Public Improvements.

The under secretary of public works and transportation, calls attention to a proposed railway from Bordeaux to Odessa, and the muchtalked-of tunnel under the English Channel, as part of the economic offensive which he is directing. This offensive includes railway, steamship, and canal extensions. [Courier-Herald, Saginaw, Mich., Dec. 3, 1918.]

Commissariat for Liberated Territories.

By decree of the President of the Republic, a general commissariat for the reconstruction of the liberated territories has been created at the ministry of blockade and of the liberated regions. It will deal with: Relations with the transportation and food services, so as to meet the needs of the population; the determination, in consultation with the army, of the assistance to be obtained from it; the material reconstruction of the liberated territories; and especially the rebuilding of ruined houses, and the restoration of the soil to a fit state for cultivation. The general commissioner is empowered to take immediately, in urgent cases, all necessary measures to meet urgent needs. He will make immediate use of all local administrations and will endeavor to obtain the collaboration of the headquarters of the Allied Armies. The services of prisoners of war and the French prisoners will be utilized. Material for the construction of provisional house accommodations will be sent as quickly as possible, railways will be repaired, and the return of the populations will be effected with the provision of housing and the food supply.-[Journal des Debats, Dec. 4, 1918.]

Repairs to Damaged Railways, Locks, and Bridges.

The minister of public works has had a conference with the representatives of the railway systems of the Nord and the Est with regard to repairs of the lines. The work will be carried on under State control. The railway companies are authorized to come to an understanding with builders' and contractors' organizations with the view both of the urgency for execution of certain steps, and the recommencement of work. The minister has also requested that the representatives of these railway systems indicate to him the number of workmen necessary for these repairs, in order that he may demand their demobilization and their dispatch to the place where their presence will be most useful. There are 1,800 bridges to be rebuilt, 20 locks to be reconstructed, and at least 5,000 kilometers of rails to be repaired.-[Journal des Debats, Dec. 4, 1918; Le Matin, Dec. 8, 1918.]

Government Aid in Trade Reorganization.

The ministry of trade intends to amalgamate the various members of each branch of industry, to distribute them in groups and to

intrust to these the preparation of samples as well as information and services with a view to introducing economies and increasing their efficiency. He has announced that it is intended to reorganize the ministry of trade, to add to French diplomative representatives abroad, Government commercial agents, and to settle as many French firms in foreign countries as may be feasible.-[Weltwirtschaftszeitung, Dec. 6, 1918.]

Organizations of Export Credit in France.

The minister of trade has made the following statement with regard to the establishment of the new French export bank on the occasion of its renewal of the privileges of the Banque de France. In addition to its permanent advances, the bank is to make, if necessary, an advance of 50,000,000 francs to the treasury to serve as the foundation capital of a French export bank whose organization is to be intrusted to a committee of 15 members, 8 nominated by the Chambers of Commerce of Paris, Lens, Marseilles, Bordeaux, and Havre, and the rest by decree of the ministerial council.-[Weltwirtschaftszeitung, Dec. 6, 1918.]

American Committee for Devastated France.

In order to assist in reorganizing remote war-torn regions, the women of the American Committee for Devastated France have instituted a modernized peddling system by means of which groceries and household necessities are distributed by autotrucks.-[Tribune, New York, N. Y., Dec. 7, 1918.]

Agricultural Land Reforms.

A law has been enacted which has for its object a redistribution of disintegrated rural properties so as to produce united estates on which agricultural operations will be more profitable. It provides that exchanges rendered necessary to the achievement of this are to be conducted by barter. The object is to give to each proprietor an area of land relatively equivalent either in extent or quality to the ground owned by him within boundaries of the land to be redistributed. Privileges, the mortgages, and other actual rights upon the real estate given in exchange are to be transferred absolutely to the property received in the exchange. All claims and complaints will be heard by a commission appointed under the law.-[L'Economiste Francaise, Dec. 7, 1918.]

The Conversion of War Factories.

The central committee of the employers union of vocational syndicates has called the attention of the minister of reconstruction to the following points concerning the conversion of war factories to the requirements of peace: Conversion can only be harmless as it is entirely provisional; it should not compete with normal industry, but should assist them rather to increase their productive power during

the transitional period; and the conversion of private war factories might disturb and injure existing establishments and particularly those of the liberated regions by reason of state favoritism accorded to such converted factories, and their competition in the manufacture of articles in which the existing establishments have long specialized. [Temps, Dec. 12, 1918.]

Organization for Industrial Reconstruction.

The Premier of France organized on November 17, 1917, under the title of ministry of blockade and of the liberated territories, the following four departments:

1. A department to take charge of the economic life in the liberated parts of France. It comprises services for

a. Provisioning of population through the local administration. 3. Reestablishment of local authorities and schools.

c. Relief work.

d. Responsibility for such questions as the assessment of damages wrought by the war and the indemnities to which the inhabitants are entitled.

2. A department to take care of the housing of the population. a. Supplies temporary wooden houses where homes, churches, and town halls are completely destroyed, to be replaced later by more substantial structures.

b. Makes temporary repairs where houses are damaged but not destroyed.

c. Supplies furniture to replace that taken by the Germans.

d. Puts soil into fit condition for cultivation, removing shells, grenades, barbed wire, etc., also refilling trenches so that farmers may proceed with their work.

