Index

Royal Baking Powder, by increasing its outstanding stock from 100,000 shares ($100 par) to 800,000 shares (no par) is giving its shareholders the equivalent of a 700% stock dividend. Besides, it is selling them $5,000,000 stock in its two main subsidiaries--E. W. Gillett Ltd., Canadian maker and distributor of baking powder and allied products, and American Maize Products Co., maker and distributor of corn starch and corn byproducts.

London Show. $50,000,000 worth of orders were placed before the London automobile show opened last week. 45% of the cars exhibited were of British make; the rest were French, German, Italian, Belgian, Austrian, U. S. Cars of seven to ten horsepower, selling from $500 to $1,500, drew the most customers.

Packard v. Ford. If you possess or know any one who possesses a Dos-A-Dos (an electric automobile seating four per- sons, back to back, manufactured by the Pope Mfg. Co. in 1898), communicate with Henry Ford of Detroit, Mich., and he will no doubt smile with pleasure. Mr. Ford wants a Dos-A-Dos because his engineers believe that it was equipped with 'demountable & interchangeable wheels. The Packard Motor Car Co. has brought a patent infringement suit against the Ford Motor Co. because of the demountable & interchangeable wheels on the new Fords. Thus, a Dos-A-Dos might possibly be favorable evidence for Mr. Ford. His agents were last week poking in old barns for a Dos-A-Dos. Among onetime owners of a Dos-A-Dos were the Vanderbilts, Belmonts, Wideners, Riddles.

Railroad Reputation. President John J. Bernet of the Erie last week spoke to his employees as follows: "During the years gone by the Erie Railroad has been better known as a freight road than as a carrier of passengers. Perhaps the impression got about that the railroad did not welcome passenger traffic. Whatever it may have been, I want to make it plain now that the Erie is a railroad, not a freight road or a passenger road, but a railroad serving its public with all the kinds of transportation the public needs. We not only want passenger business; we are going after it."

$1 Excursions. Like some chain grocery and drug stores who make special sales of two items for the cost of one plus one cent, the Boston & Maine Railroad has decided to sell holiday excursion round trip tickets between any two of its stations for the regular fare plus one dollar. It is a railroad innovation.

Seat. The new record price for a New York Stock Exchange seat is $465,000, made last week.