Evening star., 1916-08-06
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

the trees might prove better than
those used at present, especially since
material. are causing much trouble.
He sent a sample of the clay on his
property to the bureau to see II tur-
pentine cups could be made from it.
made and sent to him. but experts at
the bureau discovered that the clay
was of an excellent quality for the
making Of vitrifled paving brick. AS
result of this the man is going to
sell the property at a good figure to
An ice cream laboratory established
by the Department of Agriculture in
its dairy division shows
Ire Creom that Uncle Sam is right
on the job" when it
the times. Statistics show that $780,
10000 worth Of ice cream is sold in
the United States every year. and be-
cause a large portion Of this is manu-
factured from cream substitutes the
laboratory is endeavoring to discover
which will be the least Injurious sub
stitute and thereby protect the people
in so far as possible.
factory in connection with the labora-
tory and here ice cream is made under
varying conditions and afterward
tested for purity and flavor. 1t is no
amount of cream produced in this
country for ice cream, so necessarily
the manufacturers had to find substi-
tutes. Sour milk, condensed milk and
skim milk powders are among the
substitutes used and these are counter
acted by the use of various chemicals.
1t is said that while Ice cream made
at home contains about 1S per cent
cream that made in many of the fac
tories contains only about per cent.
1t is the hope of the officials Of the
newly organized laboratory that they
may be able to persuade the dairymen
Of the country to supply more cream
for this ever-increasing industry.
Prior to the organization of Uncle
Sans factory experiments were tried
in commercial factories by department
officials. but this was found unsuccess-
full because the department could not
purposes. Many important facts have
already been learned. which, when put
into practice. are expected to make
considerable difference in the manu-
facture of ice cream
One OF the most interesting and least
known branches Of our government. at
least to the average lay
Commerce man. is the bureau Of for
eign and domestic COM
u merce. one of the divisions
of the Department of Commerce. This
bureau is more or less known to the
manufacturers Of the country, but. in
the case of many Of our other bureaus
If the manufacturers knew more of this
one 1T would be to their distinct benefit
The bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce is charged by law with the
duty of developing the various manu-
featuring industries of the United
at home and abroad. by gathering and
publishing useful information. or by
any other available method Apropos
of its duties. the bureau Is clearing
house for commercial information of
all kinds, and has well organized and
distribution.
Consular reports on commercial sub
jects are edited and published daily by
this bureau. 1t tabulates and publishes
eign countries. 1t collects. translates
and publishes customs tariffs of for
eign countries. 1t formulates instruc-
tions for the commercial work OF the
consular service 1t has a corps Of
countries and make reports upon spe-
cial industries and special phases OF
commerce. 1t maintains stan of COM
mercial attaches. connected with our
foreign embassies and legations. sta
toned In the principal countries of the
world. who devote all of their time to
commercial studies. 1t also maintains
branch ofices in New York. Chicago.
New Orleans Seattle. San Francisco,
IA nd hrn OIL
which it disseminates trade informa-
ton and keeps in touch with the COM
mercial interests of America.
Not the least of its many interesting
functions is the trade opportunity serv-
ice. Announcements Of specific oppor-
tunities for the sale Of American goods
abroad are published in the Daily Com
merce Reports. having a large circu-
lation OF many thousands among manu-
facturers and business men through
out the land. The names and ad-
dresses of foreign importers desiring
the goods are not given In these an
nouncements. but are furnished to
bona fjde American firms upon appli-
ca tfon to the bureau at Washington.
or to any of the branch Offices.
American exporters will be enabled,
through the new parcel post agree
ment between this coun-
Parcel Post try and China, which
became effective August
W onino' l, to reach the markets
of that great country of more than
four hundred millions of people in a
way never before opened to them
This parcel post agreement. which
is the result of more than three years
negotiations by the Post once De-
partment. under the direction of Post
master General Burleson, was signed
head of the Chinese postal service and
on the other by both Postmaster Cen
eral Burleson and President Wilson.
Since the first of August all parcel
post packages up to eleven pounds in
weight may be sent from any post
Office in this country to any post Office
in China at the regular postage rate
of IL cents a pound or fraction of a
pound. Up to the time OF the con-
clusion of this agreement packages
of merchandise, other than bona hde
trade samples not exceeding twelve
ounces in weight, could not be sent
by mail to China except to a few
places that could be reached through
in China. a very unsatisfactory method
China entered the universal postal
union September l, 1914, and this coun-
try promptly began sending postal
Union mail direct to the Chinese serv-
ice instead OF through the intermediary
OF the services maintained In China by
other countries. as was the previous
practice. The United States thus
showed it's confidence in the ability of