Evening star., 1915-02-14
{ WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

governments relation to the immedi-
ate interests of the citizen"
Il
With wheat prices jumping skyward
and with six-cent bread either a reality
or in sight In many cities
Potato throughout the country,
m.r. housewives will consider
with interest the expert
ments which the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture has made with po-
tato meal mixed with wheat -four Al
though the governments experiments
show that very satisfactory and nu-
trttious bread can be made with 30 per
cent potato flour and the remainder
wheat -four. the law which placed a
tax on mixed flour. passed during the
Spanish-American war. has discouraged
the manufacture Of this product. While
the law and internal revenue regula-
tions which restrict the manufacture
OF wheat flour perhaps will not be re-
pealed before the price of flour again
gets back to normal. the announcement
OF the governments experiments with
potato meal -four will, nevertheless.
carry much interest to Americans who
have given little attention to the uses
of potato meal. which are common in
Germany and Austria.
Farmers of the country who have suf-
fered In recent years because of the
low prices of potatoes will welcome
the news of the governments expert
ments looking toward a new use for
the popular tuber. Although the pro-
duction OF potatoes in the United States
last year was larger than in any other
season since the compilation of the
Agricultural Department statistics be-
gan sixty years ago. excepting one
year, the farmers profit was less than
1t has been for more than ten years.
Last year there were produced in this
country more than 405 100000 bushels
of potatoes. against 332 10000 in 1913.
The average value of potatoes to pro-
ducers, however. in 1913 was nearly 50
49 cents.
All the European countries are far
ahead of the United States in the per
acre production of potatoes. Germany.
year period more than 19s bushels per
acre. whereas the United States pro-
duced only ninety-six. The average
production for the same ten-ysar
bushels; in Austria, 1872 bushels; in
France. 129 bushels, and in Russia, 1O4
bushels. Frequent comparisons are
made between the amount of produc-
tion per acre in the United States and
in foreign countries. Agricultural ex-
perts point out that If the production
per acre Of potatoes in this country
averaged as high as in Europe there
bottom would drop out Of the potato
market and the farmers would suffer a
heavy loss in raising this crop.
The report that bubonic plague had
broken out in Havana did not come en-
tirely as a surprise to
Plague in officials of the United
uouo,a States public health serv-
ice in Washington. AL
though only one human case Of the dis
ease has developed, the governments
health officers are much concerned over
the outbreak because it is the third
time within the last two and one
half years that plague has broken out
in Havana. Unlike New Orleans, whose
authorities set about Immediately on a
campaign to eradicate the rats carry
ing plague-infected fieas. the Cuban
city has been slow to push work of
plague prevention, Notwithstanding the
frequent discovery of the disease on
the island in recent years.
The people of New Orleans were quick
to take up the work of ratproofing
the city and the eradication of the rat
population. Up to the present time
more than $4,000 rats have been cap
tured. The activity of the city authori-
ment's physicians has resulted in hold
ing down the epidemic of bubonic
plague to thirty cases. with only ten
deaths. Not death has occurred nor
Havana in the past has failed to take
the same vigorous measures as those
adopted in New Orleans, and as re-
suit the recurring outbreaks of plague
have been no surprise to the officials Of
the public health service.
1t is believed by Surgeon General
Blue and Assistant Surgeon General
Rucker, who was in charge of the New
Orleans anti-plague campaign, that
American ports have little to fear
from the existence of the plague in
Havana.
The .'made-in-America' movement
will receive great boost If the two
foreign built floating
Floating Cranes cranes-the largest
4p. in the world-which
at Panama. have been purchased
for the Panama canal. fail in a second
test to make good In doing the work
which has been laid out for them by
the governments engineers in the Zone
The first of the cranes to be delivered, |
the Ajax, failed and wrecked itself with
a test load of 120 tons. and repairs to
the big crane are now being made in
for second test.
The two gigantic floating cranes have |
been purchased by the government as
naval equipment for handling
big guns or other parts of battleships to
be put up for repairs or in lifting canal |
equipment or articles of extraordinary |
weight in and out of ships. 1t has been |
planned to station one of the cranes at |
each end of the canal, and the Ajax, |
by German firm and |
which has just failed under the first test |
was the first of the two big machines |
to arrive at Panama and be assembled |
for trial.
Although one of the parts Of the crane |
broke and wrecked the machine on the |
first test, army engineer officers in charge |
Of the canal work think that the fault |
Is not with the design Of the machine |
nor its lghtness of weight, but believe |
q simple defect was discovered which |
can be easily remedied. The repairs are |
now being made without any cost what
soever to the United States government.
and the contractors will not only be re- |
4uired to replace the parts of the ma
chine which have been injured, but VIII |
have to suffer loss of 800 a day as
iquidated damages for the time lost in |
time for delivery specified in the orig
nal contract was November %, 1914.
Secretary of War Garrison awarded
the contract for the two gigantic
cranes in April, 1913, after the en-
Rineerinp eXDertS connected with tho