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Discussion of this subject would be both interesting and helpful. We would like to be favored with the viewpoints of other libraries and librarians. JULIAN F. SMITH NATIONAL ANILINE AND CIICMICALCo., INC. BUFFALO,N Y., April 11, 1919
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY GRAFLIN SCHOLARSHIP AND RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS Through the generosity of the late Mr. Wm H . Graflin, of Baltimore, a scholarship, to be known as the Graflin Scholarship, and three assistantships, have been established in the department of chemistry of the Johns Hopkins University. The Graflin Scholarship will be awarded annually to a candi-
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date having a training equivalent to that leading to the Ph.D. degree and who therefore has had experience in research. It may be awarded twice to the same candidate. The holder of the scholarship will receive $1000a year and wi!l be expected t o devote his entire time to research. The three research assistantships each pay $750 a year and are open to chemists having the equivalent of a Ph.D. degree. The holder of a research assistantship will not be required t o do any formal teaching but will be given the opportunity to devote his entire time to research and to assist in the direction of research. Applications for the above positions for the year ~ g ~ g - r g z o should be sent to the department of chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, 32 I Druid Hill Avenue, Baltimore, Md., before August I .
WASHINGTON LFTTER
I
By PAULWOOTON, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C.
Recommendations, as to what German dyestuffs may be imported to advantage to the nation, are to be made by an advisory committee t o be appointed by the War Trade Board. In addition, the advisory committee will make recommendations as t o means which will insure equitable distribution of such dyes as are imported and will prevent speculation and hoarding. The advisory committee is to consist of eight members, four of whom will represent producers and four, consumers. In the so-called Brussels declaration made t o Germany it was provided that Germany would be allowed to export various commodities t o any country. That is, there was no objection to such exportation from Germany on blockade grounds. No individual country, however, was under obligation to receive any such goods. That made it necessary for the War Trade Board to determine a policy on dyestuffs. The “Trading with the Enemy” Act prohibits such imports except under license. The licensing power was placed in the hands of the President. He in turn delegated it to the War Trade Board. The War Trade Board has refused consistently to use any of its powers for tariff purposes. Its concern has been with the national defense and with matters which clearly were of benefit to the nation. Great care has been taken not to encroach upon the jurisdiction of Congress. Since it is evident that certain dyes should be allowed to come into the country, it was recognized that the matter of their distribution offered an intricate problem. Even of the much needed products, the imports will be greatly restricted. If hoarding and speculation are avoided and proper distribution assured, it will be necessary that they be imported under a guarantee. The precise form of the guarantee has not been worked out a t this writing. The War Trade Board has requested the Chemical Foundatisn, Inc., to act as consignee for all German dyes. Thus steps have been taken to meet the situation until the new Congress can provide such statutory safeguards as it may feel inclined to extend t o the dye industry. There seems t o be little difference of opinion, however, between Democrats and Republicans with regard to the necessity of maintaining in this country a permanent dye industry. One of the difficulties which is giving members of the Ways and Means Committee concern is the fact that some of the dyes would require a duty of 300 t o 400 per cent in order to grant them the protection needed. Some are hopeful that a licensing plan will be worked out. It is known that Mr. Joseph H. Choate, Jr., now IS engaged in drafting a bill which will provide a licensing arrangement. The Tariff Commission, however, is understood t o be rather dubious as to the practicability of any licensing plan. Representative Nicholas Longworth, of Ohio, who does not believe it likely that any general tariff revision will be attempted a t this session of Congress, but who is very anxious that essential war-born industries should be safeguarded, expressed the following opinions to the correspondent of the Journal of Industrial and Engineerzng Chemistry: Immediate protection should be extended t o the dye industry in which some $300,000,000 have been expended since the beginning of the war. This mammoth activity soon would be helpless without legislative assistance. Generally speaking, we ought not t o be dependent on any other country for necessities. This applies with special force to all coal-tar products.
Just how t o handle the coal-tar product sistuation must be threshed out, In an industry so young, there is no definite basis as t o costs. The difficulty of tariff legislation, where costs are so different, is that the granting of reasonable protecting duties would, in some cases, have t o be 300 or 400 per cent. A licensing system presents numerous administrative difficulties. It probably is wise to introduce the bill recommended b y t h e Tariff Commission. The fact t h a t the textile manufacturers will no longer oppose duties on dyes will make it much easier t o enact proper legislation of t h a t character.
