Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-07-23
THE REFEREE
tBy Albert Apple)

AOIOES
The German nearsmonopoly OF the
worlds d~yestuffs, used in coioring,
has been broken-temporarily, and
probably permanently.
American makers now are produc-
ing nearly "a out of every 100
pounds of dyes used in our country.
These two facts summarize the
hundreds of columns Of befuddling
news and comment about dyes
which for nearly nine years you
have been reading-or skipping?
Hidden
A lot of the German chemical
patents, seized during the war.
proved Unavoidable" So testiies a
chemist in the lawsuit resulting
from the seizure and sale of these
patents.
This has been common knowledge
in the chemical industry. The Ger
mans patented just enough to pro-
tect their processes and left unmen-
toned enough details to keep their
secrets hidden. For instance, in the
case OF a dye involving 16 steps in
the manufacture, they'd patent only
three steps, and any one using the
patent would have to work out the
other 13.
1t is whispered among chemists
some of these patented formulas
were misleading to the extent of be-
ing more apt to produce an ex-
plosion than the desired results,
when compounded by outsiders.
We note that one chemical pat
ent deals with paranitrobenzoyl-
chlorethanol, so we won't go into
technicalities.
Gypsy moths, threatening destruc-
ton of New England trees, are
doomed by the billions. Major H. C..
Strauss, army aviator, operates a
dirigible balloon that sprays poison
fatal to the moths while non
injurious to people.
One of the extremely few good
results of the war. 1t is prophetic
of how men will battle pests, es-
pecially in the future, In Texas
they're trying the same thing
against r~attlesnakes. The boil Wee
vii probably will be exterminated
eventually by poison gas.
Danger
While fishing, Fred Peterson, farm
hand, is drowned in n foot OF
water near New Milford, Conn. 1t
may not have occurred to most OF
us, but it is entirely possible to
drown in a bathtub. We associate
the drowning danger with deep
water.
Hazard has to exist in an ex-
IRENE degree before we pay much
A4..z, - a. UThnttc NVhU so
many are injured in auto accidents
while flirting only family with dan
ger. OF course, there are more
smash-ups at high speed, the same
as more drownings in deep water.
Sing Sing
The most famous prison, Sing
Sing, received $40 fewer prisoners In
the last twelve months than In the
year before. Warden Lawes thinks
this shows that crime is decreasing.
Not necessarily. 1t is just as apt to
show that justice is more laggard or
that criminals are being more care
full and clever at avoiding detec-
ttion.
One must also be cautious in
forming opinions about prohibition
by comparing arrests Tor
ness. The average drunk, arrested
| for intoxication these days. would
have been allowed to go his way IN
peace a few years ago. The old
time mild jag looks like a very
heavy load hal the horses rent
hauling in year 1923, for drunk
enness attracts more attention and
seems more extreme in a semi-dry
environment.
Money
Did you spend 1928 in the form
Of bank checks in June? That was
the average for every man, woman
| and child. The nations bank clear
ings total of checks issued and sent
through clearing houses, amounted
| to 34,792 million dollars during the
month.
Comparison shows that the aver
age American apparently spent Sc
more in June, 1923, than in June,
1922. But he got less for his money
on account of higher prices.