X
MARCH, 1915
The Commoner
13
cannera who are considering tho feasibility ot
gelling good on the other side of the Pacific.
Americans who have been influenced by the
Orient to the extent of taking their tea clear,
without milk or sugar, will be astonished to
learn from this report that tho Occident is now
bent on teaching the Chinese to use milk with,
their-decoction of tea leaves and condensed
milk at that. An enterprising condensed milk
company is pushing the campaign, and expects to
be successful. This concern has already intro
duced condensed-milk Ice-cream to tho Chinese,
and they like it so well that many of the res
taurants keep it always on hand. Canned sal
mon is another western staple that has made a
decided impression on the far east.
- The third report relates to the "Canned Tom
ato Industry in Italy." Tho tomato was given to
the world by America, but Italy is today teaching
the rest of the world by example how it should
be raised and how It should be preserved. Italian
canned tomatoes have practically pushed tho
American product out of the English market, and
have gained an enormous market Th tho Unitejd
States. The Italians raise a solid meaty tomato
o fine qolor, and it is so packed in the .cans that
the consumer Is not obliged to pay for a large
percentage of water. Canned tomatoes, how
ever, are put up principally for the export trade.
The Italians themselves prefer their tomatoes in
the form of sauce, or paste, which is nothing
more or less than boiled down tomato pulp,
minus the skin and seeds. This sauce is put up
in cans and is used by the Italians in a great va
riety of dishes, of which spaghetti Is perhaps the
most familiar to Americans. According to fairly
accurate statistics the area planted in tomatoes
in Italy Is about 22,000 acres, producing about
285,000 tons. The exports to the United States
amount to about 20,000,000 pounds of canned
tomato and tomato Bauce, and somo 8,000,000
pounds of the product go to South America. The
total value of the tomato exports from Italy is
well over $0,000,000. The skins and seeds that
were formerly wasted are now utilized, the form
er as stock feed and the latter as a source of
oil. The crude oil is suitable for soap making
and for lamps, and tho refined oil Is said to be
edible.
Copies of these reports may be purchased
from the Superintendent of Documents, Govern
ment Printing Office, Washington, D. 0., for 5,
10 and 15 cents eachurespcctively.
IMPORTS OP COFFEE
Coffee imported into the United States In the
calendar year 1914 exceeded one billion pounds,
a record made only twice before in tho history
of our foreign trade in 1904, when the total
was 1,113 million pounds, and In 1909, 1,140
million. The valuo of last year's coffee Imports
from foreign countries was 106 million dollars,
or 25 million dollars less than in 1912, when an
unusually high import price, in conjunction with
an ittcrease in Quantity, brought the total up to
the highest value ever recorded.
Brazil is the chief source of supply of the cof
fee imported !nt6 the United States. Out of 1,011
million pounds imported from foreign countries
last year 726 million pounds were from Brazil,
99' million from Colombia, 60 million from Ven
ezuela, 45 million from the Central American
states and British Honduras, 44 million from
Mexico, and 87 million from other parts of 'the
world, chiefly South America, Java and other
Java Dutch possessions in the East Indies. Bra
zilian Coffee has a little more than held its own
in the proportion of the total; Colombian coffee
has increased from less than 3 million to nearly
100 million pounds in the last twenty years.
An Increasing share of the coffee consumed in
continental United States is produced in its in
sular territories of Hawaii and Porto Rico. Last
year, 2,793,052 pounds of coffee arrived from
Porto Rico, compared with 372,427 pounds in
1894; and 3,501,C98 pounds were from-Hawaii,
against 108,265 pounds in 1894. The superior
quality of the coffee grown on the American ter
ritories in question is suggested by the fact that
It commanded better prices than that imported
from foreign countries, Porto Ricali having av
eraged 13.4 cents per pound and Hawaiian coffee
14.8 cents, while that from foreign countries av
eraged only 104 cents per pound at the points, of
production. In each case, however, these prices
are below the wholesale price In the United
States,, as they are exclusive of transportation
charges, brokerage, and other expenses which
would be Included in the valuation In the mar
kets of this country. The United States is the
world's largest consumer of coffee, Germany, the
Netherlands) France, Belgium, and Austria-Hungary
having been in recent years the next largest
consumers. The domestic consumption of coffee
is -now over 10 pounds por capita as against 8.3
pounds in 1894, 9.3 pounds in 1884, 6.6 pounds
in 1874, and 3.76 pounds In 1864.
