The Top Ten

To plug their wares in the nation's newspapers, U.S. businessmen spent $594 million in 1954, 1.2% below 1953's peak of $601 million, but still the second-best year on record. As usual, the American Newspaper Publishers Association reported this week, the auto industry (which accounts for 24% of the ads) spent most with a 7.9% increase to a record $139 million, while food dipped 2.8% to come in second with $129 million. The biggest single U.S. advertiser for the eighth straight year: General Motors, whose ad outlay jumped 13.5% to an alltime high of $37.3 million. The next nine, in order: Ford Motor Co., $17,999,652; Chrysler Corp.,$11,787,596; Colgate-Palmolive Co..

$10,990,682; Distillers Corp.-Seagrams, $9,815,375; General Foods, $9,351,441; Procter & Gamble, $7,251,400; Lever Bros., $6,803,797; National Distillers Products Corp., $6,718,375; Schenley Industries, $6,157,600.

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