VoL 8, No. 4 OCTOBER, 1931

AIRPLANE VIEW OF NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

COMMERCIAL

STANDARDS

MONTHLY

A Review of Progress in

Commercial Standardization and Simplification

ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS OF THE

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WASHINGTON, D.C., U. S. A.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. Price .00 per Y car
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

R. P. LAMONT, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

GEORGE K. BURGESS, Director

COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY, S. F. Tillman, Editor

The Commercial Standardization Group

DIVISION OF SIMPLIFIED PRACTICE

Edwin W. Ely

The division of simplified pradtice cooperates with industrial and commercial groups to reduce wa^te, usually through

eliminating unnecessary variety of produdl, method, or

pratflice. Its funcffion is to bring together all parties inter- e^led in a projedt of this character, and to coordinate their

work in developing a simplified pradlice recommendation.

Such work includes surveys of current pradfice, formulation of a simplified pradfice program, and presentation of

that program for adfion by a general conference representing

all interests. The division then transmits to all concerned

a full report of the general conference, with a request for written acceptance of the adfion taken. When the volume

of acceptances is sufficient to indicate initial success, the

Department of Commerce indorses the program and publishes

the recommendation. The division thereafter cooperates

with a ^landing committee appointed by the industry concerned, in condudling periodic surveys to determine the

degree of adherence, to maintain and extend support of the

recommendation, and to secure data for reaffirmation or

revision. Simplified pradlice may be applied to any com- modity or adfivity in which it will reduce

wa^le. The division stands ready to render

service in developing and making effedtive any application of simplified pradlice which

will reduce wadfe, ^abilize business, or extend commerce.

BUILDING AND HOUSING DIVISION

J. S. Taylor

The division of building and housing,

formed in 1921, cooperates with business,

technical, and professional groups in furtherng con^lrudlion adlivities. It works to modernise building codes and to encourage improved standards for the quality of building conSlrudlion, and the practical application of the lateSl development in design and use of building materials.

It encourages home ownership through the development

of an enlarged. Steadier, more intelligent, and more discriminating demand for dwellings—the largeSt single class of

buildings which the construction industries provide.

The division also cooperates with other governmental

agencies and with many private business and professional

groups in efforts to distribute building acflivity more evenly

throughout the year and to secure less fluctuation from

year to year. The work on city planning and zoning has the broad

objective of making buildings more useful through proper

location with respect to other Structures, Stabilizing of land

values and property uses, well coordinated thoroughfare

systems, and well laid out public works.

STANDAR DIZA TION

..IS.. A CONTINUING PROCESS

cr^ ITS AIM IS NOT FIXITY OR STAGNATION

..BUT.. TO ADD SERVICEABILITY

AS OFTEN AS THE

POTENTIAL GAIN

MAKES IT WORTH WHILE

DIVISION OF SPECIFICATIONS

A. S. McAllister

The duties of the division of specifications are to promote

and facilitate the use and unification of specifications. In doing so it carries on activities involving cooperation with

technical societies; trade associations; Federal, State, and

municipal Government specifications making and using

agencies; producers, distributors, and consumers; and teSling

and research laboratories. It ascertains the Standardization

and specifications promoting activities of the associations and societies, and brings to their attention the work being

done by the commercial Standardization group. It brings the

Federal specifications and commercial Standards to the atten- tion of the maximum number of producers and users of commodities complying with these Standards and specifications.

It compiles and distributes liSls of sources of supply of materials guaranteed to comply with the Standards and specifi- cations. It shows both buyers and sellers the benefits from

handling nationally specified, certified, and labeled commodities. The division prepares direcftories of governmental and

nongovernmental teSling laboratories and the Direcftory of

Specifications, and is working on an encyclopedia of specifications, the firSl two volumes of which

have been issued, namely, “Standards and

Specifications in the Wood-Using Industries”

and “Standards and Specifications for Nonmetallic Minerals and their Producfis.” It also

aids in preparing the Standards Yearbook.

DIVISION OF TRADE STANDARDS

I. 7 . Fairchild

The division of trade Standards, on requeSl,

assists industrial and commercial groups in the voluntary establishment of Standards

covering grades, quality, dimensional inter- changeability, or other acceptance criteria as a national

basis for marketing manufaStured commodities.

The detail criteria are seleSted or determined voluntarily

by interested buyers or sellers, without any Government

diSlation or domination, and adjuSted at a general confer- ence of producers, distributors, and users so as to represent

the composite views of all branches. The division functions

chiefly as a neutral agency to see that all interested elements

are given full opportunity to be heard and satisfied; to

solicit and record acceptances; and to publish and promulgate

the Standard when a satisfadtory majority of acceptances is obtained and provided there is no adtive opposition.

Industries are encouraged to apply self-certifying labels to produdts meeting the commercial Standard requirements, as a means of protedting the consumer and the scrupulous seller from misrepresentation or unfair methods of marketing.

Provision is made for regular revision of the Standard

through the appointment of a Standing committee to consider periodically any necessity for revision of the Standard,

in order that it may be kept constantly compatible with

progress in the industry.

Address NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Washington, D. C., for further information
COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY

A Review of Progress in

Commercial Standardization and Simplification

Volume 8 WASHINGTON, D. C., OCTOBER, 1931 Number 4

SUBJECT ANALYSES

AGRICULTURE

Page

Grain grading 113

Industrial utilization of agricultural wastes 112 Uniform grades for pecans benefit growers 127 FOREIGN

Brazil to inspect and standardize exports 125

Cast-iron pipe (standardization briefs) 128

Colliery conveyor troughing (standardization briefs) 128 Compliance with Dutch standards (standardization

briefs) 128

Specification for sampling and analysis of coal 108

Specification for ships’ cargo-lifting blocks 108

Specification issued for high-voltage insulators 105 Standardization in Czechoslovakia (standardization

briefs) 128 Tubular traction poles (standardization briefs) 128 Varnished cotton cloth (standardization briefs) 128 GLASS AND LEATHER

Carbonated beverage bottles (simplification briefs) 127

Ladies’ suitcases (simplification briefs) 127 GROUP ACTIVITIES

Activities of the American Standards Association 117

Activities of the A. S. T. M 102

Federal specifications 116

Specifications in the oil field 119

Structural clay tile standardization 114 MANAGEMENT

Centralized purchasing by municipal agencies 121 Centralized purchasing for school supplies 125 Committee agrees upon uniform mechanics’ lien acts 104 Economical municipal management 126 Economies in operation of a telephone system 124 Expanding by pioneering new products 99

$150,000,000 annual waste of stationery 126

Simplified calendar championed in interest of trade 106 Trends in modern distribution methods 125 METALS

Cast-iron pipe (standardization briefs) 128 Die-head chasers (simplification briefs) 127 Packaging overhead electric-railway equipment (simplifi- 127

cation briefs)

METALS—Continued

Page

Welded-chain industry will identify simplified lines in catalogues 103 Wire insect screen cloth (simplification briefs) 127 MISCELLANEOUS

Color harmony in the home 126 Container simplification 127 Packaging salt (simplification briefs) 127 Standard-milk ordinance (standardization briefs) 128 The romance of measurement 107 PAPER

Glassine bags (simplification briefs) 127 One-pound folding boxes for coffee (simplification briefs) . 127 NEW PUBLICATIONS

Block sizes for calcimine brushes 123 Cotton fabric tents, tarpaulins, and covers 123 QUALITY MARKS AND LABELS

Applying certification plan to commercial standards 109

Brazil to inspect and standardize exports 125 Labeling food products 101 Labels distinguish superior shingles 111 Labels for turkeys (standardization briefs) 128 Misleading food labels 125 New England quality label for roadside stands 100 SAFETY

Charts for marine navigation 118

Signaling rules for protective systems 128 Standard medicine chests for maritime craft 123 TEXTILES

Cotton fabric tents, tarpaulins, and covers (new publications) 123 Hosiery (standardization briefs) 128 Varnished cotton cloth (standardization briefs) 128 WOOD

Grading plywood 100 Hickory golf shafts 106 Mass production of radio cabinets 115

AN INVITATION TO VISIT THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

A cordial invitation is extended to all interested in scientific progress to visit the laboratories of

the National Bureau of Standards when in Washington. A personally conducted trip is organized at 2.15 p. m. daily except on holidays. Special trips for groups may be arranged at other times by writing

to the bureau in advance. The bureau’s illustrated Visitor’s Manual may be had for the asking. This

lists the work in progress and gives an airplane view of the ensemble and a brief statement of typical

discoveries and inventions which have been notable, basic contributions to radio, axnation, and other

modern arts and industries.

79202—31 1 97
CONTAINER SIMPLIFICATION

Industries Effect Economies in Cost of Operation

Through Reduction in Variety of Containers

(An editorial reprinted from the magazine “Modern Packaging’’)

Should our readers be inclined to question the marked trend toward the simphfication of containers, we would respectfully call their attention to the accomphshment

of the division of simplified practice of the National Bureau of Standards. It is

of particular interest, also, to note that the activities of this division have been the

result of voluntary cooperation with packers, container manufacturers, distributors

of products, shippers, and carriers. Reviewing briefly these activities as they relate to the food industry alone, we

find that there has been accomplished a reduction from forty or more sizes of pre- serve jars to 8 stock sizes; 25 to 7 jelly glasses; from 6 to 4 sizes of apple-butter jars,

and from 20 different shapes and sizes of jars for cottage cheese and sour cream to 3.

All of these in the glass-container group. Among the carton group has been the

reduction of at least 100 sizes of 1-pound coffee cartons to 2. Standard sizes of cans are now reduced to include 27 sizes, to say nothing of additional containers

such as those for carbonated beverages, ice cream, mayonnaise, and other items

which have been studied in a comprehensive manner. Were it possible to express in figures the number of all types of containers required

annually in distributing the Nation’s food supply, that total would be enormous, for

it is variously estimated that canned fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and milk alone

require more than 7,000,000,000 cans annually.

Operations necessary to such a massive production as this constitute no small

problem even though these operations may be divided among many producers, and

until we reach that Utopian stage where production waste is entirely eliminated,

there is always an opportunity to further reduce manufacturing costs. Added to these savings which simphfication of containers can bring to the latter, there is plenty to be said on behalf of the effect of such reduced cost on distribution.

We can expect the further extension of simplification in the package field. Its limitation is bounded only by the economies which every good business demands.

98
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 99

EXPANDING BY PIONEERING NEW PRODUCTS

Mass Production of Diverse Products Made Possible Through Use of Standardized Parts

By W. B. Gkeene '

How can one continuously bring out new products,

cater to a trade in which each customer demands

certain variations in the standard product to meet his

special needs, and still enjoy the benehts of mass production? The answer lies in the use of standardized

interchangeable parts. Recognition of this fact has

enabled the Barber-Greene Co., a comparatively small

manufacturing firm, to develop steadily, and is largely

responsible for such success as it has attained. It has

given the company large-size leadership in the development of its held, and permitted large-scale manufacturing operations, while still allowing it to retain

the hexibility and close contacts that are the inherent

advantages of a small organization.

Pioneering new products rather than paralleling

old lines, being careful never to bring out an article

unless it is known to excel anything then on the market for the same purpose, has helped to avoid cut- throat competition; to avoid it at least until the com- pany has had the market to itself for a sulHcient length

of time to be established as the leader in this particular held.

Conhning activities rigidly to a dehnite line (standardized materials handling machines) has permitted

close specialization in both engineering and selling,

thereby avoiding the wastes of widely scattered sales

effort. Designing the entire line to use interchangeable parts, with subassemblies and chassis units com- mon to several machines, has resulted in low cost advantages of quantity production.

Although apparently unrelated, these policies

really overlap. For instance, there may arise the opportunity of manufacturing some item wliich is new

and much better than anything on the market. But

it must also ht into the general line in order to avoid

waste in engineering and sales effort. Moreover, at

least 75 per cent of it must consist of parts already

being manufactured, in order to permit mass production of these parts.

When the company entered business about 15 years

ago it was pioneering a new product in the materials

handling field. There Avere already in the field a number of companies, long established and doing a

profitable business. Their products, however, Avere of

a type designed to be permanently installed, and re- quired special engineering for practically every job.

It Avas believed that there Avas room for a type of machine Avhich could, by using standardized unit parts

and Avithout the necessity of special d(;signing, be

adapted to the needs of many customers. With this

in mind there Avas launclied the production of a ])ortable belt conA^eyor, built in sections, Avhich could be

assembled, lengthened or shortened to any desiretl

size Avith the ordinary coal yard or graA’el pit labor. In other Avords, the deci.sit)ii Avas made to save, the

east of tailoring each machine to fit the customer’s in- dividual needs.

The advantages of this type of manufactui-e were

tAA'ofold. From it Ave deriA’ed the economics of a relatiA'e measure of (piantity production, and the engineering expenditures Avere directed more Avholly to- Avard research and development.

To add to the original line of portable belt conveyors, designed princijially for unloading cars in retail coal yards, the company went into the manufacture of

self-propelled and self-feeding loaders of the bucket

elevator t3'pe for use in building-supply yards and by

road contractors. The manufacture of snoAv loaders was begun in part to level the seasonable curve in the

factory. There Avas developed a line of ditcliers designed not to compete with the old firms then in the

field but to handle the lighter type of work, heretofore regarded as pick-and-shovel jobs. Recently the

original belt conveyor line has been expanded to cover

the handling of concrete on construction work.

On each of these items the company has pioneered

a field. After completing the design and experimental Avork generally there is no competition for

about a year and then there is plenty. As happens

in eA^ery industry, other manufacturers begin to make

similar products Avith changes or additions that may

be real improvements over the compan5

'’s machines

or may represent only selling points. The company

must make the utmost use of the year’s start to go in

for intensive development Avork Avhich will make its machine just as good as its knoAvledge will permit.

This preliminary period is the critical time in the production of an item, during Avhich time the company

must so develop the machine as to be better than anything that competition is likely to produce.

One result of this experience has been the developmejit and improvement of manufacturing methods.

High quality production methods are necessary to us

to keep the quality of the products up and their cost

doAvn. The various types of work are set off by themselves in separate buildings. The departments are,

in the order of fioAv, raw-castings stock room, Avith

larger castings out of doors; raAv steel, angles, bars,

channels, and rods out of doors; machine shop; struc- tural shop; assembly shop; and repair-parts stock room. Each building is serA'ed by the type of liandling equipment that best .suits its recpiirements. This

equipment ranges from lift ti’ucks and small hand

hoists to an oA'erhead electric crane. All of the manufacturing is under exact contiol tliroughout, the re- sponsibility resting AA’ith a j)lanning department

Avhich has charge of all stores, scheduling, and dis- patching.

When the line of conveyors Avas brought out, it Avas the deisre to be able to attain sullicient A'ohime to perinit manufacturing on a mass-pi'oduction basis, and

for the first tAvo oi- three years (he business inci'casctl rapidlAT IIoAveA’ci-, comiietition and changing conditions necessitated the Avidening of the line of machines

fV)r the same field. With the increased line, business

increased .satisfactorily, but many manufacturing

problems ])resented themselves. To keep doAvn shoj) costs requires i-epetitive manufacture—to increase the

business nece.ssitated an even grentei- vaiiety and

adaptability in the line. ‘ A’ioe president and treasurer the Barber-Greene Co., .Vurorn, III.
100 COMMERCIAL STAIIDAEDS MONTHLA" OCTOBER, 1931 The answer was found in the design of standardized

parts and assemblies which could be used on many

machines. Thus the crawlers on the ditcher are vir- tually the same as those on the coal loader or bucket

loader, while the same flight conveyor boom may be

used on a plain light truck, on a self-propelled wheel

truck, or on a crawler-mounted truck. The same

chassis that supports the snow loader boom is used

also with the bucket loader boom. Most of the machines require band clutches; the same 7-inch clutch

is used on the snow loader, coal loader, three sizes of

bucket loaders, ditchers, and some other products.

The sectional construction of the belt conveyors enables 32 sizes to be assembled from nine common

units.

This program of standardization was started a few

years ago and is still in progress. The interchangeability of parts has changed the

manufacturing program materially. A large proportion of everything manufactured by the company is now used in sufficient numbers to enable production on

a quantity basis. Pieces are bunched up and run through in quantities that will last two or three

months.

It might be thought that this policy of standardization is a restraint to the salesmen in laying out hanGRADING PLYWOOD

The commercial standard grade rules for plywood

of hardwood species, which were developed by the

Plywood Manufacturers' Association and approved

by a general conference of all interests of the industrv,

have since been accepted as the basis of daily trade by

practically all the larger plywood manufacturers, a large number of distributors, and many consumers,

according to information received by the National Bureau of Standards.

Heretofore, in the absence of well-defined grade designations, the industry sustained inestimable losses through confusion and misunderstanding. Merchandise had to be returned because of misunderstandings

as to quality conceptions entertained by the buyer and

seller, and the condition of uncertainty was often an

invitation for sharp practices and grade substitutions on the part of the unscrupulous dealer. In the establishment of the commei’cial standard

grading rules for plywood, the industry received the

cooperation of the National Bureau of Standards in

bringing about the wider adoption and furtlier promulgation of the industry’s own grade specifications

which in due course will be printed as a publication

of the bureau.

Certain general requirements are stipulated in the

standard as to workmanship, gluing, packing, and in- spection, and the various grades of veneer faces are described in detail as to the defects admissible. The

grades are designated A, 1, 2, and 3. The A grade

includes the best of commercial production which is well matched for color and figure and practically free

of defects. The No. 1 grade is a high-class product admitting a few minor defects, while the next grade admits a wider variation of defects and usually makes no refdling systems for prospective customers, but it is not.

“ Specials,” which were at first avoided entirely, then

accepted as a necessary evil, have been incorporated in

the scheme of production. All special work is departmentalized and no special job is undertaken that

does not embody at least 90 per cent of standardized

units. This small latitude gives a really surprising

range of possibilities to the salesman. Rather than

being a burden on the manufactui’ing departments, the

additional volume of standard units obtained through

these “ specials ” helps to enhance rather than defeat

the possibilities of mass production.

The three basic policies—to pioneer new products

that temporarily will have no competition, to get

quantity production in the sales efforts by broad but

specialized lines, and to make the products of parts

Avhich are interchangeable in seA^eral of the machines

have enabled the company to go steadily ahead. Pioneering has brought the company leadership in most

of the fields covered ; concentration of sales efforts,

with complete lines, has helped to keep down selling

costs ; and interchangeability of parts has given mass

production, despite the A'ariety of the finished

products.

erence to matching. The No. 3 grade describes a

strictly utilitarian product embracing the material

commonly referred to as “ reject ” backs, such as used on the unexposed side of desk or other furniture

panels.

This system of grade desigiiatious, which has been

successfully used by many plywood manufacturers,

should provide a practical method of ordering. Those

panels designated “A-3 ” are made with one face of

the highest grade and the reverse side of a No. 3 or

reject ” back, Avhile one of A-A grade would consti- tute the highest grade on both faces. Standard sizes and quantities are established, to- gether with reasonable tolerances on size to meet good

manufacturing practices.

NEW ENGLAND QUALITY LABEL FOR ROADSIDE STANDS

The New England quality label, Avliich has been

adopted by the New England Association of State

Marketing Officials, to identify roadside stands selling

locally grown produce, graded and labeled in accord- ance with the New England farm-marketing program,

is noAv in use on 48 stands in Massachusetts. Preparations are being made to use the sign in other States

also. To receive permission to use the sign a stand owner

must raise or buy locally direct from the producer the

produce offered for sale, must offer tAvo or more products, or at least 25 per cent of the total produce, graded

and bearing the New England quality label, must have

a neat, clean stand so situated as not to interfere with

traffic, and must meet certain other conditions.

The NeAv England farm-marketing jirogram Avas developed by the NeAv England Council.
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MOXTHLY 101

LABELING FOOD PRODUCTS

Improved Facilities Needed to Protect the Public from Violations of Pure Food and Drug Act

The future value of the iiublic service involved in the regulation of intei’state traffic in foods and drugs

depends upon the character and scope of legal authority with which officials are clothed, the staff and equipment at their command, and the administrative atti- tude which they adopt, W. G. Campbell, director of

regulatory work, United States Department of Agriculture, told those in attendance at the annual convention of the Association of Dairy, Food, and Drug Offi- cials September 4, at West Baden, Ind. “ In the face

of legal restrictions, administrative resourcefulness

will not suffice for the protection of the public,” he

said. Mr. Campbell forecasts what, in his opinion, will

characterize, within the next 25 years, regulatory operations under the Federal food and drugs act, the

text of which has, for the sake of uniformity, been

adopted in substantial measure by most of the States. Following a brief summary of enforcement in the

last 25 years, he outlined the faults of omission and

commission, and declared that the measure is characterized by generalities and is too frequently inept in

its statutory definition of adulteration of foods.

