172 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

condition, it is redeemed at full price by the cement mill from whichit came. The consumer also knows that every sack contains one cubicfoot of cement. His measuring was done for him when the sack wasfilled at the mill.Cement sacks usually get such hard usage that they seldom make

more than eight trips from and to the mills. It, is a rare thing for acement sack to make more than two or three round trips a year.The millions of sacks returned to the mills every year arrive m various

sized bundles. These bundles must be sorted and the sacks countedand credited to the customer sending them in. Then the sacks mustbe cleaned, and the damaged ones sent to the repair department wheremachine operators make them fit for service again. The smallest holesor worn spots must be detected, or the very fine cementwill leak through.After the sacks are carefully repaired they are tied with a wire bondand are ready for refilling. The filling is done by machine through avalve in the bottom�after the sack has been tied.

All of the repairing and accounting is done without cost to the con-sumer. Many sacks for which credit has been given fail at the packingmachines and are a total loss to the cement company. Millions of dollarsare involved in the accounting for sacks returned every year.

TEACHERS NEEDED FOR PHILIPPINE SCHOOLS.High school teachers, primary specialists, and model primary teachers

are to be selected by the United States Civil Service Commission forservice in the Philippine Islands. Competitors for these positions willnot be required to report for examination at any place, but will be ratedon physical ability and on education, training, and experience. The rule,which formerly excluded from this examination women who were not thewives, immediate relatives, or fiancees of men examined for teaching po-sitions has been rescinded. Salaries range from $1,500 to $2,000 a year.

As a safety measure in case of fire, upper floors of four Baltimore schoolshave been closed by order of the school boarck � The classrooms on thesefloors will remain closed until fire escapes have been built and the businessmanager of the school reports that the rooms are safe.

To further their education and gain credit toward college degrees,more than 3,000 teachers enrolled last year in evening classes establishedby educational extension department of the Pennsylvania State College.More than 100 courses are given in these classes, including education,psychology, English, languages, history, mathematics, music, art, ec-onomics, and physical education. In many places the faculty of a localinstitution gives the instruction.

WITHDRAWAL DEPENDS ON INDIVIDUAL, NOT COURSE.More than twice as many pupils withdraw from technical courses in

the high school as from academic courses, according to a study of threehigh schools in Cincinnati. R. J. Condon, superintendent of schools,states that this large withdrawal is not due to lack of attractiveness inthe practical work, but to the fact that certain types of boys and girlsselect the more practical,0 scientific, and technical courses because theycan not, or fear they can not, do the work of the more abstract generalcourses. These pupils would probably drop out before completing thecourse, no inatter what group of subjects they chose.