Vol. 6, No. 6 DECEMBER, 1929

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. See page 3 of cover for prices
Lyman J. Briggs

Assistant Director for Research and Testing

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

R. P. Lamont, Secretary

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

George K. Burgess, Director

COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY

S. F. Tillman, Editor

Ray M. Hudson

Assistant Director for Commercial Standards

DIVISIONS OF THE COMMERCIAL STANDARDIZATION GROUP

DIVISION OF SIMPLIFIED PRACTICE, Edwin W. Ely.

The division of simplified practice was formed in November,

1921, to provide a clearing house or centralizing agency through

which the manufacturer, distributor, and consumer groups

could meet to discuss their common problems and decide upon

eliminations which would prove of mutual benefit to all concerned. The activities of the division are purely cooperative

in character. It orders nothing; it dictates nothing; the ini- tiative must come from business itself. It has no regulatory nor police powers to enforce adherence to the simplified-practice

recommendations that industry develops under the auspices

of the United States Department of Commerce. Its chief function is to serve as a neutral meeting ground for the purpose

of bringing together producers, distributors, and consumers, whose aims are sometimes divergent and possibly antagonistic,

and who would be unwilling to cooperate, except through some

unbiased central agency. Following the approval of the tentative simplified-practice recommendation by a general conference

of all interested elements thereof, the project is then presented

to the entire industry by letter referendum for its approval and

written acceptance, the publication and indorsement of the recommendation on the part of the Department of Commerce

being dependent upon acceptance of the program by at least 80 per cent, by volume, of the manufacturers, distributors, and

users concerned. AMERICAN MARINE STANDARDS COM’TEE, A. V. Bouillon.

The American Marine Standards Committee was organized

to promote simplification of practice and elimination of waste

in the marine and allied industries. It is composed of indi- viduals, corporations, societies, Government departments, public bodies, or other organizations or groups engaged in building

or operating ships, port facilities, and related activities. It works in close cooperation with official agencies, but its activities are controlled by an executive board elected annually

by and from the membership. For further information, write

direct to the secretary, A. V. Bouillon, Room 713, Department

of Commerce, Washington, D. C. DIVISION OF TRADE STANDARDS, I. J. Fairchild.

The commercial standards unit, now known as division of trade standards, was created on October 1, 1927, for the purpose

of aiding those industrial and commercial groups desiring to establish standards of grades, quality, or measurements for their products or their purchases on a purely voluntary basis. The division functions only at the direct request of the in- dustry concerned. Its procedure is similar to that of the divi sion of simplified practice, except that at least 65 per cent of the industry, by volume of annual production, must accept

the commercial standard in writing before it is published by

the Department of Commerce. A certification plan is applied

DIVISION OF TRADE STANDARDS—Continued. on request as a means of increasing the effectiveness of such

standards. 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.

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 testing and research

laboratories. The cooperation with technical societies and

trade associations includes ascertaining the standardization and specification promoting activities of these organizations,

and bringing to their attention the work being done by the commercial standardization group. The cooperation with

producers involves the compilation of lists of manufacturers

who have expressed their willingness to certify to purchasers,

upon request, that material supplied by them on contracts based on certain Federal specifications or commercial standards comply with the requirements thereof. The division prepares

the directories of governmental and nongovernmental testing

laboratories; the Directory of Specifications; and is working

on an encyclopedia of specifications, the first volume of which,

Standards and Specifications in the Wood-Using Industries, has been issued. It also aids in preparing the Standards Yearbook. BUILDING AND HOUSING DIVISION, J. S. Taylor.

The division of building and housing cooperates with business, technical, and professional groups in practically all its undertakings on building and housing. Its work to modernize

building codes and to encourage improved standards for the

quality of building construction promotes the practical application of the latest development in design and use of build- ing materials. This division was also formed in 1921. In furthering home ownership, an effort is made to develop an enlarged, steadier, more intelligent, and more discriminating

demand for soundly built dwellings, the largest single class of buildings which the construction industries provide. The

division also cooperates with many business and professional groups in efforts to distribute building activity more evenly

throughout the year, and to secure less fluctuation from year

to year. The work on city planning and zoning has in mind

the broad objective of buildings made more useful because

well located with respect to other buildings, a well-coordinated

street system, and appropriate public works. Good city

planning and zoning likewise encourages stability in land

values and property uses, and thereby contributes to the demand for durable structures.

Except where otherwise indicated, for further information address

BUREAU OF STANDARDS

WASHINGTON, D. C.
COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY

A Review of Progress in

Commercial Standardization and Simplification

Volume 6 WASHINGTON, D. C., DECEMBER 16, 1929 Number 6

CONTENTS

FEATURE ARTICLES

The Commercial Standards Monthly well received. _ Company simplifies its product

Economies in wrapping paper sought by stores Fire brick, glazed ware, and enameled ware improved by

study of manufacturing methods

Glass containers simplified

Goggles—A necessary part of industrial operating equipment

Industry evaluates cotton duck simplification

Municipal purchasing and standardizing agencies

Need for garment size standards Standard office forms improve efficiency

Standard packages

Standards for clerical work

The bankers’ need for standards of paper quality

BUILDING AND HOUSING NEWS

To investigate skyscraper plumbing

SIMPLIFIED PRACTICE NEWS

Page 152

157 156

159

162

153 164

166 168

170 172

177 174

155

TRADE STANDARDS NEWS

Page Domestic and industrial fuel oils 185 Foundry patterns of wood 183

Glass joints 182

Hickory golf shafts 185

Malleable iron unions 182 Pamphlet on yarns released 186

Paper committee appointed 173 Standard for plain mohair plush approved 185

SPECIFICATIONS AND GRADE-MARKING NEWS

Directory and encyclopedia of specifications 181 Economy of purchase on specifications 155 Grade marking important 161 Lumber industry summarizes recommendations 178 Recommends grade marking of lumber 156 Screw stock specifications 161

Specifications for motor fuel 163 The household buyer 177 Ammeters and oil gages 186

Bottles for carbonated beverages 163 Color for school furniture 180

Folding boxes for coffee 186

Ice cream brick molds and cartons 186 Pamphlets on S. P. R.’s available 185 Revised schedule for forged tools accepted 185

Simplifications reaffirmed 185

Soft fiber (jute) twine 186

Steel office equipment 178

To renew simplified practice recommendations 184 Trunks and hand luggage 181 FOREIGN NEWS

Australian associations amalgamate 180 Promotion of British standards 163 BUREAU OF STANDARDS’ PAMPHLETS

Annual report of Bureau of Standards released 158

Bulletin on motor-vehicle headlighting 163

Bulletin on protection against lightning 182 New bureau publication 171 Pamphlet describes Bureau of Standards 182

MARINE STANDARDS NEWS

Marine standards under consideration 165 Proposed marine standards ready for final action 182

Publications of marine standards announced 173

Standardization of port facilities 165 Standard locks for ship doors 171 STANDARDIZATION (NONGOVERNMENTAL) NEWS

Building exits code 183 Pennsylvania electrical code 161

Safety code for prevention of dust explosion 179

Standardization activities extended 179

Standard signal plan sought for airplanes 161 Trade associations participate in industrial standardization 184

Tractor fifth-wheels and pintles 183 Uniformity of fire-hose threads approved 183

UTILIZATION OF WASTE NEWS

Closer contact of Government agencies saved millions-. 186

On the subject of pleas and things of that sort, permit us to enter one on behalf of your favorite news

dealer. Please don’t call him—well, you know what—just because he doesn’t carry the Commercial

Standards Monthly on his stand. Be fair with him. Send in your subscription, with the necessary $1,

to the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.

The Commercial Standards Monthly can not be purchased other than through the Superintendent

of Documents. For change of address, please communicate direct with the Superintendent of Documents,

giving the new and old address.

83332-29- 1 (151)
COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY

WELL RECEIVED

Printed Magazine Started Off With 887 Paid Subscriptions

Gain of 177 7\[ew Subscriptions Monthly

Was Formerly Issued as a Mimeograph Bulletin

<r*o

G^'”^G^

> "^G^>^c}E[E^ the °f simplification was created several years

ago, it was found necessary to have some medium to keep

those interested in the latest developments in the field of

simplification advised. This problem was met by the establishment of a mimeograph monthly news bulletin, distributed without charge. ((The popularity of this bulletin,

G^^G^^G^^ over a period of several years, steadily increased until it became one of the best known governmental bulletins.

The requests for it reached a point where, beginning with the year 1929, consideration was given to the many recommendations from its readers that it be issued

in the form of a printed magazine, on an annual paid subscription basis of $1.

The change became effective with the July issue. ((Prior to the appearance of the

first number of the COMMERCIAL STANDARDS MONTHLY in its new dress, a

total of 887 paid subscriptions had been received by the Superintendent of

Documents, United States Government Printing Office. Since then the average

monthly increase of subscribers has been 177. The new subscribers are not confined to any particular group or profession, as everyone, be he manufacturer,

distributor, or consumer, has an interest in waste elimination. ((One well-known

steel company last month placed an order for 63 subscriptions for its various

officials. A prominent university is having the students use the magazine in

connection with their studies in business administration. As one sales manager

recently wrote us, “the business executive to-day has very little time for magazines. There are more than he can ever hope to read. Therefore he must choose

his magazines with great care. I feel, however, that my subscription to the

Commercial Standards Monthly is one of the best investments that I ever made with a dollar. Incidentally, my order to your ‘simplification bulletin’

was sent with a ‘simplified check’ form.” ((Having made this most gratifying

start with the magazine, the Bureau of Standards would greatly appreciate

receiving the comment and criticism of the readers, especially as they pertain to

improving the magazine.

( 152 )
153

GOGGLES—A NECESSARY PART OF INDUSTRIAL OPERATING

EQUIPMENT

Conservation of Eyesight Important Economic Need; Proper Goggles Not Only Protect Eyes from Mechanical Injury but Also from Heat, Glare, and Harmful Radiations; Bureau of Standards Publishes

National Safety Code for the Protection of Heads and Eyes of Industrial Workers

By Harold S. Norton, Associate Safety Engineer, National Bwreau of Standards

As long as our eyes function normally, we are apt

to give them entirely too little care. When vision seems to falter, or some accident happens to the eyes, then we come to a full realization of their value.

Conservation of eyesight surely demands prominence among our safety investigations. Industries

annually take the toll of a multitude of lives, limbs,

and eyes, and we are told that among the number of

permanent-disability injuries occuring in industrial

establishments, the number of e}^es lost exceeds the

combined losses of legs, arms, feet, and hands. A

very large percentage of these losses is avoidable, and,

in the case of eye accidents, can be eliminated by using

proper eye protectors where the hazards exist.

Clip on cups which can be attached to corrective spectacles

Goggles function to protect the eyes from mechanical injury, heat, glare, and harmful radiations. Perhaps the greatest number of eye accidents are caused

by flying chips, spalls, dust, rivets, and corrosive

liquids, such as acids. These hazards may be di- vided into smaller groups so that more specific protection may be applied for each individual group.

Although it is important to stress protection against

all forms of eye hazards, the occupations producing

the most numerous casualties will be considered first. Mechanical hazards to the eye. Perhaps the reason for the great number of eyes

lost or injured as a result of mechanical cause is that

the hazard is usually not apparent until the accident

occurs. Even the foremen or others in charge may

not realize hazards of this sort in their shops and

casualties persist as a by-product of industry.

Occupations, such as chipping, riveting, and calking involve a hazard where comparatively large particles are thrown into the air with considerable force. Although any part of the body may be injured or

lacerated, the eye is the most delicate part and there

is less chance of fully recovering from an eye injui'y. It is true that a hot flying rivet might strike a man

wearing goggles, and not only break the goggles but

also put out his eye. However, it is also true in this case that goggles do not present an increased hazard.

On the other hand, experience has shown that safety

goggles have prevented innumerable eye casualties

due to flying rivets. Many pairs of goggles have been

destroyed, but the eyes have been saved. This also

applies to chipping, calking, quarrying, and mining.

Practical requirements for frames and lenses.

The specifications for goggles must withstand se- vere mechanical tests. On the other hand, the constructional requirements should be such as to provide

comfort along with ruggedness in order that the goggles will be fully acceptable to the workmen. They

should be as light as practicable and still be strong

enough to stand considerable abuse.

The frames may be made of a variety of materials,

composition, fiber, or metal. Metal parts should be

noncorrodible and tough enough to be reasonably

bent without being broken. Other materials than

metal should be fire resisting and tough enough to stand slight distortion without breaking. Where oc- cupations require the worker to be near intense heat

or where hot objects are likely to come in contact with

the goggles it is recommended that metal frames be

not used, as metal is a good conductor of heat and

may cause discomfort to the wearer where it comes

in contact with the skin.

The lenses should be tough enough to withstand

comparatively sharp blows and be transparent

enough to transmit most of the incident light. The

glass used in lenses of this kind can be heat treated so that it will be toughened. Another feature of lens

construction is that of making it optically correct. The surfaces should be so ground that they will be

parallel to each other. In this way the object will

not be distorted by either prismatic or spherical effect. On the other hand, processes have been per- fected by which the lens can be ground to correct for

optical defects so that the temper of the glass is little affected. The strength of lenses can also be in- creased by making them in toric form with the con- vex surface on the outside. This forms an arch ef- fect and distributes the shock over the entire lens. There are many occupations and operations that

involve the hazard of flying material coming from

directions other than straight in front of the operator.

In these cases side shields on the goggles are necessary. or eyecup goggles may be used to accomplish the same purpose. Objections have been advanced to using side shields because they lessen the angle of

vision and may be a detriment to the user rather than

a protection.

Of course, these objections are often justifiable, as the side view is essential when in the vicinity of

power shovels, derricks, and cranes. However, side

shields and eyecups are now constructed to allow
154

a limited side view by means of a screen, or perforations at the side. Bureau publishes safety code.

The Bureau of Standards has published the National Safety Code for the Protection of the Heads

and Eyes of Industrial Workers, in which a drop

test for strength is specified. A spherical steel ball

0.0565 ounce (16 g) in weight within 2 per cent, ap- proximately 0.625 inch (1.59 cm) in diameter, shall be dropped 10 times from a height of 21.2 inches (54

cm) on the center of the horizontal outer surface of

the lens when held in the frame.

The lens shall be supported by the rim of the container only on a rubber washer 0.25 inch (6.4 mm)

thick, secured to the top of a board or block of wood.

If 1 out of 6 lenses is fractured in this test, 4 more

lenses shall be tested and if any one of these is fractured, the lot shall be rejected.

Another test increases the height to be dropped to 39.37 inches (1 m). If 1 out of 6 lenses tested is fractured in such a way a fragment of glass weighing more than 0.39 grain (25 mg) leaves the bottom surface, 4 more lenses shall be tested, and if one of these

lenses fractures in the above-described manner, the lot shall be rejected.

There are some purchasers who require every lens

in the lot to be tested, while others take a specified

number as being representative of the lot. Special needs in some occupations.

Such operations as grinding and scaling require

protective goggles, but strength tests on the lenses are unnecessary because they are not subjected to severe blows as in the case of riveting, chipping, and

calking. Thinner and untempered lenses can, therefore, be used, and it is more practicable to have them

ground so as to correct defects of vision.

There are some operations where the entire face is subject to injury, and in these cases face masks and

helmets are the most desirable. It is fortunate in

these cases that the operator can readily appreciate

the protection afforded. Other cases of mechanical

hazard where goggles will afford protection, are splashes of lime or mortar in the building and allied

trades; splinters and chips of coal in the coal mines;

flying pieces of glass in electric lamp and glassware

manufacture; threshing, chopping wood, and some

other farm activities; grain milling operations; ce- ramic manufacture; quarrying; road construction;

woodworking; and wire manufacture.

Metallurgical operators, foundrymen and molders

are subjected to splashing metal and sparks, and al- though face masks and helmets afford the maximum

protection, the eyes, in particular, should at least have the protection of goggles which will keep molten

metal from splashing into the delicate organs. The

lenses in this case must be of sufficient toughness to withstand these splashes, and either eyecups or side

shields are necessary to give complete protection to the

eyes. The frames nlso must be of a material that will

not burn. Metal-framed goggles, however, are unsuited for any operation where the wearer is exposed

to excessive heat.

Eye protection in the chemical industry.

Employees in factories engaged in the manufacture

or compounding of chemicals are subjected to the danger of accidents from the same causes as workmen in

other classes of manufacturing, but there are also the

liquid and gaseous materials to consider.

These, in most cases, are harmful when they come

in contact with the eyes, and goggles of special design are necessary. The conventional goggles for this

kind of work are close fitting, unventilated, with lens holders of soft rubber. Ammonia, chlorinated lime,

caustic soda, and other alkalies cause numerous painful eye injuries by the accidental entrance into the

eye of these substances. Other dangerous materials

are acids and dyes and explosives in the process of

manufacture.

Since these chemicals are highly penetrating in nature, a close fitting, unventilated protector over the

eyes is necessary, and as many of the chemicals are

corrosive, soft-rubber frames are used to resist cor- rosion. The lenses need not be subjected to any

strength tests, but they must be of clear glass of as high a transparency as is practicable. Other causes of injury in foundries are flying splinters of metal,

sparks from furnace, heat of the furnace, besides

emery from grinding wheels, and particles of dust

and cinders.

Protection against glare and injurious radiation.

One of the most insidious causes of eye trouble is exposure to the eyes of invisible ultra-violet light.

These rays occur beyond the violet end of the visible

light spectrum, and in industry are generated by ex- posing metal to the oxyacetylene and oxyhydrogen

flame, and also other processes where metal is in a molten state, such as open-hearth, Bessemer, and crucible steel making, electric welding, and some furnace

work. Incandescent and arc lamps also emit ultraviolet radiation.

In the extreme cases of electric arc welding and

cutting, goggles are generally unsuitable, because the

intensity is great enough to affect the skin of the

face and neck. Helmets, hoods, or shields are neces- sary for the proper protection of operators and those near by.

Through experimentation it has been determined

that cobalt-blue glass gives but little protection from

ultra-violet rays. The Bureau of Standards has made

a study of the colors of goggle lenses and a blue,

(cerium-cobalt) glass has been developed that will

satisfactory filter the ultra-violet light. This ceriumcobalt glass was actually produced at the bureau for

experimental purposes and the transmission curves were published. This particular glass is designed

for the use of furnace men who have been used to judging heats by means of the comparative intensity

of light and color as viewed through goggles with

lenses of cobalt-blue glass.

Although the effects of the invisible infra-red rays

beyond the red end of the visible light spectrum are somewhat obscure, it is fairly well established that

if sufficiently intense they may destroy the trans- parency of the lens and humors of the eyeball. For

this reason goggle lenses should filter out these radi-
155

ations. Goggles which are used to q>rotect from in- jurious radiations should be of the eyecup type and

no unfiltered light should be permitted to reach the eye. The glare of visible light also occurs in varying

amounts for different operations, and colored glasses

should be worn to prevent the harmful effect on the

eye known as retinal asthenopia.

General considerations.

Eye protection can be given the attention that it deserves only by proper education. It must be shown

that an eye guard is as necessary as a guard to protect

against loss of limb. Proper goggles should be furnished by the emploj^er. It is the employer’s duty to

see that his machines have safeguards attached, and

likewise goggles should become an integral part of

the operating equipment.

Strict supervision is necessary at first to maintain

maximum protection. Where material of an irritant or corrosive nature is handled, goggles should be

thoroughly washed after use, and if more than one

person uses a pair of goggles, they should be disinfected by washing with a formalin solution made up

by mixing 0.106 ounce (3 g) of 40 per cent formaldehyde to 1 quart of water. Headbands, bows, and bridges should fit the worker

so as to jiroduce the least possible discomfort. Provision should be made for immediate replacement of

broken lenses, and cases should be provided to protect goggles when not in use. When these suggestions are rigidly carried out, then the apology of compensation for lost eyes will be minimized, and the

benefaction of prevention will be of increased

effectiveness.