“Aside from the labeling requirements of imitations

and net weight in food, alcoholic content in drugs, and

the enumeration, if i^resent, of certain ingredients in

both, the act’s definition of misbranding is wholly

negative,” he declared. “ In saying only that such

statements as the labels bear must not be false, misleading, deceptive, nor fraudulent, the law makes possible the sale of either foods or drugs without any rep- resentation whatever concerning the identity of the

ingredients or their nutritive or therapeutic value. In

this regard the law by no means assures the public

the greatest protection.”

The speaker said that there have been attempts by

the trade to weaken the food and drugs act by amendment. Such amendments were never seriously considered, becau.se of the distinct public opposition to them. “ Fearful that emasculating measures might

be passed, the public has the feeling that it would be

better not to tamper with this law at all. The law

has served a distinctly useful purpose in its ])resent

form, but it unquestionably has faults. If the act is to be an effective instrument for the achievement of

purity in foods and drugs and fair dealing in the

sale of them, timely consideration should be given to the inauguration of a movement for bringing about

such moclifications as a sober and dispassionate appraisal may indicate. It is important that no sentimental opposition intervene to defeat the accomplishment.”

The director of regvdatory work said that it is axiomatic that laws of the nature of the Federal food

and drugs act are not self-enforcing. “ No matter to what extent they may be faulty, it is certain that the

public will derive no benefits from their worthy provisions unless those upon whom the tmrden of administration has been placed are given facilities witli which to work. Food and drug production has kept

pace with the increase in population over the past 17

years. Additionally, the growing tendency both in

urban and rural homes to turn to the products of food

factories, rather than to depend upon kitchen facilities, has increased commerce in food materially more

thaii a per capita census would indicate. This situation challenges the utmost administrative resourcefulness, not only in effecting economies, but also in formulating administrative policies. An important administrative problem with which the food and drug

administration is daily confronted is not whether authority, but, rather, whether funds can be found to support actioii”. “ The food and drug administration recognizes

fullj^ the prevalent need, especially at this time, for

drastic economies in governmental operations,” Mr.

Campbell said, adding that every enforcing official is concerned about the expenditure of appropriations so

as to acquire the maximum amount of public protection. “ There is inherent in the character of his administrative obligation a challenge so to employ the

facilities at his command that the biggest possible dividends will be declared in the interest of national

health and the national pocketbook”.

“ In our enthusiasm for the protection of public in- terest in the enforcement of food control laws,” he

said, “ we can not be blind to the legal and equitable

rights of industry. The Supreme Court has said that

this statute was enacted in the interest of the public. It has said further that wherever doubts exist they

should be decided so as to further the purposes of the

law. We have undertaken literally to observe this

authoritative injunction, and, in doing so, have not, I hope, been guilty of executive legislation.”

The speaker cited the recent passage of the McNaiy-Mapes^ amendment to the food and drugs act

an amendment i^roposed by the canning industry

itself which requires more stringent Federal regulation of that industry—as an example of the cordial

support which business is giving the continued en- forcement of the food and drugs act. In outlining some of the difficulties of enforcing the

measure, Mr. Campbell declared that he was not

sounding a pessimistic note but that, on the contrary,

he entertained the utmost optimism about the development of this public .service along more xiseful lines

in the future. “Food control statutes 25 years ago were regarded as the forerunner of an era of legislative radicalism,” he said, “ but when the value of such

legislation can be still more effectively appreciated,

through obser\’ing the results which it has produced,

such fear as once existed will be found to have coniI^letely disappeaied. The ])ublic, expecting to be

dealt with fairly, is seeking no favors, but is requiring

only those rights which, by the existence of these laws,

it has some j)ower t(j exact.”

* Sep “ Labelinp: of Sul)(ria<lo Canned (ioods" in -Vugtisf. 1930, Cominoi’cial Standards Monthly, and “ ‘ Cannoi s’ Bill ’ to Establish New

Food Standards,” hy W. G. rampbell, in npp('inl)or, 1930, Commercial

Standards Monthly.
102 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER. 19;!1 ACTIVITIES OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING MATERIALS

Committees Are Making Notable Progress in Various Tests

American Society for Testing ISIaterials Committee

E-10 on Standards, at its meeting on August 6 at society headquarters, Philadelphia, approved 13 nesv tentative specifications and methods of test and the

revision of 4 existing tentative standards. The titles and designations of these tentative standards are as follows

:

New tentative standards. —Specilications for Electric-Kesistance-Welded Steel Pipe (A 135-31 1 )

; for

Electric-Fusion-'VVelded Steel Pijie (A 134—31 T) ; for Forge-Welded Steel Pipe (A 136-31 T) ; for Kiveted Steel and Wrought-Iron Pipe (A 138-31 T) : and

for Lock-Bar Steel Pipe (A 137-31 T), all submitted

by Committee A-1 on Steel. Specifications for Concrete Masonry Units (C 90-31

T), submitted by Committee C-10 on Hollow Masonry

Building Units.

Specifications for Round-Hole Screens for TestingPurposes (E 17-31 T), submitted by Committee E-i

on Methods of Testing.

Methods of Test for Soundness of Fine Aggregates

by Means of Sodium Sulfate (C 88-31 T) ; and for

Soundness of Coarse Aggregates by Means of Sodium

Sulfate (C 89-31 T), both submitted by Committee

C-9 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates.

Methods of Shear Testing of Natural BuildingStone (D 338-31 T), and for Determining the Elasticity of Natural Building Stone (D 339-31 T), lioth submitted by Committee D-18 on Natural BuildingStone.

Method of Bend Testing- for Ductility of Metals

(E 16-31 T), submitted b}^ Committee E-1 on iNIethods

of Testing.

Definitions of Terms Relating to Building Stone

(D 340-31 T), submitted by Committee D-18 mr

Natural Building Stone.

Revisions of existing tentative standards.—Specifications for Copper-Base Alloys in Ingot Form for

Sand Castings (B 30-31 T). Submitted by Committee B-5 on Copper and Copper Alloys, Cast and

Wrought.

Specifications and Test Methods for Asbestos Tape

for Electrical Purposes (D 315-31 T), .submitted bv

Committee D-13 on Textile Materials.

Method of Flexure Testing of Natural BuildingStone (D 327-31 T) ; Method of Test for Ah orjpfion

and Apparent Specific Gravity of Natural Building

Stone (D 328-31 T), all submitted by Committee D-18

on Natural Building- Stone.

The American Society for Testing Materials is one

of the two sponsors of the Sectional Committee on

Standardization of Wrought-Iron and Wrought-Steel

Pipe and Tubing. This sectional committee has re- quested the American Society for Testing Materials to develop specifications for pipe and tubing which were

not already in existence.

In accordance with this request. Subcommittee IX

on Steel Tubing and Pipe of Committee A-1, began in

1928 to enlarge its membership to take care of producing and nonproducing interests, and presented to Committee A-1 the five sjiecifications which have been

approved by Committee A-1, referred to letter ballot

thereof, and submitted to Committee E-10 for approval, which was voted by the latter. The Specifications for Electric-Resistance Welded

Pipe represent a new type of manufacture during the

past two years. The Specifications for FusionWelded Pipe also represent a new product which is largely coming into use'. The Specifications for

Forge-Welded Pipe and Lock-Bar Steel Pipe are new

specifications for a standard product. The Specifications for Riveted- Steel and Wrought-Iron Pipe have

been referred to Committee A-2 on Wrought Iron

whicli will present certain revisions as applied to riveted Avrought-iron pipe Init Avhich has no objection

to their adoption as tentatiA^e, subject to later revision.

The Specifications for Copper-Base Alloys in Ingot

Form for Sand Castings have been reAused to include

a total of 20 alloj^s instead of 15 as first submitted.

These have been grouped under the A^arious general

classes, such as bronze alloys, red brass allo5

^s, high

lead alloys, etc., AA-hich enable a clearer presentation of

the data in print. The tables of examples of use, foundry manipulation, and characteristics have likeAvise been enlarged to include the ucav and revised al- loys and its form changed to conform to the “ group ” system.

Committee C-9 has pointed out the folloAving as reasons for the prospering and publishing of the

methods of soundness testing by means of sodium

sulfate

:

1. They repi-eseut a coordination of Avliat seem to be the

best procedures from methods in general use.

2. Sodium sulphate methods of tests are being used by vari- ous engineering organizations, which differ from each other in varying degrees, and it seems highly desirable to suggest a

; standardized procediu'e.

3. They .standardize tcchni(iue and provide for the control of

\'ariables in a greater measure than any other methods which

have been proposed.

4. It is believed that the publication of these methods as

^ tentative provides the surest method of obtaining competent

. ci iticism which wilt result in the development of a standard

procedure which will be generally accepted by specification

l)oclies throughout the country.

The subcommittee of Committee C-10 on Hollow

Masonry Building Units began its Avork toAvard the

preparation of specifications for concrete units about

a year and a half ago. Since then a proposed tentatiA'e standard has been submitted to letter ballot of

the committee on three occasions. The committee as

a Avhole has been in substantial agreement as to the

desired provisions in the specifications Avitli the ex- ception of the paragraph dealing Avith the strength

requirements. Data resulting from tests of a large

number of concrete masonry Avails Avere presented in

papers at the last annual meeting of the society.

Partly as a result of the papers jiresented, the paragraph on strength requirements has been revised in

a manner that has met Avith approval of the majority

of the piembers of the committee.

Since the publication as tentative standards of the

society of Flexure and Absorption Testing Procedure

for National Building Stones, and the distribution of

this testing- procedure in pamphlet form to testing

laboratories all over the United States, several criti-
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 103

^ cisms of certain details of the procedure \vere sent

in to Committee D-18.

These communications were all carefully considered

i at the meeting of Committee D-18 held in Washing-

• ton June 18 and 19, and as a result certain changes

in wording decided upon, only one of which really

affects the specification requirements, as follows

It was found that the high sensitivity of the testing

Jl apparatus specified for flexure test in determining the

modulus of rupture was too great and that this re- quirement could not be met with the machinery available in the ordinary university and. commercial laboratories, nor was it considered, upon restudy, that

it was at all essential to require as great a sensitivity

as that, since such sensitivity would be of value only

in connection with weak stones that have quite low

transverse strength.

The specifications, as revised, will clear up these

i ; matters arid also make them conform with similar

* standards for slate. The specifications for round-hole screens for test-

' ing purposes were prepared by the section on coarse

screens at the request of Committee E-1 on Methods

of Testing, which felt that, inasmuch as there are at present a' number of society specifications for materials which specify the use of screens witli round

openings for measuring size, a specification for this

type of equipment shoidd be prepared.

, These specifications were submitted originall}' to the members of the section under date of June,. 1930,

and comments were received from a number of in- teresting members. These and other comments were

thoroughly discussed at a meeting of the section held

in Pittsburgh, March 17, 1931, at which all but four

members of the section were present. Certain minor

corrections in the specifications were made at this time

and it was voted unanimously to recommend its adoption as a tentative standard.

Committee B-4 of the American Society for Test- ing Materials has outlined its work for the ensuing

j 3

' ear. This committee functions in the field of elecI trical-heating, electrical-resistance and electrical-

! furnace alloj'^s.

I Life tests . —The subcommittee on life tests has

I made notable progress in the comparative tests to

I show the relation between the life of electrical heatI

•

' WELDED-CHAIN INDUSTRY WILL IDENTIFY

SIMPLIFIED LINES IN CATALOGUES

I All of the manufacturers of welded chain who have

i accepted simplified practice recommendation No.

100-29 have recently expressed their intention to

1 identif}^ the simplified lines in their new catalogues

and trade lists, according to information received by

the National Bureau of Standards’ division of simpliI

' lied practice.

I

This plan is designed to assist buyers in maintaining close adherence to the waste elimination program.

Cooperation b}’ purchasing agents, architects, contractors, and other users greatly increases the benefits

and economies possible through simplified practice.

The welded chain industiw is the first to record 100

per cent identification in the catalogues of acceptor

manufacturers.

ing wires as indicated by the American Society

for Testing Materials accelerated life test for metallic

materials for electrical heating and the life of the same wire under service conditions in an electric toaster. Two lots of wire, short and long life, are being used and tests are made both on commercial cir- cuits on which the voltage is closely controlled. Six

laboratories are cooperating in the tests. The question of preparing an accelerated life test to allow larger sizes of wire to be tested is being studied.

Electrical tests . —-A new tentative method of test for determining the temperature-resistance constants

of resistance alloys was approved for publication at the recent annual meeting of the society. It is ex- pected this Avill be followed in commercial use. In

order to facilitate this test a method for making the

resistance measurements Avithin the accuracy called

for in the test will be prepared.

Mechanical tests. —Several laboratories are trying

the bend test for determining the elastic properties

of alloys at temperatui-es up to 1,000° C. The per- manent change in curvature produced by heating metal

strips to various temperatures while constrained to knoAvn curvatures has been determined. It has been

shown that the proportional limit as determined by

the tension test at room temperature corresponds to the sharp bend in the permanent bending curve at the same temperature.

• 'Wrought and cast alloys for high-temyerature use.

The subcommittee in charge of this project is outlining

a procedure for preparing cast test specimens for the

tension test. This involves a study of mold construction and foundry practice necessary to insure a sound

specimen.

A test specimen to determine the tendency to Avarp

at high temperatures is under consideration, and methods of test for thermal conductivity and coefficient of

linear expansion are being prepared.

Specifications for heater 'loires.—The tentatiA^e specifications for 80-20 nickel-chromium and 60-15-25

nickel-chromium-iron alloA^s for electrical heating ele- ments Avhich haA'e just been put out as tentatiA’e standards, Avill be followed in commercial use during the

year. These specifications coA^er tAvo grades of alloj's

Avhich are in general use for electrical heating ele- ments.

The National Association of Purchasing Agents,

the American Institute of Architects, the Associated

General Contractors of America, the Chief Coordinator’s Office of the Federal GoA'ernment, and other representatiA^e users of simplified commodities have for some time strongly urged that this jAolicy be adopted

by manufacturers. AVhen the simplified items are so

identified in trade literature, selection of the simplified items can be made Avithout diilicultv, and often

much Avaste uoav incurred in check'ing over files and

subsidiary records for this data is eliminated.

There is CATiy indication that manufacturers in

other industries Avho haA’e cooperated in establishing

simplified practice recommendations Avill adopt this same policy of identification. This foi-Avard ste]) in- dicates a realization by producers, distributors, and

consumers of the value of cooperaCon in applying

self-government to business.
104 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1031 COMMITTEE AGREES UPON UNIFORM MECHANICS’ LIEN ACT

Draft Act Receives Tentative Approval of National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws

By Dan H. Wheeler, National Bureau of Standards

A committee appointed by Mr. Hoover in 1925, while

Secretary of Commerce, to consider the necessity for

a uniform mechanics’ lien act and to prepare such an

act if desirable, has reached a unanimous agreement

ujDon a draft act, and this act has received the tentative approval of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws who have cooperated

with the committee of the Department of Commerce

throughout the study.

The appointment of the department committee was

urged by one of the national associations whose members are engaged in the construction industry, and

the request was given the indorsement of other groups

actively engaged or interested in the industry. The

reasons urged for the appointment of the committee

were, among others, divergencies in existing State laws

Avhicli caused unnecessary expense and inconvenience

to persons doing business in more than one State and

under which the laborers who went from one State to another were handicapped in enforcing their rights,

and inequitable burdens or benefits on certain groups.

These, it was felt, made a uniform law desirable.

In selecting the committee, which now consists of

12 men, Mr. Hoover asked the president of the American Bar Association, Charles Evans Hughes, to name a representative. Mr. Hughes recommended

that the matter be taken up with the president of the

National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform

State Laws, and this resulted in the appointment of

a special committee on the subject by the national

conference. The two committees have worked to- gether throughout and have held a number of joint

meetings.

Existing State acts were found to fall roughlj? into

three classes

:

1. Those under which the owner may be held liable

for all the unpaid debts of the contractor incurred on

the job. Under them an owner might pay a contractor in full on a $10,000 contract and then have to pay liens for an additional $3,000 or $4,000.

2. Those under which the owner is liable for no more than the current price, and in case liens are filed,

has merely to see that lien claimants are satisfied up to the amounts due the general contractor. In the

case of a $10,000 contract, for example, the owner

might pay out $8,000 according to the contract, when

the work is nine-tenths completed and then be liable to lienors up to the sum of $1,000 at the time, and

thereafter for a sum up to $1,000 additional, which

they might earn in completing the job.

3. Laws similar to the second type in not holding

the owner liable for more than the contract price but

imposing upon him, when making payments, of re- quiring from the contractor a statement under oath

showing sums due or to become due to subcontractors,

material men, and laborers for services performed on

the operation. The owner is required to retain money

due the contractor up to the amount of his obligations

as shown by the contractor’s statements, as well as money claimed to be due them by subcontractors.

material men, and laborers in notices which they may

give direct to the owner. The department committee collected material on

existing and previous State acts, consulted court decisions, and decided that the third type of act was

built uipon a theory which more nearly divided re- sponsibilities among the groups involved than did

the other types. They consequently produced a first tentative draft of an act drawn in accordance with

this basic theory with, however, some modifications,

and several thousand copies of the act were circulated

for criticism among individuals and organizations

throughout the country. On the basis of criticisms

received the draft was revised with a further modification of the theory involved and this draft was similarly circulated for criticism.

The act in its present form, after undergoing further

revisions which rather extensively modify in details

the theory contained in the third type of act, embodies

principles that the committees are convinced equitably

apportion to the groups involved the burdens and

benefits of the act. In brief the proposed act limits liens to the contract

price provided the owner observes jorocedure set up

for his guidance, and provides that liens shall attach

from the time of the visible commencement of operations on the site. It provides for the giving of informal notices to the owner by lienors other than the contractor and laborers within a period of 30 days

after the lienor begins his services or before completion thereof if that is earlier. Laborers, and persons

contracting directly with the owner, are not required

to give such notices. Should the lienor not give such

a notice within the limited period he may give notice

thereafter but his claim is given a different status than that of the lienor who gives timely notice. Under this act the contractor is required to submit to the owner a statement under oath showing his out- standing obligations but only at the time that final payment becomes due under the contract. The owner may make payments direct to laborers

as their claims arise. Sums above the amount neces- sary to pay the claims of laborers may be paid direct

to lienors who give the owner notices within the 30-

day period, as their claims arise, the owner being re- quired to take cognizance only of notices received up

to the time of such payment. If he has in his hands

sufficient money to meet the claims of all laborers for

past and future services the owner may make payments direct to lienors who give him notice after the

30-day period only when he has in his hands money in excess of the amount necessary to pay all past and

future claims of laborers and all past and future

claims of lienors serving notice within the limited period, and payments to those who give notice after the

30-day period are prorated among all such lienors ac- cording to the ratio of their respective liens to the

total amount of such excess and such direct payments

can not exceed the amount for which these lienors

might ultimately have liens allowed in a court action.
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 105

Tlie owner may make payment direct to the contractor in accordance with terms of the contract and

as the amounts become due, provided he retains enough

to pay laborers and lienors who have given or who

may give notice of claims to the owner within the

limited period, or who have previously given notice

after the limited period, provided that these amounts

are paid to the contractor in good faith in payment, or

for application to payment, of debts incurred in the

construction.

In making payment direct to lienors the owner must

give the contractor 10 days’ written warning of his

intention to make such a payment. It is provided that

the courts shall allow liens in four classes in the fol- lowing order

1. Liens of all laborers.

2. Liens of all lienors who shall have given the owner notices within the limited period.

3. Liens of all other lienors except the contractor.

4. Liens of the contractor. The act provides that the owner may take from

the contractor a bond conditioned for the payment

of liens and, in the event that this bond is taken and

is solvent, the provisions of the act for the giving of

notices by lienors are suspended. The procedure for

the enforcement of liens by court action is retained

for enforcing claims against the bond in the interest

of simplicity and equity.

The misapplication by the owner of the proceeds of

a construction loan, with intent to defraud, is made a criminal offense and so also is the misapplication of

funds by contractors, subcontractors, and others to Avhom they may be paid and while such persons have

outstanding debts incurred on the construction. Here

again intent to defraud is an element of the offense. The giving of a false statement under oath to the owner by the contractor, Avith intent to defraud, is likeAvise made a criminal offense. It is the conviction

of the committees that these penal provisions will have

a salutory effect upon unAvholesome practices in the

industry.

In order to perfect his lien, the lienor is required to

file for public record a prescribed formal claim of lien. This must be filed within three months after the final lierformance of the lienor’s services. It may be

amended or supplemented. A copy is required to be

sei'A^ed upon the oAvner by methods ju’escribed in the

act and a failure to serve a copy renders the claim of

lien voidable to the extent that the OAvner may have

been prejudiced by failure of service.

