EXCISE TAXES on tobacco, liquor gasoline, etc. will continue after the April 1 expiration date if the Treasury Department has its way. Assistant to the Treasury Secretary Dan Throop Smith told a House Ways and Means subcommittee that the Treasury would be "much concerned" about any changes in tax rates or methods of payment that would reduce Government revenues.

FORD PROFITS in 1955 will be the highest in history, predicts President Henry Ford II. Though privately owned Ford never releases financial data, earnings will be well above 1954's estimated $200 million. One reason, says Ford: the company has spent $1.6 billion for expansion since 1946, has announced a $500 million expansion for 1956, will shell out another $500 million for still more plants in 1957 and 1958.

HOUSING BOOM will slow down next year, predicts Thomas Coogan president of Manhattan's Housing Securities Inc., a mortgage clearing house. Reason, says Coogan: overbuilding in some areas and mortgage credit curbs by the Veterans Administration, FHA and other agencies have already slowed down sales and will "create a serious drop in housing starts next year."

AIRLINE SUBSIDIES next year will be even less than originally planned, says CAB Chairman Ross Rizley. U.S. airlines are doing so well that payments will be cut another 13% from the first $52.5 million estimate, be pegged at $48.5 million, with the biggest chunk ($24 million) going to 13 domestic local service carriers.

AIR-FREIGHT BATTLE between American Airlines, Slick Airways and Flying Tigers is cutting transcontinental flying time. Flying Tigers, which recently bought ten Lockheed Super Constellations (TIME, Oct. 3) to match a purchase of five by Slick, will trim its east-to-west schedules to clip nearly three hours off coast-to-coast freight runs. New York manufacturers will be able to ship cargo as late as midnight, have it on West Coast store shelves before opening time next morning.

OIL CONSUMPTION in the free world will jump so fast in the next 20 years that it will be "increasingly difficult" to keep pace with demand, says Socony Mobil President Albert L. Nickerson. The forecast: a 65% jump over 1954, to 21.4 million bbls. daily by 1965, a 100% jump, to 26.7 million bbls. daily by 1975.

THE NEXT BIG BONANZA for the Gulf Coast will be offshore sulphur. After spending $2,000,000 on exploration and evaluation, Humble Oil Company has brought in the first big sulphur deposit under the Gulf of Mexico, six miles off the Louisiana coast, estimates that the deposit holds between 30 million and 40 million tons of sulphur, may be the world's third or fourth biggest find.

BOEING JET TRANSPORT is showing its legs in the hot competition with Douglas for airline orders. The sweptwing, four-jet 707 flashed nonstop 3,038 miles from Seattle to Denver, Los Angeles and back to Seattle. Cruising speed: 550 m.p.h.

HIGGINS INC., famed World War II PT boatmaker, will pass out of family hands and into the W.R. Grace shipping empire. Andrew J. Higgins' four sons, who pulled the company out of its postwar slump by diversifying into pleasure boats and offshore oil drilling equipment, have given Grace and a New Orleans syndicate a long-term option, but are keeping mum on the price.

ATOMIC POWER PLANTS will be built in three Latin American nations. American & Foreign Power Co., a big international utility holding company, plans to spend between $13.5 million and $15 million for three plants, each with 10,000 kw. capacity. American & Foreign Power has not yet decided where to locate the plants, will decide between Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador.

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