Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-17
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING


from time immemorial. due. it Is said.
to the fact that life in it had become
increasingly difhcult. the development
OF mining and the infiux Of white men
having resulted in the killing of of
game animals and in great scarcity Of
fuel. Within their new reservation on
the shores Of the remote Arctic river
these natives can secure an abundant
supply OF fish. game and timber. and
can build up new village for them
selves.
One Of the interesting Investigations
which has been carried on recently by
the biological survey is
Minks and that Of the behavior and
1r.4 requirements Of minks and
sSno' martens in confinement.
These Investigations have been carried
on at Linden. Md. and at the National
Geological Park. District of Columbia.
Among other things. effects Of rations
differing in composition and amount
have been studied in relation to breed
ing, fur-production and general health
Offlcials believe that they have gained
an understanding of the symptoms and
causes OF the common ailments OF these
measures have been adopted. The re-
suits attained with these animalS and
the numerous requests for advice ABOUT
fur farming have prompted the estab-
lishment of an experimental fur farm
in northern New York by the survey.
under conditions favorable to the pro
duction of high-grade fur and to the
development of practical fur farming.
1t is said that experiments Will be I'M
dertaken at this new station on a
much larger scale than has hitherto
been attempted.
1t is expected that many kinds Of
fur animals, foreign as well as native.
will be tested as to their adaptability
portant lines of work to be taken up
will be that OF developing improved
strains by selective breeding.
An investigation has also been COM
status Of fur farming in Alaska. and
the special needs Of those engaged
In it. According to those who made
this Investigation, there are about 100
Alaskans who are directly interested
in the domestication Of fur animals 1t
was found that in thirty-five localities
there were silver fox yards, and on an
equal number of islands blue foxes are
farmed.
A comparison of market prices with
the contract prices for articles and
supplies for the govern
Government ment which were ne
ct gotiated through the
1uPPiieS' general supply commit
tee for the past year discloses, a
saving of more than 100000 on sup
plies purchased during the past year
The continued existence of the gen
eral supply committee, through which
the Secretary Of the Treasury ne
gotiates contracts for all common sup
plies Of the government. Is amply and
fully justified. according to experts
who have charge of this work Sew
eral millions of dollars worth of every
kind Of supply are purchased annually
by this committee for the executive
departments in Washington and in
This centralized and systematized
method of negotiating such contracts.
instead of permitting various pur-
chasing officers Of the different de-
partments and governmental estab-
lishments to enter into contracts for
supplies without relation to one an
other. has resulted in great economy
OF labor and money. During the past
year material improvement has been
made. 1t is understood. in many of the
specifications The schedule now covers
more than 10000 items in actual use.
The manner in which different ques-
lions arising in connection with the
recommendations for awards have been
handled by the committee and the as
sistance it has rendered in securing
compliance with contracts on account
of unsettled market conditions is said
to have been very great
Officials Of the Treasury Department
are of the opinion that still further
economy and improved service would
result II the duties of the committee
were enlarged SO as to include the di-
present law there is no authority for
the exercise of such powers. The activ-
ity Of the Secretary Of the Treasury
through the medium of the committee
ment of contracts. 1t is the hope of
officials Of the Treasury Department
that steps will be taken to remedy this
situation by consolidating under one
head not only the contractual functions
incident to the purchasing of supplies.
but also the actual purchasing thereof.
1t is pointed out that this would in
volve, however. a warehousing system
| This plan Is followed by the leading sue
cessful industrial concerns of the coun-
| try in the purchase of their supplies,
and until the government adopts this
system it is believed that 1t will not
money expended.
That milking by machinery, COM
pared with hand milking. is less ex-
pensive. in general, in
MILKING nv herds of more than If
teen cows. and more so
Macnlnery. in smaller herds, is in
| dictated in recent studies made by
farm enhancement specialists of the
Department of Agriculture.
One Of the most important conditions
affecting the economy of milking large
herds with machines was found to be
the elimination of unnecessary labor.
Herds that formally required three
men for milking by hand. only two of
| for the animals, required only two men
to milk by machine. The available la
Dor and labor requirements are. there
| fore, better balanced in the latter case.
since the same two men may milk and
otherwise care for the herd. the labor
of the third mixer required under the
hand system being dispensed with. The
department experts point out that this
tendency toward economy, when ma
chimes are used, cannot result in actual
economies in all cases when a small
number of cows is MIXED, since de-
etc, are responsible for considerable
costs. which must be charged to the
milking expense.
| The milking machines must be op-
Grated by competent operators, and
stripping by hand after the machine is
said to be essential II satisfactory re
suits are to be obtained. The majority
Of the farmers visited during the in
yestigation believe. it is said, that the
milking machine has no effect one way
or the other on the general welfare of
the herd.
the studies that in herds Of fifteen
cows or less the average time required
to milk a COW by hand was a fraction
over seven minutes. and by machine a