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GASOLINE PRICE CUTS are in the wind. With the winter season of reduced driving coming on, gasoline stocks are pushing 180 million bbl. v. 173 million bbl. this time last year, and refineries have already shaved 1/4-c- off the price of gas at Gulf ports.

PENN-TEXAS REBELS, trying to oust Leopold Silberstein as president, will go to court to open up holding company's books. Rebels expect to prove heavy losses to be a result of Silberstein's attempt to take over Fairbanks, Morse & Co., and that company does not have enough cash to meet its bills. Meanwhile, Penn-Texas reported third-quarter earnings of only 1-c- a share.

BIGGEST INSURANCE SCANDAL in Texas history, which has already caused resignation of state insurance commissioner, flock of investigations by grand juries and legislative committees, also resulted in ten-year jail sentence for Texas Promoter Ben-Jack Cage, who started it all with collapse of his multimillion-dollar ICT Insurance Co. Jury convicted Cage for using $100,000 in ICT funds to buy stock that he later credited to his own management company.

HIGHER AIR FARES seem certain after CAB ends its general passenger-fare investigation. CAB staff, which turned down seven domestic carriers' applications for an interim 6% fare increase, now recommends that instead of 8% on their money, trunk lines should be allowed to earn a 9% profit, regional carriers 10%.

FEDERAL BUILDING BOOM is about to start. Government has finally lifted 4% ceiling on interest it will pay to build post offices, federal courthouses and other U.S. Government structures on a ten-to-25-year lease-purchase plan, soon will ask for bids on ten structures from Albuquerque to Abingdon, Va. If bids are encouraging, Government will offer 30 more projects in December.

NEW FLASH BULB about the size of a thimble but with lighting power of standard bulbs will be marketed by Sylvania Electric Products Inc. early next year. Zirconium-filled, it requires a special attachment, will sell for 14-c-, the price of larger photo bulbs.

PIPELINE INVESTIGATION by Justice Department will look into charges that some of the 52 pipelines owned by 36 major oil companies, which signed a 1941 consent decree, compete illegally against independent oil companies that pay to use pipelines. Sample complaint: that pipelines pad their rate base to pay excessive dividends to their owners which in effect amount to rebates on carrying the owners' oil.

SHOPPERS' STAMPS redeemable for either bus rides or parking-lot fees are catching on with downtown stores, anxious to relieve customers' traffic problems. Fifty downtown Milwaukee stores are issuing stamps worth 5-c- for every dollar spent, and 50 other cities already have similar plans.

RETAIL SALES for 1957 will run up a 3% to 5% gain over 1956 for a record year, says National Retail Dry Goods Association.

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