31.   Small life insurers are finding it difficult to compete with larger rivals because they must spread their costs among fewer customers.

32.   State officials and advocates agree that the nursing home regulation was created in large part to spread the cost of paying for the poor.

33.   Spreading those costs over a wider asset base, achieved through acquisitions, eases their impact.

34.   Strong health maintenance organizations can negotiate low-cost deals with doctors and hospitals, and spread fixed costs for computerized information systems.

35.   Texans want cleaner air, and know they can afford to spread the cost of cleanup.

36.   That means the actual cost can be spread over several years.

37.   Suppliers can then spread costs over larger volumes.

38.   That would spread the cost over time and allow him not to have another fire sale on players who are eligible for salary arbitration.

39.   That means that other carriers are able to spread the cost of airport fees, ramp workers and gate agents over longer trips.

40.   The ability to spread costs over a greater number of properties will probably help it as the national apartment market cools off, Crocker said.