The lien must be enforced by court action Avithin one year after the claim cl lien is filed for public rec- ord, and if a sale of the property is required to satisfy

liens the liens of laborers are preferred to all others

and among themselves are on a parity. After satis- faction of the liens of laborers, the proceeds of sale are applicable to the liens of other lienors on a pro

rata basis. The act provides for the a.ssignment of liens and

the method of assignment, and also for the methods

of discharging liens. A cash deposit or a bond may

be furnished by the owner to free his property from

liens under stated conditions. Lienors may demand

of the owner or contractor information regarding the

terms of the contract or subcontract in the performance of Avhich they may be^ngaged, and the owner is given the reciprocal right of demanding information

as to the status of the account of any lienor.

Liens under the act may be Avaived in Avriting ex- cept by laborers.

The committees believe that credit practices in the

industry would be improved through the enactment

of these principles as it is necessary that the lienors

give the owner timely notice before their right of lien accrues. The number of irresponsible contractors

Avould also be reduced since their credit standing Avill be subject to careful scrutiny before they may obtain

materials necessary to prosecute their contracts or be- fore they may obtain a bond under the provisions of

the act. Various provisions of the draft act have already

been enacted into laAV in different States, having been

adajited from earlier tentative drafts.

The interest on the part of the industry has been

marked throughout the course of this work and the

reaction has been generally favorable and commendatory. The act is generally considered a matter of

standardization that is highly desirable and one that

is destined to be beneficial. The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State LaAvs, at their annual meeting in Atlantic

City earl}^ in September of this year, considered the

text of the act and it recei\'ed the tentative approval

of that body b}^ an OA^erwhelming taAmrable A'ote. Under the practice of that body the act Avill now lie OA^er for one year and Avill receive final attention at the annual meeting in 1932.

SPECIFICATION ISSUED FOR HIGH-VOLTAGE

INSULATORS

The British Engineering Standards Association has

issued a specification, dealing Avith bushing type in- sulators for indoor and outdoor use, including cableterminating bushings, suitable for the range of declared voltages from 600 Amlts to 200 kilovolts. In

general arrangement, the specification is similar to that dealing Avith insulators for overhead lines. An important difference, hoAvever, is that the “ rat- ing number ” assigned to each bushing is equal to the A'oltage, expressed in kilovolts, used in the 1-niin- ute dry test, Avhereas in the specification for insulators

for overhead lines the rating numbers are based on the

voltage used in the 30 seconds’ rain test. For this

79202—31 2

and other reasons it is clearly stated in the specification that it must not be assumed that for a given

transmission system the same, or nearly the same,

rating number will represent both the approximate

bushing and line insulator.

Each rating number is associated Avith certain test A'oltages, and information regarding the selection and

application of bushings is given by means of notes and bushing selection tables. Tlie notes deal AAuth such matters as the relatiA’e strength of bushings and

associated apparatus, the effect of details and conditions of installation, and the corrections to be apjilied

for conditions of installation, and the corrections to be applied for conditions other than the standard

sei'A'ice conditions.
106 COMMERCIAL STATIDAEDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, lO.'U SIMPLIFIED CALENDAR CHAMPIONED IN INTEREST OF TRADE

Need for Uniform Units of Time for Comparisons in Business

By Arthur Capper, Senator from Kansas

During October there is to be held at Geneva an

international conference of government delegates to consider the simplification of the calendar. Our Government has been invited to participate and has ac- cepted this invitation. Dr. Charles F. Marvin, chief.

United States Weather Bureau, has been designated

to represent this Government at the conference.

With the question of what to do about the economic

depression uppermost in the minds of most people, I have been asked why bother at this time about the cal- endar. On first thought, the simplification of the

calendar does seem to be a matter not to worry about

until the economic distress has been relieved and the

financial equilibrium restored, but there is a relationship here between the calendar and our economic life which, to my mind, makes this question of calendar

improvement of real importance at this time and a reason for going ahead with it as rapidly as possible.

The relationship is one that is not vividly realized

until one gives some reflection to it. It is this : Our

economic life—commercial, industrial and financial

can make no intelligent decisions or solve any problems without knowledge of its past performance. It must have an accurate record to examine and must

compare it with conditions at present. It must determine the directions of the economic currents. It must know whether progress is being made, how fast

and how much. It must be able to observe the trends.

There is only one way to do this and that is to make

comparisons in units of time, which is to say, by means of the calendar. What were bank clearings

this week compared with those last week and a year

ago, or this month compared Avith last month or this

month a year ago? What Avere car loadings, steel orders, coal production, and the scores of other indices

of our economic progress? Again, in our own individual businesses, what Avere costs, what Avere sales,

what Avere profits last month compared with the same month a year ago, or with some other month this

year? It is from the ansAvers to questions like these

that we determine whither we are going—toAvard better times or worse. The use of the calendar is indeed

a fundamental necessity for our economic life. But we find in making these absolutely necessary

comjAarisons that the principal unit of the calendar

the month—varies in length and is A'ariable as to the

kind of days it contains. Some months sometimes

have fewer Avorking days than others, or feAver days

of distinctive economic value one Avay or another.

Again 11 of the 12 months will not contain a complete number of weeks which are also an important

time unit. Again holidays change each year either

to different Aveek days or different dates. Again no week this year is exactly the same as the “ corresponding week ” a year ago. The whole scheme is a hodgepodge.

We do indeed manage to make comparisons, but in- numerable instances of deceptive data result, and in

order to get a true picture, laborious computations are

necessary. Why should we not have a calendar of

uniform months which shall be an exact multiple of

the Aveek and as nearly as possible an exact submultiple of the year, and with the days of the weeks fixed

to the same dates in every month?

If Ave could liaA^e such a calendar immediately, it Avould put an end to these difficulties and facilitate

the accurate compilation of the comparatiA^e statis- tical information which we are examining more

closely in this critical period than ever before. It Avould be a real aid to the restoration of our economic

progress. Such a calendar, based on the present calendar year, can be realized by the adoption of the plan which

divides the year into 13 equal months of four weeks

each, Avith a “ year day ” to take up the odd day at the end of the year, a “ leap day ” for the extra day in

leap years, and the new month between June and

July.' This, I may add, is the only plan which will

make the Gregorian calendar as nearly uniform and

fixed in every respect as the astronomical facts permit.

I hope that the fox’thcoming conference at Geneva

will agree to recommend this plan for adoption, and

that it Avill be adopted as soon as possible. To be 1 sure the change can not practically be put into effect ; this year or next, but in any case, the adoption of a , calendar Avhich so Avell meets all the conditions of our ; changed civilization not only will liaA-e immediate ; beneficial effects upon our economic life, but bring ^ permanent benefits in every field of activity. ;

HICKORY GOLF SHAFTS

The commercial standard for hickory golf shafts,

which has been in effect since November 1, 1929, Avas reaffirmed on August 20, 1931, for another year. This action Avas taken upon the recommendation of

the standing committee after considering the results of an adherence survey undertaken in cooperation

with the makers of hickory golf shafts. The report summarizing the results of the survey was based on replies from 11 producers, 1 of Avhom

indicated 100 per cent adherence to the requirements

of the standard. The average uiiAveighted adherence

of those reporting Avas, however, 53.9 per cent as a

‘ number were unable to confine their production to the , standard grades under present conditions. Sevenreported benefits from the establishment of the

standard. 1

A form for semifinished or “B form ” shafts, used i

widely by golf-club makers, is established by this 1

commercial standard, and a standard method is speci- 1

lied for grading them by mechanical means into four ^

commercial grades according to stiffness of the shaft, j Certain other requirements as to moisture content, t straightness, and dimensional tolerances are also

j coA^ered. 1
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 107

THE ROMANCE OF MEASUREMENT

A Measuring Stick Is a Scepter in the Hand of Science

By Henry D. Hubbard, Katioiiul Diircoii of Stfuidards

What scope and sweep there is in nieasureinent,

from stars to atoms, timing radio echoes from dis- tances beyond the moon, measuxdng temperatures on

other planets, measuring the rate of cooling of our

sun, measuring the age of our earth—measuring al- most everything. The slow rise of the art of measuring gave no sign that in this century it would rise to a commanding place in human alfairs. In the days of old a poor man asked a wise man,

“Why am I poor? ” The wise one cut a .stall thigh

high, cut notches upon it a hand’s width apart, and

said

I give you the scepter of success—a measuring stick—for measures rule the world. They come in pairs; the measure of

the sandal must match the measure of the foot. Always two

matched measures. So all things are made to measure. Let

this stick measure what you make, measure it well for its use. Three loops of cord will make the stick a balance to weigh

what you buy or sell. Set it upright in the sun and the stick

will measure the shadow hours of time : allot them to thy

tasks. Tune thy life to its circling shadow. When noon shadows are long it is time to plant. Measixre your share and

your brother’s. Make wisely, measure truly, trade justlj’, and

you will prosper. Down the ages came the measurer's art by which

things are dimensioned for use, by which time and

place are measured for every fact and act of man. A

measuring stick is indeed a scepter in the hands of

science, a tool of discovery, record, and use of exact

knowledge. Measures do miracles when we match

the measured curvature of glass to the measured defect

of the eye and thus restore sight to age and perfect the

vision of youth.

Commerce is the exchange of measured things.

Every transaction involves five measures : Quantity,

quality, value, place, and time. All are measured.

Quantity in number and unit ; quality in measures of

its properties ; value in terms of weight of gold ; place

east or west of Greenwich, north or south of the

Equator, up or down from sea level; time in terms

of the turning earth—the clock—and its trip around

the sun ; the calendar.

I Success is matching a measured need by a measured

j means—shoe to the foot, glove to the hand, girder to

I the bridge, powder to the cartridge, inlay to the tooth,

: key to the lock. Key and lock may be measured to a

! thousandth of an inch, but some measures are not

made in units. Without a unit a singer matches by

i ear the pitch of her voice with the measured pitch

|1’ of the piano. Without a unit the violinist varies the

notes to produce perfectly pitched melody. If a boy

is to jump a ditch he first measures it with his eye, not

I; in inches but effort, which he matches with his own

I effort to clear the ditch. His jump is as truly meas-

" ured as if he used a unit.

The shoemaker of Old Pekin makes shoes with no

i' unit of measure, no measuring scale—a strip of blank

! paper and his thumb nail are his measuring tools.

! He transfers the foot measures to his paper strip,

using his thumb nail as a marker. He transfers the measures to his leather to make jicrfectly fitting

j shoes without a unit of length.

i

;|.

ii:

[

I

The Chinese have units but they differ for each

trade and place. A cloth merchant may buy and sell at the same price. He buys by a long measure, sells by a short one, and thus makes a profit. The Chinese

travel unit of distance, the “ li,” is longer on easy

roads, so that downhill to town may measure fewer

“ li ” than the uphill trip home. The Chinese rice

weight unit is the “ catty ” but the “ catty ” unit be- comes smaller and smaller from rice field to tidewater

as the coolies carry the rice. The reason is simple,

each coolie takes out his pay in rice. The rice bags

reach seaboard lighter for the tax, but weighing the same number of “ catty ” as when they started.

Crude measures pass and modern measures are uniform and accurate in comparison. Scientists measure how things happen in nature and experiment-—at what heat and pressure a crude oil cracks into gasoline, carbon dioxide becomes “ dry ice,” or air becomes

a liquid and flows like water. Science makes vast numbers of such natural meas- urements—melting points of solids, weights of atoms,

lengths of light waves, propeifies of^ materials. In

such measures lie latent the means to alter nature al- most at will and make it serve our purpose with al- most magical power. Sucli measures build civiliza- tions. They are the numbers which rule the world

of enterprise.

IMeasuring tools evolve from simple origins—

a

stick, a shadow, a goui'd, a stone—to-day measuring

devices number thousands and give man new senses, enabling him to detect “ invisible ” light, to feel magnetic forces, to- sense a thousand things otherwise un- known. With the Bose crescograph one can see the

movements of growing plants. A lens and mirror

device is used to measure the diameters of stars, a

feat comparable to measuring -a quarter dollar by an

observer oO miles away.

The radioactivity of radium is measured by the

movement of an electrified strip of gold foil. Electrified quartz threads are sent up 10 miles to measure

cosmic rays. A 6-ounce device rises in a balloon 16

miles to bring back automatic weather records of

temperature, pressure, and humidity. We measure

air moisture by the stretch of a hair. In the Antioch

Light fog-sig-nal device, 100 human hairs are so set that in fog dampness they stretch and turn on the fogsignal.

Ingenuity in measuring rarely excels the bit of

genius by which we can literally hitch our wagon to a star. An automatic device in Paris catches a

star's image at meridian, turns its light pulse in an

electric pulse, amplifies it, and broadcasts it as a radio

time signal.

Time and tide wait for no man. But a marvel

among measuring devices takes 37 measured facts set into its mechanism to predict years ahead the height

and time of day of all tides for every port of the

world. ^Mathematically minded, this device turns the measures of yesterday in prophecy for tomorrow to guide ships unbuilt on voyages undreamed.
108 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1931 Sound and radio are used to measure ocean depths,

the thickness of glaciers, or the height of the radio

ceiling of our air. Radio impulses go up with the

si^eed of light and echo back from the magnetic layer

of our atmosphere over a hundred miles up. By timing the echo we measure the ceiling, which may rise 50

miles in a magnetic storm. Echo times indicate that some radio echoes come from far beyond the moon. Sound waves are sent to sea bottoms and their echoes

timed to measure ocean depths for marine charts in

aid of navigation. By similar means the thickness of

glaciers is measured by timed echoes through the

glacier from the rock beyond.

Measures are tools of discovery. One bright story

tells how the mystery of the breeding place of the Atlantic eel was solved by measuring. Out from the

rivers swarm the eels every autumn to be lost to sight

at sea. Where they bred, no one knew. Catches of

eels were measured from millions of square miles.

Measuring their way in all directions along lines of

shortening eel lengths to the size of the baby eels, all trails led to the Sargasso Sea, which jiroved to be the

cradle waters of their infancy—a mystery solved by

measuring lengths.

Nature does not annihilate her past. She leaves a record in which Ave may read history through measurements. Tree rings thousands of years old reveal

the growing weather of climatic history of ancient

times, year by year. Hoav the rise and fall in tree growth in 11-year rhythms were matched by similar

rise and fall in the number of suspects is an interesting

stoiy, for phenomena which vary in parallel reveal cause and effect connections of profound importance.

Measures are great teachers, reducing: error, diffus- ing truth. They dispel error by teaching, for example, that a pint is not a pound the world around, and

never was anyiA'liere ; in America, that the needle is not time to the pole; that the so-called “solar constant"

j is variable; and there are no fixed stars. ^Measures j

SPECIFICATION FOR SHIPS’ CARGO-LIFTING

BLOCKS

ShipoAvners, shipbuilders, and all engineers con- cerned Avith lifting gear generally Avill be interested

in the publication of a specification for ships’ cargolifting blocks, by the British Engineering Standards

Association. The AAmrk of preparing the specification has been carried out by a committee of makei-s

and users in collaboration Avitli the home office. It | lays doAvn requirements concerning the materials

' from Avhich the various parts of the block should be

made, details regarding Avorkmanship and manufacture, the test loads to Avhich blocks are to l)e submitted, and recommendations as to the sizes of sheaves

for use with Avire ropes made in accordance Avdh the

British standard specification.

One of the most important matters covered by the

specification is the inclusion of a standard definition

embodying what is the safe Avorking load of a g

A-en block, together Avith particulars of a standard

method of marking blocks, indicating the maximum

safe Avorking load for which the block may be used.

This attempt to simplify the existing diverse methods

of marking should be uniA’ersally Avelcomed and the

hope may be expressed that all interests concerned

Avill cooperate in its immediate adoi)tion.

tell hoAV much a pint of a liquid weighs, by hoAV many

degrees the needle Avanders from true north, hoAv the

solar constant (sun’s radiation) A^aries, and hoAv many

miles a second the fixed stars are moving.

Measures teach truth with vividness. We all conceive the atom as very small, but we learn how small an atom really is Avhen 30 methods of measuring them

tell us that a billion atoms in a line measure an inch, or more startling still that if all atoms in a thimbleful

became tennis balls they Avould cover the United States hundreds of feet deep.

Again, Ave all have some idea of the Gulf Stream,

but hoAV AMstly more vivid it becomes when measures

tell us that the volume flow of the Gulf Stream off Miami is 14 cubic miles an hour, or equal to 1,000 Mississippi Rivers in one. Men Avho measure do not lack devotion. Countless

cases might be recalled of courage, suffering, even

death, among the army of measurers who in laboratory, observatory, or in other parts of the world

gather measured descriptions of nature and her phe- nomena. Galileo, “ the father of laboratory science,”

Avas its first victim. In the great Tokyo earthquake

of 1923 the Japanese experts stuck to their Avork of

measuring the earth movements Avhile outside they

beheld their OAvn homes going down in ruins and up

in flames, a devotion which gave the world its most

accurate scientific narratiAM in earthquake annals.

The engineer puts measures to work in skyscrapers,

bridges, and other structures. Measures flow through

his pencil to scale draAvings making each point a location, each line a length to be translated into steel or

stone, matching measured strength for measured

stress. By means of measures of strength and dimension the engineer builds his di’eam of stability into structure and the architect actualizes his dream of

beauty. AVhen the cathedral stands finished, strong

and beautiful, Ave forget the measures, but the}^ remain

forever the strength and beauty of the cathedral.

SPECIFICATION FOR SAMPLING AND

ANALYSIS OF COAL ; The Avork of preparing British standard specifications for the sampling and analysis of coal and coke,

Avhich was commenced in 1927 at the instigation of

the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, d has been advanced a stage by the recent issue of the j British Standard Specification for the Sampling and j Analysis of Coal for Inland Purposes.

The sanqiling section of the specification is, at present, confined to coal passing through a 3-inch

diameter perforated plate screen, and full particulars i are given of the method of collecting the gross sample | from chutes, conveyors, and Avagons; the method of ! reduction is also closely specified. The methods of I anal}^sis specified are those used in sound commercial

practice at the present time, and deal Avith the deter- ' mination of moisture, volatile matter, ash, calorific

| value, sulphur, and arsenic. The sampling large ' screened coal and run-of-mine coal is still under consideration, and committees are also dealing with the - determination of the agglutinating value of coal and j the sampling and anaylsis of coke. The specification

for the sampling and analysis of coal for export Avas issued in December, 1930, and German and French

translations of the specification are now aAMilable.
OCTOBER, 1«31 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS AIONTHLY 109

APPLYING CERTIFICATION PLAN TO COMMERCIAL STANDARDS

Cooperation of Technical Societies, Trade Associations, and Consumer Groups Essential

By A. S. McAllister, 'National Bureau of Standards

The certification plan herein referred to involves

the compilation and distribution of lists of manufacturers desirous of obtaining contracts based upon

certain selected nationally recognized specifications,

and willing, when requested to do so, to certify to purchasers that the commodities delivered are guaranteed to comply with the requirements and tests of

the specifications.

Perhaps the most significant indorsement of the

cei'tification plan was that received from Secretary

Michael J. Hickey, of the National Industrial Council, which is a federation of National, State, and

local industrial associations organized under the

leadership of the National Association of Manufacturers “ to foster constructive industrial legislation

and to oppose the enactment of class laws.” Under

date of August 8, 1928, Secretary Hickey stated

As I have observed this whole effort by your department, I believe it carries with it one of the most effective media for combating questionable or unethical merchandising and pro- duction practices ever conceived.

Its stiuctly voluntary character, in my opinion, is one of the most constructive works any branch of the Government is carrying on—and it is bound to prove a million times more

effective than dictums or panaceas such as indigestible truthin-fabries laws could or would accomplish.

Technical societies favor certification plan.—Before

the certification plan was placed in operation, it was

brought to the attention of all organizations believed

to be interested in such an undertaking. Correspondence conducted with the officers of technical societies

and trade associations showed that all technical societies familiar with the formulation of specifications

look with favor upon the certification plan as an effec- tive method of bringing specifications to the attention

of the interested producers and consumers. With few

exceptions, the officers of trade associations (many of

whom might have been assumed to be opposed to the

jflan, at least initially) are actually very favorably in- clined toward it. The application of the certification plan has been

extended to include a total of 335 Federal specifications and 21 commercial standards with about 14,000

formal signed requests for listings, as shown by the

accompanying table.

