National.

The secretary-treasurer of the Postal Progress League says: "Under the legislation proposed by the league the posting of two four-pound parcels a year by the average of our 80,000,000 population would give the post-office an income of over $50,000,000 from its general merchandise traffic alone (in 1907 the income from this part of the service was but $8,000,000). The posting of one four-pound parcel a year per head of our 28,000,000 urban population in the new local sealed parcels service would add about $9,000,000. Estimating the needs of the average rural family to require the mailing of but one suitcase packet a week to and from the post town and the home, the postal income from the new rural service—4,000,000 families—would be over $40,000,000. The enactment of this bill into law would eliminate the long continued postal deficit; it would go far to relieve the public from the extortion of our private express companies." The bill provides for a reduction of the one-cent an ounce postal rate on merchandise to one cent for two ounces, the old rate of 1874; a local letter post, four ounces for two cents, each additional ounce one cent, the general letter rate of Great Britain; a local service on the rural routes, all matters in one class, parcels up to 1 by 6 by 12 inches in bulk, one pound in weight, one cent; larger parcels up to 6 by 12 by 12 inches in bulk, eleven pounds in weight, five cents; larger parcels up to 6 by 12 by 24 inches, the capacity of the ordinary suitcase, or one cubic foot, and up to twenty-five pounds, ten cents.

Prof. Percival Lowell has discovered oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars. This announcement comes almost on the moment of the confirmation of Dr. Lowell's declaration of last year of water vapor in the atmosphere of Mars. The original announcement was made a year ago in consequence of observations made some time before, while the confirmation is in consequence of a special expedition to the summit of Mt. Whitney made by Dr. W. W. Campbell, director of Lick Observatory.

One hundred students of Denver high schools have been suspended because they refused to sign pledges renouncing fraternities, societies, and other school organizations. The fraternities will ask for a temporary injunction to restrain the principals from suspending any more pupils who are fraternity members until the matter as to whether the school board really possesses this authority shall be determined by law.

The year-book of the Young Men's Christian Association of North America, just issued, shows that the organization now includes 1,914 associations with 456,927 members—a gain of 10,500 in twelve months. The association's property holding are valued at $62,800,000 and the aggregate debt is only $7,100,000. The yearly expenses, provided for by membership fees and contributions, are more than $7,600,000.

The report of the monetary commission, which it is now expected will be made late in the regular session of Congress, is likely to lead to much debate in the legislative branch of the Government. Many doubt whether any report of the commission for a comprehensive reorganization of the banking and currency system can be enacted into law.

During his long trip through the West and South, which began Sept. 15, President Taft will be in constant touch with the White House by means of special wires. The official itinerary of the President's trip shows the total mileage to be 12,759. Of this 1,165 miles will be made on a steamboat down the Mississippi river

Twenty-eight countries have signified their intention of participating in the celebration to be held on the Hudson river from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9, commemorative of the discovery of that waterway by Henry Hudson and of the first successful application of steam to its navigation by Robert Fulton in 1807.

The value of crops produced last year on the six and a half million farms of the United States reached the enormous total of $7,778,000,000, the greatest in the world's history, and it is predicted that this record will be surpassed this year.

Upon recommendation of the committee on federal relations, the Connecticut Senate has voted that action on the proposed amendment to the Federal Constitution to permit the collection of an income tax be referred to the next General Assembly.

More than two thousand delegates, representing every city of importance of every state west of the Mississippi river, attended the opening of the twentieth trans-Mississippi commercial congress in the Auditorium at Denver last week.

Governor Hughes of New York has appointed an extraordinary trial term of the Supreme Court, to be held in New York county on Oct. 4, to take up four indictments against the American Ice Company.

The forty-third convention of the National Peace Society has recently been in session at Mystic, Conn.

The thirty-first annual target contest of the National Archery Association of the United States has just met in Chicago.

International.

The Foreign Office of Venezuela has issued a check for $59,375, one eighth of the amount which is to be paid to the New York and Venezuela Company as indemnity for the confiscation of its properties by the late Castro government. This is the first of several large awards that will be paid.

The international air navigation exposition has decided on the week beginning Oct. 3 for "aviation week," at Frankfort, Germany. A total of $30,000 will be offered in prizes. All the principal aviators of the world will be invited to attend.

Officials of Wells, Fargo & Co. have completed arrangements which in effect give their company a monopoly of the express business in Mexico, together with a concession of the parcels post privilege, on a partnership basis with that government.

Industrial and Commercial.

At a recent meeting of the cloth manufacturers of New Bedford, Mass., it was determined to submit the issue of higher wages of the New Bedford mill operatives to the state board of arbitration. The letter sent to the secretary of the Textile Council in response to the proposal of that body to submit the justice of their claim to arbitration was in substances as follows: "Cotton manufacturing is a business proposition and the mills, like any other business, are to be run in the interest of the owners. It is the policy of New Bedford manufacturers to be as liberal in the wage question as is consistent with good business, and no individual or community has the right to expect or demand that we pay much, if any, higher wages than our competitors. No amount of arbitration can change this fact. We maintain that our wages are higher and, under present conditions, fair and just to the operatives. We court any investigation that will determine the relative earnings of the operatives in New Bedford as compared with other cotton centers, and we will gladly assist the state board of arbitration toward this end."

The Boston Consolidated Gas Company is making its third distribution to employees under the profit-sharing plan adopted in 1906, which calls for the payment of $48,926 to the 638 employees for the fiscal year ended June 30 last. Since the plan has been in operation the company has paid its employees $118,737, the premium paid each year being calculated at the same rate as the dividend on the stock, which was nine per cent in the fiscal year just closed, eight per cent in the previous fiscal year, and seven per cent in the fiscal year ended June 3, 1907.

Wireless telegraphy as a means of giving alarm in the event of fire is the plan advocated by timber cruisers in Spokane to protect the forests in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Nevada, California, and British Columbia, which contain approximately seven hundred million acres of standing timber.

Recent statistics on the cotton industry of the South, including territory covering Texas and Oklahoma to the west and Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia to the north, show the number of mills to be 762. The spindleage is 11,720,100, and loomage 267,430. Total mill capitalization is $115,771,000.

In addition to the $5,400,000 in car orders recently placed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the Pennsylvania line west of Pittsburg has awarded contracts for approximately three million dollars' worth of freight equipment to the Standard Steel Car Company and the Cambria Steel Company.

Permanent organization of the International Agricultural Corporation, which was recently incorporated under the laws of New York with an authorized capitalization of $15,000,000, has been perfected.

Germany has appropriated for new construction and armaments in 1909–10 no less than $53,757,340; Great Britain, $51,280,970; America, $50,075,505; France, $28,800,880; Japan, $12,471,905; Italy, $10,953,535; Russia, $9,111,185.

The import trade of China for 1908 amounted to $258,000,000 and the export to $181,000,000.

General.

Spanning two hundred and seventy-four feet and over three hundred feet high, a natural bridge, said to be the largest known, has been discovered by members of the Utah Archeological Society, which has returned from an expedition along the Colorado river in northern Arizona and southern Utah. The bridge is located four miles north of the Arizona line in the state of Utah, six miles east of the Colorado river. On its top were found imbedded several fossils of remarkable size, indicating the presence at earlier times of giant animal life.