Evening star., 1933-04-18
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

@. How many chambers did the
Egyptian labyrinth contain?-J. N.
A. It is said to have contained 5000.
@. In what circumstances can the
post Office authorities open frst-class
mail?-H F. F.
A. The Post ONCE Department has
no authority to open f1rst-class mail II
it can be delivered. II the mail cannot
be delivered 1t Is sent to the Dead
Letter Office, where 1t is opened. How
ever, in the case of persons under sus-
picion, the Post Office Department may
apply to a Federal court for a warrant
authorizing the opening Of letter. The
application for the warrant and the
warrant must specify what illegal mat
ter is contained in the letter under sus-
picion.
@. Why was the, heir to the throne
of France called the dauphin?- F. T.
A. 1t was originally the appellation
of the lords of the Province Of Dau-
phine. The last of these, dying child
less, bequeathed his possessions to the
grandson of Philippe vi Of France, on
condition that the heir apparent to the
throne should bear the title Of Dau-
phin of Vienne and govern the prov
ince.
@. Why is the croaking Of frogs sup
pose to presage rain?-S. L. B.
A. This superstition Is common in the
dry country of Southwestern United
States and is traced back to the Arawak
Indians, who were its early inhabitants.
A frog cult" existed among the primi-
tive peoples of the West Indies at about
the time of Columbus.
@. Why do Chinese say Mclean in
stead of A1nerican?-M. D.
A. The Chinese language has no 'r"
sound. so many Chinese find the sound
difficult and substitute the ''l' sound.
@. What is the origin Of the mourn
ing band?-H. j.
A. The custom of wearing a black
band on the coat sleeve in token Of
mourning came from England. It was
introduced there for liveried servants,
whom it was not thought necessary to
fit out in black uniforms.
O. What is meant by positive and
negative electricity?-B. M.
A. The Bureau of Standards says
that the flow of electric current is now
supposed to be really the passage Of
electric charges through the conductor;
these charges are either positive masses
(prOtons) or negative particles (elec-
trons), or both, depending on the kind
of conducting material. The positive
charges 60 in one direction, the mega
tive ones in the opposite direction. The
direction of the current flow Is that in
which the positive charges move.
@. When was the gold dollar last
made?-I A.
A. The last gold dollar issued was the
Grant memorial dollar in 1922. The
last regular gold dollar was issued IN
1889 This dollar is found to be too
small to be convenient.
O. When was the aqueduct ut Sego-
via. Spain. built?-R. K.
A. Probably it was built under Ira
jan, who lived about SO to 1T AID.
The entire aqueduct is from 10 to IL
miles long. II brings the waters of the
Rio Frio from the Sierra Fuenfria
down to Segovia.
O. What is the status of the Philip
pine Islands at present?-M. H.
A. A bill was recently passed in the
United States Congress providing for
the independence of the Philippines
after a period of intervening years, but
this has not yet been ratified by the
Philippine Congress,
@. How many Civil War veterans are
still on the Federal pension rolls?-P.
B. S.
A About $4,000 Union soldiers are on
the pension roll.