Evening star., 1918-04-07
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

kNmENl H UUlNG
American mills, however. are not got
ting the best prices for their product
because they do not shell and clean tho
eSs is sns DONE snS Il. the ss pressing
made without heating the material, the
extracted oil is clear and clean hnd
equal in quality to the f1nest imported
olive oil. though Of q different and
1t is more palatable than olive oil.
Experts Of the department are not
advising the substitution Of peanuts
for cotton and thus maintain the un-
economic system of one-crop agricul-
contrary, the advice 10 to utilise the
peanut in certain sections by making
It part OF we'll balanced agriculture,
ana especially by using 1t in areas Of
serious boll-weevil depreciation as
farmer need not hesitate. the depart
ment urges to plant q somewhat larger
acreage than his present needs for hog
and cattle feed If the price happens
to be low he can buy more hogs and
market the peanuts in that way: Il the
price happens to be high he can sell
the surplus to advantage.
k%
The depth bomb, or depth charge.
which we have heard SO much about
recently in connection
Anti U-Boat with submarines. was
n developed by experts OF
OesAces' the bureau Of ordnance
Of the Navy Department. In addition
to these depth charges. the bureau has
developed and procured a supply Of a
number of weapons specially devised
for anti-submarine use. Among these
are included tho anti-submarine air
craft bombs, non-ricocheting shell, a
heavy projectile howitzer and smoke
apparatus.
Officials say that a supply OF smoke
apparatus sufficient for all vessels op-
Grating with armed guards has been
procured. A standard design has been
approved and has been opened for gem
eraI purchase from the contractors OF
merchant vessels. as the bureau holds
that It's cognizance in this connection
extends only to vessels carrying armed
guards.
In connection with the bureau Of ord
nance Of the Navy, there 10 . special
board Of officers. It is needless to say
that the greater part OF the time OF
nation of inventions and reports upon
them. While it Is true that the greater
part of these inventions are Of no value.
being based upon imperfect knowledge
of the conditions to be met. OF the
means already in existence. and gener--
ally of the theoretical mechanics of
the inventions. quite a number OF them
have required extensive Investigations
and tests. The personal presentation
of inventions before the board has nat
urally involved great deal Of time, as
1t is difficult to convince the inventors
that their invention is not the hnal
answer to the particular problem In
volved. There seems to be no way OF
avoiding this without sub5ecting the
bureau to a great deal Of criticism
should it refuse carefully to consider
all inventions presented.
x
Some Of the most interesting work that
is being undertaken by the Interstate Com
nerce Commission is that
Valuation of of the valuation OF the
railways of the country.
ha1Iroads. which when the work was
beeun. n couple Of years since, it was esti-
mated would be completed in about ten
years.
1t is estimated by officials Of the COM
mission that about 100000 miles of main
line have been inventoried, and that about
100, 600 miles still remain While war
conditions have interfered with the prog
ress of this work. it is still believed that
the date for the completion of the work
should stand.
counting sections say that these sections
are in step with the engineering section.
which is going into the road ana track
mileage and that all of the work Will be
completed at about the same time, always
providing the necessary Information can
be obtained from the railroads. which now
that the roads are being run by Uncle
Sam will be a comparatively easy matter
As rule. telegraph lines run along rail-
road rights of way, and generally the rail
road has some interest in the telegraph
line 1t has. therefore, been found most
convenient not to prosecute the telegraph
work of the commission much more rapidly
than the railroad work. During the year
ending September 80, 1917. the latest fig
ures available. 59,592.94 miles Of pole line
were inventoried.
1t would be highly desirable. the Off
cials think. in the prosecution Of this work
to finish each property before proceeding
to the next. but this has been found Inn
practicable in actual experience. The car
riers are required by law to furnish GER
tain information, ana the WORK OF tfe COM
mission upon particular property cannot
be completed until that information has
been furnished.
The exigencies of war have given
point to many demands of the bureau
of education and educators everywhere
that had been hitherto considered aca-
demic. For years school men and econ
omists have preached home and school
gardening, and a considerable part OF
the efforts of the officials of the bureau
during recent years have been devoted
to the promotion Of home gardening.
for town children directed bv the
school. What had been a valuable but
more or less theoretical proposal be-
came. under pressure of war. an iinme-
diate national necessity. The bureaus
efforts last year, as this year. were
officials with the plea for stimulated
production through the help OF the
school. In this connection the bureau
school boards in every city and town
in the United States of more than $500
population. The final effect of these
letters can only be surmfsed
number of other letters followed
the first one: one to colleges. universi-
ties and normal schools. calling atten-
tion to the examples set by such insti-
tutions a the University of Indiana and
the Milledgeville (Ga.) Normal School,
in utilizing available college land for
cultivation of potatoes and other crops,
and in making it possible for students
of both sexes to take an immediate
part in the work of increased produc.
ton; another letter TO princiDa1a Of