RAIL MERGERS are picking up steam. Illinois Central and Southern Railway are competing for control of the 5,696-mile Louisville & Nashville to strengthen their positions if ICC okays the pending merger of the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard. Southern Pacific asked ICC permission to take over the Western Pacific. One approved merger: Chicago & North Western takeover of the Minneapolis and St. Louis to form the second longest U.S. road (after the Santa Fe).

BUSINESS IN SPACE will be encouraged by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which will make rockets and launching sites available at cast to U.S. companies for sending up communications systems. Likely first taker: American

Telephone & Telegraph, which wants to put up a $170 million network of 50 satellites to carry telephone calls and television throughout the world.

TAX SUIT RECORD of Government in last fiscal year was best in 15 years. U.S. won 71% of all civil tax suits. Taxpayers recovered only 12% of amount they claimed in refund suits, lowest average ever.

BIGGEST NUCLEAR PLANT in U.S., which began operating at Dresden, Ill., will eventually produce power at price generally competitive with coal-produced electricity, if research costs are excluded. Built by G.E. for Chicago's Commonwealth Edison Co., it generates 180,000 kw. of electricity, enough to light 50,000 houses.

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