BUMPER WHEAT CROP is due despite retirement of more than 12 million acres into soil bank, may total only 3% less than 1956, thus piling up bigger surpluses. Farmers retired poor land, are producing more on good land, while drought-breaking rains have already pushed winter wheat harvest 27% above ten-year average of 18.6 bushels per acre.

HIGHEST INTEREST RATE in 19-year history will be paid by Federal National Mortgage Association, which borrows cash to buy U.S.-backed mortgages, resells them to investors. Fannie May, which raised borrowing rate to 4% last January, feels tighter money market makes 4 1/2% the minimum it can offer in floating $100 million in debentures.

NATIONAL AUTO SHOW, staged last winter for first time since 1940 (TIME, Dec. 17), will be shelved for 1957 because industry cannot rent Manhattan's Coliseum until long after 1958 models roll into showrooms. Automen will concentrate instead on regional shows, such as the one in Chicago Jan. 4-12.

CASH DIVIDENDS paid by U.S. corporations are running 3.5% over last year, says Commerce Department. In first five months stockholders got nearly $3.9 billion v. $3.7 billion in same period of 1956.

NATURAL GAS BILL to ease Government control of prices stands almost no chance of passing Congress this year, though Administration backed down on its two proposed amendments to tighten price protection for consumers. Senate does not want to get bogged in hot gas controversy, and its Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee plans to delay hearings on bill until next year.

QANTAS AIRLINE of Australia will get a San Francisco-New York route from U.S. despite opposition of U.S. lines. State Department is backing Australia's plea for route that will permit it to pick up London-bound passengers in either city so that much of its Australia-Europe traffic can be rerouted from explosive Middle East to U.S. Australia in return will grant rights which U.S. lines call almost worthless, e.g., permission to use it as base on flights to and from Southeast Asia, South Africa, South America (via South Pole).

RUSSIAN JETLINER, the Tupolev TU-104, is operating more punctually and comfortably than Western airmen expected with world's only commercial pure-jet service. The 70-passenger, twin-jet plane is now fully pressurized, carries three stewardesses who serve meals. Every day it makes 1,039-mile Prague-Moscow flight in 2% hours.

NO-SHOW PASSENGERS, who cost U.S. airlines an estimated $10 million in lost revenue last year, will be penalized for failing to make good on their reservations. CAB will require passengers to reconfirm reservations on some flights at least six hours before flight time, and allow airlines to impose a $3-per-ticket penalty on no-shows.

U.S. OIL-IMPORT PROBE will get going as soon as Government finds three top-level executives outside oil industry willing to conduct it. Former U.S. Steel Corp. Chairman Benjamin Fairless turned down chairmanship of commission that will determine what amount of low-cost foreign oil U.S. can buy without discouraging domestic exploration, production.

FAST TAX WRITE-OFF for Idaho Power Co.'s Hells Canyon Darn (TIME, April 15 et seq.) will be canceled if Congress passes bill by Oregon Congressman Charles O. Porter to wipe out all fast write-offs, except for new weapons, retroactive to Jan. 1.

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