TO INVESTIGATE SKYSCRAPER PLUMBING

Bureau of Standards to Resume Research in Plumbing in Skyscrapers at Request of Industry; Program to Cover

Three Years’ Work; Will Study Actual Conditions in Plumbing Systems

Plumbing experiments conducted some years ago

at the Bureau of Standards, in cooperation with the

subcommittee on plumbing of the Department of

Commerce Building Code Committee, have been re- sumed as the result of a recent conference at New

York City, held by the committee. It will be recalled

that the results of the previous series of experiments

formed the basis for the so-called Hoover Code, which

has had a wide influence in determining plumbing re- quirements throughout the country.

The scope of the previous investigation was limited

both because of available funds and because of a demand for early recommendations covering plumbing in small buildings. It is intended in the present

investigation to pick up the program and extend its field into plumbing installations in high buildings.

Recommendations for plumbing in such structures have already been brought out by the plumbing committee in response to continued requests, but the committee has recognized frankly that further experimentation will be necessary before the last word can

be said upon the subject.

The actual experimental work will be done as before by experts of the Bureau of Standards, and the

results will be interpreted by the committee so that

they may be put to general use. It is estimated that

the program will cover at least three years. Tentative

plans covering such a period have been drawn up and

preliminary investigational work is already under

way. Progress will depend upon the degree of financial support given by the plumbing industry and by

those who use plumbing. Enough funds have been

raised through such sources to initiate the work, and

it is hoped that further support will be forthcoming

so that it will not lapse.

Briefly, it is proposed to investigate actual conditions in plumbing stacks, drains, and venting systems

in large buildings with the object of determining

the actual facts that exist there. This will be done

partly by inserting measuring instruments in the

plumbing lines and measuring the loads that occur

in different occupancies over a sufficient period of

time to get a true picture of the situation. After

enough data have been collected to form a basis for

judgment, it will then be possible to prepare tables

and other practical means for designing systems so that they will function efficiently.

ECONOMY OF PURCHASE ON SPECIFICATIONS

Buying on Specifications Means Economy in Purchasing;

Writer in “ The Modern Hospital ” Summarizes Benefits to Be Had

It is admitted that purchase under specifications in- volves continuous study and care, because it transfers

from the seller to the buyer some of the responsibility

which the seller assumes in conventional business practice. This responsibility the seller is naturally accus- tomed to charge for. With regard to staple and wellknown supplies purchased in large or fairly large

quantities, it is distinctly uneconomical to use anything blit the specification method. An illustration

of this point is provided by the following from an

article in The Modern Hospital, entitled “ Purchasing

Strategy in Relation to Hospital Buying Costs,” by

John C. Dinsmore, of the University of Chicago, a pioneer in the application of specification methods to purchasing for public institutions

:

The buyer for a small hospital in Chicago decided to save

himself the trouble and expense of handling tax-free alcohol and substituted a special formula rubbing alcohol in its stead. The salesman handling the account made more money on a

single 10-case order of rubbing alcohol than on an order for a carload of tax-free alcohol. The superintendent of this hospital saves himself the bother of handling tax-free alcohol, but he is paying rather well for his convenience. Professor Dinsmore in another place reports that

certain studies leading to scientific selection and standardization of goods, made by a number of institutional

purchasers carrying on a project of group buying,

brought about savings equivalent to $300 to $500 per

hour of the expert’s time employed. The above case

illustrates one of the specific means by which such

savings are brought about.
156

ECONOMIES IN WRAPPING PAPER SOUGHT BY STORES

Saving of Approximately $9,000,000 Annually Is Estimated Through Elimination of 10 Per Cent in Wrapping Costs Anticipated in Survey by Dry Goods Association

Department stores of the United States annually

distribute about 3,000,000,000 packages. It is esti- mated that a survey undertaken by the National Retail Dry Goods Association may result in decreasing

packing and wrapping costs by 10 per cent, and that

approximately $9,000,000 a year will be saved. In a recent announcement by the Secretary of Commerce,

R. P. Lamont, he stated that the Department of Commerce and the division of simplified practice of the

Bureau of Standards would cooperate in the survey,

which will be confined to an examination of specifications for supplies and methods of using such supplies.

It is reported that there are more than 6,000 department stores, exclusive of specialty stores, in the United

States, doing an annual volume of business of approximately $6,500,000,000. All of these stores should

be directly or indirectly affected. The Department of Commerce has already con- ducted, or assisted in, a number of studies looking to the elimination of waste and the solution of problems

now existing in the distribution field. Elmer French, of the National Retail Dry Goods

Association, Ray M. Hudson, assistant director, Bureau of Standards, and Howard C. Dunn, chief of the

domestic commerce division, of the Bureau of Foreign

and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce,

state that highly satisfactory progress is being made

in the survey now being made, and report that many

suppliers and some trade associations have already

signified their desire to cooperate.

This work, according to the Department of Commerce, may lead to the establishment of simplified

practice recommendations for some of the supplies

under consideration. These recommendations would

be promulgated as part of the Department of Commerce elimination of waste series. The operating committee in charge of the work

consists of Merrill Osgood (chairman), of the Jor- dan Marsh Co., Boston; Elmer French (vice chairman), of the National Department Stores (Inc.),

New York, N. Y. ; William Fitzgerald, research di- rector of the National Retail Dry Goods Association,

RECOMMENDS GRADE MARKING OF LUMBER

Chief Coordinator Recommends That Both Hardwood and

Softwood Lumber Be Grade Marked for Government Use

Rear Admiral H. H. Rousseau, United States Navy,

Chief Coordinator of the United States, has issued a statement to the heads of all Government departments

and establishments, recommending that both hardwood

and softwood lumber be grade marked for Government use. This action on the part of the Chief Coordinator is the result of negotiations between the Chief CoordiNew York, N. Y. ; Edwin L. Stoiber, stores managers’

division of the National Dry Goods Association, New

Yoi'k, N. Y. ; and R. W. Greve, of R. H. Macy & Co.,

New York, N. Y.

George A. Cooper in charge of work.

George A. Cooper, of the division of simplified

practice, is in active charge of the work now being

done, and is being assisted by H. P. Dalzell. The

first store to be studied was R. H. Macy & Co., of New

York, N. Y. The survey was extended to Boston on November 4, the cooperating stores there being Jordan

Marsh Co., the Gilchrist Co., and Conrad & Co.

The present plan is to conduct surveys in the fol- lowing additional cities: Washington, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Portland (Oreg.), San Francisco,

Atlanta, St. Paul, Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles,

and Detroit. Three stores in each city will be studied, and it is expected that from these stores a true picture of the conditions under which supplies are used may be obtained.

The first step of the investigation covers only the

major wrapping and packing supply materials. These

include boxes, folding, set-up (gift), and corru- gated; wrapping paper, bags, tissue paper, twine, and

gummed tape.

Studies made by individual stores prior to this sur- vey have resulted in substantial savings, according

to information received by the Bureau of Standards.

One store reported saving $6,700 in one year by

slightly changing the specifications of a bag ; another

store, $11,000. One group of retail stores in Boston

says it reduced the number of sizes of folding boxes

from 46 to 18, the number of styles of bags from 4 to

1, the number of sizes of bags from 27 to 6, and the

number of sizes of gift boxes from 342 to 79. Another group in New York effected a 25 per cent saving in wrapping paper, 11 to 16 per cent saving

in tissue paper, and a saving of from 6 to 17 per cent

in corrugated boxes. Other economies resulted from

the reduction of breakage and lowered freight costs, delivery, and storage expenses.

nator’s office and the National Committee on Wood

Utilization. The statement of Admiral Rousseau also stipulated that grade-marked lumber is to be given

preference over unmarked lumber where bids are submitted under equal circumstances.

“ This is the greatest impetus which the grade-marking movement has received since its inception,” said

Axel H. Oxliolm, Director of the National Committee

on Wood Utilization, in commenting on the statement.

“ It is recalled that at the Government-operated sawmills in Wisconsin they started to grade mark soft- wood lumber last summer as a result of the committee’s

recommendations.”
157

COMPANY SIMPLIFIES ITS PRODUCT

Simplification Cut Potential Market 95 Per Cent, but Increased Sales and Profits, States C. B. Potter;

Company Manufactures Knitted Underwear

By C. B. Potter, as told to Franklin S. Clark

If there was anything a store wanted, we made it. And we counted pretty much every man, woman, and

child in the United States as a potential customer

for our knitted underwear. For winter trade in Sioux

Falls and points north we made an “all wool, double-breasted, sleeve and ankle ” type of garment. To

meet the demands of less rigorous climates, or to meet the trade demand of individual customers we

made garments of cotton, of part wool, of various

weights, and of every conceivable style, “ athletic, no

sleeve, knee length; short sleeve, three-quarters leg,”

just to mention a few.

To illustrate what we have done to our potential

market let us suppose that in 1920 ,we actually did

have 105,780,620 potential cus- tomers for our knitted underwear.

This was the country’s population according to the census at that time. Assuming that was

our market in 1920, on the same

basis, our present market is only

1,608,283 potential consumers,

multiplied by three or four, let us

say. This later figure is the

country’s birth for 1926.

Instead of making underwear

for everybody in the United

States, we are now making it only for babies up to 3 or 4 years

old, or thereabouts. As far as the

manufacture of underwear goes, we are now specializing on only two products—infants’ shirts and bands.

By doing so we have clipped our potential market for

underwear to maybe only 5 or 6 per cent of what it was, but we ha'ven’t decreased our actual market at

all. Our sales in infants’ shirts and bands are greater

in volume than were those of our complete line of

underwear in the days when we made “ anything they

wanted.”

Profits increased.

Our profits are several times as great. Our worries

are immeasurably less. We are paying our operators

less on a piece-work basis. Nevertheless, they are making more money than they were formerly. They

are better satisfied. Our labor turnover has appreciably decreased. We have been able to reduce our

inventories by 75 per cent. The general cutting down

in all kinds of overhead expense has been tremendous.

The story of how we managed to bring about simplification goes back to the boom times of the war and

the slump that followed, as many changes for the better in America’s ways of business do. We had seen what Henry Ford had done. Personally, for a number of years I had thought that I would like to try

applying his methods to the making of knitted wear,

but we were hectically busy. I choose that adjective

advisedly. Orders were seldom shipped on time, we

had so many of them. We had a battery of corre- spondents racking their brains for plausible explanations; we had several men tracing down the causes of

delay in production ; a certified accountant and numerous assistants were taxed to capacity to keep the books

straight. Office space had become so crowded that we

had to squeeze desks into every available odd space, but by sheer volume the stream of orders had kept us

going. If it hadn’t been for the slump we would

probably have kept right on making a hundred-anaone different stjdes of men’s, women’s, and children’s

shirts and drawers and union suits to-day, a hundredand-two to-morrow, and a few more next week. For there

seemed to be no end to the variety our customers demanded.

Large inventories on hand.

But the slump found us with

large inventories of manufactured goods and no customers to demand goods of any variety. W

e

managed to clear out our excessive invoices to quite an extent by

the expedient of opening a factory salesroom. That proved so

successful, b}7 the way, that we

still have it. But the future

didn’t look favorable, so we considered, unless we

could somehow manage to meet what promised to be increasingly stiff competition. Simplification was

the instrument chosen to apply to the task that con- fronted us. Once we had decided upon it we applied

the method in no halfway or faint-hearted manner. For the time being it necessitated curtailed production to somewhat beyond the extent we should have

been forced to curtail it in any event because of the

slump. It meant virtually the erasing from our lists of thousands of good small customers, some of them

of many years’ standing. Even now we have fewer

customers, fewer salesmen ; but what customers we

have are better customers and they give us larger

orders. We are selling more goods and to better advantage. We tell our salesmen that the Potter Knitting Co. doesn’t have to take anybody’s smoke when

it comes to infants’ shirts and bands. They accept

that as gospel, and have good reason so to do. Under

such circumstances it isn’t hard for them to convince

others of it. Reduced inventories by 75 per cent. A 75 per cent reduction in inventories has been

mentioned as an important saving in overhead ex- pense. This reduction in inventories has been twoThis article by Franklin S. Clark, of North Amherst, Mass.,

is based on an interview that he

had with C. B. Potter, president

of the Potter Knitting Co., and

which he submitted to the Shaw

Simplification Contest. The

article describes the effect of simplification when applied by an in- dividual manufacturing concern.
158

sided, in raw materials and in manufactured goods

as well. We have found, for example, that we can make, say, 1,000 dozens of infants’ shirts with only

such stocks of buttons, silk, needles, and trimmings as would be required. And, as for our inventories of

manufactured goods, there isn’t the recurrent accumulation of odds and ends that there used to be. We

know what we are selling as definitely as we know

what we are making. And we know how long it is going to take us to sell as surely as we know how long

it is going to take us to manufacture. It isn’t difficult to manipulate a few controls with precision; conversely, too many, we know from experience, breed

confusion.

Then, too, we have been able to effect worthwhile

savings in the use of materials. The savings have

been greatest in the materials used to finish our product, such as button bands and trimmings. There is never such a thing any more as a certain amount of

material left over after finishing up an order, or a

run, of a special type of garment. It’s all one con- tinuous order or run now. There’s no stopping and

beginning again.

Often, before we adopted simplificatiton, a girl

might be put on seaming in the morning and making

buttonholes in the afternoon. Under the present

scheme of things, she either seams or makes buttonholes all day and every day, and soon comes to be an

expert.

For example, when infants’ shirts were only one of our lines of underwear we expected production in the

seaming operation of only about 30 dozens a day. At

present our girls seam from 50 to 60 dozens a day.

We have shared this advantage in increased efficiency

with our employees by placing the piecework rate

at a figure which makes a material saving for us and

yet enables them to earn considerably more than

formerly.

Reduced overhead.

There isn’t near the worry of administration that

there used to be. The difficulties, which are now a

ANNUAL REPORT OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS RELEASED

Report of Director of Bureau for Fiscal Year 1929 Now Purchasable from Government Printing Office The printed copies of the annual report of the Director of the Bureau of Standards for the fiscal year

ended June 30, 1929, “Miscellaneous Publication No.

102,” Bureau of Standards, is now available for purchase from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., at a cost of

10 cents each.

In his report, which is made annually to the Secre- tary of Commerce, the director reviewed the work of

the bureau for the past year. The various outstanding

accomplishments are grouped according to the subjects for which the Congress had made specific appropriations. These subjects are testing structural

materials; testing machines; investigation of fire- resisting properties; investigation of public utility

standards; testing miscellaneous materials; radio rething of the past, that we used to have in filling orders on time have already been mentioned. The necessary

accounting and paper work for so many different

lines, combined with continual delays in the shipment

of orders, delays in getting in a multiplicity of kinds

of materials, in finding them, and other forms of lost motion, required, roughly, twice the clerical force

that we now have.

We have found it possible to further simplify administration work b}r cutting away unnecessary price

classifications in our finished products in some cases. In infants’ shirts and bands, for example, we average our prices for sizes. The difference in the amount of

material required for the various sizes is, in fact,

such a small item compared to the other elements of

cost that in any event it wouldn’t amount to much.

By averaging it we save unnecessary bookkeeping.

A mother of a very young baby pays a few cents more for his apparel than she would otherwise, per- haps; but when he gets older she pays less. And in

the end she doesn’t have to pay as much because she

isn’t charged for the unnecessary bookkeeping.

We have, of course, taken care not to carry things

too far in our program of simplification. We employ

a variety of weights and kinds of fabric in the making

of infants’ shirts and bands, just as we did in the

manufacture of a complete line of undergarments.

Another important one of our products is bathing

suits. Here, too, we have accomplished striking re- sults by simplification. We no longer make any fancy

bathing suits. They are all knitted in the same way,

elastic ribbed, and conform to a few standard styles.

What is more, they are all of the same weight ; though,

of course, we make them in a variety of colors. Just

as we did in underwear, there was a time, however,

when we used to make most any kind of a bathing suit

anybody wanted. We don’t now, but we can put

better value into those we do make. Because of the

exceptional value and satisfaction these suits give we

don’t have any particular trouble in selling them; in

fact, here again the total volume of sales in the simplified line exceeds that we attained at greater trouble

with a more diversified offering.

search ; color standardization ; investigation of clay

products; standardizing mechanical appliances; investigation of optical glass ; investigation of textiles, etc.

;

sugar standardization ; gage standardization ; investigation of mine scales and cars ; metallurgical research

;

high-temperature investigation ; sound investigation

;

industrial research ; testing railroad-track and other

scales; standardization of equipment; standard materials; investigation of radioactive substances and

X rays; utilization of waste products from the land;

investigation of automotive engines; investigation of

dental materials ; and the various problems undertaken for other departments of the Federal Government.

The director urged the further extension of the commercial standards group in its program of cooperation with business; and more adequate support for

fundamental research relating to standards and the

determination of fundamental constants of importance

to science and industry, including further development of cooperative research with industry.
159

FIRE BRICK, GLAZED WARE, AND ENAMELED WARE IMPROVED

BY STUDY OF MANUFACTURING METHODS

Many Kinds of Clay Products Investigated at Bureau; Marquardt Tubing Imported Before War; Many

Other Industries Depend Upon Refractories

By Henry D. Hubbard, Assistant to Director

Many kinds of clay products are mixed, formed,

and dried in the laboratories and kiln houses of the

Bureau of Standards. Giant clay pots are used in

melting the ingredients and making optical glass—

-

another bureau enterprise. The pots will hold 1,000

6-foot lengths, thin as tine spaghetti with a bore fine as a needle. Such tubing is used in the industries in

steel furnaces and other high-temperature equipment

for carrying the wires of the pyrometer which measures the temperatures within the furnace.

Apparatus used in casting pots in which optical glass is melted

The process was developed by the bureau pounds of melted glass (the 1,000-pound pot is the

usual size. Larger ones were used in melting the

glass for the 70-inch telescope mirror). To select and

purify the clay so as to be iron free was an essential

in making optical glass of the finest quality.

An unusual product is the Marquardt tubing made

of fine clay and such other materials, as alumina, in

Tubing imported before World War.

Such tubing was imported until the World War,

when the bureau was asked to find out how it might be

made in America. The technique was worked out and

specimens comparing favorably with the imported

product were successfully produced in the bureau’s

clay laboratories.

83332—29 2
160

The brick which line steel furnaces must endure

the temperatures of melted steel. The bureau has

made experimental and developmental research studies

of fire brick. The first step was to measure the melting

points of such refractory fire brick—some of which

melt at temperatures as high as 3,600° F. To withstand the extreme heats of metallurgical operations

such refractory brick must be made to measure. Refractory industry underlies metallurgy.

The refractory industry is a basic industry. It underlies metallurgy which transforms ores into

metals and metals into the great alloys of which cut- ting tools, automobile shafts, and titanic machinery

are built. To measure such melting points and industance to a number of Western States and to the Federal Government as the owner of public lands where

clays of a sticky, heavy type resist the usual modes of

preparation. Definite preheating procedure was devised under which such highly plastic clays may

be made to behave normally after preheating—a strik- ing example of a laboratory process making possible

the use of waste clays otherwise unusable.

Study of discoloration of brick walls.

Another type of research is the study of discoloration of brick walls, known as efflorescence. Procedures were tried in burning and drying which largely

reduced the likelihood of this condition. Proper use of brick in brickwork so that minimum moisture

Dr. George K. Burgess, Director of the Bureau of Standards (right),

and Dr. C. C. Crump, Professor of Astronomy at Ohio Wesleyan University, examining the disk after the hole had been cut The “ core ” is resting on the surface of the disk.

trial temperatures optical pyrometers are used, for

at such temperatures ordinary methods fail. Among the subjects of researches and publications

concerning them which the bureau has completed are

:

Fire brick, their manufacture, properties, uses, and

specifications (a documentary resume of the subject

for the technician), the use of the interferometer in

measuring thermal expansion of ceramic materials,

the testing of clay refractories, melting points of fire brick, the function of time in vitrifying clays, the dehydration of clays, effect of overfiring upon the struc- ture of clays, the use of sodium salts in purifying

clays and in the casting process, the properties of some European plastic fire clays, the properties of American bony clays and their use in graphite crucibles

and glass pots, porosity and volume changes of clay

fire bricks at furnace temperatures.

