Evening star., 1916-03-19

to five times great as ordinary steel
tools, and their edges actually become
them to a red heat. Since this discov-
cry, in 1899, this steel has effected al
most incalculable economies and in
crease in efficiency in industry all over
the world.
Between 1000 and 10000 tons of this
epoch-maktng steel is produced in the
United States each year. and it's use.
like that of many other steel alloys, is
constantly growing.
big element OF safety in the navy
is kapok-which sounds like a patent
medicine or a break
Ruovan+ Rede fast food. but in real
ity is nothing more
1or tne navy. than a fluffy fiber
that grows on certain trees in the
tropics.
The valuable thing about kapok Is its
double utility. 1t is about as soft in
the mass as feathers, and every bit as
buoyant as cork; SO that the same OBJ
ject that serves as a soft pillow or
comforta BILE mattress in the ordinary
routine on shipboard may become an
invaluable life preserver in the times
of tragedy that are always just around
the corner for those who sail the sea,
especially in ships of war.
Hair mattresses and feather pillows
float at first when thrown into the sea,
but soon become water-logged. The
buoyancy of kapok is not reduced by
exposure in the water: so the naval
authorities are seeing to it that bed
ding stuffed with this silky fiber is
steadily superseding the other kinds.
All replacements now are made with
what has come to be recognized among
sea folk as the safety first" bedding.
Soon every one of Uncle Sans fight
ing craft will fairly bristle with utili-
tartan life preservers. Every lashed
hammock, with it's kapok pad; every
mattress and pillow from the ships
bunk and even sofa pillows from the
officers quarters may serve on occa-
sion to save human life. Many or the
ships have even now generous supply
of quilted kapok Jackets that are fure
nished to men who for any reason are
assigned to open boat duty. They are
fully as efficient in keeping one afioat
as the clumsy cork life preservers. re-
strict movements little more than ordl-
nary clothing and are warm and COM
Portable.
Kapok has come fully into it's own on
shipboard only in recent years. but IT
had already conquered large part OF
the worlds upholstery field. The nber,
pack like hair and felt, and so requires
no renovation. 1t is produced In large
fruit pods of a tree related TO cotton
which is a native of tropical South Amer
lea. From there 1t spread 10 other
continents and islands, notably to Java,
from where large quantities OF the moss
are shipped. Many thousands OF pounds
of kapok fiber are imported into the
United States every year, and the con-
sumption is steadily increasing.
The varying standings of the state
universities of the United States and
it's insular posses
State University sions when differ 1
Statistics. en- into considera-
tion is strikingly brought out in data
for the eighty-nine educational insti-
tutions of the country of college or
university rank just assembled by the
Tinted States bureau Of education.
There are seven states, it is shown,
which have no state universities. These
are Connecticut. Delaware, Maryland.
Massachusetts,, New hampshire. New
Jersey. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
There is, on the other hand. CnlVer-
sity of Porto Rico. OF the forty-one
universities under state or territorial
control California stands first in Vaiue
Of nlant. more than SS.000.000: in stu
dents enrolled during the regular term.
more than 5000. and in the highest sal
ary paid to professors, $4,000. 1t shares
first place with the University of IL
linois in paying $4,000 a year to It's
president.
OnIy four other state universities be
sides California have more than 4,O0o
regular students. They are the Cni-
versity of Michigan, with 1926; Cor
nell. n: Y. 5.4s1: the University ;tx OF ~
1897. The University of New Mexico
and the University of Wyoming have
the fewest students-137 and 246. re-
spectively.
structors the University of Illinois
leads all other state institutions, nav
ing a staff of 754. The only other state
educational institution having COM
parable force of instructors is Cornell,
with 74s. Even California mas oniy
4S4. At the bottom of the scale in this
respect stand the University of New
Mexico, with 20, and Mississippi and
Nevada, with 80 and 33. respectively.
The relatively large salaries PAID
their presidents by the universities of
California and Illinois are most closely
approached by Michigan, Minnesota and
Cornell, which pay $4,000. The lowest
salary received by the heads of uni
versities is $4,000. and is paid by South
Dakota, New Mexico, MISSISSIPPI anu
South Carolina.
only the University of Minnesota and
Cornell are at all close to California
in value of plant. Minnesota has
buildings worth s5,700,000 and Cornell
35,6sO,000. Seven others have plant
worth more than 100000. and still
six others own buildings valued at
more than $1.000.000. The University
of New Mexico operates with the least
valuable plant, having buildings whose
i1
same institution receives also the
smallest annual income-$62,000. Cor
nell receives the largest income-near-
ly $4,000, ,0O0-while moro than $2,600.-
900 each is received by Illinois. Cali
tornia and Wisconsin.