February 19.—Eight suits are begun by the Mutual Life Insurance Co. against the McCurdys, Louis A. Thebaud, son-in-law of Richard A. McCurdy, and C. H. Raymond & Co., for restitution of moneys of the company illegally spent. This includes campaign contributions, illegal salaries, rebates and illegal commissions. President Roosevelt recommends to Congress a lock canal of eighty-five foot level across the Isthmus of Panama. The lock canal was also favored by the Canal Commission and Secretary Taft. A majority of the Board of Consulting Engineers favored a sea level canal. The United States Supreme Court decides that it is illegal for railroads to sell commodities which they transport as common carriers. The decision of the Court bears directly on railroads that own or operate coal mines. Congressman E. Spencer Blackburn, of North Carolina, is accused of accepting a fee for using his influence to obtain action by an executive department. The offense is similar to the one committed by Senator Burton. The trial of the beef packers continues at Chicago. E. Dana Durand, chief assistant to Commissioner Garfield, testifies that the Department of Commerce turned over certain data obtained from the packers to the Department of Justice. Sixteen miners are killed by an explosion at Maitland, Colorado. A sub-committee of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce takes action on the Tillman, Gillespie and Campbell resolution to authorize the Interstate Commerce Committee to investigate the connection between railroads and coal and oil companies. All three of the resolutions will be embodied in one and sent back to the House for passage. The Interstate Commerce Commission orders an investigation of the rates and practices of the railroad carriers engaged in transporting oil from Kansas and Indian Territory to interstate destinations. Representative Campbell introduces a joint resolution to authorize the Interstate Commerce Commission to immediately investigate and report to Congress from time to time whether any interstate commerce carriers own or control any oil or other products which they ship as common carriers; whether the officers of such carriers charged with the distribution of cars and furnishing facilities for transportation are directly or indirectly owners of companies interested in oil products; whether a combination in restraint of trade exists between the carriers and the shippers of oil products, and whether the officers of oil companies are officers, agents or members of the directory of any common carrier. Congressman Mann, of Illinois, introduces a bill to make insurance business interstate commerce.