II
Conservative. 11
supplied , will bo substituted. If nil the
transportation routes iiito Peoria should
ndvnuco their charges unreasonably ,
they would merely insure the early
transfer of the industries of that town ,
which are dependent upon the supply of
corn for raw material , to other places.
In other words , the services of different
earners would bo substituted for theirs.
To enumerate all of the examples of
this kind , would exhaust the list of com
modities carried by rail , and would
cover the entire- domain of railway
transportation. There is scarcely an
article in use that cannot bo drawn from
any one of several supplying regions ,
and consumers freqiaeutly do not know
and rarely care which source is utilized.
No one knows these things better than
the traffic officers of railways , and they
arc universally aware that attempts to
violate the limits thus imposed , must
work disastrously to the properties
which they serve. Hence , if the term
"monopoly" is , for the sake of reaching
a common basis for discussion , admitted
to bo applicable to railway business , it
-evident that whatever monopoly may
exist or may be possible , is so restricted
by the conditions of the transportation
industry as to make it impossible to use
it to exact extortionate rates. Railway
World , May 18 , 1001.
THE WHY AND WHEREFORE.
The movement towards civic improve
ment and public beauty , has assumed
such proportions as to warrant a group
of earnest-minded men and women in
organizing the National League of Im
provement Associations , with head
quarters at Springfield , Ohio.
The League , as a federation of inter
ests and of organizations of a varied
nature , seeks to serve as a clearing
house for ideas and information ; to
direct attention to special needs ; to
emphasize the best means for attaining
desired ends ; to secure general interest
by an extensive press and platform agi
tation , and to gain intelligent , respons
ive public sentiment , through educational
literature and stereoptioon addresses.
The League has an open field , does not
rival existing organizations , and is in no
sense a legislative body. Without dupli
cating effort or destroying individuality ,
it seeks to bring about unity and
harmony between all the forces. It is
hoped to lesson ephemeral organization ,
to avoid misdirected effort , and to se
cure a more general co-operation.
The plan of work includes an ex
tensive news service , the supply of data
for speakers and writers , preparation of
photographs and slides , a reference ex
hibition and circulating library , sug
gestions of programs for meetings and
'clubs , arrangement of assembly and
institute presentation , the circulation of
timely literature , the formation-of local
organizations , the direction of special
effort for firms and other bodies desir
ing expert service.
The earlier publications , "The Work
of Oivio Improvement" and "The How
of Improvement Work , " have been re
ceived with much favor.
Affiliation Proposed.
The League aims to secure in every
community , either affiliation with some
existing organization , which may under
take the work best suited for local
needs , or to form a society for that
particular purpose.
Affiliation is urged in order that all
may have a part in the national move
ment helping others to help themselves.
Then we aid in every community
through an extensive press and platform
agitation ; each city is placed on record
as being live and aggressive ; the League
prepares valuable helps for local use ,
and all are kept in touch with advance
steps throughout the country by means
of bulletins and reports.
The efforts of the League lead to a
lessening of municipal expenditure and
paternal responsibility in matters fre
quently forced upon the city by neglect
of individual civic duty.
Moreover , the arousement of civic
consciousness makes keener the recog
nition of wasteful expenditure , and se
cures heartier support for legitimate
public improvements.
With a public spirited program ,
shrewd business men in direct control ,
and a showing of results , we invite the
consideration of all , of the League , as be
ing worthy of trust.
Contributions from any given locality
can be followed immediately by a care
ful campaign of education and agitation
proportionate to the financial basis.
Reports , printed matter and news
paper clippings relating to every organi
zation and other local work will be
most welcome.
Address , National League of Improve
ment Associations , Springfield , Ohio.
"THE RED RAIN. "
Dr. Thomas Lamb Phipsou , author of
"Researches of the Past and Present
History of the Earth's Atmosphere , "
which has just been published by J. B.
Lippincott Company , recently had sent
to Mm a small quantity of the fine dust ,
which fell between the llth and 18th of
March , this year , in Sicily and various
parts of northern Italy , and which was
commonly known as "the red rain. "
Dr. Phipson made a careful examina
tion of this dust , and , as a result , gives
his opinion that it is not desert sand ,
nor volcanic dust , as many believe ; but
the mineral dust left far in the air by
the explosion of meteors. He says that
particles of this dust are from two one-
thousandths to five one hundred thous
andths of a millimeter in diameter , and
many , far from being rod , are white ,
gray , green , yellow and brown , a few
being a true ruby rod. Both iron and
nickel were found in these grains. Dr.
Phipson's statements are especially in
teresting , in view of the numerous so-
called "rains" of variously colored sub
stances , which from time to time are re
ported from different portions of the
world , and whose origin has yet to bo
fully explained.
NEW HABIT IN BIRD LIFE.
A very weird habit in bird life has
just been discovered. The homray , a
large and beautiful , but rather clumsy
bird , leading a quiet life in the back
woods of the East Indies , feeding mostly
on the fruit of trees , seldom descends to
the ground , and its nest is in the hollow
of a tree high up.
As soon as the female has laid her five
or six eggs , the male begins to fetch
mud and to wall up the opening of the
nest with Si , leaving an opening barely
large enough to allow the very largo bill
to pass.
Probably this is done to prevent the
heavy and awkward fledglings falling
out of the nest to the ground far below.
In several cases observed , when the
female was liberated after her long and
close confinement , she was found pitia
bly poor and weak , although the male
was diligent in providing her and the
young ones with food. Is he tyrant or
sage , or stupid slave of instinct ?
London Express.
NO GREAT AMERICAN SCHOLARS.
It has been eaid that just as England
has no great composer , America will
never have a great scholar. I do not be
lieve that , says Prof. Hugo Munater-
berg , in the May Atlantic. At the mid
dle of the seventeenth century , all the
nations of Europe had great philoso
phers , England , France , Holland ,
Italy ; and only Germany had the repu
tation of having no talent for philoso
phy. It was just before Leibnitz ap
peared on the horizon , and Kant and
Fichte and Hegel followed , and Ger
many became the centre of philosophy.
As soon as the right conditions are given ,
here , too , new energies will rush to the
foreground. In carefully watching year
after year , the students here , I am fully
convinced that their talent for product
ive scholarship is certainly not less than
that of the best German students , Com
pared with them , American students
have an inferior training in hard pysto-
matio work , as their secondary school
education is usually inferior. And sec
ondly , they have infinitely poorer
chances for scholarly work in their fu
ture , as I have fully pointed out. With
a more strenuous preparatory training
behind them , and a" better opportunity
for productive work before them , these
students would bo the noblest material
from which to develop American schol
arship.