Evening star., 1932-04-18
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

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yited to call upon 1t as often as you
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Ths EvsnIne star Information Bureau,
frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing
ton, D. c.
@ What kind Of cages were first
use6 in basket ball?-C. I.
A The first cages were tall cone
shaned peach baskets used In general
MERCHANDISING in that era. Thus the
game got its name.
O Is there q bill in prospect turn
ing all homestead IaLiuS O~SA W SAie
States?-R. B.
The General Land once says that
there are several bills being considered
70 turn the Federal public land back to
IN. states which will accept 1t. The
EedaraI Government will retain the
mineral rights, however, ard 1t is
Thought that very few Of the States Will
care To take the land back unless the
mineral rights are also returned. There
has been no legislation enacted along
this line up to date.
@ What was the cost Of the locks on
the Ohio River?-J. j. II.
A. The so locks on the Ohio River
hetween Pittsburgh and Cairo were
constructed at a cost exceeding $780,
900, 900.
@ What did Thomas Jefferson have
to do with framing the Constitution?-
T. S.
A, James M. Beck. writing on the
subject of the Constitution, says that
unfortunately Jefferson was In France
and therefore could not attend the Con-
stitutional Convention" He adds AL
though absent, he (Jefferson) rendered
no inconsfderable service to the cause
of constitutional government, for 1t was
partly through his insistence that the
Bill of Rights, consisting Of the first 10
amendments, was adopted"
@ Should the same bed and table
linen be kept in use, or should ones
entire stock of linen be used in rota-
tion?-J. P. q.
opinion among housekeepers as 70
whether the stock of supplies be used in
rotation by always drawing from the
bottom and putting the clean on top,
or whether a set Of three or four OF each
type of linen be in constant use until
worn out. On the whole, the former
seems more desirable, as some fabrics
deteriorate and yellow with age.
@. WHY do mems coats button from
left to right?-J. r. H.
A. In the days when capes were worn
instead of coats men frequently carried
swords hung at the left side under the
cape. The cape was held closed from
| left to right so that the right hand
would be free to reach for the sword
when necessary. When coats were sub
stituted and swords were not necessary
| the left side was still Tapped over the
| right because men had become accuS-
toned to it.
@. Please explain the English system
Of dealing with bequests OF real estate
to institutions-L. D. @.
A. The practice Of bequeathing or
devising lands to the church had be-
| come from the early centuries after the
Norman conquests an increasing bur-
den. 1t was estim ated at one time that
practically half the land in England
was owned either by the church or in
stitutions. Agitation began in the Eng
lish Parliament as early as 1879 to deal
| with the evils arising from this transfer
of land. In the reign Of George II,
1876, the Mortmain (dead-hand act
was passed. and this was amended In
the reign OF Victoria, 1888, by the Mort
main and charitable acts combined, in
which no bequest for charitable use
was to involve the acquisition Of land.
In 1891 the statute was revised to make
it possible that land might be be-
uueathed, but must be sold within a
year, unless released from the provi-
sions of the act by commission. There
have been several notifications since.