The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-27

finding out how to make opium pay proper rate of custom duties, the Board of General Appraisers deem it necessary to discuss briefly the meth ods of production and manufacture.
 When the poppy is mature an in c1sion is made around the poppy head with smal knife, thus allowing the sap, which produces the opium, to ooze out,'' says the board "The sap is then collected, rolled together in the hands of the harvesters in bowls, and al lowed to dry. This is the gum opium. After it has sufficiently dried it is placed in cast iron box, open at bottom. The box is then filed with gum opium, the gum pressed by means of a screw press, thus forcing the op1- urn through the openings of the grill in sliced condition The sliced opium is then gathered on trays and placed in an oven specially constructed to ex- pei the moisture from the opium. This process of heating is supervised most carefully. for were the opium to be overheated it would spoil and become vaIueless After it leaves the oven it is in a. dried condition, and to reduce it to the various degrees of fneness it is ground or crushed
 The Board of Appraisers held that an article that had gone through such a process, with the use of expensive and specially constructed machinery, and requiring the. services of skilled IaDOT, SnOu1Q property De COnSlQ0T0d d manufactured article.
 The collectors of customs at New York and Philadelphia claimed that it should be c1assed as 'tcrude and un- manufactured'' opium and made to pay duty at $1 per pound because it was not in it's final stage for use either as a drug of for smoking purposes. The importers, however, contend that it should be entered as a drug (gunn) advanced in value by refining or other the excuse that his "grandmother" is i'll, but it is unusual for a grown man to resort to such subt erfuges.
 Yet that is just what got Private Wm. Dalos, of the 24th United States Infant1g a5st into trouble r3u o,a Stationed at at visit Buffalo. So he "faked" a tele- gram from his Aunt Jennie'' saying that his grandmother was very sick. His deception was found out and he was promptly court-martialed, with the result that he was dishonorably dis charged, forfeiting all pay and allow ances due him, and sent to prison with hard labor for six months.
 The European starling has beeH placed upon the list of obnoxious birds whose Importation into this country is prohibited by the Treasury Depart ment and the Agriculture Department, despite it's attractive plumage and cheerful song.
 It has been found that the starling is very destructive to wheat and other grain crops. Introduced into New
 
 and soHthward to Pennsylvania, and it is feared that it will make its way into the western wheat belt where 1t would be very unWelcome visitor So the ban has been placed upon it and hereafter starlings imported into this country will face a horrible death at the hands of a customs collector.
 With a wide range for the exercise of his talents the Rev. Zed H. COppe has installed himself as the public dxvicn nF "a C1 in cyfO completed a report of the first month of his service.
 Having a general Knowledge of the law'' he says, sfand of the gospel, and special knowledge of dealing with de- linquent children, thought the range of my service should be broad enough to help all. Therefore my work em- braces six points of the free service.
 First-Lega adviser to those of limited circumstances.
 Second First aid to the unemployed.
 Third-Mutual friend to the estrang- F,ourth-spiritual guide to the non churched.
 FIfth-Life saver to the would-be suicide.
 sfxth-special counselor, to parents of children with so-called incorrigible Public spirited lawyers have aided him with advice and have appeared in court when necessary. Rev. Copp consults seekers for aid two evenings every week, outside of his official time as chief probation officer. Last month he had B clients.
 A number of the cases in which his assistance was solicited involved ac- ton for non-support, advice about in corrigible children, reunion of family and property rights, divorce, recovery of a child from the workhouse, action for islander, spiritual guidance, aid to enter the Methodist Home of the Az ed and relief from impending prosecu- ton. In nearly every case, he says, fhH desired relief was given.
 
 Rivalry among cities desiring to cele- brate the completion of the Panama Canal by holding an exposition threat ems to become a burning issue in Con- War Department officials for putting l work is 1915. Difficult problems are 1 yet to be solved and unexepcted ob- 1 stacles may delay the opening but that l is not taken into account by the ex- position candidates. They have their | eyes and their minds set 1915 and l are shaping tneirs plans accordingly The rivals are San Diego, San Fran | cisco New Orleans and Washington. l The first point is to get government | and all of them have begun | to bring pressure to bear on Congress. Arguments in favor of each of the | are so strong that the con- l gressnaen will be puzzled when the | lime comes for the declaration of their | ehoice.
 Advocates of San Diego claim the tight of discovery, the idea of holding m exposition to celebrate the canal |