The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
From Detection Of Frauds in
Family Bibles to Healthful-
ness Of Potatoes, Citizens
Are Protected.

Science has been laying hands on the
family Bible, writes the New York
Evening Posts London correspondent
The most orthodox believer, however,
need be neither alarmed nor indignant
1t Is only the interleaved matter not
the text, that has been affected by the
scrutiny. And, OF course, Lloyd-George
Is the man to be blamed for it. 1t Is
all on account of the old age pensions
act.
When an alleged septuagenarian ap-
/ plies for a pension, he must produce
satisfactory evidence as to age. What
| is he to do when there is no Registrar
Generals certificate available? In many
cases an entry in an old family Bible
| is a presumptive proof that his claim
| is just Here comes in a temptation
to forgery. The authorities have had
reason to suspect that sometimes such
an entry has been made recently, or
that the original entry has been altered.
Suspected Gaze Scrutinixed.
But LIoyd-George and his officials are
not TO be so easily hoodwinked. The
slim" old people have to reckon with
the resources of the laboratory. Sus-
tiny of the government chemist. During
the last year eleven such documents
have been put into his hands-not only
family Bibles. but prayer books and
books received as gifts in childhood,
with names and dates written in them
and in six Of these instances it has been
found that the writing was Of recent
date. or that the original had been re-
Gently tampered with. Handwriting eX-
perts may sometimes be refused, but
there is no arguing against test-tube.
The government chemist is, in fact, a
sort of official Sherlock Holmes. During
the last twelve months, according to his
report, just issued he and his assistants
have had to examine no less than $4,000
samples. Inese have included a bewil
dering variety Of problems, originating in
almost every department Of the govern
ment service.
The Postoffice. for instance, sends him
envelopes suspected to have been removed
from mailing boxes by means of a pad
and string and he detects on them evil
dences Of the use of bird lime. He in
quires into fraudulent attempts to use
stamps that have previously been can
celed. He tests the quality of the inks,
paper and gum employed in stamp man.
ufacture, of the sealing wax provided
for the clerks in the Office, and OF the
tires fitted to the bicycles OF telegraph
mess engers.
Health of Employees.
The Home Office, again. calls him in to-
report on the working OF its regulations
to safeguard the health of factory en-
ployes. He tests dust and manufacturing
materials for arsenic and other poisonous
substances. He discovers whether the
supposed leadless glazes OF the potteries
are really leadless, He examines file
cutters beds l. e, the metal in which
the files are placed while being cut. In
one case as much as 20 per cent OF lead
has been found in these beds. though the
permissible quantity is only 5 per cent.
He should certainly be numbered among
the cherubs that look after the welfare
Of Jack Tar. Samples of everything that
Jack eats and drinks are taken to his
laboratory TO see whether they agree
with the specifications of the tender and
are free from sdulteration. The close at
tention given to such matters is shown
by the fact that when the fleet. on its
maneuvers, visited BeTehaven and Inver-
gordon. samples of the beer and spirits
sold in the local saloons were sent to-
the government chemist to insure that
inferior stun should not be palmed of on
unsuspecting Jack.
The mercantile marine is watched over
with the same solicitude. Officers of the
government laboratory inspect the lime
and lemon juice that the merchant ship
ping act requires to be served out to-
crews. A similar investigation proved
that the butter supplied to one ship had
been heavily salted by the contractors. !
and that cane sugar had been added to
conceal the presence of the salt.
Nothing Escapes Chemists.
In like manner samples of provisions /
are submitted by the War Department
for the benefit of Tommy Atkins. The !