U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY SAYS EXPORT RISE NEEDED

  Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige
  said after the release of a sharply lower January leading
  indicator index that a pickup in exports is needed.
      "The best tonic for the economy now would be a pickup in net
  exports," he said in a statement after the department reported
  the index fell 1.0 pct in January from December, the sharpest
  drop since a 1.7 pct fall in July, 1984.
      The main reasons for the January decline after a 2.3 pct
  December rise were declines in building permits, new orders for
  plant and equipment and for consumer and industrial goods.
  

