Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

device that they are now cooperating
with him In the work Of his laboratory.
and number Of the higher officials have
agreed to witness the tests which are to
be made soon.
At the Hammond laboratory near the
mouth Of Gloucester's harbor there are
twin wireless masts $50 feet high. In
the harbor lies a fifty-foot houseboat re-
erations which the inventor, standing at
q mysterious keyboard in his laboratory,
can at will put through its PAGES out IN
the bay-two. three. four miles from
turning. stopping. backing, starting for
ward again, without Interference by any
one on board IL there happens to be any
one. The predecessor of this "house
boat" the Radio, speedier type. was
operated by wireless waves ut = thirty
three knot rate. When the navy experts
heard this. and satisfied themselves as to
Its truth, they requested Mr.. Hammond
to continue his experiments with slow
er type, with the result that the Ham
mond house boat was RENTED for the
radio tests.
The next step in the inventors war, it
Is declared. will be for some one to find
some device that will be powerful enough
TO put q wireless station out Of commits
sion before 1t has chance to start q
Eight years ago the United States sani-
tation squad In fumigating houses in the
city Of Panama, in the ia
fanama nous Canal Zone health
c1o;r,. campaign, accidentally set
fire to one Of the houses and
before the blaze could be extinguished it
had rendered homeless q number Of FAM
lilies and destroyed property valued at
$4,000. Under the treaty Of this country
with the republic of Panama damages Of
this kind are to be appraised by a joint
commission. and this was done within a
year of the fire. the commission agreeing
that half Of the total claim of SIPS, 900
should be paid.
Since that time the claim Of the
Panamans has come up in Congress once
a year, only to be thrust aside without
action. Twice William H. Taft, as Presi-
dent, sent special messages to the Con-
gress. urging that the claim be paid. Now
President Wilson has 1t on his hands.
He has gone 30 far as to ask Secretary
Of war Garrison to look into the business
Of the claim. and Mr.. Garrison has re-
piled that 1.-The case is such as naturally
appeals to ones sense of justice. There
is practically no doubt that the claimants
in this case lost their property and homes
through the negligence OF the agents OF
. the government In fumigating their
houses. therefore suggest that you urge
upon Congress the propriety Of making
an appropriation for their relief"
An effort is now to be made to get the
claim through both houses in order that
the sufferers may be indemnified before
the Panama canal is officially opened.
4
The gradual encroachment Of federal
authority upon what has been known
and understood in the
States Ask past as the powers Of
r,a., the states has been
ceuesa@ oIu. causing some uneasi-
ness among many statesmen in Wash
ington, but this does not stay the move
ment's progress. The latest plan to be
formulated. and one Of the most RADICAL
contemplates that the federal government
shall have control and supervision Of the
manufacture Of all Weighing and meas
uriug devices throughout the United
States. except those intended solely for
expectation to foreign countries.
The strange part of 1t all is that the
plan was not conceived by the federal
authorities, but by the various state Of
fcials charged with the execution of tho
laws relating to weights and measures
1t is said to be an open confession from
the state officials that they have been
unable to stop the weights and meas
ures, frauds that have been going on
within their jurisdiction. Estimates of the
extent Of these frauds have been made
on several occasions by officials of tho
United States bureau of standards, and
they have made the statement that the
people Of the United States have lost
millions Of dollars through short weight
and measure. It was found some time
ago in the item Of butter alone the peo-
pie had been victimized in this way each
year to the extent of several hundred
At the present time almost every COM
munfty Of any size has an officer who is
charged with the duty of seeing that the
weights and measures used by merchants
are true, and also that the people obtain
the true weight and measure from the
merchants. The national association
composed Of these officials held a con-
ference few weeks ago in Washington
with the experts Of the bureau of stand
ards. and the result is bill just intro
duced in Congress by Representative W.
A. Ashbrook Of Ohio which is intended
to stop the manufacture of dishonest
scales and measures at the point of their
origin. 1t is claimed that the bill repre-
sents the consensus Of the officials of all
the important states, and also the bureau
Of standards.
The measure provides that before any
OF the types OF Weighing and measuring
devices may lawfully be used in trade
and commerce throughout the United
States they must have the approval Of
the bureau of standards. II the type Of
device Is approved. the bureau of stand
ards Is required to furnish a certificate
to that effect to the manufacturer. If the
measure is not approved, the maker has
the right to appeal to the Secretary of
the Department Of Commerce. whose de-
cision shall be final. The bill further
provides that any one found using a
measure of type that has not been ap-
proved shall be subject to a fine not ex-
ceeding 500 for the first offense and as
much as $500 for the second offense, or
one year of imprisonment, or both.
Each weighing or measuring device
approved must carry the name Of the
manufacturer and the serial number of
approval. A violation of this would be
met with fine For the enforcement of
the provisions Of the bill the district
courts of the United States are given
Jurisdiction. It is provided that the pro-
posed law shall take effect one year
from its passage.
Those who are back of this legislation
evidently feel that 1t comes squarely
within the provisions Of the Constitution,
for they call attention to a section which
they say specifically delegates 70 Congress
the power ito fix the standard of weights
and measures
RAYMOND W. PULLMAN.
VITA Ann cipplu7l