To permit the use of excessively plastic clays whichcrack and check on drying, an experimental research was completed. The results Avere of peculiar imporenters the Avail Avill further minimize such efflores- cence. A fundamental type of research comprises the ex- perimental studies of the materials other than clays

entering into pottery and other clay products. Recent

research results on feldspar are examples. Here the

effect of feldspars having different characteristics was determined. Such kinds of measured data are most effective in enabling the ceramist to design the

make-up of his ware to produce the properties he desires, such as an architect designs a building for a

specific purpose.

Glazed ware studied.

Studies have recently been made of crazing of

glazed ware after extended service. In some cases it was found to be caused by expansion of the body. If

glazed ware is exposed to the Aveather it may absorb

moisture, thus increase the volume of the body, volume

of the glaze remaining unchanged. The resulting
161

strain cracks the glaze and forms the familiar crazing

characteristic of glazed ware. Recent studies of

boiler-furnace refractories are progressing well. In a study of glazes 110 special glazes have been tested to determine the elastic and expansion properties.

When the enameled metal-ware industry was

threatened through the fish scaling of its product, the

industry requested the bureau to find the cause and

GRADE MARKING IMPORTANT

The Dealers’ View of Grade Marking Presented by Writer in Trade Magazine; National Builders’ Supply Association Favors Grade-Marked Sewer Pipe

In commenting upon the large saving from the

adoption of simplified practice by various industries,

in the November issue of the Bulletin of the National

Builders’ Supply Association, a staff writer of that

publication makes some very interesting comments

under the heading of “ Grade Marking Also Important.”

“ Supplementing the simplified-practice plan is that

other and more important effort, from the viewpoint

of the dealer in building materials, the grade marking

of all manufactured products,” he said, adding that

“ this has been adopted by the lumbermen alone in

the material field. It should be followed by each line

in which there is more than one grade offered. “ Some time ago the National Builders’ Supply Association made request of the sewer-pipe industry

that it grade mark all sewer pipe, but so far no ac- tions has been taken by the manufacturers. This isn’t altogether surprising, considering the lack of unity in

the industry. Eventually it doubtless will be done,

but there is no telling how soon.

“ These two reforms, and they may safely be so termed, naturally go hand in hand. It is difficult to conceive of anything which would more beneficially

affect certain branches of the building-material in- dustry than standardizing and lessening the number

of sizes manufactured, and the marking of these materials honestly as to grades. Where there are different

grades, as there are in the case of sewer pipe, and

nothing to distinguish the one from the other save

their actual quality, there is opened a tremendous

opportunity for substitution. And this condition isn’t beneficial at all. It offers an easy way to several

varieties of unethical practices.

“ This question of grade marking hasn’t received the

serious consideration it is inevitably destined to have.

It will be one of the subjects to receive considerable

attention at the next annual convention.

PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRICAL CODE

In connection with the use of American Standards

Association safety codes in industry, it is of interest

to note that the Pennsylvania State Department of

Labor and Industry, has just issued a revised electrical

safety code made up of parts 1, 3, and 4 of the National

Electrical Safety Code.

cure for the flaking which injured the utility of the ware. Experimental research on the relative expansion of the metal and of the enamel was conducted.

The difference in the expansion of the two was a cause. A new enamel was worked out in experiments in which 40,000 specimens were prepared and studied.

The product was permanently improved and the clos- ing down of plants was averted.

SCREW STOCK SPECIFICATIONS

A. S. T. M. Cooperating with S. A. E. on Screw Stock

Specifications

Arrangements have been completed between the

Society of Automotive Engineers and the American

Society for Testing Materials for joint consideration

by the two societies of proposed revision in the re- quirements for Bessemer screw stock contained in the

society’s standard specifications for commercial coldfinished bar steels and cold-finished shafting. A joint

committee has been formed for this purpose.

For the Society of Automotive Engineers the work

is in charge of its iron and steel division of which

J. M. Watson is chairman. For the American Society

for Testing Materials the work is in charge of the

committee on steel, through the subcommittee on

commercial bar steels, of which J. J. Shuman is chairman.

STANDARD SIGNAL PLAN SOUGHT FOR

AIRPLANES

Committee to Study Problem to Obtain Uniformity

The Department of Commerce, through a special

research committee, will seek uniformity in methods

of signaling information to airplane pilots in both

day and night service, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics, Maj. Clarence M. Young,

states. There exists an urgent need for the development of

standard signal systems, suitable for both day and

night use, for controlling air traffic on and in the

vicinity of airports, and for communicating special

information to pilots. In an endeavor to bring about

uniformity in this matter and with the hope of arriving at a solution of the problem, this committee will

make a comprehensive study of the subject and report

its findings and recommendations.

The following persons have been designated to serve on this committee: Charles II. Helms, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ; Lieut. Newton Longfellow, Army Air Corps, War Department; James

Murray, Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce; Commander F. D. Wagner, Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy

Department; Col. Harry H. Blee, chairman, aeronautics branch, Department of Commerce ; Capt. F. C. Hingsburg, airways division, Bureau of Lighthouses,

Department of Commerce; Dr. J. Franklin Meyer,

Bureau of Standards, Department of Commerce ; and

A. Pendleton Taliaferro, jr., secretary, aeronautics

branch, Department of Commerce.
162

GLASS CONTAINERS SIMPLIFIED

Schedule for Milk Bottles Reduced Variety from 49 to 4; Preserve Jars from 36 to 8; Jelly Glasses from

24 to 7; Apple-Butter Jars from 6 to 4; Other Programs Reviewed

By W. E. Braithwaite, Division of Simplified Practice

Consideration of the general problem of how best

to pack, handle, transport, and distribute commodities after manufacture is engaging the attention of

many industries. The question of containers is an

important one, and the solution of existing problems

of diversified sizes, dimensions, types, capacities, etc., would, in the opinion of many, benefit not only the

industry immediately concerned, but the carriers and

all users of the commodity as well

.

The manufacturers, distributors, and users of glass

and other type of containers are finding in simplified

practice a practical method for eliminating waste and

reducing costs. Simplified practice is applied by the

collective action of all concerned, to eliminate needless variety in sizes, dimensions, etc., of manufactured

products. This method is based on the sensible

avoidance of waste caused by excessive and uneco- nomic diversity.

The establishment of the division of simplified practice within the Department of Commerce in November,

1921, has provided a neutral meeting ground or cen- tralizing agency through which manufacturers, dis- tributors, and consumer groups can meet to discuss their

mutual waste problems and decide upon elimination of

excessive variety. Through the cooperative services

afforded American industry by the Department of

Commerce, more than 100 different industrial groups

have developed simplified practice recommendations

under the auspices of the division of simplified practice,

which have resulted in large savings to all concerned.

These simplifications are exemplified by the reduction of varieties in sizes and dimensions, etc., of paving brick from 66 to 5, to a similar reduction of varieties in the case of grinding wheels, from 715,200 to 254,400. Of particular interest to the glass-container

group are the following recommendations.

Variety of milk bottles reduced.

On March 6, 1923, a joint conference of representatives of manufacturers, distributors, and users of milk

bottles met at the Department of Commerce and developed a simplified-practice recommendation, which

has resulted in reducing the existing variety of these

bottles from 49 to 4. This conference also reduced the variety of diameters of milk-bottle caps from 10 to 1. A brief analysis of the replies received from 15 bottle manufacturers that have accepted this recommendation show that economic advantages, such as fewer

molds and lower cost for replacement, lower production costs, greater interchangeability, greater labor ef- ficiency, and standardized equipment, would result

from the adoption of this constructive program.

Variety in preserves, jellies, and apple butter containers reduced.

Another recommendation of direct interest to the

packers of food products is the simplified-practice

recommendation which was adopted at a recent general conference of manufacturers, distributors, and

users of glass containers for preserves, jellies, and

apple butter. In introducing the subject of simplification at that

conference, which was held in Cleveland, Ohio, September 18, 1928, in conjunction with the convention of

the National Preservers’ Association, J. P. Thorny,

president of the association, said that “ the cost to the industry of stocking a multitude of sizes of packages involves an economic waste which we, as intel- ligent business men, must condemn. This waste in- cludes not only abnormal and unnecessary capital

investment, but inefficiency in our factory operations.

There has been prepared for this conference, the basic

facts which, as intelligent men, we must consider, not

as individuals seeking to justify our personal selection

of sizes, but as a combined group of men resolved to take advantage of this opportunity to secure the elimination of the packages which are unnecessary and

therefore uneconomical.”

The conference unanimously adopted a recommendation reducing the sizes of preserve jars from 40

to 8; jelly glasses from 25 to 7 ; and apple-butter jars

from 6 to 4, based on the avoirdupois weight of the

food content. The proposed schedule of stock sizes became effective on J anuary 1, 1929, for new production, and January 1, 1930, was set for clearance of cur- rent stocks of eliminated varieties, subject to annual

revision by a standing committee of the industry.

Glass bottles variety reduced.

A joint simplified practice committee, consisting of

representatives of the glass-bottle and carbonated-beverage industries, submitted a tentative simplified practice recommendation to the division of simplified practice with the request that arrangements be made for a general conference of manufacturers of bottles, soft

drinks, bottle boxes, cartons, filling and labeling machinery, etc. The tentative recommendation as developed by the committee, and the final recommendation as adopted by the general conference, were based on the results of a variety survey conducted by the

committee. Standards were adopted for capacities,

heights, diameters, and weights of glass for soda

and importell ginger-ale shapes, water and water- shape ginger-ale bottles, and beers, export, select, or

C. S. shapes.

Pharmaceutical containers under survey.

Another simplification program of importance is that for glass containers used in the drug and pharmaceutical industries. A very strong, simplified practice committee, headed by Philip I. Heuisler, president of the Glass Container Association, is working

on the development of a simplified-practice recom- mendation to cover a line of standard stock items

for prescription ware, etc.
163

At the present time a subcommittee, of which W. S. Richards, of Owens-Illinois Glass Co., is chairman,

is preparing a set of questionnaires for the purpose

of ascertaining the variety of bottles and jars produced during 1929. The results of the survey will

appear in a consolidated report from which the simplified practice committee of the industry will prepare

a tentative recommendation for consideration at a subsequent general conference of all interests. The realization of the economies inherent in this

recommendation (as in all other recommendations) is

definitely dependent upon the whole-hearted voluntary cooperation of all elements in the matter of adherence to the recommended schedules. It is believed the manufacturers of glass containers, the

packers of preserves and jellies, the wholesale and

retail grocers, the consumers and all others concerned

will derive such tangible benefits from this simplified

practice program, that it will become desirable to ex- tend the application of the principles of simplification

to containers used in the packing and shipping of

other food products.

SPECIFICATION FOR MOTOR FUEL

New Federal Specification for Motor Fuel Based on Results

of Research Conducted at Bureau

Ten years ago one called for gasoline and seldom

asked who made it or what was its other name. The present glowing advertisements of many motor

fuels under attractive names have resulted partly

from the fact that more is known now than formerly

about what constitutes a good gasoline. The Bureau

of Standards by its research has added much to this

knowledge. Specifications on which the Government

purchases gasoline have recently been rewritten to meet better the needs of the service.

The various tests included in the Federal specifications are intended to secure good starting, acceleration,

and good performance, and to protect the purchaser

from crank-case dilution, corrosion of parts, sticking

of valves, and “ vapor lock.” The bureau believes

that local purchasers of gasoline in large quantities can secure better gasoline by purchasing on specification, which can be changed from time to time to meet

local or temporary conditions.

PROMOTION OF BRITISH STANDARDS

The helpful attitude of British industries toward

the work of their national standardizing body, the

British Engineering Standards Association, is demonstrated in a report of a meeting, early this year, of

the London Chamber of Commerce. Percy Donald

represented the chamber on a committee set up by the

president of the board of trade to investigate ways

and means of encouraging standardization of British

products.

On the motion of Donald, the council approved and

sent forward to the board of trade a proposal that

Government departments and other large buyers

should include in their standard form of tender the

following clause : “All goods not otherwise specified, to be in accordance with British Engineering Standards Association specification, where such exists.”

Subsequently, support for this resolution was obtained

from the Royal Institute of British Architects, the

Association of British Chambers of Commerce, the

Federation of British Industries, the National Federation of Iron and Steel Manufacturers, the British

Electrical Manufacturers’ Association, and the British

Engineers’ Association.

BOTTLES FOR CARBONATED BEVERAGES

Conference Held in November Approved Proposed Simplified

List of Stock Bottles for Carbonated Beverages

A general conference of representatives of the bottle

manufacturers, bottlers of carbonated beverages, bottling machinery manufacturers, and others interested,

held last month at Atlantic City, approved a proposed

simplified-practice recommendation for stock sizes and

capacities of bottles for carbonated beverages.

In order to allow ample time for necessary adjustments and for clearance of stocks of eliminated varieties, the effective date for this recommendation has

been set for September 1, 1930. The conference

authorized the appointment of a standing committee

to consist of representatives of the manufacturers of

bottles, carbonated beverages, bottling machinery,

paper and wooden boxes and crates, molds, and caps,

respectively.

BULLETIN ON MOTOR-VEHICLE HEAD

LIGHTING

A most interesting document for the motorist is Bureau of Standards Circular No. 276, “Motor-Vehicle Headlighting.” The requirements for good

road lighting are discussed as well as the principle of

operation of head lamps. Few so-called antiglare devices have been found to be really effective, and the

most practical solution to the head lighting problem

under present conditions is the proper adjustment of

lighting devices by manufacturers and sales agencies on new cars and careful maintenance of'such adjustments bjr owners and drivers.

The method used at the bureau for making laboratory tests on electric head-lighting devices are briefly

described in this circular. State laws and regulations

are discussed, and suggested paragraphs for a State

law presented. Instructions for the adjustment of

head lamps are made clear by photographs. In the

Appendix is contained the specifications under which

tests for approval of tj^pes of devices by State officials are made.

This circular, which was prepared by R. E. Carlson,

formerly of the Bureau of Standards, is purchasable

from the Superintendent of Documents, Government

Printing Office, Washington, D. C., at a cost of 20

cents per copy.
164

INDUSTRY EVALUATES COTTON DUCK SIMPLIFICATION

Simplification Program Initiated in 1924; 460 Weights and Widths Reduced to 90; Industry Has Found

Simplified Schedule Provides Better Service at Less Cost

By H. P. Dalzell

In 1924 the members of the Cotton Duck Association became interested in the possibilities of simplifying the varieties of sail and numbered cotton duck.

A survey by a committee of the association showed

that at that time there were being produced 460 different weights and widths of cotton duck. The di- vision of simplified practice was requested to assist in the development of a simplified-practice program, and

for that purpose a general conference was held at the

Department of Commerce in Washington.

The tentative schedule submitted to the conference

for consideration proposed to reduce the 460 weights

and widths to 280, within the range from 22 to 144

inches in width. The committee’s findings showed

that, of these 280 items, 87 would take care of 80 per

cent of the demand. Following a general discussion, the

conference unanimously

approved a recommendation listing the above 87

items, in addition to 7

others, making a total of

94. These varieties were

the only ones to be carried

in stock. In addition, there were

listed 316 items classified as “ specials ” which were

to be made on order only,

and then in units of not

less than 500 yards. The

conference decided that as far as possible the manufacture of “ specials ” be restricted to units of 1,500 yards,

believing that this represented the minimum at which

operating efficiency is obtainable. The simplified

practice recommendation became effective November

1, 1925, and a standing committee was appointed to hold meetings periodically for the purpose of making such divisions as experience might show to be

desirable.

Because of the success which attended the recom- mendation in its original form, the standing committee deferred calling a revision meeting until January, 1927. This committee considered all suggestions

received from the industry and approved the elimination of 7 items and the addition of 3, making a net reduction in the recommendation of 4 varieties. The

recommendation as now in effect, therefore, includes

only 90 items and widths, the reduction from the

original 460 items being approximately 80 per cent. Survey of results.

After this recommendation had been in effect for more than a year, a letter was addressed to the manufacturers, distributors, and users of cotton duck who

had accepted the recommendation asking that they

review their experience Avith it, Avith a view to determining its benefits in actual application. Typical

excerpts from the replies to this survey follow

:

“ Because of the continually changing conditions in

the textile market which affect the value of our inventories and the class of goods which Ave manufacture,”

one manufacturer said, “ it is extremely difficult for us to give you any actual figures as to the savings

which the simplification program has enabled us to make. We haAr e certainly saved many thousands of

dollars a year by lessening interruptions for the readjustment of our machinery, because of the fewer

changes necessary since the number of standard fabrics has been so materially reduced.

“ Savings resulting from reduced inventory and

increased turnover ha\re also been substantial. In

addition, there have undoubtedly been savings in the

amount of Avaste made in our plant. A reduction in

weights, widths, and style is always accompanied by

a corresponding reduction

in this most aggravating

source of manufacturing

expense.”

“ We regret that we are not able to give you an

expression in dollars and

cents of the A

r alue of the

simplified practice for cot- ton duck, nor are we able

for reasons discussed in

previous correspondence to express in percentage the

degree of adherence to the

simplified list,” another correspondent connected with

the same company quoted in the above letter said. “ HoAveA7er, the fact that it is of the greatest value to the industry and that it is being almost universally

adhered to in this country is beyond question.

“ The multiplicity of items that we were formerly

obliged to carry in stock is now a thing of the past.

This has reduced the capital formerly required, les- sened the interest charges, and reduced warehouse

cost. All without impairing in any way our sendee

to distributors and consumers. The reduction in variety has made possible the loAvering of manufacturing costs. Because of the keen competition exist- ing this sa\dng has certainly been largely passed on

to the consumer. In our opinion, the establishing of

the simplified practice for cotton duck has Avithout

doubt been of the greatest assistance in bringing

about a more economical production and distribution

of our goods.”

“ We are glad to advise that simplified practice has

been of tremendous assistance to us in reducing in- ventory, increasing turnover, decreasing selling ex- penses, etc.,” another manufacturer, who is also a distributor of cotton duck said. He discussed the dif- ficulty of evaluating the benefits in the case of this

commodity, which in his firm is handled Avith others

of a similar nature, and concluded : “We might say

in passing that Avhile Ave have not been direct party

This is the eighth article of a series that are appearing in the Commercial Standards

Monthly demonstrating the results and benefits that have resulted from the adoption of

simplified practice. Copies of the mimeographed report of the survey on cotton duck,

as Avell as that of the others, may be secured

upon request to the division of simplified

practice.
165

m adherence to simplified practice in the other commodities which you have simplified, this company has

undoubtedly gotten material benefits as evidenced by

reduced storeroom inventory, etc.” “ We have found that simplified practice has done

much for the manufacturer and jobber of cotton duck,” another manufacturer and jobber of cotton duck wrote, “ reducing inventory, increasing individual turnover, and while we can not give you any

facts in dollars and cents, we are very much in favor

of the simplification from the view of our experience,

since it has been in effect.” “ In our opinion,” one manufacturer points out, in

discussing the saving in time formerly lost through

the necessity of readjusting machinery, “ its application does tend to reduce inventories, to increase the

turnover, and most effectively reduces the necessity

for readjustment of machinery. We are heartily in

favor of simplified practice, and we feel that in the cotton duck industry it may be possible to carry it to an even further degree than that now in use. It is rather difficult for us to give you any accurate per- centage of savings that we know have been made, but we do state that with the same machinery we are turn- ing out from 15 to 20 per cent additional products by

reason of the fewer changes that we now have to make.”