Statistical summary of willing-to-certify lists as applied to Federal

specifications and commercial standards

Total number of —

Commodity groups

Specifi- cations

List- ings Firms

9 113 54 Brick 2 596 596 Brushes and brooms - . _ _ 48 945 179 Builders’ hardware 1 33 33 Cement, Portland-*—- . I 69 69

5 34 11

1 16 16

Electrical supplies 1. 14 220 153 Fire extinguishers and Ikiuids 3 78 51 Floor coverings 5 32 19 Glass 1 52 52 Goggles and helmets. 7 58 14

Statistical summary of willing-to-certify lists as applied to Federal

specifications and commercial standards—Continued

Commodity groups

Heat-insulating materials Inks

Insecticides Leather goods Lime and plaster Liquid-measuring devices _ Lumber

Masonry cement and concrete materials Nonferrous metals

Office supplies. Packing and gaskets Padlocks

Paints and paint materials Paper

Pipe and pipe fittings Refractories. Ribbons, typewriter Road and paving materials Roofing, bituminous, and waterproofing materials Rope, wire. Rubber matting

Safes, burglar-resisting

Scale,s, railroad track

Scales, weighing

Screws, wood

Soaps and scouring compounds

Tableware, .silver-plated Textiles Towels

Tubing, metallic Commercial standards

Total

Total number of —

Specifi- cations

List- ings Firms

8 58 30

6 114 43

3 28 18 4 103 81

4 145 87

1 21 21

2 3, 142 1,850

5 76 71 32 1,221 327

8 72 57

13 162 66

1 17 17 29 3, 004 305

28 557 126

7 83 64

3 108 60

3 93 36

7 121 48

16 571 106

1 15 15

1 13 13

i 3 3

1 7 7

1 33 33

1 14 14

13 562 158

1 7 7 33 598 191

1 12 12

4 61 49

21 689 628

356 13, 956 5,789

Without exception organized consumer groups are

definitely in favor of the application of the certifica- tion plan, as shown by statements from the officers of

these groups. Included among these, in addition to the Federal agencies, are the American Hospital Association, American Sanatorium Association, Educational Bu3Trs’ Association, the Governmental Purchasers Group, International City Managers’ Association, National Association of Public School Business Officials, the National Association of Purchasing

Agents, the National Education Association, the

National Municipal League, and the National Tuberculosis Association. It is not an exaggeration to state that the certification jilan for facilitating the use of

specifications is fully approved by governmental and

institutional purchasers. Federal, State, county, and

municipal.

Industry requests cooperation of hureau.—In the

case of commercial standards Nos. 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 13,

15, IG, 17, 18, 2G, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 35, the general conferences of representative producers, distributors, and consumers voted formally to request the

National Bureau of Standards to ajipl}'^ the certifica- tion plan to the approved commercial standards. In

the case of other commercial standards, no formal

votes on this matter were taken at the general conferences, but the producers have expressed their desire

to be listed liy the National Bureau of Standards as willing to supply commodities guaranteed by them to comply with the i-equirements of the commercial

standards.
110 COMMEKCIAL STAKDAEDS MONTHLY OCTOBER. 1931

Federal Specifications Board. —The 335 Federal

specifications to which the certification plan has been

applied represent almost exactly one-half the total number of specifications prepared by the Federal

Specifications Board—the largest and most nearly

up-to-date group of nationally recognized commodity

specifications in successful use at the present time.

Up to January 1, 1930, the Federal Specifications

Board had formulated and promulgated a total of 651

“ United States Government Master Specifications

’’ of Avhich 228 had been revised one or more times in

the earlier nine years. Since June, 1930, all of the

master specifications then in existence have been re- viewed by the technical committees responsible for

their formulation for the purpose of making such re- visions in substance as might be found desirable and

of placing them in the standardized “ purchase form ” for inclusion in the Federal Standard Stock Catalogue. Tavo hundred and thirty-eight of the master

specifications lia\’e been placed in the final form for use in the Federal Standard Stock Catalogue since

January 1, 1930. MoreoA'er, GO new specifications haA’e been promulgated since that date. A few of the original specifications haA'e been can- celed or consolidated, leaving at the present time a total of 698 effective Federal specifications, of Avhich

362 (52 per cent) haA^e been reAused one or more times . since 1921.

About 50 per cent (173) of the Federal specifications to which the certification plan has been applied

and nearly 60 per cent (8,307) of the requests for

listings relate to building materials.

WUling-to-certify manufacturers. —In the Avork of

applying the certification plan to Federal specifications No. 24, based on National Hardwood Luinber

Association rules, and No. 533a, based on American

Lumber Standards set foith in Simplified Practice

Kecommendation No. 16 for hardwood and softAVOod

lumber, effective assistance has been received from the

National Lumber Manufacturers’ Association and its affiliated organizations, namely, the California White

and Sugar Pine Manufacturers’ Association, Cali- i fornia Redivood Association, the National HardAvood

Lumber Association, the Northern Hemlock and

Hardwood Manufacturers’ Association, the Northern

Pine Manufacturers’ Association, the Southern Cypress Manufacturers’ Association, the Southern Pine

Association, the West Coast Lumbermen’s Association, and the Western Pine Manufacturers’ Association. All of these organizations have cooperated not

only in the formulation of the standards but in making them effective through the medium of the certifica- tion plan of the National Bureau of Standards and ' their own inspection services. Several of the asso- ciations have been of direct assistance in compiling

the lists of Avilling-to-certify manufacturers of American Standard softwood lumber and in giving Avide

publicity to our plans in connection therewith.

Both the Hardwood Manufacturers Institute and

the National HardAvood Lumber Association have

been of definite assistance in the compilation of lists of willing-to-certify manufacturers of hardwood lumber complying Avith Federal Specification No. 24 supplied under the grading and inspection rules of the

National Hardwood Lumber Association.

Effective assistance has also been receiA’ed from the

• only organization representing the Avholesale lumber dealers—the National American Wholesale Lumber Association.

The retail lumber dealers throughout the country

are being reached through the very helpful cooperation of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association and 28 regional associations affiliated thereAvith.

Many of the regional associations have supplied us

Avith mailing lists of their dealer members. Among

the State associations are those of California, Florida,

Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsjdvania, and West Virginia. Other regional asso- ciations ,are the Mountain States, Northeastern,

Northwestern, and Western. The Ohio Association

of Retail Lumber Dealers has placed at our service

its mailing facilities for reaching 13,676 dealers in

all sections of the country.

The National Association of Builders Exchanges,

the National Association of Purchasing Agents, and

the National Builders Supply Association have

placed on record officially their indorsement of the

grade marking of lumber for the benefit of the purchaser and the protection of the seller. Very effective cooperation has been received from

President Walton, of the Sand-Lime Brick Association, in the application of the certification plan to Federal Specification No. 505 for sand-lime brick. i Through his aid Ave have been placed in communica- | tion with every knoAvn sand-lime brick manufacturer i in America, both members and nonmembers of the

association. With tAvo possible exceptions, every op- I crating American sand-lime brick manufacturer has i expressed to us his desire to be listed as a source of

j supply of brick guaranteed to comply Avith specifica- : tion No. 505. The Avilling-to-certify manufacturers > of sand-lime brick represent at least 95 per cent of ! the total number of sand-lime brick manufacturers

and possible 98 per cent of the sand-lime brick

actually manufactured in America.

Helpfid cooperation has been received also from the

Common Brick Manufacturers Association, which

has supplied complete lists of clay-brick manufacturers, both members and nonmembers, and is using

strenuous “ folloAV-up methods ” to obtain 100 per

cent representation of the association membership on

the bureau’s list of Avilling-to-certify manufacturers.

This list noAv contains the names of 544 of the 1,200

American common-brick manufacturers, including

the great majority of the members of the association.

This association checks the quality of brick manufactured by its member firms.

The American Face Brick Association has appointed a committee on grading rules as a first step

toward the establishment of specifications for face

brick to be handled as the Sand Lime Brick Association and the Common Brick Manufacturers Association have handled the specifications for sand-lime and

common brick.

Officers of the Associated Metal Lath Manufacturers

have placed before the members of that organization

the proposal that the certification plan be applied to Federal Specification No. 553 for metal lath “ along

the same lines as the brick and lumber manufacturers

are working.” On March 17, 1931, the Associated

Metal Lath Manufacturers voted to request that metal

lath be included in the certification plan.

The Structural Clay Tile Association, which has

been basing its quality labels on the standards of the i
OCTOBER, 1031 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 111

American Society for Testing Materials, has made

plans to include a suitable reference to the Federal

specitications, and to act as an inspection agency in

‘‘ policing ” the labels. On March 28, 1931, the secre- tary sent -the National Bureau of Standards a list of

the members of the association with the following

comments

Every one of these inamifacturers has indicated his m illing- iiess to subscribe to the certified quality identification label plan and, in fact, most of these manufacturers are using this identification label at this time. Furthermore, we as an as- sociation are willing to extend this service to other manufacturers providing, of course, that their product will fulfill the requirements imposed by the American Society for Testing

Materials and the Federal specitications.

The entire membership of the Asphalt Shingle and

Roofing Association unanimously signified their willingness “ to certify to purchasers that the commodities

supplied by them under Federal Government master

specifications, have been tested and found to compl}^

with these specifications.”

Under date of April 11, 1931, the secretary of the

Gypsum Association expressed his intention “ to write

to each member of the Gypsum Association who has

not adopted the certification plan and to fully acquaint

him with it.” The active interest being taken in the certification

plan by the officers of the Cast Stone Institute Avas

set forth in a letter dated May 6, 1931, Avhich contained

the following request

Will you please send 25 copies of the pamphlet describing the nature and scope of the willing-to-certify plan? We are having a meeting of cast-stone manufacturers in Cleveland on May 11 and 12, at which consideration will be given to the adoption of this plan to cast stone, at least in so far as Government work is involved. CommodUy standards must he clear to he elective .

As the result of experience during the past fetv years, many technical societies, trade associations, and con- sumer groups have concluded that in order to make

most effective use of commodity standards, those standards must be understood and accepted by consumers

as well as by those concerned Avith production and

distribution.

Among the consumer groups that have placed on

record their attitude toAvard the moA’ements designed

to encourage manufacturers to produce commodities

identified as complying Avith accepted standards and

specifications are the American Home Economics Association and the National Association of Purchasing

Agents.

At its meeting on February 16, 1931, the National

Association of Purchasing Agents executive committee

took the folloAving action as shoAvn by the offi- cial minutes of that meeting : “ Unanimous approval was given the proposal to indorse and encourage the

Bureau of Standards’ program for certification and

labeling of material,” and “ Unanimous approval Avas given to the program of the Division of Simplified

Practice to secure identification of simplified sizes,

etc., in catalogues, price lists, and other literature, to assure their selection Avithout difficulty. The recom- mendation also applies to commercial standards.”

At its annual business meeting in Detroit, June 25,

1931, the American Home Economics Association

adopted the folloAving resolution:

The assi elation has for some time been cooperating with

manufacturers and distributors through the Departments of Ccmmerce and Agriculture and the American Standards Association in the development of standard specitications as to the composition, construction, and performance of householil goods. It is frequently true that .standards now available are not used by retailers in selling over the counter because

they do not realize the value of accurate information to the household buyer. The association can perform a valuable

service by establishing contacts between progressive retailers and home-makers desirous of increasing the efliciency of their buying.

Resolved that the members i f the association cooperate in

e\'ery Avay with the retailers in their own communities to

furtlier the purchase and sale of consumers’ goods labeled according to standards set up through the American Standards

Association, the Bureau of Standards of the United States Department of Commerce, or the Bureau of Agricultural Eco- nomics cf the United States Department of Agriculture, or labeled in some other way with accurate measurements as to

1 quality and performance.

LABELS DISTINGUISH SUPERIOR SHINGLES

111 an effort to distinguish easily the highest grade

of commercial shingles, the Red Cedar Shingle Bureau has adopted a definite and distinctiA'e label for

the guidance of its consuming trade. The label contains a guaranty by the Shingle Bureau which is based on a definite specification of quality knoAvn as Commercial Standard, CS31-31 for red cedar shingles, which Avas established by the industry in cooperation Avith the DiAusion of Trade Standards of the

National Bureau of Standards.

The label is primarily for the guidance of architects, builders, home financing agencies, prospective

home OAvners, and insurance companies, many of

whom liave recognized the utility and beauty of wood

shingles, but Avho have had some difficulty in the procurement of the proper grade for maximum serAUce. The commercial standard grade includes only the

choice.st red cedar shingles that are edge grained, all heartAvood, and Avithout defect, and the presence of

the label guaranteeing conformity is the buyers’ as- surance of a satisfactory product.

In order to assure full compliance to the standard,

those mills using the Red Cedar Shingle Bureau offi- cial label are under license agreement Avith that bureau, and a corps of inspectors are constantly seeing

that the high quality standards specified are maintained hy all mills. If perchance .some manufacturer

deliberately attempted to defraud hy the use of labels on substandard shingles his license Avould be revoked,

and he Avould be prohibited from the use of the shingle bureau label. The total annual sales of red cedar sliingles amounts

to ai)proximately $2(),()00,000, and one can appreciate

tlie significance of the importance of the commercial

standard and the guarantee label Avhen he learns that

practically 95 per cent of the machine capacity of the

industi\v inas signed accei^tances of the standard as a guide to their eA’eryday operations.
112 COMMEECIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1931 Arthur Bevan, secretary of the Bed Cedar Shingle

Bureau, announces that many manufacturers that were never members of that bureau in the past have

signed the contract licensing them to the use of the

official label. In addition, he reports that the commercial standard for quality shingles has received the general support of the retail trade. To continue in Mr. Bevan’s

own words

:

All of tills leads us to believe that if the program is carried through impartially, with favors to none, it will eventually be

successful and help to reestablish red cedar shingles on a sound basis. The conclusion is quite logical, for experience of the

past indicates that most people thought of wood

shingles in terms of the poorest ones they encountered.

Now the trade has a definite and unmistakable specification which is a basis of operations for manufacturers, a guide and sound sales argument for distributors,

and an assurance of quality and service to consumers and those specifying roofing materials.

INDUSTRIAL UTILIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL WASTES

By Wakren E. Emley, National Bureau of Standards

Products of the farm have always been considered

in the light of supplying man’s two greatest needs—

•

food and clothing. Unfortimately, in the language

of industrialists, both of these markets have definite

saturation, points. One can not eat more than a certain amount of food. Because of the demands of

fashion, most of us have more clothing than there

is any real reason for, but the buying capacity of

the market has a definite limit, which is easily at- tained.

For things other than food and clothing, the market does not seem to have any such definite limitations. If the selling price of a certain article is decreased, or if the general prosperitj^ of the country

is increased, it seems possible to sell more and more

of these articles. The saturation point is not a function of the number of people only, but depends also on temporary economic conditions.

Agriculturists have devoted their efforts to the productmn of food and clothing. They have bred corn

for the maximum quantity and qualit}’ of the grain,, cotton for the fineness and length of the fiber. But

the grain forms only half of the corn plant. The

other half, consisting of roots,, stalks, leaves, and cobs,

has only recently come under the scrutiny of the

technologist and marketing specialist to see what can

be done with it. The romance of the cottonseed is frequently cited as an outstanding example of how

a waste which threatened to become a nuisance was

converted into valuable products. But even in this

case, the field has not broadened beyond the original

purpose. The linters are used chiefly for making

rajmn (clothing), the oil is used for human food, the

meal and bran for cattle food or fertilizer. There is no reason why the market for agricultural

products should be confined to food and clothing.

The modern jDublic has become familiar with such

marvels as lacquer made from corn and goblets made

from milk. Cotton is now used for many things

other than clothing—it is an article of major importance in the manufacture of automobiles and dirigibles. If forestry is a branch of agriadture, then the

billion dollar paper industry is the greatest example

of the industrial utilization of agricultural products.

Industry should be able to use that part of the

produce of agriculture which can not be marketed as food or clothing. This means Dot only the surplus

of corn over and above that required for food, but

also the cornstalks, cobs, etc. If such an arrangement could be brought about, the farmer would have

a market for his whole ci’op, instead of half of it, and

the market would not be limited by a definite saturation point.

With these thoughts in mind. Congress provided

funds for the National Bureau of Standards to see what could be done. As a result of four years’ work,,

insulating boards from cornstalks are now in commercial production, maizolith (a material having

properties similar to those of hard rubber) has been

made from corncobs, and xylose (a rare sugar) has- been made from cottonseed hulls. Investigations now under way include the manufacture of a lumber substitute from cornstalks and

jDaper from wheat straw, improvement in the process

of making paper from southern pine, and adaptation

of sweet potato starch to the uses of the textile industry. In this work we have had cooperation from

Iowa State College, University of Alabama, Alabama

Pol3dechnic Institute, and the Swann Corporation.

Many other investigators are working along similar

lines, all fitting in to the general program of finding

industrial uses for agaricultural wastes. Because of

the dual nature of these problems, the Departments

of Commerce and Agriculture are both interested.

An additional appropriation which is available to the

Department of Agriculture during the present fiscal year will aid materially in the progress of the work.

This work has brought to light the imperative need

for fundamental information. Little was known

about the chemical or physical make-up of the cornstalk. There were no statistics on the quantity produced. Harvesting machines had not been perfected,

and the cost of collection could not be closely estimated. There were no freight rates or insurance

rates, and the keeping qualities of the stalks were un- known. To-day, most of these questions can be an- swered for cornstalks, but for many similar products

the information is still nonexistent.

The American manufacturer has reached into the

air, into the sea, and even a mile underground to find raw materials for the multitudinous products of his

factories. There still seem to be great possibilities

lying hidden in the millions of tons of raw material

in the form of agricultural waste.
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STAKDAEDS MONTHLY 113

GRAIN GRADING

Numerical Grades Accurately Describe and Classify Different Qualities of Grain

By H. J. Beslet, United States Department of Agriculture

Grain grading is an American development beginning about the time of the Civil War. During recent years other countries have adopted grain grades patterned after the United States and Canadian grades,

and still others have investigated our grain grades

with a view to changing their marketing methods.

American grain grades are, in effect, brief descriptions of different kinds and qualities of grain which

enable persons to trade in grain without meeting, or without seeing the lots of grain or representative samples. Numerical grades take the place of specifications or descriptions and definitely fix the quality of

grain which may be delivered on a contract. Grain grading represents an attempt to classify or group grain according to quality or condition. The

usual method of expi’essing values for grain has been,

and still is, to assign numerical grades, which, in the

main, accurately and satisfactorily describe different

qualities.

The first grain grades were established by grain ex- changes located in the large grain markets and at the ocean ports from which grain was shipped abroad.

Later the States in which the larger grain markets

were located passed laws providing for official grades

and inspection. This still left the large commerce in

grain between the States and the export trade without any central control. There were numerous sys- tems of grades and a general lack of uniformitj’ in

inspection. This caused complaints from foreign purchasers and dissatisfaction on the part of local buyers of grain. Unsuccessful attempts were made by

trade organizations to bring about the general adoption of uniform grades, but it became evident that it was impossible to get satisfactory uniformity in grading between markets.

As a result, the United States grain standards act was passed August 11. 1916, establishing a single sys- tem of grain grades for the entire country and providing for supervision of grading and appeals from

inspectors’ grades. This act authorizes the United

States Secretary of Agriculture to investigate grain

handling and transportation and to establish grades

for grain. Grades for wheat, shelled corn, oats, rye. grain sorghums, and barley have now been established

under this act. The act requires that grain sold by

grade shipped to or from an inspection point must be

inspected. Such grain is alwa3

's graded by insiiectors

who are employed by States or grain exchanges, or who inspect for fees, and thev are not employed by

any organization.

Inspectors ai-e licensed by the Secretary of Agriculture under the grain standards act. and are not Federal Government employees. The Federal supervisors

grade such grain shijiped to or from inspection points

only when an appeal from the grade assigned by the

original inspector is requested by some one interested

in the transaction. Tlie appeal privilege furnishes

immediate protection and protects persons interested

in the grain from incorrect grading due to inspectors’

errors.

The United States grain standards act is administered through a field organization working under the

direction of an officer in charge of general field headquarters, located at Chicago, 111., and for the west

coast particularly, under an officer in charge of a

field headquarters, located at Portland, Oreg.

Boards of revicAv are located at Chicago and at Portland for the purpose of entertaining appeals from

grades assigned by supervisors located in the various

grain markets. These boards also interpret the Federal grades and review large numbers of samples to determine whether the grades are being uniformly

applied throughout the country. The department

maintains an investigational project for the establishment and improvement of grain grades.

An inspection efficiency project is maintained to bring about uniformity in grading between inspection points. Division supervisors located at Chicago,

Indianapolis, Kansas City, and New York maintain

general supervisory contacts with trade organization,

supervision offices, and licensed inspectors, for the

purpose of maintaining uniformity in grading. District supervisors located at 35 grain markets throughout the United States supervise the work of all li- censed grain inspectors and handle all original appeals from inspectors’ grades. The North Dakota in- spectors are under the supervision of the Minneapolis

supervisor, and inspections made at Duluth and

Minneapolis are supervised by officers located in each

of these markets.

