
attribution

73
 that credit conditions are fairly tight world-wide.
5075
span

74
 But Dirk Van Dongen, president of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, said 
5080
attribution

75
that last month's rise isn't as bad an omen
5080
span

76
 as the 0.9% figure suggests.
75
comparison

77
 If you examine the data carefully,
5083
condition

78
 the increase is concentrated in energy and motor vehicle prices,
5083
span

79
 rather than being a broad-based advance in the prices of consumer and industrial goods, 
78
antithesis

80
he explained.
5084
attribution

81
 Passenger car prices jumped 3.8% in September,
5094
span

82
 after climbing 0.5% in August
5093
Inverted-Sequence

83
 and declining in the late spring and summer.
5093
Inverted-Sequence

84
 Many analysts said
5096
attribution

85
 the September increase was a one-time event,
5096
span

86
 coming
5095
span

87
 as dealers introduced their 1990 models.
86
circumstance

88
 Although all the price data were adjusted for normal seasonal fluctuations,
89
concession

89
 car prices rose beyond the customary autumn increase.
5099
span

90
 Prices for capital equipment rose a hefty 1.1% in September,
5101
List

91
 while prices for home electronic equipment fell 1.1%.
5101
List

92
 Food prices declined 0.6%,
5102
span

93
 after climbing 0.3% in August.
92
temporal-after

94
 Meanwhile, the retail sales report showed 
95
attribution

95
that car sales rose 0.8% in September to $32.82 billion.
5103
span

96
 But at least part of the increase could have come from higher prices,
5104
span

97
 analysts said.
96
attribution

98
 Sales at general merchandise stores rose 1.7% 
5107
span

99
after declining 0.6% in August,
98
temporal-after

100
 while sales of building materials fell 1.8%
5106
span

101
 after rising 1.7%.
100
temporal-after

102
 Producer prices for intermediate goods grew 0.4% in September,
5108
span

103
 after dropping for three consecutive months.
102
temporal-after

104
 Prices for crude goods, an array of raw materials, jumped 1.1%
5110
span

105
 after declining 1.9% in August
5109
Inverted-Sequence

106
 and edging up 0.2% in July.
5109
Inverted-Sequence

107
 Here are the Labor Department's producer price indexes
5116
span

108
 (1982=100)
107
elaboration-additional-e

109
 for September, before seasonal adjustment, and the percentage changes from September, 1988.
5117
Same-Unit

5001
span
5003
consequence-n

5002
span
5003
Same-Unit

5003
multinuc
5004
span

5004
span
5115
span

5005
span
5007
explanation-argumentative

5006
span
5007
span

5007
span
5008
span

5008
span
5055
span

5009
span
5013
span

5010
span
11
elaboration-additional-e

5011
span
5012
Same-Unit

5012
multinuc
5009
antithesis

5013
span
5019
span

5014
span



5015
span
17
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5016
span
5013
explanation-argumentative

5017
span



5018
span



5019
span
5008
consequence-s

5020
span



5021
span
5023
circumstance

5022
span
20
elaboration-object-attribute-e

5023
span
5024
span

5024
span
5027
span

5025
span
25
interpretation-s

5026
span
5024
elaboration-additional

5027
span
5056
span

5028
span
5030
Same-Unit

5029
span
5030
Same-Unit

5030
multinuc
5031
span

5031
span
5032
span

5032
span
5027
elaboration-additional

5033
span



5034
span



5035
span



5036
span
5047
span

5037
span
5038
Same-Unit

5038
multinuc
5039
span

5039
span
5040
span

5040
span
5046
Contrast

5041
span
5042
span

5042
span
5043
span

5043
span
5045
span

5044
span
5046
Contrast

5045
span
41
elaboration-additional

5046
multinuc
5036
example

5047
span
5079
span

5048
span
47
definition-e

5049
span
5053
span

5050
span
5049
explanation-argumentative

5051
span
5052
Sequence

5052
multinuc
50
circumstance

5053
span
5047
elaboration-additional

5054
span



5055
span
5057
span

5056
span
5055
elaboration-additional

5057
span
5058
span

5058
span
5089
span

5059
span
5061
span

5060
span
5059
elaboration-additional

5061
span
5064
span

5062
multinuc
58
circumstance

5063
span
5067
span

5064
span
5058
elaboration-additional

5065
span



5066
span
5071
span

5067
span
5061
elaboration-additional

5068
span
5072
span

5069
span
5068
antithesis

5070
span



5071
span
5092
span

5072
span
5066
background

5073
span
5074
span

5074
span
5078
span

5075
span
5076
explanation-argumentative

5076
span
5077
span

5077
span
5074
elaboration-additional

5078
span
5091
Contrast

5079
span
5057
elaboration-additional

5080
span
5081
span

5081
span
5086
span

5082
span



5083
span
5084
span

5084
span
5085
span

5085
span
5121
span

5086
span
5091
Contrast

5087
span



5088
span



5089
span
5122
span

5090
span



5091
multinuc
5071
elaboration-additional

5092
span
5063
elaboration-additional

5093
multinuc
81
temporal-after

5094
span
5098
span

5095
span
85
explanation-argumentative

5096
span
5097
span

5097
span
5100
span

5098
span
5101
List

5099
span
5097
elaboration-additional

5100
span
5094
elaboration-additional

5101
multinuc
5085
elaboration-additional

5102
span
5101
List

5103
span
5105
span

5104
span
5103
antithesis

5105
span
5101
List

5106
span
5101
List

5107
span
5101
List

5108
span
5101
List

5109
multinuc
104
temporal-after

5110
span
5101
List

5111
span



5112
span



5113
span



5114
span



5115
span



5116
span
5117
Same-Unit

5117
multinuc
5089
elaboration-additional

5118
span



5119
span



5120
span



5121
span
5081
explanation-argumentative

5122
span
5004
summary-n

