Evening star., 1933-08-19
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Q. What plants native to the United
States contain rubber2-J. s.
A. Six or eight species If Asclepias or
milkweed; Indian hemp or Apocynum;
various species Of rabbit brush or Chry-
sothenmus nauseasus; numerous plants
OF species Of Euphorbia; species Of
goldenrod; guayule or Parthenium ar
gentatum; Colorado rubberweed or
Actinea. Rubber cannot be produced
commercially from any Of these plants.
@. How many miles of railroad track
are there in the United states2 How
does this figure compare with that Of
the rest Of the world?-B. A. r.
A. The United States has 249.433
miles of railroad operating. In other
countries there are about $4,000 miles.
@. Please give biography Of Sir
Basil Zaharof.-L. ]. r.
A. Sir Basil Zaharof, financier and
politician, was born in Constantinople
in 1850. His father was Russian and
his mother Greek. Little Is known of
his early years except that he was edu-
veil of mystery enshrouds most Of his
life He Is reputed to be one of the
worlds richest men, his fortune being
built UP from munition plans, ship
building, Oil and other enterprises. He
exerted a strong, if indirect, influence
during the World War and at the
Paris conference, being close friend
and political adviser of Lloyd George,
Venizelos, Clemenceau and BRAND.
During this period he extended very
considerable financial aid to the Brit
ish and French governments and later
wa honored by these countries for his
10 cold IN have E7rpn
Greece s2,500,000 a year during the
Balkan War. and half that sum during
the World War To the American Near
East relief fund for refugee relief prof.
ects in Greece he contributed several
thousand pounds, and he gave l,OO0O0O
francs to France for the "save-the-
franc fund" He established chairs OF
aviation at the Universities OF ParS,
Petrograd and London, and endowed tne
Marshal Foch professorship OF french
literature at oxford University ana Inc
Field Marshal Haig chair OF Engnsn
literature at Paris University.
@. Why is France sometimes reaefreo
to as Marianne?-A. K.
A Marianne was the name by which
the French reactionaries designated tne
republic in reference to the secret So
ciety Marianne, formed to overthrow
the second empire. The princlpa! msm-
bers of the organization were Ledru-
Rollin and Mazzini.
@. How long has Rhode Island hao
but one capital?-J. w. J. ,u
About SO years. The establish
ment of a single capital at Providence
was by act of the Legislature IN lsoo.
@. The head of my trade organiza-
tion has told me I will be subject 10
a fine of $500 under the recovery act
if 1 do not raise prices along WIN
other members. Is this correct?-N. 1.
A. Nothing in the act connpels the
raising of prices. The head OF any
organization could be prosecuted nlm-
self for a concerted price-raisins
action. Fines are provided for working
employees overtime and for underpay-
ment of wages. Raising OF prices Ii
permissive, not compulsory.
O. When was Twas the Night Be-
fore Christmas" first published?-T. r.
A. It first appeared in the Troy
IN. " Sentinel, December %, 1928.
1t was written by DR.. Clement Clarke
Moore and is probably the best known
Christmas poem ever written.
@. Does goats milk always have
disagreeable odor and favor?-M. ]. r.
A. If goats milk is properly produced
and handled it should have no dis
agreeable odor or flavor The principal
sources of bad odor or flavor in the
milk are particles of dirt or hair that
fall into it when milking, keeping the
does in unclean quarters and milking
in barn or pens near the bucks.