Evening Star Newspaper, June 3, 1923, Page 43

EDITORIAL PAGE NATIONAL Part 2—16 Pages FIGHT OVER RAILWAYS IN CONGRESS LIKELY i Operation of Roads and Transportation Seen as Matters by the By G. GOULD LINCOLN. Just as during the war period, gov- ernment operation of the railroads of the country was undergoing trial with close scrutiny by the peopl during the last three operation has been under observation. The signs are not lacking to indicate that during the next session of Con- gress there will be a tremendous struggle over the transportation sys- aws relating to it 1t is significunt that Senator Curt of Kansas, republican whip of th Senate, has just returned W ington after spending some time in Kansas with the statement that the people of Kansas are thinking more about the railroads and freight rates than they are about foreign relations. It is of great significance that the progressive group have raised the war banner against the valuation of the railroads by the Interstate Com- merce Commission and against the Esch-Cummins transportation get. s0 tom and the to Questions Being Discussed. People are asking themselves what have the railroads been doing since they were returned to private opera- tion in February, 19202 And the railroad managements themselve: through the Association of Railwa Executives and other organizations and institutions, are presenting their side of the case. The progressive bloo in Congress and the farm block—the membership in the two being to a considerable extent identical—have announced they will seek drastic amendments of the Esch-Cummins transportation act at the next session. When the last Congress met in December the railroad problem was recognized as of vital importance, but the leaders decreed that the time was too short in which to tacke it, and éxcept for hearings before the interstate com- merce committeee of the Senate, nothing was attempted. The word had gone forth there was on no ac- count to be a special session of the new* Congress, the whole matter must go over wntil the close of 1923, Not unnaturally the friends of go ernment ownership and operation of the railroads have hailed with glee the conference of the progressives on railroad valtation. recently held in Chicago, and tha determination of that conference to fight the valua- tion &s it is being made by the Inter- state Commerce Commission, through the courts and through Congress. They look upon it as a step toward forcing government operation. La Follette Headn Fight. Senator Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin, whose name Is carried b the act providing for the valuat of the railroad properties, was chair- man of the conference, and he will lead in the fight to change the method of valuation. Representative Hud- dleston of Alabama is vice chairman so and Senator Robert L. Owen of Okla- | homa is second vice chairman and former Representative Edward Keat- ing of Colorado is the third vice chairman. What the progressive group objects to and charges that the Interstate Commerce Commission has failed to obey the law in so doing is the valuing of railroad properties on the basis, largely, of what it would cost to reproduce those properties today It charges that the commission has falled to carry out mandatory pro- visions of the law providing for the valuation; that it has not ascertained the origimal cost of railroad proper- ties; that it has not ascertained the amgunt and value of public donations, and that it has not reported the meth- ode whereby it arrives at the values fixed. Contention of Progressives. The contention of the progress spokesmen is that if the railroads were permitted to value their prop- ertles for the purpose of rate-making on the basis of the cost of reproduc- tion at present prices, the people would be compelled to pay—through years private ! nf PROBLEMS Most Considered People. freight rates, passenger rates, etc.— dividends to the railroads on approxi- mately $10,000,000,000 of unearned in- crement—on $10,000,000,000 that had never been invested in the properties. This, it is sald, means an Increase of at least $500,000,000 a year in freight and passenger rates; it that no matter what fluctuation there may hereafter be in the cost of reproduc- ing railroads, they will be entitled to demand returns on a basis of the v uation while prices are at their pres- ent high level. The attack made by the progres- sives upon the Interstate Commerce commission, which has been regarded for years as a judicial tribunai, is one of the most severe that has ever been made. means Argument of Railronds. The railroads on the other hand are seeking to justify the operation re- sults under private management dur- Ing the last three years, and:insist that they are mot now getting = faiv return on their property. They point out that when