Democratic members of the Ways and Means Committee apparently agree that tariff protection must be extended to the coal tar and other industries in the same situation, but they fear that advantage will be taken of the situation t o foist higher duties on the country than are necessary to prevent the dumping of European accumulation. For that reason they expect to go into the matter very carefully but are willing that temporary safeguards be provided in the interim. Representative Fordney, of Michigan, who announced in March that he would be satisfied with nothing less than general tariff revision a t the coming session, has not returned to Washington a t this writing, but it is regarded as probable that he will not insist upon such a course in view of the prevailing sentiment against it. The United States Tariff Commission expects t o have ready to place in the hands of Congress shortly after it convenes the 1918 dyestuff census. Recognizing that there is much uncertainty as to the status of stills or worms adapted t o the production of distilled spirits, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue has promulgated a statement covering the use, manufacture, and sale of stills. The statement is as follows: Under federal laws and regulations manufacturers of stills are required to pay an annual special tax of $50, and in addition thereto $20 for each still or worm for distilling made by them. All persons, firms, or corporations thus manufacturing a still or worm to be used in distilling are deemed manufacturers of stills. This applies t o all stills capable of the production of distilled spirits, but does not apply t o small laboratory stills (usually glass) for legitimate laboratory purposes, or t o water stills which are not capable of and intended for the production of distilled spirits. Ordinarily, laboratory stills are small, constructed of glass, and not adapted to the production of distilled spirits in commercial quantities, and many water stills are also of such construction that they are not adapted to the commercial production of distilled spirits. Any stills or worms adapted t o the production of distilled spirits for commercial or beverage purposes are presumed to be intended for such use, and in consequence the manufacture thereof involves the manufacturer in special tax liabilities as above. In order to remove such presumption in the case of stills and worms intended to be used in the manufacture of essential oils, vinegar, and lie products. and in purification of water (other than small glass laboratory stills), the person for whom such still is made will be required to submit to the Collector evidence under oath showing that the still is not to be used for the production of spirits and setting forth specifically the actual purposes for which it is t o be used. The manufacturer of any still, boiler, or any vessel to be used for the purpohe of distilling must, before the same is removed
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from the place of manufacture, notify in writing the Collector of the district in which such still, boiler, or other vessel is to be set up, by whom it is to be used, its capacity, and the time when the same is to be removed from the place of manufacture. Manufacturers of stills for industrial distilleries are exempt from the special tax for the manufacture of such stills, but they are required to obtain permit for their removal in the usual manner. Penalty for failure to file return of special tax within the time prescribed by law is 25 per centum of the amount of tax. Penalty for carrying on the business of manufacture of stills without having paid the special tax required by law is a fine of not less than $100 or more than $5,000, and imprisonment of not less than 30 days or more than 2 years. All stills set up, whether intended for use or not, must be registered with the Collector of the district on Form 26 in duplicate. This applies t o all stills of whatever size or for whatever purpose intended, whether for distillation of spirits or for pharmaceutical or other purposes, except as to small glass laboratory stills. Penalty for failure to register still is forfeiture of the still or distilling apparatus which is not so registered, together with all personal property in the possession or custody or under control of such offender and found in the building or in any yard or inclosure connected with the building in which the same may be set up. The person whose duty it is to register such still, for failure to do so, is subject to a penalty of $500 and a fine of not less than $100 or more than $1,000, and imprisonment of not less than I month or more than 2 years. A person who makes a mash fit for distillation is held to be a distiller, even though he does not vaporize or condense the spirit. A mash fit for distillation is a fermented beer in which alcohol. is generated and from which such alcohol may be removed or separated by use of a still or otherwise. Obviously, the ma king of such a mash is not permissible in the home brewing of beer or home production of spirits since it renders the manufacturer liable as an illicit distiller. Penalty for illicit distillation is forfeiture of the distillery and distilling apparatus and all distilled spirits and raw materials for the production of distilled spirits found on the distillery premises, and a fine of not less than $500 or more than $5,000, and imprisonment of not less than 6 months or more than 3 years. I n addition t o penalties above cited, attention is called to Sub-section 12 of Section 1001 of the Revenue Act of 1918, which establishes additional special taxes in certain cases and which reads as follows: Every person carrying on the business of a brewer, distiller, wholesale liquor dealer, retail liquor dealer, wholesale dealer in malt liquor, retail dealer in malt liquor, or manufacturer of stills, as defined in Section 3244 as amended and Section 3247 of the Revised Statutes, in any State, Territory, or District of the United States contrary t o the laws of such State, Territory, or District, or in any place therein in which carrying on such business is prohibited by local or municipal law, shall pay, in addition t o all other taxes, special or otherwise, imposed by existing law or by this Act, $1,000.
