CIGARETTE SMOKERS are spending more than ever but getting less tobacco. Although U.S. cigarette production puffed to record 441 billion in 1957, total tobacco output dipped 23% from 1956 to postwar low of 1,680 million Ibs. Five years ago makers rolled out 325 cigarettes per Ib. of tobacco; in 1957 they manufactured 360 per Ib. by using filters and homogenized tobacco leaf (TIME, June 18, 1956).

THREE-DAY WEEKEND will be tried by Longren Aircraft Co. of Torrance, Calif., which believes it is first company to do so. Its 498 workers will take one three-day weekend each month, follow it with a single one-day weekend to make up for lost time. Employees suggested plan to have more time for excursions.

U.S.-GERMAN ATOM DEALS are cooking. North American Aviation will join with Ruhr's giant Demag construction firm to form "Interatom"; each partner will put up $750,000 at first, and North American will ship reactors to West Germany, where Demag will assemble and sell them. Westinghouse will license Germany's Siemens, No. 2 electrical manufacturer in Europe, to build and sell reactors similar to one now generating power at Shippingport, Pa. Westinghouse has signed same deal with Belgian, Italian firms.

FORMER COMMUNISTS who are officers of United Auto Workers will not be stripped of union jobs. U.A.W.'s Public Review Board held that five officials who are admitted ex-Reds and five others who took Fifth Amendment before congressional committees must be retained. But card-holding Communists are still barred from office.

BIGGEST BOND ISSUE for a public utility in history of Pacific Northwest is making splash on Wall Street. The $250 million issue, floated by 140-firm investment syndicate for Washington's 775,000 kw. Rocky Reach Dam on Columbia River, was oversubscribed in advance despite tight money.

ALFRIED KRUPP will make bold bid to become Europe's biggest steelmaker, although allies have ordered him to sell off all coal and steel properties by end of 1958. Krupp-owned Rheinhausen Steel Works (capacity: 2,300,000 tons a year) has petitioned European Coal & Steel Community for permission to buy Bochumer Verein works (capacity: 1,560,000 tons). Krupp would pay $30 million to $40 million for Bochumer, which is controlled by his good friend, Swedish Millionaire Axel Wenner-Gren.

U.S. INVESTMENTS in Latin America have jumped in book value from $3 billion in 1946 to $7 billion at present, and market value is far higher. Output of U.S. companies south of border tops $5 billion.

$1.25 BILLION OUTLAY for oil exploration, tankers, pipelines and new plants will be made in 1958 by Standard Oil (NJ.) and affiliates.

AIR-ROUTE FIGHT between U.S. and France is growing so hot that Paris threatens to abrogate 1946 treaty that permits U.S. commercial planes to land there. French are hopping mad because State Department turned down Air France request to carry passengers beyond New York to Kansas City, Houston and Los Angeles. Although U.S. offered to let Air France start flights from West Coast to Europe via North Pole, French broke off negotiations in a huff.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.