the rallrords were re- turned in 1920 to private operation there were long-standing unsettled | !demands for numerous wage in- WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 3, 1923. tion enforcement law of th discussion among politicians and 1 his long memorandum setting for “started something” of the whole country. The first politicians is, What cffect on the dential camp. test for the nomination candidate will Gov. The next coasideration is whe fication of prohibition is to becom questions? * ok ok K Gov. pealer or vetoed it, if he did and be damned if he d will with probably follow repealer, to ascertain the extent o creases; that rallroad revenues were admittedly insufficlent to meet op- ¢rating expenses and pay to the rail- roads the standard return which had been agreed upon by Congress; that the so-called national agreements on rules and regulaticns affecting jrail way employes were still in effect. All of these conditions, they say, had to be met and overcome. In 1921 the country went through a tremendous period of business depression, they point out, and the railroads suffgred. too. Wages, they say, were first raised in 1920, and then freight rates, and then in the following year were somewhat reduced. They point par- ticularly to the reductions made in freight rates since it appears to be the demand by shippers for lessened freight rates that is causing muc of the uproar against the roads just row. The total effect of freight rate reductions since August, 19: when the rates were advanced by the com- mission, it is estimated by the roads, { has been to reduce revenues to class one railroads from the level then es- ‘th"shcd by at least 00,000,000 a Cite Labor Disturbances. The roads are pointing also to the llabor aisturbances, especially the shopmen's strike of last year, as hindrances to their progress in the three-year period since the return of the roads to private operation. The Interstate Commerce Commis- sfon in its rate decision of July 29, 1920, effective August 26 of that year, cencluded that the roads should re- cefve as a falr return nef operating | income of § per cent on a tentative valuation for rate making purposes of $18,900,000.000. A later decision set the rate at § per cent on an adjusted tentative valuation. During the three years ending with 1922 the roads, it is estimated, received a total of $2,000,000,000 less than the statu- tory return. The net operating in- come, of the roads during 1920 was placed at $17,226,902, dufing 1921 at $600,888,351 and during 1922 759,946,000, Complaints are Likely. That is the other side of the ques- | tion. But there is no doubt but what Congress will hear a great many com- plaints against frelght rates, and many demands .that something be done to lower them. At the time of the shopmen's strike and the coal strike last year, there was an insistent clamér that some- thing be done to protect the public against the suffering brought about by these industrial disturbances. That is another phase of the railroad ques tion which will be considered, it is understood, next winter. Efforts will be made to strengthen the law so a§ to compel the railroads and men both to pay attention to the the decisions of the railroad labor board. Sentiment among democratic has any. upon whe'ther the commentator is dry. Ii the former, he contend idential nomination had he not eighteenth amendment. gets no credit. This Is because they &0 through the ports of Hamburg and Eremen, ~giving the impression that they are going to Germany. - T have been trying to get a change in trade report methods in this country so that Czechoslovakia will get full credit for all goods bought In the United States. For example, an immense amount of cotton is shipped from here to my country; but merchants here, reading the reports, suppose it all goes to Germany because it is billed to German ports. & raises Secretary Wallace, “I have found of great value to Cze¢hostovakia reports breught out | by Secretary Hoover. They are of intense interest not only to business men and manufacturers in the United | States, but all over the world. Mr. | Hoover has a remarkable knowledge | of Czechoslovakia and through his vision as a world citizen realizes the | peculiar needs of all the nmew re- | publics. “Secretary Wallace has been equally helpful” the minister continued. | “The splendid suggestions which his | department is now publishing have | to be changed somewhat to suit the | different soll and climatic conditions - in my country, but many are proving | extremely valuable in advancing’ ag- riculture there. Farmers all over the world are cohservative, but whén tests prove the value of new ideas they are ready and glad te ‘adopt| them. These reports can be used in| English in the universities'at Prague;. and in some cases their