The so-called war-time prohibition law imposes for its violation a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding I year, or $1,000 fine, or both. During the week ending May g, sales of surplus war materials were made amounting to $77,901,960.18, a large figure as compared to the amount realized from the sales of the preceding week which was approximately one and one-half million dollars. The larger part of the figure represents sales made through the Ordnance Department which reported a sales total of $45,883,995.74 for the week, over half of which was realized from the disposal of ammonium nitrate, of which the Government had a large quantity and which was made surplus to the War Department when munition manufacturing ceased. It is planned to convert this chemical into dynamite and the Department of Agriculture has purchased a large quantity for $10,320,000, which, when converted into dynamite, will be
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used in clearing land for agricultural purposes and will also be extensively used in the building of better roads. Large quantities were also sold to the Allied Nitrate Commission and the Importers’ Association, which, it is planned, will be used for similar purposes in foreign countries. The Ordnance Department also sold $ I ~ , O O O , O O O worth of copper. The Surplus Property Division reported a total sales figure for the week of $31,908,197.58. The principal items which comprised this figure were the amounts realized from two public auction sales of wool held in Boston. At the first sale $17,019,801 was realized, and a t the second, sales were made which amounted to $13,765,812. These figures bring the total sales of the War Department surplus material sold through the Office of the Director of Sales from January I to May 9 to $236,162,143.07 and represent 88 per cent of original cost to the Government. The disposition of the War Department’s surplus supply of alcohol was considered a t a meeting of a committee representing producers of alcohol, with representatives of the Director of Sales. The Committee representing the producers found that the Government surplus of alcohol was not large enough to warrant their taking it over and selling it in the open market for the Government and it was their opinion that a large proportion of this surplus should be held for the account and use of other government departments. It was agreed, however, that the surplus remaining after all the bureaus of the Government were amply supplied with alcohol to take care of their requirements over a long period, should be disposed of by selling it back to the producers. Any undenatured alcohol sold back to the producers would, of course, have to be sold for other than beverage purposes. The Government surplus of denatured and rectified alcohol would have to be processed before being marketed. The quantity of alcohol in the hands of the War Department, after the needs of the various departments of the Government are taken care of, will be made known to the committee representing the alcohol producers. Much credit is given to industries by the Bureau of Chemistry for the remarkable success which has attended the administration of the Food and Drugs Act. Practically the entire substantial portion of the industries affected by this law have cooperated with the Department in its enforcement and in discouraging violations. Occasionally sporadic instances on the part of widely scattered dealers to adulterate and misbrand in the old way are detected, but such practices no longer are general. The campaign against false statements on labels of proprietary medicines has been so effective that the country has practically become rid of that evil. While the Bureau of Chemistry occasionally finds it necessary to prosecute flagrant misbranding or adulteration, the average case is corrected by serving notices on the parties responsible without recourse to formal legal action. Scientists in Washington took an unusual step on May 8 when some five hundred of them met in the auditorium of the National Museum and voted to affiliate with organized labor. The step was taken in order that more effective means might be employed t o secure better pay and improved working conditions. The meeting was attended by chemists, botanists, zoologists, physiologists, pathologists, bacteriologists, physicists, and various other research workers employed by the Government. Dr. E. B. Rosa, of the Bureau of Standards, was the principal speaker a t the meeting. Ninety-three per cent of the contracts entered into by the Bureau of Aircraft Production for chemicals and chemical plants have been suspended. Total obligations amounted t o $15,285,255. The suspensions t o April 26 total $14,203,006.
INDUSTRIAL NOTES The annual report of the American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Co. for the year ending December 31, 1918, shows net profits from operations of $857,193.13; miscellaneous profits, $54,222.85. Total surplus a t that date was $4,421,721.56. During the year the natural gas zinc smelter a t Neodesha, Kan., was dismantled; also the plant a t Dearing, Kan., in large part. Additions were made to the zinc oxide plant a t Millsboro, Ill., and to the sulfuric acid plant a t East St. Louis. Pumps were installed and further developments made a t No. 4 shaft, Mascot, Tenn.
The establishment of a council of industrial relations, giving representation to all employees over 18 years of age who are American citizens and have had six months’ continuous service or one year’s total service with the factory, has been announced by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, 0. This move concerns more than 20,ooo Goodyear workers, who will in the future have a large voice in shaping the policy of the factory on such subjects as employment and working conditions and reconstruction problems generally.
