254 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATIOX BILL, 1924. 



CARBOHYDRATE INVESTIGATIONS. 



Mr. Anderson. I notice that you are apparently abandoning the 

 work of the carbohydrate investigations? 



Doctor Skinnku. No; Mr. Campbell will e.xplain that. 



Mr. Campbkll. There is a special appropriation for the work of our 

 carbohydrate lal)oratorv in connection with the manufacture of 

 sugars ami sirups, which we will come to under the particular items 

 later on. The carbohydrate laboratory has been giving its attention, 

 largely, to two classes of conditions. First, that which involves 

 agri( ultural rosparcli primarily on carbohydrate products, and, second, 

 tlie study of industrial prol)lcms with which the manufacturer is 

 concerned in the utlization of agricultural raw materials, such as 

 in the nuinufacture of cane sirup and the manufacture of sugar 

 itself. Recently the work of the laboratory has been directed in an 

 intensive way to some of the technological industrial proTilems be- 

 cause of the urgency with which a need for their solution was pre- 

 sented. Our force has taken that up actively and has studied on that 

 to the exclusion of other lines of work in the belief that we could 

 solve those problems in something like a year. So we suspended 

 action, temporarily, on the strictly agricultural research in the 

 carbohydrate field and employed our force on the technological 

 matters. 



If the appropriation, however, is not sufficient to make possible the 

 study of technological problems in the way we had in mind, very 

 naturally, a rearrangement of that project will be effected for the pur- 

 pose of continuing the basic agricultural investigation which is now 

 supported out of the agricultural investigational fund in a part of the 

 carbohydrate laboratory. 



COLLABORATION WITH OTHER GOVERN.MENTAL DEPARTMENTS. 



The lU'.xt item is for collaboration with other departments of the 

 Governnu'iit desiring chemical investigations. The Bureau is called 

 on in a great many ways to do work for other departments. The 

 greatest amount of w^ork we had to do was during the period of the 

 war, when there was such a heavy demand on the part of the Army, 

 the Navy, and Marine Corps for the examination of supplies of food 

 that were l)eing purchased. While that demand is not existent now, 

 the variation is in degree only, because we do consult with them with 

 regard to the specifications tliey issue as a purchasing basis and then 

 make examinations of the food upon delivery to see whether or not 

 they comply with those specilications and the terms of the purchase 

 contracts, 



COOPERATION WITH POST OKFUK PKPARTMKNT. 



Ill addition to that we are working with the Post Ollice Depart- 

 ment in t!i'« enrorcement of their post id fnnid laws as those laws 

 rehite to patent medicine preparations particularlv. haiulling those 

 niallers from the standpoint of the use of the mail for iho purpose 

 of eirectin-,' their sale. .Most of tilis money, in fact. g«)es tor that 

 very |)urpose. the Post OlHce Di-partment recognizing that it is not 

 e<Hiippe,l to give consideration either to the chemical composition 



