TIME CLOCK

BUSINESSMEN who thought that Attorney General Brownell would ease up on antitrust prosecutions are in for a surprise. In five months, Brownell's men have filed 19 new cases, twice as many as the busy Democrats filed in their last five months in office, and the Republicans have yet to dismiss a single one of the 136 cases they inherited. The biggest change: bureau chiefs have at last been put on notice to get quick decisions on all old cases, some of which have been hanging fire for more than ten years.

MOVIEMEN have put so much pressure on Congressmen to revoke the 20% tax on movie admissions that the House is likely to pass a repeal bill, even though theater owners have no intention of passing the estimated $200 million saving on to ticket buyers. But the bill will have tougher going in the Senate, which fears demands that excise taxes on jewelry, furs and luggage also be dropped.

BEST buy at August white sales will be fitted "contour" sheets, which usually sell at a premium over flat sheets. Reason: manufacturers are cutting prices below flat sheets to move big overstocks.

CONRAD Hilton, who leased Columbus, Ohio's Deshler-Wallick Hotel two weeks ago and will spend $1,200,000 to improve it, this week opened the Castellana Hilton in Madrid, and is now ready to start construction on his $15 million Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.

AGRICULTURE Secretary Benson, who has already put acreage controls on next year's wheat crop, may have to restrict 1954 corn plantings as well. On top of big surpluses, farmers are expected to harvest more than 3.3 billion bushels of corn, the second largest crop on record.

SECOND-QUARTER earnings will be well above last year. Harbingers of the good reports to come: Monsanto, which earned $2.51 a share v. $2.05 in 1952's first six months; Chesapeake & Ohio, which reported $2.73 a share, up 14C-from 1952.

HOUSEWIVES can expect to pay more for coffee next month because of frosts which nipped Brazil's coffee trees, damaged up to 80% of the 1954 coffee crop in some areas (see Latin America). Though this year's crop was not hurt, coffee roasters have hiked wholesale prices 3 -c- a Ib. just the same, in expectation of higher wholesale prices next year.

DOUGLAS Aircraft's Chief Designer E. H. Heinemann last week predicted that U.S.-built jet passenger planes will fly 500 m.p.h. by 1960, 600 m.p.h. by 1970, and ultimately 1,000 m.p.h. (at 35,000 ft.), but that there will probably be no atomic-powered passenger jets until after 1975.

BROKERAGE fees for traders on the New York Stock Exchange are expected to go up an average 15% this fall after members approve the boost to help them offset the rising cost of doing business.

CALIFORNIA'S mushrooming electronics industry, grown in ten years from 30 companies doing $25 million to 186 that will gross $700 million this year, expects its annual sales to reach $1 billion by 1957.

WEST Germany's first postwar airline, "Luftag," hopes to start European flights next year and to open routes to North America by 1955. Last week it began rounding up equipment, will buy some twelve Convair-Liner 340s for short hauls, and four $1,700,000 Lockheed Super Constellations for transatlantic service. It was a big victory for U.S. aircraft makers over the British, who have been high-pressuring Lufthansa to buy Comet III jets.

AMERADA Petroleum Corp. has struck a new pool in the Williston Basin (TIME. Dec. 1). Its No. 1 May well came in near Fryburg, N. Dak., 50 miles from its nearest well.

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