Some of the advantages of definite grades uniformly

applied follow

1. Definite grades offer a better opportunity for

making transactions between the buyer and seller,

especiall}" when the grain can not be actually examined

by the bu^yer.

2. Buyers, especialh^ foreigners, Avill pay a better

price for grain for future deliA^eiw if they know, even

before the harvest, that onlv grain of a specified qualit}’ and condition can be deliA-ered.

3. The producer of good and superior' grain receives

a better price than the producer of inferior grain.

4. The disposition of carloads of grain is greatly

facilitated through a grading sA-stem.

5. There is a distinct advantage in haAfing definite- ness in descriptive terms in that this makes for a better understanding of the grading rules.

6. It is possil)le to liandle grain in bulk in large

terminal elevators in the present economical manner onU Avhen it is graded. OtherAvise it would be neces- sary to keep each lot separate, thereb^^ adding to the

expense of handling.

7. On the basis of grain inspection certificates, Avare- house receipts may be issued and used as collateral

for the purpose of financing transactions.

8. Certificates of grade enable shijAjiers to obtain

credit from banks to jiracticallv the full value of the

grain Avhen it is loaded and shipped.

9. Organized marketing of grain on a large scale,

especiall}' for export trade, as during the Avar period
114 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1931 by the United States Grain Corporation, is made possible through grain grading.

10.

Grain grading makes “ hedging ” possible,

•^hereby owners of grain are insured against market

fluctuations. The exjDorter sells grain for future

shipment and protects his interests by buying the

grain in a future market. The miller sells flour for

deferred delivery and hedges the wheat.

11. A deflnite grading system necessitates employing expert disinterested inspectors for the purpose of

assigning grades in connection with transactions.

12. Establishing deflnite, stable standards reduces

the hazard of the grain business and permits the purchasing, handling, and shipping of grain on a smaller

margin.

STRUCTURAL CLAY TILE STANDARDIZATION

Certification and Labeling Adopted by the Structural Clay Tile Industry

By S. F. Tillman, National Bureau of Standards

Selling structural clay tile products to the primary

building market means selling to architects, allied

engineers and general building contractors and those

employed by them—and in many cases also the owner—who must reach an agreement in the selections

to be made.

Obviouslj^, all such important factors as quality,

fitness, availability of supply, manufacturers’ engineering and delivery services and cost economies are considered. Recent action of the Structural Clay Tile

Association in the field of standardization and quality-identification markers, has served to enlarge its service to the ultimate consumer. The scope of the

program of the industry is briefly reviewed here for

readers of Commercial Standards Monthly, as it touches on principles of simplified practice, standardization, and certification. With the assistance of the National Bureau of

Standards, the industry has promulgated several simplifiied jiractice recommendations. Thirty-six varieties of hollow building tile were reduced to 20; 827

varieties of structural slate for plumbing and sanitary

purposes were reduced to 138; and others.

Several months ago the industry revised its simplified recommendation for white glazed tiles and unglazed ceramic mosaics, and at the same time took the

opportunity of changing the name to clay tiles for

floors and walls. The revision of the recommendation enlarged the program to include all clay tiles for

floors and walls, and eliminated the commercial grade

of tile and adopted “ standarad grade ” and “ sec- onds ” as the only grades of tile to be manufactured

and marketed. It was decided to discontinue the

package grade certification, and to include new minimum grade specifications for colored glazed tile, and

to revise the minimum grade specifications for ceramic

mosaic.

Closely associated with the industry’s work in the

field of simplified practice is its interest in standardization. The industry has long been a leading supl^orter in this field. Standardization in the structural

clay tile industry is more than a medium of securing

economy and efficiency. It is essential to the best

service and the most rapid progress. A 7-year re- search program instituted at the . National Bureau of

Standards by the Structural Clay Tile Association,

has resulted in certain beneficial standards, as well as a reduction in insurance ratings.

To supplement this standardization work, the asso- ciation has now established a very thorough research

jirogram at the engineering-experiment station of the

Ohio State University in Cleveland. Results of the

tests are transmitted to the manufacturers so that they

may make such changes as may be necessary in size,

design, and components of clay to increase the crushing strength and fire resistance of the tile in question.

To supplement its research and standardization

work, the association has developed a most comprehensive program of certification. This is handled through

a label service and is directly controlled by the association. The label is pasted on a certain number of

tile in every shipment, and by so doing, the manufacturers certify that every piece in the shipment comes up to the rigid requirements established by

the American Society for Testing Materials.

When this plan was first started it was limited to members of the Structural Clay Tile Association, but

several months ago the executive committee of the as- sociation instructed the association’s secretary to fol- low the recommendations of the National Bureau of

Standards in their entirety with regard to the association’s certification quality identification labels. Thus the association is willing to extend this service to nonmember manufacturers provided the products

of the nonmember manufacturers will fulfill the re- quirements imposed by the American Society^ for

Testing Materials and the Federal specifications.

An inspection and certification service for struc- tural clay tile has also been developed by the Underwriters’ Laboratories. The purpose is to assist the

industry in maintaining a product of standard uniform quality and to supply such information as may

be needed by regulatory and insurance rating bodies

throughout the countr}" concerning respective manufacturers of the material.

Certificates are not applicable to buildings or constructions in which material not conforming to the

requirements is used in the same assemblies in con- junction with material conforming to the requirements. Where a factory or field inspection discloses

features in the material not complying with requirements claimed for acceptance, and if a certificate is issued it will be subject to cancellation on detection of

such failures in the material.

To make its program more binding on the members

of the industry, the structural clay tile industry, under

date of August 29, 1931, accepted the ruling of the

Federal Trade Commission on its (the industry’s)

rules of business practice, which provides that there

shall be no “ false disparagement of grade or quality

of goods of competitors.’’ and no “ deviation from

established standards of the industry.”
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 115

MASS PRODUCTION OF RADIO CABINETS

Carefully Prepared Specifications and Rigid Inspection Required

By Archie W. Richards ’

Radio cabinets in the beginning were merely boxes

to house the various component parts of the radio re- ceivers, speakers, etc., and it is only within the past

few years that the radio industry conceived the idea

of a complete piece of furniture to house all of the

mechanism of the radio receiver. The tremendous

demand created for these compact, artistic outfits, as

Avell as the low-selling price, called for deep studj'^ and

intensive experimenting in the manufacture of wellmade low-priced cabinets.

The furniture industry is one of the oldest in exist- ence, and while low-priced furniture has been made,

the lesson learned in mass production of other products did not seem to be accepted by the industry.

Hence our company found it necessary to build a complete cabinet plant which would combine the most

modern production methods and machinery.

Rather strangeh" the development was made, not by

experienced woodworkers of the old school, but by

ingenious and resourceful production engineers, who

were inspired by their chiefs to undertake and creditably to master the best way of producing attractive,

efficient, and salable radio outfits. It is one of the in- stances that demonstrates that trade knowledge is much less essential to success than is the thorough

jiroduction experience of technical engineers combined with a tremendous market demand for the

product.

In Maj', 1928, a plant consisting of four buildings

with approximately 375,000 square feet of manufacturing floor space was leased from one of the General

Motors subsidiaries in Chicago,' and rapidly dui’ing

the subsequent 60 days woodworking machinery and

equipment were installed, and the production of cabinets was under way while the previous tenants were moving out. By the first

' of July production had

reached 1,500 complete radio cabinets per day, which was increased at the rate of 500 per day every two

or three weeks until by the first of September the

maximum possible production of 3,500 cabinets per

day was reached.

A number of far-reaching decisions were made at this particular time, and the wisdom of these decisions

has been fully justified by the subsequent success and

efficiency of the cabinet plant. In the . first place,

although the plant, which was leased, contained the

necessary dry kilns and storage space for handling

rough lumber, it was decided to purchase the lumber

already dried and cut to the exact dimensions and size necessai’y for the particular cabinet designs which had

already been decided upon. As this material is re- ceived in matched sets in each car, a great deal of

storage sjiace is saved because the parts can be started

through the mill immediately upon receipt. The purchase of dimension stock makes necessary a rigid in- spection of incoming materials, to be certain that each

piece is exactly suitable for the particular part of the

cabinet for which it is intended, and to eliminate at

least half of the mill operations, allowing them to be

performed nearer the sawmill in a cheaper labor market, thus saving freight on all waste material.

Pl3Avood specifications were also carefully developed so that the exact sizes required could be shipped

in matched sets, and immediately be started througb

the manufacturing department, with a minimum

amount of waste and machine work.

At the time these decisions were made there were no manufacturing units large enough to handle the

quantit}' of material required so that specifications were scattered among a number of manufacturers.

It soon became obvious that it was necessary to minimize the number of suppliers, and the best of the suppliers were inspired to increase their facilities to a point which in some cases meant three or four times

their previous maximum production.

EveiT piece of material used in the cabinet is specified exactly, not only as to size and manufacturing

tolerances, but as to kind and quality of wood, kind

of glue used, amount of moisture, as well as other

requirements.

Working with the plywood manufacturer, reasonable limits were also developed for the veneer figures, so as not to limit the purchase of materials while

still obtaining the beautiful effects necessary to make

the cabinets a work of art. This required close co- operation with the suppliers and a tremendous

amount of work by all organizations, but this has

been thoroughly justified by the results as evidenced

by the fact that production was stepped up to 5,000

units per day the first of May, 1929, without its becoming necessary to increase the number of suppliers

or enlarge the plant.

Inasmuch as the cabinets were designed before production Avas started, it was possible to select the exact equipment inquired to perform each operation, and

to arrange so that this equipment would be in operation 22 hours per day. The economy of this continu- ous operation is obvious. In the majority of cases the

operators are AAmrking on the same piece and ojieration day after day, which makes for quality and low

cost. jNIaterial is brought to them and taken from

them in a steady flow, and in most cases passes

through an inspection before moving from one department to the next for further operations. All material thrown out by the inspection department is taken

to a separate department and is either brought up to standard or discarded b}^ this department. This eliminates all dehyys and congestion that would i-esult from

” backtracking ” material for salvage in the manufacturing department. It also puts the salvaging under

the supervision of an expert who.se whole thought is to prevent Avaste of material.

All machines are individually driA'en by electric

motors so that shafting and belts are entirely eliminated. This permits great flexibility in the arrangement of machines, preseiwes headroom for mechanical

handling, distributes natural and artificial light more •Factory manager, Grigsby-Gninow Co., Chicago, 111.
116 COMMEECIAL STANDAEDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1931

advantageously, and reduces dirt and noise. A complete blower system of the most improved type and

ample capacity has been installed so that there is a minimum of shavings and dust. Every machine and

operator in the plant is scheduled by the jiroduction

department and the production of every department

is checked each hour to see tliat the “ rate ” is maintained. Reports are submitted to the operating heads

each hour, and upon failure of any department to make its “ rate,” investigation is started immediately

to determine the cause and remedy.

Ten per cent of the employees of the cabinet plant

are inspectors reporting to a chief inspector, who

reports only to the factory manager, and no foreman

or department head other than the chief inspector

and the factory manager is authorized to override the

inspector’s rejection. Inspection is based on the standards set up by the engineering department. It is obvious that it requires close cooperation between the

production, operating, and inspection departments in

order that harmonious relations, as well as the highest efficiency, be maintained. In all dejiartments the

battery system of production is used so that intensive

supervision and intelligent inspection is possible.

The various departments of the plant are classified as follows

:

Stock room. —In this department is vested the re- sponsibility for the unloading and storing of all raw

and semiraw materials used, and also from this depai’tment issue the “ rations ” of raw materials according

to time schedule set up by the production department.

Mill room. —This dexDartment is responsible for all necessary machine work, on dimension lumber and plywood.

Satiding department. —The work of this department

is to polish (in the white) each part separately so that there is required the minimum amount of handsanding after assembly.

Clamp department. —In this department all individual parts are assembled and clamped into a case or cabinet.

Cabinet room. —Here all of the doors are fitted and

hung, hardware put on, and all necessary hand fin- ishing and sanding of molding, trim, etc., is done.

Finishing department. —To this department come

all assembied units and parts in the “ white,” where

they are stained, filled, sprayed, rubbed, and polished.

FEDERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Nine Specifications Acted on by Board

Nine specifications were acted on by the Federal

Specifications Board during the month of September.

Of this number, seven were submitted for revision

and two for consideration as proposed specifications.

Copies of these specifications (in mimeographed

form) and further information can l:e obtained from

the Federal Specifications Board, National Bureau of

Standards, Washington, D. C. The new specifications submitted for revision bear

the new designation in accordance with the system

used in the Federal Standard Stock Catalogue.

Following this operation, each cabinet is inspected

carefully, and is gone over by a trained finisher, and

if found necessary, each cabinet is polished up by

hand.

Assembly department. —The cabinet is then care- fully reinspected and turned over to the assembly department, where are installed the radio receiver,

speaker, and hardware fittings on the exterior and in

the interior of the cabinet.

Testing department. —The final test and inspection

of the receiver and speaker after assembly are under

the direction of the engineering department, and

each completed job is checked carefully to see that

every part functions properly.

Packing department. —The assembled and tested

units are then turned over to the packing department,

where the complete assembly is packed in a special

packing case, and is again inspected and forwarded

to the shipping department.

Shipping department.-—In this department is in- stalled a 1,500-foot mechanical conveyor which has a

capacity for loading 35 cars per day.

All material is handled on trucks up to the clamp

department, after which it is slid over specially pre- pared hardwood floors or carried by overhead con- veyors from one operation to the next.

It is of interest that the manufacturers have no

large warehouse for raw materials. A continuous

inflow of materials is maintained and used at such a rate that many items of these materials are shipped

out in the finished product within a few hours after

they are received. Practically no item is kept in an

unfinished state more than two days.

To the furniture manufacturer and woodworker,

the figures below will be of interest. In the present

production of 5,000 radio sets per day approximately

the following materials are used weekly

:

Carloads of plywood 18 Carloads of dimension lumber ; IS Carloads of lacquer .3 Carload of nails and screws 1 Carloads of packing cases 48 Tons of glue 5 Yards of silk grill cloth 2, 500

Lineal feet of molding 150, 000 There are 40 cars required for each day’s shipment

of finished radio receivers.

Specifications to be revised

F. s. B. New designation No. JJ-H-601 measuring sizes of hosiery 92 UU-P-151 paper, carbon, black, lightweight (for type- writer use) 425 UU-P-156 paper, carbon, black, standard weight (for tjT)ewriter use 426 GGG-S-101 scissors and shears, office 361a DDD-T-501 towels, cotton, glass 616

Gasoline, aviation, domestic grade 2 Gasoline, aviation, fighting grade 2

Specifications proposed

Tape, linen-finish, red Pipe fittings, bronze (threaded), 250 pounds
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 117

ACTIVITIES OF THE AMERICAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATION

Development of Safety Code for Construction Industry in Progress—1931 Edition of National Electrical

Code Approved by A. S. A,

The following current information concerning cle- velojnnents in standardization projects under the auspices and procedures of the American Standards Association has been furnished by that association

;

Safety code for construction work.—The sectional

committee on the Safety Code for Construction Work,

under the sponsorship of the National Safety Council and the American Institute of Architects, has just

been organized, and the personnel and scope of the

committee were approved by the Standards Council of

the American Standards Association at its meeting on

September 10. The purpose of the committee is the

development of a safety code for the construction in- dustry, which at the present time has an accident rate nearly twice as high as the average accident rates of

all other industries, according to figures compiled by

the National Safety Council. The following scope for

the work of the committee has been agreed upon

Construction, demolition, and repair of buildings,

including excavation, foundation work, steel erection,

scaffolding, lighting, openings, temporary floors and

stairs, in relation to accident hazards to employees and

to the public.

The committee which has been appointed to develop

the code represents manufacturers of materials and

equipment, employers, employees, insurance interests,

governmental officials, and technical experts.

Preliminary drafts of the revisions of the American

Institute of Electrical Engineers standards covering

alternating-current machinery, direct-current machinery, induction machinery, alternating-current and di- rect-current fractional horsepower motors, and s}^-

chronous converters, which were submitted to the

American Standards Association for approval, have

been issued by the sectional committee on rotating

electrical machinery', under the s]ionsorship of the

American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the

National Electrical Manufacturers Association. The

revisions will be brought up for consideration and dis- cussion at a meeting of the committee to be held in

the near future.

Edition of the National Electrical Code., 1931.—The

1931 edition of the National Electrical Code has been

a Improved by the American Standards Association, fol- lowing its submittal by the National Fire Protection

Association, sponsor for the sectional committee in

charge of the revision of the code. This edition represents the fifteenth revision of the original National

Electrical Code as first published in 1897. The committee in whose hands the revision rests includes 43

technical representatives of 20 national. State, and lo- cal associations, inspection departments, and other or- ganizations proving a complete cross section of the

electrical industry in so far as it is concerned with

the scope of the code.

Tlie scope includes “ requirements for the installation of electric wiring and equipment for light, heat,

and power, as they affect the fire hazard and for signaling systems, so far as they may involve sucli hazard.” The code also includes “equipments affecting the life hazard in numerous applications and uses.” While in general the majority of the changes in the

code are of an editorial nature. However, some important new material has been included.

New definitions are given for the terms appliance,

general use switch, grounding conductor and isolating

switch.

A new' section show's w'hat has been considered good

practice for mounting requirements and a change has

been made in one of the sections to convey the approval of outdoor Christmas tree lighting outfits. Changes in the article on service and service equipment, permit under special permission buildings having a multiple occupancy to have more than one set of

service conductors and in addition approve the use of new forms of multiple conductor service cables. This

article also contains one of the most important changes

in the code w'hich permits the utility meter to be

placed ahead of the service switch and the service fuse

under certain conditions, and a second change wdiich

applies when the first is in effect permits the use, with

various safeguards, of branch circuit breakers in place

of the main service switch.

A change in the section on armored cable requires

protection to insulation at the cut ends of the armor. Changes in the section on electrical metallic tubing,

accomplish a broader recognition of this new raceway.

Two new sections cover wireways and busways and

auxiliar}^ gutters. These together with the existing

section on bare busbars and risers, w'ere made neces- sary by industrial development and the practically

universal use of electricity.

In the article on conductors, certain changes in

nomenclature and classification have been made. The

allow'able current in w'ire installed with rubber or varnished cloth is now' permitted in several of the

smaller sizes of Avire Avith other types of insvdation.

Many changes w'ere made in the article on automatic

overload protection of circuits and appliances; these

involved a rather complete structural revision of the

chajiter. The section covering motors and circuits

has been materially rei'ised. Nbav subdivisions apply

to feeders of motor branch circuits and to secondary

circuit conductors for Avound-rotor alternating-current motors. Detailed provisions for conductor sizes and automatic overcurrent protection of conductors

and motors haA'e been modified in man}^ respects.

Imin'OA'ement in the correlation and cross referencing of the article on grounding haA’e been made, and

changes in the section on grounding portable equipment, effect better protection in portable appliances

at voltages higher than 150 and in permanentlA' moist

locations.

The article on transformers and capacitors, contains

a new' subparagraph calling for certain name-plate

data on transformers and cajiacitors.

A coniiilete ncAV text foi' the article on storage batteries, is ])i'Ovided.

The article on lightning arresters, is comjiletely re- vised and made applicable to industrial stations.
118 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1931

In the article on hazardous locations, a new paragraph defines class 4 locations as places where ignitable combustible fibres are stored or handled.

A new section of the article on motion-picture studios, covers wiring in connection with sound recording and reproduction for the first time.

An analysis of the 1931 revision of the National

Electrical Code compiled by Mr. A. L. Abbott and

containing in detail all of the differences between the

1930 and the 1931 editions, has been published by the

National Electrical Manufacturers Association as its publication No. 31-11, dated August 1931. A paper on the standardization work of the Bell

Telephone System featured a meeting of the ASA

Standards Council held at the Westinghouse Lighting

Institute in New York on September 10, with Cloycl

CHARTS FOR MARINE NAVIGATION

Standard Chart Enables Navigator to Pilot His Ship Safely and Accurately Across Waters

By R. .S. P.cTToN, Director United States Coast and Geodetic Survey

detail, these records can be used in fixing the position of his ship even under conditions which render

other methods of no avail. On the other hand, if the chart does not portray a true contour map of the bottom, the position of his

ship becomes uncertain. This uncertainty means

greater precautions, slower voyages, delayed arrivals,,

and increased operating expenses. It can readily be

understood then why it is that the development of

echo sounding has accelerated the demand not only

for more accurate and more detailed surveys, but also

for the extension seaward of such surveys.

To- accomplish the surveys necessary to furnish

standard data for a modern offshore chart is not al- ways a simple matter. For every practical purpose a sounding must be considered as having three dimensions. A measurement of depth is of value, not

simply in proportion to the accuracy with which it was made, but equally in proportion to the accuracy

with which we locate the point on the ocean’s surface

from which it was made.