“We can unhesitatingly say,” another manufacturer

wrote, “ that it is a great benefit and does help in

various ways. The practical manner in which it has

helped us most is that where we were formerly called

upon to make up small quantities of nonstandard

goods, we have now gotten away from this almoqt

entirely. We do not think we ever made any money

on the manufacture of these nonstandard sizes under

former conditions, and often lost a little money, but we just went ahead and did it to keep the customer

satisfied, and because others were willing to do it.” Distributors support program.

“ Our experience in handling cotton duck under the

simplified practice plan has worked out very economically to us,” a distributor said. “ It enables us to

MARINE STANDARDS UNDER CONSIDERATION

Proposed Standards for Hinged Water-Tight Doors; Care and

Operation of Oil-Burning Apparatus and Handling of Fuel

Oil on Ships; and Insulation Material for High Temperatures Reviewed

Several proposed marine standards, under consideration by the American Marine Standards Committee, have been handled since the last issue of the Commercial Standards Monthly. The latest status of

these projects is given below.

Hinged water-tight doors.—Proposed standards for

light and heavy doors and fittings have been submitted

to the technical committee on “ hull details.”

Insulation materials for high temperature.—Proposed standard specifications which have been under

consideration for some time have been approved in principle by the subject and technical committees

concerned, and are in process of revision to carry out suggestions and to meet certain criticisms received

order a larger stock, gives a larger turnover, and eliminates dead stock.”

“We believe,” another distributor stated, “that the

simplified practice is a considerable advantage in cut- ting down the number of items which it was neces- sary to handle in order to take care of the general demand. We feel that most of the users of canvas have

become accustomed to buying standard numbers, and

it is very seldom that we have a call for nonstandard

widths or weights. The advantage of this, of course,

in increased turnover and small inventory is plainly

apparent.”

A user of cotton duck producing waterproof clothing and fabrics said in his communication that “ we

feel that reduction of the number of items to be. con- sidered has been of benefit in avoiding the necessity

of purchasing small quantities of odd widths and

numbers, the inquirer doubtless having adapted his

condition to standard widths and numbers with probably little difficulty. In this general way we feel quite sure that the move has been of very great benefit to

all concerned, the producer, the distributor, and the

user.” No adherence surveys conducted.

No surveys have been conducted in this industry to determine what percentage of the total volume of production is in the simplified numbers and widths. The

standing committee has not considered it necessary in

view of the wide acceptance and sustained good will

that this project now enjoys.

The trade associations and the individuals prominent in the industry have employed their time and

thought, together with the services of the division of

simplified practice to lay out a definite plan to reduce

waste and thereby give better service at less cost. The general tenor of replies to the survey of the

practical results of this simplified-practice recom- mendation indicates that it has the whole-hearted

support of the industry, and in application is producing savings well worth while. Future benefits will

be in direct proportion to the degree to which industry

maintains its support and interest.

from the committees. The revised drafts are to be

submitted to the membership.

Care and operation of oil-burning apparatus and

handling of fuel oil on ships.—A preliminary draft of

proposed standard general instructions has been submitted to the membership of the American Marine

Standards Committee and others interested to ascer- tain whether or not the proposal to issue such in- structions meets with approval, and to elicit critical comments and constructive suggestions for improvement of the draft.

STANDARDIZATION OF PORT FACILITIES

The American Association of Port Authorities at

its recent annual convention indorsed the organization

by the American Marine Standards Committee, of a

technical committee on “port facilities,” to develop

standards in that field in cooperation with The Association of Port Authorities.
166

MUNICIPAL PURCHASING AND STANDARDIZING AGENCIES

In Making Analysis of the Specifications-Making and Specifications-Using Activities of More Than 330

Towns the Writer Divides Communities into Two Groups—Those Under City Manager Plan and Those

Under Other System—Summarizes the Difference Found in Municipal Purchasing and Progress Made

in Standardizing

By R. A. Martino, Division of Specifications

Since the combined purchases of the municipal,

county, and State agencies are several times as great

as the purchases for the Federal Government, there is much of interest in the methods employed by these

agencies in purchasing equipment and supplies with

money collected from the public in the form of taxes. Some idea of the purchasing methods employed by

various municipalities throughout the country can be

gained from the notes below.

In some of the larger cities certain commodities

are purchased exclusively either on contracts based on

specifications or on trade brands, while in others, purchases are made on both trade brands and specifications. In a majority of cases, cities that have formulated their own specifications have freely made use

of the specifications of

national technical societies

and trade associations, especially those of the

American Society for

Testing Materials, American Water Works Association, American Concrete Institute, American

Society for Municipal

Improvements, and the

Federal Government.

In almost every case where commodities are purchased on specifications they are checked, either at the sources of supply before delivery or upon arrival

at their destination, to determine whether or not the

goods comply with the specification requii’ements.

Some cities maintain and operate their own testing

laboratories, while others engage the laboratories of

colleges and universities, commercial agencies, or those

of State highway departments.

Study divided into two groups.

In making an analysis of the specifications-making

and specifications-using activities of more than 330

municipalities throughout the country, it seems desirable to treat the cities in two groups—those operating under the city-manager plan and those having a different form of government.

In 51 of the 210 municipalities not having city

managers the city-purchasing agency was created by

action of the city council, 44 by city ordinances, 38

by provisions in the city charter, and 13 by legislative action. In 111 of the cities the purchasing agencies make purchases for all of the city departments,

and in 17 municipalities purchases are made for all departments except the schools. In 47 of the cities purchases are made for only one or two departments,

such as the engineering or educational.

The city purchasing agent of St. Petersburg, Fla.,

is authorized to make purchases up to $300 for all departments of the city. Expenditures over that

amount must be based on specifications, and bids sent out b}^ the board of commissioners. A dual system of

purchasing is employed by the city of Baltimore, in

that all purchases of articles and materials which do

not exceed the sum of $500 are made by the central

purchasing bureau, but all purchases in excess of that, amount must be bought on contracts, the award of

which is made hi7 what is known as the board of

awards.

Each of the several city departments of Newark,

N. J., has a purchasing agent, who makes all purchases for his department. In 1929 a commission was

elected to study plans for

the establishment of a central purchasing bureau

for the entire city, for

the purpose of coordinating all purchases of

equipment and supplies

under one head. In

Schenectady, N. Y., the

purchasing agent is em- powered to make all purchases not exceeding $500,

and all material in excess of that amount is let out by competitive bidding by the board of contract and supply.

Purchases usually made on specifications.

In 99 cities purchases are usually based on writ- ten specifications, in 8 on trade brands, and in 79

they are based on both trade brands and specifications. Large purchases in New London, Conn., are based on written specifications, while smaller miscellaneous purchases are made on trade name or brand.

In Charleston, S. C., specifications are used only in the

purchase of structural materials, while in the case of

subsistence for charitable institutions, purchases are made on trade brands. Usually purchases are made

on contracts based on specifications in Richmond, Va.,

except where certain brands have proven to be more

satisfactory, in which cases specifications are not used.

Specifications are prepared in 69 cities as a result of conferences of the heads of the city departments;

in 31 they are prepared by individuals. In 86 cities the specifications used are based on those of national

associations or the Federal Government. The city of

San Francisco prepares its own specifications as a re- sult of investigations, laboratory tests, experiment,

and usage. The city of Terre Haute has adopted the

specifications of the Indiana State Highway Commis-

“ To what extent are purchase specifications

used by city governments ? ” This is a question

that has been discussed in industry for some

time, and it is believed that the article by R. A.

Martino, of the division of specifications of

the Bureau of Standards, is both timely and

informative in nature.
167

sion, which are based on those of the Federal Government.

Both in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh specifications are formulated by the city officials requiring them, and

they are usually in conformity with those of national

organizations and the Federal Government.

Two-thirds of the cities using specifications are doing so with building and road materials. A few of

the cities buy food, textiles, and office supplies on writ- ten specifications. Fifty-nine of the cities operate

their own laboratories for acceptance testing of commodities, 82 depend largely on commercial testing lab- oratories, 18 on college laboratories, and 9 on State- owned laboratories. Ninety-one of the cities make

use of college laboratories at times—usually State

institutions.

Baltimore and Portland have standards bureaus.

A bureau of standards has been organized by the

city of Baltimore to formulate standards and specifications and recommend, but not compel, their use by

the city departments and bureaus. The bureau of

standards of Portland, Oreg., is conducted under the

authority of the department of public works. It co- operates with other city bureaus in the selection and

adoption of specifications, and makes checks of deliveries purchased under specifications. With the bu- reau of building rests the responsibility for the en- forcement of the city’s building code issued bj'- the

department of public works.

Several of the cities have appointed standardization

committees for the purpose of formulating standards

and specifications for use by the various city departments and bureaus.

In Detroit, Mich., except for the school board, the

department of purchases and supplies has full authority to purchase all materials for the city, including

utilities, such as the water board, public light, and

street railways. A standards committee devotes considerable time to the study of standardization research

carried on by numerous technical societies, in an at- tempt to develop such standards and specifications as are required by the city departments.

The charter of the city of St. Louis, Mo., provides

for the creation of a board of standardization, consisting of the comptroller, the supply commissioner,

and the president of the board of public service.

Specifications are drawn up by the board of stan- ardization after study has been made of existing nationally recognized specifications for the commodities

commonly purchased for city use. Among the municipalities, New York City has formulated and utilized the greatest number of purchase

specifications, more than 1,600 specifications for 42

different classes of commodities having been prepared

for this purpose. Practically all of the work relat- ing to standardization is conducted by the department of purchase, and recommendations for standards

are forwarded to the board of estimate and apportionment. All standards adopted by this board are compulsory on all city departments.

Three agencies are concerned with the purchase of

commodities under specifications for Los Angeles,

Calif.—the city purchasing agent, the purchasing

agent for the harbor department, and the purchasing

agent for the department of water and power. The

last-mentioned department has authority to compile

or select specifications and make purchases of all materials, supplies, and equipment for use by the bureau

of water works and supply, and the bureau of power

and light. The city purchasing agent formulates

and makes purchases for all departments except those

earning their own revenues. City manager cities reviewed.

Listed in the 1929 Yearbook of the International

City Managers’ Association are nearly 400 municipalities which have adopted the citj^-manager form

of government. A survey of these cities shows that

most of them are making use of the specification

method of purchasing. The city-manager plan has

given rise to the need for specifications and for centralization of city purchases under one head, in that

the city manager is vested with complete authority

for the business affairs of the city, and he is, in turn,

directly responsible to the city council or commission.

In 46 of the 120 city-manager cities from which detailed information has been obtained, the purchasingagency was created by provisions of the city charters,

22 by city ordinances, 13 by action of the city council or commission, and 5 by legislative action. In 73 of

these cities the purchasing agencies make purchases

for all of the city departments including the schools,

and in 31 cities, purchases are made for all departments, but not for the schools. Purchases are based on written specifications in 32 cities, and on trade

brands in 23, and on both trade brands and specifications in 51 cities. In 16 of the cities the specifications used are pre- pared by individuals, in 22 these are prepared as the

result of conferences of the heads of the city divisions,

and in 27 cities the specifications are based on those

of national organizations, while in other cities only

part of their specifications are based on those national

societies and associations.

Uses specifications for building and road materials.

Seven-eighths of the cities using specifications are doing so with building and road materials. Specifications are also used for the purchase of fuels, fire apparatus, tires, electrical equipment, and office supplies.

Twenty of the cities operate laboratories for testing some of their commodities, 35 depend upon commercial testing laboratories, 20 make use of college laboratories (largely State institutions) for most of their

testing, and 25 more use college laboratories exclusively to conduct their test work.

Under the city-manager form of government in Cincinnati, Ohio, the purchasing agent, under the supervision of the city manager, makes all purchases for the

various city departments and the rapid-transit board.

Specifications are formulated by the departments is- suing requisitions in conjunction with the purchasingagent and other interested departments. All testing

for the city is conducted at the bureau of city tests, located at the University of Cincinnati.

83332—29 3
168

NEED FOR GARMENT SIZE STANDARDS

Garments Made Smaller Than Label States, Says Writer; Manufacturers Have Not Been Using Same

Standards of Measurements; Origin of Measurements Used Not Known; Review Given of Scientific

Methods of Securing Size Definitions

By Ruth O’Brien

As was so ably pointed out in the July issue of the

Commercial Standards Monthly, 1 the need for size standardization of ready-to-wear garments is beingfelt acutely by all connected with this rapidly expanding industry. Perhaps no groups are realizing the

difficulties of the present situation more than the re- tailers and consumers. They are always likely to be

the ones who suffer most during the developmental

stages of any industry.

As it now stands, there are a number of aspects to the problem. First, there is the pernicious practice

of delivering garments that are smaller than is indicated on the labels they carry. For example, in

women’s wear, often garments are labeled as 36 bust

which, when measured, are found to be much smaller.

In connection with chil- dren’s clothing, this has

been carried so far that a ludicrous situation has re- sulted. There is practically no garment on the

retail counter to-day large

enough for a normally developed child of the age

for which the garment is marked.

An amazing result is that

almost every fond parent

will tell you proudly that

his child is so large for Ids age that be takes a gar- ment two sizes larger than the normal child. Some

manufacturers have seriously contended that this is an advantage because it gives parents a gratified feeling

they would not otherwise have, and stimulates sales. Lack of uniform size definitions.

Even more disturbing is the fact that the set of

measurements used by one manufacturer for a gar- ment of a certain bust measurement or age is not al- ways the same as the set used b}i another. This situation can and is being corrected by the conferences

being held under the auspices of the division of trade

standards of the National Bureau of Standards.

The largest pattern companies and the manufacturers of some types of ready-to-wear garments have

held meetings among themselves, and, under the procedure of the bureau, have agreed upon certain standard measurements and voluntarily pledged themselves

to abide by them. The measurements adopted by such

groups are obtained by inviting each member to submit those he has been using, and, by statistical analysis, determining the ones most commonly accepted or those most closely resembling each other. The neces1 Allison, A. F., Relief for Present Marketing Difficulties. Commercial Standards Monthly, July, 1929.

sary compromises are then made by the groups sitting

in at one or more conferences.

However, another and much more serious question

is whether the sets of measurements finally agreed

upon are in accord with the actual measurements of any

considerable number of human beings. At each of the

conferences held to date the very pertinent question of

the origin of the measurements submitted has arisen.

Usually it has been answered by each manufacturer

stating that his were obtained “ by measuring large

numbers of people,” “ by measuring some average figure,” or “ by using forms made by one of the best

form manufacturers in the country.” In turn the form

manufacturers report that they base the measurements

of their forms on measurements of “ average” figures.

The answers sound rea- sonable. The only trouble

is that, in the meantime,

women are complaining

that they must alter most of

the patterns they use and

must spend time and money

having clothing refitted at the stores, while retailers are lamenting the expense

involved in the mainte- nance of huge alteration

departments and the loss of good will and money in returned goods and controversies over unsatisfactorily

fitted garments.

Origin of body measurements reviewed.

There undoubtedly have been interesting and little- suspected influences on the clothing sizes now in use. The subject of body proportions and measurements was in early times closely bound up with art, because

it Avas there that the first practical need arose for

such information. Many of the early sculptors and

painters developed the idea that there was a fundamental law of body proportions which, if discovered,

would hold for all figures.

As a result we have manuscripts dating from the

remote civilization of India to almost the end of the

nineteenth century in which artists have put forth

sj^stems of proportions based on imagined relationships between the measurements of different parts of

the body. Many are called canons, one of the most

famous being invented by the celebrated sculptor,

Polycletus, who lived about B. C. 400. An author writing in 1866 lists 49 “ of the most

modern systems of proportions.” 2 In most of these

2 Story,- W. W., The Proportions of the Human Figure, According to a New Canon, for Practical Use ; with a critical notice of the canon of Polycletus, and of the principal ancient and modern systems, 63 pp.

( illus. ) , London, Chapman & Hall, 1866.

Miss Ruth O’Brien, in charge of the division

of textiles and clothing, Bureau of Home

Economics, Department of Agriculture, in this

article ably presents her vieAvs on the logical

basis for the standardization of garment sizes,

which it is believed will not only prove of

interest to the trade but to the women of the

country as well, since they represent the consumers.
169

canons or systems the writers have taken some part of

the body as a unit for a basis of calculation and have

tried to force a relation between it and every other

part of the body. The foot, head, face, nose, and the

vertical column are some of the parts taken as units by

various investigators.

Another method consisted of complicated geometric

schemes in which one dimension of the body was

taken as a starting point and the others obtained by

developing them through a maze of circles, triangles,

and squares. The older literature reveals many of

these attempts. Sometimes an imagined harmony of

numbers was conceived. One writer contends there

are seven constant dimensions from which the other

proportions of the body can be derived, and asserts that all of the proportions of the human figure are

to be obtained from the square of the number 7. These fantastic ideas are only worthy of mention

because to-day many of them come to light again and

again in modern systems of drafting and discussions on body proportions. “ Systems ” of proportions are

still the rule and not the exception.

Studies made in secret. Perhaps thorough scientific studies of the body

measurements necessary for clothing have been made

secretly and the results are being used by some companies. However, the difficulties being met by con- sumers, the utter lack of published data, and the fact

that the entire science of human measurement has

been so recently developed, make this very doubtful.

A search of the literature reveals only one published investigation of this kind—that made by the

War Department during the demobilization period of

the World War, with the object of getting measure- ments for uniforms. 3 It seems much more logical to assume that most of

the measurements being used are the result of traditional ideas modified by individual experiences and

such tables of measurements as are available.

However, with the exception of the War Department publications mentioned above, the only published tables that can be used are those compiled from

measurements taken by physical directors in the col- lege gymnasiums and in the Young Men’s Christian

Association, medical examiners connected with in- surance companies, anthropometrists interested in

growth or physical characteristics of different races, and officials of the Government military departments.

Most of such tables give only height and weight.

Those that are more extensive report physical meas- urements that were made for a purpose entirely apart

from clothing and were taken from body landmarks

not used in clothing construction. Although many

of these measurements were accurately made by

trained anthropometrists, this fundamental difference

makes them of little value to the clothing trade. It

is also worthy of note that, with the exception of a

relatively few studies made at women’s colleges, there

have been no investigations of women’s measurements.

3 Ireland, M. W., Davenport. C. B., and Love, A. G., The Medical De- partment of the United States Army in the World War, Statistics, pt.

1. Army Anthropology, Based on Observations Made on Draft Recruits, 1917—18, and on Veterans at Demobilization, 1919. 15, pt. 1, 635 pp.

t illus. ) , Washington, D. C. ; 1921.

Some data now in use were no doubt obtained by

the more or less casual measurements of a few individuals who were judged by the worker to be “ av- erage.” To-day most clothing manufacturers seem

naively unaware of the worthlessness of the figures

obtained by clerks or tailors who pick up the nearest tape measure, guess at body landmarks, and apply

the tape hurriedly over varying amounts of clothing.

In fact, an elaborate cooperative scheme for ac- cumulating large numbers of figures in this unreliable fashion was started by a group of department

stores a few years ago. The recognition by this group

of the need of data and the desire to help was commendable, but the methods used will merely add more

inaccurate figures to those already in existence. Very

few in the clothing trade seem to know that anthropometry is a science, with definitely worked-out methods and instruments, which should be utilized in any

study of this kind or that the science of statistics has

long since brought us beyond the stage of merely

striking averages.

Government interested in studies.

The Bureau of Home Economics, Department of

Agriculture, has been interested in the problem be- cause of its economic importance not only to manufacturers and distributors, but to ail home makers who

must buy clothing, patterns, and yardage. A detailed

study of the literature available and the present needs

has been made, and a selected bibliography prepared

of articles reporting body measurements, discussing

garment and pattern sizing, and describing anthropometric methods. This furnishes a resume of the in- formation that can now be obtained on the subject

and also provides a historical background which ex- plains many present-clay practices.

