Facts & Figures

Green Light. To keep the nation's railroads "in a reasonably healthy condition," the Interstate Commerce Commission granted their request for an emergency increase of 10% in freight rates. Exceptions on coal, coke and iron ore rates reduced the overall increase to 8.9%. Estimated annual increase in shippers' bills: $700 million.

Atomic Soil. As TVA administrator, David E. Lilienthal was once the bogeyman of private power magnates. As chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Lilienthal spoke soothing words in Detroit to free enterprisers. Reporting that commercially feasible atomic power was probably at least a decade off, Lilienthal added : "... This atomic industry can never flourish and grow and find its proper place . . . unless it sends its roots deep and wide into the . . . soil of competitive private industry." Suiting action to words, Lilienthal appointed seven industrialists as consultants on atomic power.

Gas into Inches. The Federal Power Commission last week granted permission to the Texas Eastern Transmission Corp. to pipe Texas natural gas to Philadelphia and the Appalachian region through the wartime Big and Little Big Inch pipelines. Tetco bought the pipelines last February (TIME, Feb. 24) for $143 million, conditional on FPC permission. Coal-hauling railroads and John L. Lewis' coal miners tried to block the piping of gas.

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