Business: Biggest.Since '29

The bull market last week briefly surged above the historic 678.10 closing high of Aug. 3. But it could not hold the gain, slipped to end the week at 670.69 in the Dow-Jones industrial average. Even with a drop in trading, the 1959 volume was certain to be the heaviest since 1929. Totting up the commissions on the trading, brokers happily paid out the fattest year-end bonuses in many a season. At Paine Webber, the extra checks averaged nearly six weeks' pay; Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith reported that its oldest employees were getting better than eight weeks' extra pay. In some smaller over-the-counter houses, with low overhead, employees got as much as nine months' additional pay.