VMS Help FORTRAN, Format Specifiers, $  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

  (Carriage Control Editing)

  In a format specification, the dollar sign character ($) modifies
  the carriage control specified by the first character of the
  record.  It only affects the files for which the 'FORTRAN' carriage
  control attribute is in effect.

  In an input statement, the $ descriptor is ignored.

  In an output statement, the following rules apply:

     - If the first character of the record is 0, 1, or
       ASCII NUL, the $ descriptor is ignored.

     - If the first character of the record is a space or
       plus sign (+), the $ descriptor suppresses carriage
       return (after printing the record).

  For terminal I/O, whenever trailing carriage return control is
  suppressed by the $ descriptor, a typed response follows output on
  the same line.