usefulness has made it advisable to have them translated and printed in the Czech language for the direct benefit of the farmers. “The broad spirit in which Mr. Wal- lace furnishes this valuable informa- tion . to other countries is nothing also Dr. Stepanek Has Helped Put Czech Nation Upon the Map What Dr. Bedrich Stepanek, first minister from Czechoslovakia to the United States, has done to help put the new republic on the world map is one of the most dramatic and fascinating storjes of diplomatic eervice that has been brought to light in Washington in a long time. Dr. Stepanek, who has resigned his post here and is being succeeded by Dr. Frantisek Chavalkovsky, was presi- dent of the revolutionary committee before his homeland became free, headed the Czechoslovakia commis- sion to the Paris peace conference, and more recently has served on the debt commission which arrived here a few days ago to adjust war claims with Uncle Sam. He organized the | forelgn office in Czechoslovakia after his country became independent. In- cidentally Dr. Stepanek speaks nine languages. “The task of a foreign minister is dificult when the nation he repre- sents is almost unknown,” said Dr: Stepanek, when interviewed at the Cszechoslovakian legation. - “It is en- tirely different in the case of Bel- glum, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and other small powers so long estab- lished. International friendships are one of the greatest needs of a new country and there cannot be too many of them. ‘Work for Edueation. “One of my greatest aims has been 1o help Tevive education in Czecho- s#lovakia. T believe the University of #zague has already regained much of its ancient prestige in central Europe. I have always maintained that there is need of an American university in Prague and have recently been assist- ing the minister of education in ar- ranging for American students to go there for study under frée scholar- ships. I feel sure they will derive much benefit from this innovation, as will the Czech students who come in'contact with them. Exchange pro- fessors are excellent in their way, but they don't go far enough. Ex- change students are also needed. While living in Prague they are sure to give our own students a great ‘deal of the American spirit which to me, is 80 wonderful. “There are 6,000 students now in Prague. Of this number 2,600 are from Russla. So you readily see the ity's importance and influence in ducation. It is.a much better place than Berlin for Russian students be- cause their langupge is understood and the people are much more sym- pathetic toward them,” Dr. Stepanek explained. And In speaking of edu- cation it Is worth noting that the minister recently arranged' for Dean Albert H. Putney of 'American Uni- versity to go to Prague.and deliver a series of lectures on the American Constitution. “We have dane everything possible through the Department of Commerce to increase trade between the two countries,” Dr. Stepanek continued. “A great many-goods-afe shipped to- Czechosiovakia fos wiich tie nation less than remarkable. Of course, such reports could hardly be kept from other nations even if it was so desired. But Secretary Wallace might be bureaucratic and make it unpleasant for foreign diplomats finstead of co- operating so generously with them. “It goes almost without saying that Sceretary Hughes is keenly interest- ed in the progress of Czechoslovakia, although not one of the nations which have a great deal of business to be carried on with the State De- partment,” said the diplomat in com- menting further upon the very un- selfish spirit which he has found among Americans, and which to him has been nothing less than amazing when compared with the spirit preva- lent among so many nations in Eu- rope. Dr. Stepanek calls Czechoslovakia the bridge to Russia. It is the very center of central: Europeah - civiliza- tion and many of the foremost artis sclentists and musiclans have been educated there. It also links the near east with western Europe. Sbme day, he feels sure, the United States will have a great part in the recon- struction of Russia. He belleves the task too great for any one or even two European nations comibining efforts. In his oplnion, the American engineers, manufacturers and others who take part in rebuilding Russia will ‘do’ &' great deal of their work through the ald of Czechs, who un- derstand the Russian temperament, speak thelr lJanguage and are familiar Wwith their needs. The career of Dr. Stepanek reads like a novel. Born of an old family in Prague, he began his education at home, but went to Paris for further study at the age ‘of elghteen.. Later he -studied in the umiversities of T wCondies v/ Taid 4 dpr.y & st BY N. 0. MESSENGER. T will be many a day before Gov. Smith's action on the bill repealing the prohib: