Morning journal and courier., 1894-03-20
EDITORIAL NOTES.

Philadelphia has been called slow, but 1t is progressive enough in the matter of its
 mayors salary. He already receives . salss ary of SIP 900. and It is proposed to in- crease 1t to $20, 900. which is moro than is received by any mayor In the country.
 The proposition of western company to introduce electric push buttons on street cars. by which passengers may have the car stopped when they are unable to attract the attsntion of the conductor, is one that will excite the interest and oommsndation of all who ride in street cars and want to gst of anywhere in particular.
 The ex-president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons of England says pub Hc drinking troughs for horses are curse to horseAesh, e they spread farcy and elanders. A considerable ventilation of the matter is in progress. and 1t seems to bs conceded by experts that the danger is in the contact O. the horses' mouths, and not 90 much in, their using the same troughs. Troushs with separate compsrt- ments are recommended.
 Both branches of the Ohio legislature have now voted for biennial sessions. They were provided for by the Ohio con- stitution several years age, but the clause was practically nulliHed by the legislature adiourning from year to year. The lsgis- lsture has now voted to adjourn annually sine die, and the constitutional provision is thus given full force and effect. There are only five states of the forty-four now holding annual legislative sessions.
 France isn't going to have anything like our Columbian stamps if she knows her self. She is about to issue new patterns of postage stamps, and, in order to get the best, an open competition for designs was instituted last month in Paris, with jury of award composed, in addition to four postofios officials, of Chaplain, the medal list; of Dubois and Dalou, distinguished sculptors; of Bonnat and Chavannes, presi dents respectively of the two great socie- ties of exhibiting painters, and of Roger Marx, an art critic. Not content with this, the postoffice took into Its counsels Maury, editor of Ls Collectionnsur, an authority on postage stamps, and prscti- cally accepted his plan for the competition, SO far as the group of stamps are con- cernsd.
 The late Henry Lipmsn of Philadelphia used to relate with interest his connection with the manufacture of envelopes when they first appeared in this country an i'm portation from France. These were un- gummeds and after Lpmsn had inaugural ed their manufacture here he improved upon the imported article by adding gum to the flaps. The demand was small and the gummed envelope wss received with such indifference that Lipman neglected to patent 1t, or even push 1t very hard, as he had a good trade in seals and sealing wax, and feared that envelopes would in. terfere with them. Lipman also made the first mucilsgs known in the United States, and when postage stamps were introduced the contractor had to go to him to learn how the gum was made, and Lipmsn gave him the information gratis.
 The babel.builders of Chicago may yet come to grief. correspondent of the Sun says: It Is fact we'll known to the builders of sky-scrspers that there Is constant and uneven motion going on throughout the whole structure, called by some molecular vibration, to an extent which can be measured with the naked eye. Girders will move an inch or more, and then come back into place. The causes of this movement are as yet entirely unknown, as are their extent and duration. Another peril which menaces this class of building Is oxidation. The steel frames are enclosed in freproohng and beyond the reach of examination or the application of conservatives. The disintegrstion may be slow, but the day must come, so say good authorities, when the great buildings must succumb to rust and ruin, unless they are sooner toppled over by unequal settle ment into the mud.
 Tbe aluminium lifeboats used in the Wellman Arctic expedition have attracted tho ottchsioh oL sho navy e1Psktl4cAes They were subjected to severe tests. A man was absolutely unable to overturn one of them. It was then loaded with sand bsgs weighing S,33S pouKds, and seven men weighing 1,i2s pounds, also got on board. making 1. 46l pounds in all. Even with this great load the boat remained 5l inches out of water smidships. The boat was then unloaded and the sir-tight com partments were tested by capsizIng the boat. But 1t was found impossible to get 1t more than half full of water. aimee the compartments held 1t so high out of water as to act on the principle of self The boat was then taken alongside the wharf and filled with water until the gun whale was flush with the surface, and 8 man got on either end over the sir.tisht compartments. Still the boat did not sink, and ss soon as it was cast loose, 1t heeled over and emptied out one-half the water and lighted itself. The air-tight compsrt- ments were subsequently, tested by being filled with water, and when the doors wese screwed down the boat was rolled over, and the compartments were found to be perfectly tight.