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The Commoner
DECEMBER, 1913
it
initiative and that steps will be taken by a con
ference of all the powers to discuss reduction of
the heavy cost of the" army and navy.'
GOVERNMENT ARMOR PLATE FACTORY
"In recommending that an appropriation bo
mado for constructing a government armor plate
factory and increasing the gun factory, the
powder factory and the torpedo works, Secretary
Daniels says that the time has come when the
navy department should be freed from excessive
prices charged by private manufacturers for
armor, guns and ammunition.
"As for the armor situation, it is 'intolerable.'
he holds. He tells of his recent efforts to obtain
real competition and reasonable prices. The
Bethlehem Steel company In particular is ac
cused of having utilized armor improvements and
designs worked out by United States naval ofll
cers in the armor It furnished to a foreign gov
ernment, and all three companies are charged
with selling armor to foreign- navies at a lower ,
price than to their own country. The other con
cerns attacked by Mr. Daniels are the Carnegie
Steel company and the Mldvale Steel company.
"The secretary asserts that, without its own
plant, the government would be at the mercy
of three manufacturers in time of war. History
does not warrant an assumption, he adds, that
the patriotism of these companies will prove
superior to their desire for-profits.
"In recommending legislation 'that will en
able the department to refine its own oil from Its
own wells and thus relieve itself of the necessity
of purchasing what seems fair to become the
principal fuel of the navy at exorbitant and ever
increasing prices, from the private companies
that now completely control the supply,' Mr.
Daniels points out that Winston Churchill, first
lord of the admiralty, is advocating a similar
policy for Great Britain.
"An interesting recommendation is that a
'welfaro secretary,' to lead In religious work, be
placed on every warship that has no chaplain,
and that, in establishing schools for enlisted
men, he says, 'it is my ambition to make the
navy a great university with college extensions
.afloat and ashore.'"
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
The department of the interior is developing
a new meat supply for the United States. Be
fore many years we may expect reindeer meat
to bo a common article of diet in the western
half of the United States. A partial shipload
that was brought down from Alaska last year
sold readily as a luxury in the Seattle markets.
"With each year there will doubtless be an in
creasing supply of this meat, which is a substi
tute for beef. It is twenty years tLis year since
congress made its first appropriation of $6,000
for the importation of reindeer from Siberia to
Alaska. Altogether during the nine succeeding
seasons 1,280 reindeer were brought over from
Siberia to Port Clarence, which became the base
of supply from which, winter after winter, herds
were sent over the frozen northland to establish
new centers of the reindeer industry.
From this starting point the reindeer enter
prise gradually extended until at the present
time It includes fifty-four herds, distributed over
the vast untlmbered grazing grounds along the
coast from Point Barrow to the Alaska penin
sula, a region aproximating In length the dis
tance from Maine to South Carolina.
In June, 1912, there were in Alaska 38,476
reindeer, of which number 24,068 (represent
ing, at an average value of $25 per head, a
capital of $601,700) were the property of 633
natives. The total income of the natives from
the reindeer industry during the fiscal year
1911-1912, inclusive of the value of meat and
hides used by the natives themselves, was
$44,885.04.
The object of the importation of reindeer into
Alaska was originally to furnish a source of
supply for food and clothing to the Eskimos in
the vicinity of Bering Strait. In twenty years,
the reindeer industry has elevated the. Eskimos
on the vast untimbered grazing lands of the
Arctic and Bering Sea from nomadic hunters and
fishermen, eking out a precarious existence upon
the rapidly disappearing game animals and fish,
to thrifty men, having in their herds of reindeer
assured support for themselves and opportunity
to acquire wealth by the sale of meat and skins
to the white men in those regions. In addition
to providing support for the natives, the rein
deer herds furnish an assured food supply to
the mining and trading settlements in Arctic
and sub-Arctic Alaska in case of disaster during
the long period of each year when Uiobo regions
are icebound and inaccessible
Experience has shown that the total number
of reindeer in Alaska doubles evory four years.
Assuming that this rate of increasi continuow,
in 1920 thero will probably be In Alaska about
150,000 reindeer.
The reindeer Industry at present affects only
the coastal regions of Boring Sea and the Arctic
Ocean. It Is estimated that in northern and
western Alaska there are, approximately, 200,
000 square miles of treeless regions, sultablo
grazing land for reindeer, of which one square
mile would afford adequate pasturage for twenty
reindeer. Accordingly, it is possiblo that the
untimbered grazing lands of Alaska might sup
port 4,000,000 reindeer, of whlc'i 1,000,000
might probably annually furnish a moat supply
for exportation to the states, their hides and
horns also furnish a valuable article of com
merce. Throughout Norway and Sweden smoked
reindeer tongues are found for sale In the mar
kets, the meat being worth about 10 cents a
pound and the tongues 10 cents each. There
are wealthy merchants In Stockholm whoso
specialty is these Lapland products. Reindeer
skins are sold extensively In Europe, being
worth in their raw condition from $1.50 to $1.75
each, and the tanned skins at from $2 to $2.75
each.
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Preliminary to the appointment of attorneys
to give their full time to probate matters as they
effect the Indian minors of Oklahoma,. Com
missioner Cato Sells has recently been in
conference with the governors and principal
C '" of thp five civilized tribes and their tribal
attorneys. This conference dealt only with con
ditions and not with prospective appointments.
