Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-01-07
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

and it Is not surprising TO learn that the
length of navigable waterways in that
country is 5000 miles. of which go miles
are returned as tidal POO miles naviga-
bic without works. 300 miles canalzed
rivers and 5000 miles canals. The State
looks out for all but seven per cent of
this network, which is therefore prac-
tically free from tolls. This system of
inland navigation has cost about $500.
900, 600 for construction and purchase
and $2J, 200, 900 for concessions. The
annual cost of maintenance is about 50, =
eco, 000 or 1925 mile. which covers all
expenditures whatsoever. The number
of vessels employed on the waterways is
between $1,000 and 10000; about 26 PEI
cent have a capacity of 300 tons or more,
while more than half have capacity ex-
cccding 100 tons. Moreover about 2C00
foreign boats use the French canals each
year. The motive power is now almost
entirely furnished by draft animals, al
though few steam tugs are used on the
Seine, the Disc and some other rivers,
and steam cargo boats are occasionally
met Cable towing and tow locomotives
are also used in few places. The average
cost of moving ton Of freight one mile
is stated to be 1854 cents on rivers and
% per cent less on canals.
Mr.. Ono, japanese stltistician, has
just published some interesting figures
concerning the remarkable increase of
population in that country during the
present reign, and especially since 1872
In January, 1872, the population was
33, III, 900; in December, 1899, it had in
creased to 40, 070, coo. Since 1887 the
annual rate of increase has been Is in
every 1000, so that, if this rate is pre-
served, the population will double itself
in So years. In England the rate of
increase is 1872 per 1000, while in most
European countries it is between six and
nine, and in France and Spain much
lower. Mr.. Ono points out that the
number of births in Japan is lower than
in most civilized countries, except
France, and that the number of illegiti-
mate children is smaller there than in
European States. He therefore attributes
the great increase of the population to
the development of wealth since the
restoration and to a decrease in the death
rate among children. From the tables
which he gives, he infers that the
national wealth has doubled in Japan in
the last ten years, and he shows that
the increase in the population has been
greatest in the northern and southern
parts of the Empire, and least in the
central part--a phenomenon due to
migration from the central provinces.
The proposition to use the General
Post Office as savings bank has been
more or less discussed from time to time,
and inasmuch as it is one that has been
tried with great success in some other
countries, and notably in Great Britain,
it is likely to come to the front again at
any time. After thirty years experience
in the latter country, it is declared by
the Edinburgh Review TO be the only
institution of its,kind which "atfords
absolute security for investment and the
best form of provision for old age, due
to the thrift of the people, without the
intervention of the State" At the
present time one person in six of the
population of Great Britain is 4 depos
itor in the Post Office Bank, and mas
much as the operation of dcpositing and
Withdrawing money may be performed
at any one of the 10000 branch offices
in the United Kingdom at which that
kind of business is transacted, one can
see that it is not because of the lack of
facilities that the proportion of depos-
itors is not much larger than it is.
THE State of California has for many
years subordinated its mining to its
agricultural and horticultural resources.
1t is curious commentary on this fact
that "A recent computation shows not
more than 20, 900 of its 1, $50, 900 people
are directly engaged in agriculture or
fruit growing In the first place nearly
or quite half the population of the States
is congregated in San Francisco, Oakland
and other cities around the great seaport.
Los Angeles, with ad iacent towns, claims
n quarter of a million. 1t is true much
of the prosperity of Los Angeles is
based on its being the centre of great
orange and grape growing district. But
none the less its people are interested
rather speculatively than practically in
fruit growing. When it comes to those
who devote all their time to farming and
fruit growing the estimate is that they
do not number more than 20, 900 or with
their families less than 100, 900 in ALL
THE graceful palmetto, that grows sc
profusey in the lower tier of the South
ern States, has recently become factor
in the industries of the South, for it,
wood is hard enough to carve and its
fibre is strong enough to make excellent
cordage and useful substitute fol
sponges. In Jacksonville factory has
been started for the purpose of making
brushes and brooms of the fibre. anC
elsewhere sink brushes are being made
Of blocks of wood. half of whose thick
ness is converted into bristling points
The young leaves Of the tree make ,
salad that the people are beginning L
appreciate, and the taste of it is likeneC
to that of chestnuts Bears knew abou
it long before the people did. and is /
favOlits article of diet among them
the black bears climbing the trees ant
browsing on the fresh shoots as eagerl