The Washington herald., 1917-03-05

SON, New Jersey.
Elijah c. Hutchinson, Republican. was
born at Windsor. Mercer County, N J..
on August z, 1855, and is a merchant mill
Ter, having a large flour mill and grain
elevator situated in Hamilton Township,
and IL president OF the Trenton Flour
Mills Co. Of Trenton; is treasurer and
manager Of the Trenton Bone & Fertil-
izer Co.. vice president Of the New Jersey
China Pottery Co, and treasurer of Coch-
ran-Drugan & Co. He is also a director
OF the Broad Street National Bank and
Mercer Trust Co.. of Trenton; represented
Mercer County in New Jersey House of
Assembly In 1895 and 1895, and was elected
TO the New Jersey senate in 1893 and again
IN lSOl; during the last year Of his term
as senator was the presiding ofiicer of
that body; in 1906 was appointed State
road commissioner, which ONCE he hlled
for three years: was elected to the Sixty
fourth Congress, receiving 1908 votes, to
lS,'66 for Walsh, Democrat; LII for
morn. Progressive Republican; 561 for
Alexander. Socialist. 326 for Barrett, Pro-
hibitionist, and 1I2 for Phillips, Socialist
Labor.
How the lack OF potash has played ruin
with American crops was related in the
House by Representative f. c. Hutchin-
son. OF the Fourth New Jersey district in
the discussion on the agricultural appro-
prtation bill. The particular point was
whether an appropriation Of S175 900 for
investigation Of the best method of OBJ
tanning potash on a commercial scale
within the United States should be con-
tinued
As the man who probably knows more
about this subject than anybody else on
the noor." Mr.. Hutchinson. who is a far
mer along with his other activities, was
asked to address the committee Of the
whole. Urgently he advocated the ap-
preparation. According to Mr.. Hutchin-
son the potato yield in 1876 was five bush
els less to an acre than in 1915: corn was
3S bushels; wheat. 4S bushels and oats
1T bushels less. He charged almost the
entire loss. especially in potatoes, to the
want OF potash.
The appropriation is for an experiment
tai plant to be erected in California to de-
termine II it Is possible to manufacture
potash in competition with Germany un-
der normal conditions. The hope is in
the giant kelp of the Pacific Coast At
certain seasons Of the year the farmers
OF Maine and other Eastern States may
be seen hauling kelp from the seashore to
spread on their lands. The Atlantic kelp
has little. il any, potash. though It has
OlHcT Nalue, DuI Ine racine
product contains from 10 to 80 per cent
potash. As the weed reproduces itself
every three or four months the supply
is practically inexhaustible. Representa-
tive Longworth, who also advocated the
appropriation. informed his colleagues
that before the present war started some
sixty plants were manufacturing potash
from kelp in Japan. On our own Pacific
Coast today the Diamond Match Com
pany 10 making potash In that manner
for the purposes OF its own industry. So
are seven other corporations getting pot
ash for their own uses, according to the
discussion in Congress.
German potash comes from a mine
like salt One syndicate in that country
controls the output. 1t is difficult to con-
ceive, owing to freight charges. that pot
ash extracted from kelp on the Pacific
Coast can ever be sold in the East at a
price to compete with the German article.
The idea was expressed by Mr.. Hutchin-
son, however, that 1t might be wise to
encourage production Of potash at home
in order to keep within rca son the cost
Of what is imported after the war.
Largely responsible for the high cost OF
living in, the view of Mr.. Hutchinson Is
the lack Of potash. He fears that the de-
probation Of crops will relatively be the
same in 1917 as It was in 1916. Not the
United States alone, but the whole world,
Is suffering from the fact that the worlds
pota sh is bottled up in Germany.