A group of accurate soundings plotted on the chart

in their correct positions relative to each other will

give an accurate indication of a submarine valley or any other characteristic feature suitable for use by

the mariner as a landmark. The same soundings in- correctly placed with reference to each other may

give a seriously erroneous picture.

Therefore, in order to bring our charts in keeping with the resources of modern science, it has been

necessary to devise new and improved methods of

surveying those extensive areas which lie out of sight

of land but still fall on the shelves which border our

coasts. On the Pacific coast these methods have been well

standardized and rapid progress is now being made

toward the completion of a new series of standard

charts. On the Atlantic coast the standardization of

methods has been somewhat slower, but this process

is now reaching the final stage and we can foresee,

within a few yeai’s, the same rapid progress that is being made on the Pacific coast.

Of the four main classes of transportation—rail,

water, highway, and air—it can be said that the rail

is the only one which has reached real standardization. The highway is making rapid strides in that

direction but it will probably be many years before

water transportation reaches the high degree of

standardization the railroad now enjoys. It will be

still longer in the case of the newest means of travel

by air. The question may well arise as to why water trans- portation, one of the earliest methods known to man,

has not yet reached the degree of standardization of

the railroad and that which we can forsee for the

highway. One of the reasons is that the ocean liner

has no well-defined path to follow along the shortest practicable route as the express train or the auto- mobile.

Instead, on each of its journeys a new path must

be determined and, under unfavorable conditions,

this is seldom the shortest practicable route and quite

frequently not the safest. If an automobilist passes

a crossroad from which he should have turned off, he

is only slightly inconvenienced, but should the navigator at some critical point along his route determine

and steer an erroneous course, the result would un- doubtedly be disaster with possible loss of life. The principal aid to the navigator in keeping his

vessel on the track which he desires to follow and on

one which will avoid the numerous dangers that beset

his path, is his chart. The extent to which his chart

serves this purjiose depends upon the detail and ac- curacy of the information shown thereon, and in

this respect much is demanded by the present-day

scientifically equipped navigator.

When modern science rendered practicable the ac- curate measurement of the velocity of sound in water

and developed echo sounding, it furnished the mariner with an extremely valuable tool. Without re- ducing the speed of his vessel it is now ]iossible for

him to have a continuous record of the depths over which he is passing. If the chart shows the configuration of the bottom accurately and in sufficient

M- Chapman, chairman of the Standards Council, in

the chair. The paper was presented by Dr. H. S. Osborne, transmission engineer of the American Telephone & Telegraph Co.

The American Institute of Electrical Engineers has

submitted the following standards for consideration

by the electrical standards committee : Recommendations for the Operation of Transformers; Constant Current Transformers of the Moving

Coil Type; Capacitors; Sixty-Cycle Test Voltage for

Standard IBushings for Transfoi’mers ; Transformers,

Induction Regulators and Reactors ; Electric Railway

Control Apparatus. The last mentioned is a revision

of that part of ASA Standard C36-1928, Railway

Control and Mine Locomotive Control Apparatus,,

which deals with electrical railway control apparatus.
OCTOBEH, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 119

SPECIFICATIONS IN THE OIL FIELD

A. P. I. Standards Clarify Confusion Caused by Varieties in Equipment in Oil-Field Operations

By Gael A. Young ‘

Belting, boilers, and drillino- tools; taper joints, line pipe, and derricks; casing, wire rope, and drill pipe;

pumps and sucker rods, engines and clutches, line

shafts and bits and tubing, rig irons and pump parts,

tanks and miscellany—such are the commodities found

in oil fields. Imagine the confusion at an isolated oil well loca- tion with all these pieces of essential drilling equipment available, but certain parts are missing, others

have special threads, and some have been built to one

specification and others to another. Hence, they are

useless for assembling into a complete, practical working rig. The material undoubtedly is good and the

workmanship generally excellent, but the failure of

thread to match thread, of part to mate Avith part,

offsets any inherent quality there may exist, and dis- rupts the practical usefulness of the equipment.

The above Avas typical, rather than an extreme ex- ample, of the situation the producing oil man faced

less than a decade ago. Perhaps it Avas Avhat he said

to those temperamental pieces of equipment Avhich,

lacking in uniformity and interchangeability, just

Avould not ahvays Avork together that established his

reputation for possessing a vitriolic vocabulary. Anyway, multiply the one Avell b}'^ 20,000, the number

drilled annually in this country, and add a feAV thousand more for those in foreign fields, and the picture

of confusion assumes international proportions and

provides pardonable incentive for a great deal of decidedly uncouth language.

HoAvever, the oil man did more than talk. He took

those prima donnas of oil-field equipment and standardized them. The hundreds of gages required for

cable drilling tools were reduced to a feAV. The nearly

200 different sizes of derricks Avere curtailed to 11 by

adoption of standard dimensions for majoring parts

previously manufactured in countless nonuniform

sizes. Boiler sizes, ratings, and fittings lost their infinite variety and pipe threads Avere put on a diet of

standardization that shrank their differences to a point

AA’here tAvo pieces of pipe of the same size, meeting in

any oil field, avouIcI fit together Avithout question.

When the trucks and trailers of to-day dump their

cargoes of equipment at some oil-Avell location far beyond the pale of machine shops, supply houses, rail- road sidings, and even the ordinary means of communication, the oil-AA'ell driller stands a good chance

better than his 3 to 1 odds on finding oil, in fact

that each and every piece, although built by different

manufacturers and never before assembled, will unite

in a complete, efficient drilling rig that Avorks as Avell as if set up for a sales demonstration.

' The changed situation Avas made possible by belief

in the idea of standardization, nine years hard labor,

.expenditure of millions of dollars and devoted effort on the part of hundreds of Amlunteer Avorkers. It Avas one of the first big jobs undertaken by the American

Petroleum Institute, national association of the petro-

* Socrplar.v division of production, .Vincrican I’otroloum Instilulc. 250

I’ark .Avenue, Now York City.

leum inclustiy. The idea Avas in mind Avhen the in- stitute was organized in 1919. It embarked on the

venture in 1922, calling upon manufacturers, engineers, and users to cooperate in a nation-Avide movement, since become Avorld-Avide, for the standardization, simplification, and improA’ement of oil-field equipment. The chief objectiA’es Avere to obtain a uniformity of joroper minimum or maximum chemical

and physical properties, interchangealtility of material and improved Avorkmanship.

Topical committees began a study of the possibilities of standardizing 10 commonly used classes of

equipment and pushed the Avork forAvard so rapidly

that in 1921 the institute formed a division of standardization to direct and correlate their actiAuties. The Avork gradually Avas expanded and the scope of

the plan broadened. The 10 committees, organized

on a national basis, Avere subdiA’ided to facilitate considei-ation of individual problems in the fiA’e main

oil-producing districts of this country, and to permit

handling the vast amount of detail Avork. The work is still going on. The committees have

from the start included in the membership representatives of both manufacturers and users of oil-field equipment. Service has been purely voluntary.

Many members and most national officers have served

from the beginning, conducting innumerable investigations, making exhaustive tests and giving liberally

of their abilities and time without remuneration.

For the services they haA^e rendered the petroleum

industry there never has been, and ])robably neA^er can

be. adequate compensation, but they haA’e built a unique and lasting monument to their endeavors. It

is a book, knoAvn as the “API Handbook of Standards,” read around the Avorld and used Avherever oil fields are deA’eloped. Considering the time and abilities generousl_y contributed to its compilation, and

still being contributed to keep standards abreast of cun-ent developments, it is estimated conservatively

to have a value of not less than $1,000,000. Another

$1,000,000 has lieen expended on comprehensive sets of master gages.

Perhaps the Avay in Avhich the 20 specifications con- tained in the handbook have been developed can be

best shoAvn by telling the story of the standardization

of pipe. XoAV pipe is probably the most important

item of material used in an oil field. Without it no

Avells could be drilled or cased, nor Avould the hundred

and one other operations incident to production and

transportation of oil be possible. But a section of

pipe is of little use in an oil field unless it can be

joined to another section, and the fact that to-day tAvo sections of oil pipe of the same size, although made by

dilferent manufacturers, can meet and mate in any

oil field of the Avorld is i-epresentatiA’e of the victory

and value of standardization.

i'en years ago a certain type of thread Avas specified for eaci) size of oil pi])e.' In fact, it Avas not uncoiunion to find several types of thread for the same

size l)ipe. Even threads of the same nominal pitch,
120 COMMEECIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1931

diameter, taper, etc., on identical sizes of pipe could

not safely be interchanged in the field because of

differences in manufacturing practices. To-day,

however, specifications on pipe, or tubular goods,

are so complete as to cover not only size and threads,

but chemical and physical properties, workmanship

and finish. Threads have been completely standardized. Through the cooperative work of experts

from the manufacturing plants, the petroleum in- dustry’s own engineers, the National Bureau of

Standards, gage makers, and others, it has been

possible to develop a specification for master gages

for each thread and a system of master gage control

that insures equal accuracy among all pipe manufacturers.

Complete dimensions have been established on each

gage element, its pitch diameter, major and minor

cliameter, form of thread, taper and lead. These dimensions, with allowable tolerances, are expressed in

ten-thousandths and hundred-thousandths of an inch.

Every gage is certified for accuracy by the National

Bureau of Standards, the National Physical Laboratory, of Teddington, England, or the PhysikalischTechnische Keichsanstaltt, Berlin, Germany. Every

manufacturer who produces tubular goods to API

specifications, and marks the API monogram thereon,

must provide himself with a set of master plug and

ring gages, for each size pipe. Even uniform

methods of using the gages and testing the products

have been established to insure uniformity throughout the various mills.

But it was considered insufficient that such equipment should be built to standard, for purchasers and

users sought not only quality and workmanship in standard materials, but proof that they actually were

standard. To meet this need it has been required

that each piece of pipe be marked with the manufacturer’s name, or trade mark, the weight per foot,

test pressure, and, in addition, with the API monogram.

The monogram, composed of the letters “API ” in a circle, means “ Standard ” in oil fields throughout

the world. Its use is licensed to each uianufacturer

upon receipt of his sworn statement that he will place

it only on material built strictly in accordance with

API specifications. More than 400 manufacturers

have been licensed and the number is increasing.

Each subscribes to an affidavit, before the license is granted, that “ the u-^^e of this monogram is a representation that material so marked complies with all of the

conditions and specifications contained in the official publication of the institute—including any amendments or modifications that may hereafter be adopted.”

The manufacturer further agrees that “ no material

which fails to comply with such specifications shall be

so marked.” In return the institute grants the manufacturer a certificate of authorit}- to use the official monogram, reserving the right to revoke the license

for any I'eason satisfactory to the institute's board of

directors. Consequently the monogram has become

an insignia of prestige, as well as of standard quality

and interchangeability, whose value is not to be

ignored.

The detailed care given the pi'eparation and en- forcement of specifications and standards for oil country tubular goods and the use thereon of the official monogram has been ajjplied to other items of equipment as well. Belting specifications cover six types,

and include minimum and maximum stipulations on

initial elongation, or stretch, and minimum requirements on tensile strength. A complete procedure for

belt testing has been adopted, and test laboratories

are open to purchasers who wish to make verification.

Boiler specifications stipulate that the necessary

chemical and physical properties of material and general workmanship shall conform with the American

Society for Mecanical Engineers Boiler Code. Six

sizes, ranging from 30 to 125 horsepower, with fittings,

interchangeable stacks, etc., have been adopted as standard. A standard method for computing horsepower has been adopted, so that boilers of dift’erent manufacturers may be compared on the same basis. Standards and specifications for cable drilling tools cover complete thread details for 13 sizes of joints,

with their master gages. There has been established an elaborate system of control of these master gages

in order to maintain interchangeability. One set, known as the “ grand master,” is deposited with the

National Bureau of Standards at Washington for use

in case of dispute. Three sets, known as “ regional

grand masters," are deposited with custodians at Pittsburgh, Pa., Dallas, Tex., and Los Angeles,

Calif. Once yearly manufacturers licensed to use the

API monop-ram must send their reference master

gages to a custodian for comparison, and correction

is required if they are found be^mnd permissible

limits of accuracy.

Specifications ior rig irons and rigs and derricks

are primarily dimensional, but those for rigs and

derricks include chemical and physical properties of

material to the extent that strength computations re- quire use of unit stress figures. An API derrick has

standard base, height, and opening through the water

table, and bears a name plate giving safe load, wind

load, and gin pole capacities, information particularly

important ivlien the heavy loads necessary to deep

drillings are imposed.

Complete specifications have been adopted for all taper threaded joints used in rotary drilling, both

right hand and left hand, and their accuracy is maintained through controlled master gages. Other standards and specifications cover sucker rod joints, oil- well pumps and parts, internal-combustion engines

and clutches, polish rods, pull rods, counter shafts for

belted pumping units, reduction gear pumping units,

methods for rating rotary counterbalances, screen pipe

openings, electric induction motor performance tests, tanks with riveted shells and bolted tanks. New

standards are established and specifications written

or revised as developments warrant.

The work, however, has progressed far beyond the

preparation of specifications and the establishment of

standards. It actively has entered the fields of promulgation of the standardization idea and education

in the use of standard equipment. The division of

standardization last year was absorbed in the insti- tute’s new division of production, and standardization is applied whenever and wherever practicable and

possible in the work of the new and larger organization. Effort is being constantly made to induce all purchasers of oil-field equipment to buy standard material. Only recentlv the board of directors adopted

a I’esolution commending the standardization work and

calling upon oil-company executives not only to support the use of API standards in current operations,

but to instruct their purchasing departments to specify
OCrOBER. 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 121

whenever possible and practical, that materials

supjilied comply ivith the API standard and bear the

API monogram. The specifications and standards,

published to fit a pocket-size loose-leaf binder and dis- tributed to more than 5,000 working oil men, engineers,

manufacturers, and others, are kept up to date. New

material is mailed to handbook owners upon publication. But it has been realized that the adoption of standards in the manufacture of oil-field equipment and the

identification of such equipment are only preliminary

steps toward efficient operation. Proper use and care

in the field also are essential. To meet this need a number of codes of recommended good practice for

handling such equipment have been prepared. These

are published in bulletin form to fit loose-leaf binders,

and also are condensed in the form of posters suitable

for placing on the walls of warehouses, bunkhouses,

and other conspicuous field locations where they may

be read and studied by the workmen.

CENTRALIZED PURCHASING BY MUNICIPAL AGENCIES

Consumer Often Misled by High-Pressure Salesmanship and Advertising—Definite Specifications Should

Insure Certain Standards of Quality

By Joseph W. Nicholson '

The iiractice of centralizing the purchase of materials, supplies, and equipment for industrial plants

and public utilities has been generally followed for more than 20 years. Industrial leaders would not employ this method of procurement for the sake of car- rying out a mere theory, especially when it involves

the expenditure of some of their earnings to maintain

a central purchasing department.

That the system of making purchases centrally is based on sound economic principles is evidenced by

the fact that practically all industries and x^ublic

utilities to-day have a central dejiartment of x>ur- chases. And these same leaders of industry, having

satisfied themselves that substantial savings can be ef- fected through this efficient method of procurement,

have prevailed upon their elected officials to establish

similar methods of purchase so that the tax^iayer may

be relieved of a f)ortion of this burden.

What are some of the advantages of centralized

purchasing for municipalities as compared with the

decentralized system? A few of the most outstanding advantages may be stated as follows

The stimulation of competition through the solicit- ing of sealed bids for supiilies to be furnished to municipalities from all interested in selling these commodities, whether they be tax^iayers of the municijialII ity or not, assures each community of receiving a fail- market price for the commodity desired, excejit in

i cases of collusion between bidders, which is rare.

; If goods are i^urchased at the right time, as deI termined by current market prices and in the proper

quantities to insure the obtaining of wholesale prices,

savings will ultimately result. Any community seeking to XHirchase a certain commodity should endeavor

‘ to make that jinrchase when the market xn’ice is favorable. While this can not always be done, there are

I many o^ix^ortunties to x>iB’chase necessary commodii ties when jirices are low. If, for examjile, ]>aiier is

I xnircha.sed in sufficient quantities so that the case or

! carload xn’ice is obtained there is a reduction to the

Xnirchaser. The same is true of many other commodities, such as gasoline, sewer castings and white lead.

I There are but few excejitions to this rule. Yearly

contracts can be let for incandescent lamp bulbs, ce-

! nient, coal, wdre, and cable -when pi-ices are right, and

^ Purohasiiip; agent, city of Milwaukee, Wis.

deliveries can be made as required. The sliding scale of discounts on lamj) bulb contracts benefits the

jnirchaser in xiroxiortion to the amount xiurchased on

his contract. The third advantage is in standardizing on certain

tyjies and sizes of tools, stationery and equiximent,

and by reducing tyjies and sizes used to a few, fewer

individual XJurchases are made and the quantities are

larger. Fewer jmrchase orders, requisitions, and

checks will be required, and if the commodity bears a sliding -scale of xirices clexiending on the quantity xiur- cliases there will also be the advantage of lower

XJrices. To illustrate further, a number of years ago the

city of Milwaukee used 40 different kinds of motor

oil. It was found that a 3i/2-ton Sterling truck in one ward yard used one kind of oil, while in another

ward yard an identical truck had to have some other

dealer’s oil. Each foreman believed that his truck

would not run x>roxierly on any other kind of oil, and

it was rexiorted that many bearings had been burned

out where other kinds of oil were substituted.

This condition was xirobably brought about through

high x:»ressure salesmanshixi and strong newsx^aper and

magazine advertising. In one xiarticular instance the

instruction xihite on an air comxM’essor stated that only

a certain make of oil was to be used. The siqierintendent in charge of the machine insisted that this

jiarticular oil be fuj’nished. Without sa3dng anything to him there was substituted a barrel of motor

oil conqilying with city sxiecifications and x^Jssing

tests in city oil testing machine. This barrel carried

the name and trade-mark of the brand which the

superintendent insisted on having. After two

months’ time he was asked whether the oil being used was satisfactory or not, and he stated that it certainly was and that he did not Avish to have any other oil substituted. Uxion being told that he had used the

city sxiecification oil he was incredulous and from tliat time on he has not seen fit to (piestion the make or grade of oil sent to him for Ids use. As a result of the study made on motor vehicle lu- bricants, the kinds of motor oil Avhich the citj^ of Milwaukee uses has been reduced to four in number—heavy

tiactor oil, heaw motor oil for motor trucks, medium

motor oil for x):issenger cars, and medium noncliatter
122 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1031

oil for the old style Ford cars having transmission

bands. The cost of this oil has been reduced from

prices which ranged between 58 to 75 cents per gallon

in drums for 100 per cent pure Penns3dv.ania oil, to around 45 cents for the same oil in bulk carload lots. The annual gasoline bill of the city was similarly re- duced by the installation of bulk storage tanks on a city-owned railroad siding where carload lots are re- ceived from wliich the gasoline is distributed b}" city

trucks to tanks of various departments, boards, and

commissions.

The centralization of municipal buying affords an

opportunity to set up definite specifications and to study the relation between quality and price of commodities. A buyer soon learns that the price cutter does not always offer “ dollar for dollar value. In

the majority of cases where there has been no general

market decline, a reduction in price indicates a skimping in quality. Therefore a definite specification

should insure a certain standard of qualit}^ This

standard must be met by all bidders. To insure protection to the buyer and to all bidders, adequate in- spection must be made of the articles delivered to insure their compliances with specifications. Tills in- spection is very important, as no matter how carefully

the specifications for bids may be drawn, an unscrupulous vendor ivlio bids low may try to “ get by ” on ]ioor

quality goods.

Aluch can be saved out of the municipal scrap pile

through the proper classification of metal scrap and

the sale of these metals at the time when the market is high. Mixed scrap brings a low price at all times,

but when properly sorted into various metals such as cast iron, steel, red brass, yellow brass, copper, aluminum, etc., higher prices can be obtained for each by

watching the scrap market. This should be a function of the purchaser.

Prompt pajmient of bills will save thousands of dollars annually if featured in requests for bids. The

city of Mihvaukee has brought its cash discounts up

to $48,000 last year as compared Avith $1,600 in 1922.

The annual purchases have increased from $2,500,000

to $5,250,000 during that time Avhich would account

for a partial increase in cash discounts but the greatest

increase has been brought about through the adoption

of methods leading to the offering of 10 days cash dis- counts by bidders Avhose terms for paj^ment have heretofore been net 30 days.

In what manner can these suggestions be applied to purchases for the smaller municipalities, towns, and

villages in a practical and economical manner? In some small cities, the buying has been done by the city

clerk as a part of his other duties. Unless the city

clerk is interested in such technical work as purchasing, it would seem more logical to delegate this work

to the city engineer, if there be such, as he could pro- cure and cleA’ise suitable specifications, the selection

and preparation of which require some specialized

knowledge of chemistry and ph^^sics, as well as certain

practical experience in the use of the articles AAdiich are to be purchased. If there is no city engineer, the

bujdng could be placed in charge of the chief fiscal offi- cer as a part-time duty.

