POSTAL SAVINGS PLAN will probably be junked by Congress this session after five years of talking about it. Deposits have slipped 45% over past decade to $1.7 billion, and Postmaster General Summerfield says 47-year-old plan, started when banks were not available in many places (and often not trusted), has outlived usefulness. Some opposition to Summerfield's idea is coming from postal employees' groups and A.F.L.-C.I.O.

FHA DOWN PAYMENTS on mortgages will drop if Congress approves new plan sent up by Administration. Plan is to boost the amount of cost of house that FHA can insure; e.g., to new maximum of 96% of first $10,000 of appraised value v. current 95% of first $9,000. Effect would be to lower down payment on $10,000 house to $400 from current $700, on $16,000 house to $1,300 from $2,200, on $20,000 house to $2,500 from $3,200.

SHIPBUILDING RACE is being won by Japan. Britain has fallen out of lead for first time in peacetime history. Jumping up from third place, Japanese yards last year more than doubled output, launching 325 merchant ships for total of 1,746,429 gross tons v. 275 vessels of 1,383,387 tons for Britain. Ninth-place U.S. yards steamed up to 169,076 tons v. 73,004 tons in 1955.

NEW PARENTS will get a U.S. Savings Bond sales pitch from Government as soon as baby is born. In hospital nurseries Treasury Department will circulate a pink promotion letter urging all "Dear Parents" to buy bonds for infant's sake.

CUBAN-SOVIET SUGAR DEAL will clean out last of island's surplus this year, may stiffen world prices. Cuba is selling 200,000 long tons of raw sugar to U.S.S.R. at 5.85-c- a lb., or about 1/4 cent higher than U.S. buyers are paying for Cuban crop. Total price: $26 million.

PROXY TURNABOUT will send Fairbanks, Morse's President Robert H. Morse Jr. after seat on board of Penn-Texas Corp. at annual meeting in May. Insurgents plan to put up full slate of directors to oppose Penn-Texas' President Leopold Silberstein (TIME, Dec. 17 et seq.), who is fighting to win control of Fairbanks, Morse.

DUTY-FREE AIRPORT will open for intercontinental passengers at Amsterdam's Schiphol field, following the profitable pattern of Europe's first duty-free air terminal at Shannon (TIME, Aug. 27). Dutch port next month will start selling tax-free liquor, tobacco and candy, later add cameras, watches, perfume.

PILOTLESS LANDING systems are in sight for nation's commercial and military aircraft. New robot system developed by Bell Aircraft Corp. electronically "locks in" plane's controls in the air, uses radio-radar-computer ground unit to ease in craft for three-point landing. Developed for Navy, system has gone through 1,200 successful test landings and Bell says it will make possible entirely automatic landings in any weather.

DE-MOTHBALLING of wartime ships for private charter is hitting a reef. U.S. cargo lines badly need vessels but cannot pay for reconditioning because costs recently doubled to about $240,000 a ship.

AIR-FARE HIKE of 6%, which eight of nation's big trunk lines are scheduling for April, will probably be vetoed by CAB. But Capital and Eastern will ask board to throw lines a bone by permitting $1 extra "terminal charge" on each ticket.

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