New York ceases to furnish a topic for sons for signing the repealer he certainly to engage the interest . jection of states’ rights as a political issue thought which comes to the When he said, “Over and beyond all .this, I o and on the preliminary con- of the democratic Smith's action exert? ing-issue before the voters, overshadowing international affairs and even other domestic Smith expressed his realizafion of thc'surrl_\' that whether he signed the re- “he would be damned interest comment of the public on his signing of the nation consequent upon that action. is divided over the probable effect of his course on his presidential aspirations, if he The point of view depends largely governor avould have lost the support of New York to his possible candidancy for the pres- repealer. If he is a dry, he questions whether in taking a stand for modification of the Volstead act the governor has not swapped the substance for the shadow—retained the support -of the Tammany organization and weakened himself with what many people believe to be the majority sentiment of the “nation-as cxpressed in the adoption of the ness. | terval. It eschewed all political fending his signing of e state of aymen. In He th his, rea next presi- believe the approval ther modi- e the lead- the Union.” L are now in existence zations whose aim is to check further en- croachments upon the idn't.” He the cratic party, »f condem-. date for President, all politicians ¢ the nomination. * % Attention is likely awetora s that the question. Speaking of signed the liquors, scientific definition of intoxicating beverage. should be adopted by NEW HOOVER is noted that Gov. Smith carefully action upon the higher and broader ground of upholding the right of state sovereignty. challenged President Harding’s stand that the state was bound to uphold the laws of Congress enacted under the Constitution. Intimation was given of the possible in- awaken in the public mind the fundamental conception .of the law of the land and re- establish beyond doubt what constitutes the essentials of the relations between the fed- eral government anl the sovereign states of It is to be observed that there eral government of the reserved rights of the states and the enactment by Congdress of alleged paternalistic laws. Politicians are asking if Gov. Smith hopes to assemble to the support of the demo- in case he should be a candi- favor this movement, and, by the same token, their support first in his possible condidacy however, to his suggestion for giving the states enlarged self-control over the liquor by Congress of what constitutes intoxicating he says in his memorandum: scems to me that common sense, backed up by good medical opinion, can find a more and reasonable amendment “of the Volistead act, and a maximum alcoholic content should be prescribed by Congress which would limit Great Deluge of Political Speculation Let Loose by Gov. Smith’s Repeal Memo. all states to consideration in de- the bill. He put his therefore be of this repeal will could be wit even to the alcohol wha eighteenth fastening of prosecution a number of organi- invasion by the fed- thoritics. of the unth men and women who P wine in New repeal—that * * to be attracted first, the present definition the law, for “It what constitutes an Such a definition Congress as a proper construction repressed.” DICTIONARY BOON TO BUSINESS WORLD Plans to Provide Buyer in Every Line, With Standard Guide in Pur- chase of Commodities. BY FREDERIC WILLIAM W ERBERT HOOVER is by way of patterning after Noah Webster. The Secretary of Commerce is about to com- pile a dictionary. It will be a great compendium of trade and industry and is designed to confer a long- needed boon upon the world of busi- The book is to be “Dictionary of Specifications.” Tts purpose Is to provide the American buyer with a standard gulde for the intelligent| purchase of commodities. Its corol- {lary object is to enable the manu- facturer of every staple product, from locomotives to tacks, to eliminate waste, cut out lost motion and, by thus reducing costs of production, cheapen prices to consumers. A meeting of executives of the fore- most industrial and engineering bodies of the country will be held In ‘Washington under Mr. Hoover's auspices June 11. It will hear him outline his dictionary scheme, sub- mit suggestions and counter-sugges- tions and definitely launch the project. The dictionary, like an up- to-date telephone directory, is to ap- pear in new editions from time to time, with the addition of any new industrial kinks developed In the in- It has been estimated that when commodity specifications are systematically standardized in the United States the cost of countless articles may be reduced by an aver- age of 30 per cent. Chaos reigns now in every direction and to it are