The bureau is convinced that the only way to remedy

the situation is to conduct a nation-wide study of the

body measurements of the different types of individuals represented in this country, under conditions

which will insure that the best anthropometric procedure is used in taking the measurements, and that

modern statistical methods are emplo}7 ed in analyzing

the results. Under the proper supervising agency this could be

done readily through the nursery, primary and sec- ondary schools, colleges, and extension groups already

organized and interested in such problems.

The Department of Agriculture has direct contact with 664,000 children who are members of 4-H clubs,

and 907,000 adults organized under the extension

service. This, together with the fact that close co- operative relations exist between the department and

the land-grant colleges as well as other educational

organizations, makes it seem feasible for the bureau

to carry through a program of this kind.

With this in mind, a tentative plan was outlined

a few years ago and approved by a number of such

institutions. However, to date, it has been impossible to gain the financial support necessary for the

project. An investigation of this kind would re- quire a great deal of careful scientific work, but the

results would be accurate and would give a reliable

foundation upon which size standardization could be

based.
170

STANDARD OFFICE FORMS IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

Medieval Merchants First to Use Negotiable Papers; Great Variety of Warehouse Forms, Invoices, and

Bank Checks Reduced to One Standard Form for Each

By S. F. Tillman

The foundation of our present-day practice of set- tling business transactions through the medium of ne- gotiable paper, checks, drafts, and bills of exchange

dates back nearly 1,000 years. The medieval merchants of Italy, France, Spain, and other European

countries, were beset with the ruinous hazards in

transporting money and the movement of their goods was hampered by the exactions of scores of petty

States. These difficulties and uncertainties drove

them to inaugurate those trade customs which found

expression in the so-called “ law merchant,” and the

establishment of their own courts for the settlement

of disputes and for the adjustment of the commercial

claims.

In those early days, these traders developed suffi- cient unity and organization to enforce their own

practices and to secure substantial uniformity in application. Bills of exchange, letters of credit, and

similar commercial documents came into general use. Although statisticians have given various estimates

of the extent to which commercial transactions of to- day are settled through the medium of bankable paper, it does not seem unreasonable to assume that at

least 95 per cent, by volume, of all business dealings

are paid in that manner. No estimate is available of the thousands of differ- ent sizes, shapes, and arrangements of the forms

which have been devised for negotiable paper. These

instruments' vary all the way from an exceedingly

small check, designed for dainty feminine use, to the

bankable document that must be folded and unfolded

several times whenever it is used.

Often the arrangement of information on these

documents reflects personal preferences, unsupported

by essential requirements. Frequently the forms

carry much ornamentation or advertising. Divergencies in arrangement and variations in size have added

uncertainties, caused unnecessary clerical labor, also wasted time when preparing such paper for deposit,

and further have substantially impeded its progress

through the various banks.

Variety of invoices reduced.

What has been said about great variety in commercial documents in general applies with particular

force to invoices'. It is not unusual for a large com- pany to receive at least 1,000 invoices a day, of differ- ent sizes, wording, and arrangement. It is evident

that this condition must cause waste of effort on the

part of those who handle, check, audit, and file these

invoices. The last 20 years has witnessed an amazing

growth in the burden, on larger companies, of customers, invoices. One company, for example, had to maintain stocks of more than 500 special or customer in- voice forms, and write all its invoices to each of these

customers on his private or special form. The extra burden thrown on the vendor by this practice is obvious.

A few years ago several interested groups requested

the division of simplified practice to call conferences

of users of office forms, to consider and, if possible,

adopt certain simplified forms for general use. These

groups recognized that simplified forms, when made

standard by general usage, engender good will by

furthering cooperation and expediting business transactions. Likewise, by promoting efficiency and thus

tending to put business undertakings on a more sys- tematic basis, purely traditional and often wasteful

practices are eliminated. Direct and indirect ex- penses are reduced and thereby substantial economics

are gained.

In consequence certain commercial forms have been

simplified under the auspices of the division of simplified practice. Warehouse forms have been reduced

from hundreds of varieties to 15. This simplification, which became effective on September 24, 1924, was drafted and supported by the American Warehousemen’s Association. The president of the asso- ciation said at the time that “ the use of these standard

forms will eliminate misunderstandings and greatly

improve the service of the warehouse business

throughout the United States.” Standard bank checks.

The simplified practice recommendation for bank

checks, notes, drafts, and similar instruments, which

became effective March 1, 1926, reduced an unknown

number of varieties to one size for each instrument.

Advertising matter, pictures, etc., are to be eliminated

as far as possible from the face of checks and voucher

checks. Where, however, it is felt necessary to show

trade-marks, insignia, or other display, such design

should appear in the upper left-hand corner of check

and should not encroach upon space to be used for

payee’s name or other essential features. In promulgating this recommendation, the American Bankers Association, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Manufacturing Bank and Commercial Stationers, California Manufacturers Association, Lithographers Cooperative Association, National

Association of Manufacturers, National Association of

Purchasing Agents, Railway Accounting Officers Association, Railway Treasury Officers Association, and

United Typothetee of America, and many other wellknown organizations played a prominent part.

The recommendation for commercial forms, in- cluding invoice, inquiry, and purchase-order forms, re- duced thousands of varieties to three. This recommendation became effective April 1, 1925. The simplified

invoice combining the best features of the national

standard invoice as adopted in April, 1925, and the

uniform invoice projected shortly thereafter was

adopted February 17, 1927. Among the associations
171

which have accepted this recommendation are National Association of Purchasing Agents, Railway

Accounting Officers Association, American Manufacturers Association, American Hardware Manufacturers Association, American Supply and Machinery Manufacturers Association, American Walnut Manufacturers Association, The Asphalt Association, Association of National Advertisers, Autographic Register Manufacturers Association, Continuous Fold Printers Association, Dairy Products

Association of the Northwest, Linen Supply Association of America, National Association of Builders

Exchange, National Association of Certified Public

Accountants, National Association of Credit Men,

National Association of Paint Distributors, National

Association of Steel Furniture Manufacturers, National Paper Box Manufacturers Association, National Slate Association, Plywood Manufacturers Association, Press of the American Institute of Architects, Public Utilities Advertising Association, Rubber Association of America, Sales Book Manufacturers Association, Steel Barrel Manufacturers Association, United Roofing Contractors Association,

United Metal Trades Association of the Pacific Coast. Success dependent upon cooperation.

It is obvious that the standardization of office forms

can only be effected through cooperation. The interchange of ideas and experience is the satisfactory

method by which business can attain the best results. The formulating of a simplification program is only a

step toward the goal. The simplified forms must be

pi’acticable and must be generally adopted if the advantages of simplification are to materialize.

NEW BUREAU PUBLICATION

Publication on Protection of Electrical Circuits and Equipment Against Lightning Issued The Bureau of Standards has issued as Miscellaneous

Publication No. 95 a report dealing with the application of lightning arresters to electrical lines and

equipment. The report has been drawn up by a committee of experts representing the various technical

societies and others concerned with this subject.

The protection of power, railway, signaling, and

communication circuits and apparatus is described.

The bulk of the report deals with the application of

lightning arresters to power and railway circuits, but

other methods of protection, such as the use of over- head ground wires, are also discussed.

Proper selection of arresters described.

Not only direct strokes of lightning, but induced

surges upon overhead conductors produce a great deal

of trouble in the operation of the electrical utility

service. This report points out how a proper selection

and application of lightning arresters will greatly

reduce such troubles and enable the utility companies

to avoid frequent interruptions to their service from

this cause. The investigation of the properties of lightning is now being carried out by investigators more intensively than ever before, and it is expected that within

In general, the final draft of such a standard is not

the product of an individual, but the composite of the

best ideas and suggestions advanced. It must be borne

in mind that any departure or variation, however

slight, from the simplified form, as adopted, will be

confusing to a large number of employees who have

to handle the instrument, and will result in inconvenience and difficulties in many directions. Few individuals would care to assume the position of being able

to improve upon the result of the considered opinion

and experience of the large number of specialists who

have helped to make the simplified bank check and the

simplified invoice form the best for general use. While any form promulgated for general use will, in certain cases, be susceptible of changes to meet

individual views, nevertheless, in the interest of the

“ greatest good for the greatest number,” it is neces- sary to sacrifice one’s individual preferences. The

simplified forms do not necessarily represent a fixed

and unalterable practice. On the contrary they are subject to revision or reconsideration whenever the

majority of users concerned find there is a manifest

need for such action.

Standard forms ought not to be altered merely to meet some transient situation, but instead effort should

be toward a thorough test of the applicability of the

standards to individual cases. The simplified business documents above referred to have been in use for some time and have proven their

practicability and adaptability. A closer adherence

to the standards will eliminate much of the waste now

due to excessive diversification in sizes, shapes, and

arrangement, and as such wastes are eliminated,

clerical costs and office expenses will be still further

reduced.

a short time our knowledge of the properties of lightning and of the methods of combating its effects will

be greatly increased.

Copies of this publication may be obtained from the

Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing

Office, Washington, D. C., at a cost of 25 cents per

copy.

STANDARD LOCKS FOR SHIP DOORS

A series of proposed standards comprising general

specifications and outline drawings have been completed in preliminary form for submittal to the membership of the American Marine Standards Committee and others concerned, to ascertain whether or not

the proposal to standardize locks meets with approval

and to elicit critical comments and constructive suggestions for improvement of the proposed standard.

Fourteen standard locks are contemplated with

standard and alternative accessories. The assortment

is deemed sufficient to provide for all ordinary ship

requirements. The purpose is to establish a minimum

standard of quality deemed essential for reliable and

lasting locks, to secure interchangeability of the locks

and accessories of any one type in order to facilitate

and minimize cost of replacement, and to establish a common basis for, and to simplify production, ready

stocks, and purchasing.
172

STANDARD PACKAGES

4 Convenience as Well as Economy and a Source of Revenue for Producers, Users, and Carriers; Purchasing Departments Play an Important Part in Developing Standardization Projects

By Ray M. Hudson, Assistant Director, Bureau of Standards, for Commercial Standards

Approximately 900 companies operate electric trac- tion properties in the United States, including city,

suburban, and interurban lines. Collectively they buy

great quantities of materials, supplies, and equipment

of widely diversified character. The list of their

purchases ranges from tickets and office supplies to freight and passenger cars ; from track spikes and tie- plates to generators, turbines, boilers; also the building materials for the structures which house them and

the machinery for the shops that keep power plant and

rolling stock in running order.

Coincident with the problem of purchasing to meet

this great variety of wants are those of receiving,

handling, and storing the goods bought, and, finally,

issuing them to the various departments, divisions, or

sections.

A majority of the materials of supply and mainte- nance come in some kind of a container; oil in drums,

battery acid in carboys, nails or spikes in kegs, insulators in barrels or boxes, etc. In fact, nearly every

variety of container finds its way into, and eventually

out of, the storehouse.

This very diversity in size, dimension, style, and

type imposes many problems. Special types of equipment may be necessary for handling. ' The problem

of storing and piling for economy of floor space and

convenience at inventory is ever present. Accessibility for easy issuance must be considered, and like- wise thought must be given to their protection against

depreciation or deterioration. Hazards arising in

connection with storage of inflammables and against

damage and injury also pass in review before the effi- cient and conscientious stores supervisor. He, per- haps, has more problems “ to the square inch ” than

does any other official, certainly he has as many as any

of them.

But these problems may be reduced, alleviated, simplified, through the simplification and standardization of containers. Much progress is being made in

this direction by the stores department officials of the

steam roads and by those of many of our larger in- dustrial firms and corporations. To the alert stores superintendent and his purchasing agent a container

is no longer just a container. A package is not just

another package.

Fewer types desired by all. Attention to the shape, size, and type of container

through cooperation of the stores superintendent, the

purchasing agent, and the vendor is bringing about

the development of fewer and better types—containers that do not involve excess packing and shipping costs—reduced weights that save money, be it ever so small an amount, in the cost of transporting

from factory to user. Containers that readily lend themselves to piling,

stacking, and tiering economically; containers that are

literally stock bins until emptied, and then worth

salvaging for reuse, or for sale for some other purpose—these are all indicative of the rapidly increasing recognition of the fundamental importance of the

container as the solution to many current stores problems. Modification of present container types or sizes to meet the ultimate purposes of the buyer evidences

the tendency to focus on this source of stores problems and to solve them at their source. Simplification of containers, properly worked out between the man who uses the goods, the man who

buys them, and the man who makes, sells, packs, and

ships them is bringing many economies and greater

convenience to all three. From the carrier’s side, this evolution in container

design and construction, is helping to reduce loss and

damage claims. Container simplification is enablingshippers more effectively to utilize car floor space, and

stores superintendents more efficiently to use receivingdepot or warehouse floor space. This simplification is leading to the further simplification of materialhandling equipment, notably hand-lift trucks, skid

platforms, etc. Marked economy in loading time is the result, and

with less time at the freight or warehouse platforms,

cars are under way more quickly. Rolling stock either

makes more trips or is moving with paying load more

hours of the year. The road’s revenues are enhanced

by this reduction of “ turn-around time,” and this re- duction lias its origin in the simplification and standardization of containers.

Lower costs for containers.

In so far as container or package standardization

makes for lower cost to the buyer, it means appropriations or budgets for supplies and materials go further; and so far as it helps reduce worry or needless

waste of time, it makes for higher efficiency and

greater effectiveness among all who must handle the

goods, whether labor in the track gang, electrician in

the line repair crew, or mechanic in the car barns, not

forgetting the personnel in the stock rooms. The cry for lower costs of distribution is driving

attention to the container problems in many fields. If

retail merchants can secure cooperation in simplifying

their container problems, then it would seem logical

for the stores superintendents and purchasing agents

to likewise receive similar cooperation from their

vendors of the conveniences and economies of issuing

to the using department four standard packages of 25

each, against the laborious counting, bagging, or otherwise preparing for delivery of 100 of the same item,

whatever it may be. Content units may vary—there may be 10 in one

instance, 100 in another, or 500 in a third. That question is settled by the nature and character of the item,

the frequency of its issue, or of its purchase, its value,

etc.
173

The outstanding obstacles to greater progress to- ward package standardization are habit, custom, and

mental inertia. There is too much reluctance to at- tempt anything different from the way it has always

been done, and not enough serious thinking on whether

or not the old way is the best way, the most economical,

the simplest.

Standardization of trunks.

An outstanding example of the value of simplification in the packaging or container field is found in

the project undertaken by the Central Association of

German Trunk Manufacturers, in common with representatives of the Merchants and Consumers Association, to standardize trunks. It was decided to manufacture only 10 sizes of hand bags, 4 sizes of collapsible bags, 4 sizes of steamer trunks, and 3 sizes each

of men’s and women’s trunks. The sizes are so graded

that when shipping they may be placed one inside

the other and thus expense of packing and transportation may be decreasedIn this country a simplification program for trunks

and luggage is under consideration. It is expected

that the industry will complete such a project this

month.

Manufacturers and users of skid platforms and lift trucks have agreed upon standard dimensions for two

sizes of skid platforms, as well as adopting a standard

terminology for skids and trucks, for use by all in- dustries. This simplification program became ef- fective on October 1, 1928. The net of all this interest in container and package simplification and standardization is: (1) Reduced packing costs; (2) reduced handling ex- pense, (3) lower costs for transportation per unit,

(4) more effective utilization of car and warehouse

space, (5) reduced expense for storekeeping and inventory taking, (6) greater convenience and less hazard

in handling, (7) easier accounting and stores control,

(8) fewer errors, (9) more efficient service of supply,

(10) greater appreciation b}T everybody on the road

of the helpfulness and value of the purchasing and

stores departments, that through their regard for this

container problem, and for practical package standardization, eases everybody’s troubles.

If the other nine don't count, then benefit No. 10

alone is enough to warrant pushing this job across.

PAPER COMMITTEE APPOINTED

Membership of National Paper Standards Committee Approved; General Conference for Record and Printing Paper

Standard Set for April 8, 1930 In response to the action taken at the October 2, 1929, preliminary conference on the standardization of

record and printing papers, the National Paper Standards Committee appointed by S. L. Willson, president

of the American Paper and Pulp Association, was

approved by the National Conference Committee at a meeting in New York on November 6. The personnel of the committee is as follows : Blotting, H. W. Ellerson, of the Albemarle Paper Co.,

Richmond, Ya. ; bonds, ledgers, mimeo, manifold, and

safety body stock, J. Frank McElwain, counselor to Manufacturers and Merchants, West Springfield, Mass.,

Harrison Baldwin, sales manager, Hammermill Paper

Co., Erie, Pa. ; book, offset, George Olmstead, vice

president, S. D. Warren Co., Cumberland Mills, Me.;

John N. Bergstrom, president, Bergstrom Paper Co.,

Neenah, Wis. ; bristols (index), Norman Harrower,

Fitchburg, Mass., and Harold Nixon, secretary and

sales manager, Chapin & Gould, Russell, Mass. ; post

card, coated blanks, C. S. Boyd, president, Appleton

Coated Paper Co., Appleton, Wis., and Walter Randall, vice president, Champion Coated Paper Co.,

Hamilton, Ohio; cover, W. V. Williams, vice president and manager, Beckett Paper Co., Hamilton,

Ohio; envelopes, R. I. Allison, sales manager, U. S. Envelope Co., Springfield, Mass. ; chemists, Dr. Jessie E. Minor, Writing Paper Manufacturers, Springfield,

Mass., Dr. George Richter or Dr. N. L. Nourse, The

Brown Co., Berlin, N. H., Dr. Bjarne Johnsen, Hammermill Paper Co., Erie, Pa.

Industry sent letters regarding representation.

To secure a truly representative committee of the

entire industry, letters were sent by the division of

trade standards to the larger manufacturers who are

not represented in the American Paper and Pulp Association, asking if they desired representation on the

National Standards Committee. One such request was received, and the company’s representative was

included on the committee.

The committee includes manufacturers of paper

under the 13 classifications covered in the field of

record and printing papers. The advice and opinions

of other manufacturers in the various groups will

be sought through the formation of subcommittees

headed by the committee members of each group.

When tentative standards are formulated they will

be correlated by the entire committee and after their

approval by the manufacturers, will be submitted for

open criticism and comment to all interests of the in- dustry at a general conference which is tentatively ar- ranged for April 8, 1930.

PUBLICATIONS OF MARINE STANDARDS

ANNOUNCED

The following pamphlets have recently been printed

and distributed to the membership of the American

Marine Standards Committee and others interested,

according to the secretary of the committee

:

AMSC60, Chocks for Ships, comprising nine standards of different t}r pes of plain and roller chocks.

AMSC61, Marine Boilers and Pressure Vessels, rules

for design and construction.

Copies jo f these publications are available at the

nominal price of 10 cents each from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office,

Washington, D. C. A list of this series of publications, now comprising Nos. 1 to 62, inclusive, and

containing 102 standards promulgated by the American Marine Standards Committee, is available upon

application to the Secretary, American Marine Standards Committee, Room 713. Department of Commerce,

Washington, D. C.
174

THE BANKERS’ NEED FOR STANDARDS OF PAPER QUALITY

Purchasing Agent Discusses Banking Industry and Its Reaction to Standardization of Paper Quality;

Bankers Feel Lack of Adequate Specifications; Standards Protect Values

By R. E. Flynn. Purchasing Agent, Union Trust Co., Detroit, Mich.

It is unquestionably true that banks generally use far too many grades of paper. It is also true that

there is often no apparent relation between the grades

of paper employed and the respective uses for which

they are intended. Colors are sometimes used without

any regard for added costs and standard sizes are ignored by office managers and department heads, all of which cause extra worry to both buyers and

printers.

In the effort of banking institutions to reduce over- head costs, particularly in service departments, which

is one of the main reasons for bank consolidations,

greater attention is being directed to the purchasing

function, and buyers in turn are seeking every known

means of increasing their knowledge of commodities

so as to make intelligent selection possible.

