FILTER-TIP BOOM, some 30% of all sales this year, will help push cigarette consumption to alltime record in 1956. After slumping to 368.7 billion smokes in 1954, during cancer scare, says Agriculture Department, consumption climbed back to 382.1 billion last year, will hit estimated 395 billion in 1956, some 900 million better than previous record set in 1952.

VETERANS' HOME LOANS will get help from David Dubinsky's International Ladies Garment Workers Union. Dubinsky signed agreement with Chase Manhattan Bank to invest $20 million (some 10% of union reserves) in VA home mortgages.

STATION WAGON for Oldsmobile, its first since 1950, will be part of 1957 line. With station-wagon boom currently accounting for 11% total auto output (reasons: expanding suburbs, bigger families), Olds will schedule 10% of total production in station wagons.

NEW OILFIELD has been discovered in Venezuela, some 500 miles east of the rich Maracaibo region. Sinclair Oil has brought in 14,211-ft. well in western Monagas state, about 50 miles in from coast.

LIQUOR PRICES will be boosted, first general increase since Prohibition that has not been brought on by higher Government excise taxes. Publicker Industries (Old Hickory, Embassy Club) and Joseph Seagram & Sons (Calvert, Four Roses) have decided to pass on rising production costs with 4% increase at wholesale level, or an average 35-c- more per fifth at retail. Rest of industry will probably follow suit.

FAIR TRADE LAW now has been knocked out in Utah, where state supreme court ruled against General Electric Co. in suit brought to stop discount house from cut-rating G.E. appliances, declared that Fair Trade, in effect since 1937, runs counter to Utah's constitution. Other states where Fair Trade has been dropped: Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Virginia, Louisiana.

RUSSIAN OIL DRILLS will come to U.S., but not at price of exchanging U.S. technical data. After Commerce Department blocked deal by Dallas' Dresser Industries to buy drills last spring (TIME, May 28), company has managed to swing "entirely monetary" deal with Russians with "no exchange of technical data." It is importing 40 high-speed turbodrills from Soviets, which company says are five times faster than present rotary drills.

TOTAL FARM OUTPUT will probably equal 1955's alltime record in spite of general decline in crop production, predicts Agriculture Department. While flexible price supports and other surplus-cutting devices will trim crops to 104.2% on 1947-49 index (v. 105% last year), increases in livestock (up 1 point to 123%) are likely to keep overall production at peak levels.

AIRLINE DEAL between U.S. Government, Pan American World Airways and Afghanistan will turn underdeveloped nation into international air link. U.S. will lend Afghanistan some $14 million to revamp antiquated Afghan Aryana airline, buy new planes and build first-class field with 12,000-ft. runway at Kandahar near the Pakistan border. Pan American will supervise modernization and get option to buy 49% of Aryana's stock.

BRITISH TURBINES, built by English Electric Co., Ltd., will be used in Washington's Priest Rapids hydroelectric project instead of U.S. equipment. Though Grant County Public Utility District originally intended to buy from Allis-Chalmers, taxpayer suit charging that U.S. turbines would add $500,000 to project's cost has changed P.U.D.'s mind. Suit would have delayed Priest Rapids full year, cost $6,000,000 in interest on loans, some $14 million in power lost.

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