Notes

Railroad Mergers. Northwest. Arthur Curtis James, probably the largest railroad stockholder in the country, predicted at St. Paul last week, that the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific and the Burlington would be consolidated into a Northwest system, with only the St. Paul giving competition. Chairman Howard Elliott of the Northern Pacific, at Manhattan, said the merger awaits only appropriate Congressional legislation.

Southwest. Plans of the Leonor Fresnel Loree merger of the Kansas City Southern, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas and the St. Louis Southwestern were placed before the Interstate Commerce Commission last week.

East. C. V. Burnside, I. C. C. examiner, tentatively approved the Reading's desire to lease the Lehigh & New England for $1,069,000 yearly during 999 years and thus to get a route into the northeast--provided that the Reading permitted other lines to use the same route.

Woolworth's to Germany. Its chain stores in England now well established, the F. W. Woolworth Co. (5c & 10c) last week prepared for a similar chain in Germany.

Tire Prices. Tire manufacturers reduced their prices 10% to 20%, an average of 11%, last week, and at the same time re-established their spring dating practice. Under this system dealers are not billed for tires they receive during winter months until the following spring, when they have cashed in. It is practically selling on consignment.

Cigarets. This year approximately 90 billion cigarets will have been made in the U. S., more than half of them in North Carolina. This is about 15 times the production of 20 years ago and means at least 800 cigarets for each U. S. adult.

Seat. Again the record price of a New York Stock Exchange seat has mounted--to $158,000 in one instance last week. This was immediately topped by another sale for $160,000. The previous record was $155,000.

Apples, Cider. In the country around Martinsburg, W. Va., this season's apple crop totals 1,000,000 barrels, but cannot be sold. Growers have set up apple stands and cider tubs in Martinsburg's public square where all comers may help themselves freely.