3. An office of agricultural reconstruction to restore to the liberated region all its prewar agricultural activity.

a. Replaces cattle destroyed or taken away and farming implements destroyed.

b. Furnishes plants and seeds.

4. An office of industrial reconstitution comprising a central committee of purchases composed of manufacturers from the liberated regions who are desirous of restoring to the devastated territories in the shortest possible time all prewar industrial activities. This committee is subdivided into a number of important committees, almost every industry being represented, such as the spinning and weaving factories, breweries, coal-mining industry, electric power, etc. These committees are to submit a program of industrial reconstruction and present their desideratum to the minister of liberated territories through the office of industrial reconstitution.-[Article by Lieut. Maurice Boyer, in charge of reconstruction for the French High Commission in Washington; Times, Detroit, Mich., Dec. 12,

Société Mineraux et Metaux.

At the suggestion of the French ministry of commerce, the société mineraux et metaux, having as its aim the development in France of mineral and metallurgical industries, has been organized to take a leading part in the purchase of metals in the United States.—[Wall Street Journal, New York, N. Y., Dec. 18, 1918.]

Cooperation of Employees to Solve Food Problem.

A report recently published in the Bulletin Economique Francaise refers to restaurants and stores maintained by cooperative societies and supported by employees of French munitions factories. By means of these societies there is secured a methodical organization and distribution of foodstuffs, thus frustrating the profiteering of local tradesmen. It is expected that many of these organizations, called into existence during the war, will continue after its close.[Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Dec. 20, 1918, p. 1097.]

Reconstituting Damaged Industries, Needs for.

The United States commercial attaché, at Paris, cabled that what France needs for reconstituting its damaged industries in the north and east are: Labor; credit; raw materials to keep French industries going; such special equipment for iron and coal mines, steel works, textile mills, and other industrial establishments as France is not in position to make in sufficient quantity at this time; and ships.[Commerce Reports, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Dec. 23, 1918, p. 1124.] Organization for Industrial Reconstruction.

The office of industrial reconstitution of the invaded regions of the ministry of blockade and of the liberated regions, according to a decree of December 13, 1917, deals with everything relating to the reorganization of local life and means of habitation, the assistance to be given to sufferers in the reestablishment of destroyed property, the repair of war ravages, the restoration of the land, and industrial and agricultural reconstruction. Its function is to lay down programs of purchases and to supervise and control their execution.

An act of August 6, 1917, sanctions a credit of 250,000,000 francs and charges the ministry of commerce to purchase and institute the necessary materials for reconstruction purposes through the office of industrial reconstitution. It provides for the transfer of actual operations by agreement to a third party responsible to that office and subject to the audit of the ministry of finance. The central industrial purchasing office for the invaded regions is the third party concerned.

The central association for the resumption of industrial activity in the invaded regions (association central pour la reprise de l'activite industrielle dans les regions envahie) comprises a group of

manufacturers in the invaded districts with the object of "pursuing by every suitable means the reconstitution of plants and stocks in industrial enterprises and factories." Being prohibited by law from undertaking commercial operations, the association established a central industrial purchasing office for the invaded regions (comptoir central d'achats industriels pour les regions envahies).

The central industrial purchasing office for the invaded regions, established by the central association for the resumption of industrial activities in the invaded regions, is a limited company with a capital of 1,000,000 francs. Its functions are defined by act of August 6, 1917, and by agreement entered into with the French Government on October 4, 1917. The duties of the comptoir central are to submit data for purchasing programs to the industrial office; to find out and discuss purchases and supplies; to place contracts, to supervise their execution; and to receive and store the material and distribute it to the manufacturers concerned. Their purchases may be made either upon specific requests from the manufacturers or with the object of constituting stocks for distribution when required.

Cessions of material, which are subject to a formal undertaking on the part of the recipient only to use the material for reconstruction purposes, are made by the comptoir central on behalf of the ministry of blockade either against cash payment or by debiting their value to potential indemnities of war damages. [Journal of Commerce, New York, N. Y., Dec. 23, 1918.]

Demobilized Soldiers' Bonus.

In addition to a provision for soldiers' families during periods of unemployment, sums ranging from 250 to 410 francs are being paid soldiers immediately upon demobilization.-[Post, Washington, D. C., Dec. 27, 1918.]

Franco-American Board of Commerce and Industry.

The Franco-American Board of Commerce and Industry was formed December 26, 1918, by French officials and commercial representatives to develop American markets for French manufacturers. Headquarters where French goods will be exhibited are to be established in New York and branches will be established in France.[Sun; Herald, New York, N. Y., Dec. 27, 1918; Wall Street Journal, Dec. 28, 1918.]

Reconstruction of French Railway Lines.

A bill has been passed for the restoration of the railways to their prewar condition. The necessary rolling stock will be purchased by the State. Authority is given to the minister to guarantee extra bonuses for the staff on the main lines equal in amount to the bonuses paid to Government servants. The total expenditure has been fixed at 600,000,000 francs, 480,000,000 of which will go to pay the staff,