BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 147 



investigations for other Bnreans and Divisions of the Department and 

 for other brandies of the Government. Som(i of these investigations 

 are of snch a character that they are referred to tlie special laboratory- 

 appropriate in each case. Many, however, have been of such a char- 

 acter as not to fall within the lines of work of any of the special 

 laboratories, and have been investigated by or under the direction of 

 the assistant chief of the Bureau. 



As a noteworthy example, there may be cited from the work of the 

 past fiscal year investigations undertaken at the request of the Division 

 of Entomology, to ascertain the extent of the danger from fire and 

 explosion attending the use of carbon disulphide as an insecticide. 

 The results of this work have been iDublished in Farmers' Bulletin 

 No. 145. 



Perhaps the most important class of these miscellaneous investi- 

 gations is the control, by means of chemical and physical tests, of 

 materials purchased by this and other Departments of the Govern- 

 ment. Many large corporations, both municipal and private, are 

 establishing as thorough a scientific control as ijracticable over all 

 purchases of supplies made by them. It is to be regretted that instead 

 of leading in this movement most if not all of the Executive Depart- 

 ments of the Government have failed to make any considerable use of 

 this valuable means of controlling the quality of materials purchased. 

 This is of especially great importance for the Government, because 

 practically all supplies are purchased on the basis of competitive 

 bids, a system which requires the utmost precision in all specifica- 

 tions. 



Progress has been made, however, as is evidenced by the increas- 

 ing number and variety of materials submitted to this Bureau by 

 various branches of the Government for examination in regard to 

 purity, quality, etc. Among the notable examples of the past fiscal 

 year may be mentioned extensive investigations relative to canceling 

 inks for the Post-Of&ce Department, the analysis of samples of coal 

 for the Interior Department, etc. 



The work included not merely the analysis of samples submitted, 

 but also investigations undertaken with a view of obtaining data for 

 the formulation of specifications which will not only give analytical 

 results more meaning and value, but which will enable the bidders 

 and purchasing officers to agree in regard to the exact meaning of 

 specifications. Rigid specifications are of great importance, not only 

 for the protection of the Government, but also for the protection of 

 bidders of the best class. Advantage will accrue to the Government 

 because the quality of supplies furnished can be accurately ascer- 

 tained. On the other hand, bidders will be benefited by the removal 

 of all doubt as to the quality of goods to be furnished. Bidders of 

 the best class will thei-efore be protected from the competition of 

 vendors of inferior goods. 



The supervision of the sugar laboratories of the ports of Philadel- 

 phia, New York, and Boston, assigned a few years ago by an agree- 

 ment between the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of 

 Agriculture to this Bureau, has been continued. A sample from each 

 of these laboratories is sent each day for comparative analysis. Each 

 month a summary of the analyses of these samples is compiled in order 

 to determine the reliability and the accuracy of the work. From time 

 to time, as the exigencies of the service may require, personal inspec- 

 tion is made of the sugar laboratories and comparative polariza- 

 tions secured on the samples of sugar and standard quartz plates, in 