It is believed that it is not unfair to state that

the cooperation sought by

buyers of paper and dis- tributors has not proved

particularly profitable to date to the for m e r. Neither is to be blamed

for this condition.

Rather is it due to a lack

of adequate and understandable specifications,

by which the former

can recommend certain

grades of paper for defi- nite uses and by which the buyer can intelligently

purchase what the need demands. An example of this

lack of cooperation can be found in the variations

between binder and file sizes. For instance, the nearest size standard binar sheet to fit a bill file of 8% by

10 inches dimensions is 6 by 9y2 inches, a size that is quite unsuited for many purposes. Interests of bankers cited.

Briefly stated, banks are chiefly interested in the

standardization of paper grades, sizes, and colors be- cause this makes possible the securing of: (1) Better

value for money expended, (2) better quality, (3)

prompt deliveries, (4) lower inventory costs, (5)

simplifies purchasing. (6) provides protection against

unscrupulous paper merchants, and (7) makes match

ups and reprints much easier. While banks generally use nearly all of the so-called

fine papers to some extent, their major needs are confined to: (1) Bonds (including typewriter papers),

(2) bristols and index bristols, (3) envelopes, (4)

ledgers (including manifold papers), and (5) safety

body stock. Bond papers.

Under this classification we include chiefly letter- heads and office forms. Nowhere does the axiom,

“ The character of an institution is reflected by its letterheads,” apply more strongly than in the case of

banking houses. Therefore, the type of paper selected

for this purpose should be of a grade that will create

in the mind of the recipient a sense of strength and

permanence. Fineness of texture and purity of color are also important factors in that they impart a sense of good judgment that is supposed to be the

particular attribute of successful bankers.

Inasmuch as nearly all letterheads are folded and

are subjected to severe usage in many cases, the grade

of paper selected should bear a high folding-endurance

test. It should be pointed out in this connection that

nothing of which we know tends to destroy the impressions indicated above quite so much as by a letterhead

which after folding a few times begins to crack and

fray along the edges of

the creases. The question of finish on the stock is an important one. As the majority of letterheads used

by banks are either en- graved or lithographed,

it is essential that a fin- ish be secured that will

best take steel or stone

impressions. Little atten- tion need be paid in this

respect to the demand for

paper that will take pen

and ink impressions, as nearly all letters are typewritten to-day, but it is important that neat and last- ing impressions be secured in the latter case. The

same may be said of multigraphed letters, which are

increasing in popularity.

The life of letterheads is a relatively short one and

it is a curious anomaly that as conditions stand to-day

in order to secure stock possessing the qualities out- lined above, it is necessary to purchase paper that will

last for many years. If a fine paper is developed that

will meet all of these requirements it will mean a sav- ing of many thousands of dollars each year to the

banking interests of this country.

Bonds and stock certificates.

Although neither bonds nor stock certificates are

subjected, as a rule, to hard usage, they are often re- quired to last a long time, and in these respects are

just the opposite of letterheads, although there is a considerable variation in the case of bonds, where the

maximum life could possibly be set at 30 years and

the minimum at 5 years. Permanent stock certificates, on the other hand, may be required to last during the

entire lifetime of the corporation. With the great wave of bank mergers that is sweeping the country,

the demand for temporary stock certificates has arisen,

the maximum life of which would probably be 5 years.

The observations made by the author in this

article are not to be construed as an official state- ment from the American Bankers Association

or any other organization of American bankers.

Rather are they the result of personal experiences

in the purchase of paper for the writer’s own

institution, supplemented by the views of other

bank buyers and officials with whom he has

conferred.
Probably no other contracts issued by banks is looked upon Avith quite the same degree of awe as

these, and therefore extreme cai’e is usually taken to secure stock that will exemplify ruggedness and high

caste. As in the case of letterheads, the same characteristics that contribute these qualities make for ex- tremely long life, far in excess of actual requirements

in some instances. In view of the fact that the leading stock exchanges require such instruments to be

produced on at least steel engraved borders (in some

cases they demand that the entire certificate be en- graved), it is important that a finish be secured that

will properly take these impressions.

Some exchanges permit the body of such instruments to be printed, particularly when they are of a temporary nature, and it is important that this also

be taken into account. The writer has yet to witness

what might be termed a Avell printed bond or stock

certificate, and the reason

for the failure i of printing houses to turn out high-grade jobs is un- doubtedly due to an improper selection of the

body stock to be used for

these purposes.

Office forms.

In view of the great A

7 a- riety of needs covered by

this classification, they,

perhaps, can best be studied by dividing them into

three groups: (1) Temporary forms, (2) semipermanent forms, a n d

(3) permanent forms.

Under temporary

forms, we would class such types as those used

for interoffice correspondence, work sheets, advices,

and office memorandums,

the maximu

m

life of

which would be five years. Under semipermanent forms, Ave would include some

legals, particularly those limited by statutory requirements and office record forms used as corrollaries of

these legals, the life of which Avould range between

5 and 15 years. Permanent forms would embrace

those used for long-term agreements, such as land

contracts, deeds, wills, reproductions of Government

records, deposit slips, and copies of some letters. The degree of handling varies in each case so this

classification should provide grades as follows: (1)

Those subject to excessive handling, (2) those subjected to moderate handling, and (3) those subject

to slight handling. As folding constitutes unusual wear on paper, grades should be provided on the same

schedule as that of handling.

The medium in which forms are used is likewise

important. For instance, there are few grades of

bond paper produced that are suitable for protracted

use in binders. Tearing of post or ring holes and

breaking off of coimers from constant thumbing are

the chief objections.

The finish is likewise important and should furnish

a range that Avill provide for filling in with pen,

pencil, or typewriter. As the majority of office forms

in use to-day are partly printed and the remainder

filled in by typewriter, a balance should be struck in

the finishing process that will facilitate both operations without danger of smearing.

Summarizing this discussion of office forms, we believe the manufacturers of paper should set up definite

specifications (taking life as the basis) for each group

as outlined. For instance, permanent forms would

bear separate gradings, according to handling, folding endurance, and medium of use and method of

impression.

Bristols.

Practically every bank uses large quantities of bristols, particularly index bristols. The uses to Avhich

they are put are fairly

uniform and vary chiefly

according to life. In this

respect, they may be classified the same as office forms, namely, temporary, semipermanent, and

permanent. The majority, undoubtedly, fall

within the latter class and include signature

cards, average balance

cards, and accounting

records.

Nearly all are subjected

to excessive handling in

and out of files and

machines. The majority

contain some printing

and are posted, either by

machine or pen and ink.

Other requirements are that they be made from

short to medium fibers to provide stiffness and

good printing surfaces.

They should be capable

of hard usage without splitting and should be hard

sized to provide erasive and rewriting qualities,

which may occur in the same spot on the sheet several

times.

Curly or wavy bristol is exceptionally objectionable

and it is therefore important that attention be given

to the proper laying of the grain. To secure these

results, it seems necessary to insist that they may be

made on a Fourdrinier machine rather than on a cylinder machine. When made in this manner it will also be possible to secure minimum thickness consistent

with strength which will reduce filing demands.

We believe it is possible to go further astray in the

purchase of bristols than of any other kind of paper,

due to the lack of proper specifications and knowledge

of the subject.

Envelopes.

There is a wide dUergence of opinion in the matter

of the use of envelopes, and Ave belieA7 e a tremendous

waste occurs each year in banking institutions through

In his article the Avriter has not attempted to be at all technical, feeling that this lies entirely

within the province of paper manufacturers.

Rather, has he confined his attention to the pre- sentation of uses made of each of the mentioned

types of fine papers in the banks and trust companies in the United States, in the hope that with

this outline as a guide, the manufacturers may

draft such specifications as will make it possible

for bank buj^ers generally to intelligently plan

their purchases of this commodity.

To the buyer there seems little justification, states the author, for the comparative ease with

which odd sizes, weights, grades, and colors may

be secured with disastrous results to purchase

budgets. In spite of the fact that it is generally

recognized that there is no need for such departures, manufacturers continue to cater to individual whims, and the author is convinced that as long as this condition is allowed to prevail co- operation, which is so greatly desired between

sellers and buyers, will not come to pass.
176

improper selection of grades of paper used in their

manufacture.

Inasmuch as all correspondence envelopes have a purely temporary life, the chief requirements are good

appearance and sufficient strength to withstand handling in the mails. A comparatively cheap grade of

bond paper of the proper finish and color usually meet

these requirements, but the chief difficulty is to secure

a finish that will readily take glue and thus facilitate

sticking of the flaps. Definite specifications for en- velope paper of this class would be a decided contribution to industry.

Variations in the general rule may be found in the

case of so-called coupon and outlook envelopes. The

former are used chiefly for the storage of clipped

coupons from bonds and are subject to much handling.

A light weight paper is usually desired to facilitate

filing in limited quarters, a requirement that is some- what complicated by the fact that they are posted

(usually in pen and ink) several times before their

presentation to the paying agent. An outlook en- velope is usually desirable for this purpose.

Outlook envelopes are also widely used for some

correspondence purposes and must meet the same demands as those indicated above. One-piece envelopes

apparently are more desirable than other types for

this purpose. A printed design on the inner side

helps to ensure privacy by rendering the envelope

opaque.

The chief objection from bankers to a more extensive use of one-piece outlook envelopes for general

correspondence purposes is found in the grades of

paper used in their manufacture. If their weight,

appearance, and color can be increased to correspond

with that of a good grade of 24-pound bond, these objections would be largely overcome. Outlook envelopes are subject only to printing corner cards, so addressing requirements need no consideration.

Ledgers.

For the most part, ledgers fall within that class of

paper of which permanent life is demanded. The

most important records of banking institutions are recorded on them, such as customers’ accounts, daily

profit and loss statements, general book entries and

minute books of director’s and stockholder’s meetings.

In the administration of estates and trusts, it is often

necessary to produce in court accounts of long standing. It is therefore imperative that long-lived paper

be selected for these purposes.

The majority of ledgers are also subjected to unusually hard usage, particularly from thumbing on

the outer corners. Some are posted in ink, while

others are posted in machines according to the system

in vogue in the institution concerned, the latter operation usually being repeated with each sheet many

times before being permanently filed. Although many

business houses demand ledger sheets that will stand

many erasures and rewrites, this practice is so con- trary to good banking principles that it should not be

considered as a requirement of financial institutions.

Ledger sheets while in active use may be kept either

in binders, bound books, or trays. With the growing

popularity of loose-leaf systems, many are filed in

binders, and the constant removal and replacement

constitutes a heavy wear on post and slot holes. The

use of ledger trays is also on the increase, and,

although care is observed in cutting to follow the machine direction of fibres, sheets continue to crease and

corners breakdown, which make posting by machine

extremely difficult. The need for accurate registration with proof sheets and customer’s copies, makes

finish an important element in the case of ledgers, in- asmuch as nearly all are machine ruled, partly printed

and posted by one of the two methods indicated above.

Safety body stock.

It will be noted that no attempt is made here to prescribe methods by which safety paper is to be

treated by the use of sensitized tint blocks or other

accepted means to prevent alterations. It is believed

that inasmuch as the processes in use are the particular

property of each manufacturer concerned, they are, therefore, not subject to examination or criticism at this time. None, so far as we know, have proved

wholly invulnerable, and for this reason, it appears

that the body stock presents the more important phase

for study.

Briefly stated, safety paper is used chiefly for bank

drafts and checks. These may be subdivided into

those issued by the bank itself, which are generally

termed cashier’s checks and customer’s checks. Both

may be subjected to extremely hard usage, often pass- ing through many hands before being returned to the

bank of issue. Although the State of Michigan limits

the useful life of checker to six years, it is open to ques- tion whether or not the bank’s responsibility ends with

providing safety stock for customer’s checks possessing

only that potential life. This will, of course, vary

according to the statutes of each State. Checks filed for reference.

In view of the fact that the bank cashier’s checks

are filed away for permanent reference, there are many

who will argue that the customer is entitled to the same consideration. That many banks share this

opinion is shown by the fact that a large number of

banks use the same grade of stock for both types of

checks.

It is, perhaps, needless to state that those same impressions of virility and good taste should be conveyed

by these messengers as in the case of letterheads,

bonds, and stock certificates. To enhance this impression, the majority of bank checks are lithographed

with the exception of the customer’s name, which is imprinted on a special printing press. Usually on cashier’s checks, the payee’s name is typed in, the amount stamped or cut in with a check

writing machine and signed in pen and ink. Undoubtedly the majority of customer’s checks are filled in by pen and ink, although many use a typewriter

and there are always a few cases where a pencil is employed. In such cases, a sensitive tint has decided advantages.
STANDARDS FOR CLERICAL WORK

National Office Management Association and “System” Magazine to Collaborate in Working Out Ratios

and Establishment of Standards for Clerical Work in Business Offices

The National Office Management Association and

the System magazine, will collaborate in the workingout of ratios and the establishment of standards for

clerical work in general, as it is now conducted in

business offices, W. H. Leffingwell has informed the

Commercial Standards Monthly. Possibly no two or- ganizations better equipped for this work could be

found.

While ratios, measurements, and standards have

been worked out for some other phases of business

activity, and have proven invaluable to the merchant,

the office has been completely overlooked in this

respect.

It undoubtedly presents an extensive field for work

of this kind. Ratios of space, for example, the amount

of room that should be apportioned to executives,

clerks, and office equipment have been lacking until

now, a costly condition in large cities where rental

space reaches very high figures. The investigation can also be turned upon office supplies, paper, pens,

typewriter ribbons, forms, and stationery of all kinds.

There is a vague estimate that this expense now runs from $50 to $250 annually per clerk employed, and

between these sums there is a great gulf which this

investigation should go far to close up. Investigation should prove valuable.

In the matter of clerical minutes per order, a test of

office efficiency where the order is the principal factor

around which the business revolves, the findings of the

invesigation should prove of great value. Other

work units, where the order is not the principal factor,

will also be subjected to measurement and the various

ratios connected therewith found. Data on typewriting output will also be sought, and the work of stenographers and dictating machine operators scrutinized

for the same purpose.

Few office managers to-day know how many letters a typist should produce daily, or how many entries a bookkeeper should post in any specified time. Little

of a definite character is known about these and similar

matters, and the average office manager if questioned

upon them could give nothing more than a haziest

guesses. All of these and like matters pertaining to

clerical office work will be thoroughly investigated,

the information analyzed for various types of business, and ratios worked out for each. “ System ” performed analogous service 15 years

ago.

System is no tyro in this work, as some 15 years

ago it performed an analogous service in establishing

retail units, a work which has been of incalculable

benefit to progressive retail merchants and which has

been followed up by many chambers of commerce and

business institutions throughout the land. On the

other hand, the National Office Management Association is peculiarly well equipped in the possesison of a large number of members who are specialists in work

of this particular kind, and who, as they reside in

many different parts of the country, are thus advantageously placed to take effective part in a widespread

investigation.

A country-wide investigation will be made by means

not only of questionnaires, but special studies by experts. The whole will be made available through the

columns of System, and the Proceedings of the

National Office Management Association.

If, as it is said, management is the first step in the

placing of any subject upon a scientific plane, the

value of this investigation to office management can hardly be overestimated.' It will go further to do for

the office manager what a previous similar investigation has done for the retail trader in the establishment

of business ratios, the measurement and ultimate establishment of standards in office work.

THE HOUSEHOLDER BUYER

Writer in Ladies’ Home Journal Explains Benefits to the Housewives Resulting from Work of the Bureau of Standards; Labeling Plan a Protection in Buying

In the November issue of the Ladies'1 Home Journal

there is an article by Lita Bane, home economics editor

of that publication, on “ The Household Buyer,” in

which she reviews the work of the Bureau of Standards in aiding industry to develop simplifications,

commercial standards, and the certification and label- ing plan.

In her discussion of the value of these programs,

she answers the question “ How will the public benefit

from this work?” by the following statement: UA

customer bent on a shopping expedition steps into a

store to purchase articles. The first thing she will

look for will be the label or standard. This label will

bear an inscription somewhat as follows : ‘ guaranteed

to comply with the standard of specification

No. ’ This label will convey the message that

the product attached to it is manufactured from

proper materials, in an efficient manner, according to

specifications. It will assure her that it has true

values, because it is a standard merchandise.”

In concluding her article, Miss Bane pointed out that inasmuch as the Ladies' Home Journal believes

that “ one of the modern homemaker’s chief problems

is the wise selection of household supplies and equipment, the magazine is cooperating with the Federal

Government in collecting, sorting, and presenting for

the use of its readers the standards and specifications

that may better enable the household budget to yield

the satisfaction and enjoyment sought by the family.”
178

LUMBER INDUSTRY SUMMARIZE RECOMMENDATIONS

Certified Shipper’s Certificates of Car Contents Added to Grade and Trade Marking and Guaranteeing of

Individual Pieces; Part of the Hoover Standardization and Betterment of Trade Relations Program

Begun Seven Years Ago

The National Lumber Manufacturers Association

announced on November 5 that the program for improved lumber marketing practices in the interest of

the general public, undertaken by organized lumber

manufacturers in cooperation with President Hoover

when he was Secretary of Commerce, has been brought

to virtual completion, through the action of the West

Coast Lumbermen’s Association in undertaking to furnish buyers of carload lots of lumber with a sealed

“ Shipper’s certificate of car contents,” and the declaration of the Southern Pine Manufacturers Association that its mills will soon adopt the practice.

The “ Shipper’s certificate of car contents ” is positive assurance to the buyer of the quantity as well

as the quality of lumber contained in any shipment,

and marks the accomplishment of one of President

Hoover’s notable efforts toward industrial standardization undertaken through conferences between busi- ness men and the Department of Commerce.

The “ Shipper’s certificate ” of lumber quantity and

classification was first adopted a year ago by the mills

composing the Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Association, and more recently by the Western Pine

Manufacturers Association. Its adoption bv the West

Coast Lumbermen’s Association and the Southern

Pine Association brings the idea into use in 75 per

cent of America’s largest lumber mills. The Hardwood Manufacturers Institute, Northern Pine Manufacturers Association, and California White and Sugar

Pine Manufacturers Association are already committed to the idea, and the other lumber manufacturing groups are expected to follow suit. These as- sociations are federated into the national association,

which will hereafter make promotion of certified lumber shipments a leading feature of its national

advertising.

The new certificate, used in slightly varying forms

by the various regional lumber associations, provides

for a detailed declaration on the part of the shipper

of size, length, grade, species, working pieces, or bundles of lumber contained in each car. The certificate

is then inclosed in a waterproof envelope and nailed to the inside of the car containing the shipment.

This statement on the certificate itself reveals its value : “ This certificate is issued by the manufacturer

to give you a record of size, grade, and tally of the

stock contained in this car as it was loaded at his plant.

The grades produced by the manufacturer are supervised and checked by experienced graders of the

association under the official grading rides of the association. If your invoice does not conform with

this certificate, file your complaint with the seller within 10 days after receipt of the shipment and send a copy to the association.”

The form of the certificate used by the individual

manufacturer is issued by his association, thus emphasizing to the buyer that the grades produced are supervised by the association, and he is assured of full cooperation or assistance by the association in settling

claims. The matter is thus taken out of a purely in- dividual category.

Part of simplification program.

In addressing lumber manufacturers, distributors,

architects, builders, engineers, and industrial con- sumers of lumber assembled for the first general lumber standards conference at the Department of Commerce in 1922, Secretary Hoover urged the establishment of more definite standards of quality and quantity to simplify lumber purchasing and reduce waste

in manufacture, transportation, and utilization.

Subsequent collaboration between lumber manufacturers’ associations and the distributors and users with

officials of the Department of Commerce and the Forest Service resulted in the drafting of “American

Lumber Standards,” which have been accepted by the

lumber manufacturers’ association as the basis of lumber grades.