Unless a city of 5,000 population or less oAvns and

operates its public utilities, I doubt whether it Avould

be profitable to employ a full-time purchasing agent.

The total annual purchases of materials, supplies, and

equipment Avould offer a definite indication of its practicability. A department employing a full-time

purchasing agent Avith the necessary clerks and in- spectors should cost not more than 1 per cent of the

total purchases. If the purchases are large enough

and the Avork is properly handled, a saving of from

10 per cent to 15 per cent Avill result from such an

arrangement.

Assuming that the small city or village directs that

all of its purchases shall be made by a responsible administrative official in its employ, what procedure

should be followed to conduct this work in the most

economical manner? The folloAving is a rough outline

;

First. No purchases should be made without the fil- ing of a requisition and the placing of an order by the

proper officer. Second. Purchases made in previous years should

be analyzed, the items classified according to commodity, such as liardAvare, plumbing, electrical, automotiAn, dry goods, foodstuffs, etc. Schedules should then

be prepared for the taking of bids, these prices to protect the city against increase in price for a period of

time to be determined by the purchaser, be it three

months, six months, or a year. Third. Suitable and definite specifications should

be prepared for all goods to be purchased. These can

be obtained from the Federal Specifications Board at Washington, the National Association of Purchasing

Agents in New York, the American Society for Test- ing Materials, etc. The National Bureau of Standards

AA’iH furnish Avith certain Federal specifications lists of vendors stating that they are willing to certify that

their goods comply Avith the specifications.

Fourth. Full and complete competition should be

obtained through the soliciting of sealed bids from

all interested. NeAvspa]ier advertising can be dis- pensed with provided the purchasing officer is re- quired to send bid blanks to complete lists of A^endors. Fifth. After bids are receiA^ed, they should be

opened publicly at a stated time and place, then tabulated, and the awards made to the lowest responsible

and competent bidder who can furnish goods suitable

for the purpose intended.

Sixth. Deliveries should be tested before acceptance.

If a chemical or physical test is required, and the

municipality does not have the proper facilities for

making these tests, samples can be sent to one of the

uniA’er.sities or colleges, Avhich have signified their

AAullingness to conduct these tests. A list of. these

scliools can be obtained from the National Bureau of

Standards.

Seventh. Payment should be made promptly when

goods have been accepted in order to sav’e the cash

discount. If A’endor has not agreed to alloAV a cash

discount it is advisable to Avithhold payment for 30

da5^s and to advise the firm Avhy this was done. This

has the effect of showing the vendor the importance

of quoting a cash discount. Another way Avhich has

brought results has been to specify on bid blank sent

to prospective bidders that unless bidder states otherwise in his bid, the city will deduct a cash discount of

2 per cent from all iiiAmices paid within 10 days after

receipt and acceptance of goods.

In conclusion it may be stated that it has proA^en

to be entirely practicable to purchase coal for city de-
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL, STAN-DARDS MOXTHLY 123

partments on a heat value basis, all pa5nnents for deliveries being based on the composite analysis of a month's deliveries at each receiving point. Thus the

city is pa}dng a fixed pilce for heat units, instead of so much per pound for coal which contains varying

quantities of ash and moisture.

]\Iotor vehicles and equipment can be purchased for

municipal departments on the basis of the vital units

entering into their construction. A questionnaire to

be filled in by bidders could show the number of bearings, and other vital parts, location, dimensions, and

kind of material used. A chart can be prepared from

these questionnaires so that a direct comparison can

be made part for part. This eliminates much highpressure sales talk and gives the purchaser more information about each fire engine, motor truck, or concrete mixer bid upon than a salesman can obtain

about his comjietitors’ machines.

STANDARD MEDICINE CHESTS FOR MARITIME CRAFTS

The Publication “ The Ship’s Medicine Chest and First Aid at Sea ” Issued by the Public Health Service

By Assistant Suegeon General F. C. Smith, United States Puhlic Health Service

Since 1798 the Public Health Service has given

medical treatment to American merchant seamen in

the marine hospitals and other relief stations. It also

publishes a book, the Ship’s iMedicine Chest and First

Aid at Sea, for use aboard ship and as a textbook

in preparing pilots, masters, and mates for the examination in first-aid proficiency required by the Steamboat Inspection Service.

Although the act of June 7, 1872, requires a “chest

of medicines ” and “ lime or lemon juice and also sugar

and vinegar or other antiscorbutics ” to be carried on American A’essels bound to foreign ports “ or around

Cape Horn ” or engaged in whaling or sealing, the

contents of the chest of medicines were not described.

The Public Health Service recommends three medicine chests of various sizes : A, for use on large ocean- going vessels; B, for coastwise and lake freighters:

and C, for small vessels with crews not exceeding 18 men. Simple remedies, the use of which is taught

to ship’s officers, appear in the list of contents for

the ship’s medicine chest, and when exchanging radio

messages with a ship at sea asking for medicine service

the medical officer in charge of a marine hospital as- sumes that these supplies are aboard. The American

Marine Standards Committee cooperated with the

Public Health Service and published cuts and descriptions of these chests. The contents of medicine chests for ship or shop

ai'e controversial among physicians and laymen.

Some selections might have been made for the gargle,

stimulant, cathartic, antiseptic, and remedies for

cramps, toothache, etc. Others are described in the

Ship’s Medicine Chest and First Aid at Sea, which

each vessel presumably carries, and list A for large

vessels contains many items omitted from lists B

and C. A ship’s doctor is never employed on coastwise

vessels and lake freighters and is found onl}' on the

large transoceanic passenger boats, but coastwise vessels usually make short voyages and are seldom very

far from a port. For this reason the Public Health

Service selected few and simple remedies for this

chest, believing that while mam" are useful for minor

diseases and injuries, none is specific.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Block sizes for colcimine hrushes. —The printed

pamphlet on “ Simplified Practice Recommendation

No. R121-31,” covering block sizes for calcimine*

brushes (Dutch, semi-Dutch, and baby Dutch), is now

available. Prior to the approval of the simplification

program by the industry these blocks were fabricated

in 47 widths and 34 thicknesses. The program, as recommended, effects a reduction to 10 widths and 8

thicknesses. Copies of the pamphlet can be obtained

from the Su])erintendent of Documents, Government

Printing Office, Washington, D. C., for 5 cents a copy.

Cotton fabric tents^ tarpaulins, and covers. —The

printed pamphlet entitled “ Cotton Fabric Tents, Tarpaulins, and Covers, Commercial Standard CS28-32 ” has been released and was distributed to acceptors of

record and others interested on Septemlier 9, 1931.

The .standard as established by the industry to eliminate undesirable practices, requires that tenfs, tarpaulins, and covers, whether of waterproof treated or untreated fabric, shall be marked to show the

weight of the gray goods in ounces per square yard to the nearest one one-hundredth of an ounce and also to show the type of fabric used, such as single-filling

duck, doubie-filling duck, numbered duck, and drill. It further i-ecommends that no marking or advertising in connection with tents, tarpaulins, or covers be

used to indicate the treated weight. Definitions for

the more frequently used fabrics and conversion tables

showing the weight to be marked on the goods, as computed from the mill designations of the various fabrics, are given.

The pamphlet includes a list of acceptors and the

membership of the standing committee appointed to consider periodically comment or suggestions relative

to the standard, in order that it may be kept in harmony with the needs of the industiw.

Copies of the publications may be obtained from

the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.,

for 10 cents each (stamps not accepted).
124 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1031 ECONOMIES IN OPERATION OF A TELEPHONE SYSTEM

Bell System Has Saved Millions Through Application of the Principles of Simplification and

Standardization

The standard construction practices of the Bell

System are based upon the use all over the country

of standard types of construction material. This

standardization of materials makes it possible for

the iiurchasing organization to buy very large quantities of a relatively small number of types of material with resultant large savings in cost. Also with

a shifting of needs, men engaged in construction work

can transfer easily from one part of the system to another. It is a common practice in cases of emer- gency due to large storm damage or other causes, to concentrate temporarily in one small area construction gangs from a number of different operating companies. These men have no difficulty with the work

in a new area because of the uniform construction

practices in use throughout the countiy. Furthermore, in severe storm

emergencies the fact

that t h e material

needed has been standardized makes it possible to obtain it quickly

in great quantities

from the many points

where it is stocked

throughout the country.

By stocking standard units the delivery

intervals on certain

types of central office and private branch ex- change equipment have

been greatly reduced

in the jiast few years. For example, the delivery interval for cer- tain private branch

exchange equipments was reduced from six months to one month.

One of the routine accounting jobs which lends it- self to standardization is that of keeping the accounts

of customers and rendering bills for service. The

value of standardization for this routine work is readily seen in that, in the Bell System, accounts are kept

with approximately 11,000,000 customers, and more

than 125,000,000 bills for exchange service are ren- dered each year. More than 1,250,000,000 charge tickets are handled annually in order that charges for

service may be properly made against telephone users. Nine hundred million of these charge tickets are for

toll service, of which 750,000,000 must be entered sep- arately on approximately 71,000,000 toll-service state- ments.

Telephone directories have offered an important field for standardization in spite of the fact that no two

directories are entirely alike. The general arrangement of material in the book is standard, standard alphabeting rules are followed in

listing names, standard page sizes u.sed, standard

sizes of space offered for advertising, and standard

types used in printing. In the clerical work of compilation, standard iiractices areMollowed. From this

standardization have resulted not only a uniformity

in appearance and ease of reference, but also large

economies in compilation and manufacturing cost. It

is estimated that without the standardization of di- rectory paper and the bulk purchasing which this

permits, the same quality of paper would cost the Bell

System about $800,000 more per year. The effect in reduction of costs can be illustrated

b}^ the single item of black lead pencils, the purchase of Avhich on an average amounts at the present

time to more than $150,000 a year. Prior to simplification 55 different brands were in actual use, while at the present time only three types are used,

these providing a range of quality, with one of

these grades covering 93 per cent of all require- ments. The saving from simplifiing the variety of

black lead pencils is estimated at $50,000 per year.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the

telephone service of to- day could not be given

at the same cost, with- out this high degree of

standardization and

simplification.

In the installation

of the telephone sets on subscribers’ premi s e s, numerous re- quests are received for

wiring plans by which

telephones may be

switched from one line to another, special

ringing arrangements

ma}^ be provided, and

extension stations may

be associated with the

line. The extent to which simplification

in practice may be advantageous is illustrated by the

results from a single operating company of a review some time ago of their wiring plans. In this one com-

^an}^ it was found that whereas 540 different plans were in use, the requirements could be met by 28

standard plans, and of these 28, 16 took care of all but

a few exceptional cases. In the design of buildings for the new manufacturing plant at Kearny, N. J., a uniform column spacing

is maintained throughout all imdtistory buildings. A

gi’eat many advantages relating to occupancy have

been realized from this standardization. An example

is a reduction in cost of approximately 50 per cent in

constructing and erecting metal partitions.

The use of standards not only simplifies the work of

making the manufacturing layouts, but it also simplifies the introduction of the manufacture of neAV products in the shop, as the operating people are already

acquainted with these standard processes and have

the necessary materials and equipment already available. These plans do not retard the work of the development engineers in effecting improvements in design.

Improvements and changes, however, are made on an

annual basis unless the advantage of the improvement

How the Bell Telephone System, by applying the

methods of industrial standardization and simplification on a vast, nation-wide scale to almost every phase

of its operations and equipment, has effected savings

of millions of dollars annually and has reached a new

lei’el of efficiency in business functioning, was described by H. S. Osborne, transmission engineer of the

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., in a paper

presented before a meeting of the standards council

of the American Standards Association on September

10 in NeAV York. Tlie Bell System’s standardization

and simplification program has extended from the

most complicated automatic SAvitching equipment to lead pencils—with a saving of $50,000 annually on this

last item alone—and to the phraseology used by operators in ansAvering calls. By standardizing the paper used in telephone directories, Mr. Osborne said,

the system saA-es $800,000 each year.
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 125

makes it expedient to introduce it at once. This facil- itates the introduction of new designs and minimizes

the effect on stocks and schedules.

Before a completed equijunent is turned over to the

telephone company certain standard final tests are applied by the installers to assure its satisfactoiw performance. This insures that a certain circuit wdll be

tested in the same manner and must meet the same re- quirements whether installed in New’ York or on the

Pacific coast. CENTRALIZED PURCHASING FOR SCHOOL

SUPPLIES

The State comptroller of New Hampshire has

recommended to the governor of that State the centralized purchasing of school supplies for the State. He estimates that a yearly saving of $50,000 would

result. Establishment of a system of centralized purchasing

of school supplies, exclusive of textbooks, would seem

to assume a net saving of at least $50,000 a year, he

said in his recommendation to the governor. The

total amount expended annually by the public schools

of this State for scholars’ supplies, as distinguished

from textbooks, now aggregates in excess of $150,000.

Purchases for each school district are generally made

by the individual superintendents.

A group of representatives became interested in this

matter several years ago and made some investigation

of the possibility of centralizing purchasing. It aplieared at that time that the many advantages which

would accrue from substituting a single purchasing

agency for virtually 62 w’ould give a saving estimated

at 40 per cent. The subject was discussed with the then commissioner of education and certain members of the State

board of education. It was generally agreed that

prices on the small units of purchase w’ere substantially higher than might be obtained. However, it w’as held that it was not feasible to provide for purchasing in large quantities, since this would necessitate

obtaining considerable storage space, presumably in

Concord, and also provision for a force of shippingclerks. It would seem that a net saving of at least $50,000

per year could be effected on this one class of expenditures through centralized purchasing in large quantities, wdth standardization of materials and printed

forms and a proper inventory control.

MISLEADING FOOD LABELS

There are tricks in all trades, and a few unethical

food manufacturers label their products with state- ments and photographs wdiich are misleading but not

necessarily illegal under the Federal food and drugs

act.A picture of an Italian olive ti’ee on a label, for

example, does not necessarily indicate that the product

is Italian olive oil. Sirup in a can bearing a picture

of a maple sugar camp may be maple sirup, or it may

not. The consumer may assume that “ Golden Corn

is Golden Bantam corn, which may or may not be the

case; and the word “ Yolkin ” may give the impressioji

that the product—perhaps made of soybean lecithin

is egg yolks. The careless label reader may infer that

“ Pineapple Hearts ” are a superior kind of canned

pineapple, but this term as used by one canner meant

pineapple cores. A label “Pure Vegetable Oil

Flavored w ith Olive Oil ” may have the wmrds “ olive

oil ” in prominent letters, giving the casual label reader the idea that the product is pure olive oil. It may seem that “Natural Tomato Sauce” is not artificially colored, but the label, further on and in small

letters, may declare that artificial coloring is used.

The moral of all this is, “ read labels carefully.”

BRAZIL TO INSPECT AND STANDARDIZE

EXPORTS

Inspection and standardization of all Brazilian exIDorts has been entrusted to that country’s Department

of Commerce, according to an announcement by the

Minister of Labor, Commerce, forwarded to the United

States Department of Commerce in Washington, by

Commercial Attache Carlton Jackson at Rio de

Janeiro.

This process is described as “ fiscalizing ” expoidation. This means that an office of inspection will be

established, to the end of establishing and maintaining official standards of types, grades, and classifica- tions of export products, extending to uniformity^ in

packaging, marking, documentation, etc. These operations will not be confined to export points, but will

also be applied at places of origin, as in the entrainment stations of coffee, mate, cacao, hides, etc. Such

procedure, responsibly attested, will facilitate the is- suance of certificates of origin, quality, sanitation, and

other requirements.

The Brazilian National Department of Commerce

has initiated a study for harmonizing and synchronizing existing State, Federal, and municipal regulations and laws, procuring the enactment of new dispositions, if necessary, or modifying old ones. Conferences for discussion and suggestions will be held witli

various official and voluntary organizations for their

ideas, including the Conselho Nacional de Cafe, the

Service of Agricultural Inspection and Improvement,

the Biological Institute for Agricultural Defense, the

Service of Pastoral Industry, the Cotton Service, the

Junta of Commercial Brokers, and others.

These organizations are making recommendations

which will be coordinated and embodied in a report

to be published by the Brazilian Department of Commerce, for study and comment by competent authorities in production and export organizations, such com- ment and recommendations to cover not only general

dispositions but also details in each line of export

commodities.

TRENDS IN MODERN DISTRIBUTION

METHODS

The introduction of new processes of preservation

of perishable goods is characterized as one of the

most important trends in domestic distribution in a summary of recent trends contained in “ Distribution in the L'liited States,” published by the Chamber

of Commerce of the United States. The introduction of these processes is tending to minimize the

effect of seasonal variation in production, to standardize manufacturing processes and to simplify dis- tribution operations, thus making for greater regularization of production and employment, according

to this re])ort.

Standardized quality, standard packages, etc., are bringing more and more classes of goods into the

category of staples, thus lessening tlie necessity of

personal selection and inspection before purchase and
126 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 193L

the amount of sales work required, and permitting of

mail and telephone buying by consumers. The con- sumer is becoming a more competent buyer, through

intelligent advertising and through education in budgeting expenditures, largely due to domestic-science

training in the schools, home-economics discussion in

magazines, and widespread home economics extension

work of national organizations in rural areas. These statements are a part of a section summarizing trends in distribution, in Avhich the eAmlution taking place in the country’s distributive organization

and methods is discussed. All phases of distribution, including the consumer market, market factors,

distrihution by the retailer, the Avholesaler, and the

manufacturer, warehousing, advertising, transportation and communication, the industrial market, and

a review of market information services are discussed

in this comprehensive review of present-day distribution. Most of the statistical data used is taken from re- ports of the Bureau of the Census and other research

agencies. Copies of the report, “ Distribution in the

United States,” are available from the Chamber of

Commerce of the United States, Washington, D. C., for 25 cents. ECONOMICAL MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT

Acting under instructions of the recent session of

the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut,

Avhich prescribed the use of a uniform budget by

municipalities having boards of finance, the State tax commissioner has prepared for distribution standard

forms for such a budget, and also a manual explaining the budget’s application and use. Sponsored by the Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, the legisiation directing such a course is designee! to bring about standard terminology in town

financial records, and, it is hoped, result in more effi- cient and businesslike management of municipal affairs, according to the commissioner.

“ When so brought into use by a number of toAvns,”

he said, “comparison may be made of their expenses,

item by item, so that economical management as well

as wastefulness and extravagance, and even tendencies

toward extravagance, may be shown with certainty.

To attain these ends will be an accomplishment. I regard the enactment of this statute and its accept- ance by the toivns of the State as being the longest

step foiAvard toward the goal of sound conduct of

local government which Connecticut has taken in

many years.”

COLOR HARMONY IN THE HOME

When color in home decoration iiiA'acled the bath- room and kitchen, unique problems of color matching

and harmony presented themselves. In selecting

draperies, upholstery, and floor coverings available in

great variety of color shades, the homemaker, by

shopping around, has eventually been successful in

finding color combinations that produce desired and

pleasing effects. Plumbing fixtures in color, however,

presented difficulties. Owing to the nature of the

commodity and the capital involved, distributors can

not stock pulmbing fixtures in the wide variety of

choice represented by draperies, for example, and the

only way to produce pleasing effects is by close matching of color. Different manufacturers had different

ideas as to what is blue, greehThr even black, and the

combination of a bathtub, for instance, from one factory and a lavatory from another, that almost, but not

quite, match in color, usually produces effects that are

far from pleasing.

In order to rectify the chaotic condition that threatened to end prematurely the era of colored bathrooms, some of the leading monoline manufacturers of sanitary Avare got together and, Avith the cooperation of

the National Bureau of Standards, established as standard six colors that all manufacturers can produce. The home maker can noAV exercise full choice as

to design, material, and finish, with the assurance that an orchid bath tub manufactured, sa}q in Ncav Jersey,

and an orchid lavatory shipped from Illinois Avill be

of the same shade.

Manufacturers of other home furnishings soon be- gan to show interest and the diA’ision of trade standards of the National Bureau of Standards is receiving letters from unexpected sources that indicate a deep interest in the project. The folloAving is quoted

from a letter of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association

:

Your commnuication of March 20, 19-31, attaching “• Recom- mended Commercial Standard for Colors for Colored Sani- tary AVare,’’ has been referred to our Refrigeration Division. Upon the recommendation of their Teachnicai Committee, the Refrigeration Division at its July 15th, 1931 meeting approved in principle the work being done in standardiz- ing colors for colored sanitary ware and directed that the

division of trade standards, National Bureau of Standards,

AA^ashington, D. C., be so informed.

