Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-30

solve the gum from the fax straw H. :.
less than one hour. leaving fbers
similar in appearance to flax obi tain -
ed by processes which now requr,
the SubmerSion of the straw in water
for a period of from fifteen to TWEEN
ty-five days, or in dewy meadows for
a period of time from five to eight Il,
weeks, subject to atmospheric condi- .
tons. .~,
When women buy satin dresses they
fondly hope they will wea- well %
enough to last out the season ana r
stand making over when the styles p.
change But they never Un tell %,
anything definite about the wearing :
qualities. The bureau of standards is =.
trying to overcome such botharsome- :.
details of the fair sex. An abrasion
machine has recently been installed
by which it is possible in a few min .
utes to test the wearing quf iities
of satins and many other articles
used in the making of wearing APP
parel. In the due course of time q
woman Will be enabled to know just :.
exactly what she is getting wnen she
hands over her currency to the shop
keepers. s5-
Tor many years it was not sup
posed that it was possible for
high grade tableware to be made out
of American clays. It was deemed
, necessary to mix imported clays in ,
| order to get satisfactory results. That
! theory has been exploded by the
ceramic snarps of the bureau of
standards. Experiments were con- ,.
Quoted at eleven plants in East Liver -,
pool. Ohio. and it was definitely
demonstrated that tableware of ex- .
cellent quality can be made entirely -
of American clays. -
Job printers and newspaper pub
fishers are being benefited by new !.
, material that has been patented by =
the bureau for the making OF print
| ers' rollers. Such rollers heretofore
/ have been made of glue, water and
molasses or clyce-ol. The chief diff
| Guilty with rollers made in ttfs VIZ v is
! that they cannot be melted and recast
after they have become hardened in
/ service. The, seeretasfthe new. patent-Ti
! ed method lies lin the fact that spe-
| ciallys prepared beet mela sses is used
\ instead of cane molasses. 4 Expert a.
| ence has proved that they not onlyer
, last longer without hardening. but
| they can easily be remelted and used !.
again. 4. 81
| is simpiifed for indeXing and filing
purposes by photographingr 1t on a .
moving picture film upon its arrival
| each morning. 1t was formerly the :
| custom to hold the letters in the file t.
| room until the records and briefs.e
| ed to the various persons for whom :
| it was intended. BY the photogra phic,
method the nail is filmed as soon as"
received and Immediately delivered to =
the workers. where quick action is .
| secured 1t is understood that big
business concerns all over the coun- -
try are looking into this plan with e
view of adopting it as saver cfa-
time and money.
The government departments of
Washington are evidently great be-
levers in the use of light. of the a.
electric variety. During the year 1920
orders were placed for 4,225.000 in =
candescent electric lamps. The rigid
| testing of these lamps has resulted 'F
in decided improvements. The initial
inspection made by the bureau att.
the factories covers the mechanical
qualities of the lamps and their rat.
ing with regard to power consump
ton and efficiency. In order to pass .
a final judgment on the quality of :,
the lamps it is necessary to have :.
actual burning tests and when the
selected for such tests, which are
called life tests" =
One of the laboratories is devoted
to the testing of clocks and watches.
been tested for the War Department
and the Shipping Board. Until quite
recently all ships chronometers were
made in Europe, not one being manu-
Iactufeu IN america IL Is DRe'F,
however. since the need for such arti-
cles has been demonstrated. that.
American manufacturers will get =
| busy and make better chronometers
than have ever been produced in the
past anywhere.
Clinical thermometers have ever
been a source of annoyance to medical
; men and hospital attaches Many off,.
them could not be depended upon for
accuracy. The bureau of standards
took the matter in hand and set about :
the accomplishing Of standard ther-c-
mometers that could be Ndepended on at :
| all times It is meeting with their usual 60.
success. =.
Architects and engineers i'm every
state are manifesting deep interest
in the efforts of the bureau to work !,
out fireproofing materials for building =
construction. It is desired to make
practically all building material fire.
proof. thcs eliminating the millions
of loss of property by fire in this
country each year. Splendid progress.
has already been effected along this
line.
Brides with finger-bedecked plati-
mum rings who have come to Wash
ington on their honeymoon Journeys
could spend an interesting and highly %
profitable hour or two in the labora-'
tor where tests are being conducted
to discover some substance that will =
take the place of platinum used in then
making of certain chemical vessels
and for war purposes. Various subst-
tutes' are being constantly offered. hut x
the tests up to this time have failed =
to disclose any substance that will
entirely take the place of platinum. =;
give up. and it is a good safe ten-to- :
one bet that the problem will he
solved in the not far distant future. ~,