National.

The convention of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Water Way Association has just been held at Chicago. Among the papers read were, "The Future of Rail and River Transportation" by Theodore P. Shonts, formerly chief engineer of the Panama Commission; "What Europe is Doing with Waterways" by John Ockerson of the Mississippi River Commission; "Conservation of our Resources" by Gifford Pinchot of the Forestry Service. The Trans-Mississippi Commercial Congress was in session at San Francisco at about the same time and also considered relative problems.

The new term of the United States Supreme Court began last week. On the docket are many matters of interest. Among these is the appeal from the decision of the Circuit Court concerning the "commodities clause" of the Interstate law as affecting the relation of the Pennsylvania railroads to the control of anthracite properties; also the decision of the Texas courts ousting from the State the Waters-Pierce Company, identified with Standard Oil interests. Another case is that to test the validity of the Bank Guaranty law of Oklahoma as applied to national banks.

Comptroller of the Currency Murray has decided to increase the number of national bank examinations in many cases from twice to three or four times a year. The new rule will be made to apply especially to all national banks which have in the past shown a disposition to violate or evade any of the provisions of the national banking laws or the regulations prescribed by the comptroller of the currency. He will also put into immediate action a plan for the formation of eleven districts of national examiners.

The National Paint, Oil, and Varnish Association, recently in session in Boston, plans through a joint legislative committee, representing also the Eastern Paint Manufacturers' Association, the Dry Color Makers' Association, the Varnish Manufacturers' Association, and the Middle Atlantic Paint Manufacturers' Association, to safeguard its interests in all laws laid before the national and state Legislatures. Revision of the tariff was favored by the meeting.

The building code revision commission of New York city has recommended a restriction to three hundred and fifty feet as the maximum height for future buildings in that city. This limit is to be permissible only for structures facing on parks and plazas. On ordinary streets the limit is to be three hundred feet, and on streets only forty-five feet in width the height cannot exceed one hundred and thirty-five feet.

The gas and electric light commissioners of Massachusetts on a gas case at Chicopee condemned the common system of differentials based upon the amount of gas or electricity consumed by the customer. By this decision the small consumer is entitled to his service at as low a rate as that given the larger user, other conditions being equal. The principle of wholesale rates in regulated public service is not favored.

A new record in wireless telegraphy is claimed by the United Wireless Company, which from its San Francisco station on Russian Hill last week established communication with the Kuhuku station on the island of Oahu, one of the Hawaiian group. It is said that communication during the two and a half hours was uninterrupted. The distance to Honolulu is twenty-two hundred miles.

A brief has been filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission sustaining the claim of Philadelphia interests that the "cartage" and "literage" allowances made by the railroads to the Sugar Trust on shipments of sugar from New York are rebates, and therefore are in violation of law.

The arbitration treaty between China and the United States has just been signed at the state department, Washington, Wu Ting Fang, the Chinese minister, acting on behalf of the Chinese government, and Secretary Root on behalf of the American government.

The meat inspection laws were heartily supported in the report of the executive committee of the American Meat Packers' Association at its third annual convention at Chicago last week.

The temperance movement which has been sweeping over the country has caused the hop industry to wane. Land formerly used for hops is now profitably devoted to growing berries.

The Presbyterian Hospital of New York city has received a gift of one million dollars from a local banker. The money is to be used in construction of buildings.

The Pacific fleet, towing as an experiment torpedo boat destroyers, commanded by Rear Admiral Swinburne, arrived at Honolulu last week on its return from Samoa.

The University of Illinois, Urbana, has eleven Chinese students in attendance, nine of whom are sent by the government at Pekin.

The Agricultural Bank, Manila, founded by the government with a capital of one million pesos, has begun operations.

International.

At a conference at West Hartlepool, England, between capital and labor, Sir Christopher Furness, head of the shipbuilding firm of Furness, Withy & Co. and also of the Furness line of steamers, invited the representatives of all the trades unions connected with the industry to meet him to hear certain proposals which were in substance that strikes must cease or the works would be close; that if the trades unions thought they could carry on the business themselves, the firm was willing to sell out at a price to be fixed by assessors; if the unions would not buy, the firm was willing to admit its workmen as partners on a profit-sharing basis; that a council be formed to settle all disputes or refer them to accredited arbitrators.

A loan of $25,000,000 for the redemption of the bonds of the Pekin-Hankow Railroad has been provisionally decided upon by the Chinese Imperial government. The Throne has issued two edicts regarding this loan, and has authorized a domestic loan of $10,000,000.

The International Road Congress opened its first official session in Paris last week. The delegates represented twenty-four countries, including the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Chili, India, and Japan. France took the initiative in summoning the congress.

The two greatest English railway systems, the Northwestern and the Midland, have entered upon a long-time working agreement by which it is expected that economies in operating expenses amounting to $1,000,000 a year each will be effected.

The faculty of St. Petersburg University has disregarded the ministerial order to reopen the institution and is preparing to contest the legality of the repressive measures of the Minister of Education in the courts.

The autumn session of the French Parliament has just opened. The government hopes to expedite routine work, especially the budget, and devote considerable time to consideration of the proposed income tax.

Great Britain, France, and Russia, in dealing with the late actions in the Near East, propose that Turkey recognize the facts as accomplished and accept certain compensations for her territorial loss.

Floods in the Hyderabad district of India have caused an estimated loss of life of fifty thousand people and sixty-six million dollars worth of property.

Industrial and Commercial.

Within the past twenty years the changes in methods of rise culture have transferred the center of that culture from the Atlantic seaboard of the South to Louisiana and Texas. In the past eight years the acreage in Texas devoted to rice has increased from forty thousand to two hundred and forty-five thousand, and this conversion of the raw prairies into rice-fields by means of irrigation represents a total investment of $24,185,880. More than six hundred and twenty-five thousand acres in nine Southern States yield annually between $16,000,000 and $17,000,000 in rice.

An electrical fireless cooker now on the market is provided with steatite radiators that are electrically heated, and the food is then slowly cooked by the stored heat. In this connection electricity can compete with gas, coal, or oil, because practically all the heat generated by the current is absorbed by the radiator.

Efforts in New York for the relief of the unemployed are now tending in the direction of providing farm colonies to which vagrants can be committed. A bill will be introduced at the opening of the New York Legislature authorizing the acquirement of a tract of two thousand acres for such a purpose.

Contracts have been let by the Crescent Portland Cement Company of Pittsburg, for the completion and equipment of its new million dollar plant at Wampum, Pa. The plant will employ about three hundred and seventy-five men and will have a capacity of nine hundred thousand barrels a year.