Once More The Statement Is Being

paased arewad tliat water gas ;ui furnished for fuol at SO cents ier lUousaud feet, and for illumination at 40 cents. Then why is it not thus furnisheU? The muubor of national banks is now 8,170, an increase of 54 in the past year. Tho incrouse has been moatly in the outhwest. The capital invested in national banks is $586,000,000. Tho surplus and proflts of the banks are increasing at the rate of over $10,000,000 a year. Tree planting and Arbor day have already done wonders in the prairie at&tes. It is predieted that in twenty-five years more these etates will be abundantly timbercd, whila the rast will be stripped of its forest. Every year in tho United States 764,000 acres of woods are denudd of their tünber, Those who have planted young woodlands in the west flnd that a forest tree doubles its growth in ten years. The best paying publishing house in America, in proportion to its capital, is a rellgious ono, the Methodist Book concern. tt last year declared a cash dividend of $100,000, belng in this respect about on a par with a íirst class daily newspaper in the largo citles. The net proflts of tho book concern orlginally went to the support of Buperannuated preachers of the denomination, though since they have grown so largo they have been di verted to other Hses.