I was in England last June and there was a great deal of discussion in the papers over the enforcement of a law compelling a weekly half holiday in every line of business. In London business was suspended at 1 P. M. Saturday, but in Oxford we learned to our sorrow that the closing day was Thursday. One of our party being in need of a dentist one Thursday afternoon we started out to find one about 2 o’clock. Not one was to be seen until 9:30 Friday morning, we were told. “The next best thing, we decided, would be to consult a druggist or “chemist,” but there again we were met with barred doors and drawn curtains. Finally appealing to a “bobby” we were directed to a shop where we could ring a night bell and get some attention. When we told the chemist that in America the drug stores were always open even when other places of business were closed he said that in England it was against the law. He also explained that the country towns in England had the half holiday during the week as Saturday was the country market day. In Winchester the closing day was Wednesday. This is offered as one answer, though there may be better ones for this modern industrial puzzle. JEAN ALLISON. Allentown, Pa. THE RINGING OF THE BELL TO THE EDITOR: In your issue of March 15, 1913, you describe the ringing of a bell, every five minutes, to indicate the unearned increment of $1,000 in New York city real estate. This corresponds to a yearly increase of a little over $106,000,000. As stated further on, however, the community takes over $57,000,000 of this, directly, in taxes. It is perfectly true that the industries of the city account for the increase in value. But, on the other hand, the men who own and have built skyscrapers on the land have made the space in which the community lives. The land area itself is utterly inadequate for the business and living room of the community. There does not seem to be any great injustice in leaving for the men who have bought and improved and who manage this land, between 40 and 43 per cent of the increase, especially as the increase is itself subject to an increased assessment and progressive taxation. Looking at the matter in another way, the owner of land in New York is allowed a trifle over 1½ per cent a year interest on his investment. Unless he makes a high rate of interest on the buildings, and the general experience for most cities is that 5 per cent on a realty investment is rather beyond the average, it does not appear that his profits are usurious.