directly attributable many high prices. Stmplify Business. Mr. Hoover's project for a dictionary of specifications is an outgrowth of the division of simplified practice in- stituted by him at the Department of Commerce. That division has per- formed miracles in the direction of, making ordinary business simpler for | both buyer and seller. It has- been| primarily a “get-together” bureau, inducing makers of commodities to confer with consumers with a view to ‘time-saving and monéy-saving. One homely illustration of what the dtvision has done is in the humble realm of paint. There used fo be a hundred and more different varleties of paint and as many colors. Inquiry and study showed most of them were superfluous. The division of simpli- fied practice got on the job and now there are only . seventeen standard grades of paint colors. They have proved sufficient and a heap of trou- Dle has been saved for all concerned. The same thing happened recently with the brick .ndustry. It was found that brick manufacturers were wasting energles on turning out | ington a few davs aso when Mr.| Hoover assembled a conference of | the various state purchasing agents | of the Union. Some twenty-five states | were represented. It developed that| fewer than twenty states have or- ganizations corresponding to the federal specifications board, which | was brought into existence with the federal budget. Until the foundation | of the board government purchases were conducted on topsy-turvy lines. Cvery department, and almost every division in a department, had itsown pecullar ideas of what it wanted in| any given commodity. Manufacturers | of the country sometimes fought shy ©of government contracts because of the diversified character of the most trivial articles. There was no such thing as uniformity In Uncle Sam's purchasing system. Gen. Dawes was the first to break with that unbusi- nesslike and costly practice, and his| successor as budget director, Gen. Lord, has hammered strongly along the same line. May 25, when the state purchasing agents were ‘in Washington, Gen. Lord gave a graphic and convincing picture of how the federal specifications board works. Now, when a government department orders a rake, a roof or a roadster it puts in an application for a standard, not a freak, article. Manufactories no longer have to tear down a plant or construct a new plant to give Uncle Sam what he wants. They either “stock” it or can make it on the regular run of the mill. There used to be a hundred different kinds of government leases. There are only seven now, with standard clauses, thanks to the fed- eral specifications board. At the June 11 meeting Secretary Hoover will confer with executive representatives of organizations like the federal specifications board, the American Rallway Association, the engineering standards committee, the American Manufacturers' Association, the United States Chamber of Com- merce and the Automotive Soclety. Mr. Hoover's chief collaborator in the specifications reform movement is Dr. George Kimball Burgess, the new di- rector of the bureau of standards, a distinguished metallurgical authority. (Copyright, 1923.) How U. S. Is Saving By Co-Ordination Here are some striking examples of ‘how the new co-ordination service sup- plemental to the budget system through executive order is bringing business many more different kinds of brick than were actually required in the building trades. Now a few standard sizes have been hit upon and the whole building industry is the ben: fictary. Pirst Move Here. The first move toward standardiz- ing specifications was made in Wash- efficiency and economy dnto the govern- ment service: The Indian field service at Santa Fe, N. M, needed two draft mules, the market price for which in that locality was then about $175 per head. Before thé establishment of the co-ordinating machinery the In- @:an fiold service would have pur-, ciiascd (nese mules in the market, in fact non-intoxicating within the meaning of the eighteenth amendment.” Gov. Smith then goes on to say that, “subject to that limitation, each state should what constitutes. an intoxicating beverage. States which then wish to limit traffic to beverages containing not more than one- half of 1 per cent of alcohol would be _fr'cc to do so, and those which desire to extend the traffic to the maximum limit allowed by federal statute would be free to do so. mum many differences of degree, extending states of traffic sents the suggestion that repeal of the en- forcement law in any way nullifies the amendment, amendment should be upon the federal au- still responsible for detection of ‘violators of open for thei He hastens to assure-the anxious citizens who have written to him that “the repeal of the Mullan-Gage law will not, and cannot, by any strength of the imagination