Evening star., 1932-04-05
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKlN.

@. What stamp frst bore the picture
OF George Washington?-K. G.
A. The l0-cent postage stamp OF the
series of 1847 was the first that bore
the portrait Of George washington
O. Is snow counted in measuring q
years rainfaIl?--F. S. A.
A The Weather Bureau says that
snowfall that occurs at the Government
observing stations ~ reduced to its
equivalent In rairffsH and included with
the latter in determining the amount
OF precipitation during the year. AS
a rule the ratio of unmelted to melted
snow is to 1o-that is, 10 inches OF
snow will ordinarily make about
inch Of water.
@. When was the first teachers in
stitute held in this country?-F. N.
A. In 1889 Henry Barnard then Sec
retary OF the State Beard OF Education
Of Connecticut, organized a teachers
class or institute at Hartford, Conn.
@. Who coined the word robot
A. 1t was invented by Karel Capek
for his play, r. U. r. Robots are me-
chantcal automata which are manu-
factured by the millions to attend to
the worlds labor and warfare.
Q. What causes cracks in plastering?
r. C. J.
A. The Bureau of Standards says
that cracks in plaster are divided into
three general classes: % Structural
cracks, due to some movement of the
structural members Of the building; (2)
map cracks, which are usually caused
by lack of uniformity in the bond be-
tween the backing and the scratch
coat, and (3) shrinkage cracks, which
in white coat indicate that It was
troweled too soon.
O. Is there any difference between
Federal Government and National Gov
ernment of the United States?-
s. McC.
A. There is no difference.
@. When was the first important boat
race held2-G. K.
A. In IT'S an Englishman named
Thomas Doggett instituted boat races
among the fishermen on the Thames.
The first English regatta took place on
the Thames, off Ranelagh Gardens. in
ITS. This was modelled on the Vene-
United States occurred In 1911 between
two barges-the Knickerbocker Of New
York and the &nvincible of Long Is
land, the former being the winner.
@. Is the State of Florida east or
west of the Panama Canal?-E. M.
A. The eightieth parallel Of longitude
west from Greenwich just touches the
eastern tip Of Florida and cuts through
the Isthmus of Panama just west OF
the canal. Therefore Florida is farther
west than the canal.
@. What is nipa?-T H.
A. This is a Spanish word from Malay
nipah. and refers to palm Of the
genus Nypa The tree is Of low stature,
with long pinnate leaves, which yield q
fiber useful for thatching, matmaking
and for tropical hats. The seeds are
edible and the sap yields wine. The
nipa palm is common In certain parts
Of Luzon, In the Philippines.
@. What Is the meaning OF the ex-
preston froms A to izzard?-N. r.
A 1t means from beginning to end, A
being the first letter of the alphabet
and lizard being an old designation
for z.
@. How many of the Chinese people
could be classed as we'll to do?-D. E. L.
A China has a population in excess
of $50, 900. 600. While about 90 per cent
of the people are poor, it leaves the
significant number Of 100000 or more
who are fairly well off, while some are
rich. II might be said that China has
in normal times about 100000 we'll
to-do families.