The Indian minors of Oklahoma average the
richest children in the United States, but It Is
a lamentable fact that as compared with other
states they have the least protection to their
protiprtv rights. It is estimated that while the
approximate cost is tbreo per cent to settle a
white minor's estate, the exponso of administer
ing the estate of an Indian minor is at loast
twenty per cent. Guardians' fees, attorneys'
fees and other expenditures largely against the
interests of these minors are very common. Mis
appropriations of their funds havo been so fre
quent that it is not an uncommon thing for
minors to reach their majority and find that
their entire property has been consumed, many
times their guardians absconding from the state
and very frequently their bondsmen insolvent.
Minors' lands have been sold with grossly low
appraisement and generally without considera
tion of the minors' best interests. All sorts of
scheming has been resorted to looking toward
the ravishment of these properties and it is for
the purposo of fully ascertaining the facts as
they exist and developing a plan for radical re
form in these respects that conferences with
Commissioner Sells have been held.
It is understood that a perfectly organized
system has been agreed upon and that prompt
and vigorous action will be taken in its execu
tion. Tt is the purpose of Commissioner Sells that
these proceedings shall be In full cooperation
with the state authorities and particularly with
the probato judges.
After the several meetings had been held, the
conferees called upon Secretary Lane when Com
missioner Sells reviewed his plans which were
heartily approved .and commended by the secre
tary, who made some pertinent suggestions.
Where misappropriation of funds is apparent
such cases, he said, should be called to the atten
tion of the grand juries and criminal prosecu
tions instituted.
On the whole this conference is said to havo
been one of the most earnest and effective dis
cussions of Indian affairs ever held in Washing
ton and that it promises great good for the wel
fare of the Indian minors in Oklahoma.
THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The discovery that tho disease of the Irish
potato known as the powdery scab is widely
prevalent in certain foreign countries has led
the secretary, In accordance with section 7 of
the act of August 20, 1912, to call a public hear
ing at the department, Washington, D. C, De
cember 18, at 10 a. m to determine whether or
not Importations of potatoes from the Dominion
of Canada, Newfoundland, Great Britain, Ireland
and Continonnl Europo should bo prohibited In,
order to prevent tho introduction of this disease.
Tho secretary has also called a mooting at the
same time and plnco, in accordance with section
5 of this act, to consider a new proposition
under which foreign potatoes may be rogardod
tho same as nursery stock, and the entry of
potatoes which have been Inspected and pro
nounced free from Infestation by foreign ex
perts bo permitted. Tho ordor of Soptomhor 20,
1912, forbidding the importation into the United
States of potatoes, on account of the existence
of the disease known as potato wart, from Great
Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria Hungary,
Newfoundland, and tho Islands of St. Plorro and
Miquelon, Is not affected by the now call for tho
qtiaruntfne.
During the month, tho department issued a
warning to the public to beware of the little
known but dangorous drug called heroin. Sales
of this drug lately Increased greatly, particu
larly in states which have rigid laws prevent
ing the indiscriminate sale of morphine and
cocaine. Many drug victims who formerly usod
these other drugs have bogu. using horolu,
which is ns yot comparatively easy to obtain.
The public has been warned to scrutinize labels
of proprietary medicines and regard tho pres
ence of heroin as a danger signal. Anothor
warning dealt with a common form of adver
tising whereby makers of proprietary medicines
offer to supply freo a prescription for curing
various aliments. These prescriptions, It Is
pointed out, Includo somo preparation, under a
fancy name, which is practically a proprietary
article. The result 1b thesf receiving tho pre
scriptions have to pay a high price to get them
filled at a drug store, and get really tho equiva
lent of ordinary proprietary preparations.
A third warning director to farmers notified
them that two wldely-t-dvertisod beans, for
which extravagant claims were made, one being
advertised as the Shahon pea and the other as
tho Giant Stock Pod bean or tho Wataka bean
are nothing moro than tho Asparagus or Yard
long bean and the Jack bean.
Warnings were also Issued to farmers to bo
on tho lookout for adulteration or misbranding
of Grimm alfalfa seed, and against paying an
excessive prlco for Sudan grass seed, which, be
cause of the excessive drouth, has been ad
vanced In price to $1 and $1.50 per pound. Tho
farmer has been informed that he Is not Justi
fied In paying this price for large quantities and
that he should buy only small quantities to bo
used In growing his seed supply another year.
Housewives were warned against tho prac
tice of some poultry dealers of feeding chickens
with sand just before killing in order to Increase
their weight.
Information was Issued with the Idea of get
ting the rural families to can more vegetables
and eat them during the winter as a substitute
for laxatives.
As a result of requests from editors and edl-'
torlal associations in many states, the depart
ment has extended, during tho crop reporting
season, its telegraphic service to newspapers in
all states through the central weather station
located in each of the states. Under this plan
newspapers in thirty-nine additional states will
receive full details of the state crops more quick
ly than would bo possible If these state crop de
tails wero mailed in Washington.
To consider moans of bringing about uni
formity between the federal and state food and
drug laws and promote cooperation in their en
forcement, tho secretary Invited the state offi
cials to attend a conference. Thirty-one states,
Porto Rico and the District of Columbia were
represented by officials, and many representa
tives of the department attended tho hearing'.
There was unanimous agreement that greater
uniformity was needed and that better result
could be obtained through increased coopera
tion. Various committees were appointed by
the state officials to draft suggestions for
changes in legislation that will tond to con
sistent food and drug regulation. To aid In
this cooperative work, tho department has es
tablished an office which is to act as a clearing
house for information between the states and
the department and among the different states.
This will go far toward preventing needless
duplication of research and will make common
to all the findings of any of the state or govern
ment laboratories.
During the month the secretary granted hear
ings to representatives of California, Virginia,
Ohio and Missouri grape growers and win
makers to discuss the proper designation oX
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