The following table shows tho growth in tho
Importation of coffee into tho United States and
the range of import prices at decennial porlods
frohi. 1874 to 1914:
IMPORTS OF COFFEE
. , Av. import
Calendar Million Million price in
year pounds dollars conts per lb
1874 288.07 53.26 18.5
1884 250.96 46.90 9.0
1894 587.06 90.59 15.5
1904 1,112.71 87.43 7.9
1914 1,011.07 104.79 10.4
Exclusive of 6,295,000 pounds valuod at
$894,000 from Hawaii and Porto Rico.
IMPORTS OF FERTILIZERS
The increasing extent to which Amorican farm
ers must rely upon domestic fertilizers as soil
foods is suggested by figurer compiled by tho
bureau or foreign and domestic commerce which
show an increase last year of 240,000 tons In tho
receipt of potash salts as compared with 1912 or
1913. Tho imports of that group of potash salts
moBt largely used for fertilizer purposes amount
ed in the calendar year 1914 to 702,800 long
tons, compared with approximately 942,000 tons
in each of the two years immediately preceding.
Tho imports of guano increased from 19,100
tons in 1913 to 25,600 tons In 1914; and those
of ammonia sulphate, from 58,300 tons to 74,
100 tons. Calcium cyanamid, or lime nitrogen,
is not reported monthly, but for the flBcal year
ending June 30, 1914, the imports were 30,000
tons, or double tho amount for the preceding
year. Only a slight chango occurred In imports
of bone dust and ash, the total increasing from
34,600 tons In the calendar year 1913 to 36,000
tons last year. Of basic slag the imports In 1914
were approximately 10,000 tons, a decrease of
33 per cent from those of the preceding year.
Crude phosphates, of which tho United States is
the world's chief producer, show importations to
the amount of 24,000 tons, while apatite, a phos
phate of unusual purity, decreased In quantity ot
Imports from 3,000 tons In 1913 to less than 100
tons last year.
The aggregate value of potash salts and fer
tilizer materials imported into the United States
in the calendar year 1914 was 38 million dol
lars, as compared with 47 million adllarri in the
preceding year. Nitrate of soda decreased in
valuo of imports from 21 million td 16 mil
lion dollars.
BUREAU OP STANDARDS
TESTS OF TIMEPIECES
The test and certification of watches, chron
ometers, and other timepieces has been carried
on for many years at tho Kew observatory in
Ehglarid, at the Besancon observatory in Franco,
and at the observatories of Geneva and Neucha
tel in Switzerland, but no such tests have been
made for the public in this country, except for a
few years at Yale university many years ago.
This line of work is now started at the bureau of
standards, and circular No. 61, entitled "Meas
urement of Time and Tests of Timepieces," has
just been issued giving the regulations under
which the tests will be made, the methods em
ployed, together with sections on the use and
care of watches, and on standard time, and the
sources of reliable time standards with which
one may make frequent comparisons of his
watch. The first edition of the circular an
nounces the regulations for the test and certifi
cation of watches only; the test of other time
pieces will be taken up later.
For the purposes of test, watches are di
vided into two classes, designated as A and B,
adapted to watches adjusted for flvo positions
and three positions respectively. The former
test lasts 54 days, the latter 40 days. Both tests
include a test of the temperature compensation
of the watch, at temporatures of 5, 20, and 35
degrees C. In the class A test is also included
an examination of the isochronism adjustment
of tho watch. Four tests a year are carried out,
beginning on the second Tuesday In January,
April, August, and October, respectively. The
daily rates of the watches under the various con
ditions are determined within about 0.1 second.
If tho performance of a watch is within certain
tolerances set for the different conditions, a cer
tificate is granted showing the results of tho test.