bring back the saloon, which is and ought to be a defunct institution in this country; and any attempt at its re-establishment by a mis- this bill will be forcefully and vigorously N the traffic in liquors which are left free to determine for itself There hin the limitations of the maxi- complete prohibition by some in liquor contgining any tever.” Gov. Smith stoutly re- holding that the the primary responsibility for for violations of the eighteenth * K kK The governor took pains to dash the hopes inking that thc repeal of the law held out present prospect for beer or York. He pointed out that the Volstead act is in no way modified by the is to say, as long-as the gov- ernment is able to enforce.it: The average reader will find an ironical note-in the gov- ernor’s admonition that state authorities are the federal courts will still be ir prosecution. of the executive attitude on paying the market price, in Ignor- ance of the fact that at the same time the War Department had 2,000 surplus mules at Fort Bliss, Tex., a féw hours away by rail, which it was selling at public auction and for which it was obtaining only $50 per head. The chief co-ordinator's office, through its area co-ordinator at San Antonlo, arranged for the transter of two suitable mules from the War Department's surplus at Fort Bliss to the Indian field service at Santa Fe at a saving to the gov- ernment of §125 per head, or $230 less the cost of transportation, which was $47.91 In Boston recently space was need- ed by the prohibition director for storage of seized automobiles. Vet- erans’ Bureau trainees did the work, materigl Was furnished by the Army jand Navy from. surplus and trans- portation:by the Post Office Depart- ment—with an actual saying of §13,- 000. Now the Navy Department has| 7,000,000, brass grommets, the Post Office Department can use these in making mail bags, and the transfer is being arranged. The chief co-ordinator has seven (7) representatives in the fleld known as area co-ordinators, whose activ- ities cover the entire area of the United States, with headquarters at; Boston, New York, Philadelphia, At- lanta, Chicago, San Antonio, Tex., and San Francisco. The work of area co-ordinators consists In the initi- ation of economical and efficient in- terdepartmental transfers, the hous- ing of federal activities in govern- ment-owned buildings to avoid ob-| taining leased space, the co-ordina- tion of motor transport and iighter- age, the expeditious liquidation of surplus materials, an@ in operations incident to the prompt disposal of surplus War Department canton- ments, depots and air service sta- tions. In many cities these feld dep- uties of the chief co-ordinator have orgamized; federal business associa- tions, and, In general, have performed a most valuable service in bringing the fleld representatives of the vari- ous departments of government into close and harmonious co-operation. $80,000 on Letter Paper. A large quantity of stationery had been declared surplus by the Navy | {as a maximum penalty. DRUG CONSUMPTION HELD RAPIDLY DECLINING IN U. S. Harrison Law Gives Best Control of Traffic Any Nation Has, Says - Federal Chief. BY WILL P. KENNEDY. OW that Buropean diplomacy at the Geneva conference has defeated the resolution pre- sented by Representative Stephen Porter of Pennsylvania, chairman of the House committee on forelgn affairs, which was approved by Congress, calling upon the nations of the world to limit the production of opium to the legitimate require- ments of medicine, it is especially In- teresting and pertinent to sce what the situation actually is in this coun- try regarding the drug evil. It will be surprising to the ma- jority of people in this country to learn that the per capita consump- tion of habit-forming drugs in the United States has been reduced nearly 500 per cent during the administra- tion of the Harrison narcotic law. The statement has frequently been made recently that the per capita consumption of opium in this country is thirty-six grains. This is refuted by Col. L. G. Nutt, chief of the nar- cotic division of the prohibition unit, who figures that the present per capita consumption is seven-eighths of one grain of morphia, or approxi mately seven grains of crude oplum. G. Half Milllon Addicts. Col. Nutt also points out that while the estimate has been placed as high as 4,000,000 addicts, there is no justi- fication for these figures, and, ac- cording to his best calculations, there is now only one addict in every 500 persons, or not exceeding 500,000 ad- dicts in the entire country. ‘With this encouraging showing those who have studied the drug evil most closely In the United States feel that the present law, with the inter- pretation of the courts, is in general ample to take care of the situation. The original Harrison