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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 739 



ticipation of that country in international 

 congresses on tlie same subject, the study of 

 questions relating to the prevention of fraud, 

 the supervision of the sale and manufacture 

 of food preparations, and the promotion of 

 uniform international methods of analysis. 

 The committee wiU also investigate the ques- 

 tion of human food from the chemical, physi- 

 ological, technical, commercial, legislative, 

 economic and social points of view. The 

 committee consists of fifty members represent- 

 ing the scientific as well as the industrial and 

 commercial worlds. There are three vice- 

 presidents: MM. Libotte, of Antwerp; Sohier, 

 of Liege, and Professor van Laer, of Brussels. 

 Dr. Schoofs, of Liege, is general secretary. 



A FRIEND of the Scientific American, who 

 desires to remain unknown, has paid into the 

 hands of the publishers the sum of $500, 

 which is to be awarded as a prize for the best 

 popular explanation of the Fourth Dimension, 

 the object being to set forth in an essay the 

 meaning of the term so that the ordinary lay 

 reader can understand it. No essay must be 

 longer than 2,500 words. Each essay must be 

 typewritten, bearing only the pseudonym. 

 With the essay should be sent a second plain 

 sealed envelope, also labeled with the pseudo- 

 nym and be sent to " Fourth Dimension Edi- 

 tor, Scientific American, 361 Broadway, New 

 York, N. Y.," by April 1, 1909. Professor 

 Henry B. Manning, of Brown University, and 

 Professor S. A. Mitchell, of Columbia Uni- 

 versity, will be the judges. 



According to a special press bulletin pre- 

 pared by Waldemar Lindgren, of the U. S. 

 Geological Survey, the gold-miaing industry 

 of the United States had a prosperous year in 

 1908, in spite of adverse conditions of trade 

 and finance. The director of the mint esti- 

 mates the production of gold for 1908 from 

 domestic sources at $96,313,256, against $90,- 

 435,700 in 1907. South Dakota, Alaska, Cali- 

 fornia and Colorado show large estimated in- 

 creases, ranging from $2,000,000 to $3,600,000. 

 The estimates for Utah indicate a decrease of 

 about $1,200,000; for Nevada a decrease of 

 $3,300,000. The production of Montana, Ari- 

 sona, Idaho, Oregon and other silver-producing 



states has remained approximately stationary. 

 The production from the Philippine Islands 

 shows an increase, the estimate of the mint 

 being $306,708, against $78,700 in 1907. As 

 part of the Philippine gold does not reach the 

 United States mints the showing is probably 

 even better than these figures would indicate. 

 Most of the gold was recovered by quartz 

 mining in Benguet and by dredging operations 

 in Paracale. The silver-mining industry pre- 

 sents a far less satisfactory condition than 

 that of gold, owing to the low prices for silver, 

 lead, copper and zinc. During the year the 

 large smelters of Utah and Colorado were 

 partly closed and partly operated on a reduced 

 capacity. 



The following lectures will be delivered at 

 Columbia University on The Henry Bergh 

 Foundation for the Promotion of Humane 

 Education, 1908-9, Wednesdays at 4.10 p.m., 

 in Eoom 309 Havemeyer Hall: 



February 3 — " The Influence of Humane Ideals 

 and Practises in Human Civilization," by Franklin 

 Henry Giddings, Ph.D., LL.D., professor of sociol- 

 ogy and the history of civilization, Columbia Uni- 

 versity. 



February 10 — " Pure Food as an Element in the 

 Humane Treatment of Men and Animals," by H. 

 H. Wiley, Ph.D., of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Washington, D. C. 



February 17 — " The Humane Treatment of Ani- 

 mals," by Albert Leffingwell, M.D., of Aurora, 

 N. Y. 



February 24 — " Science and Animal Experi- 

 mentation," by Nathan Oppenheim, M.D., of New 

 York. 



March 10 — " Hunting with the Camera," by 

 George Shiras, 3d, of Washington, D. C. 



March 17 — " The Humane Treatment of Chil- 

 dren," by Homer Folks, secretary of the New 

 York State Charities Aid Association. 



March 24 — " The Humane Treatment of Crim- 

 inals," by Samuel J. Barrows, D.D., president of 

 the International Prison Commission. 



March 31 — "The Ethics of Punishment," by 

 John Dewey, Ph.D., LL.D., professor of philosophy 

 in Columbia University. 



April 7 — " The Economic Aspect of the Humane 

 Treatment of Children and Animals," by Roswell 

 C. McCrea, Ph.D., of the New York School of 

 Philanthropy. 



