Evening star., 1932-01-08
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Have We had the pleasure OF serving
you through our Washington 1nforma-
ton Bureau? Can't we be Of some
help to you in your problems? Our
business is to furnish you with authori-
tative information, and We invite you
to ask us any question of fact in which
you are interested. Send your inquiry to
The Evening Star Information Bureau,
Frederic J. Haskin, Director, Washing
ton, D. c. Inclose two cents In coin or
stamps for return postage.
@. What Is the difference between
the British pound and the guinea
w. T. K.
A. The pound sterling is unit Of 20
Shillings and the guinea Of 81 shillingS.
There are no paper guineas. Both are
in use and it is customary for a Brit
ish tradesman to quote q price In
guineas to man known to be wealthy
or of high position, while quoting the
same number of pounds as the price to
a poorer and humber purchaser. Thus
the man who Is charged 10 guineas for
a purchase pays 2l0 shillings, while he
who is charged 10 pounds pays 200
schillings.
@. What is the manpower Of the
machines now employed in the United
States?-M. c.
A. According to a survey by Joseph
w. Roe, professor of industrial en-
gineering at New York University, it
would require $4,000, ,000, 900 servants to
do the work that machinery performs
each day in the United States. 1t is
estimated that for every man. woman
and child in this country there Is gen.
Grated power equal to that Of 100
servants.
@. VIII there be stamps to COM
memorate the olympic games this
year?-C. A.
A. The Post Office Department says
that their program calls for this issue,
but details are not yet available.
O. Which Is harder to digest, hot
bread or cold bread?-M. J. M.
A. The Public Health Service says
that as to which is considered the hard
er to digest, hot or cold bread, is a
point upon which scientists disagree.
Many contend that hot breads are in
furious, while others point to the fact
that many persons eat hot bread
throughout their entire lifetime with
out i'll results. There are, no doubt,
many factors entering into the matter
the health Of the individual concerned,
the character of the bread and perhaps
the occupation Of the individual or his
activities.
@. Does South Africa have Royal
Mounted Police?-I. N.
A. The South African legation says
that there is no police organization in
that dominion called the Royal Mounted
Police. There is a mounted division Of
the South African police, with head
quarters at Pretoria, the capital Of the
Union Of South Africa.
Q. What is the population of the
world?-O D.
A. The International Statistical In
stitutc of the League of Nations esti-
mates the worlds population at about
1000, 100000
@. What is a basilica?-P. o. J.
A. Originally, at Athens, it was a
portico on the agora in which the
archon basileus dispensed justice.
Later, in Rome, it was a rectangular
hall divided into nave and aisles by
ranges Of columns, and with q raised
platform, called the tribune. at one
end. 1t was used as hall of justice
and adopted as the type for the
earliest buildings of Christian worship.
The world is now applied to a church
of this time or to one to which the
Pope has given the title.
@. When were modern lead pencils
first used?-P. S.
A. The first allusion to the use OF
pencils in the modern sense of solid
rod of marking material used for writ
ing and drawing, either incased in