The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-02-11
news NOTES OF
NATIONS CAPITAL
Especial to the Silver State)
(By F.. J. DYER.)

bottoms "equal, to Holzafel Is or Rath-
jen So Mr. Bennett inaugurated
congressional investigation to ascer-
tain how many gallons of those paints
had been supplied to the commission
for he year ending June 30, 1910.
The report, just received, states that
none was purchased; but the inquiry
of the congressman derives its touch
of humor from the fact that it phonet-
ically refers to the makes of paint as
+" Rothjens' and Holyapples.
Humor Even in Potash Fight.
If humor can creep into congrssion-
al Investigations there would seem to
be no good reason why it should not
also tincture international negotia-
tions As a matter of fact, many fun
ny things occur in matters of state,
but your average diplomat is so busy
maintaining his dignity that he would
die rather than admit he ever appear
ed in a comical light. Take the potash
dispute with Germany, for instance.
In its answer to this country's conten-
tion that an injustice was being done
through the efforts on the part of the
German government to compel Ameri-
cans to surrender advantageous con-
tracts for potash and to accept con-
tracts which would result in their pay
ing very much more, Germany has set
up the plea that its action in penaliz-
ing the Americans by imposing a
heavy export tax which would fall on
them alone was justified from the
standpoint of conservation. Natural
ly. the German people have a notion
that this country has gone daft over
conservation, as it doubtless is
justified in doing when it sees us
conserving the coal in Alaska for
the millions of inhabitants of that ter
ritory who some day will need it, per-
haps. However, the attitude of Ger
many is about as ridiculous as is the
attitude of the United States regard
ing Alaska. Germany is the only
country which has developed potash
deposits, but if every farmer in the
world had to depend wholly on pot
ash fertilizers to grow his crops, and If
Germany supplied the farmers Of the
world with potash, the supply in sight
would still endure for millions OF
wears: and there are doubtless great
stores of potash in Germany which
have not yet been fully denned.
Wherefore it must be seen that Ger
in handing us this conservation
argument.
Talking about the potash fight, it
seems that this country has not In
long time had such a serious difficulty
with any other country as has arisen
with Germany over the potash con-
tracts. This is evidenced by the fact
that the secretary of state is taxing
/ - ho intI
and there are likely to be protests on
the floor of congress at any time.
Bitumens for Roads.
The fact that bitumens or petroleum
products are useful in road construc-
ton can no longer be considered
matter of controversy. Because OF
the general interest in good roads and
the desire for information regarding
bitumens, many road overseers and en-
gineeers will be glad to know that the
office of public roads, department OF
agriculture, has just issued Circular
No. 3, by Provost Hubbard, entitled
"Bitumens and Their Essential Con
stituents for Road Construction and
Maintenance, which can be had free
on application to the department OF
agriculture.
Customs Regulations for Fruit.
The government has had to face a
difficult problem in the appraisement
of damage to fruit from rot When
such fruit is imported, the importer
may set up the claim of loss from de-
cay, and then the fruit is examined
and the loss estimated. Duty is paid
on the entire invoice, but rebate is
allowed equivalent to the amount OF
duty paid on fruit adjudged to be
rotten. Recently the importers held a
conference with treasury officials and
protested against the proposal that all
fruit on which claim of damage was
made should be examined. 1t was de-
sired that only per cent of the in
voice be examined, that the proportion
found to be rotten in the five per cent
be taken as the damage in the whole
invoice The government has lost
millions of dollars by this method, sc
it intends to revise the regulations
Meantime a test is to be made of the
practicability of making an actual ex
animation of every piece of fruit on
which a rebate of duty is asked. Col
lector Loeb, of the port of New York
SAYS that the losses to the government
on lemons alone have reached enor
NOUS figures, and in support of his
statements it may be mentioned that
some of the New York importers wht
have been accused of paying the gov
ernment less than was its due for Gus
toms, have been convicted of FRAUD
and sent to Jail. Under the heading
Importers Get Four Months Term, ;
| the New York American on Januar,
| 25th last published an item to thu
: effect that Theodore Eeonomu and G
! p. Calogera had pleaded guilty to in
dictments charging them with beinl
{ engaged for years in conspiracy witt
, assistant customs weighers to defrau,
, the government of duties throug1
/ false weights on figs, cheese an
> olives. These are some of the me-
} who have been urging reductions o
J tariff duties, and probably the
{ thought it no harm to evade law
: which seemed to them unjust What
o,n. Amarscans NAV think of th