Evening star., 1915-03-21
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

I the electrical world as "electrolysis."
The effect of electrolysis Ia to cause
corrosion Of water pipes. which results
IN time In serious leakage.
Experiments with methods for mtti-
eating the evil are being pushed by the
bureau of standards OF the Department
OF Commerce, and surveys have been
made of conditions in various cities.
The latest of these was made in Spring
field. Mass. at the request of an asso-
citation of the gas, water and telephone
utilities of the city, and has resulted In
general report to the organization
railway company as to means for bet
tering conditions.
The electrolysis situation in all cities
having modern traction facilities Is
sharply felt by the owners of the in
jured pipes and cables, but at first
affect the railway companies If they
take only selfish point of view. Most
of the surveys of the bureau of stand.
ards have been made at the request OF
the suffering utilities, but marked sue
cess has been had in winning the ap-
proval and cooperation of the railway
companies
In several Instances it has been
found that the traction companies can
bring about a sufficient saving of cur
of the bureaus experts, to make tho
course worth their while. 1t is also COM
ing to be recognized by many companies
that the taking Of steps to minimize
tageous in order to escape damage suits
and drastic legislation which may stip-
ulate that the defects be remedied In
a more expensive way than Is neces-
Sary.
In exceptional cases only does the
bureau advise the use of pipe drain
age" systems-the tapping of current
from pipes by methods which prevent
corrosion. The government electrical
engineers recognize this as treating a
symptom rather than the disease. The
procedure of the bureaus experts Is.
usually. first to examine into the
power distribution system to see Wheth-
er it is arranged to the best advan-
tage. The next step is to examine rails
to see il joints are made in such way
as to furnish a good conductor for re-
turn currents. The third step is the
designing Of an adequate negative
feeder" system.
The negative feeder system consists Of
insulated copper wires connected with
the rails at various points throughout
the network of tracks, furnishing re-
turn path which is a better conductor
for the current than pipes or rails. By
connecting this feeder to the rails at
various points with properly adjusted
resistances the differences in potential.
which cause the return currents to
leave the rails, can be kept very low.
Though such a system does not entire
ly eliminate leakage Of electricity, it
reduces the escaping currents to such
an extent that they cause practically
no loss either to the railway or to the
pipe owners
No sooner had the European war
- tH,A ira
cotton industry Of the
Developing southern states than
Peanut Oil the value Of crop rota-
a safeguard against a similar crisis In
the future. On the trail OF this idea.
however, comes now the possibility of
grave injury to the cottonseed oil in
dustry, because rotation of crops in
the south will mean less cotton seed.
That in turn will bring a varying per-
centage of idleness to the cottonseed
oil crushers. So the crushers and the
government are seeking an emergency
substitute, and the answer seems to be
peanuts, or, rather, peanut Oil.
Previous Investigations by govern
ment experts have shown that peanut
oil is a good substitute for cottonseed
oil. while In Spain, Italy, Austria and
Bohemia the peanut or business has
become a real commercial factor. For
instance. f1rst-grade peanut oil now
sells on the shelves of grocers, con-
sidering the limited quantity, side by
side with first-grade olive oil. In Italy
producers of second-rate olive oil are
making their product salable by add
ing an admixture of No. 1 peanut oil.
Another interesting point Is the
statement from an expert in the United
States bureau of plant industry to the
effect that peanut oil meal could be
developed as another money-making
factor. It is claimed that whereas cot
tonseed meal is 80 per cent protein.
peanut meal even goes 10 per cent
higher.
It has been estimated that fully 2oo.-
900 acres of peanut ground, particular
ly in Virginia and Georgia, could be
made very productive by the applica-
tion of scientific methods. Indeed, Or
dinary economic husbandry would be
present time, it is said. the peanuts
grow indifferently and are then turned
over to the hogs. whereas proper care
would make a much larger and better
crop.
Heretofore the government has not
considered the humble but exceedingly
useful peanut Of sufficient Importance
to deserve a separate tabulatton. but
it is estimated, according to the United
States bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce, that the production aver
ages 50,000.00O bushels annually; and
yet this country is importing peanut
oil to the value of over $1.000.0O0 d
year. In 1911 the figures ran as high
as $1,000.000 worth from France and
100000 from China
Even the question of adapting cotton
seed oil machinery to peanut crushing
has been taken up. 1t has been found
that changes in the hullers will shell
the peanuts, that a little more care
must be exercised in cleaning. and
that only shelling and cleaning ma
chinery needs to be added.
X X
The resourcefulness of the early
pioneers of this country who slashed.
cut, dug and swan
Forest Service their way to their new
n homes in the wilder
Pioneering. ness is not a lost art
today, according to officials of the
United States forest service. Word has
Just reached the Washington office that
a group Of forest service employees has
Just concluded notable piece of
pioneering.
the material for a suspension bridge
over Thunder creek, in the Washington
National Park, distance of thirty
miles. over a dangerous and almost i'm
passable trail. known as Goat trail,
when their mules, ten in number, after
succeeding in covering seventeen miles.
gave out. utterly exhausted. The ma
terial consisted mainly of two cables
ninety-six feet long and each weighing
Ito pounds, and it was difficult to
place the cables on the mules SO that
they could carry them.