narcotic act was greatly strengthened by the Jones-Miller act of May 26, 1922, which by providing heavy penalties for any one aiding or abetting or bringing in opfum and covering seiz- ure and forfeiture has been success- ful in keeping out large quantities of oplum. Two important pieces of legislation, the incoming Congress to further im- prove the drug evil situation. First, in obedience to an insistent demand from all over the country, severer penalties, as provided in a bill in- troduced by Representative Porter, are expected to recelve the approval of Congress. Penalties Made The present law provides for a fine of $2,000 or five years' Imprisonment The Porter DLill proposes at $5.000 fine and to fifteen years for the first offense, fifteen years for the second offense, and removes title to the benefits of parole after serving one-third of the time, as is now the general law. Second, the next Congress will probably prohibit the manufacture and sale of heroin, which is a product of morphine, through an excessive tax. It is now conceded by physi- cians that heroin serves no purpose in medicine that codeine and mor- phine will not serve and has about four times the narcotic strength of codeine and three times that of mor- phine, while it tears down the system of the addicts much more quickly. The improved situation is due largely, officials say, to the way in which public opinfon has been arous- ed and to the way In which the judges have stiffened up in imposing sen- tences. Where a few years ago they would give a sentence of thirty days they now impose five years. Reports from all over the United States reflect this improved condition. For exam- ple, a Denver judge recently wrote to federal headquarters saying that ad- dicts are collapsing in the street be- cause the traffic in drugs has been made so dangerous that they can no longer buy the stuff. The situation in St..Louls has improved about 75 per cent in the last elghteen months, ac- cording to official reports. This has been due to severe sentences given. A colored doctor was recently given a sentence of fort; Heavler. $ The United States faces a severe and inevitable timber shortage, the experts of the United States forest Department. It was very desirable that the material be transferred to the general supply committee for is- sue to various departments of the government. However, there were no funds available elther in the Navy Department or in the general supply committee to pay the freight charges for moving the property to Washing- ton. The chief co-ordinator prevail- ed upon the Shipping Board to pay the freight charges and receive reim- bursement In the form of stationery. This transaction resulted in a sav- ing to the government of approxi- mately $80,000. The War Department had a quanti- ty of rhodium, no longer required. This material, However, was urgently needed by the Bureau of Standards. Discovering this need, the War De- partment itself initiated action to have the material transferred to the bureau of standards. The chief co- ordinator took the necessary action to consummate the transaction. The arrangements for the transfer from excess stocks of 6,000,000 yards of canvas, required by the Post Of- fice Department for the manufacture of mail bags, was accomplished through the-co-operative action of the War Drrnrtment and Post OMite De- partment. servick warn. The United States is the largest consumer of wood in the whole wide world—so this warning muSt be given most serious - consideration. The United States today is using nearly half the lumber, more than half the paper made out of wood pulp and about two-fifths of the wood in all forms, besides which we produce from two-thirds to three-fourths of the naval stores. i \ We have been consuming our tim- ber resources in much the same way that coal is mined—treating the for- ests as mines from which to extract the timber without any regard for growing new timber crops. Tntensive Forestry Necessary. The situation is so serious that it will be necessary to put the entire forest area of the country—470,000,000 acres—under intensive forestry to exceed the present drain—and it will take 30 years at least before new growth would, under average condi- tions, attain sufficlent size to furnish even low-grade material. The Department of Agriculture is stressing this {mpending lumber shortage and the attention of Con- gress will be foreibly directed to it as soon as the next session opens. This situation has come abeug | however, are expected to be passed by | five | i Heavy seizures made federal agents have likewise tended to dis- courage the traffic in habit-forming drugs. Last Tuesday 114,000 tablets of cocaine were seized in New York and fourteen persons arrested. The statement so frequently muds that the per capita consumption of opium