STEEL ORDERS are picking up. After five months of decline, more calls are coming in for construction steel and hardware items. Some top steelmen predict operating rate will rise from current 54% capacity to 60% this month, though no big jump is expected for months.

RAIL EARNINGS will go from bad to worse in the East. Rough weather and passenger deficit caused New York Central to lose more money ($3,972,104) in January than in any month in three years, and carloadings are running 20% below same period last year. The New Haven, which went $1,200,000 into red in January, says February loss will be much greater.

PAY-TV FOES are moving in for the kill. Under their pressure, FCC agreed not to consider bids for tests until Congress has a chance to vote on one of three bills to outlaw toll TV. In Los Angeles, Skiatron and International-Telemeter withdrew bids for municipal franchises rather than face citywide election on issue.

WATCH TARIFF will be hard to justify in light of new ODM ruling. In major blow to protectionists, ODM reversed stand, ruled watch imports do not threaten national security since watchmakers are not vital to defense.

BIGGEST ADVERTISER in 1957 was Procter & Gamble with billings of $57,191,511 (82% for TV). Next in line: General Motors, $41,834,224; Chrysler Corp., $30,945,944; Colgate-Palmolive Co., $29,078,118; Ford Motor Co., $28,082,142.

$628 MILLION PLANE ORDER will go to Boeing for 45 B-52G bombers, plus 35 KC-135 jet tankers. An improvement on current B-52s, the G model will eliminate rubber wing tanks, have wings completely filled with fuel for greater range. Major assembly will be done at Boeing's Wichita plant.

MOVIEMAKERS are closing ranks in agreement not to sell post-1948 films to TV. M-G-M and 20th Century-Fox pledged to Theater Owners of America that they will refuse TV offers, Columbia Pictures is "not interested in future sales," and Paramount has "no plans to sell." Contributing factor: James Petrillo's musicians' union has demanded 3% cut on sales of post-'48 movies.

MOSCOW-LONDON FLIGHTS will start next summer. Russia's Aeroflot intends to use twinjet, TU-104s; British European Airways will fly Viscounts.

FARM INCOMES will rise because farm population is dropping much faster than farm profits. Although total slipped from $12 billion to $11.5 billion in past year, per capita farm incomes grew by 10% to $993. Reason: 2,000,000 persons left farms in 1957.

RED-CHINESE TRADE with Japan will make biggest jump yet. Japanese businessmen signed fiveyear, $560 million pact to swap steel products and heavy machinery for ore, coal, soybeans.

TRUCK v. TRAIN FIGHT for West Coast markets will get hotter. Rails will cut number of freight cars per engine, guarantee delivery from Chicago to Coast in five days instead of usual six to buck trucks, which promise third-or fourth-day delivery and usually charge less.

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