TAX CUTS are out for this year, says none other than Treasury Secretary George Humphrey. Humphrey stands by the earlier estimate of a $200 million budget surplus this fiscal year, but insists that it is not enough to lower taxes.

STOCK PLAN for Chrysler's salaried employees will be tied to company profits in relation to net sales. The plan, which is otherwise similar to those at General Motors and Ford, calls for Chrysler to contribute a minimum of 40-c- for every $1 invested by salaried workers when net earnings are below 5% of net sales. If profits go over 7%, the company's contribution will increase to 60 cents.

RCA ANTITRUST SUIT is expected to go to trial, since the Justice Department has almost given up hope of negotiating a consent decree. Trustbusters charge that the company uses its pool of 10,000 radio-electronic patents to keep industry in the dark about new developments, forces licensees to pay for RCA patents they do not need.

COPPER SHORTAGE in the U.S. will be eased by Anaconda--at a price. From now on it will price its Chilean copper, which has been selling for 46-c- in the U.S., at the London level (53-c- last week). Anaconda, which has been shipping two-thirds of its Chilean output to Europe, expects to sell more in, the U.S. when the price is equalized. The Office of Defense Mobilization is also easing the shortage by postponing shipments of 36,000 tons of copper earmarked for delivery to the strategic stockpile by June 30.

NYLON PRICES are being cut for the first time since 1947 in an attempt to bolster sluggish sales and avert widespread layoffs in synthetics plants. Du Pont and Chemstrand ordered 10% to 22% price cuts in nylon yarn. Dacron will be up to 30% cheaper.

CZARIST BONDS will no longer be listed on the American Stock Exchange. The exchange feels that the U.S. Government's decision to pay bondholders an estimated 2-c- on the dollar from seized Russian funds (TIME, March 19) may make it impossible to keep track of claims on the bonds as they are traded.

PROXY WAR for Seiberling Rubber Co., in which management is fighting off a raid by Toledo Lawyer Edward Lamb (TIME, Dec. 26) will come to a head when the company asks stockholders to add six directors to its nine-man board at the April 23 stockholders' meeting. Reason for the enlarged board: to water down the power of Lamb and associates, who apparently have enough votes to elect at least four directors.

MONTGOMERY WARD, which has been busy modernizing its old stores since President John A. Barr took over from Sewell Avery last May, is now planning to build new retail stores, the first in 15 years. Barr has already spent $86 million to brighten the chain's 566 retail outlets and add 33 mail order offices, succeeded last year in reversing Ward's four year sales slump. 1955 sales: $970 million, up 9.3%.

STUDEBAKER-PACKARD auto merger is not giving the two companies the lift they expected. Losses for 1955 totaled $30 million ($4,000,000 more than combined 1954 losses), even though sales doubled to $480 million. In an effort to recoup, Packard will bring out a new 275 h.p. "Executive" series next month. Price: about $4,800.

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