To assist lumber purchasers to benefit from standard lumber, the National Lumber Manufacturers Association is promoting among the manufacturers the

practice of identifying their product by grade marks

and trade-marks on the lumber itself. The grade

marks identify the quality of each piece, while trademark, the “ tree-mark,” carrying with it a grade guarantee of each piece by the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, is the logical climax.

Manufacturers of 8,000,000,000 feet of lumber an- nually are now identifying through grade and trademarks. The addition of the new “ shipper’s certifi- cate ” for lumber deliveries completes the security of

the lumber buyer by guaranteeing the quantity of car- load shipments, according to the different grades.

The adoption of the American Lumber Standards,

the program of grade and trade-marking culminating

in guaranteed “ tree-mark ” lumber, and now the

use of the new shipper’s certificate of car contents,

singles out the lumber industry as one of the industrial

groups that have gone the whole distance in simplifying, and building confidence in trade relations.

STEEL OFFICE EQUIPMENT

Industry May Simplify Variety of Steel Office Equipment as Well as Defining Standard Shade of Olive Green for Office Furniture

A committee representing purchasers of steel office equipment throughout the country, is being organized

for the purpose of determining the advisability of

simplifying the existing variety in over-all dimensions

of this type of equipment, as well as a clarification

of the use of the term “ olive green,” reports the division of simplified practice.

Under existing conditions there is considerable diffi- culty experienced by the purchaser of steel office furniture in matching his present equipment.
179

STANDARDIZATION ACTIVITIES EXTENDED

American Society for Testing Materials Organizes New Administrative Committee on Standards Which

Is Expected to Expedite Submission of Standards for Acceptance

In conjunction with recent changes of standardization procedure, to make possible the more prompt

submission of standards for acceptance as tentative,

the American Society for Testing Materials announces

that it has organized a new administrative committee on standards.

It appeared from a study of the matter from an

administrative and organization point of view that

the formation of a committee on standards was desirable in view of the magnitude and extent of the

A. S. T. M. standardization work, of its growing importance to industries of the country and of the importance, and indeed in a way the urgency, of new re- lationships in standardization work that are coming

rapidly to the front. The new committee on standards will act in an

advisory capacity in matters concerning the standardization work of the society, to promote this standardization work and to consider matters of general policy

concerning the A. S. T. M. standardization activities, including the relationship of such activities

with similar activities of other bodies. It will

also review annually the progress of th£ society’s

standardization work and consider the desirability of extending that work from time to time

into new fields, which might involve an extension of the activities of existing committees or the

organization of new committees. Likewise, the committee will perform such functions as might be as- signed to it in connection with a possible modification

of the society’s standardization procedure looking to the earlier promulgation of proposed standards as A. S. T. M. tentative standards. The reviewing of

proposed new standards offered to the society between

annual meetings will be an important function of

this committee.

Standing committee part in developing standards.

The standing committees of the A. S. T. M. are now

offered two alternative methods for the promulgation

as tentative of proposed new standards and proposed

amendments in existing tentative standards without

any modification in either the prescribed procedure

within a standing committee for the preparation and

adoption of proposed standards, or amendments of

standards, or in the prescribed procedure of the society

in formally adopting A. S. T. M. standards. Thus,

while standing committees may give advance notice

of their intention to request that tentative standards

be advanced to standard, or that revisions be made

in existing standards, action in such matters can still be taken only by the society itself in annual meeting.

In reviewing between annual meetings proposed new

standards or amendments of existing tentative standards offered standing committees, the committee

on standards is, in effect, performing the functions of

a session of an A. S. T. M. annual meeting with perhaps

the added advantage of opportunity for more careful

scrutiny of procedure and consideration of the merits

of any moot point ; it represents, in effect, the interests

of the society as a body in assuring itself of justification for publication as tentative of a proposed new

standard.

It is believed that earlier bringing out of tentative

standards where possible, will render greater service

to all concerned and will develop more and better

criticism and discussion of the new standard. The

essential purposes in mind in expediting the standardization procedure of the society are fully met by furnishing this means for more quickly promulgating

tentative standards.

SAFETY CODE FOR PREVENTION OF DUST

EXPLOSIONS

Revision of American Tentative Standard Has Been Submitted for Approval of the American Standard Association;

Sponsored by National Fire Protection Association and

United States Department of Agriculture

A revision of the American Tentative Standard

“ Safety Code for the Prevention of Dust Explosions

in Pulverizing Systems for Sugar and Cocoa” has

been submitted for the approval of the American

Standards Association by the joint sponsors for this

project, the National Fire Protection and the United

States Department of Agriculture.

An introduction to the code says : “ These regulations are issued to eliminate or reduce the hazards in- herent in the manufacture of pulverized sugar and

cocoa, particularly the hazard of their ignition and

the propagation of a resulting fire,” states an an- nouncement from the headquarters of the American

Standards Association. “It is essential that there

shall be no escape of dust into the atmosphere of the

room, a condition favorable to dust explosion and

to the rapid propagation of fire. For this reason it is important that the apparatus be provided with

effective appliances to prevent ignition and confine

fire; proper venting of the apparatus and ventilation

of the pulverizing department are important.

The code covers the location of pulverizing systems,

the construction of buildings, access to those buildings,

power, lighting, preventive measures, housekeeping

and fire protection.

The following codes covering the hazards of dust

explosions in other fields have been approved by the

American Standards Association : Installation of Pulverized Fuel Systems; Prevention of Dust Explosions

in Starch Factories; Prevention of Dust Explosions

in Flour and Feed Mills; and Prevention of Dust Explosions in Terminal Grain Elevators.
180

COLOR FOR SCHOOL FURNITURE

Simplified Practice Recommendation Sent to Industry for Written Acceptance; To Become Effective on January 1, 1930

In accordance with the unanimous action of a general conference of producers, distributors, and users of school furniture held several months ago under

the auspices of the division of simplified practice, the

simplified practice recommendation (S. P. R. Rill-

(30) “ Color for School Furniture,” has been submitted

to the industry for signed acceptance.

The present program is the first of a series to be undertaken by the industry as a result of the initia- tive of the National School Supply Association. This

association, recognizing the need for cooperative action

of all concerned, requested the division of simplified

practice early in 1929 to undertake the organization

of several meetings of manufacturers of different

lines of school furniture to discuss the problem, and

to decide on some color from the many in use which

would be satisfactory as the stock color for school

seating, general school furniture, and laboratory furniture.

The recommendation, as approved by the general

conference, applies to school seating (pupils’ desks),

teachers’ desks, movable desks, recitation seats, chairs,

tablet arm chairs, tables, typewriter tables, library

furniture, filing cabinets, bookcases, kindergarten

tables and chairs, and laboratory furniture. The color

for stock varieties of school furniture shall be known

as school furniture brown.

Certification plan adopted.

In order to assure the purchaser that the commodity

is in conformity with the recommendation, the confer- ence propose that a label should be used indicating

that duplicate color blocks are in accordance with the

recommended color. The label to read as follows:

“The color of this block conforms to simplified practice recommendation Rlll-30, U. S. Department of

Commerce.”

When the National School Supply Association first projected the recommendation for consideration, it was brought out that this industry has a real need for a uniform color for not only specific items covered

by the recommendation, hut for other equipment of

wood and metal used in the schoolroom. No one manufacturer makes a complete line of equipment,

and it is necessary for the consumer to select his

equipment from several different lines produced.

Since color harmony is desirable, the buyer can not

get this result when all manufacturers use different

color finishes. It is necessary, therefore, to match

some sample selected by the consumer.

It was the belief of the conference that the program

will reduce the demand for special finishes, simplify

the stocking of school equipment, and result in smaller

inventory; and that quicker and more satisfactory

delivery will be possible. The conference in ap- proving the proposed recommendation was guided to some extent by approval and indications of support

in letters from individuals and organizations not rep- resented at the conference. Some expressed the wish

that the industry would undertake a similar program

for other items of school equipment, such as lockers,

metal work of desks, map cases, etc. Members of standing committee announced.

In accordance with the regular procedure of the

division of simplified practice, the conference approved

the appointment of a standing committee for the

purpose of enlisting the active support of the various

elements of the industry, and to maintain interest and

adherence by keeping the program abreast of current

practice, through periodic revisions. The personnel

of the standing committee is as follows : J W. McClinton (chairman), secretary, National School Supply

Association ; C. G. Campbell, Kewaunee Manufacturing Co.; W. O. Jones, Standard School Equipment

Co. ; C. A. Beems, Metropolitan Supply Co. ; R. E.

Wagner, Theodor Kundtz Co.; R. A. Fife, R. A. Fife

Corporation; Carl Haas, Eau Claire Book & Stationer Co.; H. F. Herzog, purchasing agent, Northwestern University ; H. W. Schmidt, department of public

instruction, Madison, Wis. ; and G. W. Styles, board

of education, Detroit, Mich.

The recommendation was made effective from January 1, 1930, in order to provide sufficient time to cir- culate the industry for acceptance and to allow all con- cerned to arrange for production, distribution, and use under the terms of the program. This period will also

be used by the National School Supply Association and

the manufacturers’ committee to prepare a supply of

duplicate color blocks which will be made to match

the master blocks approved by the conference, and

which will be distributed by the association to all con- cerned when the recommendation becomes effective. Before the division of simplified practice will indorse

and publish the project, however, it must receive the

written acceptance of at least 80 per cent of the in- dustry, by volume of annual production.

Copies of the mimeographed report of the conference, together with an acceptance blank, may be se- cured upon request, from the chief, division of simplified practice.

AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATIONS AMALGAMATE

With the establishment of the Standards Association of Australia, by amalgamation of the Australian

Commonwealth Engineering Standards Association,

and the Australian Commonwealth Association of

Simplified Practice, there has been approved a council, a considerable proportion of whose members have

not hitherto been directly associated with standardization and simplification, as a national movement in

Australia. The Standards Association of Australia

has prepared a mimeographed bulletin giving the outline of the simplification and standardization movement. in that country and the progress made to date.
181

DIRECTORY AND ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SPECIFICATIONS

Bureau Revising the National Directory of Commodity Specifications, Which Will Include All Available

Specifications of National Scope and the Federal Specifications; It Is Also Preparing an Encyclopedia

of Specifications to Supplement the Directory

The division of specifications of the bureau has now

in the course of preparation a revised edition of the

National Directory of Commodity Specifications, the

first edition of which was issued in 1925. In carrying

forward this undertaking, a collection is being made

of all available specifications which have been formulated or adopted by national technical societies and

trade associations, and those of the Federal Specifications Board. The 1925 edition contains some 27,000

specifications covering more than 6,000 commodities

giving in each case the name of the organization re- sponsible for the preparation of the specifications,

and the date. In the revised edition there will be included not only

the titles of the specifications and names of the issuing

organizations but also outlines of the scopes of the

specifications, telling in as few words as possible exactly what each specification contains with respect to composition and methods of tests. To supplement the National Directory of Commodity Specifications, the division is also preparing an Encyclopedia of Specifications, one volume of which

has been completed. The first volume in this series,

covering standards and specifications in the woodusing industries, was published two years ago. The

second volume will deal with standards and specifications for nonmetallic minerals and products made

therefrom.

Specifications relating to ferrous and nonferrous

materials will be dealt with in the third volume of

the encyclopedia series which will be issued in two

parts.

Preparation of encyclopedia big job.

The preparation of the encyclopedia of specifications

is a major piece of work, since an effort is made to include in full, or by means of adequate abstracts,

tabulations, or cross references every available nationally recognized specification, standard of practice, or simplification project dealing with the materials covered in the National Directory of Commodity

Specifications, as has already been done in the first volume relating to wood products and is being car- ried out in the second volume on nonmetallic minerals.

To bring a volume of the encyclopedia of specifications

into being three principal steps are involved.

The first step is in determining what material, from

the mass available, should be used. In line with the

procedure adopted for the entire encyclopedia series,

it has been decided to include the standards and

specifications of nationally recognized technical societies, trade associations, and similar organizations

qualified to speak for industry, and units authorized

to represent the Federal Government as a whole.

Thus each volume becomes an utterance of industry

and the National Government.

The second major step is in making a survey of the

field thus prescribed to determine the extent of standardization and the nature and quantity of the material

available. Each volume reflects the nature and extent of the work done in the chosen field, and directs at- tention to subjects awaiting development in standardization and simplification.

The third major step is in arranging the material

for each volume in the most serviceable form for the

readers.

For many of the commodities to be included there

are several separate specifications. In each volume

duplication is avoided by the use of an extensive ref- erence system. It should be mentioned that, in using

this system, no preference of the standards of one

organization over those of another is intended, the

idea, being simply to avoid unnecessary duplication in

the method of presentation.

To permit the reader to take advantage of later re- vision of the specifications which will be reprinted,

each volume contains a list of the names and addresses of organizations whose standards and specifications appear therein.

TRUNKS AND HAND LUGGAGE

Conference Last Month Adopted Tentative Proposal for Simplification; Plan to Simplify Commodities Has Approval of Various Elements of Industry

The joint simplified practice committee, representing the manufacturers and dealers of luggage, met last month at Chicago, in conjunction with the manufacturers’ annual convention, to discuss the simplification of sizes of trunks and hand luggage, reports the

division of simplified practice.

Representatives of the General Baggage Agents

Association and others interested were also present at

this preliminary conference, at which time the report

of the manufacturers’ committee on simplification and

standardization was approved. It was decided that

the proposed schedule should be sent out by the division of simplified practice to all manufacturers for

comment and approval.

A tentative recommendation is to be prepared, based on the report of the committee and comments recorded,

for use as an agenda for a general confei'ence of manufacturers, dealers, users, and others interested in the

program for simplification of sizes. The movement

for standardization and simplification not only has

the indorsement of the Trunk, Luggage, and Leather

Goods Manufacturers of America, and the National

Luggage Dealers Association, but also the General

Baggage Agents Association, the National Retail Dry

Goods Association, the Pullman Co., and the National

Association of Retail Clothiers and Furnishers.
182

BULLETIN ON PROTECTION AGAINST

LIGHTNING

“ In case of a thunderstorm keep away from wire

fences. Seek shelter in dense woods or a grove of

trees.” Such is the advice contained in Miscellaneous Publication No. 92, of the Bureau of Standards, entitled

“ Code for Protection Against Lightning.” The protection of persons and property against lightning is a subject of widespread interest and of considerable

importance. Since the time of Benjamin Franklin,

the value of lightning rods in the protection of buildings has been recognized, therefore a part of the code

dealing with specifications for lightning rods used to protect buildings pertains to the subject of practical

construction, and sets forth in detail the requirements

of good design for such installations. These are of

general application and particular types of buildings

may need more specific consideration.

The pi'ice of this document, procurable through the

Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing

Office, Washington, D. C., is 25 cents per copy.

MALLEABLE-IRON UNIONS

Industry Adopts Commercial Standards for Malleable-Iron Unions Which Was Approved by Conference

Announcements have been issued to the industry

by the division of trade standards of the success of

the recommended commercial standard for standard

weight malleable-iron or steel screwed unions, which was adopted at a general conference on September 24, 1928. This standard covers the more important requirements for brass seated, ground joint, malleable-iron or

steel screwed unions in what is known as standard

weight, or the 250-pound class. It includes a tensile

test for each size, minimum and maximum values for

the more important dimensions, and requires that representative unions from each lot shall be subjected to not less than 20 pounds air pressure under oil or water

as a regular part of the production process. The standard is intended by the industry to form

a nationally recognized basis for marketing standard

weight malleable-iron unions as a means of preventingfuture retrogression of quality and retaining the confidence of the distributors and consumers in the general serviceability and value of this commodity.

PROPOSED MARINE STANDARDS READY FOR

FINAL ACTION

The result of the membership vote and criticisms

and suggestions received by the secretary of the American Marine Standards Committee in connection therewith have been reported to the executive board of the

committee on the following items.

Wire ropes for marine uses, proposed general specifications; sleeve couplings for propeller shafts, proposed alternative standards for solid and split coupings; mooring pipes, proposed dual standards for oval

and circular pipes; metal berths for staterooms and

standees, a series of proposed standards for berth

frames and fittings; standard practice in hull construction, proposed standard general instructions covering the essential details of construction, inspection,

and testing.

PAMPHLET DESCRIBES BUREAU OF

STANDARDS

“ National Bureau of Standards—Its Functions and

Activities,” is the title of Circular No. 1 of the bureau,

prepared by Henry D. Hubbard, assistant to the

director. This basic circular endeavors to give to the

nontechnical reader an outline of the services which

the bureau renders, and in this the author has indeed

succeeded. He has presented a most useful and interesting document for the citizens that wish to know

more about their bureau.

In the preparation of this circular, the author has

created what might be called an “ observer-relator ”

style, or, in other words, in reading the pamphlet one

receives the impression of conversing with the author

rather than reading the printed words. For instance,

in one chapter appears this passage:

“ ‘ This is an unusual location for a Government

bureau, far from the business section of the city,’ you

remark. ‘ It would be, for most Government offices, but not for a plant of this kind,’ your guide replies.

* We had to get away from electrical and mechanical

disturbances, which seriously interferes with precise

measurements. The bureau deals with five classes of

standards,’ he continues, ‘ standards of measurement,

standard numerical constants, standards of performance, standards of quality, and standards of practice.

In this vault on the first floor of this building are kept

the fundamental standards of measurement, the meter

and kilogram.’ ” Really this is a pamphlet that every citizen should

be a proud owner of, especially the student of our Government. To secure it, one merely addresses tlie Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing

Office, Washington, D. C., sending that official 50

cents, and the document in question will be forwarded

without delay.

GLASS JOINTS

Meeting to Consider Proposed Commercial Standard for Interchangeable Glass Joints for Laboratory Glassware

The users of laboratory glassware will undoubtedly

welcome the efforts of manufacturers to adopt a standard taper and a set of standard diameters for interchangeable ground-glass joints.

The use of such joints will greatly facilitate the

setting up of complicated pieces of laboratory apparatus and will result in enormous savings in the event of

breakage, since it will be readily possible to quickly

substitute the part broken without discarding the

entire piece of apparatus.

A proposed standard was agreed upon by manufacturers with the cooperation of the Bureau of Standards at a meeting held on October 29. The proposed

commercial standard will be considered by all those

interested at a general conference to be held at the

bureau this month. Invitations have been sent to a large list of laboratories and to the manufacturers and

distributors of laboratory glassware. Others interested will be supplied, upon request, with a copy of

the proposed standard.
183

FOUNDRY PATTERNS OF WOOD

Recommended Commercial Standard for Foundry Patterns of Wood Distributed for Written Acceptance

Agreeable to a request from the fifth annual con- ference of the California Development Association,

held at Del Monte, Calif., January 24, 1929, and with

the full approval of the American Foundrymen’s Association, a recommended commercial standard for

foundry patterns of wood has been distributed for

written acceptance.

The standard covers a system of color marking and

identification for all foundry patterns and core boxes

of wood construction in accordance with a scheme

previously adopted by the American Foundrymen’s

Association and a number of cooperating organizations. Many letters commending this standard and

its general adoption, have been received by the division of trade standards.

An unusually large number of acceptances have been

filed by producers, distributors, and users of foundry

patterns so far, and there is every reason to believe

that the acceptance of the project may be announced

within a short time.

TRACTOR FIFTH WHEELS AND PINTLES

Committee of the Society of Automotive Engineers to Study

Trailer-Coupler Standardization Program Authorized at Atlantic City Convention

One of the subjects that has been considered recur- rent^ for standardization by the Society of Automotive Engineers, according to the S. A. E. Journal for

November, is the interchangeability of tractor-trailer

fifth wheels and the pintle coupling for 4-wheel trailers. Commercial conditions for several years, reports

the Journal, have apparently precluded real fifth- wheel standardization, but shortly after the World

War the society adopted a standard for pintle hooks

that followed closely the standard then established by

the Motor Transport Corps of the Army. This pintle

subsequently became obsolete and the standard adopted

by the society was recently canceled.