in the United States is thiry- six grains is based on the average per annum importation of opium for the period of 1910 to 1915, which was prior to the operation of the Harri- son narcotic law, effective March 1, 1915, and because there were no ade- quate means of checking the amount of oplum Leing used in this country the quantity was largely conjectural. The official records of the narcotics division show that during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1921, the sales of opium, morphine, codeine, heroin and dionin made by manufacturers were sufficient for one and seven-eighths grains of morphla per capita, whereas during the fiscal year ended June 305 1922, the quantity of opium imported and used by manufacturers was suffi- clent for only geven-eighths of one grain per caplta. For the fiscal year nded June 30, 1921, per capita consumption of cocaine, according to the sales made by manufacturers, was one-third of one grain, which has been reduced to one-fourth of one grain for the year ended June 30, 1922, 1 Trend Is Downward. © The records show a continuing downward trend in the amount of both opium and cocaine consumed 8o far during the present fiscal year. Fully as important as any new regulatory or punitive legislation that Congress may enact to discour- age the trafiic In narcotic drugs is the necessity for an increased appro- priation to enforce the law. This appropriation now 1s only $750,000 annually. While the law was not intended as a revenue measure, but as a moral law, its administration has brought into the United States Treasury more than $500,000 in ex- cess of the wmount appropriated by Congress for enforcement. None of the revenue derived from the taxes, fines, forfeitures and offers in compromises is used to defray ex- penses of enforcement. During ths fiscal year ended June 30, 1 the | narcotic division turned into the Treasury §1,170,291.32, and during the year ended June 30, 1922, $1,269,039.90. The increase during the past fiscal year is attributed to the heavy fines which are being imposed upon viola- |[0rs by the courts. 1 | T. S. Law Ix Model. no country in the world exists a more eflicient the importation, There is in which ther method of checking distribution and consumption of nar- | cotic drugs than in the United States under the provisions of the Harrison narcotic law, according to R. A. Haynes, the federal prohibition com- missioner. In the first place, every ounce of opium and cocoa leaves which comes into this country legitimately carries a one-cent tax paid by stamps affixed to the packages. Secondly, all manu- facturers and wholesale dealers are required to submit monthly reports showing all purchases and sales in detail; and, 'third, all retailers (drug- gists), physiclans and dentists required to make and submit vearly reports showing all narcotic drugs on hand and maintain records of pur- chases and dispositions, which must be open to Inspection. This report must accompany application for license (registry and speclal tax stamp) to handle the drugs and prac- |.tice the profession of physician and dentist. Every ounce of opium or coca leaves imported into this country can be traced directly to the ultimate consumer, the records of the narcotic division showing every step through which it passes from the time it en- ters the country until it is sold to the dispensing physician or the pre- scription druggist. It is believed that no other country in the world keeps such a close check upon its narcotlc imports. are Forest Experts Say U. S. Faces Inevitable Timber Shortage cause American standards of living and much of our industry have been developed upon timber supplies, which were so abundant and cheap, without forethought for the future through safe and sane conservation and re- forestation. The forest lands of this country originally totaled 822,000,000 acres, on which the timber stand according to conservative estimates was 5200 billion board feet—probably much more. Reduced to 470,000,000 Acres. Today the forest land area is only 470,000,000 acres and the timber stand is reckoned at 1,600 billion feet of virgin timber and 600 billion feet of culled and second-growth stands. The rate of timber consumption in the United States today—including loss by fire and other destructive agencies—is nearly four times as great as the rate of timber growth. The country’s requirements now amount to about 23,000,000,000 cubia feet each year, while only approxi- mately 6,000,000,000 cubic feet is be« ing grown. Although timber is grow- 15ig on perhaps 250,000,000 acres of our forest land, the crop is poor and so subject to damage that the land is producing only a small fractional part of what it_could and should produce under propdr forest management. Increased production will com: iContinued on Third Pageds —