Standardization to a certain degree is thus shoAvn to be of aid to the esthetic as Avell as the utilitarian as- pects of life.

$150,000,000 ANNUAL WASTE OF STATIONERY

insignificantly small individual wastes rapidly be- come large Avastes Avhen added together. Much has

been done in the factory to lessen needless Avaste. For

example, when tools are purchased those giving the

longest run or producing the greatest number of

pieces between grinds are chosen. “ Wliy not purcha.se

office supplies in the same way? ” asks the magazine

Review of Reviews for August, 1931, in an editorial on “ Small-Change Economies.”

The editorial states that “ typewriter ribbons and

carbon paper ^ may easil^^ be purchased on the basis of

‘ maximum impi’essions for a cent.’ But how often

are the total number of impressions of tAq3ewriter rib- bons recorded for their purposes? Second sheets for

the carbon copies are usually bought on the basis of

the cost per thousand, Avhereas a sheet much thinner

but slightly more expensive in first cost may increase

the capacity of each file draAver 100 sheets or more.”

It is not the first cost of paper alone but the cost of

paq)er plus the additional cost of filing cabinet and

floor space that really determine which paper is the more economical. Another consideration arises from

the fact that some second sheets wear out a carbon

paper much more rapidly than others. Only tests can determine which of any number of sheets at dif- i ferent prices is the most economical in this respect.

The editorial in question points out that Avorth- j Avhile saAungs also become possible through standard!- j zation of office supplies.^

1 “ Wbflt is Writins Ink?” by C. E. Waters, National Bureau of Standards, appeared iu .Tune, 1&30, issue of Co.m.mercial Staxd.ieds Monthly. Kindred articles written for the Com.meecial Standards Monthly by the same author are : “ Testing Typewriter Ribbons,”

•July, 1930, issue, and “ Government Standards for Carbon Paper,’ August, 1930, issue of Co.mmebcial Standabds Monthly.

- See “ Economies in Operation of a Telephone System ” in this same

issue of Co.m.mercial Standards Monthly for data on this subject.
OCTOBER, 1931 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY 127

“ Pencils, erasers, rubber bands, memo pads, and an

almost endless array of office supplies can be standardized,” according to the editorial writer of the Review of Reviews, adding that in this way “ costs are lowered by the purchase of larger quantities, and in- ventory can be minimized. One survey showed that

20 standard grades of paper will usuall}’- suffice, even

for use within large organizations. Yet as many as 278 have been found to be in use in a single company.

An analj^sis made of 92 organizations brought out the

fact that they were spending $1,000,000 a year needlessly for paper. It has been estimated that $150,000,-

000 is the annual waste of stationer}' in this country

half a million dollars per day.”

UNIFORM GRADES FOR PECANS BENEFIT

GROWERS

The adoption of United States standard grades for

pecans on the part of the National Pecan Slarketing

Association has made it possible for growers to be

paid on a quality basis for nuts delivered to the association, according to an announcement of the Federal

Farm Board. The association has equipped its local plants with improved machines, including suction apparatus to take out light, shriveled, and inferior pecans.

The statement of the Federal Farm Board pointed

out that under the grading, packing, branding, and advertising program of the association, it is obtaining

the support and cooperation of dealers in an elfort to widen the market for pecans and return to the growers a larger share of the price consumers pay.

Growers in nine Southern States established last year the National Pecan Marketing Association with

15 local branches. The national association received

approximately 3,000,000 pounds of pecans from the

1930 crop. There now are 24 local branches with 3,000

grower members who are expected to deliver to the

central sales agency more than 10,000,000 pounds from

the 1931 pecan crop, the announcement said.

SIMPLIFICATION BRIEFS

Packaging salt.—Simplified Practice Recommendation No. TO, covering salt packages,' has been re- affirmed by the standing committee of the industry,

without change, for another year. This recommendation has been in effect since May 1, 1927, and has re- sulted in reducing the variety of containers used in

packaging salt from 35 to 19, or approximately 46

per cent. Carbonated beverage bottles.—A sufficient number

of signed acceptances having been received from

members of the industry to insure the general adoption of the program. Simplified Practice Recommendation No. R123-30 covering the capacities, heights,

diameters, and weights of glass for carbonated beverage bottles may now be considered as in effect.

Die-head chaser.—Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 51-39, covering die-head chasers (for self- opening and adjustable die heads) has been reaffinned

by the standing committee of the- industry, without

change, for another year. It is estimatecl that this

recommendation has been instrumental in effecting a reduction of approximately 75 per cent in the number of stock Varieties of this product.

^\ire insect screen cloth.—The required degree of

support having been received from the industry. Simplified Practice Recommendation No. R122-31, cover- ing wire insect screen cloth may be considered effective on October 15, 1931. The recommendation establishes

wire sizes, width and length of roll, mesh, and method

of packing steel wire and copper and commercial

bronze wire, and recommends a reduction of the number of varieties of this commodity from 360 to 154, or approximately 57 per cent.

One-pound folding boxes for coffee.—The simplified practice recommendation covering 1-pound folding boxes for coffee is now in effect. This action was

prompted by the division of simplified practice of

tlie National Bureau of Standards upon receipt of

sufficient signed acceptances to the recommendation

from producers, distributors, users, and others in- terested to insure the general adoption of the program by the industry as a whole. Two sizes of boxes

are listed in the simplified schedule. They are a 4%

by 2% by 6 inch box having a capacity of 72y\ cubic

inches, and a 4% by 2% by 6i/^ inch box which lias a capacity of 78^ cubic inches. Formerly more

than 100 varieties of this type of box were in use.

Ladies"' suit cases.—A summary report of the general conference which approved a simplified-practice

recommendation for ladies’ suit cases was recently

mailed by the National Bureau of Standards to all interests in the industry for their consideration and

written approval. The simplified schedule is based on outside measurements of the uncovered box and

establishes four reguilar and three wide stock sizes of

cases. If the industry approves, tlie recommendation

is to be made effective as of July 1, 1932.

Glassine bags.—Simplified Practice Recommendation No. R107-31 covering glassine bags may be con- sidered effective October 15, 1931, a sufficient number

of signed acceptances having been received from manufacturers, distributors, users, and others interested,

to insure the general adoption of the program by the

industry. Uniform sizes for both flat and square bags

for specific purposes, such as for packaging bread,

pies, and cakes, and sizes of general-purpose bags of

capacities from 1 ounce to 2 pounds, as used in the

confectionery trade, are recommended in this simplification program.

Packaging overhead electHc railway equipment.

Simplified Practice Recommendation No. R65-31

covering the packaging of 20 items of ovei'head elec- tric raihvay equipment has received the required degree of acceptance and may now be considered as in

effect. This simplification program x-ecommends the

packaging of a specified number of units of eacli of

the following materials: Protecting ti'olley armour,

pole bands iqx to and including the 6 inch, pole bands

7 inches and over, fo!-k bolts with insulator one-half

inch in diametei’, foi-k belts with insulator five-eighths

inch in diameter, angle cross-arm braces, flat steel ci’oss-arm braces, cro.ssings of crossovei's. trolley wire

clinch oars, trolley frogs, straight line hangers, ca]>
128 COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY OCTOBER, 1931

and cone insulators, section insulators, strain (Globe

& Giant) insulators, wood strain insulators, feeder

pins for steel cross arms, straight line suspension pullovers, soldered splicing trolley wire sleeves, mechanical splicing trolley wire sleeves, and line section

switches.

STANDARDIZATION BRIEFS

Standard milk ordinance.—The establishment of a standard milk ordinance in 19 cities in Missouri has

resulted in a material increase in consumption of pas- teurized milk, increasing sales more than 100 per cent,

according to the United States Public Health Service.

Sanitary quality of the raw milk retailed in cities under the standard ordinance has increased 54 per cent. The Public Health Service has long advocated the

establishment of such uniform ordinances.

Labels for turkeys.-—Fifty Vermont turkey growers,

representing more than 7,000 birds, recently formed a state-wide organization “ to secure efficient, economic,

and uniform methods in grading, marketing, and advertising Vermont turkeys and turkey products.” Almost 12,000 Vermont birds have been sold under the

New England quality label during the past two years. Throughout New England about 58,000 labels have

been used on turkeys.

Varnished cotton cloth.—British Standard Specification No. 419-1931, recently issued, relates to yellow

and black varnished cotton cloth—sheet, strip, or tape—as used for the insulation of electrical machinery and apparatus. After pointing out the difi'erence between the yellow and black material, the specification deals with the dimensions and tolerances, the re- quirements with regard to joints, rolling and packing,

the electric strength, tensile strength, tearing streng-th,

and aging. The methods of test ai'e fully described

in a number of appendices to the specification.

Hosienj.—The National Association of Hosiery and

Underwear Manufacturers, through its research associate at the National Bureau of Standards, has indicated its desire that the division of trade standards

assist in the establishment of a commercial standard

for hosiery in accordance with standards developed

by the association. According to present information, the scope for this standard includes measurements, methods of measuring, sizing, and labeling of

all men’s, women’s, misses’, boys’, children’s and in- fants’ hosiery.

Standardization in Gzechoslovakia.—How considerable savings are made through standardization and

rationalization in Czechoslovakia is told in an article,

The Hitherto Prevailing Success of Rationalization

in Czechoslovakia,” published in the June, 1931, issue

of the Hdi-Mitteilungen of the Union of German Engineers in the Czechoslovakian Republic. One of the

examples cited in this article is that of automobile

tires; a saving of 7,500,000 kronen (900,000 German

reichsmarks) was realized; another example was the

standardization of paper sizes, which also resulted in considerable saving.

Signaling mles for frotective systems.—^The new

edition of the Signaling Rules, as promulgated by the

National Board of Fire Underwriters and which will

presently be available, will contain a separate set of

rules for proprietary and isolated fire-alarm and

night-watch systems. Thesejiew rules are welcomed

by all Avho have been interested in the promotion of

proprietary and isolated systems. For 11 j^ears the

members of this industry had been working iinsitccess- fully to secure for these systems proper recognition in

the regulations of the National Board of Fire Underwriters.

Colliery conveyor troughing.—A specification for

conveyor troughing for use underground in mines has

been issued by the British Engineering Standards Association. This specification, which has been agreed

to by all British makers of shaker conveyors, has been

prepared with a view to securing interchangeability

between the troughing used for the various types of

shaker conveyors underground. A specification is also included for the material of the steel plates used in

the manufacture of the troughing. Three capacities

of troughing have been standardized, but the types

have been so designed that all three can be manufactured from a single set of dies. It is hoped that this

will considerably cheapen the cost of the troughingi

to the users. Tubular traction poles.—A new edition of its specification for tubular traction poles has been published

by the British Engineering Standards Association.

The revised publication differs from the 1927 edition in that it is extended to cover poles 33 feet in

leng-th, whereas previously only poles 31 feet in length were included. This extension has been rendered

necessary on account of the increasing use of the trackless trolley omnibus, for which the longer poles are required in order to provide better support for the

greater number of contact wires to be supported.

Three strengths of 33-foot poles are provided for;

namely, medium, heavy, and extra heavy, and dimensions for outside diameters, lengths of section, and

minimum thickness are given, while details of the drop

tests and bending tests are also included.

Cast-iron pipe.-—A revision of the British Standard

Specifications for cast-iron soil, waste, ventilating,

and heavy rain-water pipes has been issued in one pamphlet, to supersede two specifications first issued

in 1912. The pipes and fittings dealt with satisfy the

requirements of the London County Council drainage by-laws and the Model B^^-laws of the Ministry of

Health. The specification provides for three grades

of British standard pipe. Pipes and fittings made in

accordance with the specification will be interchangeable with those formerly made, and pipes made by the

various methods of manufacture, at present in use, will also be interchangeable. The specification, in

draft form, was circulated to public authorities

throughout the United Kingdom, and a general readi- ness to adopt the new specification has been widely

expressed.

Coinpliance 'loitli Dutch standards.—In the August,

1931, issue of Normalisatie published by the standards

committee of the Netherlands, there is given a list of

firms who manufacture products in accordance with

certain Dutch national standards.

i

-i|

i I

i :
SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL, AND COMMERCIAL

PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS ISSUED BY THE

national bureau of standards

BUREAU OF STANDARDS

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH

The new Journal describes the bureau’s re- search results in science and technology. The

union of science and its applications in one

journal shortens the lag between discovery

and application.

All engaged in indu^ry and commerce should

have available for current use and permanent

reference the Bureau of Standards Journal of

Research.

Early in its fir^l year the Journal developed a

li^t of paid subscribers double the anticipated

maximum.

This Journal is full of interest to executives

and technicians controlling industries and

commercial enterprises. It enables them bet- ter to promote efficiency by determining the

scientific measured controls ofprocess through

experimental and theoretical research.

Issued monthly

Subscription price, $2.75 per year

COMMERCIAL STANDARDS

MONTHLY

TECHNICAL NEWS BULLETIN

The Bureau of Standards periodical with a WAR RECORD! Started during the dark

days of 1917 to keep the Army and Navy and

other branches of the Government informed

of progress in scientific war research at the

bureau. Upon urgent request this publication was continued and expanded to serve the

Government, science, and industry.

The TECHNICAL NEWS BULLETIN will

keep you informed of current progress in the

scientific and technical work of the bureau’s

laboratories, and gives each month a li^t of

the publications of the bureau. A complete

cross index is published with the December

issue.

You can not afford to be without the TECHNICAL NEWS BULLETIN. Every article is short and to the point. The busiest executive can afford the time to read it. Issued monthly

Subscription price, 25 cents per year

STANDARDS YEARBOOK

FOR 1931

This new governmental periodical is a review

of progress in commercial simplification and

^andardiziation. It is the only journal of its kind. It covers the national movement ini- tiated by President Hoover for the redudlion

of needless sizes and varieties of produdls and

the promotion of voluntary commercial

standardization by industry.

The Secretary of Commerce in the firSl issue

of this new journal said: “Certain Standards,

such as those used for weights and measures,

* * * have been fixed by legislative enactment. Mandatory Standards of this character, however, are few in number when compared with the large and steadily growing

volume of Standards developed by industry

and commerce and voluntarily maintained.

* * * The activities of the Commercial

Standardization Group of the Bureau of

Standards are concerned with Standards

adopted by voluntary agreement.’’

Subscription price, $1 per year

The new Standards Yearbook for 1931 is the

fifth annual issue of a publication devoted

to the great and growing field of Standardization in its broad aspects. It gives a summary

of progress.

Standardization is a world-wide movement.

It covers all industries. It is part of the application of scientific methods to induStry. Its achievements are of interest and concern to business men and manufacturers as well as to

engineers. To the technician it is full of

example of methods and results of suggeStive

and Stimulating value. To business men it discloses trends which deeply concern their

interest.

NOW READY Price, $1 ORDER AT ONCE

“Standardization is becoming an aspect of all tvelL ordered actiirity rather than an incidental

activity supplemental to others.”

To obtain regularly the above-described monthly Periodicals send your order, with remittance, addressed; Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. Foreign prices (countries other

than the United States and its possessions, Canada, Mexico, Newfoundland, Cuba, and Republic of Panama) are: Journal, $3.50; Bulletin, $0.40; Monthly, $1.25; Yearbook, $1.20
THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

R. P. LAMONT, Secretary of Commerce

" * * * this department * * * is devoted solely to aiding and fostering the development of higher standards of living and comfort of our people * * * j^s ideals are clear: That by cooperation and not by compulsion it should seek to assist in maintaining and giving the impulse of progress to commerce and industry in a nation whose successful economic life underlies advancement in every other field.” —President Hoover, at the laying of the corner stone of the new building

of the U. S. Department of Commerce, June 10, 1929.

AERONAUTICS BRANCH, Clarence M. Young, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics. Establishment of civil airways and maintenance of aids to air navigation; inspection and registration of aircraft and licensing

of pilots; enforcement of air traffic rules; investigation of acci- dents; encouragement of municipal air ports; fostering of air commerce; scientific research in aeronautics; and dissemination of information relating to commercial aeronautics. (Some

of these functions are performed by special divisions of the Lighthouse Service, the Bureau of Standards, and the Coast and Geodetic Survey.)

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS, William M. Steuart, Director. Taking censuses of population, mines, and quarries, water

transportation, and religious bodies every 10 years; censuses of agriculture and electrical public utilities every 5 years; and a

census of manufactures every 2 years. Compilation of statistics of wealth, public debt and taxation, including financial statistics of local governments, every 10 years; annual compilation of financial statistics of State and municipal governments.

Compilation of statistics of marriage, divorce, births, deaths,

and penal and other institutions annually, and of death rates in

cities and automobile accidents weekly.

Compilation quarterly or monthly of statistics on cotton, wool, leather, and other industries; annually of forest products.

BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE,

F. M. Feiker, Director. The collection of timely information concerning world market

conditions and openings for American products in foreign countries, through commercial attaches, trade commissioners, and

consular officers, and its distribution through weekly Commerce

Reports, bulletins, confidential circulars, the news and trade

press, the monthly Survey of Current Business, and district and

cooperative offices in 65 cities. The maintenance of commodity,

technical, and regional divisions to afford special service to American exporters and manufacturers. The compilation and distribution of lists of possible buyers

and agents for American products in all parts of the world and

publication of weekly lists of specific sales opportunities abroad. The publicity of statistics on imports and exports. The study of the processes of domestic trade and commerce. BUREAU OF STANDARDS, George K. Burgess, Director. Custody, development, and construction of standards of measurement, quality, performance, or practice; comparison of standards used by scientific or other institutions; determination

of physical constants and properties of materials; researches and tests on materials and processes; and publication of scientific and technical bulletins reporting results of researches and

fundamental technical data. Collection and dissemination of information concerning

building codes and the planning and construction of houses. Establishment of simplified commercial practices through

cooperation with business organizations in order to reduce the wastes resulting from excessive variety in commodities.

BUREAU OF MINES, Scott Turner, Director. Technical investigations in the mining, preparation, and

utilization of minerals, including the study of mine hazards, and

safety methods and of improved methods in the production

and use of minerals. Testing of Government fuels and management of the Govern- ment Fuel Yard at Washington.

Research on helium and operation of plants producing it.

BUREAU OF MINES—Continued.

Studies in the economics and marketing of minerals and col- * lection of statistics on mineral resources and mine accidents. The dissemination of results of technical and economic

researches in bulletins, technical papers, mineral resources series, miners’ circulars, and miscellaneous publications.

BUREAU OF FISHERIES, Henry O’Malley, Commissioner.

The propagation and distribution of food fish and shellfish, in order to prevent the depletion of the fisheries; investigations

to promote conservation of fishery resources; the development

of commercial fisheries and agriculture; study of fishery methods,

improvements in merchandising, and collection of fishery statistics; administration of Alaska fisheries and fur seals; and the U

protection of sponges off the coast of Florida.

[ j

Maintenance of lighthouses and other aids to water naviga- 1 tion. Establishment and maintenance of aids to navigation | along civil airways. Publication of Light Lists, Buoy Lists, and , Notices to Mariners. COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY, R. S. Patton, Director. Survey of the coasts of the United States and publication of ! charts for the navigation of the adjacent waters, including

Alaska, the Philippine Islands, Hawaii, Porto Rico, the Virgin

Islands, and the Canal Zone; interior control surveys; magnetic ] surveys; tide and current observations; and seismological investigations. Publication of results through charts, coast pilots, tide tables, current tables, and special publications.

BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, Arthur J. Tyrer, Commissioner.

Superintendence of commercial marine and merchant seamen.

Supervision of registering, enrolling, licensing, numbering,

etc., of vessels under the United States flag, and the annual . publication of a list of such vessels. y Enforcement of the navigation and steamboat inspection laws, J including imposition of fees, fines, tonnage taxes, etc

| STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE, Dickerson N. Hoover,

| Supervising Inspector (leneral.

| The inspection of merchant vessels, including boilers, hulls, I and life-saving equipment, licensing of officers of vessels, certifi- j: cation of able seamen and lifeboat men, and the investigation of |j violations of steamboat inspection laws. !

| UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, Thomas E. Robertson,

Commissioner.

The granting of patents and the registration of trade-marks ij prints, and labels after technical examination and judicial 1. proceedings.

Maintenance of library with public search room, containing J

' copies of foreign and United States patents, and trade-marks. Recording bills of sale, assignments, etc., relating to patents I and trade-marks. Furnishing copies of records pertaining to patents Publication of the weekl}' Official Gazette showing the patents and trade-marks issued

| RADIO DIVISION, W. D. Terrell, Chief. ; Inspection of radio stations on ships; inspection of radio stations on shore, including broadcasting stations; licensing radio operators; assigning station call letters; enforcing the ' terms of the International Radiotelegraphic Convention; and examining and settling international radio accounts. ^

BUREAU OF LIGHTHOUSES, George R. Putnam,

Commissioner.

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U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1931 ,