The necessity for standardization of the tractor

fifth-wheel connection has again been discussed by

the transportation committee of the society, as this

type of equipment is an important factor in freight

handling by motor vehicles at large terminals.

A meeting of the members of the transportation

committee and the motor-truck division of the standards committee was held early in October during the

American Electric Railway Association convention at Atlantic City, at which representatives of the truck

and the trailer manufacturers were cordially invited

to take part. In discussing the subject at the meeting, the difficulties of the contract haulers were outlined and the opinion was expressed by almost all those concerned with such a program that standardization to some extent should be established.

One suggestion offered was that the manufacturers

of trucks and trailers develop a coupling design, which

could be termed a standard, that won! I correspond to the fifth-wheel connections used before the commercial

introduction of the semiautomatic and the fully auto- matic types, leaving each trailer manufacturer free to continue the use of his particular type of fifth-wheel

connection in cases where his business might make it desirable for him to do so.

Trailer men to cooperate.

The meeting indicated a general desire for cooperation in this direction and expressed the opinion that

something should be done soon toward standardization although it may take several years actually to put such a standard into commercial practice. It was

felt that the pintle-connection problem is much simpler and can be handled by the same group that considers the fifth-wheel connections. Agreement was

reached that a committee of the motor-truck division

of the standards committee be appointed to take up

this work promptly.

Committee established.

Charles S. Lyon, of the Motor Haulage Co. (Inc.),

agreed to serve as chairman of the committee, the

other members to be designated later by him in con- ference with the chairman of the transportation committee and the motor-truck division. The representatives of the trailer companies who were present

indicated their desire to cooperate fully in organizing

the work of the committee.

UNIFORMITY OF FIRE-HOSE THREADS

APPROVED

Nineteen Towns in Texas Adopt Standard Fire-Hose Threads

Progress is being made in standardizing fire-hose

threads in cities and towns of Texas, according to an announcement made by J. W. De Weese, fire insurance

commissioner of that State, which appeared in a re- cent issue of the United States Daily. This statement

said that 19 communities in the State, including San

Antonio, have been checked or standardized and the

standardization work will be completed in Houston,

the last large city, by January 1, 1930.

This work is part of a movement in which the entire State will adopt the national standard fire-hose

thread. This thread is sponsored by the American

Standards Association, National Screw Threads Commission, American Society of Mechanical Engineers,

National Board of Fire Underwriters, and other

Organizations.

“ We are now advised,” said the fire insurance commissioner in his statement, “ by the waterworks commissioner of the city of Houston that the work of

standardization will be completed there on or before

January 1, 1930. This completes the last of our

larger cities and the cooperation shown by interested

officials is deeply appreciated by this office.”

BUILDING EXITS CODE

The 1929 Edition of Code Has Been Approved by American

Standards Association as American Tentative Standard;

Sponsored by National Fire Protection Association

The 1929 edition of the Building Exits Code has

been approved as an American Tentative Standard

by the American Standards Association, and published

by the National Fire Protection Association, the

sponsor for this project. The code is a revision of

the 1927 edition, embodying a new section on places

of public assembly and additions to the section on

schools.

Safe exit provisions are made for schools, hospitals,

department stores, factories, and places of public as- sembly. The provisions of the code cover stairways,
184

fire escapes, elevator and escalator platforms, doorways, and practically every other factor of construction entering into the safe exit from buildings in case of fire. In classifying the different types of buildings,

distinction is made between low-hazard, moderatehazard, and high-hazard buildings. Hospitals, schools,

and office buildings are included in the low-hazard

section ; department stores, and such industrial plants

as bakeries, boots and shoes, and woolen clothing are considered to present a moderate hazard; dry-cleaning establishments, cotton-clothing plants, and most

chemical plants are classified as high-hazard buildings.

Considerable attention is also devoted to fire drills. “ Fire is always unexpected,” says the code. “ Drills

should be so arranged that they will ensure orderly

exit under the unusual conditions obtaining in case of

fire. For this reason drills should be habitually held

in unexpected ways, and at the same time it loses much of its value, and when for some reasop in actual

fire it is not possible to follow the usual routine of

the fire exit drill to which occupants have become ac- customed, confusion and panic may ensue.

“ Drills should be carefully planned to simulate

actual fire conditions. Not only should they be held

at varying times, but should use different means of

exit, assumption being made, for example, that some

given stairway is unavailable by reason of fire or smoke, all the occupants being led out by some other

route. Fire exit drills should be designed to familiarize the occupants with all available means of exits,

particularly outside stairs and other emergency exits

that are not habitually used during the normal

occupancy of the building.

'“In buildings where the population is of a changing character and not under discipline; for example,

in hotels, or in department stores, no regularly or- ganized fire exit drill, such as that which may be

conducted in schools, is possible. In such cases the

fire exit drills must be limited to the regular employees

who, however, can be thoroughly schooled in the

proper procedure and can be trained to properly di- rect other occupants of the building in case of fire.” TRADE ASSOCIATIONS PARTICIPATE IN

INDUSTRIAL STANDARDIZATION

Secretary of American Standards Association Tells American

Gear Manufacturers Association of the Interrelationship

of Company, Association, and National Standardization

The interrelationships of company, association, and

national standardization were discussed recently by

Dr. P. G. Agnew, secretary of the American Standards Association, in an address before the American

Gear Manufacturers Association, at which time he

pointed out that “ the strength of the trade association

in the standardization movement depends fundamentally upon two facts. First, standardization is essentially a managerial problem. It is just as much a problem of management to decide whether paint shall be marketed in accordance with specification A or

specification B, as it is to decide whether a company

shall engage in the paint business or in the grocery

business. Second, the trade association is the only means which has yet been found of systematic cooperation between the management of the various units in an industry.”

In outlining the functions of companies, and trade

associations in standardization work, he said that

“ standardization work should be specifically provided

for and systematically organized, each department

concerned taking an active part. The company should

cooperate actively in standardization work of the

trade association, and through it, in the development

of national standards. Conversely, the set up should

be such as to permit an immediate start in the introduction of each new national or trade association

standard which concerns the work of the company.

“All this should be equally true of big firms and of

little firms, of manufacturers, of distributors, and of

operating companies. In the same general sense it should be true of city, State, and Federal Governments. The association should have effective machinery for promptly getting a real consensus of all of

its members concerned with a particular subject. One

of the association’s educational functions should be

to bring home to the executives of its member companies the economic importance of standardization and

its significance as a managerial tool. “ In consultation with other groups, and with the

national body, it should decide what part of its standardization work is to be handled purely as an association matter on account of its scope and influence being

limited to one narrow field without reflexes upon other

industries and what part needs cooperation with other

groups, from the point of view of national standardization through the national body. It should require

responsible representation on the part of its members,

on its committees dealing with standards. The asso- ciation should systematically promote the use by its own members and by industry generally, both of its own standards and of those national standards in

whose formulation it has taken part.”

TO REVIEW SIMPLIFIED PRACTICE

RECOMMENDATION

Manufacturers of One-Piece Porcelain Insulators Contacted

for Data on Simplification Schedule for This Commodity

In order to provide the standing committee in

charge of Simplified Practice Recommendation No.

73, One-Piece Porcelain Insulators, with the necessary

data upon which to base action when the committee

reviews the recommendation, the division of simplified

practice has addressed an inquiry to all manufacturers

of this commodity, requesting certain specified in- formation.

The information sought is in answer to the following question : “ Considering only tfjat part of your

business to which Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 73 is applicable, what percentage of your

1928 production conformed to the stock varieties in

the recommendation? List the nonstock varieties, if any, for which there exists a sufficient demand to warrant including them in the recommendation. If consumer demand indicates that further eliminations

in the present recommendation can be made, list below

the items which are nonessential. Is there any price

differential favoring the simplified line as against

nonsimplified items ? Have you experienced any

benefit from the simplified program ? ”
185

SIMPLIFICATIONS REAFFIRMED

Simplified Practice Recommendations for Sheet Steel, Eaves

Trough and Conductor Pipe, Roofing Ternes, and Metallic Cartridges Reaffirmed

The following Simplified Practice Recommendations No. 28, Sheet Steel; No. 29, Eaves Trough and

Conductor Pipe; No. 30, Roofing Ternes; and No. 62,

Metallic Cartridges, have been reaffirmed without

change by their respective standing committees, for

another year. The simplified practice recommendation on sheet

steel effected a reduction in variety of stock sizes from

1,819 to 261, an elimination in variety of 85 per cent. The eaves-trough and conductor-pipe recommendation

was instrumental in reducing varieties from 21 to 16, or 24 per cent elimination. Due to the recommendation on roofing ternes, weights and thicknesses of this

commodity were reduced from 9 to 7, or an elimination of 22 per cent, while the program for metallic

cartridges reduced the number of varieties from 348

to 256, or 26 per cent. Surveys of production, conducted prior to holding

the revision meetings for roofing terne and metallic

cartridge programs, indicated the degree of adherence to these recommendations to be almost 100 per

cent.PAMPHLETS ON SIMPLIFIED PRACTICE

RECOMMENDATIONS AVAILABLE

Recently Approved Printed Booklets on Simplified Practice Recommendations for Composition Blackboard, Floor

Sweeps, and Welded Chains Now Available

The division of simplified practice announces the

availability of three additional printed simplified

practice recommendations. They are as follows

:

SPR75 (revised), Composition Blackboard; SPR88,

Floor Sweeps; and SPR100, Welded Chain.

These booklets, which are included in the “ Elimination of Waste Series” of the Department of Commerce, may be procured from the Superintendent of

Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington,

D. C. The price per copy is 5 cents, excepting that

for Composition Blackboard, which is 10 cents. STANDARD FOR PLAIN MOHAIR PLUSH

APPROVED

General Conference Gives Approval to Project; Additional

Specifications to Be Considered Later A general conference of mohair plush manufacturers, upholstered furniture manufacturers, furniture dealers, and general interests held at the

Bureau of Standards on November 8, 1929, adopted

a specification for the minimum grade of plain

mohair upholstery plush. The specification requires

that weight of pile shall be not less than 0.70

pound of pure mohair, exclusive of sizing, per linear

yard of 54-inch fabric and exclusive of selvages; that

the number of pile tufts shall be not less than 250 per

square inch, a tuft being the two ends of a pile loop

;

that the color of the pile shall show no objectionable

discoloration or fading when exposed to a carbon

arc lamp, such as the Fade-Ometer or its equivalent

for a period of 20 hours; and that the fabric shall be

treated by thorough immersion in a moth-repellent

solution.

A committee of manufacturers was appointed to draft a specification for one or more higher grades,

and following approval by the National Upholstery

Textile Association (Inc.), to submit such draft to a second general conference. It is expected that the

minimum grade will be made effective coincidentlv

with the higher grade or grades at some time to be

decided on later. REVISED SCHEDULE FOR FORGED TOOLS

ACCEPTED

Revised Recommendation for Forged Tools, Which Has Been

Before Industry for Written Acceptance, Is Now Effective The division of simplified practice announces that

revised Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 17,

Forged Tools, will be considered as effective from

July 1, 1929. Signed acceptances from a number of

manufacturers, distributors, and users of forged tools,

sufficient to insure the general adoption of the revised

simplification program have been received.

This simplified practice recommendation reduces

the number of weights, sizes, and types of forged tools

from 665 to 369, or an elimination in variety of 44 per

cent. Foi'ged tool eye sizes were also reduced in variety from 120 to 10, an elimination of 91 per cent

in varieties produced.

DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL FUEL OILS

The commercial standard grades of domestic and

industrial fuel oils which became effective July 15,

1929, are receiving very enthusiastic support by all branches of the industry, according to the division of

trade standards.

Inquiries for the specifications are being received

by the division daily from refiners, fuel-oil distributors, and consumers throughout the country. The

commercial standard is now being printed as an official publication of the Bureau of Standards and will be

available for distribution in the near future.

HICKORY GOLF SHAFTS

Industry Accepts Commercial Standard for Hickory Golf

Shafts; Now in Effect On November 1 announcement was made of the

successful establishment of a commercial standard for

hickory golf shafts, which became effective immediately. The standard applies to semifinished shafts,

known in the trade as “ B ” form shafts for ironheaded clubs, and covers dimensions, general quality

requirements, and provides four grades based on a mechanical test for stiffness. The stiffness test is made by flexing a shaft a given

distance over a fulcrum placed on the platform of a self-indicating scale. The load read on the scale is a measure of the stiffness of the shaft. Heretofore

the testing of hickory golf shafts was done by hand,

and no two inspectors could ever be brought into exact agreement on anj' lot of shafts. Many misunderstandings occurred, which resulted in return of goods with

the consequent loss of time and shipping expense,

and frequently involved litigation.

The commercial standard, as approved by the industry, should eliminate this misunderstanding.
186

PAMPHLET ON YARNS RELEASED

Booklet on Commercial Standard for Regain of Mercerized

Cotton Yarns Now Available

The printed pamphlet entitled “ Regain of Mercerized Cotton Yarns, Commercial Standards CSll-29,”

has been released for distribution. It sets forth

definitions and values for moisture contents and re- gain of mercerized cotton yarns as adopted and ac- cepted by the industry, according to the division of

trade standards.

Included is a brief history of the project, a report

of the general conference and a list of the standing

committee appointed to recommend revisions. This

pamphlet points out that mercerized yarns having a regain below 71/) or above 9 y2 per cent shall be adjusted by the seller or buyer, as the case may be, on

the regain basis of 8% per cent (7.83 per cent moisture content.) Mercerized yarns with a regain be- tween 71/2 and 91/2 per cent shall not call for adjustment between buyer and seller.

FOLDING BOXES FOR COFFEE

Industry Said to Be Desirous of Effecting Simplification of

Sizes of Folding Boxes for Coffee A proposal by the industry to simplify the sizes of folding boxes for coffee received favorable consideration at the annual meeting of the National Coffee

Roasters Association, which was held last month at New Orleans. At the request of the Paperboard Industries Association and the National Coffee Roasters

Association, the division of simplified practice will

collaborate with those groups in conducting a pre- liminary survey for a consensus of opinion regarding

the need for simplification of package sizes,

A summary of the survey will be submitted to a general conference of interested elements of the in- dustry for consideration. It is the expression of the

industry that the adoption of the proposed simplified

list of sizes, dimensions, etc., for folding boxes for

coffee will result, not only in the elimination of waste

but in a reduction of costs all along the line. In- creased convenience in handling, shipping and storing

is another expected benefit.

ICE-CREAM BRICK MOLDS AND CARTONS

General Conference Scheduled for This Month, at Which Time

Proposed Simplification Will Be Considered

In accordance with a request received from the

simplified practice committee of the International

Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers, a general

conference of all interests has been arranged for the

month of December, announces the division of simplified practice.

It is expected that representatives of manufacturers

of the following will attend : Ice cream, ice-cream

molds, cartons, carton filing machinery, and ice-cream

cabinets. Weights and measures officials and others

interested have also been invited to attend.

The conference, which will be held under the

auspices of the division, will convene in Washington.

The purpose of the conference will be to approve a proposed simplified list of sizes for ice-cream brick

molds and ice-cream cartons. The agenda for this

conference is based on the report of the committee,

which were approved by the recent convention of the

International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers.

CLOSER CONTACT OF GOVERNMENT

AGENCIES SAVES MILLIONS

Property Transfer Eliminates Wastage, Says Chief Coordinator; Program Formulated by Brigadier General Smither

Details of how the Chief Coordinator’s Office, working under direction of the Bureau of the Budget, ac- complished savings aggregating millions of dollars

during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929, is told in

the annual report of the Chief Coordinator, Rear Admiral H. H. Rousseau, U. S. Navy, to the Director of

the Bureau of the Budget.

Admiral Rousseau’s review of the activities of his

office during the 12-month period shows how wastage

and leaks of Government money gradually were being

stopped through closer contact between all Federal

agencies and how surplus property, listed for discard

or stored idly, had been transferee! or sold with the

result either that much less new equipment was purchased or funds were turned back to the Treasury Department. Only the Marine Corps and the Panama

Canal Commission, of all of the Government agencies, no longer figure in the Chief Coordinator’s program

as sources of surplus property which can be liquidated

or transferred to other groups.

The report explains that the main outlines of the

year’s work had been initiated by Brig. Gen. Henry C. Smither, U. S. Army, who resigned as Chief Coordinator and retired from active service on January 1, 1929. His programs were formulated, the report

states, in a fashion that it was necessary only to carry on the activities provided for, to assure accomplishment of savings in Government expenses.

SOFT FIBER (JUTE) TWINE

Simplified Practice Recommendation No. 110, Soft

Fiber (Jute) Twine, has been accepted by producers

representing more than 80 per cent of the total annual

output, as well as a satisfactory number of distributors

and users. An announcement has been sent to the

industry that the program will be in effect as of November 1, 1929, the date established by the general

conference, which was held on June 25, when the

program was considered.

AMMETERS AND OIL GAGES

A manufacturer of ammeters and oil gages has sug- gested that there is need for simplification of sizes and

varieties of the kinds used on automobiles. The cur- rent demand is for an unnecessarily large number of

varieties which is a hardship to the manufacturers. A

simplified line would, in the opinion of this manufacturer, satisfy normal requirements, and result in

benefit to all concerned.

The division of simplified practice receives many

suggestions for simplication. Manufacturers, dis- tributors and users of these commodities are invited

to submit any comments which will be helpful in determining the interested industry’s attitude toward

these suggestions.

o
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 industry and commerce should

have available for current use and permanent

reference, the Bureau of Standards Journal of

Research.

Early in its firSt year the Journal developed a

liSt 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.

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 liSt 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 . Price, $2.75 per year

COMMERCIAL STANDARDS

MONTHLY

^TA h> y 'i voSe

Subscription price . 25 cents per year

STANDARDS YEARBOOK

FOR 1929

This new governmental periodical is a review

of progress in commercial simplification and

standardisation. It is the only journal of its kind. It covers the national movement ini- tiated by President Hoover for the reduction

of needless sizes and varieties of products and

the promotion of voluntary commercial

Standardisation by industry.

The Secretary of Commerce in the firSt 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

Standardisation Group of the Bureau of

Standards are concerned with Standards

adopted by voluntary agreement.”

Subscription price, $1 per year

The new Standards Yearbook for 1929 is the

third annual issue of a publication devoted to

the great and growing field of Standardisation

in its broad aspects. It is a 400-page summary

of progress.

Standardisation 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 well- ordered activity rather than an incidental

activity supplemental to others."

To obtain regularly the above-described publications send your order, with remittance, addressed: Superintendent

of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. Foreign prices (countries other than the United

States, Canada, Mexico, Newfoundland, Cuba, and Republic of Panama) are: Journal, $3.75; Bulletin, $0.40;

Monthly, $1.25; Yearbook, $1.20
“ * * * this department * * * is devoted solely to aiding and fostering the development of higher standards of living and comfort of our people * * * its 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.

THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

R. P. LAMONT, Secretary of Commerce

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;

and publication monthly of Survey of Current Business. BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE,

William L. Cooper, 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, 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 protection of sponges off the coast of Florida. BUREAU OF LIGHTHOUSES, George R. Putnam, Commissioner. Maintenance of lighthouses and other aids to water navigation. 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. Enforcement of the navigation and steamboat inspection laws,

including imposition of fees, fines, tonnage taxes, etc. STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE, Dickerson N. Hoover, Supervising Inspector General. The inspection of merchant vessels, including boilers, hulls, and life-saving equipment, licensing of officers of vessels, certi- fication of able seamen and lifeboat men, and the investigation

of violations of steamboat inspection laws. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, Thomas E. Robertson,

Commissioner.

The granting of patents and the registration of trade-marks,

prints, and labels after technical examination and judicial

proceedings

Maintenance of library with public search room, containing

copies of foreign and United States patents and trade-marks. Recording bills of sale, assignments, etc., relating to patents

and trade-marks. Furnishing copies of records pertaining to patents. Publication of the weekly 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.

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1929