If a watch fails to meet the requirements,' re
port Is rendered showing wherein It fell short of
tho tolerances and giving It actual perforata
in tho trial, Watchos may bo submitted by mam-'
ufacturors or jobbers of watches, by retail deal
ers, or by tho Individual ownors of the watchew,
a fee being charged which is estimated to cover
ttio actual cost of tho test. It is expected that
tho testa will be especially valuable In case
whero watches are to bo usod for scientific pur
poses or exploration, and also to purchasers of
high grado watches in giving thorn assurance
that tho watch Is reasonably adjusted and in
good condition at the timo of tho test. Copie
of tho circular and of tho application blank to
bo filled out by those submitting a watch for teat
may bo obtained from the Bureau of Standards,
Washington, D. Q, '
STANDARD FIRE-HOSE COUPLINGS
An account of the advanco toward a national
standard for hose couplings and fittings for pub
lic fire sorvico is contained in Circular No. 50 of
tho bureau.
Tho moveraont for tho adoption of standard
flro-houso couplings datos from tho great Boston
flro of 1872, which showed tho impossibility of
tho flro departments of adjacont towns acting J
unison when provided with tho divorso size of
hoao fittings then prevailing.
Tho matter was taken up at tho first conven
tion of flro engineers, In 1873, and was discussed
at various conventions In oucceoding years, but
little was accomplished toward bringing about
tho desired changes until tho agitation received
a now Impetus from tho Baltimore flro in 1904,
when noithor tho Washington, Philadelphia, nor
Now York flro engines on their arrival, could
make connection with tho local flro hydrants.
This condition led tho Morchants and Minera
Transportation Co., In April, 1904, to roquest the
secretary of tho department it commorce and
labor to investigate tho subjoct of flro-hose
couplings. Tho secretary refcrr d tho matter to
tho bureau of standards, and in tho investigation
which followed, it was found that there was a
great diversity In sires and throads of couplings
throughout tho United States. At a conference
of tho committees of tho National Fire Protec
tion association, hold in Now Yor' City April 24,
1905, the bureau proponed tho adoption, either
of tho thread which could bo shown to be most
extensively used, or (hat thread, which possessed
tho greatest advantages In other respects. Fol
lowing tho latter course, tho conference resolved
that 7 threads per Inch shoi Id bo recommend
ed for 2 Inch flrc-hoso couplings. This thread
was not regarded as an Ideal standard, but was
considered tho most practicable baBls for uni
fication under prevailing conditions.
At tho annual convention of the International
Association of Fire Engineers, at Duluth, In
1905, this standard was adopted after lengthy
discussion, and at Dallas, in 1906, the conven
tion reaffirmed tho action taken at Duluth, and
made Its record complete by adopting the na
tional standard specifications covering coupling
of 3 and 3 Inches inside diameter, eaqh to
have six threads to the Inch, and 4 Inch coup
lings having 4 threads to the Inch.
Up to 1913 the national standard had been put
Into service in 73 cities 6r towns, either as hew
equipment or by adaptation 6f non-standard
couplings to interchange with the standard.
TAKR PROFIT OUT OF WAR
If we are to have moro battleships, let the gov
ernment build them at government navy yards.
If we must have more guns, let the government
make them in its own shops. If we must have
powder, bullets and shells, and other Implements
of death, let the government manufacture them.
And so with aircraft for war, so with mines and
submarines.
Admitting that we heed all those things, yet It
is true that we do not neod a war lobby at Wash
ington, nor do we need the constant, Inspired agi
tation through newspapers for the "preparedness
for war" that means private profit to those en
gaged In building ships, making armor-plate,
powder, guns and other Implements of war.
It Is of very little consequence whether or
not such things can be made more cheaply by
the government can be made at lower cost than
by private Arms or individuals. Profit In war
and "preparedness for war" Is an incentive to
agitation for war. San Francisco Star.
It will be noted that when the democratic ad
ministration discovered that there was a likeli
hood of the government income failing to equal
the government outgo prompt steps were takes
to remedy matters. The republican plan was tc
allow the deficit to pile up and then ask for per
mission to raise the tariff.
t
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