Consumer spending down in January

WASHINGTON - Consumers worried about a possible war with Iraq andtheir own financial prospects trimmed spending in January - the firstsuch rollback in four months - sending another trouble sign for analready struggling economy.

The 0.1 percent cutback reported by the Commerce Department todaycame after consumers splurged in December, boosting their spending bya sizable 1 percent. End of year financing deals on cars and otherbig-ticket goods proved too good to pass up.

In January, however, consumers sharply cut spending on such big-ticket "durable" goods - items expected to last at least three years.And that was the major factor behind the overall drop in spending …